Intern – Department of Health Promotion - No Tobacco Unit (HPR/TFI)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO's UHC/Healthier Populations Division is to contribute to reducing health inequalities and reducing preventable disease and injury caused by environmental, social and economic determinants of health. This is achieved through a coordinated inter-sectoral approach aimed at enabling all people to enjoy better health and well-being, in line with the Organization's 13th General Programme of Work (GPW13) and the Sustainable Development Goals. Within the Division, the Department of Health Promotion (HPR) works to reduce risks associated with tobacco use, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity, thereby contributing to better population health, through cross-cutting normative, fiscal and legal measures to enhance wellbeing, health literacy and engage multi stakeholders through settings approach and community engagement strategies. Within the HPR Department, the Unit of No Tobacco (TFI) provides global scientific and technical leadership and specialized technical assistance in matters related to implementation of MPOWER technical package in tobacco control and tobacco product regulation. In addition, TFI develops new Global Public Health Goods such as the Global Report on the Tobacco Epidemic, the WHO Technical Report Series on product regulation and Technical Standards for measuring the contents and emissions of nicotine and tobacco products.

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:

• Conducting an independent data validation on all analyses reported in the WHO Tobacco Trends report
• Proofreading and checking layout edits and revisions
• Supporting the publication of GTCRIX by liaising with the relevant WHO stakeholders and facilitating the process of executive clearance, translations, printing and/or uploading the digital version of the report and its executive summaries onto the WHO website.
• If time provides, proofreading and validation of the online country profiles related to the WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2023
• Organize data and documents
• Assist in drafting, formatting and editing policy briefs, tool kits, guides/manuals, hand-outs, brochures and reports

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:

• Understand the objectives of the programme/area of work
• Understand the global status of tobacco control policies
• Understand the role of monitoring policy progress in global health
• Communicate clearly about the programme/area of work
• Know how to assemble data and prepare a comprehensive analysis
• Communicate clearly and effectively between stakeholders to ensure the production of a high-quality global report

DURATION OF INTERNSHIP

Start date: 01/06/2023 End date: 31/08/2023
Total duration: 2-3 months

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 relevant course of study (e.g. public health, epidemiology or biostatistics) at a university or equivalent institution leading to a formal qualification (applicants who have already graduated may also qualify for consideration provided that they apply to the internship within six months after completion of their formal qualification).

Skills and Knowledge
Knowledge of specialized computer programmes, for example, statistical software such as XLStat is an advantage.
In addition, interns need to be familiar with commonly used computer programmes, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

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

Experience

• Experience in research and/or in drafting reports
• Experience with data analysis, statistical packages and interest in the design of graphical display and analysis of health information in an international comparative perspective, such as for health system performance assessment
• Experience in the subject area through academic work or research would be desirable

Languages

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French. Intermediate knowledge of other UN language.

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 very 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.