Background

In the context of the WHO Health Emergencies Incident Management System (IMS), at the country level, the incumbent will provide technical, operational and coordination support on all aspects related to community engagement; ensure that community engagement is considered and planned throughout all phases of the incident management cycle and integrated within the risk management and risk mitigation procedures.

The incumbent, technical focal point for community engagement, will report directly to the Health Operations Team Lead, under the overall guidance of the Incident Manager and Head, WHO Country Office. S/he will work closely with the relevant technical teams, ensuring that a) sociocultural factors are addressed in the formulation of public health interventions and b) frontline response staff with significant community interaction are prepared to engage effectively with affected and/or at-risk communities. S/he will work closely with the Risk Communication Officer and the Communication Officer in the WHO Country Office (WCO) to inform the design and implementation of risk communication strategies, tactics and messaging. The incumbent has first line responsibility for adapting and implementing community engagement strategies as well as ensuring that national authorities have access to best available guidance on participatory approaches/methodologies relevant to the context, which build on existing national and local expertise and knowledge.  The incumbent will identify and support national authorities to coordinate with key stakeholders and partners working at the community level to ensure that the community engagement and social mobilization strategies are technically and operationally aligned with public health measures, and that service delivery and quality issues are fed back into technical and operational decision-making. The incumbent will also work closely with districts to strengthen Risk communication by health workers, VHTs, district leaders and community leaders and other volunteers. S/he will work closely with community leaders, traditional healers and religious leaders to strengthen risk communication at community level.

Scope and Methodology

Under the general guidance and supervision of the IM and general guidance of the WHE NPO, the incumbent will perform the following:

Summary of Assigned Duties:

1. Provide technical and operational support to overall Health Education/Health Promotion activities in strengthening and mainstreaming community engagement and social mobilization strategies from the service delivery side; aligning with technical and operational priorities and objectives; and delivering through existing national and local structures.
2. Ensure community engagement and social mobilization strategies and implementation plans are evidence-based, coordinated, and well executed, drawing upon anthropology and related behavioural and social sciences so that community concerns, sociocultural beliefs and practices impacting public health interventions are addressed.
3. Work closely with technical teams to assess the integration and effectiveness of community engagement practices within technical SOPs according to the context e.g. surveillance, clinical care, vector control, etc. Identify strengths, weaknesses and gaps; design interventions to address weakness and gaps e.g. training/capacity building, supervision, tools, etc.
4. Collaborate with partners to ensure appropriate monitoring and evaluation tools and mechanisms for community engagement and social mobilization are in place at the national and subnational level and ensure the findings are integrated into technical and operational decision-making.
5. Contribute to building the national capacity through needs identification, development, operationalization and implementation of a capacity building and training plan.
6. Ensure that there is strong linkage and communication between the risk communication group and the other working groups including case management, surveillance, logistics, research and development and coordination
7. Provide regular feedback to the incident management team, national authorities and partners on the adaptation of response strategies for effective and feasible community engagement in affected areas.
8. Where necessary, conduct formative research, and/or liaise with stakeholders/partners conducting sociocultural research.
9. Perform any other incident-specific related duties, as required by the functional supervisor.

 1. Technical Supervision

Objectives of the Review

The mission of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to help countries, and to coordinator international action, to prevent, prepare for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies.

2. Specific Requirements

LANGUAGE: 

Essential: Excellent knowledge of the English.

Desirable: Working knowledge of Swahili, Knowledge of French or other UN language.

EDUCATION:

Essential: University degree in health promotion/health education, development, sociology, or medical anthropology from an accredited/recognized institute.

Desirable: Advanced University degree in Public Health. Specialized training in participatory approaches, strategic communication planning, social mobilization, participatory research, training and impact evaluation of community engagement/social mobilization interventions.

Experience:

Essential: At least two years of relevant experience in applying multidisciplinary approaches in health promotion, community engagement and social mobilization programmes.  Experience in emergency and/or health outbreak context. Proven experience in the application of participatory models of engagement in the health context and the ability to adapt and innovate in emergency situations.

Desirable: Experience in operational research in social sciences. Prior humanitarian working experience at field level, with WHO/UN, health cluster partners, recognized humanitarian organizations or with an international nongovernmental organization.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

1. Excellent communication skills: the ability to clearly present ideas and concepts both orally and written.
2. Knowledge and understanding of public health approaches related to: community engagement; social mobilization; an understanding of emergency response; ability to coordinate multidisciplinary and technical inputs into designing community engagement strategies and plans.
3. Strong strategic planning and organizational skills: ability to generate, analyse and appropriately apply findings from qualitative research to planning and project design; the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary and multicultural environment with tact and diplomacy; an ability to meet tight deadlines; an ability to efficiently and effectively coordinate activities and tasks to meet specific objectives.
4. Excellent interpersonal skills: the ability to build relationships and work with stakeholders and partners

WHO Competencies

REQUIRED

1. Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond
2. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
3. Teamwork.
4. Communication.

Other Skills (e.g. IT):

1. Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
2. Knowledge of office software applications

PLACE OF ASSIGNMENT

• The Risk Communication & Community Engagement officers will be stationed in Dodoma Region, Tanzania.

3.       TIMELINE AND REPORTING

Duration

• The contract will be for six (06) months

Salary

Grade: NOB – 01 with amount of: TZS 8,476,250/- payable on monthly bases.