Consultants Roster VN – Community Protection (CP) for Emergencies

Area of expertise

Roster of consultants – Community Protection (CP) for Emergencies

Purpose of consultancy:

The CPI unit of the WHE department of WHO SEARO is creating a roaster of qualified consultants to support the unit in community protection. The consultant(s) will support implementation of the Strategic Action Framework for Strengthening Community Engagement and Resilience in the WHO South-East Asia Region (2025 - 2029) aligned with the WHO SEA Regional Strategic Roadmap on Health Security and Health System Resilience for Emergencies (2023 – 2027) through projects or specific technical tasks of moderate or high level specialization that demand mid or advanced level knowledge and skills.

Background

The WHO SEAR is faced with a range of complex health emergencies, including infectious diseases, natural disasters and conflicts. Although Member States in the region have made progress in strengthening health security systems, recent major crises including the COVID-19 pandemic have provided valuable lesons and highlighted the need to increase investment for effectively managing and mitigating health threats. Central to the advancement of health and improving community resilience to acute public health threats is the involvement of communities for public health action.

The role of engaging and involving communities in public health action is well recognised within global and regional strategies and frameworks for health emergency mitigation and management. Under IHR (2005), Member States are required to establish and sustain core public health capacities, including systems, processes and investment for effective risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) [Capacity 10] including Infodemic Management, Social & Behavioural Insights and strengthening of community systems and workforces, all covered under the community protection sub-pillar of the WHO HEPR framework. Suitable candidates will be engaged to strengthen the human resource capacity of the CPI/WHE/SEARO unit and provide critical technical assistance to WHO country offices and member states of the region in the following key functional areas:

·Overall CER/RCCE -IM Technical Oversight, Coordination and Partnerships

·Socio-Behavioural Insights

·Community Engagement and Empowerment including workforce development

·Risk Communication and Infodemic Management

Deliverables

Technical Oversight, Coordination and Partnerships – Community Protection (CP)

·Strategize, provide technical oversight, coordinate and implement CP related activities.

·Anchor CP partners engagement through the Asia Pacific regional mechanisms.

·Build partnerships with a range of stakeholders to support coordinated CP activities.

·Consultative development and joint implementation of CP interventions for prevention, mitigation and response to acute public health threats with MoH and key partners.

·Liaise for the integration of CP-activities across various technical and disease control programmes.

·Provide technical guidance, assessment and operational support to MoH to strengthen national CP systems, processes and workforce.

·Anchor the overall operational CP response under WHO IMS, including coordinating other CP personnel during emergenices.

Socio-Behavioural Insights (SBI)

·Identify, design and implement studies, surveys, and research to generate SB evidence and insights for priority public health programming.

·Build partnerships with academia and research institutes and conduct targeted SBI studies.

·Advocate and support the collection and analysis of SBI data for event-based risk assessment and response planning.

·Work to strengthen national social listening and community feedback mechanisms with national counterparts and partners.

·Conduct multi-source social listening and community feedback, including social media analytics, online search trends, offline mechanisms.

·Generate and share social listening and community feedback reports with various preparedness and response coordination mechanisms and technical programmes.

·Advocate and support the integration and mainstreaming of SBI data into prevention and response-based health decision-making.

Community Engagement and Empowerment Including Workforce Development (CE-WD)

·Map and form partnerships with community stakeholders at subnational levels.

·Assist national authorities to establish and strengthen community-based joint health risk mapping and co-design of local solutions by mapped community partners.

·Establish communities of practice involving community-based networks, civil society organizations, trusted influencers, and other relevant stakeholders.

·Design and deliver training and technical resources to community-based partners and networks including through development and management of digital platforms.

·Train, support, and coordinate establishment and strengthening of community workforces and volunteer networks enabled by digital rostering and learning platforms.

Risk Communication and Infodemic Management (RC-IM)

·Formulate guidelines and SoPs for the transparent and timely dissemination of health advice and information, including expedited processes for message testing and release by national authorities.

