Programme Support Officer

The WHO Country Office works with the National Authorities to achieve the highest standard of health as a fundamental human right, based on equity and on SDGs principle of leaving no one behind. WHO actions are engrained in the WHO 13th General Programme of Work with its 3 prong objectives of promoting healthier populations, keeping the world safe through addressing health emergencies, and protecting the vulnerable through Universal Health Coverage. WHO's mandate revolves around six core functions: (i) providing Global Health leadership; (ii) shaping the health research agenda; (iii) setting norms and standards; (iv) articulating evidence-based policy options; (v) providing technical support to countries; and (vi) monitoring and assessing health trends. The WHO Country Office is an integral part of the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Its main role is to facilitate and coordinate all WHO activities at a country level and to implement the European Programme of Work 2020–2025 –“United Action for Better Health in Europe” which sets out a vision of how the WHO Regional Office for Europe can better support countries in meeting citizens’ expectations about health.

WHO at the country level delivers this through practical, actionable and country-focused solutions to health challenges, keeping in perspective that achieving health and well-being is a whole-of-society endeavour; This is done through facilitating the implementation of the Biennial Collaborative Agreement with the country and its corresponding workplan. The WHO Country Office maintains good working relations and ensures information exchange between the country and WHO, policy and strategic guidance on Health issues to all national and international partners in the country, provision of direct technical expertise when needed and aims at more community engagement and participation, and to promote health equity.

The objectives of the Programme Management and M&E Unit are to support effective programme implementation through resource mobilization, grant management, project management, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, and partnership-building efforts, with the overarching goal of improving health outcomes and strengthening health systems in emergency and non-emergency settings.

As a Programme Support Officer within the Program Management and M&E Unit, the purpose of the position will be the day-to-day running of the assigned projects/programme in a national context, including the monitoring of workplans, daily oversight of the budget, and financial implementation vis-a-vis funding requirements while ensuring adherence to organizational guidelines and standards.

The incumbent will assume the following responsibilities and achieve the following objectives:

1.Provide daily management, monitoring and technical support as regards the assigned programmatic activities at the country level;

2.Preparation and monitoring of project/programme implementation work plans and schedules; monitoring and quality assurance of work packages and workflow follow-up ensuring achievement of the targets within the pre-set constraints (scope, time, budget);

3.Conduct ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the performance against the targeted results in accordance with the WHO and/or donor requirements and WHO impact framework;

4.Provide regular updates on a consistent basis to various internal and/or external stakeholders and prepare progress reports as per the needs and in line with any specific requirements in play and within the set deadlines;

5.Supporttimely and sound financial management of the available resources as to ensure smooth activities implementation within the set budget. Manage and exercise control over the budgets, cash flows, and expenditures. Ensure eligibility and correctness of the expenditures against the approved budget and applied financial rules and procedures;

6.Provide support in developing, updating, and adapting relevant strategic or operational documentation (including but not limited to plans, tools and templates, briefings, reports, advocacy and training materials, etc.) as per the needs and in coordination with the technical units;

7.Provide technical and organizational support for the preparation, carrying out and proper reporting and follow-up on coordination meetings, capacity building events, international or national missions by WHO, other partners, experts, etc.;

8.Assist in coordinating and facilitating improved information and knowledge management within the team for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation, organizational learning and reporting, with particular responsibility for maintaining and improving the activities databases/lessons learnt log.

9.Perform other duties as required by the supervisor for the successful implementation of the projects and assigned tasks.

Essential: University degree (Bachelor's level) in business/public administration, international relationships, economics or a similar area, relevant to this position, from an accredited institution.

Desirable: Master's degree or advanced training in any of the above.

Essential: At least one year of experience in project management and/or monitoring and evaluation of donor-funded programmes/projects within the similar context

Desirable: Demonstrated experience in planning, coordination and implementation of health-related projects or programmes. Relevant experience with(in) WHO, UN agency or international organization.. Experience of WHO processes and policies

1) Teamwork

2) Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

3) Communication

4) Producing Results

5) Ensuring effective use of resources

•Strong knowledge of programme/project management principles and practices.

•Strong skills to work independently, demonstrating strong attention to details and technicalities.

•Ability to manage large volumes of information and to cross-check information received from different sources.

•Ability to multitask and work under pressure, in a fast-paced environment.

•Excellent computer skills: standard software, language, and communication skills.

•Understanding of WHO and/or UN policies and procedures.

•Ability to identify and manage one’s emotions and help others do the same.

Essential: Expert knowledge of English and Ukrainian.

Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of other Official WHO Languages.

1)Work environment: The Ukraine Country Office is a large office with core staff, project-related teams, and cross-cutting functions. The Country Office is also part of the Regional Office The incumbent will work as part of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine under the leadership of the Head of the WHO Country Office, Head of Programme Management and M&E Unit, and supervision of the Project Management Officer within the Programme Management and M&E Unit (PMU) at the WCO.

2)The role of the individual within the team: The incumbent provides technical support and evidence-based advice as a part of the PMU team and within the context of the project(s) and the WHO work in support of Ukraine. The incumbent works closely with the staff from different units in WHO CO, counterparts at the respective Regional Office and HQ. The incumbent will ensure that gender equality and human rights considerations are incorporated into their day-to-day operations.

3)Guidelines:Available guidelines for work include WHO policy guidelines, including the resolutions of the World Health Assembly, Executive Board and Regional Committee reports; the WHO General Programme of Work and related Programme Budgets; European Programme of Work, Regional Committee documents and resolutions; Biannual Collaborative Agreement; the European Health Policy - Health 2020; the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); WHO's e-Manual including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for WHO' work in emergencies; WHO's Staff Rules and Regulations; Financial and Administrative Framework Agreement(FAFA), contribution-specific agreement(s) and accompanying annexes.

4)Independence in decision making: The incumbent works with a certain level of independence under the guidance and supervision of the Project Management Officer and takes ownership of assigned tasks. General direction and guidance are provided by the WHO Representative/Head of the Country Office, the Health Programs Leads in regard to project-related activities, and the Head of PMU.

1. This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level
2. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
3. A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.
4. In the event your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
5.According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.
6.Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and E-Manual.
7.The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.
The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.
Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int
8. An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) into practice.
9. WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.
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11. WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.
12. The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.
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14. This is a National Professional Officer position. Therefore, only applications from nationals of the country where the duty station is located will be accepted. Applicants who are not nationals of this country will not be considered.
15. Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.
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