Introduction
10. This section guides the process for determining Human Resource (HR) requirements and sourcing arrangements at the onset of a graded emergency. It also describes the actions required to put in place the security, medical and administrative arrangements necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals engaged as part of the organization's response to an emergency.
Defining HR requirements
20. At the onset of an emergency, the Delegation of Authority is activated, which gives the WHO Representative (WR) and the incident manager (IM) certain HR responsibilities and authorities that enable them to define HR requirements, develop HR plans, create HR work plans in the Global System Management (GSM) as well as recruit human resources from available sourcing mechanisms (roster and non-roster). The IM has delegated authority to define HR requirements for Grade 1,2, or 3 acute events, and the WR has delegated authority for protracted emergencies.
30. The IM or WR defines HR requirements for the response based upon standard incident management system (IMS) roles and terms of reference (TORs), develops an HR deployment plan and organogram with details of the location, grade, title, reporting lines, incumbent, type of position. For the Headquarters (HQ) incident management support team (IMST), the Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (EXD/WHE) will approve the positions (staff and non-staff).
40. The IM or WR, together with the planning and/or administrative focal point, develops the budget and defines funding requirements for the required human resources for the response.
50. The IM or WR is responsible for ensuring the availability of funding at the event site for the defined HR requirements and submits a CFE request as required if funding is not immediately available.
60. The administrative focal point at the country office level creates an Outbreak and Crisis Response (OCR) HR work plan where staff and non-staff positions will be managed. The WHE HQ HR Team also maintains a scalable Emergency Event Response (EER) work plan with generic positions, based on the IMS functions, that can be used at the onset of an emergency to rapidly deploy external candidates, pending the creation of HR work plan in the Country Office. The template for developing the HR plan can be found in Related Content.
Approval of the HR Plan
70. The table below extracted from WHO eManual XVII.2.8: Delegation of Authority, sets out the delegation of authority for the development of HR plans and the sourcing of candidates:
| # | Delegation of Authority Description | Acute | Protracted |
| Item 5 | To develop the strategic and operational plan for the response, including the HR plan, and to request allocation of human resources from available sourcing mechanisms (roster or non-roster). | IM HR plans to be approved by: • WR (Grade 1, 2 or 3) • RED (Grade 2 or 3) • RD (Grade 2 or 3) • EXD (Grade 3) | WR HR plans to be approved by: • WR (Grade 1, 2 or 3) • RED (Grade 2 or 3) • RD (Grade 2 or 3) • EXD (Grade 3) |
Defining medical and security requirements
80. In consultation with the HQ Security Services (SEC) and Director, Staff Health and Wellbeing (SHW) services, decisions are made on the following aspects of security and medical:
- Security Risk is assessed and defined
- Focal points for Security and Medevac are designated
- Any additional security clearance and/or briefing and location/medium are defined
- Any additional medical requirements and briefings and location/medium are defined
90. These additional security and medical requirements form part of the pre-deployment arrangements/formalities the Designated HR Team establishes in close coordination with the SEC, SHW and the Administrative Officer/Operations Officer (AO/OO) and HR Focal point in the Country Office for that particular emergency.
Determining deployment priorities and sourcing mechanisms
100. Based on the level and scale of the emergency, WR or the IM, in consultation with the Regional Emergency Director (RED)/Event Management Support Team (EMS) and the HR lead determine deployment priorities based upon which sourcing mechanisms are confirmed.
110.The HR lead for international deployments may be a WHE RO or HQ HRO Focal Point; the HR Lead for National Deployment is WCO HR Focal Point.
| Phase 1 | Country office staff repurposed to provide the initial and immediate response to the emergency
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| Phase 2 | Rapid Response Teams comprised of WHO staff members from the WHE across the three (3) levels of the Organization, who can be deployed as individuals or in pre-defined teams for immediate response and may also include individuals from the GOARN networks. Internal Surge Teams comprised of WHO staff members who can be deployed to support ongoing response efforts.
