National Consultant - Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), Cambodia

Position details

• Vacancy number: 2604657
• Contractual arrangement: External consultant
• Contract duration: 6 months
• Organization: WP_KHM Cambodia
• Schedule: Full-time
• Closing date: Nov 24, 2026, 11:59:00 PM

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device's system settings.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultancy will provide technical support to WHO Cambodia and the Ministry of Health to strengthen risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) systems, capacity, coordination and implementation. The consultant will support strategic RCCE activities related to health emergency preparedness and response, social listening, misinformation and disinformation management, and behaviourally informed communication, aligned with APHSAF, the National Action Plan for Health Security 2025–2029, the draft Multi-hazard RCCE Framework, and Communication for Health (C4H) approaches.

Background

Effective communication and community engagement are essential to resilient health systems. Communication for Health (C4H) and risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) use evidence-informed communication, behavioural and social science, and community insights to promote healthy behaviours, strengthen trust, address misinformation and support preparedness and response to public health emergencies.

In Cambodia, strengthening C4H and RCCE capacities can advance national health priorities and health security by improving coordination, health literacy, community engagement and access to timely, inclusive and responsive health information and services.

These efforts support the Asia Pacific Health Security Action Framework (APHSAF), building on APSED, as well as Cambodia’s implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) and the National Action Plan for Health Security 2025–2029. They emphasize stronger communication systems, meaningful community participation, social listening and feedback, management of misinformation and disinformation, and the use of community insights to inform health programmes and emergency response.

To support these priorities, WHO Cambodia seeks a national RCCE consultant to provide technical and operational support for C4H and RCCE planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation. The consultant will help strengthen national and subnational capacities, coordination with the Ministry of Health and partners, and the use of evidence-informed and context-appropriate communication approaches across health programmes and emergency preparedness and response.

Deliverables

Under the supervision of the WHO Cambodia Senior Advisor, and in collaboration with colleagues in the Western Pacific Regional Office, particularly the Risk Communication Officer in the Health Emergencies Programme (CPI/WHE), the consultant will work on-site at the WHO Cambodia Office in Phnom Penh, with the following outputs and deliverables.
 

Output 1: Strengthened RCCE and Communication for Health systems and capacities across priority health programmes and public health emergencies
 

Deliverable 1.1: A rapid review of existing RCCE, Communication for Health, social and behaviour change, social listening, infodemic management and related capacity-building materials in Cambodia, including identified gaps, opportunities and recommendations for an integrated capacity-building approach.

Deliverable 1.2: A prioritized RCCE and Communication for Health capacity-building plan, developed in consultation with the Ministry of Health and relevant partners, aligned with APHSAF, the National Action Plan for Health Security 2025–2029, the draft Multi-hazard RCCE Framework, relevant national health strategies and WHO C4H approaches.

Deliverable 1.3: Adapted training materials and documentation of technical support provided for selected RCCE and C4H training or capacity-building activities targeting national and subnational health authorities, priority disease programmes and relevant partners, including participant feedback and recommendations for follow-up.
 

Output 2: Strengthened use of behavioural and community insights to inform health communication and community engagement interventions
 

Deliverable 2.1: Monthly social listening and community feedback reports covering agreed priority communicable diseases, noncommunicable diseases and emerging health threats, highlighting community concerns, information needs, behavioural barriers, misinformation trends and actionable recommendations for relevant programmes.

Deliverable 2.2: Technical inputs and documented coordination support for the planning and implementation of priority RCCE and Communication for Health activities with the Ministry of Health, WHO technical programmes, regional counterparts and partners, including routine health promotion, seasonal health risks and public health emergency preparedness and response.

