Individual Consultant for the development of a methodology for investment case analyses of action against AMR in food-producing animals, Veterinary Products and Drug Resistance Department
Remote
| Context |
| The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) is a leading intergovernmental organisation representing 183 Members worldwide. Through its activities, WOAH makes a decisive contribution to improving animal health, protecting animal welfare and strengthening Veterinary Services. The Organisation provides transparent information on world’s animal health situation, and promotes international standards, particularly in terms of the safety of trade in live animals and animal products. More information can be found on WOAH’s website .Joining WOAH means taking part in the development of one of the leading international organisations, recognised and associated with other multilateral institutions, in the field of worldwide health. It means helping to build a global approach to health, combining animal and human health in a “One Health” approach.To support its work, WOAH may use individual consultants to provide ad hoc support for tasks that cannot be carried out by members of its staff. An individual consultant works in his own name, for the duration of his assignment at WOAH, to the exclusion of any other principal and without being attached to any employer.WOAH’s headquarters are based in Paris. The Organisation is present on every continent through 13 Regional or Sub-regional Representations. WOAH has 250 staff members, two-thirds of whom are based at headquarters.This position is located in Paris or, alternatively, remotely with a maximum of two one-week visits to WOAH Headquarters during the contracting period |
| Description of the individual consultant assignment |
| ReportingReporting to the Head of the Veterinary Products & Drug Resistance (VPDR) Department, and under the functional supervision of the Principal Administrator for Public Health at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). |
| Mission objectivesAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is no longer a future threat. With an estimated 39 million deaths and up to US$1.7 trillion in annual livestock GDP losses projected by 2050, AMR is already reshaping global health, economic stability and food systems. Against this backdrop, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and RAND Europe, has developed a five-year roadmap to enhance economic knowledge, optimise the use of scarce resources and produce data to support the implementation of the One Health approach in the containment of AMR. This consultancy will aim at developing a high-level methodology for investment case analyses of interventions and strategies to contain AMR in food-producing animals, to help WOAH Members mobilise and scale up resources for One Health action. Investment case analyses will give countries the evidence they need to demonstrate the health and economic rationale for scaling up effective and efficient interventions, such as improved animal husbandry, biosecurity, vaccination and the phasing out of antimicrobials as growth promoters. The methodology will be presented in a joint publication by WOAH and the OECD. The output will build primarily on previous work by RAND Europe and WOAH to estimate the impact of AMR on livestock and the investment case approach used by the OECD for human health interventions, with the aim of producing results that are broadly comparable with existing investment cases within a one health framework. The methodology will be structured around three pillars: A situational analysis, covering a review of the existing policy context and programmes, with the aim of establishing the case for investment and a quantitative assessment of the health and economic burden of AMR in food-producing animals (i.e. under a business-as-usual scenario). A return-on-investment analysis, identifying interventions and prioritising them by their expected impact on animal health, farm productivity and economic performance across the livestock sector, quantifying their implementation costs and estimating the return on investment. A feasibility analysis, examining the factors that may enable or constrain implementation. This pillar will support the translation of analytical findings into policy recommendations suited to the country context and implementation realities on the ground. The publication will address all three pillars. The methodology will be designed such that the outputs are fully comparable and consistent across the various pillars, enabling a coherent assessment of both the current costs due to AMR in food-producing animals and the potential health and economic gains that could be realised by increased investments in priority interventions. The methodology will remain at a strategic level and will not be prescriptive. It will be designed for use across countries with differing income levels, production systems, data availability and analytical capacity, and will describe the key steps of the analysis, the alternative methodological options and, where relevant, the standard assumptions and inputs commonly used by intergovernmental organisations. It will also seek, where feasible, to promote analytical approaches and outputs that are comparable with those used in the human health sector, thereby supporting the development of integrated evidence for policy-making from a One Health perspective. Whenever possible, it will also describe the potential international data sources that can be used to facilitate the steps of the analysis. |
| Activities and deliverablesThe assignment will run from November 2026 to March 2027. Its main output is the draft of the methodological document to be released jointly by WOAH and the OECD, whose final outline will be agreed with both organisations during the assignment. The consultant will work under the supervision of the VPDR Department and in liaison with the designated focal points at the OECD. The work is organised in five steps, each with its own deliverables: Step 1: Review and outline (November 2026)Review the investment case analyses and economic evaluations already carried out on AMR and on animal health, including the framework developed by RAND Europe and WOAH and the approaches used by the OECD. While these will serve as the principal reference frameworks, the review will also examine other relevant approaches, with up to four additional frameworks selected jointly by WOAH and the OECD following an initial review of the available options. Based on the findings from the initial review, develop a standardized data-extraction tool to be applied across all selected methodologies to identify similarities and differences across frameworks and inform the development of guidelines that incorporate the strengths of the different