Roster of International consultant – Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance and/or laboratory strengthening for AMR

Area of expertise

Roster of International consultant – Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance and/or laboratory strengthening for AMR

Purpose of consultancy

The WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia is establishing a roster of qualified consultants who may be engaged for specific assignments to strengthen national and regional AMR surveillance, clinical microbiology services and laboratory systems. Assignments may cover surveillance design and assessment; implementation and reporting through the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS); bacteriology and mycology capacity; diagnostic stewardship; laboratory networks and quality systems; data quality, analysis, interpretation and visualization; One Health and genomic surveillance; capacity development; operational research; and translation of surveillance evidence into policy and programme action.

Depending on the individual Terms of Reference, consultants will provide technical assistance for planning, implementation, analysis and reporting using WHO tools, standards and recommendations. They may also contribute to evidence-based technical guidance, protocols, standard operating procedures, training packages and implementation tools.

Background

Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health and development challenge in the WHO South-East Asia Region. Member States need timely, representative and quality-assured data on resistance patterns and antimicrobial use to guide national action plans, clinical and public health interventions, laboratory strategies, stewardship, infection prevention and control, and resource allocation.

Reliable laboratory systems are essential for effective AMR surveillance, including accurate bacterial and fungal identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, diagnostic stewardship, specimen referral, quality management and standardized data flows. WHO supports Member States, country offices and partners to strengthen sustainable surveillance and laboratory systems aligned with WHO standards and GLASS. This roster will help WHO SEARO identify specialists for time-bound regional or country assignments based on emerging needs.

Deliverables

Under the overall guidance of WHO technical unit, consultants may be requested to perform one or more of the following assignments (a more specific Terms of Reference (TORs), including the exact deliverables, duration of assignment and place of assignment will be shared with the selected candidate at the time of hiring for a specific assignment):

Deliverable 1: Surveillance and laboratory assessment. Conduct desk or country assessment of AMR surveillance systems, data flows, governance arrangements, indicators, data quality, bacteriology and mycology capacity, laboratory networks, diagnostic stewardship and reporting processes, with prioritized and feasible recommendations

Deliverable 2: Technical products and implementation tools. Design assignment-specific protocols, standard operating procedures, data dictionaries, validation checklists, surveillance tools, indicator frameworks, laboratory-strengthening plans, survey materials, diagnostic-stewardship tools, guidance documents or One Health implementation products

Deliverable 3: Data and analytical outputs. Develop cleaned or validated datasets; statistical, microbiological or genomic analyses; reproducible code or pipelines; tables, figures, maps, dashboards or visualization specifications; interpretation notes; and quality documentation, as applicable

Deliverable 4: Laboratory and diagnostic products. Adapt guidance documents, training packages and tools for clinical bacteriology and mycology; laboratory quality management; antimicrobial susceptibility testing; external quality assurance; specimen referral; laboratory networks; and diagnostic stewardship.

Deliverable 5: Capacity-development package. Develop training needs findings, curricula, presentations, exercises, job aids, workshop or webinar facilitation, mentoring records and a brief evaluation of learning and follow-up needs.

Deliverable 6: Reporting and knowledge products. Prepare GLASS submission-related outputs, national or regional surveillance reports, laboratory-capacity reports, policy briefs, technical reports, manuscripts, systematic reviews, presentations or other communication products.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational qualifications

Essential:

Band level B: A first university degree or medical degree in epidemiology, public health, medicine, clinical microbiology, laboratory sciences, biostatistics, statistics, mathematical modelling, health informatics, data science, computer science, bioinformatics, veterinary public health, environmental health, pharmacy, health economics or another field relevant to the assignment.

Band level C: An advanced university degree or medical degree with postgraduate specialization in one of the fields listed above or another field relevant to the assignment.

Desirable: Additional postgraduate training, specialization or professional certification relevant to the technical profile, such as clinical microbiology, bacteriology, mycology, field epidemiology, laboratory quality management, diagnostic stewardship, data analytics, geographic information systems, genomic epidemiology, health information systems, monitoring and evaluation, or adult learning.

Experience

Essential

Band level B: At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in one or more of the technical profiles advertised.

Band level C: 

• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in one or more of the advertised technical profiles.

