Consultant - Health Systems Development, Service Delivery Systems, Human Resources for Health

1. Objectives of the programme\: 

The overall goal of the Health Systems Development department is to strengthen health systems in ways that will advance universal health coverage (UHC) and therefore progress towards the health Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the eleven SEAR countries, with an increased focus on reaching vulnerable populations, through the following strategic directions\:

1. Adapting frontline services to changing needs, backed up by hospital care, with attention to safety, quality and equity - including gender; health workforce education and rural retention; improved human resources for health data; and HRH governance
2. Improving access to quality medical products, through regional cooperation on pricing, procurement, and regulation; use of TRIPS flexibilities; antimicrobial stewardship; improved medicines data
3. Using evidence for more equitable, sustainable health sector plans and financing strategies to improve health service coverage and financial protection, and so progress towards UHC
4. Strengthening measurement and accountability for progress on UHC and SDGs, with a focus on equity; better mortality data; integrated information platforms and use of data in decision-making

The department is scaling up its work on service delivery organization, management and quality and health workforce development.

1. Description of duties\:

(Note\: This is a generic description of duties developed for the call for expressions of interest for a roster of experts. The final terms of the reference for the assignment/contract will be based on the actual requirements of the assignment).

Under the overall guidance of the Director, Health Systems Development (HSD) and in close collaboration with relevant Regional Advisers and WHO country office colleagues, consultants will be asked to carry out time-limited assignments to help strengthen health service delivery and health workforce development, in ways that improve access to better quality care, especially for the most vulnerable. Within a country’s overall health policy and strategy framework, and vision for UHC, they will be expected to provide evidence-based support in one or more of the following areas\:

1. Organization and management of health services to respond to changing needs, with a focus on strengthening frontline services, backed up by appropriate hospital care. This may include advice and support for

• Service planning and package design, including assessment of feasibility and cost of implementation
• Development of strategies and plans to adapt services to deliver continuing care between primary and secondary level facilities
• Facility management capacity strengthening
• Effective approaches to patient, family and community engagement

• Developing national quality and safety policies and strategies, with a focus on advice on practical ways to improve quality and safety in frontline services
• Infection prevention and control

• Development of health workforce policies and strategies that respond to current and future health service needs, workload and labour market dynamics, with special attention to frontline services; projections and staffing norms; ways to improve rural retention.
• Health workforce education\: health professional curricula development/revision; faculty development; accreditation and regulation of health professional training institutions; inter-professional education and continuing professional development.
• Production, analysis and use of improved data on health workforce numbers, distribution and performance.

Technical support in any of the above areas may involve\:

• situation analyses and performance assessments
• high quality, evidence-based advice on policy options
• different forms of capacity building for policy, planning and management
• monitoring and evaluation related to one or more of the above areas of work
• documenting how changes have been introduced in different national contexts, and with what results.

All assignments will require a technical report on completion of the assignment (mandatory).

1. Required qualifications\:

                      i.  Education\:

Essential\:

For all assignments\: university degree in medicine, health sciences, public health or community health, health systems management, medical/social anthropology, or social sciences from a recognized university, with research methodology as a component.

P4 and P5 level assignments require, in addition\: Master’s-level university degree in public health or community health, health policy and planning, health systems management, health information systems, health human resource management, health economics / financing, or social sciences, from a recognized university.

WHO considers higher educational qualifications obtained only from accredited institutions.

Desirable\:

Training in any of the following areas\: public health, health service organization, management, quality and safety; health workforce education and management; health policy, planning and management; health information system development; medicines management; gender, equity and human rights mainstreaming in health.

                      i.  Skills\:

Functional skills and knowledge

Essential\:

1. Knowledge of principles of public health and health systems; health services organization, management, quality and safety; health service and system assessments and how to address challenges identified; human resources for health; health systems development and management; monitoring and evaluation
2. Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly and concisely communicate complex issues
3. Demonstrated ability to maintain effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders in government and beyond, including other development agencies.
4. Skills in training and facilitation

Desirable\:

Knowledge of WHO rules and regulations and good knowledge of the working of UN and other international agencies.

