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Qualifications

Purpose of consultancy

To provide technical guidance to countries on assessing, planning and implementing interventions on the management of tuberculosis in children and adolescents.

Background

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Programme (GTB) aims to advance universal access to TB prevention, care and control, guide the global response to threats, and promote innovation. Specifically, it (1) provides global leadership on TB prevention, care and control through the WHO End TB Strategy; (2) develop evidence-based policies, strategies and standards for TB prevention, care and control, and monitor their implementation; (3) jointly with six WHO regional and country offices, provide specialized technical support to Member States, catalyse change, and build sustainable capacity; (4) monitor the global TB situation, and measure progress in TB care, control, and financing; (5) shape the TB research agenda and stimulate the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge; and (6) facilitate and engage in partnerships for action to end TB.

One of the key focus areas for the Vulnerable Populations, Communities and Co-morbidities (VCC) unit within GTB is leading policy development and coordinating key actions and highly specialised technical support to end TB in children and adolescents.

At least one million children under the age of 15 years fall ill with TB every year and an estimated 67 million are infected with TB and thus at risk of development TB disease in the future. Significant gaps remain in the diagnosis and treatment of TB in children and adolescents, and provision of TB preventive treatment.

WHO consolidated guidelines and an operational handbook on the management of TB in children and adolescents, containing new recommendations and updated operational guidance were published in March 2022. E-courses on the most recent guidance are expected to be published in 2023.

Deliverables:

Output 1: Contribute to the assessment, planning and implementation of activities towards ending TB in children and adolescents. This may be provided remotely and/or in-country for the following areas:

• Development or updating of national guidelines on the management of TB in children and adolescents, in line with the latest WHO guidance.
• Development or updating of national training and mentoring materials on the management of TB in children and adolescents, in line with the latest WHO guidance.
• Acting as external experts to guide the thematic area on TB in children and adolescents during TB programme reviews, covering the full cascade of care.
• Conducting capacity building on the clinical and/or programmatic management of TB in children and adolescents.
• Development of components covering relevant interventions on TB in children and adolescents in national strategic plans and funding requests.
• Development of a national Roadmap towards ending TB in children and adolescents.
• Supporting operational research on topics relevant to TB in children and adolescents.

Deliverable 1: The deliverables will vary according to country needs but may include:

• • National guidelines on the management of TB in children and adolescents (stand-alone guidelines or chapter(s) in overall TB management guidelines).
  • Updated national training materials for online or in-person trainings, on-the-job training and/or mentoring.
  • Report on the thematic area on TB in children and adolescents to be included in the overall programme review report.
  • Reports on capacity building workshops or training sessions.
  • Components on TB in children and adolescents included in national strategic documents and/or funding requests.
  • National Roadmap towards ending TB in children and adolescents.
  • Report on operational research on TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care in children and adolescents.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages.

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• For Band level B: University degree in medicine, epidemiology, or public health.
• For Band level C: Advanced university degree in medicine, epidemiology, or public health.

Desirable:

• Qualification in paediatrics or child health.
• Completion of the e-course on the management of tuberculosis in children and adolescents for strategic resource persons.

Experience

Essential:

• For Band level B: Over five years of relevant professional experience in TB control, including with the public health response to child and adolescent TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.
• For Band level C: Over ten years of professional experience in TB control, including with the public health response to child and adolescent TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.

Desirable:

• Experience in supporting national TB programmes in activities related to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of TB in children and adolescents.
• Experience in leading the thematic area on TB in children and adolescents during TB programme reviews in TB high burden countries.
• Experience working with WHO other UN agencies or international organizations.
• Working experience in a TB high incidence/high burden country.
• Experience in analysis of routine programmatic data.
• Experience in policy analysis.

Skills/knowledge

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of WHO guidance on the management of tuberculosis in children and adolescents.
• Excellent understanding of the End TB Strategy, WHO TB related policies and guidelines.
• Competency in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of TB in children and adolescents.
• A good understanding of the challenges related to prevention, case detection, treatment and care of children with drug-susceptible TB (DS-TB) and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB).
• A good understanding of the challenges and opportunities towards ending TB in children and adolescents in TB high burden countries.
• Excellent oral communication skills in English.
• Excellent written skills in English with proven contributions to programme review or other relevant reports and/or scientific articles.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of French or other UN languages.

Location

Off-site – Home based.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level B-USD 350 – 499 per day or USD 7,000 – 9,980 per month.
Band level C-USD 500 – 625 per day or USD 10,000 – 12,500 per month.

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

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

2 weeks to 11 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

For roster VNs:

The purpose of this vacancy is to develop a list of qualified candidates for inclusion in this advertised roster. All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application (whether successful or unsuccessful) upon conclusion of the selection process. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently may be selected for consultancy assignments falling in this area of work or for similar requirements/tasks/deliverables. Inclusion in the Roster does not guarantee selection to a consultant contract. There is no commitment on either side.