Consultant Risk Vacancy-Job Ref: JKEGWHO/0801/202371

Consultant Risk Vacancy-Job Ref: JKEGWHO/0801/202371
Cairo (Egypt)
JOB DESCRIPTION
Purpose of consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical support to risk communication and community engagement areas of work with a focus on infodemic management.
Background
During the COVID-19 pandemic, listening to and working with communities to understand and respond to concerns has been paramount. With the proliferation of social media, the infodemic accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic has seen misinformation and disinformation spread at an alarming rate, and professionals and civil society have been faced with an overabundance of information.
EMR is currently suffering from different emergencies and health risks, according to lessons learnt from COVID-19, Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) core capacities including infodemic management should be strengthened in countries to optimally respond to current outbreaks and health risks.
“Infodemiology” is defined as the science of managing infodemics through the employment of relevant research and effective practices. The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean is seeking to strengthen and deepen its capacity and commitment to providing scientifically sound, timely and relevant information on mitigation and prevention measures through listening to populations’ questions, concerns and comments. The ultimate goal is to promote behavioural change to ensure populations make the correct decisions to keep themselves safe, limiting by that the impact on health systems.
Member States continue to seek the Regional Office for support with risk communication, community engagement and infodemic management.
This 11-month consultancy will support the RCCE and infodemic management activities, based in Cairo, Egypt and/or remote, with travel to support the Member States of the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
Deliverables
Output 1:Social listening and integrated analysis
Deliverables:
– Develop or adopt a taxonomy of classification for the specific health risks
– Conduct regular social listening utilizing the different online and offline platforms and produce reports based on current outbreaks/health risks in EMR during the consultancy.
– Suggest and draft evidence-informed recommendations for priority follow-up actions on detected high-risk signals
– Co-conduct training to country offices and ministries of health on how to conduct social listening to inform public health interventions including messaging via using social listening tools available in EMR
Output 2: Support risk communication activities for health emergency preparedness and response.
Deliverables:
– Provide technical input to the development, identification and implementation of interventions that address individual, community, cultural and societal-level factors affecting trust and resilience
– Identify appropriate partners and stakeholders to coordinate and streamline the implementation of the other public health interventions
– Develop a mechanism for responding quickly to community questions and concerns
Co-conduct training to country offices and ministries of health on the different elements of risk communication and community engagement.
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Educational Qualifications:
Essential: First-level university degree in social sciences, health science or another relevant field.
Desirable:
Experience
Essential: At least 2 years of progressively responsible work experience in the field of risk communication or behavioral science.
Desirable:
Skills/Knowledge
· Ability to recommend risk communication or advocacy initiatives, using appropriate tools and channels; and to achieve results
· Ability to maintain networks of people across a range of risk communications-related disciplines;
· Demonstrated ability to work with people from different cultures.
· Ability to coordinate the work with others including WHO country and regional offices and with HQ
Languages
Excellent knowledge of English and Arabic language.
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