Purpose of consultancy

The consultancy will ensure timely and effective project management to three initiatives, including 1) reviewing and collating contributions from participants, preparing briedings and meeting notes, tracking and validating contributions from members of a policy drafting groups; 2) organizing webinars and developing content for other meetings on advancements in procurement and supply chain for medicines and health products, and 3) reviewing, collating and assessing technical contributions, across WHO departments in updating web-based tools and apps related to shortages and allocations in emergency procurement contexts.

Background

The Essential Medicines and Substances access and use (EMS) team is part of the Health Product Policies Norms and Standards Department, which is within the Health Systems Division. The EMS team works to improve access to medicines and health products through initiatives that improve selection and appropriate use, procurement and supply chain systems, strengthen connections with other areas of the health system, and that support resilience and responsiveness in emergencies. This work relates to the WHO Global Programme of Work (GPW), Strategic Objective 3.2 to improve access to quality assured medicines and health products, as well as to GPW Objective 6.1 to improve access to medical countermeasures in emergencies. WHO is working to update policies to support member states in implementing policy advances in procurement and supply chain practices, which is particularly timely in the global context of constrained resources. In addition, WHO developed tools and algorithms used in recent emergencies, which need to be optimized and secured on stable online platforms as part of procurement and supply chain resilience efforts.

Deliverables

• Deliverable 1: Strategy for optimization, migration and sustainability of the Mpox equitable allocation algorithms onto WHO data servers that house the Shortages Notification Portal.
  Expected by: 31 March 2026
• Deliverable 2: Create a project plan and produce meetings of a drafting team to update the Inter-Agaency Pharmaceutical Coordination Group on Operational principles for good pharmaceutical procurement.
  Expected by: Project plan by 31 January 2026, and 6 meetings with outputs recorded by 30 June 2026
• Deliverable 3: Produce an engagement strategy and 3 webinars and content for WHO policy briefs related to improvements in procurement and supply chains
  Expected by: 30 June 2026

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• Advanced (master’s or above) degree in business, international development, procurement and supply chain or related field.

Desirable:

• Specialized training in project management.

Experience

Essential:

• At least 10 years of experience in project management with UN agencies with international initiatives of a complex nature and with diverse audiences.

Desirable:

• Project management experience with information technology projects, e.g., apps, web-based tools.

Skills/Knowledge:

Essential:

Knowledge of UN systems in the development of tools, policies, consultations and member state engagement.

Desirable:

Use and development of data platforms e.g., apps, survey tools.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English
• Intermediate knowledge of French

Desirable:

• Expert knowledge of Chinese (Mandarin)
• Intermediate knowledge of Chinese (Cantonese)

Location

Home based – Off-site.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Payband level C: USD 10’000 – 12’500 per month

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

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

6 months or 120 days.

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