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Qualifications
Purpose of consultancy
To contribute to WHO’s custodial role in air pollution-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)’s indicators, i.e. 3.9.1 mortality from air pollution and – SDG 11.6.2 air quality in urban areas. The assigned duties include data analyses, monitoring and reporting activities, as well as interacting with WHO expert groups on air pollution and health to develop evidence-based tools and guidance to support countries tackling the health effects of air pollution.
Background
The objective of the World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality and Health (AQH) unit in the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health is to promote health sector interventions, as well as interventions in economic sectors (e.g. housing, transport, energy) that reduce environmental health risks, promote better health, and optimize the health co-benefits of sustainable development and climate change mitigation policies.
AQH activities aim to address the urgent need for the health sector to respond to the effects on health associated with air pollution. One of the key activities is to inform policymakers and the broad public on the extent of population exposure to and health impacts from poor air quality. Accordingly, WHO is custodial agency of three air pollution-related SDG Indicators and is hosting several databases related to ambient and household air pollution.
WHO has established the Global Air Pollution and Health – Technical Advisory Group (GAPH-TAG) to work on the further development of activities related to health impacts assessments, desert dust and evidence-based interventions for air pollution, in which the SDG reporting is embedded.
Deliverables:
- Deliverable 1: Update and maintain the WHO databases on air quality.
- Deliverable 2: Derive or prepare datasets for SDG 3.9.1 and 11.6.2.
- Deliverable 3: Prepare and format the estimates for SDG 3.9.1 and 11.6.1 for inclusion in the Global Health Observatory, UN Statistical reporting, as well as UN statistical commission reporting.
- Deliverable 4: Facilitate technical responses on SDGs 3.9.1 and 11.6.2 and input data related queries.
- Deliverable 5: Participate and contribute to the organization of the GAPH-TAG meetings related to health impact assessment, desert dust and intervention and policies.
- Deliverable 6: Liaise with experts for the review and updates of methods for SDG 3.9.1 and 11.6.2.
- Deliverable 7: Participate and contribute to the organization of the GAPH-TAG meetings related to health impact assessment, desert dust and intervention and policies.
- Deliverable 8: Contribute to the development of tools to identify cost effective interventions to address the health impact of air pollution.
- Deliverable 9: Contribute to the development of a toolkit to address the health impact of ambient air pollution in the line of what was done with on household air pollution with the Clean Household Energy Solution Toolkit.
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages.
Educational Qualifications:
Essential:
- Minimum first university degree in epidemiology, public health, chemistry or atmospheric science, environmental or health science or another relevant quantitative field.
Desirable:
- Post graduate degree – or training in environmental health or epidemiology of air pollution.
Experience
Essential:
- At least 7 years of practical work experience in air pollution, exposure assessment, health impact assessment, data management and quantitative analyses of large datasets and data cleaning.
- Experience in data visualization.
Desirable:
- Experience working in a multicultural environment.
Skills/knowledge
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including programming, Proficiency in Tableau, STATA or R; Shiny R and/or GIS.
- Excellent knowledge of air pollution data, or environmental statistics, as well as other health‐related SDG indicators, and good understanding of data quality and limitations.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Scientific technical writing as well as synthesis documents.
- Ability to interact and maintain good working relationships with partners within and across organizations.
- Organizational and planning skills.
- Ability to work independently and in a pro-active way.
- Familiarty with WHO working environment.
Languages required:
Essential:
- Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable:
- Intermediate knowledge of another UN language.
Location
Off-site – Home based.
Travel
The consultant is expected to travel.
Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):
Remuneration:
Band level B-USD 7,000 – USD 9,980 per month.
Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):
N/A
Expected duration of contract:
6 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.
- 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 prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter 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 final candidates.
- 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 each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
- 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