Lead Writer / Ghostwriter (commemorative Publications), Band B

Organizational Context

The WHO African Region's Health Emergencies Preparedness and Response Programme, established in 2016, aims to bolster countries' readiness for public health emergencies. This role sits within the Director's Office, supporting the programme's ten-year milestone (2016-2025) by documenting its evolution, challenges, and impact through commemorative publications.

Job Purpose

The primary purpose of this consultancy is to serve as a Lead Writer/Ghostwriter for two commemorative publications detailing the WHO African Region's Health Emergencies Preparedness and Response Programme's decade of operation (2016-2025). This involves developing rigorous research protocols, conducting extensive documentary reviews, synthesizing complex information from archives and testimonials, and drafting publication-ready manuscripts. The role aims to capture the programme's history, achievements, lessons learned, and impact, thereby strengthening institutional memory and highlighting WHO AFRO's contributions to emergency preparedness and response across Africa. The final output will be two comprehensive manuscripts ready for publication.

Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for developing two detailed research protocols, one quantitative and one qualitative, to guide the production of commemorative publications. This includes framing the structure, narrative, and thematic focus for each manuscript. The role involves conducting an exhaustive documentary review of relevant reports, evaluations, and publications from 2016-2025. A key duty is synthesizing a decade of technical data and archives to extract key narratives, strategic turning points, and significant case studies. The consultant will draft the manuscripts using an accessible yet rigorous style, respecting WHO's institutional voice. They will also highlight unsung heroes and the programme's impact in Member States, collaborating with technical and communications teams for information gathering and validation.

Work Experience

Requires at least ten years of professional experience in public health, with significant international-level experience in developing research protocols and scientific writing. Experience in writing books, strategic reports, or institutional documents for international organizations is desirable, as is knowledge of the UN system, WHO, and African health/geopolitical issues.

Skills

Excellent research methodology (quantitative and qualitative protocols); Excellent writing and narrative skills (storytelling); Ability to synthesize complex information; Professional discretion (ghostwriting); Excellent interpersonal skills for interviews; Autonomy, rigor, and ability to meet deadlines.

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