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Terms of Reference for the Advisory Group on Reform of WHO’s Work in Outbreaks and Emergencies with Health and Humanitarian Consequences

The Advisory Group will provide advice and guidance in all aspects of the change management process to the Director General of the WHO focusing especially on:

1. Designing and establishing a Platform across the 3 levels of the WHO Secretariat , that enables it to establish the best possible performance in managing the full scope of risk to health (including risk assessment, risk characterization, risk communication, and risk management) as well as in responding to outbreaks and emergencies (whether acute or protracted) with health and humanitarian consequences, specifically:

• The steps needed to establish optimal capabilities and to ensure the competencies necessary for the full scope risk management and emergency response across the WHO;
• the structure, systems, processes and resources needed to ensure rapid and effective response;
• the definition and implementation of a system of performance metrics; and
• the elements of a mode of operation – across the Organization – that permits rapid, effective, efficient responses in relation to outbreaks and emergencies with health and humanitarian consequences.

2. Supporting WHO so that it is equipped to coordinate Member States, the United Nations, and operational partners during outbreaks and emergencies, including:

• Outlining options for building strategic, strong and effective partnerships that prepare for and respond to a wide range of hazards and that engage all concerned with the management of health risks and emergencies associated with these hazards;
• ensuring interoperability among relevant national, regional and international actors in public health emergencies and humanitarian emergencies, with a particular focus on International Health Regulations and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee-led humanitarian response system a;
• improving the functionality and utility of relations between the WHO Secretariat, at all levels, and Member States, with regard to outbreaks and emergencies with health and humanitarian consequences;
• seeking out best leadership practices for interaction with Heads of State and Government, senior parliamentarians and non-health government ministries (e.g. Finance, Defence, Foreign, Interior and local government) on health and humanitarian emergencies; and
• establishing appropriate blends of technical leadership, consensus building and coordination during outbreaks, emergencies and protracted crises.

Ways of working

The Advisory Group is convened on a time limited basis, currently until the end of December, 2015. The group will meet regularly by teleconference/video conference. Occasional in-person meetings may be required.

The Advisory Group will be supported by a Project Management Team within WHO.

The Advisory Group will be:

• Focused – on decisions on which advice is sought, reacting to issues as presented in short briefing documents, reaching decisions (or identifying areas where consensus is lacking) rapidly in time-limited teleconferences
• Transparent - recording the issues discussed and advice provided (without names or attribution) in succinct, accurate meeting reports to be made publicly available.
• Consultative - briefings on issues are provided from different perspectives within the WHO and beyond, including personnel in regions and countries.

Membership

The group will be comprised of up to 20 members, subject to review of the Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts.

In the exercise of their functions, the members act only as international experts serving WHO exclusively; in this capacity, they may not request or receive instructions from any government or authority external to WHO.