AGREEMENT OF PERFORMANCE OF WORK (APW) Mental Health and Substance use (MHS)

BACKGROUND

Preventing suicide and self-harm is a critical public health initiative. Approximately 703 000 individuals die by suicide each year globally, with a quarter of those lives lost in the Western Pacific Region (WPR). Suicide prevention requires multi-sectoral national suicide prevention strategies. Within the WPR, only a small portion of Member States have nationally supported suicide prevention strategies or incorporate suicide prevention into broader health frameworks. Such strategies should focus on limiting access to means of suicide, responsible portrayal of suicidal behaviors in the media, enhancing resilience and coping among young people, and early identification and culturally appropriate interventions with individuals, groups and communities at risk of suicidal behaviors. All of which relies upon accurate and up-to-date local information on suicide and self-harm.

Suicide surveillance is foundational to the prevention of suicide and related behaviors. Establishing and maintaining real time surveillance systems is therefore essential. Countries in the WPR usually record suicide mortality in their respective vital death registration systems; however, there are differences in timeliness and comprehensiveness across countries, and often quality remains poor – especially in low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, there is a lack of reliable high quality suicide attempt and self-harm surveillance systems around the world.

In 2021, WHO WPRO commissioned a systematic review of evidence and mapping of suicide health information systems across selected countries in the Region. The outcome of the review include the identification of key quality indicators for a surveillance system, a summary of risk and protective factors for suicidal behaviors and mortality, a regional case study on the implementation of a national suicide prevention strategy in the Republic of Korea, and a keynote presentation during the Expert consultation on the future of mental health in the WPR convened last 13-14 July 2021.

The review also uncovered a wide range of information systems, including vital registration of suicides, hospital-based registries of self-harm/suicide attempts and nationally representative surveys collecting information about self-reported suicide attempts and other self-harms related thoughts and behaviors. Countries with limited suicide surveillance activities and infrastructure should be supported to establish and maintain new methods for surveillance; while countries with existing surveillance systems should be encouraged to enhance their quality. Developing a regional framework to inform the development of suicide surveillance systems and enhancing national capacity through knowledge products and capacity building activities is needed to advance this agenda. At the same time, such activities will also provide the foundation for a regional sentinel surveillance system for suicide and self-harm and a supporting network of experts, focal points, and institutions.

PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT

The Mental Health and Substance Use (MHS) unit of the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WHO WPRO) seeks to contract a technical expert or institution to provide strategic guidance for the development of a regional sentinel surveillance system for suicide prevention.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT

The company/individual will be expected to:

• • Develop a technical brief describing considerations for establishing a national suicide surveillance system;
• • Develop a technical brief describing a regional sentinel suicide surveillance system framework;
• • Support capacity building of national mental health focal points to undertake a review of information systems for suicide prevention; and,
• • Convene a regional expert roundtable discussion on suicide surveillance systems.

METHODS TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITY AND LIST OF OUTPUTS

Output 1: Development of knowledge products on suicide health information systems

Deliverable 1.1: Technical brief describing considerations for establishing a national suicide surveillance system (30 September)

Deliverable 1.2: Technical brief describing a regional sentinel surveillance system framework (15 November)

Output 2: Technical and operational support for networking and capacity building activities  

Deliverable 2.1: Meeting report summarizing outcomes and recommendations from the regional expert roundtable discussion on suicide surveillance systems (15 December)

Deliverable 2.2: Technical report summarizing outcomes and recommendations from capacity building activities and country support (31 December)

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION

Qualifications required for team leader or individual contractor:

• • Essential: Postgraduate degree in epidemiology, public health, or social sciences, preferably with knowledge on suicide surveillance and information systems.
• • Desirable: Postgraduate training in suicide prevention and mental health information systems.

EXPERIENCE

• • Minimum of 7 years cumulative experience in public mental health, suicide epidemiology, suicide prevention, mental health policy and related fields.
• • Experience working with governments, and intergovernmental organizations, including the World Health Organization, will be considered.
• • Essential: At least seven years of work experience in public health, epidemiology and mental health.
• • Desirable: Experience with the UN system or international organizations, particularly in mental health.

SKILLS / TECHNICAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Research, technical writing, data analysis and visualization. Knowledge of relevant global and regional mental health tools, information systems and mandates related to suicide.

LANGUAGE

Written and spoken fluency in English (Read – Write – Speak / "Advanced" level) is essential.

Working knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage.

COMPETENCIES

• • Teamwork
• • Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• • Communication
• • Producing results
• • Moving forward in a changing environment

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Contract duration

94 days

Place of assignment

The contractual partner will not be required to be based at WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (Manila, Philippines) to perform the tasks related to this activity but will require regular interaction with the technical unit (Mental Health and Substance use) on the development of the aforementioned deliverables.

Medical clearance

The selected consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

Travel

The contractual partner is not expected to travel to fulfill the deliverables listed above. The use of remote working tools and services is encouraged.

APPLICATIONS

Qualified and interested specialists should submit the following documents to the Supply Officer through WP RO UNGM at < wproungm@who.int > by 9 August 2021 (17:00 GMT+8)

• • Curriculum Vitae (for individual contractors) or Company Profile and qualifications of team members (for institutional applications)
• • Expression of Interest (cover letter). The cover letter should outline how their experience and qualifications make them a suitable candidate for this position and should include their proposed daily fee and availability
• • Proposal with financial details and proposed timeline

Please use Tender Notice No. 135737 as subject to all submission. Only successful candidates will be contacted.