International Consultant - Environment and health governance for implementation of the EHP commitments
Purpose of consultancy
The consultant will contribute to WHO ECEH's work in providing Secretariat services to the EHP Partnerships and promoting their visibility.
Background
The WHO European Centre for Environment and Health (WHO ECEH) supports Member States in the WHO European Region in their efforts to strengthen environment and health policies. WHO ECEH serves as the secretariat for the European Environment and Health Process (EHP) which is strategically aligned with WHO Regional Office for Europe Second European Programme of Work 2026–2030.
The EHP, which is an intergovernmental process, operates under agreed programmes of work and strategic frameworks that translate the commitments adopted at the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health (Budapest, 2023) into prioritized actions and deliverables.
To translate political commitments into action and strengthen national capacities, Member States established the EHP Partnerships as a voluntary, country-led mechanism for collaboration on shared priorities under the Budapest Declaration. The EHP Partnerships are approved and operate in accordance with decisions made by the European Environment and Health Task Force (EHTF), the main governing body of the EHP, with WHO ECEH providing overall support.
WHO ECEH plays a critical enabling role by providing coordination, technical support and a secretariat and administrative backbone to all six EHP Partnerships. This support enables countries to collaborate efficiently, comply with WHO procedures, and sustain momentum over time. Effective visibility and promotion support targeted investment and are essential for strengthening implementation across Partnerships and maximizing their contribution to delivering the Budapest commitments.
At the 16th EHTF Bureau meeting in May 2026, based on feedback received and ongoing consultations with the EHTF, Member States proposed highlighting the work of the EHP Partnerships at the upcoming EHTF meeting, scheduled to take place in Dublin, Ireland, from 24–26 November 2026.
Deliverables:
1. Technical Coordination and Communication of the EHP Partnerships
- Revise the template questionnaire for the six EHP Partnerships to support the collection of information on progress, achievements, challenges, priorities, and planned activities.
- Engage with the lead countries of the six EHP Partnerships and relevant WHO technical programme focal points to collect, validate, and consolidate inputs for a comprehensive overview of progress across the Partnerships, including the identification of priorities, gaps, and operational needs.
- Draft updated technical content for six EHP Partnership leaflets for subsequent editing, design, and publication by the EHP Secretariat, ensuring alignment with WHO templates, terminology, and branding requirements.
- Draft the annual report on the implementation of the EHP Partnerships, including a narrative summary of activities, achievements, challenges, and key highlights.
- Develop a detailed video script showcasing the work of the six EHP Partnerships, liaise with Partnership leads and technical programme staff to collect, consolidate and address comments and recommendations from up to three rounds of video review.
- Draft three newsletter contributions, web and photo stories, and 3-5 social media content packages (e.g. carousel posts, reels, infographics), in line with WHO communication standards.
- Provide technical review of Partnership-related governance and communication materials prepared by the EHP Secretariat (e.g., key messages, newsletters, web and social media content), in coordination with the EHP Partnerships' leads, ensuring consistency with approved Partnerships workplans, WHO terminology, and agreed messaging.
- Maintain the general EHP SharePoint and individual EHP Partnership pages by ensuring timely updates and the relevance of the latest products, resources, and materials.
- Monitor and analyze statistics related to social media content.
2. Technical inputs to the preparation and follow-up of the EHTF
The consultant will provide technical inputs to ensure effective participation and visibility of the six EHP Partnerships at the 16th EHTF meeting (Dublin, Ireland, November 2026). This will include:
- Compile and structure inputs from the six EHP Partnerships for incorporation into the EHTF programme, meeting documentation, and communication materials.
- Draft Partnership-related session briefs (objectives, potential speakers, discussion topics, and expected outputs), key messages, speaking points, and background materials for EHTF and Bureau discussions.
- Prepare content for Partnership-related programme elements, including the Partnership Café, Partnership presentations, exhibition materials, and other activities showcasing Partnership achievements and opportunities for engagement.
- Compile examples of good practice, case studies, and success stories from all six Partnerships for use during the EHTF meeting and related communication activities.
- Draft Partnership-related summaries, key outcomes, and follow-up inputs arising from discussions during the EHTF meeting.
Deliverables and timeline:
D1 EHP Partnerships package - 30 November 2026
- annual report
- six updated leaflets
- Video script and final video
- two newsletter sections
- two web/photo stories
- 3–5 social media content packages
D2. Progress report on services and contributions provided for the 16th EHTF - 30 November 2026
- Draft Partnership-related session briefs
- Compilation of the examples of good practice, case studies and success stories from Partnerships
- Draft Chapter on the EHP Partnerships work for the report of the EHTF meeting
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Educational Qualifications:
Essential: Bachelor’s degree in public health and/or environmental studies, or equivalent.
Desirable: Experience in journalism, communication, media studies and/or professional experience working with Member States and international organizations, including the UN.
Experience
Essential:
a) Up to 5 years (preferable 3 years) of professional experience supporting international policy processes, programmes or capacity-building initiatives in environment and health and/or intersectoral governance.
b) Experience working with United Nations organizations, international organizations or other multilateral institutions.
c) Experience working with Member States, government institutions and a broad range of stakeholders is an asset.
d) Demonstrated experience supporting intergovernmental meetings, technical consultations or policy dialogues.
e) Demonstrated experience drafting technical reports, policy documents, communication materials or other analytical products.
f) Proven experience managing multiple parallel workstreams and delivering high-quality outputs within tight deadlines and with minimal supervision.
Skills/Knowledge:
Essential:
a) Excellent writing and communication skills in English, with the ability to write for both technical and policy audiences
b) Demonstrated ability to synthesize technical inputs from multiple sources into clear, decision-oriented briefs and meeting documentation
c) Knowledge of WHO style/branding and digital content requirements is an asset
d) Strong coordination and stakeholder engagement skills, including working with Member State focal points and intersectoral partners.
e) Knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams.
f) Applicants should have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.
Desirable:
Experience in writing, social media and multimedia production.
Languages and level required (Basic/Intermediate/Expert):
Essential:
Expert knowledge of English
Desirable:
Knowledge of another WHO/Europe official language would be an asset.
Location
“On site for insurance purposes only” where the consultant will work from home based, involving travels.
Travel
May have to travel to Ireland 24-25 November for the EHTF meeting (TBC).
Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):
- Remuneration: Payband level A - Remuneration currency (USD)
- Payband range: US$198 – 349/per day (US$3955 – 6980/month)
Expected duration of contract (Maximum contract duration is 11 months per calendar year):
40 days between September-December 2026
Additional Information:
This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
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.
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