Job vacancy at WHO : Roster of Consultants - Neurodevelopmental assessment

Roster of Consultants - Neurodevelopmental assessment and/or monitoring, early childhood development, and brain neuroimaging and functioning  - (2310873)
 
 
Contractual Arrangement: External consultant
Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 3 to 11 months

Closing Date: Jan 17, 2024, 11:59:00 PM
Primary Location: Anywhere
Organization: HQ/BRH Brain Health
Schedule: Full-time
 
 
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Purpose of consultancy
To conduct a variety of technical tasks and actively contribute to specific elements of the Unit’s work around measurement of neurodevelopment in the early years.   
To participate in an array of brief and longer-term projects, meetings, research and/or public health initiatives.

Background  
Within the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Use (MSD), the Brain Health Unit (BRH) aims to promote optimal brain development, cognitive health and wellbeing and prevention and care for neurological disorders across the life course. Part of the Unit’s activities focus on the early years, which provide an important window of opportunity to build a strong foundation for future development. Early interventions can influence developmental trajectories by not only fostering children’s survival, but by also building human capital through: (1) improved cognitive, social, emotional and behavioral development favoring creativity and productivity, (2) improved long term health outcomes and, (3) reduced health and socio- economic inequalities. The accurate measurement of early childhood potential is therefore essential for tracking the changing developmental status of populations in relations to global targets, and for directly ascertaining the degree of success of early child development (ECD) programmes. Early identification of neurodevelopmental impairment (or risk of) is also essential to provide timely interventions when they are most effective. This can be done via tools that look at children’s skills and behaviors, such as the Global Scales for Early Development (GSED), and/ or through non-invasive direct methods of brain structure and function - neuroimaging such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurophysiological methods such as electroencephalography (EEG) are increasingly being utilized in low resource settings. The activities related to ECD measurement will contribute to the monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), target 4.2; the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health 2016 – 2030 where ECD has been identified as a priority area; progress in the implementation of the Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) and the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders (IGAP).

Deliverables
The consultant is expected to perform a variety of tasks related to strengthening neurodevelopmental assessment and monitoring, not limited to the following:

Review and prepare technical documents and documentation of projects/ implementation activities (e.g., logical frameworks, project strategies, operational/implementation plans, project reports, presentations).
Organize peer review process and consultation with relevant stakeholders for technical products.
Conduct literature and scientific reviews.
Design and conduct capacity building and trainings for research, implementation and scale up.
Provide technical guidance to countries from a research, implementation and / or scale up perspective.
Provide technical guidance for data analysis, interpretation, and use.
Facilitate advocacy and dissemination around neurodevelopmental assessments and monitoring, and for related WHO products globally, and at regional and country level.
Contribute to resource mobilization efforts by developing results-focused proposals, donor agreements and other grant-related instruments ensuring quality and alignment with WHO policies, pertinent documents and other administrative provisions.
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Educational Qualifications:
Essential:

For band level A: First university degree in psychology, medicine, public health, education, social science, epidemiology, statistics or related health field.
For band level B: An advanced university degree in psychology, medicine, public health, education, social science, epidemiology, statistics or related health field.
Experience
Essential:

For band level A:
Up to 5 years of relevant experience in areas of neurodevelopmental assessment and monitoring work especially in early childhood, brain imaging and functioning, and/or health system strengthening.
Experience working with low- and middle-income countries.
For band level B:
Over 5 years of relevant experience in areas of neurodevelopmental assessment and monitoring work especially in early childhood, brain imaging and functioning, and/or health systems strengthening.
Experience working with low- and middle-income countries.
Desirable:

Experience working with international organizations.
A strong academic or publication record for consultancies involving research-related tasks.
Skills:
Demonstrated knowledge in the focus areas of the BRH unit (specific area neurodevelopmental assessment and monitoring).
Excellent communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills.
Excellent writing skills.
Excellent organizational and scheduling skills.
Self-discipline with the ability to work with autonomy and as part of a team.
Able to exercise mature judgment and sensitivity in dealing with complex situations and issues.
Demonstrated expertise and knowledge in one or more of the following areas: i) resource mobilization; ii) project management; iii) conducting desk/scientific reviews; iv) developing training materials and conducting training workshops; v) data management; vi) interpretation and use of data; vii) conducting large-scale research activities.
Languages required:
Essential:  

Expert knowledge of English.
Location
Off site: Home-based.

Travel
The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):
Remuneration:
Band level A - USD 3,955 - 6,980 per month
Band level B - USD 7,000 - 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:
3 to 11 months based on programme needs.

All applications must be submitted ONLINE at : https://careers.who.int/careersection/ex/jobsearch.ftl