UNICEF is seeking to select a technical partner to work with in close coordination with the MINSA Mental Health Directorate and the donor institution's technical teams. This collaboration should ensure joint validation of the content and tools to be developed, as well as guarantee the mainstreaming of rights, gender, and inclusion approaches throughout the entire process.

Sectors and Areas of Specialization 

• Health
  • Adolescent health, including sexual and reproductive health

Geographic Focus

• Peru
  • Lima

Funding Information

• 350000

Expected Results

• Outcome 1: Two instruments for detecting mental health risks and problems in adolescence have been psychometrically validated and are available for national implementation.
  • Activities:
    • Conduct psychometric validation of the Youth Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ), which is aimed at detecting situations of violence in adolescents by health services, in order to ensure its validity and national applicability.
    • Develop a proposal for a scientific article based on the results of the psychometric validation of the JVQ, with a view to its publication in indexed scientific journals.
    • Develop and manage the publication of the proposal for a scientific article based on the results of the pilot study of the socio-emotional skills training sessions for adolescents, with a view to its publication in indexed scientific journals.
    • Conduct a systematic search for evidence in indexed scientific journals on recent psychometric studies of instruments used to detect depression, anxiety, or other mental health problems in the 12- to 18-year-old population, with potential for use in population measurements (e.g., PHQ, GAD, among others). Classify the instruments found according to their level of psychometric evidence (validity, reliability, sensitivity, specificity, etc.).
• Outcome 2: Materials validated by the MINSA Mental Health Directorate for working with adolescents, available for use nationwide and distributed to prioritized CSMCs and first-level care facilities in North Lima.
  • Activities:
    • Develop a digital communication strategy to position the Mental Health Plan in educational institutions, aimed at caregivers and adolescents, validated by MINSA and UNICEF, and adapted to their platforms and graphic lines. Includes: Animations and animated infographics, educational podcasts, Integration of content into digital platforms, Usability testing, Audiovisual production (recording, editing, and post-production).
    • Produce two short videos to disseminate the chatbot for adolescents, ensuring compliance with communication guidelines and content validation by UNICEF.
• Outcome 3: Training program in adolescent mental health for primary care staff, institutionalized by the Ministry of Health and implemented in a first edition, directly benefiting health professionals (physicians and psychology professionals) from priority areas in North Lima.
  • Activities:
    • Design and implement a training course in adolescent mental health for professional psychology teams from two CSMC (Centers for Medical Education) in five establishments in North Lima, focusing on prevalent problems (depression, anxiety, suicide risk), with content validation by MINSA, DIRIS, the donor institution and UNICEF. This training process must involve in-service support and monitoring, so it can be of a hybrid nature.
    • Design and implement a training course on adolescent mental health for professional medical teams from two CSMCs from five establishments in North Lima, focused on prevalent problems (depression, anxiety, risk suicidal), with content validation by MINSA, DIRIS, the donor institution, and UNICEF. This training process must involve in-service support and monitoring, so it can be hybrid in nature
    • Design and implement training processes that include close support in mental health promotion and risk detection in adolescents, aimed at teachers, adolescent students, and parents or other primary caregivers at educational institutions adjacent to prioritized health facilities and CSMC in North Lima. This process must have a reach of 30 teachers, 300 primary caregivers, and 1,000 adolescents.
• Outcome 4: Comprehensive adolescent health chatbot, with a focus on mental health, piloted in coordination with the UNICEF team.
  • Activities:
    • Develop and implement the chatbot (considering the content previously developed and validated by UNICEF and MINSA), using the RapidPro service (a service paid for by UNICEF), for common use by adolescents through WhatsApp.
    • Conduct the pilot test with adolescents in northern Lima, starting with the dissemination of the service in coordination with local institutions, gathering feedback from adolescent users, and making corresponding adjustments.
    • Monitor its operation and collect usage data. Key chatbot metrics (interactions, frequently asked questions, navigation paths) will be tracked, as well as qualitative feedback.
    • Prepare a technical report of the pilot with recommendations. Summary of the pilot results, lessons learned, challenges, and recommendations for the institutional expansion or integration of the chatbot.

Selection Criteria

• Relevance of proposal to achieving expected results
• Innovative approach
• Sector expertise and experience
• Local experience and presence
• Experience working with UN

For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.

https://www.unpartnerportal.org/landing/opportunities/