WHO is seeking experts to serve as members of the WHO Academy Advisory Group. 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. The Terms of Reference can be found here.
Background
Established in 2019, The WHO Academy is a priority initiative of the WHO transformation Agenda and will support accelerated learning towards achievement of the health Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Academy will support the competency development needs of WHO staff and stakeholders with innovative digital and state-of-the-art in-person learning experiences. Academy courses will be accessible through its digital learning experience platform and via its campus network. The Academy’s Lyon hub will feature high-tech learning environments, a world-class health emergency simulation centre and collaboration spaces for learning co-design, research and innovation for health impact.
The Academy will be officially launched in May 2021 as an internal WHO Division headed by a Chief Learning Officer reporting to the WHO Director-General.
The Academy Advisory Group has been established to serve in an advisory capacity to the WHO with a focus on: essential and strategic guidance on the Academy’s establishment and strategic direction to ensure achievement of its objectives to advance WHO’s priorities with sustainability, quality and impact at scale; and ensuring that the WHO Academy is able to capitalize on opportunities to maximize impact in lifelong learning in health.
Functions of the WHO Academy Advisory Group
a. the Academy’s establishment and strategic direction to ensure achievement of its objectives to advance WHO’s priorities with sustainability, quality and impact at scale; and
b. the latest developments and opportunities to maximize impact of the Academy in lifelong learning in health.
c. the progress, strategic direction, positioning and approach of the WHO Academy in alignment with WHO targets and priorities;
d. best practices and manners to identify, catalyze, support and mobilize strategic multi-stakeholder support, collaboration and outreach across Member States, inter-governmental organizations, and non-state actors; and
e. major trends, advancements and lessons learned in lifelong-learning and learning technologies that could influence the Academy’s approach and strategic roadmap.
Operations of the Academy Advisory Group
The AAG shall have up to 12 members, who shall serve in their personal capacities to represent the broad range of disciplines relevant to the work of the WHO Academy. The AAG shall normally meet three times each year. However, WHO may convene additional meetings. AAG meetings may be held in person (at WHO headquarters in Geneva or another location, as determined by WHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference.
Who can express interest?
The WHO Academy Advisory Group will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to adult learning, innovative learning technologies, and learning policy, strategy and governance. Approximately 12 members may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from:
e. Subscribe to the values and ethical code of WHO
Submitting your expression of interest
- 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 advisory groups (AGs) 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 AG 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 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 Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). 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 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 AG 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 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 internet.
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 academy@who.int well before the applicable deadline.