OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) is to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations.

WHE brings together and enhances WHO's operational, technical and normative capacity in outbreaks, emergencies and risk analysis to address all health hazards across the risk management cycle in a predictable, capable, dependable, adaptable and accountable manner. It is designed to operate within the broader humanitarian and emergency management architecture in support of people at risk of, or affected by, outbreaks and emergencies, consistent with ways that strengthen local and national capabilities.

One of the programme areas of WHE is Emergency Operations (EMO). It is responsible for ensuring that emergency-affected populations have access to timely and effective health services. This includes ensuring a strong emergency management system (based on incident management), effective and inclusive coordination mechanisms, joint assessments and planning by partners, implementation of operations and services according to agreed standards, and strong logistics and operational support. 

The expansion and strengthening of operational partnerships are a key priority. EMO also leads on humanitarian policy and guidance, as well as representation to key interagency bodies.

 

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the overall supervision of the Team Coordinator (Pacific Health Security Communicable Diseases and Climate Change) and the guidance from WHO Representative and Regional Emergency Director (RED), the incumbent is assigned all or part of the following duties:

Needs assessment and gap analysis:

1.    Manage, coordinate and be the overall lead within the Health Cluster or at Inter-Cluster level for rapid health needs assessments, as well as participatory assessments (Multi Cluster/Sector Initial Rapid Assessments and Humanitarian Needs Overviews); ensures that Health Cluster covers all identified humanitarian health needs of the affected population.

2.    Collect information from all partners on 4Ws: Who, Where, When, What, and regularly feed the database managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(UN-OCHA) and provide consolidated feedback to all partners and the other clusters; Strategic Planning

3.    Lead the development, in cooperation with the Health Cluster Members, of the health sector components of the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) as well as contingency planning for potential new events and other interagency planning, ensure proper linkages with the incident management system, disaster risk reduction, relief and recovery to complement national health sector response plans.

4.    Ensure full compliance with national and international norms and standards, oversee that
cross-cutting issues are mainstreamed in the Health Cluster Response and implementation plans, taking into account the need for local adaptation.
 
Coordination of the Health Cluster:

5.    Facilitate health partner coordination and involvement in health sector assessments, planning, information, interventions, monitoring and quality assurance, and regularly report on health services delivered to the affected population.

6.    Identify urgent training needs in relation to technical standards and protocols for the delivery of key health services to ensure their adoption and uniform application by all Health Cluster partners.

7.    In a protracted crisis or health sector recovery context, ensure appropriate links among humanitarian actions and longer-term health sector plans, incorporating the concept of building back better’ and specific risk reduction measures.

8, Convene and facilitate consultative and results-oriented meetings in line with the principles of partnership. Organize and conduct joint support missions to field operations.

9.    Oversee the development of a functional information management strategy and mechanism for the Health Cluster to facilitate information sharing as well as monitoring and reporting; ensure that the Health Cluster produces and disseminates to partners, donors, government and other stakeholders’ regular updates, technical reports, bulletins and briefings on the health status of the affected people, response activities, achievements, challenges and the remedial actions when necessary.

Resources mobilization and funds allocation:

10.    Liaise and manage the development of resource mobilization efforts, oversee the initiation of Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and other pooled fund proposals and other funding documents, as required, in close collaboration with the Head of the WHO Country Office, the Health Cluster Partners and the Humanitarian Country Team.

11.    Establish clear and transparent prioritization criteria for vetting partners’ projects for inclusion in Consolidated Appeals and pooled funds processes.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

12.    Coordinate the development, adaptation and implementation of an Indicators’ Monitoring Framework to ensure adequate implementation of the Health Cluster Plans; empower partner’s active involvement in joint monitoring of individual and common plans of action for health interventions. Promote peer-exchange of experiences and lessons-learned within the cluster partnership.

Advocacy:

13.    Identify core advocacy concerns for the Health Cluster through a consultative process: develop joint cluster/ inter-cluster initiatives to ensure regular and consistent advocacy is conveyed to the Regional Committee/Health Cluster and Humanitarian Country Team. Advocate for collective action, collective results, and collective accountability.

14.    Represent the Health Cluster in inter-cluster coordination mechanisms at country/field level,
contribute to jointly identifying critical issues that require multi-sectoral responses and plan the relevant synergistic interventions with the other clusters concerned.

15.    Advocate for priorities in the health sector, including protection for health workers and health facilities and the highest possible integration of the health-related activities in the humanitarian agenda.

Other duties:

16.    Upon request, provide technical and managerial support, backstopping and gap-filling for emergency activities at any level of the Organization or scale of emergency; arid

17.    Perform other related duties as required.

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Master's level university degree in Public Health, Medicine or International Health or related field from a recognized university.

Desirable: Specialized training in emergency management, international aid, humanitarian principles, health system recovery, and health cluster coordination.

 

Experience

Essential: Minimum of seven years of relevant experience at national and international level, in developing and promoting collaborative partnerships in emergency and humanitarian relief operations, including experience in managing and coordinating health programmes in chronic and acute, sudden-onset emergencies.

Desirable: Relevant work experience in WHO, other UN agencies, relevant non-governmental or humanitarian organizations.

 

Skills

  • Demonstrated knowledge of the rapid response operations and their implementation in emergencies as related to public health, complemented by demonstrated ability to identify and manage difficult situations, to lead and direct multidisciplinary and multinational staff.

This vacancy is archived.

Recommended for you