New component: the Consultation Facility

The experience of 2.5 years since its launch shows that the Alliance has been successful in facilitating exchanges between scientists, NGOs and representatives of international and national organisations. However, there is a particular need to strengthen national capacities and frameworks to sustainably reduce health risks from wildlife trade.    The past period has shown the challenges of getting ministries or other government bodies to join the Alliance – without a targeted and specific offer of support. 

This is where the Consultation Facility comes in: 

The goal of the Consultation Facility is to provide context-specific, multidisciplinary advice from Alliance experts to governments/governmental institutions in countries at high risk of novel diseases of zoonotic origin to prevent spill-over infections. The focus is on proactive, primary prevention measures. 

Throughout the contact and trade chain, the expertise of more than 180 member organisations and individual experts in the Alliance is used to form multidisciplinary teams to provide country-specific advice on primary prevention measures and interventions at the animal-human interface.  The Facility’s unique selling point is that it specialises in medium-term, preventive and context-specific government advisory services with concrete results in the context of health risks associated with wildlife trade and consumption. The Facility can act as an accelerator for further activities and engagement of governments, national experts and stakeholders involved in the wildlife-human interface within identified ‘hotspot’ regions or contexts. 

Here are some key facts: 

• The total amount available for missions is €1.8 million 
• Missions are planned for 2024 

There are several ways to get involved: 

• Become a member of the temporary Technical Advisory Group to help us identify possible governments and connecting them to our services 
• As a member organization, you carry out the consultation missions 
• As an expert, you will be able to apply for available (time-limited) job profiles of the respective advisory missions 
• Feel free to contact us individually if you have any ideas about which countries might be suitable for the services offered by the Consultation Facility. 

Possible activities 

1. Surveillance (pathogen and disease monitoring) in wildlife populations and products (e.g. wild meat including seasonal patterns) 

2. Knowledge and understanding of critical control points for risk reduction and appropriate, realistic intervention along the wildlife and wildlife product supply chain 

3. Data linkage and content exchange between relevant ministries and government agencies, establishment of relevant processes and (national/international) partnerships 

4. Coordination of targeted risk reduction measures and their monitoring 

5. Tailor-made support for changes in processes and structures for risk reduction, including topics of budget and mandate allocation within relevant (governmental) structures 

6. Information on risks and behavioural prevention measures in dealing with wildlife and wildlife consumption (hygiene / bio-security / bio-safety/ occupational safety / food safety etc.) 

The roles in detail 
 
Technical Advisory Group (TAG) 

• A group of 5 Alliance members will support the the Secretariat in a TAG to identify potential countries and appropriate member organisations for the Facility. 

• Every member of the Alliance can apply for the position, the Secretariat will decide based on qualification (in a separate ToR) and regional/national expertise. The seats represent a region: 

1. Asia 

2. South East Asia 

3. 2x Africa (south + east/ north + west) 

4. South/Central America 

• Members of the TAG are not allowed to propose + vote their own organisations 

• A short term contract (max. 4 months; 1 day/month) will be concluded with each member of the TAG

Executing organisation

• Identified jointly by the GP and the TAG and commissioned by the GP  

• Requirements: proven expertise in respective region/field of action, demonstrated capacity to perform the contract 

• Separate MoU to clarify the relationship with GP, Alliance Experts and organisation 

Head of Mission 

• After the identification of potential countries and a suitable organisation, an appraisal mission will be conducted per country by a designated and separately commissioned Head of Mission and supported by GP staff 

• This person will be responsible for the mission design and formulation job profiles and the coordination of the overall mission  

Alliance Experts

• Based on the mission design and required profile, the required team composition will be contracted from the Alliance membership 

• Consultancy opportunities will be shared with all Alliance members for each mission. 

• The contract of employment is concluded with the executive organisation. 

• The remuneration is based on the GIZ salary scale. 

Next steps: 

• If you would like to apply for the TAG to support us identify possible governments and executing organisations, reach out to us until January 31^st 
• Feel free to also contact us individually if you have ideas about which countries might be suitable for the services offered by the Consultation Facility. 
• We will update our members on a regular basis about the developments and open positions within the Consultation Facility. 

Tags: Alliance