Consultant for the Initial Implementation of the WHO EPR Flagship Roadmap (NOC)

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device's system settings.

Background South Africa faces a complex and evolving landscape of public health emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks, environmental hazards, and other health threats that require robust preparedness and coordinated response systems. In alignment with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), the country continues to strengthen its core capacities for prevention, detection, and response to public health risks.
To support these efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the National Department of Health (NDoH) and partners, is advancing the implementation of the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Flagship Roadmap. This roadmap aims to enhance national and subnational capacities through improved coordination, workforce development, and strengthened operational and logistics systems. Following a scoping mission, a costed national roadmap was developed to guide the phased implementation of the SURGE flagship initiative in South Africa.
A key pillar of the roadmap is the operationalization of the SURGE initiative, including the African Volunteer Health Corps (AVoHC-SURGE) and Emergency Medical Teams (EMT), to ensure the rapid mobilization of trained personnel during emergencies. This requires the establishment of functional training systems, maintenance of updated databases of trained personnel, and the conduct of staffing needs assessments to identify and address capacity gaps.
In addition, strengthening Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), improving logistics and operational support systems, and reinforcing coordination mechanisms among stakeholders remain critical to effective emergency preparedness and response.
To support the initial implementation of these priorities, WHO requires dedicated technical and operational capacity to facilitate coordination, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of key EPR Flagship Roadmap activities. The will play a central role in supporting these efforts, working closely with WHO, NDoH, and relevant stakeholders to enhance readiness and response capacities in South Africa.

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to provide dedicated technical and operational support for the initial implementation of the South Africa EPR Flagship Roadmap. This includes coordinating priority preparedness and response activities such as facilitation of the implementation of AVoHC-SURGE, Emergency Medical Teams (EMT), and staffing needs assessments; and supporting activities related to the International Health Regulations (IHR), operations support, logistics, and Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE).

Obdjectives of the Assignment

The Consultant will support the implementation of priority activities identified in the EPR Flagship Roadmap during the initial implementation phase. The assignment aims to:

• Support implementation of the EPR Flagship Roadmap by providing technical and operational support for the effective rollout of the South Africa EPR Flagship Roadmap.
• Facilitate implementation of SURGE-related initiatives by supporting the operationalization of AVoHC-SURGE, Emergency Medical Teams (EMT), and the conduct of staffing needs assessments to strengthen surge and routine operation capacity.
• Strengthen IHR-related capacities by contributing to the implementation of activities aligned with the International Health Regulations (IHR), enhancing compliance and core capacities.
• Enhance operational support and logistics systems by providing support to improve emergency operations, including logistics planning, coordination, and resource management.
• Support RCCE initiatives by assisting in strengthening Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) to ensure effective public communication and community involvement during emergencies.

Deliverables

The Consultant will be expected to deliver the following outputs during the three-month assignment period:

• AVoHC-Surge Training Manual adapted to South African context
• EMT Training manual adapted to South African context
• Conduct and support simulation exercises/tabletop exercises for AVoHC-SURGE personnel
• Conduct and support simulation exercises/tabletop exercises for EMT personnel
• Database of identified and trained AVoHC-SURGE personnel
• Database of identified and trained EMT personnel
• EPR staffing needs assessment report, including gap analysis and recommendations for surge and routine capacity
• Reports on IHR, operations support, logistics, and RCCE activities
• Stakeholder coordination and capacity-building/training reports
• Logistics planning and resource mapping reports to support emergency preparedness and response
• RCCE strategy documents, communication materials, and reports on community engagement activities

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential: First university degree in Public Health, Medicine, Epidemiology, Microbiology, or a related field
Desirable: Master’s in public health, added advantage.

Experience

Essential
• At least five years of relevant professional experience in public health, emergency preparedness and response, outbreak response coordination or health programme implementation.
• Experience supporting implementation of emergency preparedness and response activities.
• Experience working with WHO or other UN Agency.
• Experience working on the WHO-AFRO-AFRICA CDC AVoHC-SURGE initiative.
Desirable
• Experience coordinating trainings, workshops or capacity building initiatives.
• Experience working with government institutions, international organisations or development partners.
• Experience in project coordination, stakeholder engagement and technical reporting.
• Experience supporting emergency response workforce coordination or deployment systems will be an added advantage.
• Experience working with the National Department of Health or Provincial Department of Health.

Skills/Knowledge

• Strong coordination and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong technical writing and reporting skills.
• Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary and multicultural environments.
• Good understanding of public health emergency preparedness and response systems.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks within tight timelines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Languages and level required

• Excellent written and spoken English is required.

Technical Supervision

• The consultant will report directly to the Emergency Preparedness and Response Team Lead (EPR-TL) as the first level supervisor with the WHO Country Representative as the second level supervisor.
• The Consultant will work closely with:
o National Department of Health
o Provincial Departments of Health
o WHO technical teams
o Relevant emergency preparedness and response stakeholders and partners

Location

The Consultant will be based in Pretoria, South Africa, with work undertaken in close collaboration with the WHO Country Office, the National Department of Health and relevant stakeholders. Travel within and outside South Africa may be required based on implementation needs.

Travel

Travel within and outside South Africa may be required based on implementation needs.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs excluded)

As full consideration for the services performed by the signatory under the terms of the Agreement, WHO shall pay the signatory the sum of R93 566.00 (at NO-C level, step 1).

Duration of Assignment

The assignment will be for a period of three (3) months.

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.