OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

All Member States of WHO in the European Region share the common value of the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental human right. All of WHO’s actions are based on this and rooted in the underlying value of equity as described in the General Programme of Work. The 13th General Programme of Work defines the mission of WHO as one to promote health, to keep the world safe, and to protect the vulnerable. The GPW calls for heightened accountability, prioritizing impact and outcome at country level, and to improve the lives of three billion people, through universal health coverage, through addressing health emergencies, and promoting healthier populations. WHO’s mandate revolves around six core functions:

(i) providing leadership on global health matters;

(ii) shaping the health research agenda;

(iii) setting norms and standards;

(iv) articulating evidence-based policy options;

(v) providing technical support to countries; and

(vi) monitoring and assessing health trends.

The European Region (EURO) of WHO is made up of 53 countries, with over 880 million people. The diversity of people and health situations requires, on the demand side, a solid understanding of the emerging socio-economic, epidemiologic and demographic patterns and trends at both aggregate as well as national and sub-national levels, with due sensitivity to disadvantaged populations and vulnerable segments of the society. On the supply side, it is equally crucial to have a solid understanding of the commonalities and divergences of the health systems, the circumstances and political economy under which they have evolved and operate and, more specifically, how these bear upon the way the health system stewardship function of health ministries is carried out.The mission of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to help countries, and to coordinator international action, to prevent, prepare for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

In the context of the WHO Health Emergencies Incident Management System (IMS) and the Cluster Approach, at the country level, the incumbent will support the coordination of the Heath Cluster team during all phases of emergencies in the affected areas, by developing rosters and of participating response agencies in association with the health cluster IMO team and other health partners. Under the direct supervision of the Cluster Coordinator, the incumbent shall perform the following tasks:

1. Liaise with the Health Cluster Coordinator the initiatives to build the Health coordination and response capacity of the national and local government, partners and civil society.

2. Provide support and coaching to partners to collect, collate, manage and analyse health data relevant to the crisis.

3. Maintain up to date inter-country (at the Whole of Syria level) information from WHO and partners including contact lists, regional 4Ws, Governments’ contacts etc.

4. Contribute to the drafting and development of all relevant documents including Cluster Bulletins, project proposals, reports, dashboards etc.

5. Document and share best practices, key lessons learnt and recommendations for improvement.

6. Help to review and monitor on monthly basis the humanitarian health situation, analyse response gaps and make appropriate recommendations to fill the gaps and improve coordination both at national and sub-national levels.

7. Support the design, planning, implementation and reporting of joint health cluster initial and ongoing needs assessments and surveys, as well as follow-on more in-depth health sector assessments, as needed.

8. Assist the Health Cluster /Sector Coordinator in the development of the health response strategy in line with the results of the needs assessment exercise.

9. In close collaboration with the WHO surveillance officer, help mobilize health partners to contribute to the Early Warning and Response Network EWARN in their areas of intervention.

10. Liaise with national counterparts and the IMO team to regularly collect, analyse and document health cluster /sector information from the conflict affected areas.

11. Provide regular updates and briefings to the Health Cluster and partners and WHO team, on the Health status of the affected people, the joint response activities, achievements, challenges and recommendations. Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor within established cluster guidelines.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Essential: A university degree (Bachelor’s level or above), in public health, medicine or international relations, social sciences or management or related field, from an accredited/recognized institute.

Desirable: Postgraduate studies or specialized training in emergency management, international aid or humanitarian principles.

Experience:

Essential: At least five years of relevant experience, at national and international levels, in developing and promoting collaborative partnerships in emergency and humanitarian relief operations, including experience in coordinating health programmes in chronic and acute, sudden-onset emergencies.

Desirable: Relevant work experience in WHO, other UN agencies, relevant nongovernmental, health cluster partners or humanitarian organizations.

Skills: 

1. Understanding of the overall inter-cluster/sectoral health emergencies response and related national priorities.

2. Demonstrated knowledge of the rapid response operations and their implementation in emergencies as related to public health, complemented by demonstrated ability to identify and manage difficult situations.

3. Knowledge of emergency relief policies and practices within the UN, other UN specialized agencies, donor agencies, national and international NGOs.

4. Knowledge and experience of disaster prevention and preparedness programmes, the health cluster approach and the incident management system.

WHO Competencies:

Teamwork

Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

Communication

Producing Results

Knowing and Managing Yourself

Use of Language Skills: 

Essential: Expert knowledge of English

Desirable: Basic knowledge of Arabic

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 64,121 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 1421 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

·         This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

·         Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

·         A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.

·         In the event your candidature is retained for an 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.

·         According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

·         Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and E-Manual.

·         The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff 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.

·         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.

·         WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.

·         The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.

·         For information on WHO’s operations please visit: http://www.who.int

·         Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.

·         *For WHO General Service staff who do not meet the minimum educational qualifications, please see e-Manual III.4.1, para 220.

·         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.

·         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 this link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates