Planning and Performance Management Officer (Multiple Country Offices)

Purpose of the Position\:

In the context of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme,, the incumbent will facilitate the development of the strategic response plans as well as the WHO operational plan, outlining the activities and resources (staffing, equipment, funding) required for WHO to perform its role as the lead technical agency in health emergencies, and more specifically as the leader of the Health Cluster in humanitarian emergencies and outbreaks. This involves defining the indicators and source(s) of information, gathering and interpretation of related data to ensure that the response is on track, analyse implementation gaps and recommend solutions, advocate the application of the results chain and promotion of best practices. The incumbent will be deployed to emergency operations when required.

Objectives of the Programme and of the immediate Strategic Objective\:

The Mission of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to help countries, and to coordinate international action, to prevent, prepare for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies.

Organizational Context\:

The Planning & Performance Management Officer reports directly to the Planning & Performance Management Lead (where applicable) and/or the WHO Health Emergencies (WHE) Lead under the overall guidance of the Head of WHO’s Country Office. S/he works closely with the other members of the WHE team and the technical leads, at the three levels of the organization, to facilitate strategic and operational planning for emergency preparedness, response and recovery activities. The Officer ensures that planning is based on accurate data and that the expected results with the associated inputs (competencies and financial resources) are clearly defined and tracked. S/he will have the front line responsibility for promoting effective performance management strategy throughout the full cycle of the emergency. The present position under WHE (which is a single programme across the Organization) may be relocated to another duty station, including at Regional or Country level, based upon the technical needs of the Programme.

Summary of Assigned Duties\:

1. Facilitate a systematic collection of information pertaining to the joint operations plans (4Ws), from relevant WHO offices and key operational partners, to generate a consolidated overview of needs and requirements. 

2. Collaborate with relevant internal WHO teams and key operational partners in the development of a strategic response framework and joint operations plan (4Ws) to outline the response strategies to the emergency incident.

3. Support the development of WHO’s emergency workplans and associated budgets outlining the required response activities and resources (staffing, equipment).

4. Undertake regular planning reviews, with HQ teams and the relevant regional office when necessary, to provide periodic estimates and forecasts on response requirements based on technical needs.

5. Support resource mobilization efforts through providing overall analyses of needs and technical contributions to the development of project proposals and identifying budget needs.

6. Monitor the implementation of WHO’s projects and grants, ensuring that implementation, expenditure and reporting are consistent with plans and projects. Analyse risks for implementation and bring them to the attention of the responsible officers.

7. Determine the data information elements that are required internally and externally to support the health sector/cluster coordination and decision-making. 

8. Coordinate data collection and analysis to monitor progress against plans according to established key performance indicators. Prepare background documents, concept papers, situation analysis, develop monthly technical reports assessing the implementation of related programmes.

9. Perform any other related duties, as required by the functional supervisor. 

Competencies\:

1. Teamwork;

2. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences;

3. Communication;

4. Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Functional Knowledge and Skills\:

• Extensive practical knowledge of modern management principles and techniques, especially with respect to large operations at national, regional and/or global levels.  

• Demonstrated knowledge and skills in reporting on large budgets and financial resources.

• Ability to clearly and articulately present concepts and strategies on a broad range of issues.

• Concrete skills in conceptualizing strategies and public health interventions.

• Ability to perform and adapt to complex and changing political, social, and economic contexts.

• Knowledge of WHO or other UN agencies’ governing mechanisms, procedures, planning and programme management.

Education Qualifications\:

Essential\:

First university degree in public health, management, business or public administration or other social sciences from an accredited/recognized institute.

Desirable\:

• Advanced university degree in public health, business or public administration. 

• Specialized training in epidemiology, health management, or humanitarian interventions.

Experience\:

Essential\:

• A minimum of five years of relevant experience, at the national and international levels, in strategic and operational planning, monitoring of technical and financial implementation and  performance management  of programmes and relating operations in a public health or humanitarian international context.

• Demonstrated experience in coordinating with and reporting on the work of diverse teams and financial resources at international level.

Desirable\:

• Experience working in WHO, the UN and/or international organization, health cluster partners and recognized humanitarian organizations including at the regional/country level. 

• Experience in change management and organizational development.

Use of Language Skills\:

Excellent knowledge of English or French (depending on the country of assignment). Working knowledge of another WHO official language would be an asset.

Other Skills (e.g. IT)\:

• Ability to propose innovative approaches and solutions to challenging situations.

• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office applications and automated planning tools.