Chair, Global Board of Appeal (GBA)

Contract

This is a P-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 10 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 110,869 USD and 138,944 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The Global Board of Appeal (GBA) is a peer-review body which offers a formal venue for WHO staff members to appeal against final administrative decisions or actions affecting their appointment status. The GBA reviews staff members' appeals in facts and in law, and reports its findings and recommendations to the Director-General with whom the final decision rests. In addition, the GBA issues analyses of patterns, statistics, lessons learnt and/or recommendations on issues raised in appeals and potential improvements to be made to internal processes and procedures so as to avoid future appeals. The Secretariat of the GBA functions as the GBA's registrar office and provides legal, procedural, training and administrative support to the GBA, its Chair and the GBA members.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The incumbent coordinates and provides overall guidance to the work of the GBA and of the Secretariat; reviews appeals in accordance with the WHO Staff Rules, and reports the GBA's findings and recommendations to the Director-General; specifically, the incumbent shall:

1. Organize the work of the GBA:
   • Oversee the work of the Secretariat and through this ensure timeliness and due process throughout the appeal process, including the exchange of pleadings between the parties, the organisation of meetings of the Board, requests for additional information from the parties; organization of hearings, etc.;
   • As the overall accountable person for the Board and its Secretariat pro-actively ensure reasonable time-lines in case-management, avoiding backlogs and, propose and implement effective ways to reduce the build-up of backlogs in a timely manner;
   • Organize and oversee pre-hearing conferences, including for the purpose of: clarifying the issues to be addressed by the Board; identifying any witnesses each party may call; addressing any requests for additional documentation, and setting a schedule for further proceedings.
2. Provide high level guidance for the work of the GBA:
   • Review the receivability of an appeal according to the GBA's rules of procedure;
   • Interpret the Organization's rules and policies pertaining to the appeal process and provide authoritative advice on procedural matters pertaining to these rules and policies;
   • Take interim measures including to determine what documentation is required for the proceedings and what is directly relevant to the arguments of the Parties;
   • Make recommendations to parties to pursue informal resolutions of appeals where appropriate;
   • Ensure that the GBA's reports are: clear; succinct; reflect a sound interpretation of WHO's rules, procedures and ILOAT jurisprudence; provide sufficient background and reference to assist the Director-General in making a decision and contain practical, implementable recommendations.
3. Oversee the management of the GBA:
   • Facilitate the election and appointment of members to the GBA following the rules of procedure and for each case appoint GBA panel members, taking into account crucial aspects such as workload, availability, and subject matter expertise;
   • Ensure overall case and judgment coherence through regular coordination meeting mechanisms with the Members of the GBA and the Secretariat;
   • Prepare and present an annual report of the work of the GBA.
4. Supervise and manage the Secretariat of the GBA:
   • Supervise the Vice-Chair and the Secretariat of the GBA; optimize the performance of the team through motivation, continuous learning, workload management and workflow improvements; and draw upon lessons learnt;
   • Ensure overall managerial functions related to the GBA Secretariat, including human resources - and budget planning and implementation; monitoring and evaluation; reporting, etc.;
   • Facilitate a smooth transition from the Regional Boards of Appeal / Headquarters Board of Appeal to the Global Board of Appeal;
   • Review the working of the GBA with new and innovative ideas to initiate continuous improvement and strengthen the functioning of the GBA and organizational justice system.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advanced university (Master's level or above) degree in Law. Desirable: Specialization in administrative law; admittance to the Bar of a Member State or an equivalent qualification to practice law in a Member State.

Experience

Essential: Over ten years' experience in or with: (i) The application of legal principles and concepts in the broad range of issues arising in internal appeals in the United Nations common system, or other comparable international organizations, including in the analysis and application of rules and regulations. (ii) Grievance and appeals systems in an international setting and multicultural environment. Proven experience in bringing innovation to the work setting. At least 5 years of successful experience in managing an international team. Desirable: Experience in the registry of a tribunal or court or in appearing before a tribunal or court.

Skills

Excellent knowledge of and experience in the law of the international civil service, including the jurisprudence of at least one administrative tribunals at the international level, and of legal structures, texts and principles applicable in an international organization. Sound analytical skills. Excellent communication skills and ability to present complex information clearly and logically (including legal issues and impacts of policies to non-lawyers) orally and in writing (in particular in GBA reports). Excellent interpersonal skills to work with people from different cultures and backgrounds and at different levels across the Organization, including in the regions. Tact and high degree of discretion and confidentiality. Ability to provide leadership and work in team settings. Knowledge of personnel management theories and principles of staff management an advantage. Knowledge of an internal justice system in the UN common system an asset.

WHO Competencies

Communication Moving forward in a changing environment Teamwork Producing results Promoting innovation and Organizational learning

Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

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

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 89,837 (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 1969 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

• The Chair of the Global Board of Appeal serves for a maximum period of five years, the first year being probationary. The incumbent cannot be appointed to any position in the GBA after serving as Chair.
• 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 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.

• 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.