RCCE Consultant - CPI

Contract

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

1. Purpose of the Consultancy

To support countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the incumbent will act as the focal point for risk communication; overseeing that risk communications principles and practices are integrated into and implemented, that partners are coordinated, that high quality risk communications products are developed and disseminated proactively, and that people’s fears, concerns, misinformation and false rumors are proactively tracked and addressed.

2. Background

The mission of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to help countries, and to coordinate international action, to prevent, prepare for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies.

Under the guidance of the Team Lead, Preparedness, Readiness and Core Capacity Building, and the overall guidance of the Programme Area Manager, CPI, the incumbent, focal point for risk communication, will work in collaboration with the relevant technical officers and the Risk Communication teams in the respective Country Offices. S/he has first line responsibility for promoting effective risk communication strategies and plans, implementing risk communications activities and reporting on this area of work. S/he will engage with all levels of the organization, will liaise with a broad range of officials from partner organizations and institutions, target audiences, health cluster partners and official representatives from the national authorities to obtain information and, as necessary, provide advice on risk communication. S/he will work closely with personnel deployed in emergencies.

3. Duration of the assignment

Start date: 1 September 2021

Duration: 6 months

4. Work to be performed

Output 1: Act as risk communication focal point in the Incident Management system for COVID-19

Deliverables:

• Oversee the development, elaboration and implementation of the risk communication plan as part of the health response operations.
• With key stakeholders in the national authorities, UN agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and civil society organizations, develop relevant information, education and communication materials in languages and formats easily used by national stakeholders and the public.
• Liaise closely with the HQ and regional counterparts for risk communication ensuring coherence of strategy, materials and messages.
• Ensure that technical material produced by the country office integrates risk communication principles and practice.
• Monitor and proactively counter false rumors and misinformation, and address fears and concerns.
• Work closely with the Community Engagement Officer to integrate findings from knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) surveys, focus group discussions and other feedback from community engagement activities into risk communication activities and products.
• In collaboration with the Communication Officer, proactively brief and educate journalists and broadcasters.
• Lead and maintain quality control for risk communication products such as public information; brochures, leaflets and posters; radio and TV scripts; guides for stakeholders for risk communication and ensure their translation into local language and their adaptation for the local context.
• Contribute to resource mobilization and donor communication in the area of risk communication.

Output 2: Develop and maintain standing risk communication capacity in the WHO Country Office:

Deliverables:

• With internal and expert input and working in line with global and regional frameworks and strategies, develop a multi-hazard risk communication plan for the country office.
• In close collaboration with the Community Engagement Officer and the Communications Officer, map and engage risk communication stakeholders; establish and sustain coordination mechanisms for emergency risk communication.
• Map preferred channels of communication in the country with focus on vulnerable groups.
• Organize risk communication trainings for WHO country staff.
• Brief, guide and coordinate risk community surge capacity personnel that may be deployed to the country.

Output 3: Support national capacity building for emergency risk communication

Deliverables:

• Work with resources from the global and regional levels to train and prepare country-level counterparts for emergency risk communication.
• Support national authorities to convene stakeholders and co-develop a national risk communication strategy and plan.
• Underpin the national assessment of risk communication capacity and/or oversee the running of simulation exercises to test and improve the national capacity.
• Support national authorities to conduct lessons learnt exercises to further strengthen emergency risk communication.

5. Technical Supervision

The selected Consultant will work on the supervision of:

Dr Dalia Samhouri, Manager, CPI/WHE

6. Specific requirements

Essential

Advanced university degree (Master’s level or above) in social sciences, behavioral sciences, development sciences, communications or public health from an accredited/recognized institute.

Desirable

Training in public health, health education, health communication, or health promotion.

7. Experience

   Essential

At least seven years of related experience, at the national and international levels, in risk communication, health promotion, emergency management, part of which working in disease outbreaks or health emergencies.

Proven experience in in the development and implementation of risk communications strategies and plans.

Desirable

Prior working experience with WHO, the UN, health cluster partners, recognized humanitarian organizations or other international organizations, including at country level.

Management or project management experience.

8. Skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Effective negotiation, facilitation and consensus building skills.
• Ability to work under pressure while producing results.
• Ability to “think out of the box” and to make innovative proposals related to risk communication.
• Tact, discretion and diplomacy.
• Knowledge or understanding of WHO mandate and goals in the emergency incident management context.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications

Languages:

Excellent knowledge of English. Working knowledge of French and/or Arabic would be an asset

9. Place of assignment

Cairo, Egypt

10. Medical clearance

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

11. Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel. Destination and duration of travel will be identified through the progress work identified in countries

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.
• 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.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• 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 non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice - https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever 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 in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.