Consultant - Immunization, Big Catch-up (BCU) at World Health Organization (WHO)

Job ID: 2408176

Purpose of Consultancy

• Working closely with the responsible focal points within the Department of Immunization Vaccines and Biologicals (IVB), the Consultant will align and collate the implementation of Big Catch-up activities, and liaise with the global BCU Task Team and regional and/or Inter-Country Support Team focal points to provide technical guidance.

Background

• In April 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) targeted a global effort to facilitate recovery of immunization systems and close immunization gaps among children following declines driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, called the “Big Catch-up” (BCU).
• The BCU has three objectives: (1) restoring routine immunization coverage to at least 2019 levels; (2) catching-up missed children; and (3) strengthening health systems to sustainably reach zero-dose children and communities.
• Given the urgency to catch-up missed children and control growing outbreaks, the IA2030 Partnership has encouraged Heads of State and ministers of health to prioritize implementation of the BCU from 2023-2025. In December 2023, the Gavi Board approved to exceptionally offer fully financed doses for the BCU; all antigens already in a country’s routine programme in the period 2019-2022 can be supported, and children up to 5 years of age are eligible.
• WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), through the Regional Working Group (RWG) mechanism, have been providing support to countries to develop catch-up plans, and 35 countries are now set to receive Gavi-supported BCU vaccine doses in 2024 and 2025. With the implementation phase of the BCU now fully underway and expected to continue into 2025, WHO is playing a key role in supporting its implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Deliverables

• Deliverable 1: Contribute to the BCU project across the three levels of the Organization:
  • Facilitate timely reporting of BCU activities by liaising closely with global, regional and country-level stakeholders.
  • Facilitate the provision of global guidance and provide technical contributions to regional counterparts and countries.
  • Maintain linkages with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the Measles and Rubella Partnership and other disease-specific initiatives to ensure opportunities for integration are leveraged where possible.

Expected by the end of the contract:

• Deliverable 2: Prepare technical materials, including presentations, pre-reads, and talking points, for internal and external use for meetings (Gavi Board, Alliance Partnership and Performance Team (APPT), Immunization Agenda 2023 (IA2030) Partnership Council)

Expected by the end of the contract:

• Deliverable 3: Review and validate the quarterly BCU monitoring reports as they become available and assist with data collation at the global level, identify challenges and opportunities for targeted technical guidance and early course correction.  

Expected by the end of the contract:

• Deliverable 4: Contribute to the overall technical aspects of the BCU project including technical/financial/donor reporting quarterly.

Expected by the end of the contract:

Qualifications, Experience, Skills, and Languages
Essential:

• Advanced University Degree in Public Health, Health Management, Epidemiology or Infectious or Communicable Diseases.

Experience:
Essential:

• Between 5 to 10 years of practical national and international experience in managing and coordinating large-scale programs and initiatives, preferably related to immunization.
• Strong background in project management, particularly in the field of global public health and with experience managing projects across multiple locations.
• Experience working in multi-cultural settings, working with a large number of diverse stakeholders.
• Experience in preparing technical presentations and materials.
• Familiarity with monitoring and learning in global health settings. 

Desirable:

• Experience working with Gavi operations and processes.

Skills / Knowledge:
Essential:

• Strong analytical skills.
• Strong project management skills.
• Excellent written communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and demonstrate initiative and flexibility.
• Familiar with commonly used computer programs, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization information systems would be an asset.
• Knowledge of specialized computer programs, for example, statistical software such as XLStat may be an advantage.

Languages and Levels Required:
Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English

Desirable: 

• Intermediate knowledge of French

Location:

• Offsite: Home-based 

Travel:

• The consultant is expected to travel.  

Remuneration

• Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded)
• Band level B: USD7,000 - USD9,980 per month