Deliverable 2.3: Provide technical support to the Department of Communicable Disease Control and the National Centre for Health Promotion of the Ministry of Health for the ongoing social and behaviour change communication activities, including but not limited to the handwashing campaign in traditional markets, H5N1 behavioural insights generation and the development of infodemic management standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Deliverable 2.4: H5N1: WCO sees BRIDGE as an opportunity to access WRPO’s funding and make RCCE interventions in Cambodia more evidence-informed, starting with H5N1. WPRO’s goal is to validate the BRIDGE tools at the country level. In this context, provide support and ensure WHO protocols and quality control are maintained in the field research study using the BRIDGE tool for H5N1 among communities in two provinces, in close collaboration with CDC, MoH, and a third-party contractor who will conduct the research among communities.

Deliverable 2.5: National Infodemic Management SOP: A draft version has been revised following feedback from a prior review workshop and shared with CDC and WPRO focal points in January. CDC confirmed that MoH endorsement is expected within 6 months to 1 year (i.e., approximately September 2026-March 2027). This is contingent on the endorsement timeline. Follow up with the CDC, MoH to ensure it is finalised, endorsed, and launched. 

Delvierable 2.6: Handwashing, Infection Prevention Control (IPC): Ongoing RCCE support to the MoH includes developing a behaviour change communications package to improve handwashing practices. This is the communication and behaviour change component of the broader programme, building on evidence-based behavioural science training and institutional relationships. Work with the contracted agency to produce a handwashing community engagement package, in coordination with government counterparts at NCHP and DDF.
 

Output 3: Strengthened institutional frameworks, operational guidance and coordination mechanisms for RCCE and Communication for Health
 

Deliverable 3.1: Technical inputs and revised drafts of priority national RCCE and Communication for Health guidance documents, including the Multi-hazard RCCE Framework, the SOP for managing health-related misinformation and disinformation, and agreed strategic communication tools for priority health programmes.

Deliverable 3.2: A practical package of implementation tools to support the operationalization of agreed RCCE and C4H frameworks and guidance, including relevant workflows, roles and responsibilities, coordination arrangements, reporting templates, escalation procedures and monitoring indicators.

 

Other Deliverables

 

• Six monthly progress reports summarizing activities undertaken, deliverables completed, progress against agreed workplans, challenges and planned follow-up actions.

• One end-of-mission report summarizing key achievements, technical outputs, lessons learned, remaining gaps and recommendations for sustaining and strengthening RCCE and C4H capacities within Cambodia's health system.
   

Qualifications, experience, skills and langagues
Education

Essential: University degree in communications, public health, health promotion, social sciences, journalism, media, or a related field.

Desirable: Master’s degree in communication, public health, health promotion, social and behavioural science, humanitarian studies, or a related field is desirable.

Work Experience

Required: Minimum five years of experience in risk communication, community engagement, health communication, social and behaviour change, media, journalism, or communication for public health, preferably in the NGO, UN, aid or international development sector.
Desirable: Direct experience with WHO or government public health programmes is preferred, especially working knowledge of RCCE, International Health Regulations (2005), health emergency preparedness, readiness and response. Experience in social listening, community feedback mechanisms, infodemic management, misinformation and disinformation response, or coordination with government and public health partners is desirable.

Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

• Experience supporting risk communication and community engagement in emergency situations and on sensitive public health issues.
• Experience developing key messages for various audiences.
• Experience using social media platforms and tools to communicate and engage with a variety of audiences.
• Experience developing or delivering RCCE training, capacity-building activities, guidance documents or SOPs would be an asset.
• Experience in managing and responding to health-related misinformation and disinformation would be an asset.
• Ability to synthesize social listening and community feedback insights into practical recommendations for RCCE planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Proficiency in standard MS Office applications including MS Excel, MS Word and MS PowerPoint is essential.

 

Language requirements:

Written and spoken fluency in English and Khmer is essential.

Location

The consultant will work on-site in the WHO Cambodia Office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia or hybrid basis upon agreement with their supervisor. 

Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel only when required within Cambodia will be covered according to WHO rules.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration: USD 2,600 per month
Expected duration of contract: 6 months, December 2026 to May 2027 (full-time)

Additional Information:

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.

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