Dynamic Roster for National consultant (short-term) – WHO Health Emergencies Programme

Purpose of consultancy

The purpose of this vacancy is to develop a list of qualified candidates for inclusion in this advertised roster for WHO Health Emergency Programme (WHE), Nepal. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently may be selected for the assignments falling in this area of work or for similar requirements/tasks/deliverables. Inclusion in the Roster does not guarantee selection to consultant contract. There is no commitment on either side.

Objective of the Programme

The objective of the WHO Nepal Country Office is to implement the Country Cooperation Strategy by supporting the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), Government of Nepal (GoN) in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of national health policies, strategies and plans and developing and managing WHO's technical cooperation programmes at the country level. The Country Office collaborates with the Government of Nepal and relevant stakeholders in support of their efforts of achieving national health goals; ensuring the attainment of universal health coverage and of contributing to global and regional public health action by providing need-based technical assistance in national level policy formulation, setting norms and standards, improving knowledge dissemination and management, monitoring country health situation and building sustainable institutional capacity, to play a greater leadership role in different national-level policy technical forums. WHO provides guidance and technical support in organizing the humanitarian health response following multi-hazard emergencies and in revitalizing the capacity of the health sector to recover and rebuild from emergencies in appropriate and sustainable ways. In the inter-emergency period the objectives are to increase the capacity and resilience of the Nepal Health System to reduce risk, prevent and prepare for disasters, to mitigate adverse health consequences, through supporting the Emergency Risk Management interventions prioritized in the national plan for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030); and the health security interventions for enhancement of core capacities required to comply with the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 as prioritized in the National Action Plan on Health Security (NAPHS), National Action Plan on Anti-Microbial Resistance (NAP-AMR) One and National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NPPRP).WHO strives to integrate and harmonize the actions undertaken for enhanced One Health, Food Safety, ERM and Health Security with the interventions implemented to achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and health systems strengthening through appropriate capacity building and co-ordination mechanisms and partnerships. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) supports the MoHP, GoN to direct and coordinate the rapid provision of life-saving emergency health interventions at scale in the aftermath of multi-hazard emergencies and disasters and subsequently assists in the rapid recovery of the health system in collaboration with national and international partners. Thereupon it provides technical support to the MoHP and partners to enhance health sector emergency risk management through prevention risk reduction or mitigation; preparedness and response readiness to build a health system that is resilient to multi-hazard disasters including public health emergencies.

International Health Regulations: Support Shapes the long-term capacity development across all hazards with a focus on addressing core capacities required to comply with the International Health Regulations - 2005 (IHR-2005) and SEAR Benchmarks for emergency preparedness and response. Support in conducting Joint External Evaluation and preparation of National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS).

Infectious Hazard Management: Prevention and control of high-threat diseases of pandemic & epidemic potential through forecasting, characterization of diseases /infectious risks, and development of evidence-based strategies to manage infectious hazards and to address high-threat pathogens – such as influenza, Ebola, and other viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF), Zika, Chikungunya, cholera, yellow fever, coronaviruses like the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS- CoV), meningitis and plague – responsible for epidemics or pandemics thereby reducing their impact on affected populations and limiting their international spread. Capacity Building activities for Rapid Response Teams and Field Epidemiology Training Program.

Health Emergency Information and Risk Assessment (HIM): Provides timely and authoritative situation analysis, risk assessment, and response monitoring of outbreaks or emergencies. This includes detecting, verifying, and assessing the risk of potential and ongoing health emergencies; establishing data collection mechanisms and monitoring ongoing health emergency operations; providing data management, analytics, and reporting platform to produce and disseminate timely emergency health information products.

Health Emergency Operations (EMO) including Partnerships and Operations Support and Logistics (OSL): Engagement with partners to coordinate action in all phases of emergencies—readiness, response, and recovery--particularly for response and activation of the incident management system; Develop a dynamic network of public health experts and partners that can assist in emergency-related areas and aligned with WHO’s core strategic functions and international mechanisms [IHR, Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), Sendai Framework, UN Transformative humanitarian agenda; Global Health Cluster]; Strengthen operational readiness of WHO offices; the Support Member States in health response operations to acute and protracted emergencies and preparation and conducting simulation exercises.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Provide support to implement in the areas of Improve awareness and strengthening knowledge and evidence through surveillance. Reduce the incidence of infection through effective infection prevention and control, Optimize the use of antimicrobial agents in health, animal, and food, and promote investments in AMR activities, research, and innovations.

One Health: Provide support to strengthen the envisaged activities under one health strategy by initiating the one health action plan, Joint Risk Assessment, IHR-PVS activities and Food safety.

Technical Documentation, Legal analysis and Training support: Provide support to review or develop guidelines in specific disaster and pubic health emergency-related areas, SOPs, legal documents etc. to be used for effective preparedness and response activities. Similarly, support for training in specific areas as per the expertise requested during any pieces of training conducted by WHO or by the Ministry of Health and Population.

Deliverables

Deliverable 1:

• Conduct necessary assessment and prepare monthly report.

Deliverable 2:

• Technical Report
• Financial Report
• Statement of Expenditure
• Payment of proof

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: University degree related to health sciences (Medical, veterinary, Laboratory), Public health, law, or social science-related areas

Desirable: Training related to disaster or public health emergency preparedness or response.

Experience

Essential: More than two years of relevant working experience with independent responsibilities and progressive technical complexity in global health emergencies of various types including disasters, humanitarian crisis, epidemiological outbreaks and experience towards country capacity building and contribution for emergency preparedness and response.

Desirable: Previous work engagement in disaster or public health emergency preparedness, readiness, and response related activities.

Skills/Knowledge:

Functional Skills:

• Ability to produce and deliver quality results, is action oriented and committed to achieving outcomes.
• Ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes willingness to try, understand and be tolerant of different opinions and views.
• Proven ability in public health management of disasters, infection control and/or epidemics/outbreaks;
• Proven ability to apply emergency preparedness approaches (e.g., IHR) for capacity strengthening of the countries;
• Knowledge of the economic, social and political context of health emergency preparedness in Nepal, SEA region as well as globally;
• Excellent writing ability, as reflected in international publications and technical documents;
• Ability to work, negotiate and manage / lead in a multi-cultural environment, and
• Experience with WHO/UN or other multi/bilateral development agencies would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Excellent knowledge of MS Office applications and computer skills for making high-quality technical presentations including data analysis.

Languages and level required (Basic/Intermediate/Advanced):

Fluent in English reading, writing, and speaking.

Location

On site: Kathmandu and/or any other location outside Kathmandu

Travel

The consultant may need to travel to any provinces within Nepal as per the program requirement.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

• Remuneration:

The grade of the consultancy offered will be fixed based on the level of responsibilities and complexity of tasks assigned as reflected in the terms of reference and as per the WHO policy.

• Expected duration of contract:

Variable duration. The duration of the temporary assignment would vary from a few weeks to one year. Possible extension of the contract would be subject to programmatic requirements, performance of the incumbent, and availability of funds.

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 are 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.
• This assignment is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station/assignment location.