Title of Assignment: Project Consultant

Name of Unit/Sector: Development Agenda Coordination Division (DACD), Regional and National Development Sector (RNDS)

Place of Assignment: Home-based

Expected Places of Travel (if applicable): no travel expected

Expected Duration of Assignment: From April 1 to December 13, 2024

1. Objective of the Assignment

The Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP), at its twenty-ninth session, held in October 2022, approved the Development Agenda (DA) project proposal on “Reducing Work-Related Accidents and Occupational Diseases Through Innovation and Intellectual Property”, submitted by Tunisia, and as contained in document CDIP/29/11.

The project aims (i) to explore the role of intellectual property (IP) tools and innovation in providing a safer environment to workers, and (ii) to contribute to the decrease of occupational accidents and diseases though the use of IP tools and promotion of innovation.

The project is being implemented in Tunisia and three other beneficiary countries, namely The Islamic Republic of Iran, The Gambia and Cameroon.

The project team is composed of WIPO staff and national authorities’ representatives, under the guidance of the Project Manager, Development Agenda Coordination Division (DACD), Regional and National Development Sector (RNDS), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The present document represents the Terms of Reference (ToR) for an Expert who will ensure the development of a scoping study on the sectors and industries accounting for the most work-related accidents and occupational diseases, and any relationship between reported causes of these adverse outcomes and availability/feasibility of IP-related solutions.

2. Deliverables/Services

During the assignment, the Expert will undertake a desk review to:

i) Identify, review and list the sectors and industries accounting for the most work-related accidents and occupational diseases in general, with a specific emphasis on the four beneficiary countries;
ii) Identify, review and list the available tools/practices or innovative technologies/products that could respond to the needs of the identified sectors and industries to reduce work-related accidents and occupational diseases;
iii) Collect information on the use of counterfeit tools, machinery, materials and/or personal protection equipment (PPE) in the identified sectors and industries, that do not meet the necessary safety and health standards;
iv) Measure the knowledge and level of awareness on the risks involved in using counterfeit products in the workplace;
v) Measure the knowledge and level of awareness on the role of IP in reducing work-related accidents and occupational diseases.

Based on the findings of the desk review, the Expert will prepare:

i) a first and second draft of the scoping study;
ii) a final version of the scoping study;  and
iii) a comprehensive executive summary of the final scoping study.

The Expert will be required to make a virtual presentation of the final version of the scoping study during the thirty-third session of the CDIP, scheduled to take place from December 9 to 13, 2024.

3. Reporting

The Expert will be working under the supervision of the Project Manager.  In addition, the Expert will work closely with the project team, who will provide the necessary support, as required.

The Expert will maintain regular contact with the project team, which will include:

• Regular reports of the progress of the study, as required by the Project Manager.
• A bi-monthly telephone conference (according to needs) to discuss the status of the study, problem solving and risk mitigation.
• Communicate with an appropriate level of detail and transparency on all issues relevant to the success of the project.
• Share lessons learnt and propose improvements at each stage of the study.

4. Profile

The selection will be made based on the following criteria:

Essential:

• A university degree in law, economics, political science, development studies or a related discipline;
• At least 6-8 years of relevant professional experience in the field of occupational safety and health (OSH), work-related accidents and diseases data and research;
• Excellent analytical and drafting skills;
• Strong reporting and data management skills;
• Project management experience or skills, as well as ability to deliver high quality outputs under time pressure;
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English and a knowledge of other official UN languages;

Desirable:

• Good understanding of intellectual property (IP) related aspects of safety and health at work;
• Relevant experience working with innovation and technologies related to safety and health at work;
• Experience working in developing countries;

5. Duration of Contract and Payment

The contract will start on April 1, 2024, and will end on December 13, 2024.

The applicant shall provide an indication of their remuneration expectations in Swiss Francs (daily rate).