·Map key audiences and channels to optimize the reach of information sharing and engagement via trusted channels and messengers by national authorities.

·Identify and train national spokespersons in risk and crisis communication.

·Engage with national authorities and key CP stakeholders to establish/strengthen national social listening and community feedback mechanisms to support the rapid detection of emerging issues, mis/disinformation, and information voids.

·Design and deliver technical guidance and capacity building on the use of online social listening tools to support rapid detection of emerging issues and mis/disinformation.

·Support the response and management to rumours, mis/disinformation including via fact-checking and other strategies.

·Anchor the infodemic management function under national or regional IMS, including generation of infodemic insights reports and operational response.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

·For band level B: University degree in Social Sciences, Liberal Arts, Behavioural Sciences, Development Sciences, Communications or Public Health from an accredited/ recognized academic institution.

·For band level C: Advanced university degree or higher in Social Sciences, Liberal Arts, Behavioural Sciences, Development Sciences, Communications or Public Health from an accredited/ recognized academic institution.

Experience:

Band B level:

Essential:

·5 to 10 years of relevant experience in the area/s of social research and/or analytics, risk communication, infodemic management, or social and behavioural sciences, undertaken at national and/or international levels.

·Specialized experience in executing complex assignments related to infodemic management, risk communication, community engagement and/or behavioural sciences.

Desirable:

·Experience in public health areas.

·Prior experience working with the WHO, other UN agencies, or recognized health cluster partners at national and/or international levels.

Band C level:

Essential:

·More than 10 years of relevant experience in designing and implementing highly complex and in-depth deliverables related to social and behavioural, RCCE and/or health promotion interventions at national and/or international levels.

·Significant experience in working in disease outbreaks or health emergencies, leading community protetcion responses at national and/or international levels, including planning, budgeting and partner coordination.

·Prior experience working with the WHO, other UN agencies, or recognised health cluster partners at national and/or international levels.

Desireable:

·Prior experience in developing training and technical guidance related to the core functional areas.

·Prior qualification or training related to health emergency management, health promotion, behavioural research, infodemic management or risk communication.

Skills/Knowledge:

Essential:

·Excellent and demonstrated writing, oral presentation and communication skills

·Demonstrated knowledge and skills in health emergencies and public health

·Positive attitude to learning new skills and working with a team with the capacity to work under high pressure and tight time constraints

·Focus on quality with attention to details

·Analysis and troubleshooting skills, with the aptitude and sound judgement for problem-solving

·Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Suite

Desirable:

·Working knowledge on use of Talkwalker/ Brandwatch, Ushahudi, Kobotool or Transifex would be helpful.

·Demonstrated knowledge of RCCE principles, including community engagement, risk communication strategies, content development, data collection/feedback tools (e.g., KoboToolbox, ODK, Talkwalker), and digital communication platforms.

Languages and level required (Basic/Intermediate/Expert):

Essential: English – read, write, and speak at expert level

Desirable: Knowledge of the official language(s) of one/more member states of the region

Location

The consultants are expected to work on site / off site as per need basis

Travel

Both on-site and off-site support may be required based on country needs and specific TORs of the consultancy

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration: Band level B and C based on experience, qualification of the applicant and requirements of the deliverables

·Band level B – USD 7,000-9,980

·Band level C – USD 10,000-12,500

Expected duration of contract

·The actual duration of the contract will depend on the needs of the CPI unit, with a minimum of 3 months to a maximum of 22 months.

·Both full and part-time assignments with different durations could be offered. For part-time engagement remuneration will be pro-rated.

Living expenses

Travel expenses and per diem will be covered as per WHO rules applicable to consultants for approved official travel during the contract period.

Additional Information

·This vacancy notice is being issued for establishing Roster for Consultants Roster VN – Community Protection (CP) for Emergencies.

·Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

·A written test may be used as a form of screening.

·If your candidature is retained for 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.

·For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

·The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce 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 for WHO jobs.

·Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email toreasonableaccommodation@who.int

·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.

·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.

·WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

·Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.

·WHO shall have no responsibility for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.

·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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