OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks and, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations.

The Health Emergency Intelligence and Surveillance Systems division (WSE) is responsible for building a system of collaborative intelligence enabling better decisions to avert and manage public health threats and risks. Its goal is to enable, strengthen and support countries, regional and global actors in averting and managing public health threats and risks through collaborative problem solving and decision-making for short-term action and long-term policies, informed by better data and analytics.

The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence (WHO Pandemic Hub) is a new office of WHO, located in Berlin, Germany. It works with partners to enable the generation of public health relevant information to provide timely actionable insights in response to health emergencies; improve decision making in response to public health threats. It also aims to reduce data fragmentation and inefficiency by creating an ecosystem that promotes collaboration across multiple professional disciplines, sectors, and initiatives; and empower decision makers, public health professionals, and civil society to make informed public health decisions.

The Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) initiative is the world’s leading initiative for open-source intelligence for public health decision-making. It is led by the WHO as part of its constitutional mandate as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work and hosted in the Intelligence, Innovation and Integration unit at the WHO Pandemic Hub. Used daily by governments and organizations around the world, the EIOS system uses cutting-edge technology to harness the power of open-source data for the detection and assessment of public health threats, in near real time. This information provides decision-makers with a crucial time advantage and evidence they can use for quick and effective action. The overarching mission of EIOS is to help public health leaders around the world protect their populations from disease outbreaks and health emergencies before they escalate into bigger crises.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Terms of reference

The intern is assigned to support various communication activities around the EIOS initiative but with a specific focus on the 2024 EIOS Global Technical Meeting (GTM) in Dakar, Senegal, in December 2024, including on-the ground support. Under the supervision of a technical expert, the intern is assigned the agreed terms of reference:

• Assist in organizing workshops, meetings, conferences, events
• Participate in the development of communication products and promotional materials
• Monitor the GTM/event mailbox, answer or triage individual questions to responsible individuals or entities within the Unit
• Support communication with GTM/event speakers and participants as needed
• Attend regular check in meetings with the Engagement Officer and other parties involved in the event organization to assess planning progress
• Assist in drafting, formatting and editing the event report in collaboration with rapporteur
• Provide any other support required

Learning objectives

The purpose of the WHO Internship Programme is to provide an enriching learning experience for students and recent graduates. At the conclusion of this internship, the intern will be able to:

• identify the objectives and stakeholders of the programme/area of work
• communicate clearly and effectively about the programme/area of work
• navigate interactions with a large variety of stakeholders
• support the organization of events at a global level

DURATION OF INTERNSHIP

24 weeks – tentative start date 2 September 2024

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Having completed the equivalent of at least three years of full-time studies in a degree in communication sciences or international relations at a university or equivalent institution prior to commencing the assignment; AND be enrolled in a course of study at a university or equivalent institution leading to a formal qualification (applicants who have already graduated may also qualify for consideration provided that they apply to the internship within six months after completion of their formal qualification).

Skills

Core competencies

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Planning & organizing

All interns should be able to demonstrate the following skills in line with the WHO core competencies:

• Communicating effectively orally and in writing
• Showing willingness to learn from mistakes
• Producing and delivering quality results
• Working collaboratively with team members from all backgrounds
• Ability to organise workload efficiently and effectively; multi-task, prioritize and work independently

In addition, interns need to be familiar with commonly used computer programmes, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Teams. Knowledge of graphic design and audio-visual production programs of advantage.

Experience

• Demonstrated experience in writing for various audiences and channels
• International experience is desirable; ideally prior experience in low-and middle-income countries or in an international organization
• Experience in organizing events is desirable, ideally including participants from the public sector

Languages

Essential: Expert knowledge of English (oral and written)
Desirable: Expert/Intermediate knowledge of French
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of other UN language.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Interns do not receive a salary. They do, however, receive a living allowance. The allowance depends on the duty station and other external support (grant, scholarships, etc.) received by the intern. In Berlin, the maximum amount of the allowance provided by WHO is 1254 Euro per month. The exact amount of the living allowance will be calculated for each intern, after selection, based on a legal financial disclosure form that the individual will complete. WHO also provides all interns with accident and medical insurance coverage.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Please note that internships at WHO are very competitive and only a small number of applicants will be accepted every year. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• Living abroad is expensive and finding accommodation can be challenging. All intern candidates should be aware of these factors before they consider applying for a WHO Internship.
• If selected for a WHO Internship, candidates will be required to provide certified copies of proof of enrolment in an eligible course of studies, a completed WHO medical certificate of fitness for work, and the contact details for reference checks.
• 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/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 final candidates.
• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff 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.
• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email toreasonableaccommodation@who.int
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• 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.