Call for Experts: Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on the Prevention and Control of NCDs

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs). 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

The Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (STAG-NCD) was established in October 2021 to act as an advisory body to WHO to further WHO’s leadership and coordination role in promoting and monitoring global action against noncommunicable diseases.

The aim is to strengthen international and national action in these important public health areas and, thereby, (1) reduce premature mortality from NCDs through prevention and treatment [1] and (2) progressively cover additional people with health services, medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and health technologies [2] and (3) and strengthen efforts to address NCDs as part of UHC [3] and (4) provide guidance on priority activities and pathways to accelerate progress towards achievement of SDG target 3.4 through 2023–2030 [4].

[1] In accordance with SDG targets 3.4 (NCDs and its risk factors), 3.5 (harmful use of alcohol), 3.8 (UHC) and 3.a (tobacco control) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
[2] In accordance with paragraph 24(a) of A/RES/74/2
[3] In accordance with paragraph 33 of A/RES/74/2
[4] In accordance with A/RES/75/10 

Functions of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases

In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the STAG-NCD has the following functions:

• to identify and describe current and future challenges;
• to advise WHO on strategic directions to be prioritized;
• to advise WHO on the development of global strategic documents; and
• to propose other strategic interventions and activities for implementation by WHO.

Operations of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases

The STAG-NCD normally meets twice per year. However, WHO may convene additional meetings. Meetings may be held in person (at WHO headquarters in Geneva or another location, as determined by WHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference.

STAG-NCD members are expected to attend meetings. If a member misses 2 consecutive meetings, WHO may end his/her appointment as a member of the STAG-NCD.

Active participation is expected from all STAG-NCD members, including in teleconferences, and interaction over email. Members may, in advance of meetings, be requested to review meeting documentation and to provide their views for consideration by the STAG-NCD.

The STAG-NCD meetings will be conducted in English. All documentation, including reports and working documents, will be provided in English.

Who can express interest?

The STAG-NCD is multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to the important areas mentioned below. Up to 24 members may be selected.

WHO welcomes expressions of interest from:

Scientists, public health experts, health care professionals, entrepreneurs, innovators and policy-makers representing the broad range of disciplines relevant to prevention of NCDs including, but not limited to: cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, risk factors and social determinants (tobacco use, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, social determinants), health service and primary health care (health system, primary health care and UHC, essential medicines and technologies for NCDs), NCD research and innovation, and public health and epidemiology (public health policies, epidemiology and disease burden) and with expertise in the following areas:

• Raising the priority accorded to NCD in development work at global and national levels.
• Developing national policies and plans for the prevention and control of NCDs and integrating the prevention and control of NCDs into policies across all government departments.
• Integrating the prevention and control of NCDs into PHC and UHC.
• Promoting interventions to reduce the main shared modifiable risk factors for NCDs.
• Promoting partnerships for the prevention and control of NCDs.
• Promote research for the prevention and control of NCDs.
• Monitoring NCDs and their determinants and evaluating progress at the national, regional and global levels.

Existing STAG-NCD members can reapply for an additional term.

Submitting your expression of interest

To register your interest in being considered for the STAG-NCD, please submit the following documents by Friday 1 September 2023 at 23:59 (Geneva time) to NCDDepartment@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for the Prevention and Control of NCDs”:

• 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.
• A signed and completed Declaration of interests (DOI) form for WHO experts, available at  https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.

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 STAG-NCD 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 STAG-NCD 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 STAG-NCD 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 ( https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). STAG-NCD 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 STAG-NCD.

The selection of members of the STAG-NCD 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 STAG-NCD 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 the STAG-NCD will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these 2 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 STAG-NCD, disband an existing STAG-NCD or modify the work of the STAG-NCD. 

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.

STAG-NCD members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the STAG-NCD or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of STAG-NCD members to participate in STAG-NCD 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 NCDDepartment@who.int well before the applicable deadline of 1 September 2023 at 23:59.

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