Consultant to support the development of multi-hazard, health facility-based Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) guidelines in Jordan

Overview

Support the development of multi-hazard health facility EBS guidelines in Jordan.

1. Purpose of consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the development of multi-hazard, health facility-based Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) guidelines in Jordan. The consultant will assist in organizing a multisectoral workshop to identify priority events and signals for EBS in Jordan, and to define roles and responsibilities at different levels, as well as EBS processes and the flow of information across the system.

This will be followed by the development of comprehensive guidelines covering all hazards with a particular focus on operationalization at the health facility level. The guidelines will be validated through a consultative process, and an implementation roadmap will be developed, focusing on priority actions to support the effective implementation of health facility EBS in Jordan.

2. Background

EBS is a core component of Public Health Intelligence (PHI), complementing Indicator-Based Surveillance (IBS) by enabling the rapid detection of unusual health events, signals, and emerging risks from a wide range of formal and informal information sources. EBS plays a critical role in strengthening early warning, alert, and response systems, particularly in contexts with evolving public health threats.

In Jordan, initial efforts to implement EBS have focused primarily on health facility-based surveillance for respiratory events, which has contributed to improved detection of priority respiratory conditions. However, this approach remains limited in scope, focusing on respiratory signals and not fully capturing the breadth of potential public health threats.

Recent experiences and ongoing Public Health Intelligence capacity-building efforts in Jordan have highlighted the need to:

· Expand EBS beyond respiratory surveillance to include a broader range of hazards (infectious diseases, zoonotic, environmental, and other public health threats)

· Adopt a multi-hazard and multisectoral approach, in line with the One Health framework

· Strengthen standardization of EBS processes, including detection, verification, risk assessment, and response

· Clarify information flow mechanisms between health facilities, subnational, and national levels

· EBS approach expanded to cover all hazards and all healthcare facilities, including RMS, the private sector, and UNRWA.

· Add M&E (Monitoring and Evaluation) component, as it is integral to the current guidelines.

In this context, this consultancy aims to support the implementation of a stakeholder workshop on EBS in May 2026, the expansion of the current EBS guideline into a multi-hazard guideline, with a strong emphasis on implementation at the health facility level, and the development of a roadmap to facilitate nationwide implementation of health facility-based EBS in Jordan.

3. Work to be performed

Objective 1: Preparation and initial drafting of multi-hazard EBS guideline (30%)

Deliverable 1.1: Produce a report on the desk review of the existing EBS guideline and related materials in Jordan, with a focus on multi hazard facility-based implementation.

Deliverable 1.2: Develop a first draft (approximately 30%) of the revised multi-hazard EBS guideline

Deliverable 1.3: Prepare for multisectoral technical workshop, including development of agenda and technical materials aligned with the draft guideline,

Objective 2: Facilitation of workshop and technical consensus building

Deliverable 2.1: Facilitate EBS workshop with the technical working group and invited stakeholders to review and refine the draft guideline. Deliverable 2.2: Document key discussions, agreements, and recommendations from the workshop. Deliverable 2.3: develop the workshop report with recommendation

Objective 3: Finalization of multi-hazard EBS guideline (remaining 70%)

Deliverable 3.1: Revise and draft the EBS guideline based on Workshop recommendation, review from technical working group and stakeholder feedback

Deliverable 3.2: Conduct final consultations with the Ministry of Health and stakeholders to validate the revised guideline.

Deliverable 3.3: Produce a final multi-hazard EBS guideline incorporating all feedback.

Objective 4: Development of implementation roadmap based on revised guidelines for all hazard health facility EBS in Jordan

Deliverable 4.1: Develop a practical implementation roadmap for the rollout of multi-hazard health facility-based EBS in Jordan, informed by the finalized EBS guideline Update technical specifications in of the JIERS, based on updated guidelines, including the KPIs and dashboard.

4. Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: Minimum first university degree for lower end of range, an advanced university degree for mid and high end of range in Health Science, Public Health, Epidemiology, or related field.

Desirable: Advanced university degree (Master or higher) in Public Health, Epidemiology, or related field.

Experience:

Essential:

- 5 to 10 years of professional experience in public health, epidemiology, with specific expertise in event-based surveillance.

- Demonstrated experience in design and implementation of public health surveillance systems with focus on EBS systems.

Desirable: Previous experience working with the United Nations system or other international organizations, including assignments outside the candidate’s home country.

Skills/Technical skills and knowledge:

- Experience in developing technical guidelines, frameworks, and operational tools for surveillance systems, particularly in multi-hazard and multisectoral contexts.

- Skilled in stakeholder engagement, including organizing and facilitating multisectoral workshops, conducting needs assessments, and integrating stakeholder input into technical documents and strategies.

- Demonstrated ability to collaborate with government counterparts, particularly ministries of health, and coordinate with partners across sectors (human, animal, environmental health).

- Strong analytical and technical writing skills, including drafting guidelines, reports, and implementation roadmaps

Languages and level required:

Excellent command of English and ability to communicate effectively. Communication in the Arabic language is desirable.

5. Location

Amman – Jordan (On-site).

6. Planned timelines (Subject to confirmation)

56 working days

Start date: 5 May 2026

End date: 31 July 2026

7. Medical clearance

The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

8. Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel according to the itinerary and estimated schedule below:

Tentative travel dates

Location: Amman-Jordan

From

10/05/2026

To

15/05/2026**

Purpose:

to attend and facilitate the EBS stakeholder workshop

**All travel arrangements will be made by WHO – WHO will not be responsible for tickets purchased by the Consultant without the express, prior authorization of WHO. While on mission under the terms of this consultancy, the Consultant will receive subsistence allowance.

Visas requirements: it is the consultant’s responsibility to fulfil visa requirements and ask for visa support letter(s) if needed.

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.
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Added 5 months ago - Updated 4 months ago - Source: who.int