Communications Consultant

Contract

This is a No grade contract. More about No grade contracts.

IARC Cancer Screening Awareness in Slovakia

TERMS OF REFERENCE

BACKGROUND

The Improving Cancer Care Coordination and Screening in Latvia and Slovakia (ICCCS) project is coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and funded by the European Union (EU) Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG Reform). The objective of the ICCCS project is to develop, in collaboration with the local authorities, strategic plans and roadmaps that would contribute to improve cancer care coordination and cancer screening and to reduce cancer mortality in both countries.

Slovakia has not yet attained the achievements of some other EU Member States with respect to performance indicators related to the cancer care continuum and particularly cancer screening programmes. The Ministry of Health of Slovakia intends to prepare a new National Cancer Action Plan for 2021–2025, aligned with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. The plan aims to reduce the numbers of new cancer cases and cancer deaths and to improve the quality of life of cancer patients through the systematic and equitable implementation of evidence-based strategies for prevention, early detection, treatment, supportive and terminal care, and research into finding innovative solutions and evaluating results.

The overarching goal of this project is to develop a strategic plan and a roadmap tailored to the needs and expectations of Slovakia. The implementation of this strategic plan will contribute to reduce cancer mortality by improving the coverage and quality of screening programmes for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer, and by increasing the awareness of stakeholders about cancer screening.

OBJECTIVES

In Slovakia, a needs analysis was performed by representatives of the Ministry of Health, with the objective of improving the implementation of the national cancer control programme. The needs analysis identified several weaknesses in terms of communication, such as:

• limited knowledge of key stakeholders about the benefits and the complexities of quality-assured cancer screening programmes; and
• lack of an effective communication strategy for nationwide information campaigns on cancer prevention, with a focus on breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer.

Hence, the specific objective of the project implemented by IARC is to contribute to and support the local authorities in designing and implementing communication strategies addressed to specific population target groups, to increase their awareness of the scope and benefits of cancer screening.

To reach this specific objective, IARC will contract the services of an individual, preferably from Slovakia, who will have to deliver the following objectives, based on direct guidance and directives from the IARC Strategic Engagement and External Relations Officer:

• Perform a short scoping study to understand the barriers to participation and the perceptions of the general public about cancer screening services in Slovakia.
• Conduct a benchmark analysis of cancer screening awareness campaigns implemented in EU Member States, with a focus on key factors for success and lessons learned.
• Draft the strategy document for the implementation of an awareness campaign in Slovakia related to screening services for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer.

SCOPE OF WORK

The main tasks to be performed by the individual under this assignment are as follows:

• Coordinate the group of experts created for the project. Facilitate discussions within this group, prepare the minutes of the group meetings, and collate inputs from the group members for the strategy document.
• Organize interviews with key stakeholders to understand the level of awareness of the general public about cancer screening services in Slovakia as well as their knowledge of the risks, harms, and benefits of such services.
• If feasible, launch an online survey to assess the level of knowledge of the general public about the risks, harms, and benefits of cancer screening services in Slovakia.
• Conduct a benchmark analysis of awareness campaigns implemented by EU Member States about cancer screening programmes. Understand and clearly describe the key factors for the success of such campaigns, as well as the lessons learned, if any.
• Based on the inputs from the expert group, the interviews with key stakeholders, the results of the online survey, and the benchmark analysis, draft the strategy document for the implementation of an awareness campaign about cancer screening services in Slovakia.

DELIVERABLES OF THE INDIVIDUAL

As part of this assignment, the individual will have the following deliverables:

• Inception report. This report will include the following: comprehensive methodology for the facilitation of the expert group, for the creation of the online survey, and for the benchmark analysis.
• Report of the expert group. This report will include the following:
  1. Minutes of the different meetings of the expert group
  2. Final conclusion of the different group meetings, with inputs from experts to be included in the strategy document
• Report on the perceptions about cancer screening services in Slovakia, based on the online survey and the interviews with key stakeholders.
• Report on the benchmark analysis. This report will include the following:
  1. Analysis of the awareness campaigns implemented in EU Member States
  2. Key target audiences and the media used to reach them
  3. Key factors for the success for such campaigns
  4. Lessons learned from those campaigns
• Strategy document for the implementation of an awareness campaign about cancer screening services in Slovakia, highlighting the key target audiences for the campaign as well as the communication channels to be used.

All of these deliverables should be written in English.

TIMEFRAME AND MODALITIES

By the end of August 2022: The inception report will be shared with the IARC Strategic Engagement and External Relations Officer.

By the end of March 2023: The report on the perceptions about cancer screening services in Slovakia will be finalized and shared with the IARC Strategic Engagement and External Relations Officer.

By the end of May 2023: The benchmark analysis will be completed and the report shared with the IARC Strategic Engagement and External Relations Officer.

By the end of June 2023: The report of the expert group will be completed and the report shared with the IARC Strategic Engagement and External Relations Officer.

By the end of September 2023: The strategy document will be finalized and shared with the IARC Strategic Engagement and External Relations Officer.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in public health, health communication, behavioural change communication or related fields; or alternatively, a first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the specified fields of studies with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

A minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in public health, health communication, behavioural change communication or related areas is required.

Experience working with national partners and liaising with government officials is desirable. Public health officer with experience in coordinating and implementing public health and health promotion campaigns, ideally cancer prevention or behaviour change campaigns. First-hand experience of Slovakia’s public health system.

USE OF LANGUAGE SKILLS

Slovak native level language proficiency.

English expert level language proficiency.

COMPETENCIES:

Technical expertise.

Communication.

Teamwork.

SKILLS

Specific skills required: Excellent IT literacy skills in Microsoft Office 365 applications.

BUDGET AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Daily rate: 115 US$ (part-time 50%)

Payment terms: Monthly payments

Renumeration is in line with WHO consultant payment rate. Consultant contractual modalities are subject to income tax.

DURATION OF THE CONTRACT

18 Months tentatively starting from 15 July 2022

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test and/or seminar presentation may be used as a form of screening.
• Consultants are responsible for reporting to their national authorities for applicable income tax.
• 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. IARC/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 IARC/WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.
• Qualified caliber from IARC/WHO or other UN system organization in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.
• For information on IARC’S operations please visit: www.iarc.fr
• IARC/WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• IARC/WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.
• IARC/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 underrepresented Participating States are particularly encourage.