Job Description
1. Purpose of consultancy
With more than five years on from the establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals, at past the mid-point of the Asia-Pacific CRVS Decade and the SEA Regional Strategy for Improving CRVS, the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia is reviewing progress in the region in order to identify gaps and opportunities and support the development of country and regional plans to accelerate progress towards CRVS goals. There is a need to document lessons learnt from the efforts made by countries thus far, and provide technical support for using innovative strategies and tools and sharing good practices for the development of CRVS improvement plans and their implementation
2. Background
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO) is providing ongoing technical support to countries in the region to improve the performance of their CRVS systems, particularly the quality, analysis, and use of medically certified cause of death (MCCD) data and mortality statistics. These are crucial for better health policy, planning, and monitoring progress towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently, SEARO and countries in the region are in the midst of a Decade for CRVS in terms of commitments and support for implementing the Regional Action Framework for CRVS in Asia and the Pacific (led by UNESCAP) and the SEA Regional strategy for strengthening the role of the health sector for improving CRVS (2015-2024). The WHO Headquarters has recently launched a global CRVS Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021- 2025, which aims at empowering Member States to more effectively mobilize their health sector to lead, or contribute to, CRVS system strengthening efforts in order to ensure maximum benefit from routine data systems for policy and development.
Starting mid-2020, SEARO had embarked on a project that aimed at providing technical support to seven countries in the region to accelerate CRVS strengthening activities. This project sought to support countries in the development of strategic and action plan based on a comprehensive and holistic assessment of their current systems, with special focus on death registration and causes of death.
3. Scope of Work
Under the overall supervision of the Director, Department of UHC/Health Systems (HSD), and under direct supervision of the Regional Adviser and Technical Officer for Health Information Systems (RA-HIS and TO-HIS) from WHO SEARO, the consultant will closely work with all WCO focal points and will perform the following duties:
3.1 For WHO Country Office for India (tentative 10 days of engagement per month)
- • Provide technical advise for national level CRVS improvement activities with a focus on cause of death
- • Provide technical advise for developing strategic actional plan for improving CRVS in states of Assam, Tamil Nadu
- • Develop tools and methods for conducting District level CRVS assessment in Assam followed by analysis and finalization of assessment findings.
- • Review the findings of the recently concluded assessment of implementation of WHO Family of international classification and the strategic action plan and support Ministry of Health and Family welfare to finalize the strategic action plan, disseminate the assessment findings in the form of reports and publications
- • Provide technical advise for strengthening e-Mor application developed by National center for disease informatics and research
- • Participate as a resource person in workshops/webinars
3.2 For WHO South-East Asia Region Countries
- • Provide technical advice on conducting needs assessment for MCCD and verbal autopsy in Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Bangladesh
- • Guide SEAR countries in developing national strategic plans for improving / implementing cause of death determination through MCCD
- • Assist nominated SEAR countries with implementation of strategic plan to improve death registration completeness and strengthen cause of death ascertainment and ICD coding
- • Guide countries in implementation CRVS data quality evaluation framework as well as analysis of total and cause-specific mortality indicators from available death registration data
3.3 For WHO Country Office for India and South-East Asia Regional Office
- • Develop relevant research papers for publications in context of the work carried out during the contract
- • Any other work as requested during the contract period
- 4. Deliverables
4.1 Deliverable 1: Conducted CRVS assessment and analysis of India and SEAR countries followed by proposed recommendations- First three months\
- 4.2 Deliverable 2- Developed District CRS model to strengthen recording, reporting and cause of death assignment for institutional and non-institutional deaths in two states (Assam and Tamil Nadu) of India- by Dec 2022
- a) Developed draft report on CRS mortality data analysis of Assam and Tamil Nadu
- • coverage and completeness of cause of death information system
- • availability and quality of specific variables on deaths (age, sex, and causes of death)
- • certain vital indicators (crude birth rate, sex ratio at birth; crude death rate; infant mortality rate; age-specific death rates etc)
- b) Developed CRS business process models and operational status report of selected districts
- c) Recommendations for district level CRS model for assigning cause for both institutional and non-institutional deaths including development of tools for carrying out pilot in selected districts
- d) Provided technical assistance for piloting District CRVS model
e) Results of the pilots of District CRVS model for developing the strategic action plan.
- f) Developed State strategic action plan for roll out across state
- 4.3 Deliverable 3- Finalized findings of India’s WHO FIC assessment- by July 2022
- 4.4 Deliverable 4- Provided technical advise for strengthening India’s e-Mor application- by Dec 2022
- 4.5 Deliverable 5- Supported for developing one publication of the assessment findings of India’s District CRVS model
- 4.6 Deliverable 6 - Implement WHO 2016 MCCD tool in Bhutan and Nepal / Maldives.
5. Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Educational Qualifications:
Essential: Advanced University degree in public health, Statistics, Demography or other related field.
Desirable:
Experience
Essential:
- • Minimum 10 years of relevant experience including considerable experience working with WHO and countries in the South-East Asia Region (SEAR) in strengthening CRVS.
- • 10-15 years of experience in developing, managing and analyzing Health Information
Desirable:
- • Previous experience of country level WHO work especially in middle income/South Asian context
- • Understanding and experience of work at country level will be an added value
- • Experience in working in teams and team process
Skills/Knowledge:
General considerations:
- • Should have experience in conducting international development reviews/ evaluations
Technical and analytical:
- • Knowledge about WHO programs, WHO result based planning, GPW13 and Result Framework
- • Technical knowledge of broader range of public health programs, data collection and analytical skills
- • Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, teamwork, adapt at working with people of diverse cultural and social background
- • Extended knowledge on UN programs and UN development frameworks
- • An understanding of core values united nations including humanitarian support
Languages and level required (Basic/Intermediate/Advanced):
- • English language competent in (reading/writing/speaking)
6. Location
Off site: Anywhere/remote
7. Travel
New Delhi and selected priority states of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal during the assignment
All travel arrangements will be made by WHO - WHO will not be responsible for tickets purchased by the Consultant without the express, prior authorization of WHO.
The Consultant may apply for a UN Certificate prior to travelling.
Visas requirements: it is the Consultant’s responsibility to fulfil visa requirements and ask for visa support letter(s) if needed.
8. Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):
a. Remuneration: Pay band level - Remuneration currency - Pay band range
Band Level C - USD 550/day
b. Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited): currency and rate
While on mission under the terms of this consultancy, the Consultant will receive subsistence allowance in line with the instructions applicable locally.
c. Expected duration of contract:
75 days (From 1 April to 31 December 2022 (extendable))
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.
- Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.
- 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 in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
Closing Date: May 11, 2022
