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Qualifications

Area of Expertise

Roster National Consultant / Experts – Emergency Preparedness and Response Including IHR

Purpose of consultancy

The consultancy aims to provide technical support to the government of Bangladesh in the areas of health emergencies, epidemiology, International Health Regulations (IHR), public health informatics, disease surveillance, infectious hazard management, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), pandemic preparedness, disaster management, environmental health, climate change, and related research. The overarching goal is to enhance the readiness and response capabilities to mitigate public health risks, minimize suffering, and save lives during emergencies.

Summary of assigned duties

Health Emergencies, Preparedness and Response: Provide support to public health emergency preparedness and response including development of guidelines, SOPs, participation in the Incident Management Support and Health cluster activities in the spirt of multisectoral collaboration such as One health, conduct of rapid risk assessment, UN coordination mechanisms as well as document review, situation update and other relevant activities.

• International Health Regulations (IHR): Provide support and facilitate the development, implementation, and evaluation of country strategies and workplans to advance IHR core capacity development in line with WHO standards. 
• Data informatics: Facilitate the provision of up-to-date health information, data, analysis, interpretation, and presentation to support policy and decision making. 
• Epidemiology & Disease Surveillance: Provide technical oversight to surveillance and management of emerging/re-emerging infectious diseases including influenza, and other epidemic prone diseases.

   

• Outbreak detection & control: Provide technical expertise and operational support for the timely detection and response to outbreaks/epidemics and health emergencies, in collaboration with national health officials, including laboratory staff, and other partner organizations. 
• Infectious Hazard management: Support and facilitate the development and implementation of evidence-based policies, public health programmes and interventions for the management of priority infectious hazards with multisectoral collaboration using a one health approach; Provide guidance in laboratory activities in diagnostic, biosafety and quality management and develop appropriate solutions for their improvement where necessary. 
• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): To provide support and coordination for AMR surveillance and reporting among all the sentinel sites in the country as well as support the reporting of national AMR data to the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS). 
• Pandemic Influenzas preparedness/Influenza surveillance: Support the Pandemic preparedness activities and coordinate different laboratory activities at sentinel sites as well as NIC and NRL according to national and international standards, as necessary. Support the enhancement of laboratory infrastructure and the implementation of standard operating procedures to enhance safe collection, handling, shipment, storage and analysis of human and environmental specimens. 
• Disaster Management: Support the implementation of DRR, comprehensive Emergency Risk Management for health and disaster management. Maintain liaison with relevant ministries and stakeholders for information management and coordination. Monitor all matters related to procurement of emergency drugs and medical supplies, anticipate needs, and take follow-up action as and when necessary.

   

• Environmental Health: Support national priorities concerning health and environment and recommend feasible plans and strategies under the aegis of Environmental Health Unit (EHU); Support the promotion of innovative activities in environmental health sector, and advancing health and environment initiatives as well as water supply, sanitation, hygiene, chemical safety, radiation safety, occupational health. 
• Climate Change: Facilitate key climate change and health activities -health vulnerability and adaptation assessments, implementation of health national adaptation plan, climate-resilient water and sanitation safety planning, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities, and climate informed health surveillance and early warning systems. 
• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH): Provide support for ongoing water, sanitation, and hygiene, environmental and climate sensitive disease outbreaks such as water borne diseases and vector borne diseases. 
• Risk Communication and community engagement: support the development and operationalization of a risk communication plan with multisector collaboration to set the strategies, approaches, resources (human resources and budgeting), standard operating procedures and mechanisms for the function of RCCE; Review existing resources, processes, mechanisms for risk communication, community engagement and infodemic management towards improvement; support in management of social media accounts and prepare digital and social media plans in line with regional guidance and in-country specific context and priority topics; 
• Capacity building: Support workforce development through trainings, and other capacity building and strengthening activities across all aspects of health emergencies. 
• Development of guidelines: Support adaptation, development and implementation of technical guidelines and SOPs for various health emergency activities, including those caused by (re-) emerging and other infectious diseases. 

Background  

The WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme in Bangladesh continues to provide technical and policy guidance and assistance to the government in area of assessment of health emergency preparedness and development of national plans to address critical capacity gaps; developing strategies and capacities to prevent and control high-threat infectious hazards; and monitoring new and ongoing public health events to assess, communicate and recommend action for public health risks. The programs also support readiness to reduce public health risk as well as provides life-saving health services to affected populations when necessary to minimize suffering and death during emergencies.

Deliverables

Deliverables will be shared with specific candidate/s along with Terms of Reference at the time of actual selection of consultant from the roster.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential:

• For NO- A & NO-B: Completion of a first degree or medical degree (depending on the position) in public health or other relevant discipline such as epidemiology, statistics, database management or public health, medical virology, communication, from an accredited/recognized institute. 
• For NO- C & NO-D: Completion of   medical degree or advanced degree in public health or other relevant disciplines such as in epidemiology, statistics, database management or public health, medical virology, communication, from an accredited/recognized institute. 

Desirable: Additional or specialized training in communicable diseases, or global health security.

Experience

Essential:

Below mentioned experience for specific grade level at national level is essential in ANY of the following health systems functions:

• Implementation of public health surveillance, outbreak investigation and management as well as monitoring, evaluation and interpretation of data related to infectious public health events and response in humanitarian settings. 
• Experience in planning, developing and implementing health security and working with inter-agency mechanism used to coordinate preparedness and response to health emergencies. 
• Experience to design and implement Microbiological and mycological test for different kind of microorganisms and able to perform molecular testing. 
  • For NO- A: 2 to 5 Years of relevant experience in Bangladesh 
  • For NO- B: 5 to 10 years of relevant experience in Bangladesh 
  • For NO- C: More than 10 years of relevant experience in Bangladesh 
  • For NO-D: More than 15 years of relevant experience in Bangladesh 

Desirable:

Previous experience in UN organizations/agencies, health cluster partners, recognized humanitarian organizations, international institutions, or nongovernmental organizations, particularly.

Skills/Knowledge

• Proven ability to lead the area of expertise and requirement. 
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex issues clearly and concisely. 
• Demonstrated ability to maintain effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders in government and beyond, including other development agencies. 
• Skills in training and facilitation. 
• Knowledge of working in or with multilateral organizations, preferably WHO. 

Languages and level required (Basic/Intermediate/Advanced):

Essential: Expert knowledge of English with excellent written and verbal communication skills is essential.

Location

On-Site: Dhaka, and other locations in Bangladesh.

Travel

The assignment may involve travel and details of which form part of ToR for specific assignment. Travel related expenses will be reimbursed as per WHO policies.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

For NO-A

Daily pay band range: BDT 17,639 to BDT 23,379

Monthly pay band range: BDT 352,781 to BDT 467,576

For NO-B

Daily pay band range: BDT 24,611 to BDT 32,672

Monthly pay band range: BDT 492,211 to BDT 653,433

For NO-C

Daily pay band range: BDT 34,383 to BDT 45,498

Monthly pay band range: BDT 687,657 to BDT 909,968

For NO-D

Daily pay range: BDT 44,205 to BDT 58,322

Monthly pay band range: BDT 884,099 to BDT 1,166,434

Actual renumeration (monthly or daily basis) will be offered based on the requirements of the terms of reference for the individual consultant contract and in relation to the individual’s academic and professional experience in accordance with WHO’s consultant’s pay band ranges.

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 depends on actual requirement.

Additional Information

This vacancy notice is being issued for establishing Roster National Consultant / Experts – Emergency Preparedness and Response Including IHR.

• 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  [email protected] 
• 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 [email protected]. 
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• This assignment is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station/assignment location.