Issued on: 18 December 2020
Deadline: 31 May 2021
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members one of the Strategic Technical Advisory Group on Health Promotion, Wellbeing, and Social Determinants of Health. 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 Strategic Technical Advisory Group (STAG) will act as an advisory body to WHO to further its efforts and work in addressing health promotion, wellbeing and social determinants of health. The aim is to strengthen international and national action in
these important public health areas and thereby make populations healthier.
Functions of the Strategic Technical Advisory Group on Health Promotion, Wellbeing, and Social Determinants of Health
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the Strategic Technical Advisory Group on Health Promotion, Wellbeing, and Social Determinants of Health shall have the following functions:
- To identify and describe current and future challenges;
- To advise WHO on strategic directions to be prioritized;
- To advise WHO on the development of global strategic documents; and
- To propose other strategic interventions and activities for implementation by WHO.
Operations of the Strategic Technical Advisory Group on Health Promotion, Wellbeing, and Social Determinants of Health
The STAG shall normally meet once each year. However, WHO may convene additional meetings. STAG meetings may be held in person (at WHO headquarters in Geneva or another location, as determined by WHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference.
STAG meetings may be held in open and/or closed session, as decided by the Chairperson in consultation with WHO.
(a) Open sessions: Open sessions shall be convened for the sole purpose of the exchange of non-confidential information and views, and may be attended by observers.
(b) Closed sessions: The sessions dealing with the formulation of recommendations and/or advice to WHO shall be restricted to the members of the STAG and essential WHO Secretariat staff.
- The quorum for STAG meetings shall be two thirds of the members.
- WHO may, at its sole discretion, invite external individuals from time to time to attend the open sessions of an advisory group, or parts thereof, as “observers”. Observers may be invited either in their personal capacity, or as representatives
from a governmental institution/intergovernmental organization, or from a non-state actor. WHO will request observers invited in their personal capacity to complete a confidentiality undertaking and a declaration of interests form prior to attending
a session of the advisory group. Invitations to observers attending as representatives from non-state actors will be subject to internal due diligence and conflict of interest considerations in accordance with FENSA. Observers invited as representatives
may also be requested to complete a confidentiality undertaking. Observers shall normally attend meetings of the STAG at their own expense and be responsible for making all arrangements in that regard.
At the invitation of the Chairperson, observers may be asked to present their personal views and/or the policies of their organization. Observers will not participate in the process of adopting decisions and recommendations of the STAG.
- The STAG may decide to establish smaller working groups (sub-groups of the STAG) to work on specific issues. These could include health promotion governance, instruments and approaches, the harmful use of alcohol, physical activity, urban health and
commercial determinants of health. Their deliberations shall take place via teleconference or video-conference. For these sub-groups, no quorum requirement will apply; the outcome of their deliberations will be submitted to the STAG for review
at one of its meetings.
- STAG members are expected to attend meetings. If a member misses two consecutive meetings, WHO may end his/her appointment as a member of the STAG.
- Reports of each meeting shall be submitted by the STAG to WHO (the Assistant Director-General of the responsible Division). All recommendations from the STAG are advisory to WHO, who retains full control over any subsequent
decisions or actions regarding any proposals, policy issues or other matters considered by the STAG.
- The STAG shall normally make recommendations by consensus. If, in exceptional circumstances, a consensus on a particular issue cannot be reached, minority opinions will be reflected in the meeting report.
- Active participation is expected from all STAG members, including in working groups, teleconferences, and interaction over email. STAG members may, in advance of STAG meetings, be requested to review meeting documentation and to provide their views
for consideration by the STAG.
- WHO shall determine the modes of communication by the STAG, including between WHO and the STAG members, and the STAG members among themselves.
- STAG members shall not speak on behalf of, or represent, the STAG or WHO to any third party.
- STAG meetings will be conducted in English. All STAG documentation, including reports and working documents, will be provided in English.
Who can express interest?
The Strategic Advisory Group of Health Promotion, Wellbeing and Social Determinants of Health will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to the important areas mentioned below. Approximately 30 members may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from:
Scientists, public health experts, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, innovators and policy-makers with expertise in the following areas:
- Health promotion
- Wellbeing
- Social Determinants of Health
- Equity
- Innovation for Health
- Urban Health and City Planning
- Risk factors to Health
- Mobility
- Settings for Health and Wellbeing
- Governance for Health
- Rights to Health
- Health Literacy
- Economic Determinants of Health
- Healthy Financial Investments
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the Strategic Technical Advisory Group on Health Promotion, Wellbeing, and Social Determinants of Health, please submit the following documents by 31 May 2021 24h00, Geneva time to STAG-HPWSDH@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Strategic Advisory Group of Health Promotion, Wellbeing and Social Determinants of Health”:
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. 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; and
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.
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 Strategic Advisory Groups (STAGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of a STAG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict 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 STAG 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 Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). STAG 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 STAG.
The selection of members of the STAG 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 STAG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, 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 a STAG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy 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 STAG, disband an existing STAG or modify the work of the STAG.
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 internet.
STAG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the STAG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of STAG members to participate in STAG 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 STAG-HPWSDH@who.int well before the applicable deadline.