International Consultant to develop Risk Communications and Community Engagement Regional Strategy, Brazzaville, Congo

International Consultant to develop Risk Communications and Community Engagement Regional Strategy

( 2301011 )

Contractual Arrangement : External consultant

Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days) : Three (3) months

Job Posting: Feb 10, 2023, 12:35:08 PM

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consultant

• Background

The purpose of risk communication is to enable people at risk to make informed decisions to mitigate the effects of a threat (hazard) or public health event such as a disease outbreak. Risk communication aims to raise awareness, encourage protective behavior, and build knowledge on risks including informing how to behave during a disaster or public health event. Accessibility to accurate information allows people to make informed decisions to protect themselves. The Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR), the IHR Review Committee and the Independent Oversight Advisory Committee of the WHO Disease Management Program recommendations emphasize the need for specific Africa-led solutions that take into account regional, national and local needs of member states. In response to these recommendations, the WHO Regional Office for Africa launched three flagship projects to strengthen the capacity of all Member States to prepare for, detect and respond to public health emergencies. The RCCE is an integral part of these projects that “Promoting the resilience of systems in the face of emergency situations (PROSE)” in its pillar 4 ” Risk communications and community engagement to convey timely, transparent information on public health threats to the public.” The strategy is a policy framework for risk communication and community engagement and seeks to guide Member States in the WHO African region in planning, designing, implementing and evaluating emergency and public health events preparedness and response interventions ensuring they are people-centered, equitable, and sustainable. It is this context that WHO seeks to recruit a consultant to support development of a risk communication and community engagement strategy for the African region that provides guidance to countries to prevent, prepare and respond to public health events using the RCCE strategy.

• Deliverables Specific objectives
• • To conduct a desk review to generate global and regional evidence and WHO best practices in RCCE, social and behavioral change for preparing and responding to a public health event.
  • To coordinate activities leading up to the development of the strategy including getting inputs from relevant technical areas

  • To draft a RCCE strategy that reflects the regional context

Outputs

• • Timeline with weekly deliverables
  • Desk review report
  • Monthly report
  • Regional strategy for Risk Communication and community engagement
• Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications: At least a master’s degree in social sciences, communication, social and behavioral sciences, etc.

Experience: At least 7 years of experience supporting development programmes, development of strategic technical and programmatic resources e.g., SOPs, strategies and plans, organization of scientific meetings, conferences, workshops and trainings, or presenter at international level, Experience of RCCE capacity building at the country and regional levels etc.

Skills/Knowledge: Good writing skills, good understanding of digital media and/or experience of community engagement and feedback mechanisms

Languages and level required: Ability to communicate clearly (verbally and written) in English and or bilingual French .