Consultant – Development of the WHO guidelines on the health of trans and gender diverse people

Purpose of consultancy

To provide technical expertise for coordination of the development of a guideline on the health of trans and gender diverse people.

Background

Trans and gender diverse people encounter unique and multifactorial challenges that negatively impact their health, quality of life and life expectancy. Among these are limited legal recognition of their gender of choice, high levels of gender-based violence, and significant barriers in access to education and employment. Additionally, they also suffer high levels of stigma and discrimination, including in the health sector that prevent their access and utilization of services, and limited or no access to comprehensive affirming care that meets their health needs, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).

The health needs of trans and gender diverse people have not traditionally been captured by WHO’s normative work, except that related to HIV and self-care. It is well overdue for WHO to develop a guideline to contribute towards improving the health of trans and gender diverse people, particularly considering its commitment to Leave No One Behind. This first global WHO guideline on trans and gender diverse peoples’ health aims to contribute to the implementation and/or improvement of the quality, safety, access, and utilization of health care services by and for trans and gender diverse people with specific considerations to LMICs.

The development of this multidisciplinary guideline involves several WHO departments and regional offices, as well as other United Nations agencies and other key stakeholders. The consultant is expected to contribute to the coordinating team in developing the WHO guideline on the health of trans and gender diverse people.

Deliverables

Provide technical guidance to the coordination of the guideline development and approval process.

• Task 1. Technical expertise on guideline knowledge management (updates of workplans with milestones, and assure all relevant documents are organized and up to date in shared folders).
  • Deliverables 1.1: Update of work plan and up to date and organized shared folders with all relevant guideline documents reflected in a short explanatory report describing the organization and access of guideline files.
    Timeframe: Month 1, 4, 7, 11

• Task 2. Organize and facilitate guideline related meetings, draft agendas and Power Point presentations and take notes for the records (NFR). Meetings are expected to occur following the timeframes below:
  - Weekly with guideline development core team.
  - Biweekly with technical adviser and methodologists.
  - Monthly with the steering guideline development groups; and
  - 6-8 ad hoc meetings with systematic review teams, community representatives, other relevant WHO teams and UN agencies.
  - Guideline Development Group (GDG) meetings.
  • Deliverable 2.1: Meeting presentations and NFR finalized incorporating suggestions and comments from the WHO technical team.
    Timeframe: Month 1,4,7, 11

• Task 3. Edit and incorporate comments from the technical team on systematic reviews protocols, reports and presentations (expected 4-5 protocols: 4-5 reports, and 7-8 presentations) in close collaboration with the methodologist.
  • Deliverable 3.1: Systematic review protocols finalized.
    Timeframe: Month 1
  • Deliverable 3.2: Systematic review reports and PPTs.
    Timeframe: Month 7

• Task 4. Technical expertise to the development of evidence to decision making tables (EDTs) following GRADE process for each PICO questions in close collaboration with the methodologist.
  • Deliverable 4.1: EDT tables.
    Timeframe: Month 7

• Task 5. Collate guideline development narratives by reviewing, editing and helping the core team to incorporate comments and suggestions.
  • Deliverable 5.1: Draft guideline narrative.
    Timeframe: Month 8

Provide technical guidance to the coordination of the guideline development and approval process. Tasks include:

• Task 6. Technical expertise on guideline knowledge management (updates of workplans with milestones, and assure all relevant documents are organized and up to date in shared folders).
  • Deliverables 6.1: Update of work plan and up to date and organized shared folders with all relevant guideline documents reflected in a short explanatory report describing the organization and access of guideline files.
    Timeframe: Month 2, 6, 9,11

• Task 7. Organize and facilitate guideline related meetings, draft agendas and Power Point presentations (PPPs) and take notes for the records (NFR). Meetings are expected to occur following the timeframes below:
  - Weekly with guideline development core team.
  - Biweekly with technical adviser and methodologists.
  - Monthly with the steering guideline development groups.
  • Deliverable 7.1: Meeting presentations and NFR finalized incorporating suggestions and comments from the WHO technical team.
    Timeframe: Month 2, 6, 9,11

• Task 8. Collate guideline development narratives (expected between 4-6 drafts in total) by reviewing, editing and helping the core team to incorporate comments and suggestions and submit drafts for requested reviews in a timely manner.
  • Deliverable 8.1: Submission of guidelines draft to the GDG and the External Review Group (ERG).
    Timeframe: Month 10
  • Deliverable 8.2: Submission of the final draft of the guidelines to the WHO Guideline Review Committee (GRC).
    Timeframe: Month 11

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• First university degree in Public Health or equivalent (epidemiology or health policy and planning).

Experience

Essential:

• Over 5 years of relevant experience in public-health related project management.

Desirable:

• Demonstrated experience working with WHO guideline development process.
• Experience working with health topics with focus on key populations, particularly with trans and gender diverse people.

Skills/Knowledge:

Essential:

• Strong executive functions skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing.
• Knowledge of WHO guideline development requirements and processes, including awareness of GRADE methodology, systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of other WHO languages.

Location

Off-site – Home based.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level B - USD 7,000 - 9,980 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.

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 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