Consultant - Surveillance and Monitoring and Evaluation, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Purpose of the Consultancy

This consultancy will support the WHE Unit, WHO Cambodia in providing systematic technical support to the Ministry of Health (MOH) in areas of surveillance, risk assessment and monitoring and evaluation against the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).

Background

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia continued to strengthen preparedness whilst simultaneously responding to the pandemic. This two-tiered approach is aligned with the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases and Public Health Emergencies (APSED III) which is the common strategic framework in WPR to guide implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005).

There have been many lessons learned over the last three years that are relevant for sustained management for COVID-19 and into the future even after the end of the pandemic. Some of these include the need for strengthened and functional early detection systems and well-resourced and capable rapid response teams at provincial, district and community levels to ensure signals are detected, verified, assessed and investigated. The pandemic has demonstrated the need for strong multisource surveillance systems for respiratory pathogens that also have the capability to detect and monitor multiple viruses. Such systems are more efficient, make better use of limited existing resources and allow a more comprehensive assessment of the epidemiological situation.

Monitoring the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), has become even more pertinent since the pandemic. The available approaches, such as the Joint External Evaluation (JEE), to monitor and evaluate (M&E) are necessary to identify the critical gaps and areas that need to be strengthened in a national health security system. The last JEE was conducted in 2016 in Cambodia and thus another JEE is being planned in addition to the ongoing M&E that is conducted for IHR.

Deliverables

Under the supervision of the WHE Team Lead, and working closely under day-to-day management oversight by the Technical Officer, Epidemiology, the consultant will support MOH on WHE technical functions on surveillance, risk assessment and monitoring and evaluation.

The consultant will be responsible for delivering the following:

Output 1: Implementing a systems approach to strengthen surveillance, risk assessment and outbreak response for respiratory pathogens and other public health threats

• Enhance the existing multisource surveillance for respiratory pathogens including establishment of clinical EBS and genomic surveillance
• Facilitate establishment of a revised approach to risk assessments using respiratory pathogens as an entry point that includes development of training material and tools for ongoing coaching and supervision at subnational level
• Collaborate with relevant focal points to strengthen surveillance and response across cross-cutting areas including respiratory pathogen disease preparedness (e.g., influenza), zoonoses, AMR, food safety and emerging public health threats
• Coordinate with and support the focal points for surveillance, health information systems and laboratory to ensure systematic operational collaboration and coordination amongst WHO Cambodia teams

Key deliverables:

Information products as and when required for respiratory pathogens and other public health threats. Training and ongoing coaching materials for updated risk assessment approach for national and sub-national RRTs Risk assessment training rolled-out across the country Clinical EBS SOP and necessary tools

Output 2: Monitoring and evaluating country capacity for international health regulations

• Facilitate the convening of the multisectoral technical working groups for the State Party Annual Self-Reporting (SPAR) discussions and scoring
• Coordinate with and support WHE team to organize, facilitate and conduct the joint external evaluation (JEE) for Cambodia.
• Support the WHE team during the process of developing the national action plan for health security (NAPHS).
• Facilitate development and implementation of simulation exercises for national and subnational capacity building including for EOC/IMS and PHSM
• Provide support to early action reviews (EAR)/after action reviews (AAR)

Key deliverables:

A technical report for the SPAR 2023 including a comparison of scores over time A technical report and slides developed for the self-evaluation component of the JEE, SimEx materials developed and tested. Updated SOP for EOC/IMS at national level

Planned timelines (subject to confirmation)

Start date: 3 January 2024 End Date: 30 November 2024

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: Advanced university degree in Public Health, Medicine/Veterinary Science, International Relations or a related field.

Experience

Essential: Minimum seven years of experience in areas including infectious disease surveillance, public health, monitoring and evaluation and capacity-building Desirable: Experience working with NGOs, development partners or the UN system, preferably with WHO Epidemiologist

Skills and knowledge

Knowledge and skills in developing training materials Capacity to plan and conduct operational activities Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and sensitivity to political and cultural issues Proven ability to work in multisectoral teams at the international level Proven ability to organize, deliver activities and meet deadlines

Language

Expert knowledge of English is essential.

Location

On-site at WHO Cambodia Office in Phnom Penh

Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel only when required within Cambodia will be covered according to WHO rules.

Remuneration

Remuneration - TBD Expected duration of contract - 11 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]. • In case the recruitment website does not display properly, please retry by: (i) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. Click the link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates .