Individual Consultant: Development of Normative Guidance

Job Description

Individual Consultancy_Project Management of the development of normative guidance, including guidance for COVID19 therapeutics

Reference:RFP2021_Ind.Consultant_SCI-QNS_001
Beneficiary country(ies):Switzerland
Published on:11-Jan-2021
Deadline on:25-Jan-2021 17:00 (GMT 1.00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris

The WHO Quality Assurance, Norms and Standards Department (QNS) in the Science Division (SCI) in Geneva is seeking a project manager to provide technical support to the Methods and Standards Unit (MST) for effective and efficient implementation of ongoing activities and projects on quality assurance of normative products of WHO, including the revision of the International Medical Guide for Ships and the timely and impactful development of normative guidance for COVID-19 response. This consultancy may be undertaken from any location in the world, though working hours are generally expected to overlap with WHO Headquarters Core Hours (10:00-16:00, Central European Standard Time)

1. Background

As per the strategic shift of the Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13) on strengthening WHO’s normative work, the QNS Department is providing support to WHO Technical Departments by ensuring norms and standards are produced to a consistently high standard, in a timely way, driven by what Member States need, and designed and delivered to have a real impact on the health of people in countries. In the context of WHO transformation, the QNS Department is developing and implementing a new quality assurance process for the planning and development of global public health goods (GPHGs) and other normative products, in collaboration with the Office of the Deputy Director General(DDGO), the division of Data, Analytics, and Delivery for Impact (DDI) and the department of Research for Health (RFH). The QNS Department aims to accelerate guidance development for a more timely and impactful COVID-19 response. In addition, the QNS Department is also responsible for both the update of the International Medical Guide for Ships, and a new Quality Assurance Methods Handbook, both of which are WHO Global Public Health Goods to be delivered by QNS by Dec 2021.

Within the department, the Methods Quality team is more specifically dedicated to:

• Producing and continuously update robust quality-assured methodologies, building upon best practices as well as internal and external expertise
• Providing tailored methodological support and guidance to Technical Dept. project teams, and consultation with regions
• Ensuring highest-quality services from technically skilled subject matter experts in a diverse array of standard-setting methods, including but not limited to public engagement, clinical and social epidemiology, modelling, and implementation studies.

2. Objective

The objective of this consultancy is to provide project management and coordination support to the MST unit, within Quality Assurance, Norms and Standards Department (QNS) in the Science Division (SCI) at WHO headquarters to strengthen WHO normative function. In particular, the project manager will contribute, under the guidance of QNS technical staff and the overall responsibility of the supervisor, to:

• Ensure the timely and impactful development of normative guidance, including guidance for COVID19 therapeutics
• Coordinate the revision of the International Medical Guide for Ships
• Liaise with other stakeholders involved in the projects
• Secure that the processes are continuously efficient and milestones are achieved

3. Timeline

Expected starting date: 01 February 2021. End date: 31 July 2021.

4. Duties and responsibilities

Output 1: Project management for strengthening of the WHO normative function and of country adoption of COVID-19 related guidelines

• Activity 1.1: Advance processes aiming at strengthening the development of guidelines for COVID-19 therapeutics in collaboration with responsible technical staff.
• Activity 1.2: Work as part of a team to expand processes to support dissemination and implementation of normative guidance in countries, in particular guidelines for COVID-19 therapeutics, by developing linkages with countries and other WHO technical departments.

Output 2: Project management for the update of the International Medical Guide for Ships, 4th Edition

• Activity 2.1: Organize meetings with stakeholders
• Activity 2.2: Work as part of a small team to gather input from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Maritime Organization (IMO)
• Activity 2.3: Work as part of a small team to gather input from WHO departments for the update of the publication
• Activity 2.4: Under the lead of the WHO responsible officer, draft the table of content and initial outline for a revised chapter on infectious disease outbreaks and a new chapter on COVID-19

Output 3: Project management for development of guidance on methods for normative and standard setting products

• Activity 3.1: Work with responsible technical staff to update or add new chapters on methods for normative and standard settings products.
• Activity 3.2: Provide technical and logistical support for the peer-review process of the new chapters on methods for developing normative and standard settings products.

5. Qualifications, experience and skills required

Qualifications:

Required:

• An advanced level university degree (Master’s or higher) in health science or management.

Desirable:

• PhD in a relevant field would be an asset;
• Project management certification would be an asset.

Experience:

Required:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in public health and project management;
• Experience in international health / global health.

Desirable:

• Experience working in, or in close collaborations with, low- and middle-income countries;
• Experience with UN or other international or multinational organizations;
• Client-facing service-oriented experience.

Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

• Skilled at technical writing and editing;
• Good communication and presentation skills;
• Ability to coordinate multi-stakeholder projects and develop new partnerships;
• Excellent attention to detail;
• IT skills: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.).

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of English – written and spoken (required);
• Intermediate knowledge of French (desirable).

6. Place of assignment

Home-based (any location), though generally expected to overlap with WHO Headquarters Core Hours (10:00-16:00, Central European Standard Time)

7. Travel

It is not expected that the consultant would be required to travel.

8. How to apply

Please send your application letter and CV by email to: hqqnsdpm@who.int with the subject line “Consultancy Project Manager QNS/MST/2021/01” latest by 17h00 CET 25 January 2021