Consultant – Mentorship and Classification of Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs)

Purpose of consultancy

To provide technical expertise to the WHE EMT Unit by contributing to EMT activities and products, including the organization of the mentorship, classification, and reclassification processes of Emergency Medical Teams.

Background

In 2016, WHO launched a classification program for EMTs deployed internationally, with the main objective to improve the quality of care and professionalism and enhance coordination during deployments. This also included strengthening the capacities of health authorities at the national level to activate and coordinate EMTs and support the development of national EMT’s to be deployed rapidly during health emergencies given the need for urgent medical care.

Since the launch of the initiative, 40 teams have been classified, with more than 100 teams in different stages of the mentorship towards their classification. The toll of the pandemic within the EMT Initiative and its network partners is continuously imminent to date. Requests for assistance from Member States have increased while EMTs’ capacities to respond have been affected greatly by different factors including rebuilding their own respective capacities while with limited resources for deployment.

EMTs’ interest in being part of the Global classification system remains high. In the first 3 months of 2024 alone, at least 10 EMTs have commenced the mentorship process across all WHO regions. DG ECHO launched its RescEU project with the intention of classifying 21 EMTs including both EMT Type 2 and Specialized Care Teams from different Member States.

The increasing demand to monitor the progress of EMTs within the Classification process has therefore further constrained the availability of trained and qualified mentors.

Following the launch of the updated Classification and minimum standards for Emergency Medical Teams (2021), additional standards on Specialized Care Teams for Burn and Highly Infectious Diseases have been added with more to come for the rest of 2024.

The consultancy is needed to ensure the continuation of mentorship and classification of EMTs while adapting to new standards and available resources.

Deliverables

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• Advanced university degree in health (Medicine, Public Health, nursing) and or other field related to the operations of Emergency Medical Teams such as Logistics, Water and Sanitation, Monitoring and Evaluation, or Public Policy.

Desirable:

• Training/certification in emergency response and quality improvement/ quality assurance processes EMT Mentor training.
• Rapid response training such as EMT, UNDAC, or INSARAG.
• Completion of the WHO EMT Mentor training or have completed similar training in mentorship application.

Experience:

Essential:

• Over 10 years of demonstrable experience in the development and/or management of Emergency Medical Teams or similar emergency response teams (medical or search and rescue) and direct engagement with other partners including donors and other international organizations.

Desirable:

• Experience in field emergency management related to Emergency Medical Teams.
• Experience with WHO, ICRC, IFRC, MSF or national emergency response systems.
• Experience in the management and application of logistics for emergency medical teams or similar emergency response teams.

Skills:

• Expert knowledge about the EMT guiding principles, core, technical standards, and coordination mechanisms.
• Ability to plan and organize tasks related to multiple simultaneous projects, and with attention to details.
• Excellent interpersonal and team leadership skills, including ability to network and develop effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders, donors, and partners.
• Ability to review, develop, and implement program procedures, systems, and processes.
• Ability to maintain a positive and flexible problem-solving approach with a can-do attitude.
• Good project management skills with experience in proposal development, implementation of emergency and developmental-related projects.
• Ability to identify, pre-empt, and manage program challenges.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, excel, and other related software.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of French or another UN language

Location

Off site: Home-based.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level C – USD 500 – 625 per day.

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

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

90 days during 6 months’ period.

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 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