Deadline extended to the end of Friday 26th April (due to an IT issue on Sunday 21st April, which has been resolved)
Issued on: Friday 8th March
Deadline: Friday 26thApril
Link to online application form: Technical Advisory Group on Behavioural Sciences for Better Health
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Behavioural Sciences for Better Health. 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
Human behaviour affects health outcomes. Behavioural sciences investigate the psychological, social, and environmental drivers and barriers that influence health-related behaviours. Social and behavioural evidence on what influences behaviours at the individual, community, and population level can improve the design of policies, programmes, communications, products and services aimed at achieving better heath for all. Applying behavioural and social sciences requires a multidisciplinary approach and the adoption of theory, methods, research, practical tools and techniques drawn from psychology, sociology, anthropology, communications, marketing, economics, systems thinking and design thinking, among others. Behavioural and social sciences evidence can contribute to and complement other public health efforts that focus on the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes.
In May 2023, all Member States of the World Health Assembly adopted the Behavioural Sciences for Better Health resolution. Dozens of statements were pronounced by countries from around the world in support for more and systematic use of behavioural science and there is great enthusiasm and commitment to boosting efforts in this area for health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is undertaking a transformation process aimed at promoting health, keeping the world safe and serving the vulnerable. As part of this process, WHO recognizes the need to explore and understand the many factors affecting human behaviours and practices for the success of health policies and programmes aimed at helping people and communities live healthier lives.
The Technical Advisory Group (the “TAG”) will act as an advisory body to WHO in this field.
Functions of the Technical Advisory Group on Behavioural Sciences for Better Health
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the TAG shall have the following functions:
- To provide independent assessment of the scientific, technical and strategic aspects of applying the behavioural sciences to public health
- To advise WHO on how to adopt behavioural science perspectives to support WHO work
- To advise WHO on how to tackle priority areas for implementation of behavioural science approaches within WHO and in Member States
- To advise WHO on the implementation of the Behavioural Sciences for Better Health Resolution
- To make recommendations to WHO for the adoption of operational frameworks for the mainstreaming of behavioural sciences into WHO operations, particularly in providing technical advice on national health policies and programme planning.
Operations of the Technical Advisory Group on Behavioural Sciences for Better Health
The TAG shall normally meet in plenary at least once every two years in person at WHO headquarters in Geneva and three to five times a year as needed using video conferencing.
TAG members may be invited by WHO to review documentation, in accordance with the TAG functions, outside of TAG meetings and to provide their views for consideration.
The TAG may be invited to establish smaller working groups (sub-groups of the TAG) to work on specific issues based on the relevance of their technical experience. Their deliberations shall take place via reviewing and providing written feedback on documents with additional teleconference or video-conference calls as necessary.
The working language of the group will be English.
Who can express interest?
The Technical Advisory Group on Behavioural Sciences for Better Health will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to applying social and behavioural sciences to public health. Up to 20 may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from:
- Academics, scientists, public health professionals, and policymakers with a proven track record of:
- Experience applying frameworks, theories, and methods from the social and behavioural sciences
- Understanding of current debates and issues (points of contention) within the fields of social and behavioural sciences
- Experience of applying social and behavioural sciences pragmatically to address public health problems
- Experience of applying social and behavioural sciences in low- and middle-income countries
- Experience of advising governments to apply social and behavioural sciences to public health
- With extensive expertise in the following fields or similar:
- Anthropology
- Behavioural Economics
- Psychology
- Sociology
- With desirable applied experience with:
- Systems-thinking
- Design thinking
- Communications
- Marketing
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the Technical Advisory Group on Behavioural Sciences for Better Health, please answer the questions and submit the following documents via this link to the DataForm survey (Technical Advisory Group on Behavioural Sciences for Better Health) by the end of the day on Friday 26th April 2024:
- Your curriculum vitae
- A cover letter is optional. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore, do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer.
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 (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). 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, online or 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 AG will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account relevant technical expertise and the complementarity of behavioural science disciplines among the group. 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 an 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 AG 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 will 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 behavioural.insights@who.int well before the deadline.