Non-staff templateConsultant (Human Resources for Health Strategy)

Consultant (Human Resources for Health Strategy)

GRADE

P4

CONTRACT DURATION

03 Months

BACKGROUND

South Sudan has a critical shortage of human resources with doctors, midwives/nurses population ratio of only of 3.5 per 10,000[1]. The staffing in primary health care facilities is estimated to be10-20% of the staffing norm.   Mal-distribution in favor of urban centers and higher levels of care coupled with limited production from Health Science Institutes, poor working environment and low or delayed incentives/salaries and wages have constrained the performance of the health system.  Hence Ministry of Health developed a human resource for health policy 2006 - 2011 and a strategic plan 2007 -2017 with the aim of providing direction on planning, development and management of human resources to deliver the health services at all levels.

Further, the second national health policy launched by the ministry of health emphasized strengthening of human resources for health as a major priority. One of the specific objectives under strengthening human resources for health is to scale up the production and strengthen management of health workforce required to deliver services based on the national health policy and strategic plan and global strategy for human resources for health. A call to action by the Ministry of Health and health partners made at the March 2017 health summit, ensured that key interventions including\: increasing capacity of training schools, improving staffing remuneration and working conditions, setting and enforcing minimum standards of accreditation for health training institutes and health worker licensing, strengthening public private partnerships for training health workforce among others.

Despite some progress being made, there is a need to strengthen political commitment and mobilize resources for the health workforce agenda, as part of broader efforts to strengthen and adequately finance health systems. Past efforts in health workforce development have yielded some results\: for example, some midwives and nurses, doctors, clinical officers, and specialist trained over the past 10 years. However, deployment of these new graduates has been challenging due to lack of a coherent deployment and retention strategy. In addition, at the aggregate level, health workforce availability has improved in safe urban cities such as Juba or Wau although often not rapidly enough to keep pace with population growth.

Overall, progress has not been fast enough due to reasons mentioned above and inter-professional collaboration, limited availability of health workforce data all these persist, with an ageing workforce further complicating the picture in many cases. Reviewing past efforts in implementing past HRH strategy and frameworks, calls for a critical situation analysis to find solutions for the challenge on how to mobilize political will and financial resources for the critical HRH needs of the health system in the longer term.

The previous human resource for health strategy was not costed; as such the opportunity to mobilize additional resources, plan and coordinate interventions among partners for human resources for health was lost or minimal. Efforts were not aligned and neither was planning integrated to anticipate the next steps after health workers graduated from their trainings. It is envisaged that the next HRH strategy will be costed and serve as a business case for investing in human resource for health development, management and retention.

Against this background, WHO would like to engage the service of an international consultant to develop and cost the next HRH strategy for South Sudan as well as its implementation plan. 

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The overall objective of the assignment is to develop a costed human resource for health strategy and its implementation plan for the Republic of South Sudan.

Specific objectives/Tasks\:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education\:

Essential\: Masters in Public health, Human Resource Management or science or related field.

Experience\:

Essential\: At least 07 years’ experience in Health Systems Strengthening, Public health or Human Resources for Health programming and implementation in similar context.

Desirable\: Working experience in fragile states setting

Other Skills and Competencies

Essential\:

1. Technical expertise in designing health systems policies and strategies particularly human resource for health strategies, policies, plans and guidelines. 
2. Demonstrated ability to provide, negotiate and present sound methodological and technical advice and guidance to multiple stakeholders and partners in Countries
3. Demonstrated ability to analysis political context and interact and negotiate effectively with multiple interests at the political level
4. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with the Ministry of Health and with stakeholders at the national and sub-national levels
5. Knowledge of the health systems situation, stakeholders and context in S. Sudan
6. A team player and prepared to work in resource scare environment.
7. Demonstrated ability to inovate, integrate, synergize and communicate complex ideas in English, verbally and in writting.
8. Ability to Monitor and communicate progress in terms of process and results.
9. It proficiency.
   

Use of Language Skills

Essential\:  Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English

REMUNERATION AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Remuneration

P4 Level ($ 8,490 Monthly rate)

Place of Assignment

Juba 75% and field 25%, South Sudan.

Duration of the Assignment

03 Months. 

Deliverables

The consultant is expected to produce the following\: