Consultant - Support in managing the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health

BACKGROUND

Legal frameworks, underpinned by sound ethical foundations, are essential for advancing universal health coverage and achieving health in the Sustainable Development Goals. The Western Pacific Regional Action Agenda on Strengthening Legal Frameworks for Health in the Sustainable Development Goals was endorsed by Member States at the 69th session of the Regional Committee Meeting for the Western Pacific in October 2018. The action agenda provides guidance to WHO and countries on prioritising action areas, improving processes, and enhancing capacities of stakeholders. The latter is a key priority for HLE, which engages partners and stakeholders within the health sector and beyond to support and build capacities to advance legal frameworks for health and achieve broader health priorities.

Parliamentarians, through their core functions of law-making, budgeting, and oversight, as well as their mandates to represent constituencies, foster multisectoral action, and engage in international partnerships, can play a critical role in advancing health. For these reasons, engaging with political leaders is a key strategy to address the region’s future health challenges, as articulated in WPRO’s For the Future vision.

The Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health (APPFGH) is a platform for parliamentarians to exchange ideas, build political will, strengthen capacities, and foster collaboration in driving sustainable action for health. The APPFGH aims to empower parliamentarians in shaping global health mandates to reflect regional and domestic priorities, and in ensuring national implementation of international health commitments. Participation in the APPFGH is open to the 30 countries comprising the Member States of the WHO Western Pacific Region and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Each country is represented by a parliamentary body designated for APPFGH engagement or a standing health committee.

The Forum has met in-person on six occasions, in the Republic of Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Fiji. Meetings have addressed key priorities in global health, achieving high-level political commitment to action in areas such as global health security, Universal Health Coverage, noncommunicable diseases and healthy ageing, climate change and health, and health security. The seventh meeting will be held in 2023 in Mongolia on the theme of Primary Health Care.

HLE supports capacity building among Member States and other partners through a range of internal and external fora and support mechanisms. These include the Asia Pacific Network of National Ethics/Bioethics Committees, a platform to discuss priority issues in health ethics and promote partnerships for strengthening ethics capacities.

PURPOSE/SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY

The general purpose of this consultancy is to support the Health Law and Ethics unit to engage parliamentarians and other partners to strengthen legal and ethics frameworks for health in the Western Pacific Region. Specifically, the Consultant will support HLE in managing the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health, including reporting on activities, preparing technical materials, liaising with participants and partners, and planning meetings.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT/ METHODS TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITY

Output 1: To support WHO in its initial planning of the seventh meeting of the APPFGH

Deliverable 1.1: Support the development of a coordination structure, including the establishment of Secretariat Committee and Technical Working Group

Deliverable 1.2: Support internal planning and briefing

Deliverable 1.3: Support coordination and planning with the host institutions, APPFGH leadership and CO, including WPRO’s missions to the host country for introductory meetings and logistical arrangements

Deliverable 1.4: Develop a detailed work plan including a timeline and responsible persons

Output 2: To support WHO in preparing and implementing the seventh meeting of the APPFGH

Deliverable 2.1: Support development of concept note, programme, and other materials for the seventh meeting of the APPFGH Deliverable

Deliverable 2.2: Support logistical arrangement and preparation, including budgeting and contracting professional conference organiser and forum venue

Deliverable 2.3: Liaise and support coordination with APPFGH stakeholders in preparation for the seventh meeting of the APPFGH, including weekly Secretariat Committee meetings, monthly Technical Working Group meetings, and prep missions to the host country

Deliverable 2.4: Support internal coordination and briefing

Deliverable 2.5: Attend and support the running of the seventh meeting as part of the WHO secretariat

Output 3: To support WHO in reporting the seventh meeting of the APPFGH

Deliverable 3.1: Support reporting on APPFGH activities, including the sixth and seventh meetings

Deliverable 3.2: Support follow-up actions requested by forum members and other APPFGH activities as required

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Education

Required: University degree in law, politics, governance, or another relevant field. 

Desirable: Masters degree in law, politics, governance or another relevant field.

Experience

Essential: Minimum of seven (7) years’ experience working in project management, partnership building, and international meeting/event organisation, in the areas of parliament and/or public health.

Desirable: Experience working in government or large intergovernmental organisations in the Western Pacific Region.

Skills/Technical skills and Knowledge

Essential: Ability to develop quality technical materials; ability to organise and contribute to events involving government officials; and ability to work with high level stakeholders and effectively manage cultural and political sensitivities.

Desirable: Experience analysing policy and/or legislation and providing policy and/or legal support to governments.

Language

Proficiency in oral and written English is required

Competencies

• -  Communicating in a credible, effective, and culturally competent way
• -  Moving forward in a changing environment
• -  Producing results

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Place of assignment

Home based

Travel

While the place of assignment is principally at the Consultant’s home base, the Consultant may be requested to undertake travel overseas as part of the engagement.

All travel arrangements will be made by WHO – WHO will not be responsible for tickets purchased by the Consultant without the express, prior authorization of WHO. While on mission under the terms of this consultancy, the Consultant will receive subsistence allowance.

Visas requirements: it is the consultant’s responsibility to fulfil visa requirements and ask for visa support letter(s) if needed.

Duration of contract          

Until 14 October 2023

Remarks

All rights in the work, including ownership of the original work and copyright thereof, shall be vested in WHO, which reserves the right (a) to revise the work, (b) to use the work in a different way from that originally envisaged, or (c) not to publish or use the work.

APPLICATIONS

Qualified and interested specialists should submit their CV to the Supply Officer through WP RO UNGM at < wproungm@who.int > by 25 October 2022

The cover letter should outline how their experience and qualifications make them a suitable candidate for this position and should include their proposed daily consultancy fee and availability.

Please use Tender Notice No. 184478 as subject to all submission. Only successful candidates will be contacted.