Call is closed
Serial No. 2024/May/159
Deadline: 23h59 CET, 1 November 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts interested in serving as members of the Technical Advisory Group on Integrated Clinical Care (TAG-IC2). 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.
The Technical Advisory Group on Integrated Clinical Care (TAG-IC2) is a body with up to 24 experts. The TAG-IC2 includes expertise in the fields of primary care, emergency care, critical care and operative care. In the selection of the members, consideration will be given to attaining an adequate technical distribution of expertise, geographical representation and gender balance. There will be an emphasis on expertise of relevance to low- and middle-income settings.
TAG-IC2 members serve in their personal capacities, based on their scientific and technical knowledge and experience, as well as their commitment and willingness to volunteer the necessary time and effort. The TAG-IC2 has no executive, regulatory, or decision-making function.
To attain balance in representation, WHO particularly welcomes expressions of interest at this time from health care professionals, scientists, and healthcare regulators with expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Primary care
- Emergency care
- Critical care
- Operative care
The TAG-IC2 also will seek candidates who possess broader expertise and have the capacity to contribute to multiple subgroups of the TAG-IC2. Please see additional details and information on how to submit an expression of interest below.
Background
As part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), all Member States of the United Nations have committed to achieving universal health coverage (UHC). High quality clinical care, informed by evidence-based approaches, forms a critical foundation for UHC and leads to improved health outcomes. WHO supports countries in improving the quality of clinical care by providing effective people-centred guidelines, protocols and decision-support tools. The integration of clinical services and information across delivery channels and platforms further improves quality and helps ensure that people get the right care in the right place at the right time.
The Technical Advisory Group on Integrated Clinical Care (TAG-IC2) is the principal advisory group to WHO for clinical support tools related to primary, emergency, critical and operative care. TAG-IC2 advises WHO on the development and revision of integrated evidence-based guidance, standards, protocols and pathways across these four delivery channels.
Functions of the TAG-IC2
- To provide independent evaluation of the scientific, technical and strategic aspects of primary, emergency, critical and operative care;
- To advise WHO on the scope and characteristics of clinical care guidance documents;
- To provide support and advice to WHO on evidence retrieval and synthesis;
- To provide advice to WHO on validation of clinical recommendations through expert review;
- To provide advice to WHO on validation of curricula and learning modules; and
To identify areas where ad-hoc experts are needed to provide additional review.
Operations of the TAG-IC2
The TAG-IC2 will be convened for up to three meetings annually either virtually or in person. However, WHO may convene additional meetings. The frequency and format of meetings will be decided by WHO. The TAG-IC2 may decide to establish smaller working groups (sub-groups of the TAG-IC2) to work on specific issues related to primary, emergency, operative, and critical care. Their deliberations shall take place via teleconference or video-conference. The working language of the group will be English.
Who can express interest
The TAG-IC2 will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to primary care, emergency care, critical care and operative care and (approximately 6 per clinical area). Approximately 24 members may be selected.
In the selection of the members, consideration will be given to attaining an adequate technical distribution of expertise, geographical representation and gender balance. There will be an emphasis on expertise of relevance to low- and middle- income settings.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the TAG-IC2, please submit the following documents by 1 November 2024, 23h59 Geneva time to IC2@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the TAG-IC2 – serial No. 2024/May/159:
- 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;
- Primary and secondary (if any) workstream(s) you would like to be considered for (i.e. primary care, emergency care, critical care, operative care) and describe any clinical content areas in which you have particular interest and expertise (e.g. palliative care, resuscitation, care coordination).
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://covid.comesa.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by a selection panel. 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 technical advisory groups (TAGs) 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 TAG 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 TAG 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://covid.comesa.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). TAG 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 TAG.
The selection of members of the TAG 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 TAG 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 TAG-IC2 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 TAG, disband an existing TAG or modify the work of the TAG.
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 website.
TAG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the TAG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of TAG members to participate in TAG 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 IC2@who.int well before the applicable deadline.