• Demonstrated experience producing high-quality, assignment-relevant outputs such as surveillance assessments, protocols, analytical products, laboratory tools, technical reports, training packages, dashboards, scientific publications or policy products.

• For laboratory-focused assignments, essential experience may include one or more of the following:

• Implementation of recognized antimicrobial susceptibility testing standards, such as CLSI or EUCAST.

• Microbiological proficiency testing or external quality-assurance programmes.

• Bacteriology or mycology laboratory assessments and laboratory-system strengthening.

• Mycological diagnosis, diagnostic stewardship or laboratory quality management.

Desirable

• Experience with AMR surveillance and GLASS-related methods, tools or reporting.

• Experience working with ministries of health, national AMR programmes, public health institutes, reference laboratories, academic institutions or One Health coordination mechanisms.

• Experience in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in the WHO South-East Asia Region.

• Experience with WHO, another United Nations entity or an international public health organization.

• Experience facilitating multidisciplinary or multisectoral work and transferring skills to national teams.

• Experience implementing infectious-disease surveys or clinical research studies in accordance with good clinical and data-management practices.

• A publication record in peer-reviewed journals or authorship of technical guidance, national reports, research proposals, systematic reviews or evidence-synthesis products.

• Experience developing and applying bioinformatics pipelines, where relevant to the assignment.

Skills and knowledge

Essential

• Advanced knowledge and competence in at least one advertised technical profile, with a sound understanding of public health surveillance or laboratory-system principles relevant to the assignment.

• Ability to apply relevant WHO standards, methods and tools to national or regional contexts.

• Ability to analyse complex information, assure data or laboratory quality, interpret findings and formulate practical recommendations.

• Excellent technical writing, presentation and communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex findings clearly to technical and policy audiences.

• Ability to work effectively in multicultural and multidisciplinary settings and to deliver quality outputs within agreed timelines.

• For laboratory-focused assignments, essential competencies may include quality-assured microbiological testing, assessment of bacteriology or mycology laboratories, and design or implementation of external quality-assurance programmes.

Desirable

• Knowledge of GLASS, national AMR surveillance systems, One Health surveillance and relevant laboratory standards.

• Knowledge of laboratory networks and specimen-referral systems in resource-limited settings and associated challenges.

• Proficiency in one or more relevant platforms or languages, such as R, R Markdown, R Shiny, Python, SQL, Power BI, DHIS2, geographic information systems, statistical software, laboratory information systems, web technologies or bioinformatics tools.

• Knowledge of data governance, privacy, security, interoperability and reproducible analytical practices.

• Knowledge of adult learning, training design, facilitation and mentoring approaches.

Languages and level required

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. 

Desirable: Intermediate or expert knowledge of another official United Nations language or a language used in a WHO South-East Asia Region Member State, where relevant to the assignment.

Location

Consultancies may be: Home-based, Country-based, Regional Office-based, or a combination of remote and in-country support. The duty arrangement for each consultancy will be specified in the individual Terms of Reference.

Travel

The consultant may be expected to travel to one or more WHO South-East Asia Region Member States for country assessments, laboratory assessments, technical consultations, training or other assignment-related activities. Travel dates, locations and purpose will be specified in the individual Terms of Reference and arranged in accordance with applicable WHO policies.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded)

Remuneration: Band level B and/or Band level C, as applicable to the assignment. The daily or monthly rate will be established in accordance with the applicable WHO consultant remuneration guidance and stated in the individual Terms of Reference.

Living expenses: Not applicable for home-based work. When an assignment requires on-site presence or travel, applicable travel and subsistence arrangements will be specified separately in accordance with WHO policies.

Expected duration of contract: Roster assignments may range from short inputs to several months, up to a maximum of 11 months per calendar year. Each individual Terms of Reference will specify the contract duration, number of working days and, for part-time assignments, the expected percentage or level of effort.

Additional information

• This vacancy notice is being issued for establishing Roster of International consultant – Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance and/or laboratory strengthening for AMR.

• 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.

• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

• The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs.

• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to  reasonableaccommodation@who.int

• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. 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 (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) 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 short-listed candidates.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.

• WHO shall have no responsibility 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.

• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.

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