Consultant – NCD related adolescent health school-based surveillance and monitoring

Purpose of consultancy

To provide specialized technical advice to the development and maintenance of the Global School Based Student Health Survey and Global School Health Policies and Practices Survey. To provide expert advice to the planning and implementation of these two survey systems.

Background

WHO, in collaboration with its international partners, has been working since 2001 to build surveillance and monitoring capacity within countries, through the implementation of the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS). The GSHS has now been initiated or completed in over 100 countries. Implementation of the GSHS is enabling officials from ministries of health and education to periodically monitor the prevalence of important health risk behaviours and protective factors among students and to use the resulting data to focus and improve school health programmes. A complimentary survey system to track school health policies and programs has also been developed, but not as widely implemented. Work is needed to further refine and develop electronic data collection methods to support the school health policies and practices survey system.

As part of a project entitled “Empowering adolescents to lead change using health data” to be carried out in four selected cities of low- and middle-income countries (Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana; Jaipur, India; Spanish Town, Jamaica; Fez, Morocco), GSHS baseline surveys will be conducted with a representative sample of 13-17 year old students to deliver information for intervention planning to improve their health. A subsample of students will be asked to participate in a study to validate the GSHS physical activity module against objective measurement devices, the Axivity AX3 movement sensor.

Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Provide expert advice on GSHS implementation in participating countries, including the four pilot Botnar Foundation sites, and other selected implementation sites, including questionnaire development, sample design, survey implementation, and data processing, analysis, and reporting milestones.
Expected by: Throughout the consultancy.

Deliverable 2: Develop technical training materials to assist with implementation of GSHS and G-SHPPS.
Expected by: March 2023

Deliverable 3: Provide technical expertise and specialized advice to WHO on a capacity-building model for countries implementing GSHS and G-SHPPS including tools for planning, sample selection, questionnaire development, survey implementation, and data processing.
Expected by: Throughout the consultancy.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

Advanced university degree in epidemiology, survey research, social sciences, medicine, public health, biostatistics, or related subject.

Experience

Essential:

• Over 10 years of experience working in epidemiology or epidemiological surveillance, at least five of those at the international level, with at least five of those focused-on school-based survey research and adolescent health research.
• Practical experience in planning, implementing, and developing systems of technical support and assistance, particularly for low and middle-income countries, focusing on survey planning, questionnaire development, sample selection, and data analysis and reporting.
• Experience managing large systems of surveys, including development of technical support systems and coordination of survey implementation logistics and field work.

Skills/Knowledge:

• Ability to think strategically and work under tight deadlines on a results-oriented basis.
• Ability to demonstrate effective interpersonal skills by working harmoniously as a member of a team, adapting to diverse educational, socio-political and cultural backgrounds, and maintaining a high standard of personal conduct.
• Expert knowledge of school-based survey research.
• Knowledge of standard Microsoft Package (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Languages required:

Essential:

Expert knowledge of English.

Location

Off-site – Home based.

Travel

Travel to implementing survey sites may be required.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level C - USD 10,000 - 12,500 per month.

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

11 months at 40% part-time.

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• 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.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• 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 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 final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever 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 in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html