Consultant

PURPOSE

The Violence Injuries and disability unit in AFRO is committed to reducing the burden of injuries and death, particularly drowning as a public health issue in the region and to do so needs to gain a better understanding of drowning patterns and drowning prevention policies and interventions. The purpose of this project is to enable AFRO to conduct a ‘deep-dive’ into the drowning situation in four selected countries to identify existing appetite for drowning prevention and investigate whether tools and methodology used for the SEAR/WPR status reports would be transferrable to the African regional context. It will also assess available resources and capacity within WHO in the African Region for participation in this type of global exercise.

BACKGROUND

WHO Global Estimates from 2019 report that more than 38,000 people drown each year in WHO African Region, with 77% of mortality occurring among children aged under the age of 15 years[1]. These estimates significantly underreport the true burden of drowning in Africa as accurate data on drowning is either unavailable or is severely underestimated in many countries in the region[2]. An accurate understanding on the impact of drowning in this context is critical to inform the development and implementation of effective interventions and strategies for drowning prevention, as well as promoting the necessary visibility and prioritization of the issue. Bloomberg Philanthropies is supporting the WHO to conduct a scoping exercise to assess regional interest and readiness in the development of a Global Status Report on Drowning Prevention. WHO believes a Global Status Report on Drowning Prevention will be instrumental to informing and scaling-up national, regional, and global advocacy for action in this neglected public health issue. The work will include the four WHO Regions who have not yet conducted a regional status report on drowning prevention: Africa (AFR), Eastern Mediterranean (EMR), Europe (EUR) and the Americas (PAHO).

KEY DELIVERABLE

• Work plan and timeline for desk review and data collection activities.
• Proposal for selection of 4 countries to include in the project, with justification.
• Summary of key outcomes from desk review and overview of sources included.
• List of key stakeholders to engage in the project, with contact details as available.
• Final project report, summarizing all key findings.
• Completed database.
• Contact details of key unintentional drowning prevention experts/professionals in the region

Education

Essential:

At least a first level University degree in public health, epidemiology, social sciences, communication, or a related field.

Desirable:

Masters level and higher education is an asset.

Skills and Competencies

skills

• Basic knowledge of drowning prevention‐related issues within the region.
• Good management and leadership abilities and experience.
• Familiarity with the goals and procedures of international organizations (UN system, donors, nongovernmental organizations).
• Excellent inter‐personal skills with the demonstrated ability to work effectively with government officials as well as with national and international organizations.
• Ability to review and analyse legislation, policies, strategies and action plans collected from Member States.
• Ability to form conclusions and make recommendations from information provided.
• Ability to draft a formal report which clearly and concisely communicates key outcomes of the analysis.
• Ability to work independently and deliver high quality work on time.
• Computer proficiency in Outlook, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint

COMPETENCIES

• Producing results - Produces and delivers quality results. Is action oriented and committed to achieving outcomes.
• Moving forward in a changing environment - Is open to and proposes new approaches and ideas. Adapts and responds positively to change.
• Fostering integration and teamwork - Develops and promotes effective relationships with colleagues and team members. Deals constructively with conflicts.

Experience:

Essential

• At least five years of experience in public health and/or unintentional injury prevention, which include experience in data collection/analysis (such as surveys, datasets or structured interview) or research or monitoring and evaluation.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships and work in multicultural and multidisciplinary settings.
• Experience working in low and middle‐income countries

Desirable

Experience working with legal documents is an asset.

Languages and level required

Essential: Excellent knowledge of English.

Desirable: Intermediate level of French or Portuguese will be an asset.

RENUMERATION

Rate: 400 USD Daily rate

Currency: USD

Rate and payment terms: The project is anticipated to require 30 days of work at a rate of 400 USD/Day to be spread across a total period of 6 months. The Consultant work schedule will be determined in consultation with the Regional Focal person at the WHO African Regional Office.

Start date: 01 July 2022

End date: 31 December 2022

Payment will be made in instalments upon completion of high-quality deliverables according to agreed due dates.