Background The Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) Programme is part of and contributes to the work of the Universal health coverage/Communicable and non-communicable diseases (UHC/UCN) cluster in the World Health Organization African region. The strategic agenda of the cluster is to reduce disease burden in the WHO African Region, by guiding disease control agenda in Africa, and using analytics to inform strategic investments and tailored interventions for disease control, thus contributing through its country support investments to 3 disease control outcomes at country-level: improved disease programme governance; improved interventions coverage; and improved services quality. Investments towards these outcomes are guided by comprehensive whole of society, people-centred, integrated approaches to disease control. The comprehensive whole of society approach entails investments around: (a) coherent implementation of triple response – technical response: implementing diseases specific normative guidance, promoting intervention mixes and deploying medical commodities; health systems response: building capacities of district service delivery systems in disease mapping and stratification, interventions tailoring, and sector/subsector planning; and multisectoral response: addressing socio-economic and environmental determinants of diseases through mobilizing non-health sectors, communities and stakeholders; (b) disease control partnership of public and private sectors, health and non-health sectors; and (c) community involvement in targeted high risk communities, focused on managing determinants of diseases, health services demand creation and accountability by local health stewards. The people centred, integrated approaches to disease control involves investments around: (a) integrated guidance on disease control for each health service delivery platform, a move away from stand-alone disease specific guidance; and (b) integrated and efficient disease control investments in strengthening the capacity of appropriate health services delivery platforms through deployment of appropriate technologies and analytics to guide stratification of disease risks across population groups in order to develop and deploy comprehensive packages of interventions appropriate for each population group and health service delivery platform, as well as monitor population access, coverage and impact to leave no one behind. The mission of the WHO Regional Office for Africa - Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) Programme is to provide policy and programmatic guidance and build capacity of member states to help them plan and manage their Immunization programmes. It works to strengthen immunization services and primary healthcare systems to enable Member States reach children, adolescents and adults with lifesaving vaccines. It further works to strengthen country programmes to control, eliminate and eradicate Vaccine Preventable Diseases. The VPD programme is decentralized into Inter-country Support Teams composed of multidisciplinary experts, whose mission is to: (i) enhance WHO AFRO’s technical support to countries for scaling up proven public health interventions related to immunization and vaccine preventable disease surveillance and response, (ii) strengthen partnerships with UN agencies, regional economic communities, and other stakeholders.
Purpose of the consultancy Within the purpose of this consultancy is to coordinate the provision of WHO technical assistance to Ministries of Health in the African region in the development of the National Immunization Strategy (NIS) in accordance with the requirements of Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA 2030).
Summary of duties The incumbent is assigned the following responsibilities: • Provide guidance on the processes of preparing and elaboration of the NIS in accordance with the WHO guidelines • Support the development a workplan and timeline for NIS development y. • Coordinate the desk review of existing documents related to immunization and the health system and draft the situation analysis report. • Coordinate the development of the NIS including the vision and consolidated 5 years objectives with interventions to achieve them. • Support the development of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework to be used to measure progress on NIS implementation and to take corrective action when needed • Coordinate the development of the NIS costing using the NIS.cost tool. • Ensure validation of the NIS by national authorities. • Consolidated situation analysis report available • NIS vision and consolidated 5 years objectives with interventions to achieve them available. • Monitoring and Evaluation Framework available. • Fully completed costing tools and consolidated NIS budget available. • The final document of the National Immunization Strategy (NIS) structured according to the WHO guidance and aligned with national priorities is available. • End of mission report approved by the supervisor. Perform any other task related to upon request of the supervisor.
Required profile
Education (Qualifications) • Essential Advanced university degree in medicine, public health, epidemiology. • Desirable Postgraduate degree in strategic planning or in program management.
Experience • Essential - At least 7 (seven years) of relevant work experience in vaccine preventable diseases, immunization programs, new vaccine’s introduction, and supplementary immunization campaign. - Proven skills in writing strategic planning or in program management. • Desirable - Experience Prior working experience with WHO or other UN agencies. - Proven experience working with multiple stakeholders and settings.
Use of language • Essential: Expert knowledge of English or French or Portuguese. • Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of other UN official languages.
Skills/Knowledge- Strong leadership, team management, decision making, and problem-solving skills. - Great computer skills - Proven skills in results communication - Organizational skills
Location Multiple duty stations in the WHO Africa Region.
Remuneration Band level B - USD 8,500 - 9,980 per month
Expected duration of contract From 3 to 11 months, depending on individual tasks.
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.