National STC in communication (WHO)

#059 - Job Title: A national Short-term Consultant on communication for scaling up models of climate change resilient and environmentally sustainable healthcare facilities

1. Background:

In Viet Nam, climate change is expected to pose greater health risks to Vietnamese from increases in the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events (e.g., more heat events of longer duration, floods, droughts and salt intrusion, wildfires and storm surges), poor air quality, impacts on drinking and recreational water quality, food-borne diseases and vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. Often, healthcare facilities (HCFs) are not built to physically and operationally cope with these and other climate-related risks. Healthcare facilities will become increasingly vulnerable to impacts from climate change without adaptation. Health professionals will need to be better trained and equipped to diagnose and treat new and emerging diseases and to respond to a wider range of climate-related public health emergencies.

Viet Nam Health Environment Management Agency (VIHEMA) of Ministry of Health (MoH) has planned to develop a guideline and a circular to guide all healthcare facilities to be climate change resilient and environmentally sustainable. VIHEMA has requested WHO Viet Nam Country Office to support the health sector to follow the Prime Minister’s commitment to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in 2021 on zero carbon emission by 2050. WHO Viet Nam Country Office initiated building good models of such kind of HCFs in three selected healthcare facilities in three different provinces including Lao Cai, Ben Tre and Nghe An in 2021. Currently, those models have been initiated with evaluation to be conducted. If those models are successfully built, lessons learnt from those models would be used for scaling up the models throughout the health sector. To support the process of scaling up the models to achieve the highest national coverage of climate change resilient healthcare facilities, it is necessary for VIHEMA to develop an appropriate communication strategy, action plan and materials that will be applied by VIHEMA at the national level, by Departments of Health/CDCs at provincial level and by healthcare facilities at the local level.

As part of its technical assistance to VIHEMA, WHO is recruiting a national expert on communication in climate change and health issues for development of a strategy, an action plan and materials for communication in scaling up models of climate change resilient and environmentally sustainable healthcare facilities in Viet Nam.

2. Planned timelines: Part time

Start date: 15 January 2023 (subject to confirmation)
End date: 31 March 2023
Number of working days as a consultant: 29

3. Work to be performed

Purpose of the consultanc

To provide technical assistance to VIHEMA for development of a strategy, an action plan and materials for communication in scaling up models of climate change resilient and environmentally sustainable healthcare facilities in Viet Nam.

Method(s) to carry out the activity

In general, a selected national consultant in communication in climate change and health issues will carry out his or her work based on this ToR.
The selected national consultant will work closely with WHO communication team, Technical Officer in Environmental Health and VIHEMA focal point to conduct his or her work such as development of a strategy, an action plan and materials for communication for scaling up process nation-wide.
The selected national consultant will need to combine desk study, field trips to models in provinces, Technical Working Group (TWG) meetings and consultation workshop to achieve the following outputs.

Output/s

Output 1: Finalized communication strategy and action plan for scaling up models of climate change resilient and environmentally sustainable healthcare facilities; and
Output 2: A set of communication materials on climate change resilient and environmentally sustainable healthcare facilities to be developed for distribution to 63 provinces.

4. Specific requirements

Educational Qualifications required:

At least Bachelor degree in communication in general, or in public health, environmental health, environmental science or other relevant areas from a recognized university.

Experience required:

The consultant shall have at least 5 years of experience: in development of policy, action plan and communication materials in relevant areas including communication in public health, environmental health, climate change or Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), energy etc.

Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

Knowledge on climate change aspects, WASH, energy in the countries;
Experience and skills in developing national communication policies, action plans and materials;
Communication skills; and
Team work spirit and coordinating skills are needed for this post

Language requirements:

Excellent in writing and speaking English.
Fluency in Vietnamese as a mother tongue.

5. Place of assignment

The Consultant is expected to mainly work at his/her own place in Hanoi and travel to conduct field trips in the three provinces.

6. Medical clearance

The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

7. Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel according to the itinerary and estimated schedule below:

Travel dates: From 15 Jan. 2023 To 31 Mar. 2023
Location: Lao Cai, Nghe An and Ben Tre
Purpose: To conduct survey and gather information on and piloting set of communication strategy and materials

8. Budget

Please take note of the following when submitting application:

The contractor will be responsible for paying taxes, if any.

Application letters and updated CVs in English should be received on/or before 6 January 2023 and should be addressed to: