World Health Organisation Tender

Background The Western Pacific Region Of The World Health Organization Incorporates A Diverse Group Of Countries With Different Cultural, Political, Social And Economic Backgrounds. The Western Pacific Regional Office (wpro) Of The Who, With The Leadership Of The Regional Director, And With Broad Consultations With All Country Offices And Member States, Published Its Strategy For The Region, For The Future, In 2019, That Provides The Framework For Who/wpro’s Work Over The Next Five Years Across Four Thematic Areas: Health Security (including Antimicrobial Resistance/amr); Ncds And Ageing; Climate Change, The Environment And Health; And Reaching The Unreached—people And Communities Still Afflicted By Infectious Disease, And High Rates Of Maternal And Infant Mortality. These Thematic Areas, Pivotal Guiding Priorities For The Work Of Wpro And Health In The Region, Are Even More Critical Today During The Covid-19 Global Emergency. As Part Of The Execution Of The For The Future Strategy, In September 2020, Wpro Conducted The First Innovation Forum For The Region, And Has Kick-started The Process Of Creating The Innovation Strategy For The Region. The Innovation Strategy Will Be Built On Consultations With Technical Units, Who Country Offices, And Consultations With Broader Stakeholders, Partners, And Member States. Included In The Plans For Writing The Innovation Strategy Will Be Several Thought Pieces On The Future Direction And Innovations In Health Across The Thematic Areas Of The For The Future. This Terms Of Reference (tor) Relates To Remote Work To Support This Tranche Of Work, Specifically Aiming To Produce Four Strategic Thought Pieces That Provide Strategic Thought Leadership And Ideas For Both Innovations And Partnerships To Facilitate Innovation To Achieve Each Of The Four Priorities Thematic Areas Of The For The Future.   Purpose/specific Objective Of The Activity To Support Who Wpro’s Overall Internal Awareness Of Innovations And Way Forward In Relation To The Thematic Areas Outlined In The For The Future Regional Strategy.   Description Of Activities To Be Carried Out This Announcement Will Be Utilised To Fill Four (4) Separate Consultancies, Each Targeted To Specific Thematic Area Outlined Herein. The Offerer Should Pick Only One Thematic Area And Submit The Application Accordingly. The Purpose Of Each Thought Piece Will Be To Provide A Linkage Between The Current For The Future Strategy Of The Western Pacific Region And Innovations That Can Provide Targeted Solutions To Achieve The Strategy, With Consultants Assigned To The Specific Teams/points Of Contacts Leading The Thematic Area To Distil Challenges, Lessons Learned, And Come Up With Potential Solutions In A Consultative Manner In Order To Support Member States In The Region. Four Separate Consultancies Will Be Recruited Under This Announcement Simultaneously For The Duration Of 30 Days Each. As Part Of The Preliminary Work Of The Innovations And Research Team On The Innovation Strategy Think Tank, The Consultants Will Be Commissioned To Perform Consultation Facilitation And Thought Leadership Writing Assignments, Working Very Closely With The Technical Unit Coordinators And Thematic Area Leaders Of The For The Future Strategy, And Reporting To Dsi/inr To Ensure Deliverable Finalization As Well As Alignment With The Direction Of The Innovation Strategy In Progress. For The Purpose Of All Assignments, Separately, Innovation In Health Is Defined As Any One Of Four Types: Digital And/or Technological Innovation, Including Smart Technology And Smart Medicine, Computer-based And/or Data Solutions, Wearables, Etc.; Social Innovation, Including Local Novel Approaches That Tackle Existing Challenges Or Prevent Future Problems, Including Social Support, Etc.; Product/service Innovation, Including Physical Innovation/creative Approaches To Maintain Resilient Health Systems And/or Infrastructure In The Event Of Disasters, Etc.; And Process/systems Innovation, Including Changes In Business Processes And Procedures That Facilitate Better Outcomes And Health For Individuals And Communities. In The Technology Innovation Space, Examples Can Include Artificial Intelligence That Can Direct Patient Care, Prevention And/or Intervention Messages (at Individual Level), Provide Warning On Impending Environmental Or Other Health Security Dangers, Target Information To Vulnerable Populations (system Or Community Level), Or Technology That Promotes Social Connectedness And Enhance Social Connections And Mental Health, Especially In Virtual Assistance And/or Virtual Communications During The Global Covid-19 Pandemic Where Physical Interactions May Not Plausible, Especially For The Ageing Population. While It Is Expected That The Majority Of Innovative Approaches And Solutions Will Be In The Technology/digital Space, Each Paper Should Dedicate No Less Than 25% To The Social Innovation Solutions And Must Thoroughly Research To Identify And Include Process/systems Innovation In The Specific Intervention Area And Physical Innovation And/or Augmented Physical Innovation Solutions. While Addressing Innovation In The Context Of These Papers For The Western Pacific Region, The Discussion Can Focus On Either Novel Approaches That Are Being Piloted/used In Certain Areas Currently And Potential To Apply Elsewhere Or Novel Solutions That Could Be Considered In The Future.   Methods To Carry Out The Activity A Strategic Paper (3-5 Pages In Length/1500-2500 Words) In English That Provides Thought Leadership And A Framework For Innovative Way Forward That Is Specific To The Thematic Area, Guided Primarily By Consultation With The Thematic Area Designated Point Of Contact And/or Technical Unit Coordinators (tu/coordinators) Within Wpro. The Paper Submission Shall Be Done Across The Following Timelines: Within 2 Days Start:  Submit Plan Of Engagement And Process Methodology For The Assignment Within 9 Days Of Start:  Submit Outline, Interview Plans, Background Material For Finalization Of    paper Within 16 Days Of Start:  Finalize Primary Interviews And Rough Draft Of Paper Within 23 Days Of Start:  Finalize Consultations With Technical Units And Final Draft Of Paper Within 30 Days Of Start:  Full Submission And Publishing Of The Paper   The Four Separate Technical Papers Are As Follows: Health Security Including Antimicrobial Resistance (amr) The Thought Piece On Health Security Including Amr Shall Consider The Implications Of Broader Health Security And Pandemic Preparedness, Including But Beyond Covid-19, And Including Pathogen Outbreak/biological, Chemical, And Environmental Disaster Factors Affecting Health, And Address The Challenges And Opportunities Lying In Applying Innovative Technologies And Solutions Ensuring Health Resilience. The Piece Should Take Into Account The Unique Circumstances In The Region, Including A Rapid Population Ageing Could Compound The Impact Of Emerging Infections, As We Have Seen With Covid-19 Pandemic, And Densely Populated Urban Areas That Could Enable The Rapid Transmission Of Emerging Novel Pathogens. The Paper Must Address Health Security Beyond Covid-19 And Focus On Lessons And Innovations To Address Outbreaks And Emergencies That Disrupt Societies, Devastate Economies And Undermine Progress Towards Broader Health And Development Goals. Innovations Can Address Systems Resilience In Times Of Disease Outbreaks, Pandemic Preparedness, First Response, Rapid Detection And Microbial Control (including Innovations In Prevention And Treatment Of Multi-drug Resistant Pathogens And Amr), Individual And Community Health, And Systems That Prevent Epidemics And Amr At The Source, Including Smart Vaccines, Etc. Discussions Of Innovation Should Also Address Novel Solutions For Prevention, Control, And Resilience In The Covid-19 Global Pandemic But More Than Half Of The Paper Should Be Dedicated To Broader Health Security And Amr, Which Can Include One Health And Zoonotic Diseases/animal Health Through Technological, Social, And Physical Innovation. Noncommunicable Diseases (ncds) And Healthy Ageing The Thought Piece On Ncds And Healthy Ageing Shall Consider The Broad Implications Of Risk Factors For Ncds (including Mental Health) And Population Ageing Beyond The Health Sector And Address The Challenges And Opportunities Lying In Applying Innovative Technologies And Solutions For Prevention And Control Of Ncds As Well As Promoting Healthy Ageing. The Paper Should Address Health Systems Factors As Well As Risk Factors For Individuals Of All Ages, Broadening The Scope Of Care Beyond The Identification And Treatment Of Diseases, And Especially Focus On Areas Where Individual Agency, Information, And Support Can Be Provided Through Innovation. Examples Of Innovative Approaches In The Thematic Area Of Ncds And Healthy Ageing May Include New Medical Diagnostics And Treatments, Assistive Devices, Electronic Health Records, Smart Homes And/or Age-friendly Environments (which Would Count As Augmented Physical Innovation), As Well As Social Innovations To Promote Healthy Ageing, Including Addressing Social Determinants Of Health, Volunteerism And/or Workforce Solutions, And Other Solutions That May Enhance Intergenerational Connections And Broader Connectedness Of The Ageing Population, Thereby Improving Psychosocial Health And Addressing Ncd Comorbidity Factors Directly Or Indirectly (including Mental Health). Climate Change, The Environment And Health: The Thought Piece On Climate Change, The Environment And Health Shall Consider The Broad Implications Of Climate Change And Environmental Factors Affecting Health And Address The Challenges And