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| Phase 3 | Standby Partner Personnel GOARN Experts
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| Phase 4 | May comprise of a mix of external candidates, including those from the Global External Roster for Emergencies, recruited as staff on temporary appointments under SR420.4 and/or individuals contracted on consultants. UN Volunteers |
Determining contractual arrangements for external candidates
120. Temporary appointments under SR420.4 are typically used for positions responsible for leadership, representation, supervision, management and administration/financial and/or human resources and where a High Residual Risk exists, while consultant contracts are used to contract individuals in a technical/advisory capacity for outbreak response.
Identification of candidates
130. The designated HR team under the Human Resources and Talent Management (HRT), WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (WHE), coordinates the selection of surge capacity from the internal, external rosters and from partner organizations. International deployments are managed by the designated HR lead (RO or HQ) in collaboration with the HQ EMS. SOPs on the different types of rosters for emergencies can be found in eManual XVII.6.3.4.
140. The WHE HQ HR Team can receive requests from Country and Regional offices for candidates on the internal and external roster for both acute and protracted emergencies as well as for any pre-graded event depending on operational needs.
150. When the WHE HQ HR Team is requested to only provide candidate profiles, the decision by the Regional or Country Office to offer the candidate a position should be communicated to the WHE HQ HR Team to ensure that the availability of the candidate is adjusted in the roster.
Recommendation of
candidates
160. The IM or the WR sends the HR Plan and PTAEO to HQ EMS Desk Officer, who communicates it to the WHE HQ HR Team to initiate the following actions concurrently with regards to the sourcing and matching of candidates:
a) Reviews and disseminates widely the request for surge capacity to Standby Partners and the GOARN network in addition to searching the Internal and External Rosters for suitable staff and candidates, respectively for deployment.
b) Contacts candidates on the External rosters that meet the selection criteria listed by the IM or WR, for example language, providing them with information on the context of the emergency, contract type and duration of the deployment and asks them to confirm their availability.
c) Compiles the list and PHFs of suitable and available staff and candidates drawn from the Internal and External Rosters as well as candidates offered by Standby Partners sends it to the IM or the WR for consideration.
170. The GOARN network focal point sends out a request for assistance to the GOARN network and upon receipt of candidate profiles, shares the same with the country office copying the WHE HQ HR Team.
180. The WR or the IM informs WHE HQ HR Team of their decision on candidates selected for deployment, ideally within 48 hours, by identifying the preferred PHFs and ranking the remaining ones and indicating any that are not suitable and specifying the reason.
Approval of candidate selections
190. The table below extracted from WHO eManual XVII.2.8: Delegation of Authority, sets out the delegation of authority for the selection and appointment of candidates:
| # | Delegation of Authority Description | Acute | Protracted |
| Item 6 | Approve the selection and appointment of candidates proposed for international temporary staff appointments as per the approved HR plan up to 6 months (total of the initial appointment period and any extensions). | IM up to 3 months WR up to 6 months For HQ IMST:
EXD to approve all staff/non-staff positions Above 6 months: RD (Grade 1 and 2) or EXD (Grade 3) | WR Above 6 months: RD (Grade 1 and 2) or EXD (Grade 3) |
| Item 7 | Approve the selection and appointment of candidates proposed for: • National temporary staff appointments and general service staff appointments as per the approved HR plan • Consultants contracts up to 6 months | IM Above 6 months for consultants: RD (Grade 1 and 2), or EXD (Grade 3) | WR Above 6 months for consultants: RD (Grade 1 and 2), or EXD (Grade 3 |
| Item 8 | Approve the deployment of candidates as per the approved HR plan from: • Internal rosters (WHO staff on duty travel) • External rosters (non-WHO staff on consultant contracts up to 6 months) • Partnership rosters (GOARN, Standby Partners) | IM Above 6 months for consultants: RD (Grade 1 and 2), or EXD (Grade 3 | WR Above 6 months for consultants: RD (Grade 1 and 2), or EXD (Grade 3)
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200. To contract and deploy selected candidates, the deployment mechanisms relevant to their particular type of rosters and contracts can be found in eManual XVII.6.4.
