Support on Horizon Scanning of Emergency Tools and Platforms

The WHO European Centre for Preparedness for Humanitarian and Health Emergencies (PHHE) supports Member States across the WHO European Region to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. Within this mandate, PHHE promotes the use of evidence, technology, and innovative solutions to strengthen emergency risk management, operational readiness, and public health response.

An increasingly wide range of digital tools, platforms, and services is used during emergencies for early warning, surveillance, risk assessment, coordination, logistics, communication, and post-event review. The landscape is dynamic and fragmented, creating a need for structured horizon scanning to understand what exists, how tools are used, and where key gaps and opportunities lie. This online assignment will support PHHE in conducting a structured review of existing and emerging tools and platforms relevant to public health emergency preparedness and response.

Under the guidance of the PHHE supervisor, the Online UN Volunteer will: · Support the development of a structured horizon scanning approach, including key categories and criteria for mapping tools and platforms. · Conduct desk research (approx. 25–40 tools/platforms) using scientific literature, grey literature, operational reports, and publicly available documentation. · Compile and maintain a structured inventory/database capturing key characteristics (purpose, users, functionalities, evidence of use). · Support limited remote consultations (3–5 stakeholders) to validate findings and gather practical insights. · Analyze findings to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities in the use of tools and platforms in emergencies. · Contribute to drafting a concise analytical report (15–20 pages) summarizing findings, good practices, and recommendations. · Prepare summary outputs, including key messages and a presentation (8–12 slides).