Deadline for submission of applications: Monday, 9 December 2024 at 23:59 Central European Time (CET)
Expression of interest
Reference: 2024/October/183
WHO is seeking experts to serve as members of the Technical Advisory Group on Risk Communication, Community Engagement and Infodemic Management in the WHO European Region for its second mandate. This “Call for experts” provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest and the process of selection.
Background
The WHO European Region comprises 53 countries, covering a vast geographical region from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans.
Inaugurated by the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, at the Regional Office in Copenhagen in April 2023, this is the ever first WHO Technical Advisory Group (TAG) focused on risk communication, community engagement and infodemic management (RCCE-IM).
During its first two-year mandate the TAG has worked with WHO/Europe to establish RCCE-IM as a crucial and central component of health emergency management. It has also been supporting WHO/Europe on bridging the gap between research and RCCE-IM action and promoting an evidence-based approach to developing RCCE-IM interventions. Reports from the TAG’s plenary meetings during its current mandate and the group’s Terms of Reference can be found on the TAG’s page.
The mandate of the current TAG ends in February 2025. WHO/Europe is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced researchers and expert practitioners from across the European Region to be members of TAG for a two-year term expected to commence in April 2025. Members of the current TAG are eligible to apply to serve another term on the TAG.
Functions of the TAG on RCCE-IM in the WHO European Region
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the TAG on RCCE-IM in the WHO European Region shall have the following functions:
- advise WHO/Europe on the current “state of the art” in RCCE-IM-related research, analysis and innovation in good practice, and recommend how this might be applied by WHO in the context of the European Region to RCCE-IM interventions, campaigns, policies and programmes;
- provide independent advice on and review of the scientific, technical, good practice and strategic aspects of RCCE-IM actions, campaigns, guidance, tools, support services and programmes being developed or implemented by WHO in the European Region;
- provide independent advice on appropriate methods and technical strategies for evaluating WHO RCCE-IM interventions, campaigns, policies, tools, services and programmes in the European Region;
- recommend priorities for RCCE-IM-related research, provision of support services/tools or other interventions to WHO/Europe. Experts will serve in a personal capacity and will not represent their institutions or countries during their membership.
The advice of the TAG on RCCE-IM in the WHO European Region are recommendations only; it does not make decisions for WHO or speak on behalf of WHO.
Operations of the TAG on RCCE-IM in the WHO European Region
The TAG plenary meetings are scheduled twice a year, with one of the meetings planned as a face-to-face meeting to discuss its annual work plan and priority medium-to-long term work. This meeting may be held at the WHO Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark, at its Centre for Preparedness for Humanitarian and Health Emergencies in Istanbul, Türkiye, or at other locations in the WHO European Region.
In emergency circumstances, the TAG on RCCE-IM in the WHO European Region will hold 1-hour online meetings to review evidence and advise on RCCE-IM interventions being developed by WHO/Europe and its subregional hubs.
The working language of the group will be English.
Who can express interest?
The TAG on RCCE-IM in the WHO European Region will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to RCCE-IM. Approximately 12 to 15 members may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from academics, researchers, consultants and practitioners living and working in the 53 countries of Europe and central Asia that comprise the WHO European Region who have expertise and a track record of experience, research (especially applied and/or rapid research), innovation and/or operational and field experience, in some or all of the following areas:
- risk communication and crisis communication, especially as applied to health emergencies;
- community engagement and empowerment in the context of health emergency preparedness and response;
- measuring and analysing societal trust in government, and health authorities in particular, including identifying the key factors that can build, maintain or erode such trust;
- infodemic management and related areas such as monitoring, analysing, researching and advising on how to counter health-related false narratives.
- social and behavioural science research, analysis and advice relevant to RCCE; this may include, but is not limited to: anthropology, risk communication, community engagement, history, political science, public opinion research, public relations, psychology, political science, social psychology and sociology;
- measurement and evaluation of communication and/or community engagement interventions, particularly in the context of the response to acute health emergencies;
- public health system development and capacity-building, particularly in the context of health emergency response and/or RCCE-IM;
- applied research to guide or evaluate RCCE-IM during health emergencies, including especially the design and piloting of innovative techniques for rapid research/data gathering;
- translating research results, data and other kinds of social science evidence into information for public health action by decision-makers; experience of doing this in the context of emergency response will be particularly relevant.
Applications from experts working in central Asia, eastern Europe and the western Balkans, are particularly welcomed.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the appointment to this TAG, please submit the following documents by Monday 9 December 2024 at 23:59 CET to TAG_RCCEIM@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the second mandate of the Technical Advisory Group on RCCE-IM in WHO European Region”
Required:
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity, therefore do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer.
- Your curriculum vitae.
- A signed and completed “Declaration of interests for WHO experts” form, available at this link.
Optional (you may submit either or both if you wish):
- A list of your publications. This can include contributions to grey literature, such as national or international guidance or evaluations, as well as peer-reviewed publications.
- A short overview of your operational and field experience in designing and implementing RCCE-IM interventions in response to health emergencies and/or in helping health authorities reinforce their RCCE-IM capacity.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the “Declaration of interests for WHO experts” form; and the selection as a member of an AG is, among other things, dependent on WHO determining that there are no conflicts of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments; any commercial industries or entities; any research, academic or civil society organizations; or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the “ Code of ethics and professional conduct”. AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant AG.
The selection of members of the AGs will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of AG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives, especially from low- and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of an AG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copies of these two documents.
WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO’s action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG, disband an existing AG or modify the work of the AG.
WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO website.
AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to TAG_RCCEIM@who.int well before the applicable deadline.