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Vacancy Notice No: AFRO/09/FT265

Title: Technical Officer/EHA Focal Point, IST/Zimbabwe

Grade: P5

Contract type: Fixed-term appointment

Duration of contract: Post of Limited Duration, one (1) year

Date: 29 April 2009

Deadline for application : 28 May 2009

Duty Station: Harare Zimbabwe

Organization unit: AF/ORD Office of the Regional Director (AF/ORD) /
AF/RDO Regional Director’s Office (AF/RDO)
Inter-Country Support (IST), Emergency Humanitarian Action (EHA)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME :
The emergency and Humanitarian Action (EHA) Unit is in charge of developing emergency preparedness and response programme and strengthening the capacity of member states in emergency preparedness and mitigation ensuring the linkage between emergency relief efforts to recovery and longer term rehabilitation and advocating humanitarian principles.
Description of duties:
Under the supervision of the Coordinator of IST and the AFRO Regional Advisor for Emergency Preparedness and Response together with the WHO Representative of the duty station, the IST EHA Focal Point will perform the following tasks :

Initiate and promote exchange of crisis-related/relevant health information between Country Offices;

Plan and execute health interventions using an integrated approach, identify issues and strategic opportunities, evaluate institutional and political trends together with the risks and benefits of future options, and effectively participate in the preparation and execution of strategic plans;

Encourage and enable cross-border health initiatives and activities;

Identify gaps in the sub-regional health sector response to a specific crisis and coordinate cross-border activities with the relevant WHO Country Focal Points and health-sector partners;

Advise Focal Points on technical issues and ensure exchange of best practices and lessons learnt across national borders;

Initiate and facilitate Inter-country workshops and trainings events;

Assist country Focal Points in the development of coherent preparedness plans making sure that they take into consideration health sector strategies of neighbouring countries;

Devise the budget for interventions and cost optimisation. Formulate or participate in the formulation of intervention budgets to optimise cost savings and achieve adequate funding;

Assist Country Focal Point in improving the quality of project proposals and promote these proposals at sub-regional donor hubs;

Initiate proposals and health sector plan with a sub-regional scope (incl. CAP processes with sub-regional scope) and ensure that they are widely discussed within the donor community and find final support;

Develop and update technical and communication material on the health situation in the sub-region and on WHO activities, making sure that they also provide visibility for funding partners;

Where feasible, participate in any review missions of WHO-implemented projects within the sub-region;

The incumbent will also be part of the WHO response Team to acute crises and might be called upon to support the following tasks in acute emergencies. For this purpose, the incumbent will also perform the following tasks:

Coordinate, support and take part in rapid health assessments; collect and manage health information and use this as a basis to assist national and international health actors; identify public health concerns and threats and identify capacities gaps;

Coordinate joint action by developing a response strategy in collaboration with the local health authorities and partners and identify resources needed for WHO intervention;

Assist the WHO representative of the country affected by the crisis in the implementation of the internal WHO emergency response plan for the office;

Coordinate and assist the Ministry of Health in coordinating stakeholders’ response/interventions;

Participate in inter-agency mechanisms, including UNDAC, UNJLC, UNSECOORD, etc;

Prepare situation reports (with adequate frequency) and assist WHO Representatives in the dissemination of public health information, and support media and communication activities as needed;

Initiate project proposals to finance WHO’s response and be involved in the preparation of a health sector response strategy through OCHA-led appeal mechanisms;

Brief and assist incoming technical experts in their missions;

Prepare regular reports on response activities;

Support lessons learnt events following rapid response to specific crises.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Advanced University degree in medicine or public health with post-graduate training or equivalent in a relevant public health, programme management or related area. Training in health risk management and emergency management or epidemiology.
Skills:
Ability to work in a multidisciplinary and in a multicultural environments;

Willingness to travel regularly within the region and be available for missions to neighbouring countries if needed;

Well developed problem solving skills;

Excellent coordination, communication and negotiation skills; ability to convene and work with all relevant national and international stakeholders;

Strategic vision and judgement and ability to prioritise, manage and adapt management style according to need;

Ability to build, motivate and care for teams;
Emotional intelligence, gender sensitivity and understand cultural diversity issues.
Experience:
Several years of relevant working experience in developing countries. Additional, some years in a disaster preparedness and response management. Previous work experience in international organizations and/or technical assistance to a Ministry of Health. Convening stakeholders and facilitating a policy process between UN, NGOs, national health authorities and donors. Previous experience with WHO or other UN organizations, as well as involvement in health emergency programmes.
Languages:
Excellent knowledge of French/or English and good knowledge of the other language.
Annual salary: (Net of tax)
77,190 at single rate
83,089 with primary dependants Post Adjustment: 32.3 % of the above figure(s). This percentage is to be considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation.
A written test and interviews may be used as a form of screening
Online applications are strongly encouraged to enable WHO to store your profile in a permanent database. Please visit WHO’s e-Recruitment website at: www.who.int/employment. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the vacancy announcement.
Applications from women and from nationals of non- and under-represented member states are particularly encouraged.
Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

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