Consultant – Python Programming for AMC IT Data Tool at World Health Organization (WHO)

Purpose of consultancy

To contribute to the development of new modules in the AMCTool software. The Consultant will collaborate with the Surveillance and Evidence Lab Strengthening (SEL) Unit to align the AMCTool software with the WHO national and hospital protocols to monitor antimicrobial consumption.

Background  

The Surveillance, Evidence and Lab Strengthening (SEL) unit within the Surveillance, Prevention and Control (SPC) Department of the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Division is responsible for providing technical support to countries for implementing surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial consumption (AMC). For monitoring antimicrobial consumption programs, SEL is currently providing Excel® workbook to help countries to collect and manage AMC data. The usability of the current tools is limited, and the maintenance is cumbersome. Therefore, SEL would improve the existing AMCTool software to provide a more specialized tool for countries and staff in charge of monitoring AMC. The new version of the AMCTool should be able to manage data according to the two WHO protocols1,2 for monitoring AMC and generate datasets ready to be submitted into the WHO GLASS-AMC.

Deliverables

The tasks to be performed consists in developing two modules in the AMCTool to cover:

1.GLASS surveillance of national antimicrobial consumption per health sectors and health levels:
 
a. Data can be disaggregated from annually to quarterly and national to subnational. 
b. The module should allow the user to save and open the database containing the AMC data, and to export the database in the correct format for submission to the GLASS-AMC.
c. The data to be managed:

• Medicines products or ATC level 5 consumption.
• Temporal and geographical structure/disaggregation of data.
• Population data.

2. Module for the GLASS guide for national surveillance systems for monitoring antimicrobial consumption in hospitals:

a. Data could be disaggregated from annually to quarterly/monthly. 
b. The module should allow the user to save and open the database containing the AMC data. 
c. The module should allow the user to export the AMC data to a standard format to report data to national authorities.

3. A skeleton of a module to produce reporting functionalities in the AMCTool software:

a. Query data. 
b. Generate simple tables and graphs.

Output 1: Develop the module for the GLASS guide for national surveillance systems for monitoring antimicrobial consumption in hospitals.

Deliverable 1.1: Define and develop data model. 
Deliverable 1.2: Develop user interface. 
Deliverable 1.3: Develop GLASS AMC export. 

Output 2: Develop the module for the GLASS methodology for surveillance of national antimicrobial consumption.

Deliverable 2.1: Define and develop data model. 
Deliverable 2.2: Develop user interface. 
Deliverable 2.3: Develop Standard export. 

Output 3: Develop a skeleton for reporting.

Deliverable 3.1: Develop data query function. 
Deliverable 3.2: Develop table and graph generation.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• Advanced university (Masters) degree in Mathematics, Computer Science or Data Analysis.
• Qualification (Certificate or Diploma) for python programming.

Experience

Essential:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in developing softwares.
• Previous relevant experience working with health related/epidemiological data, including data entry, data collection.
• Previous demonstrated experience coding in the Python programming language. 
• Previous demonstrated experience coding in SQL language. 
• Previous demonstrated experience developing applications with graphical user interfaces, especially desktop application.

Desirable:

• Professional experience in data analysis and statistics.
• Experience using the SQLAlchemy toolkit.
• Experience using the Qt5 toolkit.

Skills/Knowledge:

• Strong skills and expertise in data management, software development or data analysis.
• Excellent writing and communication skills for software development and analysis. 

Languages required:

Essential:  

Expert knowledge of English

Location 

Off-site – Home based. 

Travel 

No travel is expected

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level B - USD 7000 – 9,980 per month.

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):

N/A

Expected duration of contract: 

Contract duration varies (3 months at 100% or 4 months at 80%). Starting date: 1 August 2022.

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice. 
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html