Competencies

1. Teamwork
2. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
3. Communication
4. Producing results
5. 5. Moving forward in a changing environment

Other skills\:

Excellent knowledge of MS Office applications and computer skills, including to make high quality technical presentations and for data analysis.

Experience\:

Essential\:

For P3 grade level assignments\: At least five years’ experience in health service organization, management, quality and safety; human resources for health; health systems strengthening and assessment; health policy, strategy and plan development and implementation, evaluation; or gender, equity and human rights mainstreaming in health and capacity building, including some years of international experience.

For P4 grade level assignments\: At least seven years’ experience in health service organization, management, quality and safety; human resources for health; health systems strengthening and assessment; health policy, strategy and plan development and implementation, evaluation; or gender, equity and human rights mainstreaming in health and capacity building, some of which should have been obtained in an international context.

For P5 grade level assignments\: At least 10 years’ experience in health service organization, management, quality and safety; human resources for health; health systems strengthening and assessment; health policy, strategy and plan development and implementation, evaluation; or gender, equity and human rights mainstreaming in health and capacity building, including considerable experience obtained in an international context.

Desirable\:

Experience in analysis of and support to national health systems in Asia.

1. Languages\:

Expert knowledge of English with excellent written and verbal communication skills is essential.

Knowledge of regional language(s) would be an asset.

1.  Other skills\:

Proficiency in standard office computer software (word processing, presentations, spreadsheets etc.).

1. Additional information\:

The purpose of this call is to invite qualified professionals with expertise in supporting health systems development to accelerate progress towards UHC to submit expressions of interest to be included in a roster of experts for possible short-term consultancy assignments which may arise from time to time at the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia or any of the WHO country offices located in the Member States of the Region namely\: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

Those interested are requested to respond within the WHO Stellis System. Major areas of expertise covered by the call are listed below. Please select from these areas and indicate all that apply in the covering letter field in Stellis.

Responses to this call will be used to establish a roster of experts at the appropriate international professional grade level. The expressions of interest of qualified candidates will be evaluated by a screening committee and kept in an active roster, valid for at least three (3) years. Selected candidate(s) will be informed accordingly. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

Short-term contracts will be offered to experts with the required expertise as and when required for specific assignments. The duration of such assignments will vary, up to a maximum of 24 months. The international professional grade level of the specific contract will be fixed based on the level of responsibilities and complexity of tasks required, per the specific terms of reference for the assignment.

WHO is committed to workplace diversity. Applications from women and from nationals of non- and under-represented Member States are particularly encouraged.

Please visit the following websites for more information on\:

• working with WHO\: http\://www.who.int
• WHO's operations\: http\://icsc.un.org

Areas of expertise covered by the call for expressions of interest

(all that apply to be indicated in the covering letter field in the WHO Stellis system)

1. Organization and management of health services to adapt to changing needs, including chronic diseases and population ageing (indicate all that apply)
1. service planning and package design
2. adapting services to today’s needs to deliver continuity of care between primary care and hospital services
3. hospital planning and management
4. health service management and leadership development
5. patient, family and community engagement
6. service delivery performance monitoring and assessment

2. Health system / healthcare quality and patient safety (indicate all that apply)
1. national quality and safety policy/strategy
2. quality and patient safety improvement in frontline services
3. infection prevention and control
4. quality and safety monitoring and measurement

3. Human resources for health (indicate all that apply)
1. Health workforce policy and planning\: development of national health workforce strategies, policies and plans; projections; development of staffing norms; rural retention
2. Health workforce education\: development of professional curricula; faculty development; accreditation of health professional education institutions; regulation of health training institutions; transformative education; inter-professional education; continuing professional development
3. Production, analysis and use of HRH data\: health workforce assessment; health labour market analysis, return on investment on HRH,

1. Gender, equity and human rights mainstreaming in health (indicate all that apply)
1. policy advice on adopting a coherent approach to gender, equity and human rights across the health system and across programmes (indicate health system or programme area/s)
2. training and / or institutional capacity building on adopting a coherent approach to gender, equity and human rights across the health system and across programmes (indicate health system or programme area/s)
3. evidence and cross-country learning on adopting a coherent approach to gender, equity and human rights across the health system and across programmes (indicate health system or programme area/s)