Communication and Community Engagement Expert

Details

Mission and objectives

WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that was established in July 1946 and whose objective is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. WHO’s primary role is to direct and coordinate international health within the United Nations system. WHO’s main areas of work are health systems; health through the life-course; noncommunicable and communicable diseases; preparedness, surveillance and response; and corporate services.

Context

As an active WHO team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to WHO and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: • The mission of WHO’s country office is to help countries, and to coordinate international action, to prevent, prepare for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies as well as preparing development programmes; • The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs); • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision and overall guidance of the WHO Representative and Head, the WHO Country Office (WCO) in Armenia , and working closely with counterparts at the respective WHO Regional Office and WHO HQ, and national and international partners, the UN Volunteer will: • Provide technical and operational support to overall health literacy, Education/Health Promotion activities in strengthening and mainstreaming community engagement and social mobilization strategies from the service delivery side; aligning with technical and operational priorities and objectives; and delivering through existing national and local structures; • Ensure community engagement and social mobilization strategies and implementation plans are evidence-based, coordinated, and well executed, drawing upon anthropology and related behavioural and social sciences so that community concerns, sociocultural beliefs and practices impacting public health interventions are addressed; • Work closely with technical teams to assess the integration and effectiveness of community engagement practices within technical SOPs according to the context e.g. surveillance, clinical care, vector control, etc. Identify strengths, weaknesses and gaps; design interventions to address weakness and gaps e.g. training/capacity building, supervision, tools, etc; • Collaborate with partners to ensure appropriate monitoring and evaluation tools and mechanisms for community engagement and social mobilization are in place at the national and subnational level and ensure the findings are integrated into technical and operational decision-making; • Contribute to building the national capacity through needs identification, development, operationalization and implementation of a capacity building and training plan; • Provide regular feedback to WHO Representative, national authorities and partners on the adaptation of response strategies for effective and feasible community engagement in areas affected by instability. • Where necessary, conduct formative research, and/or liaise with stakeholders/partners conducting sociocultural research. • Perform any other specific related duties, as required by the WHO representative and supervisor. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.