Opportunities Lying In Applying Innovative Technologies And Solutions For Improving Health In A Region That Is Highly Susceptible To Environmental Health Challenges And Climate Change. Environmental And Climate Changes Affect Every Aspect Of Life, And Therefore The Paper Should Look At All Aspects Of The Environment, Including Air, Drinking Water, And Ground/ecology, All Of Which Affected By Factors Ranging From Rising Pollution To Rising Oceans. Technological And Physical/augmented Innovation Should Be Discussed In Ways That Both Affect The Individual (e.g. Smart Masks), Communities (e.g. Water Purifiers), And Systems (e.g. Early Warning Systems). Climate Change In The Western Pacific Region Poses A Vast Range Of Health Risks, From Waterborne And Foodborne Diseases As A Result Of Extreme Weather Events; Malnutrition Due To Food Insecurity; The Increased Transmission Of Vector-borne Diseases In Areas Of Flooding As A Result Of More Breeding Sites For Insect Vectors, And/or The Closer Proximity Of Animals And Humans, All Of Which Can Be Addressed And Ameliorated By Innovative Solutions Ranging From Technological To Social To Physical Or Combination Thereof. Resilience Of Health Systems Is Especially Important To Note In This Context, As Innovation Can Serve To Ensure The Continuation Of Services And Infrastructure And Their Safe Operation During Disasters And Extreme Weather Events (e.g. Typhoons That Are Increasing In The Region Due To Climate Change) And Ensuring Basic Needs Of Water, Sanitation, Food Supplies, Medical Care, And Psychosocial Care Are Available To All Who Need It. Reaching The Unreached (mch And Epidemics In Vulnerable Populations And Remote Areas): The Thought Piece On Reaching The Unreached Shall Consider The Broad Implications Of Maternal And Child Health, Hiv, Tb, And Malaria, And Ntds In Areas That Are Disproportionately Suffering From Health Challenges Due To Access Issues And Social Determinants Of Health, Including Equity, And Address The Challenges And Opportunities Lying In Applying Innovative Technologies And Solutions Ensuring Reaching Such Populations And Areas In An Equitable Manner. Innovation In This Space Can Help Sustain Momentum For Ending Epidemics And Improving Mother And Child Health, And Support Governments And Communities To Reach The Unreached Who Are Still Afflicted By Persistent Epidemics And Maternal, Infant And Child Mortality. Social Innovation Is Especially Critical For Addressing The Needs For Prevention And Control Of Relevant Infectious Disease And Ensuring That Maternal And Child Health Targets Are Met, And Can Include Harnessing “grounds-up” Solutions, Strategic Use Of Personal And/or Community-wide Technology Solutions And Data For Action To Accelerate Progress Towards Disease Elimination And Control Targets, Even Including The Use Of Drones To Deliver Vaccines To Hard To Reach Areas. Special Focus Should Be Placed On Issues Of Gender And Equity And Address Innovations In Technology, Social, And Physical That Can Support Eliminating The Gaps In Care And Equity For Women, Children, And Vulnerable Populations.   Qualifications & Experience Education Essential:   Bachelor’s Degree In Medicine, Social And Natural sciences. Desirable: Master’s Degree In Public Health.   Experience Essential: Experience In Public Health And Health Sector For At Least Seven Years’, Including Conducting Research, Working Within And International Context, And Expertise Relevant To The Specific Thematic Area. Desirable: Experience In Qualitative Analysis And Evaluation Of Strategies, Complex Systems, International Relations, Working For Who And/or Health Communications Will Be Viewed Positively. Strong Knowledge Of The Western Pacific Region, Including In At Least Two Of Its Sub-regions (pacific/oceania, Southeast Asia, East Asia).   Technical Skills & Knowledge Excellent Public Health And Report Writing Skills. Excellent Knowledge Of The Dynamics Of International Relations In The Western Pacific Region, Southeast Asia, And/or Asia-pacific. Excellent People And Communication Skills (oral And Written). Ability To Work Effectively And Deliver Outputs In A Timely Manner.   Languages Excellent Knowledge Of Spoken And Written English Is Essential.   Competencies Able To Complete The Task In The Given Time Frame Producing Results   Applications Qualified And Interested Individual Or Party Should Submit To The Supply Officer Through Wp Ro Ungm At < Wproungm@who.int >  and Wp Ro Inr  At Wproinr@who.int By 28 december 2020. Following: • Curriculum Vitae • Cover Letter Denoting Thematic Area Applied For And Financial Proposal • A Half-page Outline Of The Methodology And/or Discussion Of Assignment Execution 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. 119529 As Subject To All Submission. Only Successful Candidates Will Be Contacted.