Short-term Consultancy (STC) – Technical support to WPR Member States address country-specific and regional priorities for preventing violence and injury

BACKGROUND

In the Western Pacific Region, injuries kill nearly one million people every year. Major causes include road traffic injuries, falls, drowning, poisoning and burns, with 85% of fatal injuries occurring in low- and middle-income countries. The risk of injury is significantly increased by alcohol consumption.

The SDH/VIP unit at WHO WPRO has a vision to reduce injury across the region through primary prevention and through addressing the social and commercial determinants of health that enable injury, including alcohol use. SDH/VIP coordinates across different sectors, stakeholders and agendas to enable settings which support people to live long, healthy, happy and productive lives.

To support SDH/VIP achieve this vision, the unit seeks a consultant to support Member States adapt and adopt a range of strategies and evidenced-based interventions to reduce harm associated with injury and alcohol use. The consultant will facilitate engagement of multisectoral stakeholders in the injury prevention/alcohol agenda and will work in partnership with Member States to identify and address drivers of injury and harmful alcohol use, recommending evidence-based interventions to address priority issues.

PURPOSE/SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY

The purpose of this consultancy is to support WPR Member States address country-specific and regional priorities for preventing violence and  injury.

METHOD(S) TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITY

A detailed workplan (2022) to reduce the impact of violence, injuries and harmful alcohol use in the Western Pacific has been developed, with implementation of a range of activities commencing in February 2022. The successful candidate will support the implementation of the workplan and provide technical support to Member States on violence and injury prevention, including planning and reporting.

Key activities are:

1. Support measures against VIP (Systems approach and Championing health)
2. Support strengthening capacity of healthcare providers and partners of non-health sector in preventing and responding to violence and injury (Strategic Communications)
3. Support to strengthen healthy islands initiative, health promoting schools, road safety (Innovation)
4. Develop and implement policy and regulation for reduction of alcohol use in line with WHO action plans, guidelines on reducing the harmful use of alcohol

Outputs

The consultant will submit a monthly report outlining key tasks completed related to the following activities:

1. Support the violence and injury prevention program in the SDH team. Key activities include:
   1. Working with COs to implement funding and activities
   2. Providing technical support and guidance on VIP areas to Member States and/or CO focal points
   3. Conducting strategic planning for VIP program
   4. Contributing to regular reporting as required by the TO
   5. Supporting the SDH technical coordinator as required
   6. Supporting injury prevention work within the region (as expected by the Coordinator/technical officer)
   7. Communicating regularly with HQ focal points to support VIP agenda within the region
   8. Attending HQ events/meetings as required
2. Support a sub-regional situational assessment to understand that burden, risk factors and trends of injury across Pacific Island Countries, documenting effective injury prevention strategies and interventions. Key activities include:
   1. Work closely with the project team, which will include the WHO DPS office and other relevant stakeholders across the Pacific, to develop assessment methodology
   2. Ensure timely completion of the assessment/project
3. Support coordination of Pacific Island Countries Injury Prevention activities, to strengthen capacity to address injury prevention priorities and facilitate strengthening of links and networks between countries and key organizations. Key activities include:
   1. Support planning and coordination of activities including prioritisation of injury prevention activities in Fiji and other PICs.
   2. Maintain ongoing communication between stakeholders (including donors, WHO staff, PIC government staff)
   3. Develop required reporting outputs following activities.
4. Act as regional focal point for the data collection of the 2022 Global Status Report on Road Safety. Key activities include:
   1. Coordination of regional data inputs for the 2022 Global Status Report on Road Safety
   2. Ensure correct processes are followed for the validation of data collection for the report
   3. Develop regional data summaries
   4. Support planning for regional dissemination of the report (including identifying opportunities to leverage regional findings to support the UN Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030).

Kindly refer to the attached Terms of Reference for the detailed, expected Outputs/Deliverables for this project.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education required

Candidates must meet the education requirements corresponding to the role (Band B: Services related to projects or technical tasks of moderate complexity or specialization. This level of rate is typically used for individuals with specialized qualifications. Minimum first university degree for lower end of range, an advanced university degree for mid and high end of range, and 5 to 10 years of relevant experience).

It is preferred that the candidate has a degree in Public Health, with work experience in violence and injury prevention.

Experience required

• • Excellent knowledge and at least five years of experience working in public health, favourably in violence, injury and alcohol harm reduction.
• • Experience working in low and middle‐income countries is an asset.

Skills / Technical skills and knowledge

• • A thorough knowledge of violence, injury and alcohol harm prevention measures, particularly those related to road safety and drowning prevention. 
• • Good management and leadership abilities and experience.
• • Ability to lead policy and practice implementation work within violence, injury and alcohol harm reduction.
• • Familiarity with the goals and procedures of international organizations (UN system, donors, nongovernmental organizations).  
• • Excellent inter-personal skills with the demonstrated ability to work effectively with government officials as well as with national and international organizations.
• • Excellent writing skills.
• • Demonstrated ability to build partnerships and work in multicultural and multidisciplinary settings.
• • Excellent communicator , experienced in developing and delivering technical training.
• • Excellent inter-personal skills.
• • Ability to work independently.

Language requirements

Good spoken and written English.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Place of assignment

The consultant will undertake the work in their own workplace/country of residence. Regular communication with WPRO (by VC/TC or similar) is expected.

Contract duration

1 September 2022  – 28 February 2023

SUBMISSIONS

Qualified and interested specialists should submit the following documents to the Supply Officer through WP RO UNGM at < wproungm@who.int > by 28 July 2022

• • Curriculum Vitae
• • 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.

Please use Tender Notice No. 178253 as subject to all submission. Only successful candidates will be contacted.

• 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.
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• 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.