approaches. Identify the data typically available to Members for each stage of the analysis and the gaps that the methodology will need to acknowledge. Agree with WOAH and the OECD on the scope of the methodology and the outline of the publication. Deliverable 1: inception note summarising the findings of the review, with an annotated outline of the publication and a detailed work plan, by 30 November 2026. Step 2: Analytical framework and situational analysis (December 2026)Draft the section defining the analytical framework and scope of an investment case. The analytical framework will describe how to identify an appropriate analysis perspective, the time horizon and discount rates and it will explain the logical of the investment case (e.g. how AMR in food-producing animals leads to losses in animal health, production and economic output; how interventions can be expected to change the outcomes compared with the business-as-usual scenario etc.). Draft the section on how to conduct a situational analysis, covering the policy context, the current epidemiological and animal health situation and the review of existing policies and programmes, including the potential international and national data sources. Draft the section on the steps for estimating the health and economic burden of AMR in food-producing animals under a business-as-usual scenario. Deliverable 2: draft sections on the analytical framework and the situational analysis by 31 December 2026. Step 3: Return on investment and feasibility (January 2027)Draft the section on how to identify and prioritise intervention options (e.g. improved animal husbandry, biosecurity, vaccination and the phasing out of antimicrobials as growth promoters) and on how to calculate their implementation costs. Draft the section on how to assess the impact on animal health, farm productivity and economic performance across the livestock sector and on how to carry out the return-on-investment analysis, ensuring that the results are fully comparable and consistent with those of the burden analysis. Draft the section on how to present the key assumptions and methodological choices and the steps of conducting uncertainty and sensitivity analyses. Draft the section on how to best present results for policymakers. Draft the section on the steps of the political and social feasibility analysis, including the translation of results into recommendations suited to each country. Deliverable 3: draft sections on return on investment and feasibility by 31 January 2027. Step 4: Consolidation and review (February 2027)Consolidate the draft sections into a complete draft publication, including the introduction and conclusions. Revise the draft sections in the light of the comments received from WOAH and the OECD on Deliverables 2 and 3, and record how each comment has been addressed. Deliverable 4: complete revised draft publication for review, by 28 February 2027. Step 5: Finalisation (March 2027)Revise the complete draft in the light of the comments received from WOAH and the OECD, and record how each comment has been addressed. Hand over all supporting material, including the references used. Deliverable 5: final draft publication, ready for the clearance procedures of WOAH and the OECD, with a record of the comments received and how they were addressed, by 31 March 2027. |
| Requirements |
| Qualifications and experienceQualifications required– Advanced university degree (master or doctorate) in economics, health economics, agricultural economics, veterinary epidemiology, public health or a related discipline; – At least five years of professional experience, gained after that degree, in applied economic analysis in animal health, public health or food systems; – Demonstrated experience of burden of disease, cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit or return on investment analysis, with published or publicly available outputs; – Demonstrated experience of preparing investment cases or methodological guidance on economic evaluation for policymakers; – Experience of working with, or advising, national authorities or international organisations on animal health, public health or agricultural policy; – Familiarity with animal health, antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance data and with their limitations, in high income and in low- and middle-income settings; – Experience of drafting publications for international organisations (desirable); – Prior work on AMR from a One Health perspective (desirable). Expected skillsTechnical skills– Excellent understanding of the economic and political global situation of AMR across the One Health approach – Proven ability to critically assess and compare data from various sources, integrating findings into strategic recommendations – Good data analysis skills, including data visualization – Excellent command of the Microsoft Office Package (Word, Excel, Power Point) – Excellent command of English Good knowledge of French or Spanish (desirable) – Ability to write clear methodological guidance for readers with differing levels of technical expertise – Working knowledge of the main data sources relevant to this assignment, including WOAH animal health and antimicrobial use data, national resistance surveillance and agricultural production statistics – Ability to set out assumptions, data gaps and uncertainty in a way that a non-specialist reader can follow Personal and interpersonal skills– Strong communication skills (verbal, written, interpersonal) – Demonstrated ability to work effectively within a team – Organisational awareness, ability to establish priorities, work within tight timelines – Capability of working in a multicultural environment with colleagues from different departments and offices – Self-motivated with a focus on quality delivery – Ability to explain technical methods clearly to readers who are not economists, and willingness to adjust the work in response to their feedback – Ability to work independently and to deliver to a fixed timetable with limited supervision |
| Additional information |
| Working conditions– Remuneration: 350€ per day worked – Duration: five months Start date: as soon as possible – Location: WOAH Headquarters 12 rue de Prony 75017 Paris, France or, alternatively, remotely with a maximum of two one-week visits to WOAH Headquarters during the contracting period |
| General informationWOAH places high value on a multicultural and positive work environment. WOAH is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified candidates, irrespective of their origin, gender, opinions or beliefs. If you are interested in the position, please complete your application online at the latest by November 6th, 2026. All applications will be reviewed after the closing date of the publication |
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