Technical Officer

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

Health emergencies continue to have significant and sometimes catastrophic impacts on countries' health, economies and development. Both recent and ongoing public health events have demonstrated that the many communities remain at the high risk, and that strong levels of national preparedness across all relevant sectors are crucial to ensuring the effective management of health emergencies, when they occur. They also illustrate the need for scaling up the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) that requires countries to build and maintain the capacities to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to, and recover from public health emergencies, anchored on strong and resilient health systems.The Emergency Preparedness Division contributes to the implementation of the WHO Global Programme of Work (GPW 13) and is guided by WHO strategic priorities to “keep the world safe, improve health and serve the vulnerable”. The WHO strategic priorities drive the progress in health towards Universal Health Coverage, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and speaks particularly to SDG 3, to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The Health Security Preparedness (HSP) department supports Member States in enhancing national preparedness across the IHR core capacities to manage all-hazard risks and emergencies, and to build multisectoral approaches for health security. It ensures that WHO supports Member States to build sustainable preparedness capacities and scale up the implementation of the IHR (2005), and support the implementation of the Sendai Framework, the WHO Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Framework, Paris Agreement on Climate Change and other related global and regional frameworks. The department also establishes strategic links to, and supports the advancement of global initiatives such as GPMB, GHSA, EU ACP, Health and Security Alliance, Foreign Affairs for Global Health initiative and the UN System Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience. HSP works with partners and the broader global heath security community to ensure that the most vulnerable communities in all countries are protected from the impact of health emergencies.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Within the framework of the delegated authority, the incumbent is assigned all or part of the following responsibilities to: Work with other relevant units/teams within WHO to develop strategies, policies, policy briefs, advocacy materials, guidance, tools, training materials for NAPHS and other national action plans and integrating these into sustainable health sector plans.Provide technical assistance to countries in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of NAPHS as well as documentation of experience, Publish and share experiences and good practices. Advocate for the implementation and financing of NAPs, and support linking recommendations of assessments to NAPs and IHR capacity building.Coordinate country support to develop high quality, multi-hazard National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS that will enhance long term IHR capacity building, address more imminent risks, and build health systems that meet the needs for health security. Support the establishment of a multi-hazard health security planning platform that addresses longer term IHR capacity building and also facilitate the linkages with other relevant technical teams within WHO. Conduct analysis of NAPHS and establish a database and partners platform for NAPHS financing, including clear indicators to monitor implementation of NAPHS as well as feedback mechanisms to Member States. Provide critical analysis of NAPHS at the country, sub-regional, regional and global levels, produce country, regional and global profiles, and conduct regular reviews on the quality of NAPHS. Provide recommendations to Team Lead on the strategic approach to IHR capacity building so that WHO is better positioned in strategically supporting countries to strengthen NAPHS implementation and IHR capacities. Working closely with relevant WHO departments, develop and implement costing tools for NAPHS in collaboration with financial institutions such as the World Bank. Monitor the financing of costed plans and advocate for support to plan. Strengthen partnerships to facilitate collaboration among member states, donors and partners to support plans and address gaps.Support and monitor country planning processes including national pandemic preparedness planning with an aim to have an aligned strategic emergency preparedness plan within the overall health sector planning framework. Ensure integration of various country processes to better align relevant plans, including disease/hazard specific and other plans, into the NAPHS as relevant. Support operational planning and implementation of country capacity building activities in collaboration with relevant technical units and teams across WHO.Work with other technical teams in WHO on assessments analysis as needed to link national planning to benchmarks, and ensure linkages with other relevant tools including the EHS operational planning. Support the implementation of the WHO benchmarks.Facilitate partnerships for NAPHS implementation and liaise with the Strategic Partnership for Health Security team to strengthen partner coordination, engagement with non-traditional partners (military, parliamentary entities etc.) for more aligned planning and support implementation of the plans as requested to enhance capacities. Disseminate a wide variety of guidance documents, materials, trainings related to national planning, integration and costing of plans. Identify, document and disseminate best practices and cross cutting strategies for improved assessment, monitoring and evaluation, and better preparedness support activities and plans. Follow up with countries to support the development or adaptation of guidance, tools and training materials for the development and costing of the national plans. Promote multi-disciplinary and cross-cutting approaches and activities to facilitate full participation of units/teams within and outside WHO/WPE/HSP and of key partners. Perform other related responsibilities, including replacing and/or backstopping as needed.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advanced level university degree in public health, public administration, or related fields. Desirable: Post-graduate degree in health financing, health policy, health emergencies, international relations, or related fields.

Experience

Essential: At least seven years' experience in public health planning, development or management, implementation and coordination at the national and international levels. Demonstrated exposure at the International level. Desirable: Experience working in WHO, or other agencies of the UN System, other international organizations in the field of public health emergencies. Experience in grant writing and research.

Skills

Demonstrated knowledge of the WHO and all aspects of IHR (2005) assessment and implementation. Sound, practical knowledge on national planning process with health security relevance. Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiating skills with proven ability to communicate and write in a clear and concise manner. Proven knowledge and skills, discretion and diplomacy, as well as familiarity of the principles and practices of communicable disease surveillance, prevention and control, as well as monitoring and evaluation practices. Proven analytical and organizational skills complemented by capacity to process, analyze and interpret epidemiological surveillance data, using qualitative and quantitative techniques.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Moving forward in a changing environment Producing results

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French. Intermediate knowledge of WHO language.

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 73,516 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 5483 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test may be used as a form of screening.

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an 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.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

• WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• WHO has a mobility policy which can be found at the following link: http://www.who.int/employment/en/. Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.