Purpose of the consultancy
The consultant will deliver an updated Investment Case for WHO, working within the Department of Coordinated Resource Mobilization.
Drawing on the existing investment case, the work of a team of economic specialists, in-house experts and a multi-disciplinary Working Group, this is a 3.5 month role for a senior writer offering strong experience in the development of high profile written materials for advocacy within international development.
Background
The development of an updated Investment Case for WHO (IC 2.0)* is a critical piece of work, for all potential donors (Members states, foundations, private sector etc.), which will reflect:
- The impact of COVID-19, and WHO’s role in leading the global response;
- The impact of the pandemic on GPW 13/SDG3 targets and the resetting of these targets to 2030;
- Progress made since the original investment case around organizational strengthening and transformation, including creation of a Science Division and enhanced capacity of use of data to drive delivery;
- Member State concerns and priorities as set out at the Executive Board 148 of January 2021, including an agreement (to be formalised at the World Health Assembly 74 in May of this year) to extend the 13th General Programme of Work from 2023 to 2025 and the establishment of a Member State Working Group on Sustainable Financing**; and,
- Recommendations issued on pandemic preparedness and response by the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR)***, the International Health Regulations Committee**** and the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (IOAC)*****.
IC 2.0 will focus on the benefits of investing in WHO. It will show the criticality of WHO’s unique combination of: global, regional and country level activity; normative, technical and operational roles; emergency response, health systems and global health; as well as its enabling, influencing and convening strengths.
IC 2.0 needs to show how WHO’s organizational strengthening,, as well as innovations on a wide range of areas, including scientific, normative and technical skills, use of data and stronger focus on delivery and pandemic preparedness capacity, makes investment in WHO a priority for all member states.
The core objective of IC 2.0 is to inspire a high level of confidence in donors that will in turn result in their investment of the resources needed to fully fund WHO across the 2022/23 and 2024/25 biennia, as well as to build the case for longer-term funding towards 2030.
In addition, IC 2.0 should complement the work of the recently established Member State Working Group on Sustainable Financing for WHO.
The consultant will draft the text for IC 2.0, working closely with a team of economists and the WHO internal Investment Case Working Group made up of senior managers from a variety of disciplines in WHO Headquarters. The Working Group then will provide the editing function.
* WHO’s first Investment case, A Healthier Humanity: The WHO Investment Case 2019-2023 is available at https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/274710/WHO-DGO-CRM-18.2-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
** Report on Sustainable Financing https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB148/B148_26-en.pdf ; Decision on Sustainable Financing https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB148/B148(12)-en.pdf
*** Second report on progress by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response for the WHO Executive Board, January 2021 https://theindependentpanel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Independent-Panel_Second-Report-on-Progress_Final-15-Jan-2021.pdf
**** Statement on the sixth meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic https://www.who.int/news/item/15-01-2021-statement-on-the-sixth-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-pandemic
***** Looking back to move forward, IOAC report to the resumed WHA73/10 https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/dco/independent-oversight-and-advisory-committee/a73-10-en-ioac-report.pdf?sfvrsn=d2bcf955_1&download=true
Deliverables
Output 1: To write the text of Investment Case 2.0, working closely with the Economist Team and the WHO internal Investment Case Working Group;
Activity 1.1: Refreshing initial outlines via stakeholder interviews and cognitive mapping
Activity 1.2: Review IC 1.0 and identify critical updates
Activity 1.3: Outline of WHO’s logical framework for transformation, detailing organizational budget and impact through 2025
Activity 1.4: Further development of an annotated outline and proposed narrative
Activity 1.5: Drafting of Investment Case 2.0
Output 2: To draft an executive summary for advocacy purposes
Activity 2.1: Draft an executive summary/headline document
Output 3: To systematize footnotes, references and annexes
Activity 3.1: systematize footnotes, references and annexes, completing the document
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Educational qualifications:
At least a Master’s degree from an accredited educational institution in social science, social development, communications, economics, international development, or a related discipline.
Experience required:
Essential:
• At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in strategy and policy development in international organizations.
• Proven experience of writing advocacy materials for international development.
Desirable:
• Working experience in global health.
• Experience of producing advocacy materials for global health issues.
Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:
- Well-developed understanding of the financing of global health;
- Clear understanding of the role of investment cases in international development settings;
- Demonstrated ability to work in international organization settings, with multiple and senior stakeholders;
- Demonstrated knowledge of the work of WHO;
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including evidence of relevant publications in peer-reviewed publications; and
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
Language requirements:
Excellent knowledge of English.
Location
Location: Off-site
Flexibility to adapt to working times in the Central European Time-zone is expected.
Travel (If travel is involved, a medical certificate of fitness for work will be required.)
Not applicable
Remuneration and budget (travel costs excluded)
Renumeration for this contract has been set at Pay band Level D (US$ 12,520 to 14,400) per month.
Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited): currency and rate
Not applicable
Work schedule (if applicable) / Duration of contract:
3.5 months
Additional Information section:
- 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’s workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.
- 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.
- Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html