Consultant – Risk Communication and Community Engagement for Emergencies

Purpose of consultancy

To contribute to the response activities of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) team during outbreaks and emergencies.

Background

The Community Readiness and Resilience (CRR) Unit in the Country Readiness Strengthening (CRS) Department of the Emergency Preparedness (WPE) Division of the WHO Health Emergencies (WHE) Programme, aims to provide strategies and guidance for community-centred health emergency preparedness, readiness and response, with the strategic engagement of communities and civil societies at local and national levels.

The HQ RCCE teams continues to work across a broad spectrum of health emergency readiness and response priorities. Pivoting from specifically prioritizing COVID-19 to actively coordinating RCCE support for several emergencies including the Mpox, Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the Ukraine crisis, viral hemorraghic fevers outbreaks and the cholera crisis. Specifically, the RCCE team has provided direct support to regions and countries in several areas including through the publication of RCCE-specific guidance and public health advice. Delivering social listening analysis, providing message development and testing services, content sharing, intervention recommendations and weekly coordination through the RCCE regional network and with partners.

Deliverables:

• Deliverable 1 - Develop and update Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), guidance, and tools for several emergencies to support countries and other response pillars to communicate interventions and content to key audiences.
• Deliverable 2 - Translate scientific information such as technical guidance, into actionable content and engagement interventions for affected populations and specific communities for emergency responses and outbreaks and manage clearance and publication process of the mentioned materials.
• Deliverable 3 - Update existing RCCE materials such as social media tiles, infographics, Q&As, webpages content, etc., according to updated or new guidance and technical information.
• Deliverable 4 - Provide updates to Incident Management, relevant units, external communication, regional RCCE focal points, and partners.
• Deliverable 5 - Develop materials to support community preparedness, readiness and response, including up to two Readiness Packages.
• Deliverable 6 - Provide RCCE training to support country and region training requests, as an RCCE subject matter expert including face-to-face and online training events.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages.

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• Advanced university degree (master’s level or above) in social sciences, behavioural sciences, development sciences, communications, or public health from an accredited/recognized institute.

Desirable:

• Proven training in risk communication and community engagement, public health, behavioural sciences, health education, health communication, or health promotion.

Experience

Essential:

• At least seven years of relevant experience in risk communication, community engagement, health promotion, and emergency management, out of which working experience in disease outbreaks in the field or health emergency context.
• Proven experience in the development and implementation of risk communications and community engagement strategies and plans.
• Experience in partner’s coordination.

Desirable:

• Experience in public health strategy or programming and/or an outbreak or emergency response, political engagement, and advocacy.
• Prior working experience with WHO, the UN Agencies, health cluster partners, recognized humanitarian organizations or other international organizations.

Skills/knowledge

Essential:

• Good knowledge of global public health issues, those related to the epidemic, pandemic diseases, emergencies, risk communication, and community engagement.
• Proven ability to communicate clearly, on a broad range of issues.
• Sound knowledge of the principles of evidence-based guideline development.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, with the ability to work effectively in multicultural environments.
• Strong skills in the use of the Microsoft Office suite – in particular, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of French or another official WHO language.

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