The World Health Organization is seeking experts to serve as members one of the Technical Advisory Group on the Governance of the Private Sector for UHC. This “Call for experts” provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.
Background
The World Health Organization is strengthening its work to support countries in effectively governing and engaging the private sector to advance universal health coverage (UHC) and primary health care (PHC). The private sector plays a significant role in health service delivery globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
Effective governance of private providers, including regulation, contracting, financing, and accountability mechanisms, is essential to ensure quality, equity, efficiency, and alignment with national health priorities.
To support this work, WHO is renewing the Technical Advisory Group on the Governance of the Private Sector for Universal Health Coverage (TAGGPSUHC).
Functions of the Technical Advisory Group on the Governance of the Private Sector for Universal Health Coverage
The Technical Advisory Group will:
- Provide technical and strategic advice on governance of private sector engagement in health;
- Advise on WHO’s work programme and research priorities;
- Review and contribute to WHO guidance and normative products;
- Recommend approaches for effective regulation and stewardship of private providers.
- Identify emerging issues and innovations relevant to private sector engagement.
The full Terms of Reference can be accessed here.
Operations of the Technical Advisory Group on the Governance of the Private Sector for Universal Health Coverage
The TAGGPSUHC is expected to:
- Meet at least once per year, either virtually or in person;
- Occasionally participate in additional virtual meetings, working groups, or consultations;
- Engage actively in review of documents and provide written feedback;
- Work primarily in English;
- Meetings may be held at WHO Headquarters in Geneva or virtually.
Who can express interest?
The TAGGPSUHC will be multidisciplinary, comprising up to 15 members with expertise in:
- Health system governance and stewardship
- Regulation of private health providers
- Public-private partnerships in health
- Health financing and purchasing mechanisms
- Health workforce policies related to private sector
- Primary health care and service delivery
- Digital health
- Health law and policy
- Data systems, accountability and quality assurance
- Equity, gender, and human rights in health systems
WHO particularly encourages applications from experts from low- and middle-income countries and seeks gender-balanced representation.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the Technical Advisory Group on the Governance of the Private Sector for Universal Health Coverage, please submit the following documents by 30 September 2026 at 24:00h (midnight) Geneva time to clarked@who.int and cocozzaa@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Technical Advisory Group on the Governance of the Private Sector for Universal Health Coverage”
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer);
- Your curriculum vitae; and
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO technical advisory groups (TAG) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of a TAG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All TAG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). TAG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant TAG.
The selection of members of the TAGs will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations .The selection of TAG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of a TAG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.
WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest , to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO's action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the TAG, disband an existing TAG or modify the work of the TAG.
WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.
TAG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the TAG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of TAG members to participate in TAG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to clarked@who.int well before the applicable deadline.