Consultant – Readiness Contingency Planning

Purpose of consultancy

To contribute to the synthesis and analysis of the technical content and contributions towards the Readiness Contingency plan and Readiness checklists.

Background

Health emergencies continue to have significant and sometimes catastrophic impacts on countries' health, economies, and development. Both recent and ongoing public health events have demonstrated that the many communities remain at high risk, and that strong levels of national preparedness across all relevant sectors are crucial to ensuring the effective management of health emergencies, when they occur.

As part of the WHO Transformation Agenda a unit on Readiness Assessment and Prioritization was created in the Country Readiness Strengthening Department of WHO Health Emergencies Preparedness and IHR Division of the WHO Health Emergencies Program (WHE).

Due to the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 crisis, WHO has developed the COVID-19 Partners’ Platform (e.g., Platform). Based on the success of this Platform in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now expanding towards all hazards i.e., Cholera, EVD, Mpox and Measles. With the Platform being a web-based tool, it enables collaboratively scale-up preparedness and response towards all hazards. This is the first time all countries can show the world what actions they are planning and implementing, to request international support, and to track contributions and progress in real-time.

The Partners’ Platform for all hazards:

• Facilitates planning aligned to international guidance developed in collaboration with countries and partners.
• Supports the monitoring of preparedness and response activities at national and subnational levels.
• Enables the costing of resource requests when they are not available at the country-level.
• Provides visibility into the donor contributions that have been committed in the context of this outbreak.

Deliverables

• Deliverable 1: Analyze and synthesize technical contributions from WHO experts and partners into the Health Emergency Readiness for Operations (HERO) Guide, including on readiness capabilities and tools such as the readiness checklists.
  • Activity 1.1. Contribute to the collection and synthesis of technical contributions.
  • Activity 1.2. Contribute to the analysis to guide the team on development of final operational readiness guidance, plans and tools.
• Deliverable 2: Contribute to the analysis and synthesis of technical contributions to the drafted Readiness Contingency Plan Guide.
  • Activity 2.1. Collaborate with the WHE Operations Department in gathering technical input on the WCO Readiness Contingency Plan Guide.
  • Activity 2.2. Collect and synthesize technical inputs from readiness focal points towards developing government-specific guidance on readiness contingency plans.
  • Activity 2.3. Contribute to the strategic expansion of the WHO Partners Platform to include readiness contingency plan guidance and templates.
• Deliverable 3: Contribute towards technical content for readiness publications in the scientific literature.
  • Activity 3.1. Provide technical expertise and writing guidance on external facing materials, in line with the strategic goals of the CRS department.
  • Activity 3.2. Contribute to the review of all readiness assessment and prioritization guidance and other written output to ensure consistency and incorporate latest developments on readiness.
• Deliverable 4: Contribute to the development of a monitoring and evaluation data management strategy and plan for the Readiness Assessment and Prioritization (RAP) unit and Partners Platform team.
  • Activity 4.1. Provide technical expertise to the RAP unit’s data management and analysis strategy and plan and work across all products including Partners Platform.
  • Activity 4.2. Contribute to the analysis of data and propose measures to improve the data management approach.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• A first university degree in health, social sciences, or related field.

Desirable:

• Advanced level university degree in public health, social sciences, or related field.

Experience

Essential:

• At least 5 years of relevant experience in conducting research and/or data analysis preferably in the context of health emergencies activities or equivalent, including experience in planning and project management.

Desirable:

• Experience in health activities and programs in WHO preferably related with the health emergencies related web-based platform such as Partners Platform.

Skills/Knowledge:

• Strong organizational and persuasive skills, ability to use participatory approaches in their contact with external parties and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to work in a multi-disciplinary environment, coordinate multi-sectoral stakeholders and conduct tasks with multiple objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to work constructively with people with diverse backgrounds and orientations.
• Ability to formulate research questions and conduct research independently.
• Ability to formulate technical reports and other communications with appropriate level of technical content in precise and concise manner.
• Keen analytical skills and ability to monitor and evaluate methodologies and information.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of French and another official UN language.

Location

Off site: Home-based.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level B - USD 7,000 - 9,980 per month.

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

11 months.

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
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• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
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