http://www.who.int/employment

Technical Officer - Internal Liaison -  Commission on Social Determinants
of Health

 The mission of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest
possible level of health.

Vacancy Notice No.: DG/05/TA209

 Title Technical Officer - Internal Liaison SDH

Date 14 June 2005

 Deadline for applications: 28 June 2005
 (6 day(s) until closing deadline)
 Currently accepting applications

Grade: P-4

Contract type: Temporary appointment

Duration:  11 months

Duty Station:  GENEVA Switzerland

Organizational Unit DG/EIP
 Evidence and Information for Policy
 Director-General
 Equity in Health (EQH)

 Objectives of the Programme
 In recent decades global public health has achieved success in improving
population level health. Unfortunately, the result has not affected all
people equally; health inequalities between and within countries are
unacceptably large and continue to grow. A vast body of research exists
which demonstrates that social factors, which are shaped by one's relative
position in society, account for the bulk of health disparities. In other
words, poor people and those from socially disadvantaged groups get sicker
and die sooner than people in more privileged social positions. Action to
address ill health will continue to waste resources and leave many of the
most vulnerable without better health prospects, as long as the focus
remains on symptoms and fails also to address the root causes of morbidity
and mortality.

Because this holds true throughout the world, a bold change in public
health strategies is needed to reverse this trend and work towards health
equity. The key to success is the integration of social determinants of
health as a fundamental approach to developing effective strategies towards
improving priority programs and health systems. The Director-General at WHO
has announced his leadership and support for this approach and is
setting-up a global Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH). The
CSDH, over three years, will set the foundation for sustained processes to
profile and integrate the social determinants of health within public
policy and practice. The Commission's mission is comprised of the following
four tracks of work:
 1- Learning: by consolidating and promoting the use of knowledge that
demonstrates the imperative for action on the social determinants of health
and that informs both policy and effective, equitable interventions on
these determinants;
 2- Advocacy: by identifying and promoting opportunities for action on SDH
with policy makers, implementing agencies and society;
 3- Action: by catalyzing processes that inform and strengthen actions to
integrate knowledge on social determinants within public health policy and
practice;
 4- Leadership: by supporting the public, political, technical and
institutional leaders to advocate for and deliver on the desired change in
understanding and action.

Chances of successful policy impact at country level of the Commission's
work will be increased by making full use of WHO's credibility as a global
advocate. For example, meetings of the WHA, Executive Board, Regional
Committees provide channels for messaging on social determinants, and the
Director-General and other leaders in the Organization have begun to
integrate social determinants into their public communication and policy
dialogue with Member States and partners.

Description of duties
 In close collaboration with and under the strategic guidance of the Equity
Team Leader, Evidence and Information for Policy Cluster, serve as the
liaison between the Secretariat of the CSDH and WHO. The primary task is to
develop a strategy for all levels of WHO, including regions, country and
headquarters, to inform about and support the Commission's goal to
facilitate the incorporation of a social determinants of health
intervention/approach into planning, policy, and technical work within WHO.
This position will be based in Geneva with frequent international travel.
His/her responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

Inclusion of Social Determinants of Health (SDH) into WHO:
 - Develop strategy to inform, maintain updated and engage all levels of
the WHO structure in the CSDH; explicit tasks and timeline should be
outlined.
 - Work towards including SDH into WHO's medium to long-term organizational
planning documents as a strategy to imbed SDH into the organization's
approach to health and ensure continuity beyond the life of the Commission.
 - Design a plan for holding regional consultations (i.e. timeline of
meetings, participants, agenda items, etc).
 - Develop and coordinate the work plan of an internal WHO Reference Group
which has representation from different programs, regions and country
offices. The purpose of this group will be to interface continually with
the Commission, to advise the Commission on political opportunities and
potential obstacles within WHO and to design an agenda with concrete goals
and action for translating the Commission's recommendations into improved
WHO programs and policies.

Knowledge management tools for accomplishing the above tasks:
 - In collaboration with Knowledge Management Sharing (KMS) and the CSDH's
IT coordinator, establish mechanisms (information technology-based, staff
exchanges, newsletter, etc.) to ensure the bi-directorial flow of
information and knowledge about the Commission's activities and learning's
within and across WHO HQ, Regional and Country Offices.
 - Coordinate the internal dissemination of the Commission's documentation
and recommendations on how WHO can improve its own strategic orientation
and technical programming to integrate more fully a social determinants of
health.

Key deliverables
 Including, but not limited to the following:

1) WHO Reference Group established and approved by Director-General. WHO
 2) Regional consultation plan developed which includes: timeline of
meetings (agreed upon with Regional Office counterparts), participants,
agenda items, etc.
 3) General strategy for involving and informing WHO of CSDH work and
outputs developed.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Education
 A Master's Degree in management science.

Competencies
 1) Communication:
 - Proven ability to communicate clearly in both written and oral form
present on topics of social determinants of health equity and social
justice;
 - Diplomacy and tact.

2) Professionalism:
 - Demonstrated professional competence and mastery of subject matter;
 - Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines
and achieving results;
 - Show persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges;
 - Remain calm in stressful situations.

3) Team work:
 - Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with
people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and
respect for diversity;
 - Proven ability to foster collaboration and team work with partners
involved in the Commission work.

4) Leadership:
 - Demonstrate ability to set clear goals and ensure that they are
achieved.

5) Vision:
 - Ability to identify desired outcomes and link broad goals with practical
action;
 - Demonstrate initiative, creativity and resourcefulness.

Experience
 - Minimum of 5-7 years' work experience, preferably in the development and
coordination of implementing communication strategies;
 - Excellent knowledge of WHO policies and internal relations and proven
ability to maneuver through the organization for success;
 - Knowledge of social determinants of health literature and country
examples;

Languages
 Excellent knowledge of English and a working knowledge of at least one
additional UN language would be an asset.

Annual salary (Net of tax)
 NES 59,132 USD at a single rate.

Post Adjustment: 65.90 % of the above figures. 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 may be used as a form of pre-screening.

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.

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.

Online applications are strongly encouraged


Currently accepting applications

 WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers

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