WHO Academy Advisory Group on Lifelong Learning in Health

Deadline: 31 October 2023, 24:00h (midnight) Geneva time

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the WHO Academy Advisory Group on Lifelong Learning in 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

The WHO Academy is a priority initiative of the WHO transformation Agenda and will support accelerated learning towards achievement of the health Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The Academy aims to reach learners with innovative digital, and state-of-the-art in-person learning experiences.  Academy courses will be accessible through its digital learning experience platform and via the campus in Lyon. The Academy’s Lyon Campus will feature a world-class simulation centre and collaboration spaces for learning, co-design, and research for health impact. 

The Academy’s learning design approach will bring together adult learning science, behavioural science and cutting-edge learning technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality. The Academy will combine this approach with WHO’s norms, standards and evidence to deliver high-impact quality, immersive and tailored multilingual learning to meet diverse needs. Learning programmes will be targeted to a wide range of multisectoral stakeholders that can influence health, including leaders, educators, researchers, health workers, WHO workforce and the broader public. It will be run as an internal WHO Division headed by an Executive Director. The WHO Academy Advisory Group on Lifelong Learning in Health (the “AG”) will act as an advisory body to WHO in this field.

Functions of the WHO Academy Advisory Group on Lifelong Learning in Health

The Academy Advisory Group on Lifelong Learning in Health (AG) will provide scientific and strategic advice on:

1. the Academy’s programmatic direction to ensure achievement of its objectives to advance WHO’s priorities with sustainability, quality and impact at scale;
2. the implementation of innovative approaches to deliver lifelong learning opportunities in health globally;
3. the mobilization of multi-stakeholder platforms for collaboration and outreach across Member States, inter-governmental organizations, and non-state actors; and
4. the leveraging of lessons learned in lifelong-learning and technology, including AI, to improve quality, access and equity.
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Operations of the Academy Advisory Group

The AG shall have up to 12 members, who shall serve in their personal capacities to represent the broad range of disciplines relevant to the work of the WHO Academy. The AG shall normally meet twice a year. However, WHO may convene additional meetings if needed.  AG meetings may be held in person (at the WHO Academy in Lyon or another location, as determined by WHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference.

Who can express interest?

The WHO Academy Advisory Group will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to adult learning, innovative learning technologies, and learning policy, strategy and governance. Approximately 12 members may be selected.

WHO welcomes expressions of interest from:

• internationally renowned experts with an outstanding record of achievement, credibility and be recognized as global thought leaders in their field relevant to the AG;
• have diverse experience and expertise in one or more of the following areas of adult learning: workplace learning and learning transformation and impact, higher education, vocation education, capacity building in health, frontier learning technologies - including artificial intelligence; public health, medical sciences, global health, and fundraising for development;
• individuals with proven experience of operating at the highest strategic level in the public, private or other sectors;
• experts with experience with developing or implementing innovative programmes or policies; and
• individuals that subscribe to the values and ethical code of WHO.
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Submitting your expression of interest

To register your interest in being considered for the WHO Academy Advisory Group, please submit the following documents by 31 October 2023, 24:00h (midnight) Geneva time to https://whoacademy.awardsplatform.com/:  

• 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 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 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 a 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. AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.

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 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 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 academy@who.int well before the applicable deadline.