Chair, Global Board of Appeals (GBA)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The Global Board of Appeal (GBA) is a peer-review body which offers a formal venue for WHO staff members to appeal against final administrative decisions or actions affecting their appointment status. The GBA reviews staff members' appeals in facts and in law, and reports its findings and recommendations to the Director-General with whom the final decision rests. In addition the GBA issues analyses of patterns, statistics, lessons learnt and/or recommendations on issues raised in appeals and potential improvements to be made to internal processes and procedures so as to avoid future appeals. The Secretariat of the GBA functions as the GBA's registrar office and provides legal, procedural, training and administrative support to the GBA, its Chair and the GBA members.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The incumbent coordinates and provides overall guidance to the work of the GBA and of the Secretariat; reviews appeals in accordance with the WHO Staff Rules, and reports the GBA's findings and recommendations to the Director-General. Specifically, the incumbent shall:

1. Organize the work of the GBA:
   • Oversee the work of the Secretariat and through this ensures timeliness and due process throughout the appeal process, including the exchange of pleadings between the parties, the organisation of meetings of the Board, requests for additional information from the parties; organization of hearings, etc.;
   • As the overall accountable person for the Board and its Secretariat pro-actively ensure reasonable time-lines in case-management, avoiding backlogs and, propose and implement effective ways to reduce the build-up of backlogs in a timely manner;
   • Organize and oversee pre-hearing conferences, including for the purpose of: clarifying the issues to be addressed by the Board; identifying any witnesses each party may call; addressing any requests for additional documentation, and setting a schedule for further proceedings.
2. Provide high level guidance for the work of the GBA:
   • Review the receivability of an appeal according to the GBA's rules of procedure;
   • Interpret the Organization's rules and policies pertaining to the appeal process and provide authoritative advice on procedural matters pertaining to these rules and policies;
   • Take interim measures, including determine what documentation is required for the proceedings and what is directly relevant to the arguments of the Parties;
   • Make recommendations to parties to pursue informal resolutions of appeals where appropriate;
   • Ensure that the GBA's reports are: clear; succinct; reflect a sound interpretation of WHO's rules, procedures and ILOAT jurisprudence; provide sufficient background and reference to assist the Director-General in making a decision and contain practical, implementable recommendations.
3. Oversee the management of the GBA:
   • Facilitate the election and appointment of members to the GBA following the rules of procedure and for each case appoint GBA panel members, taking into account crucial aspects such as workload, availability, and subject matter- expertise;
   • Ensure overall case and judgment coherence through regular coordination meeting mechanisms with the Members of the GBA and the Secretariat;
   • Prepare and present an annual report of the work of the GBA.
4. Supervise and manage the Secretariat of the GBA:
   • Supervise the Vice-Chair and the Secretariat of the GBA; optimize the performance of the team through motivation, continuous learning, workload management and workflow improvements; and draw upon lessons learnt;
   • Ensure overall managerial functions related to the GBA Secretariat, including human resources and budget planning and implementation; monitoring and evaluation; reporting, etc.,
   • Facilitate a smooth transition from the Regional Boards of Appeals / Headquarters Board of Appeal to the Global Board of Appeal.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advanced university degree (Master's level or above) in Law.
Desirable: Specialization in administrative law. Admittance to the Bar of a Member State or an equivalent qualification to practice law in a Member State.

Experience

Essential: At least ten years' experience in or with: (i) The application of legal principles and concepts in the broad range of issues arising in internal appeals in the United Nations common system, or another comparable international organization, including in the analysis and application of rules and regulations. (ii) Grievance and appeals systems in an international setting and multicultural environment. At least 5 years of successful experience in managing an international team.
Desirable: Experience in the registry of a tribunal or court or in appearing before a tribunal or court.

Skills

Excellent knowledge of and experience in the law of the international civil service, including the jurisprudence of at least one administrative tribunals at international level, and of legal structures, texts and principles applicable in an international organization. Sound analytical skills. Excellent communication skills and ability to present complex information clearly and logically (including legal issues and impacts of policies to non-lawyers) orally and in writing (in particular in GBA reports). Excellent interpersonal skills to work with people from different cultures and backgrounds and at different levels across the Organization, including in the regions. Tact and high degree of discretion and confidentiality. Ability to provide leadership. Ability to work in team settings. Knowledge of personnel management theories and principles of staff management an advantage. Knowledge of an internal justice system in the UN common system an asset.

WHO Competencies

Communication
Moving forward in a changing environment
Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Intermediate 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 89,837 (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 2283 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

• The appointment is for an initial period of two years, the first year being probationary. The appointment is renewable for up to five years at which point it will be terminated by WHO.

• 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.