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Qualifications

Purpose of consultancy

The purpose of the roster is to provide short-term support during acute events for up to three months, which may be extended up to six months to one year, depending on operational needs. Placement on the roster entails a general commitment from the external candidate to be deployed within 1 to 2 weeks from when a request for availability is made.

The Anthropologist will provide specialized technical, strategic and situational Anthropological advice and support to the WHO and the health sector both during development and emergency planning, response and recovery.

Through communication and engagement and the empowerment and participation of stakeholders, communities, implementing partners and government counterparts, s/he promotes measurable Anthropological programming, which contributes to achieving sustainable and concrete results.

Background

Given the difference Anthropologists make, they are increasingly being integrated as a core part of the WHO cross-cutting change strategy both in emergency and development programming. Following this recognition, the WHO AFRO-Office seeks to recruit and engage Anthropologists to support emergency response and development programming operations in the region.

Deliverables

·         An inception report with all the relevant field tools

·         Technical reports

·         Daily situational and strategic briefs to the response during emergencies

·         FAQs

·         EOM (End Of Mission) reports

Specifically, the Anthropologist perform the following functions:

1. Support WHO and the health sector study and understand the health-seeking behavior and mistrust in the communities and interventions of interest
2. Support the After-Action Reviews (AARs) and conduct parallel Anthropological After-Action Reviews (AARs) to understand what the response did well and why, what it didn’t do well and why, what is needed to improve future and any other important issues that the AAR planning team rationalises
3. Provide social listening support to the response team during emergency outbreaks by conducting strategic and situational Anthropological behavioural studies on knowledge, perceptions, practices, attitudes and beliefs with transmission implications and provide the team with the FAQs and technical reports
4. Support the development of IECs by participate in all IEC development meetings and supplying the FAQs where possible
5. Conduct power mapping and lead community engagements, support RC and complex investigations both as part of the RRT and the response teams during outbreaks and in the recovery phases in any response of interest
6. Provide technical support to the Survivors Program following VHF outbreaks by conducting strategic and situational Anthropological behavioral studies, support the body fluid review program by leading engagements with the survivors to pull out design and implementation gaps to be addressed and persuade non-compliant survivors to provide samples to be reviewed
7. Humanize SDBs by supporting integration of ethics, safe cultural and belief systems in the process, collecting information on the gaps driving mistrust, supporting the program understand and response the concerns and fears of affected family and leading engaging with the bereaved to stem possible mistrust and dissatisfaction from derailing the response
8. Work with the epidemiologists to investigate and persuade high risk contacts to voluntarily turn-up at the isolation unit, identify and support the team identify and address gaps that affect acceptance of isolation, analyse options for isolation and highlight the safest and acceptable options
9.  

   Work with epidemiologists and the EMS to support to persuade mistrustful and runaway suspected cases in shrines, private facilities, community and religious places to accept evacuation to the treatment units

10. Provide weekly and daily briefs to the response team on the situation, gaps and recommendations on a pillar-by-pillar basis
11. Map groups of people that are vulnerable to future outbreaks based on socio-economic, belief and cultural practices, perceptions, attitudes and knowledge levels for risk management purposes
12. Continuously input to the strategy for addressing the socio-culturally driven resistance to the current EVD response. This is being done but remains an ongoing process until the response closes
13.  

    Identify design and implementation gaps pillar by pillar in the response

14.  

    Supporting the re-integration of discharged cases to the community and to stem community-based stigma.

15. Lead documentation and publication in peer reviewed journals of all Anthropological related data gathered including securing IRB clearances at the beginning of the response, where need be. The Anthropologist will also conduct systematic reviews of interest after the responses
16.  

    The anthropologist shall support the vaccine programs as the vaccine acceptance advisor

17. Perform any other role the team or IM/supervisor may determine. 

Educational Qualifications

Essential

ü  A university degree in Social/Medical Anthropology/Sociology of health from a respectable University.

Desirable

ü An education background in infectious diseases is an added advantage.

Experience

Essential

ü  At least 5 years of experience in research, conceptualizing and technical support and leading stakeholder engagements in the area of emergency planning, response and recovery and development programming or in community mistrust/resistance prone sectors

ü  Proven skills in social research methods including systematic review of evidence, qualitative operational research skills, and translation of evidence into practice.

ü  Proven previous experience with similar work and specifically, delivery of programmes in areas of public health, infectious diseases, humanitarian response will be an added advantage in Africa

ü  Excellent workshop facilitating skills

ü  Evidence of similar work before, especially within the African Region

ü  Relevant experience in a UN system agency or WHO is considered an asset.

Skills/Knowledge

Excellent writing and analytic skills

Languages required

Essential

• Expert knowledge of either English or French or Portuguese, depending on the official language in the duty station where deployed  

Desirable:

• Working knowledge of an additional UN language. 

Location

On-site – Multiple duty stations within the African Region.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

USD 7,000 – 9,980 per month

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited)

A living expense is payable to on-site consultants

Expected duration of contract

Contract duration varies depending on operational needs.

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  reasonableaccommodation@who.int 
• 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 shws@who.int. 
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For Consultants hired for HQ, Switzerland vacancies

• Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html 

For roster vacancy announcements:

• The purpose of this vacancy is to develop a list of qualified candidates for inclusion in the advertised roster. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently may be selected for consultancy assignments; however, contracting of rostered candidates is not guaranteed.