(2022/April/52)
Issued on 13 April 2022Deadline: 16 May 2022
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members one of the STAG-IH. This “Call for experts” provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.
Background
Following the recommendation made by the Review Committee on the Role of the International Health Regulations (2005) in the Ebola Outbreak and Response (WHA69/21), the WHO Director-General decided to establish the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Infectious Hazards (STAG-IH) to provide independent advice on the infectious hazards that may pose a potential threat to global health security. The STAG-IH will play a distinctive principal advisory role on infectious hazards, without prejudice to the respective mandates and work already carried out by the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee (IOAC) for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme and the IHR emergency committees (EC).
Functions of the STAG-IH
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the STAG-IH shall have the following functions:
- To provide independent assessment of the global context and horizon scanning of infectious diseases with pandemic and epidemic potential including newly emerging and re-emerging zoonosis;
- To advise WHO on the prioritization of WHO’s strategies and activities in prevention, preparedness and response related to infectious hazards with pandemic and epidemic potential;
- Upon requests by WHO and as the overarching group advising WHO on infections hazards with pandemic and epidemic potential, to support the Organization in the coordination of, and in providing oversight on, its various mechanisms involved in infectious hazard prevention and control (e.g., technical/scientific advisory groups on specific disease) for greater global health security;
- Upon requests by WHO, to review information about new and emerging infectious diseases and ongoing outbreaks and provide advice on further investigation, prevention and control, research and innovation;
- Support WHO in providing technical and scientific advice to external or independent groups (e.g., Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB)) on issues related to infectious hazards with pandemic and epidemic potential.
Operations of the STAG-IH
- The STAG-IH shall normally meet at least once each year, in person at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland or another location, as determined by WHO, usually for 2-3 days each time. Interim teleconferences may be required of the members. However, WHO may convene additional meetings. STAG-IH meetings may be held in person at WHO headquarters in Geneva or virtually, via video or teleconference. The working language of the group will be English.
- The quorum for AG meetings shall be two thirds of the members.
- WHO may, at its sole discretion, invite external individuals from time to time to attend the open sessions of an advisory group, or parts thereof, as “observers”. Observers may be invited either in their personal capacity, or as representatives from a governmental institution / intergovernmental organization, or from a non-state actor. WHO will request observers invited in their personal capacity to complete a confidentiality undertaking and a declaration of interests form prior to attending a session of the advisory group. Invitations to observers attending as representatives from non-state actors will be subject to internal due diligence and conflict of interest considerations in accordance with FENSA. Observers invited as representatives may also be requested to complete a confidentiality undertaking. Observers shall normally attend meetings of the AG at their own expense and be responsible for making all arrangements in that regard.
- The STAG-IH may decide to establish smaller working groups (sub-groups of the STAG-IH) to work on specific issues. Their deliberations shall take place via teleconference or video-conference. For these sub-groups, no quorum requirement will apply; the outcome of their deliberations will be submitted to the STAG-IH for review at one of its meetings.
- STAG-IH members are expected to attend meetings. If a member misses two consecutive meetings, WHO may end his/her appointment as a member of the STAG-IH.
- A yearly report shall be submitted by the STAG-IH to WHO (the Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme). All recommendations from the STAG-IH are advisory to WHO, who retains full control over any subsequent decisions or actions regarding any proposals, policy issues or other matters considered by the STAG-IH.
- The STAG-IH shall normally make recommendations by consensus. If, in exceptional circumstances, a consensus on a particular issue cannot be reached, minority opinions will be reflected in the meeting report.
- Active participation is expected from all STAG-IH members, including in working groups, teleconferences, and interaction over email. STAG-IH members may, in advance of AG meetings, be requested to review meeting documentation and to provide their views for consideration by the STAG-IH.
- WHO shall determine the modes of communication by the STAG-IH, including between WHO and the STAG-IH members, and the STAG-IH members among themselves.
- STAG-IH members shall not speak on behalf of, or represent, the STAG-IH or WHO to any third party.
Who can express interest?
The STAG-IH will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to Infectious Hazards of epidemic and pandemic potential. Approximately [25] may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from:
Scientists, public health professionals, policy makers, healthcare professionals, and healthcare regulators with expertise the following areas:
- Epidemiology, modelling, forecasting;
- Public health, policy development;
- Microbiology, Virology, biology, environmental science, zoology, animal models;
- Diagnostics;
- Immunology;
- Infectious disease, Internal medicine, respiratory medicine, travel medicine, tropical medicine, intensive care, immuno-deficiency, gerontology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics;
- Infection prevention and control, hygienist;
- Primary care, community healthcare especially in low and middle-income countries;
- Regulatory science;
- Clinical trials;
- Anthropology, social science;
- Ethics, equity, human rights and gender in public health;
- Science translation, communication, community engagement;
- Pharmacology (anti-microbials, immunotherapy);
- R&D;
- Health Economist, Data scientist/Data analyst;
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the STAG-IH, please submit the following documents by 16 May 2022 24:00h (midnight) Geneva time to stag-ih-secretariat@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the STAG-IH:
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer;
- Your curriculum vitae; and
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts (available here).
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of an AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (available here). AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant AG.
The selection of members of the AGs will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations .The selection of AG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of a AG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.
WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest , to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO’s action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG, disband an existing TAG or modify the work of the AG.
WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.
AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to stag-ih-secretariat@who.int well before the applicable deadline.
