Roster for consultants – Implementation scientists in the field of maternal health, with a focus on policy interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa At World Health Organization (WHO)

Purpose of consultancy

The consultant will perform the following:

1. Provide technical guidance and expertise in the design, implementation, and evaluation of maternal health programs and interventions.
2. Conduct research and analysis to generate evidence-based recommendations and guidelines for improving maternal health outcomes.
3. Collaborate with national and international partners to develop and implement strategies for scaling up effective interventions and ensuring their successful integration into health systems.
4. Contribute to the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track progress and impact of maternal and child health programs.
5. Foster knowledge exchange and capacity-building activities to enhance the implementation science capacity of countries and partners.
6. Contribute to the dissemination of maternal and child health related key health metrics through publications, presentations, and participation in relevant policy dialogues.
7. Provide technical expertise and guidance to WHO Member States and stakeholders on best practices in maternal and child health implementation.

Background

WHO Division of Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact (DDI) is the central node of the Organization to make a measurable impact on public health. In collaboration with Member States and partners, it provides reliable, timely and comparable evidence to catalyse change whereby data and health information are used systematically to set measurable goals, monitor progress and drive continuous policy and programme improvements. We are responsible to set data standards, improve measurements to track population health trends. Our work is focused on strengthening technical, policy and operational capacity of countries in surveillance, epidemiology, and modelling and forecasting to inform strategic policy dialogues to drive progress toward the health-related SDGs and deliver on the triple billion targets. We provide annual reporting of key data products including World Health Statistics, Health Inequalities, Global Health Estimates, Universal Health Coverage, International Classification of Diseases and Terminologies, Global Health Observatory, Triple Billion dashboard, Delivery Stocktakes. We are working with partners to demonstrate innovation in data exchange, insights, communication and visualization platforms and document and disseminate best practices. For more information about our work, visit: http://www.who.int/data

DDI serves the following functions:

• Lead organization-wide efforts towards a coherent and principled vision and practice of data collection, analysis, dissemination, and use;
• Accelerate delivery of the ‘Triple Billion targets’ by closely tracking and monitoring data, identifying barriers, and suggesting improvements;
• Set standards for data collection in health and health policy, collate data on trends, and communicate that information;
• Provide reliable, actionable data to drive continuous and equitable health improvement leading to policy change;
• Support Member States and bring change so data and health information are effective in setting measurable goals, tracking progress and impacting public health policies and programmes, priority contextual issues including Universal Health Coverage and the Global Action Plan for SDG3.

Deliverables

• Deliverable 1: Develop planned publication of country-level trajectories towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  Expected by: February 2024
• Deliverable 2: Facilitate knowledge transfers to local experts from the Ministry of Health and relevant institutions in the areas of data analytics and implementation sciences.
  Expected by: June 2024
• Deliverable 3: Provide technical guidance to national and subnational governments to establish and implement high-impact sexual and reproductive health programs and solutions.
  Expected by: June 2024

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

Essential:

• Advanced degree in public health, epidemiology, implementation science, or a related field.

EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• Over ten (10) years of experience with national or subnational governments in Africa in areas related to health policy planning and management.
• Proven experience in designing and implementing maternal and child health programs at national or international levels.

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE:

• Sound knowledge of implementation science in the context of maternal health (i.e., systematic integration of evidence-based practices and research findings into maternal health policy and interventions).
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to effectively communicate complex technical information to a variety of audiences.
• Sound understanding of statistical analytical process with a focus on small area estimation.

LANGUAGES REQUIRED:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of French.

LOCATION

Off site: Home-based.

TRAVEL

The consultant is expected to travel.

REMUNERATION AND BUDGET (TRAVEL COSTS ARE EXCLUDED):

REMUNERATION:

Band level C – USD 10,000 – 12,500 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.
• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.
  The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs.
  Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to [email protected].
• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. 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 (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) 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 short-listed candidates.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.
• WHO shall have no responsibility 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 each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at [email protected].
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For roster VNs:

The purpose of this vacancy is to develop a list of qualified candidates for inclusion in this advertised roster. All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application (whether successful or unsuccessful) upon conclusion of the selection process. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently may be selected for consultancy assignments falling in this area of work or for similar requirements/tasks/deliverables. Inclusion in the Roster does not guarantee selection to a consultant contract. There is no commitment on either side.

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