James Harvey

Consultant (World Drug Report - Drug Demand and Health Consequences)

Shared by James Harvey (ISSUP staff) - 23 July 2024
Originally posted by James Harvey (ISSUP staff) - 23 July 2024

UNODC’s flagship report, the World Drug Report (WDR) is an annual publication, which aims to improve the understanding of the world drug problem and to contribute towards fostering greater international cooperation for countering its effect on health, governance, and security. The Report is made of a number of booklets and include an online segment. Each year the Report provides an overview of the world drug situation regarding the illicit cultivation and production of drugs, as well as their trafficking and use; it also includes thematic chapters that highlight an area of interest from a research and policy perspective.

The World Drug Report is produced by the Research and Trend Analysis Branch, with the Research and Knowledge Production Section in the lead and involvement of expert staff across the Branch and in other Branches/Divisions across UNODC.

The purpose of the assignment is:

1) to oversee and coordinate the web-based segment of the WDR 2025 “Drug Market Patterns and Trends”;

2) to produce an analysis of global and regional trends in drug demand and health consequences for the web-based segment of the WDR 2025 and contribute to its integration into the booklets of the 2025 edition.

This consultancy will be home-based. The consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Chief of the Research and Knowledge Production Section, and under the supervision of the Chief the Data, Analytics and Statistics Section, and other colleagues from the Research and Trend Analysis Branch, Division of Policy Analysis (DPA).

The output of the consultancy will aim at:

1) ensuring the coordination and production of the web-based segment of the WDR 2025;

2) presenting the current situation and trends regarding drug use and health consequences both at the global and regional levels as well as contributing to analysis on latest developments.

Qualifications/Skills

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in public health, epidemiology, sociology or a closely related field is required. A first level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in the field of public health, epidemiology, sociology or a related field with a track record of scientific publications on the subject, or contribution to published reports is required.

• Good record of analytical work based on quantitative methods, preferably in drug use epidemiology, or public health is required.

• Experience in managing datasets and in the use of statistical software and demonstrated analytical, research, writing and communication skills is required.

• Excellent planning and organizational skills are required.

• Experience of working in the field of drug epidemiology, in particular on drug use is desirable.

• Experience in producing analytical publications according to UN standards is desirable.