When using the WHO eManual

 

​Question

​Answer

​What is the WHO eManual

​The WHO eManual serves as the centralized authoritative source of information on WHO's policies and it is mandatory for all staff to comply with the policies and procedures contained therein.

Who owns the WHO eManual?

While the Assistant Director-General for General Management oversees the maintenance of the WHO eManual, the policies detailed therein are the responsibilities of different departments - a list of focal points can be found on the WHO eManual homepage.

Can Regional Offices have policies that are specific to their regions?

The WHO eManual is the authoritative source of information on WHO’s policies applicable worldwide. Regional specific policies must be in alignment with the global policies presented in the WHO eManual.

The WHO eManual contradicts another official document. Which one should I be following?

The WHO eManual is the centralized authoritative source of information on the World Health Organization's policies and should be aligned with other policies. If this is not the case, please notify the focal point for the section in question as well as emanual@who.int regarding the conflicting information.

Is the WHO eManual available in languages other than English?

While the policies in the WHO eManual are only available in English, supporting documents have been included in other languages – mainly French – when available.

How can I navigate through the WHO eManual?

The general structure of the WHO eManual is shown on the left-hand side of the screen and this toolbar can also be used to navigate through the different parts, sections and policy pages. For further information on how to navigate through the WHO eManual, go to the section: Getting around in the WHO eManual. You can also use the cross-referencing links in the text to navigate between related sections.

How do I search for a specific topic?

A search box is available at the top right-hand corner of every page of the WHO eManual in which you can type your query. Keep in mind that you might not get a result because you are not using the correct terminology – for example holidays instead of annual leaves.

The policy topic I am interested in is covered under different parts or sections. How can I be certain that I have looked at all the information?

It is true that some matters are covered in different areas of the WHO eManual – this is why you will find cross-references in the text where a link to another part or section is needed. Click on the link to go to the other element of information – click on the back arrow of your browser to go back to the previous policy page.

Is it possible to print the content of the WHO eManual?

Yes. Navigate to the part or section of the WHO eManual that you want to print and click the “Print Part” or “Print Section” link. This creates a PDF document that contains the entire part or section that you can then print or save. Please keep in mind, however, that the WHO eManual is continuously updated, so printed or downloaded copies of the WHO eManual might contain policy information that are no longer valid when you refer to them later.

Can I contact someone if I have questions or suggestions about the system?

The WHO eManual is a system that evolves based on the feedback received from users. You are therefore encouraged to send your questions and suggestions to emanual@who.int.

Who has access to the WHO eManual?

​All WHO staff members worldwide have access to the WHO eManual and are able to use it.

How can I access the WHO eManual from outside the office?

You can access the WHO eManual from outside WHO using Direct Access from your WHO laptop or by using your Vconnect token and connecting via http://vconnect.who.int.

There is an error on a policy page. How do I report it?

You can contact the Focal Point for the section under which the policy page is published. A list of focal points can be found on the WHO eManual homepage.

When clicking on a link to a specific paragraph on another policy page, it does not go to the said paragraph but remains at the top of the text.

This will occur in the following cases: either the bookmark for this paragraph is not defined correctly or there is a mistake in the link itself. Inform the Focal Point for the section under which the policy page is published.

Can I print a specific paragraph?

To print a specific paragraph, select the text in the WHO eManual using your mouse, copy it to a Microsoft Word document and print it. Please keep in mind, however, that the WHO eManual is continuously updated, so printed or downloaded copies of the WHO eManual might contain policy information that are no longer valid when you refer to them later.

I clicked on a link to a Microsoft Office document and it does not open. Why is that?

​The link to the document might be incorrect, in which case, ask the focal point for this specific section to correct it.

If the link appears to be correct, the problem might be linked to your Global Synergy profile. Contact the Global Service Desk and ask them to verify your profile.

How will I be notified when there are changes to the WHO eManual?

A list of updates made to the WHO eManual is accessible from every page, under the Help Box: View Policy Updates.

How do I report broken links or mistakes?

You can contact the Focal Point for the section under which the policy page is published. A list of focal points can be found on the WHO eManual homepage.

The WHO eManual does not contain information regarding my topic of interest, whom should I contact?

You can send an email to emanual@who.int and to the focal point in charge of the part or section in which you consider the missing information should be.



When contributing content to the WHO eManual

 

Question​

​Answer

What happens to my page if the approver rejects it?

The policy page remains in draft mode and is checked in. All the latest changes are saved. Open the policy page in Edit Mode and make the necessary adjustments. Once ready, resubmit the page for approval.  The version visible to end-users is unchanged and corresponds to the latest approved version.

I would like a new part to be added to the WHO eManual. How should I proceed?

Send an email to emanual@who.int. The process will require approval from the director of the unit requesting the new part and from the Legal office.

How do I link to a specific paragraph on the page I am creating or updating?

You should first of all create a bookmark for that paragraph and aftwards add the link to this specific paragraph. Instructions are available in the section Modifying a policy page.

I need to reorganize the part I am responsible for. How should I proceed?

Send an email to emanual@who.int. The process will require approval from the director of the unit requesting the reorganization of the part. Because of the possible implications of such changes throughout the entire WHO eManual, changes to the structure or titles of parts and sections are limited.

My supervisor wants me to become the contributor for our content on the WHO eManual. Whom should I contact to get access?

In order to be granted access to the system as a contributor, the Director or ADG requesting the nomination should email emanual@who.int.

I am a newly appointed contributor. How can get trained on using the WHO eManual?

​The guidelines available directly from the WHO eManual cover all the actions you would have to perform as a contributor and provide step by step instructions.

For any questions no covered in the guidelines, email emanual@who.int.

I have received an email to approve a page but the link to the page on the email does not work. How can I access the page to review it?

You can access the policy page by browsing to it using the navigation bar on the left-hand side of the screen.

I would like to compare the versions of the page before approving it. Is it possible? How can I do it?

Using the Navigation bar, browse to the policy page and from the PAGE tab, click on Page History. A new page will be displayed, where changes will be highlighted. By default, the comparison is done with the currently published page. To compare the page under review to an older one, use the option on the left hand side of the screen.

I simply opened the page in Edit Mode, without changing anything. Do I have to go through the approval process anyway?

No, you can simply discard your check out. Changes made since the last time the page was checked in are lost.

I want to create a link to a paragraph on another section but it does not work. What happened?

Some paragraphs or headings do not have a bookmark defined. If you are not able to link to a specific destination, contact the focal point or contributor for the policy page and ask for a bookmark to be added.

I received a notification email that my approval workflow has been cancelled but I did not do it. What happened?

Approval workflows are automatically cancelled by the system when the page under review is accessed in Edit Mode before the workflow is completed.

I am trying to approve a page but the link in the email does not work. How can I review and approve the page?

You can open the policy page by simply browsing to it using the navigation bar, on the left-hand side of the screen.

The page I want to edit does not open. Why?

The policy page is probably checked-out to another contributor or approver. In order to see to whom the page is checked out to, go to Settings > Site Content > Pages. A new page will open where you can see to whom the page is checked out to.