Project Lead for Integrated Cervical and Breast Cancer Prevention and Control

Mission and objectivesObjective of WHO - \"The attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.\" Mission - \"Effective engagement with member states for advancing the global agenda; contributing to national health policies, strategies and plans; and for bringing country realities and perspectives to global policies and priorities.\"

ContextNoncommunicable diseases (NCDs), particularly cancer, represent a growing public health burden in Angola. Breast and cervical cancers are among the leading cancers affecting women, with late diagnosis contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. In December 2024, the Angolan Government approved the Multisectoral Strategic Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (PLANAPREV 2024-2027), which identifies cancer prevention and control as key priorities, with a focus on integrating breast and cervical cancer services into primary health care. In line with the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative, the WHO Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, the Angolan Multisectoral Strategic Action Plan for NCDs, and the WHO PEN interventions for primary health care, WHO in Angola, with financial support from Roche, is implementing a project to integrate cervical and breast cancer screening, early diagnosis, referral, and treatment into Primary Health Care (PHC) in Huila Province. Priority will be given to provinces with limited access to screening and diagnostic services outside Luanda (like Huila). This project represents a concrete contribution to the implementation of PLANAPREV at the provincial level. To lead the implementation of this project, WHO Angola seeks to recruit a national consultant to lead day-to-day planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring, and reporting of project activities at provincial and municipal levels.

Task DescriptionWithin the delegated authority and under the supervision of the UCN Team lead-WHO and in close collaboration with provincial and municipal health authorities, the Project Lead for Integrated Cervical and Breast Cancer Prevention and Control will: 1. Project Coordination and Implementation • Lead day-to-day coordination of project activities at provincial and municipal levels. • Support integration of cervical and breast cancer screening and early detection into PHC services in targeted municipalities. • Coordinate implementation of screening activities for cervical cancer (HPV DNA testing) and breast cancer (clinical breast examination and ultrasound). • Ensure linkages between PHC, secondary, and tertiary levels of care for referral, diagnosis, and treatment. 2. Technical and Operational Support • Conduct a comprehensive desk review of existing provincial data and perform a situational analysis evaluating current screening coverage of breast and cervical cancer prevention and detection. • Develop operational documents specific to Huila Province in alignment with PLANAPREV • Support rollout and operationalization of screening protocols, referral pathways, and patient navigation systems in line with WHO guidance. • Support organization and delivery of training activities for health workers on HPV DNA testing, screening, triage, early diagnosis, and referral. • Coordinate with laboratories and diagnostic services to strengthen sample referral, turnaround time, and quality management systems. • Support implementation of multidisciplinary team (MDT) approaches for breast and cervical cancer case management at secondary level. 3. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Data Use • Support implementation of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks and indicators as outlined in the project document. • Ensure accurate, timely collection and validation of facility-level data on screening, diagnosis, referral, and treatment. • Support strengthening cancer surveillance systems, including facility-based registries for breast and cervical cancer, and population-based registries as necessary. • Contribute to analysis and use of data for decision-making, quality improvement, and reporting. 4. Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement • Liaise with Provincial Health Directorate, municipal health teams, health facilities, laboratories, and referral hospitals. • Support coordination with implementing partners, community mobilizers, and academic institutions involved in awareness and training activities. • Facilitate communication between WHO, provincial authorities, and partners on implementation progress and challenges. 5. Reporting and Documentation • Prepare regular progress updates (monthly and quarterly) on implementation status, achievements, challenges, and mitigation actions. • Contribute to donor and internal WHO narrative and technical reports. • Document best practices, lessons learned, and implementation bottlenecks to inform scale-up and policy dialogue. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/expected outputs: 1. Monthly activity progress reports aligned with agreed indicators. 2. Updated monitoring dashboards/data summaries on screening, diagnosis, referral, and treatment. 3. Training and supervision reports, including participant lists and key outcomes. 4. Mid-term implementation brief highlighting progress, challenges, and corrective actions. 5. Final consultancy report summarizing achievements, results against indicators, lessons learned, and recommendations for sustainability and scale-up.

Competencies and valuesIn order of priority, there are a maximum of five above competencies: 1) Producing results. 2) Communicating in a clear, credible, and effective way 3) Knowing and managing yourself 4) Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond 5) Fostering integration and teamwork The incumbent must identify with the core values of the World Health Organization: • Strong coordination, organizational, and problem-solving skills. • Ability to work effectively with provincial and municipal health authorities. • Sound understanding of cancer prevention, screening, and early detection approaches. • Strong written and oral communication skills. • Professionalism: Demonstrates strong technical knowledge of WHO operations, sound judgment, discretion, and diplomacy. Works independently with initiative, manages information accurately and confidentially, and maintains effective coordination with diverse partners while delivering client‑oriented results. • Integrity: Consistently upholds UN/WHO values, acts without personal gain, resists inappropriate pressure, and makes decisions in the organization’s best interest. Takes action against unethical behavior and does not misuse authority. • Teamwork & Respect for Diversity : Works effectively across teams and cultures, maintaining harmonious relationships in diverse environments. Shows sensitivity to cultural and gender differences, supports gender equality, and helps colleagues achieve shared goals. • Commitment to Continuous Learning: Shows initiative to learn, update skills, and adapt to evolving work demands and changes in the environment. • Planning and Organizing: Efficiently manages high workloads by setting priorities, organizing tasks, and meeting deadlines under pressure. Handles multiple activities concurrently with strong problem‑solving skills. • Communication: Communicates clearly in both speech and writing, prepares concise reports, and presents ideas effectively. Engages with diverse audiences empathetically and transfers knowledge to varied groups.

Living conditions and remarksThe Project Lead for Integrated Cervical and Breast Cancer Prevention and Control will be based in Huila Province, with frequent travel to selected municipalities and health facilities as required by project activities. Travel will be undertaken in accordance with WHO policies. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan.