Individual Contractor – Quality Assurance

Area of Specialization/Thematic Areas: Instructional design, learning experience evaluation, course evaluation methods, learning technology proficiency, quality assurance standards

Overview: The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Division on NCD, Digital Health, and Capacity Building supports the strengthening of individuals, and institutions (including public, private, and philanthropic organizations) at global, regional, and country levels to ensure that these partners have essential capacities, structures, and systems in place to tackle non-communicable diseases, innovate through the uptake of digital health tools and approaches, and enhance their capacities through more accessible, affordable, and accredited training in a sustained and sustainable manner.

The WHO Academy operates as a specialized global entity within the World Health Organization, working collaboratively with various departments and stakeholders to support the advancement of health education worldwide. It acts as a key driver in shaping the learning strategies and initiatives to address the evolving needs of the global health community. Currently, WHO delivers over 1,400 courses for both internal and external learners through various diverse digital learning platforms. The WHO Academy aims to migrate these courses on its Learning Experience Platform (LXP). WHO, UNITAR, and The Defeat-NCD Partnership will work together to accelerate the efforts of establishing this unified platform, including migration of existing courses and development of new courses.

The Individual Contractor (Quality Assurance) plays a crucial role in ensuring the courses on the WHO Academy platform are compliant with the expected quality standards and improving the quality of the courses offered.

General objectives of the contract: Reporting to the UNITAR Project Manager and collaborating with the LXP Lead from the WHO Academy, the Individual Contractor (Quality Assurance) is a key member of the “WHO Academy course mobilisation programme: Migration and co-production of courses (WHOA: MCC)” who is responsible for reviewing the hosted and co-produced courses in partnership between the WHO Academy and UNITAR. This role entails ensuring the timely review of the courses as outlined in the agreement between the WHO Academy and UNITAR.

Responsibilities/description of professional services:

• Evaluating and reviewing courses to ensure alignment with the WHO Academy’s quality standards and guidelines.
• Conducting comprehensive assessment of instructional design, content relevance and overall learning effectiveness.
• Developing and implementing quality assurance processes for course development and delivery.
• Collaborating with instructional designers, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders to integrate quality assurance measures.
• Preparing detailed reports on course quality assessments, highlighting areas of improvement and commendation.
• Maintaining accurate records of quality assurance activities and outcomes.
• Providing recommendations for continuous improvement in course design and delivery methodologies.
• Staying abreast of industry trends and practices in quality assurance for courses.

Essential

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in quality assurance for educational programmes or digital courses.
• Proven experience in working diverse stakeholders and vendors in an international or cross-cultural setting, showcasing exceptional relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• A profound understanding of learning design principles and methodologies to achieve optimal learning outcomes.
• Experience working in an international or cross-cultural setting, demonstrating cultural sensitivity, adaptability, and the ability to collaborate effectively with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Desirable

• Previous experience in quality assurance of courses for healthcare professionals.

Essential

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in education, instructional design, quality assurance or a related field.

Desirable

• Additional certification in quality assurance is desirable, but not mandatory.

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset, but not a requirement.