Internship - Emergency Medical Teams Secretariat | Country Readiness and Strengthening | WHO Health Emergencies

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) unit is part of the Country Readiness and Strengthening (CRS) Department of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme in Geneva. The overarching goal of the unit is to enhance surge capacity through the promotion of rapid mobilization and efficient coordination of both national and international medical teams and the healthcare workforce, to reduce the loss of life and prevent long-term disability caused by disasters, outbreaks, and other emergencies.

To deliver on its aims, the EMT Units has a distinct portfolio of work in the areas of:

• Quality assurance,
• Standard setting,
• Knowledge sharing and continuous learning,
• Network & partnerships,
• Support to the development of local and surge capacities
• Support to emergency response and coordination.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Terms of reference

Under the supervision of a technical expert in the respective area, the intern is assigned the agreed terms of reference:

• Assist in the development of technical guidance documents to support adoption and adaptation of the EMT methodology at country level.
• Undertake literature reviews, web research and data collection on specific subject areas relevant to the development of the ongoing projects.
• Undertake a defined project (if available) in accordance with the intern’s abilities and the unit’s needs, such as compiling and organizing templates and resources to develop a digital EMT Coordination Toolbox for emergency responses.
• Assist in the day-to-day activities of the unit such as preparing background documents, agendas and meetings and quality assurance visits (mentorship, classification, and reclassification).
• Develop a systematic process for cataloguing and filing the different documents, tools and other resources produced by the unit.
• Manage the shared team inbox through the development of a system that sends emails to the relevant technical officers.

Learning objectives

The purpose of the WHO Internship Programme is to provide an enriching learning experience for students and recent graduates. The Learning Objectives outlined within each internship vacancy are a key component of the programme.

Within this internship, the intern will:

• Communicate clearly the EMT Initiative's main objectives and how it contributes to strengthening readiness at the national and sub-national levels.
• Describe the value added to adapting and adopting the EMT methodology to develop national and sub-national rapid response capacities for health emergencies.
• Understand how EMTs contribute to building a global health emergency workforce.
• Enhance skills regarding how to conduct literature reviews, prepare presentations and data analysis.
• Develop an understanding of the workings of WHO, particularly in relation to its role and work in country readiness and strengthening, and in health emergencies.

DURATION OF INTERNSHIP

Planned start date is 1 July 2023 for 24 weeks.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Have completed the equivalent of three years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution prior to commencing the assignment and be enrolled in a course of study at a university or equivalent institution leading to a formal qualification, in the areas of Public Health, Political Science and International Studies, Disaster Medicine (applicants who have already graduated may also qualify for consideration provided they apply to the internship within six months after completion of their formal qualification).

Skills

Core competencies:

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication

All interns should be able to demonstrate the following skills in line with the WHO core competencies:

• Communicating effectively orally and in writing
• Showing willingness to learn from mistakes
• Producing and delivering quality results
• Working collaboratively with team members

In addition, interns need to be familiar with commonly used computer programmes, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Knowledge of producing infographics or graphical displays of data may be an advantage.

Experience

• Conducting literature reviews, summarizing, and presenting findings.
• Drafting technical reports and briefs.
• Experience in the subject area through academic work or research.
• Field and/or developing country experience.
• Experience with analysis and graphical display of data, including health information, or with information management would be an asset

Languages

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French. Intermediate knowledge of other UN (United Nations) languages.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Interns do not receive a salary. They do, however, receive a living allowance. The allowance depends on the duty station and other external support (grant, scholarships, etc.) received by the intern. In Geneva, the maximum amount of the allowance provided by WHO is CHF 1620 per month. The exact amount of the living allowance will be calculated for each intern, after selection, based on a legal financial disclosure form that the individual will complete. In addition, all interns in Geneva will receive a lumpsum of CHF 15 for each working day to buy lunch at WHO campus or elsewhere. WHO also provides all interns with accident and medical insurance coverage.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Please note that internships at WHO are competitive and only a small number of applicants will be accepted every year. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted will be contacted.
• Living abroad is expensive and finding accommodation can be challenging. All intern candidates should be aware of these factors before they consider applying for a WHO Internship.
• If selected for a WHO Internship, candidates will be required to provide certified copies of proof of enrolment in an eligible course of studies, a completed WHO medical certificate of fitness for work, and the contact details for reference checks details
• Interns are not eligible to take up a consultant or other non-staff contract in WHO for a period of three months following the end of the internship. However, no such restriction applies to temporary or longer-term staff positions if the vacancy has been advertised and a competitive process completed.
• 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.