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Consultant - UNITAID Community Engagement

Anywhere

  • Organization: WHO - World Health Organization
  • Location: Anywhere
  • Grade: Consultancy - International Consultant - Internationally recruited Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Social Affairs
    • Civil Society and Local governance
  • Closing Date: Closed

Purpose of consultancy

To provide guidance to the strengthening of a key pillar of Unitaid’s work: community engagement. The consultancy will focus on community engagement in support of the optimal development, demand generation and scale-up of impactful health innovations.

Background

Unitaid is a global health agency engaged in finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases more quickly, cheaply and effectively, in low- and middle-income countries. Its work includes funding initiatives to address major diseases such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis (TB), cervical cancer and hepatitis C, and cross-cutting areas, such as fever management and RMNCH (reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health). Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address challenges in advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a key member of the Access to COVID Tools Accelerator. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.

Unitaid has been working with communities and civil society organisations since its inception in 2006, including as part of Unitaid’s Executive Board and funded programmes. This work varies depending on grant type, disease area and implementing partner. Unitaid has made good progress in this area within the current strategy but recognizes that with the development of its new strategy (2022-2026) there is an opportunity to take stock, to recognize areas of success and share these broadly but also to identify further opportunities to strengthen this important work across the portfolio and in our work with partners and countries.

In the context of Unitaid investments, it is important to ensure active participation of communities living with and directly impacted and affected by the diseases that are the subject of Unitaid funded projects. This engagement is at all levels from individual grass roots local level up to national and international community representation.

Unitaid expects its grant implementers to ensure appropriate participation of communities in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of projects. As beneficiaries of the project interventions, communities are central to Unitaid funded projects.

Benefits from community engagement include more equitable, timely and cost-effective outcomes with greater long-term impact, ultimately leading to scale up of the health technologies funded by Unitaid. Community engagement also supports Grantee accountability to the communities they serve with an expectation that this is reflected through performance measures included in the project and conditions of the grant, with support (funds and/or in-kind) designated for community engagement included in funded projects.

The nature of the activities with communities within each project will vary depending on the project type but should follow established Principles of Community Engagement.

Deliverables

1. The Community Engagement Framework

Deliverable 1: Final framework report, presentation and key contact list. Expected by: February/March 2022.

A draft framework is in the initial stages of development. Unitaid’s CCSE working group has developed proposed objectives, activities, potential engagement and expected outcomes and also collected some initial feedback from community representatives and experts. The Contractor consultant is expected is asked to develop the framework further and subsequently finalise the draft to include key stakeholder inputs, and options/approaches for community groups. Key definitions and typology should be included. This activity will also include reviewing and making a recommendation on the idea of a potential evaluation of community engagement work across a selection of grants.

Deliverables and timelines:

Kick-off session with Unitaid working group to review existing efforts, collect existing documentation, and to align on expected deliverables.

  • Key stakeholder/informant interviews – Secretariat, community delegation members, Grantees and partners. Inputs to be collected for activities 1 and 2 at the same time.
  • Based on inputs from Unitaid and its stakeholders, revise the framework, including reviewing the potential need for conducting an evaluation of community engagement work across a selection of grants. Final framework report to be submitted of 10-15 pages including an executive summary (February 2022). Findings and recommendations from development of Unitaid’s new strategy should be reflected in the final version of the framework report and presentation.
  • The final framework report of approximately 10-15 pages (February 2022) should include:
    • An Executive summary
    • A high-level stakeholder mapping of scale-up and technical partners, decision-makers and actors of influence. Placeholder to add detailed mapping from activity 2 (see below).
    • Unitaid’s community engagement activities and approaches with proven success.
    • Community engagement strategies other agencies have adopted that may be relevant and/or complementary to Unitaid’s community engagement approaches or opportunities.
    • Key platforms for engagement at the global and country levels that could be included in Unitaid’s community engagement approach strategy.
    • Identify key definitions and typology and reflect in activity 1 and other documents as needed.
    • Recommendations for Unitaid to consider in order to strengthen community engagement work including opportunities, trends and risks.
  • Once the framework is finalized, develop a presentation with an overview of the framework and key recommendations.
  • Maintain a complete list of key contacts from all activities and share with Unitaid including names, titles, organisations and contact details (as each activity is finalised).

2. Community engagement stakeholder mapping and report

Deliverable 2: Community engagement stakeholder mapping, revised framework report and presentation. Expected by: April/May 2022.

Deliverables:

  • Follow up session with Unitaid CCSE working group to review existing contacts and resources and to align on expected deliverables.
  • Conduct a detailed Community Engagement Stakeholder mapping (April-May 2022)
    • Who are the stakeholders and what is their role? Include global, regional, organizational, grant and country level partners e.g. including scale-up and technical partners, decision-makers, community and civil society partners by impact and influence.
    • Who are the key stakeholders?
    • Create the stakeholder map, including areas of interest and how Unitaid can tap into the powers of influence.
    • Visualize relationships between partners, Short summary report on key findings, gaps, opportunities and other potential CE partners.
    • Develop a list of CE partner types and list partner names by type.
    • Incorporate the mapping, summary report findings and list in the Community Engagement Framework (from activity 1).
  • Develop and deliver a presentation to Unitaid team to be set up by the Consultant using an online platform (April-May 2022). Final version in PowerPoint to be shared with Unitaid for future use.

3. Community engagement communications/materials

Deliverable 3: List of community engagement communications/materials and developed materials as agreed. Expected by: May/June 2022.

Work with the Unitaid CCSE focal point and communications team to identify key documents, materials and/or communication products to develop on community engagement to highlight community engagement successes in funded projects. Depending on skill set and experience, the Consultant may be required to provide support in development of community engagement materials (May-June 2022).

Deliverables:

  • Kick-off meeting with Unitaid CCSE focal point and key working group members to review existing efforts and documentation, and to align on expected deliverables.
  • Develop a list of materials for development and resources required to produce each product. Examples could include briefs, a short manual, presentations, and community stories.
  • Provide support on materials development.

Deliverables summary:

  • Deliverable 1: Final framework report, presentation and key contact list. Expected by: February/March 2022.
  • Deliverable 2: Community engagement stakeholder mapping, revised framework report and presentation. Expected by: April/May 2022.
  • Deliverable 3: List of community engagement communications/materials and developed materials as agreed. Expected by: May/June 2022.
  • Other community and civil society engagement related tasks as assigned by the Unitaid CCSE focal point. To end of contract.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

Advanced degree(s) in public health, development studies, social sciences, governance, or related disciplines.

Desirable:

Community engagement training.

Experience

Essential:

  • A minimum of six years’ experience at global and national levels working in global health preferably in innovation and with product scale-up to develop community engagement frameworks/strategies of a similar nature.
  • Demonstrated experience developing a community engagement framework and/or strategy

Desirable:

Experience working directly with affected communities. Key partners include: Groups, coalitions and networks for diseases and areas (i.e. HIV, TB, Malaria), Community Advisory Boards working at global and/or country levels.

Skills/Knowledge:

  • Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills; demonstrates sensitivity and tact in interpersonal relations.
  • Proven ability to successfully network with extensive global and country community partners in the different disease areas (e.g. HIV, Malaria, TB, Covid-19, etc), build relationships and create community partnerships.
  • Knowledge of developing communication materials.

Languages required:

Essential:

Expert knowledge of English

Desirable:

Intermediate knowledge of French

Location

Home based – Off-site

Travel

The consultant is not expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Payband 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:

6 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 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
This vacancy is now closed.
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