Technical Officer (Violence Prevention)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO's UHC/Healthier Populations Division is to contribute to reducing health inequalities and reducing preventable disease and injury caused by environmental, social and economic determinants of health. This is achieved through a coordinated inter-sectoral approach aimed at enabling all people to enjoy better health and well-being, in line with the Organization's 13th General Programme of Work (GPW13) and the Sustainable Development Goals. Within the Division, the Department of Social Determinants of Health leads WHO efforts on addressing the social, physical and economic conditions that impact upon health, by compiling and disseminating evidence on what works to address these determinants, building capacity and advocating for more action.

The Department supports Member States and other partners to address violence and unintentional injuries, foster healthy ageing and improve equity and well-being. This will be facilitated through cross-cutting initiatives on improving urban health, addressing economic determinants, and developing strategic frameworks and evidence-based policies. Within the Department, the Prevention of Violence Team focuses upon advancing a four-step public health approach to the prevention of violence that includes: 1) defining the problem; 2) identifying causes and risk factors; 3) designing and testing interventions, and 4) increasing the scale of effective interventions.

As a WHO Headquarters team, its functions are to: 1) provide strategic leadership and advocate for the prioritization of actions on violence and its risk factors through prevention and treatment; 2) set global norms and standards for evidence-based violence prevention and response, including development of global goods and tools for implementation, and promote their uptake; 3) strengthen partnerships and collaboration, including through multisectoral and multi-stakeholder action, to accelerate national violence prevention progress; 4) track global regional and national violence prevention progress and promote accountability through monitoring and evaluation, including reporting to WHO and United Nations (UN) Governing Bodies, and 5) provide specialized technical assistance and technical backstopping to WHO regional and country offices.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under supervision of the Head of Unit, Violence Prevention, the position holder will assist in monitoring the uptake at national, regional and global levels of WHO normative guidance for the evidence-based prevention of violence; provide input on the development of normative documents aimed at strengthening national violence prevention efforts; assist in the delivery of specialized technical assistance and technical backstopping for prevention of violence programmes at WHO regional and country offices, and manage the WHO Violence Information System and related WHO data products on violence. The incumbent will work closely with colleagues from other WHO departments and divisions and with partners outside of WHO including partnerships, UN agencies and collaborating centres.

• Provide specialist technical input to the development, implementation, analysis and reporting of global and regional reports on the status of national violence prevention efforts, including through initiation of a second “Global status report on preventing violence against children” (planned for publication in 2025).
• Manage the development and dissemination of normative documents that provide best practice suggestions on the formulation of effective laws to prevent violence and contribute to the development and initiation of other normative documents, including a WHO guideline on parenting to prevent child maltreatment.
• Contribute to the planning and performance of national violence prevention policy dialogues and capacity building workshops built around the findings and recommendations of the Global status report on preventing violence against children 2020 and the INSPIRE: Seven strategies for ending violence against children technical package (in close collaboration with WHO regional and country offices), and assist with roll-out of the regional and global components of the multi-agency framework for implementation of the 2020 status report.
• Manage the WHO Violence Information System by regularly updating the component datasets, including through addition of the latest WHO Global Health Estimates for homicide as these become available; coordinating the collation of new data by technical partners on other variables included in the system, and preparing periodical social media messages and webinars to raise awareness about the system.
• Develop and monitor work plans and budgets including resource mobilization for the work programme and follow up on the implementation of planned activities.
• Serve as a technical resource to the public concerning the prevention of interpersonal violence and respond to inquiries and provide detailed technical information concerning related principles, practices, issues, measures, techniques and procedures.
• Advance liaison with and coordinate national counterparts, technical departments at HQ, and with donor and development partners (UN and bilateral) to harmonize recommendations on policies and strategies related to violence prevention and resolve issues or concerns.
• Seek funding for new projects and work programmes.
• Represent WHO at various meetings.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advanced university degree in social sciences, public health or other relevant areas from a recognized university.
Desirable: Doctoral degree in Social Sciences, Public Health or a related area on a topic relevant to the role.

Experience

Essential:

• At least seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in advancing the development and implementation of evidence-based violence prevention and response, including developing violence prevention capacity and the provision of training.
• Within this, demonstrated professional experience of working internationally at global, regional and country levels on population-based initiatives promoting violence prevention programmes and providing support to external partners.

Desirable:

• Experience in evidence-based policy making;
• First hand working experience in a developing nation;
• Previous work with WHO and other UN agencies;
• Publishing experience.

Skills

• Sound knowledge of country level situations with regard to evidence-based violence prevention and response with good understanding of relevant country's needs, priorities and policies, along with WHO's policies, practices, guidelines and procedures in the related areas, and ability to apply them in the country office setting.
• Ability to conduct research and analyze results, identify issues, formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations for strengthening evidence-based violence prevention.
• Ability to review and revise policies and objectives of assigned programme and activities.
• Interpersonal skills using tact, patience and courtesy.
• Excellent knowledge of how to advance population-based, multi-sectoral approaches to evidence-based public health interventions.
• Proven, in-depth knowledge of technical aspects in the field of evidence-based violence prevention.
• Public speaking techniques.
• Excellent drafting and communication skills.
• Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of females and males in all aspects of work.
• Team spirit and time management skills.

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Producing results
• Ensuring the effective use of resources

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Expert knowledge of French.

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 73,516 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 5483 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• In the event that 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.
• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.
• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• WHO has a mobility policy which can be found at the following link: http://www.who.int/employment/en/. Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
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