consultant

Type of Contract: National consultancy

Duration: 30 days

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF TASK(S) AND OBJECTIVES TO BE ACHIEVED

1. Background

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a key member of the Zimbabwe AMR One Health Consortium together with the Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI) and the University of Zimbabwe’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The Fleming Fund has awarded to the Consortium to improve data management, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) governance structures and human and animal health AMR surveillance in Zimbabwe. WHO coordinates the human health components of the projects and leads their implementation into the human health sector.

This project seeks to address governance of AMR and antimicrobial use (AMU). It was created in response to a Request for Support from the Minister of Health, on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe. This project aligns with the National Action Plan (NAP) for antimicrobial resistance that was adopted in 2017[1] and with the investments made by other donors and stakeholders in this area. In the human and environmental health and animal health sectors, the grant is also investing in the improvement of AMR and AMU data collection, management, analysis and use in multi-sectoral decision making, as well as in the reinforcement of surveillance site laboratories.

An effective AMR regulatory framework is imperative for the regulatory authorities to set effective parameters for AMU and enforce compliance. The project will facilitate review of policy and legal frameworks on AMR and AMU in human and environmental health sectors with a view of integrating with existing one in the agricultural sector. This will enable recognition of overlaps and gaps in the legal and policy frameworks and recommend remedial actions.

Together with its Consortium partners, WHO seeks to recruit a consultant to provide an analysis of existing law, regulations and other norms and standards in Zimbabwe that affect AMU and AMR in healthcare and support the legal analysis of the human health sector. The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the WHO Representative in Zimbabwe and direct supervision of the AMR Project Focal person and the Consortium technical team. The consultant is required to produce a full report in addition to other specific deliverables related to the presentation and implementation of the report during the assignment.

Purpose of the consultancy: The incumbent will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Identify the relevant legislation, regulations and other policies for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial use (AMU) in the healthcare sector, including, for example market authorization of antimicrobials, surveillance and monitoring, pandemic prevention, procurement and supply of antimicrobials, professional standards for sale/prescription, social security and health coverage, infection prevention and control, prescription and use of antimicrobials, as well as the disposal of antimicrobials and environmental standards (this list is non-exhaustive);
2. Prepare a folder with electronic copies of the legislation identified as relevant for AMR and AMU and include it in an electronic folder to be submitted as a product of the consultancy;
3. Prepare a report (15-20 pages) with an overview and analysis of national instruments (legislation, regulation and policies) relevant for AMR and AMU in Zimbabwe per area;
4. Revise the national assessments on AMR and AMU. Collect and revise other materials which might support the purpose of this study;
5. Meet with the national project team and/or the national contacts at the different Ministries to complete the collection of legislation and ensure consistency between the national assessments and the legal report;
6. At request, support the workshop for presenting the results of the legal assessment, and to update and promote the regional guidelines for harmonized regulation on medicines;
7. Support the revision of the AMR-related legislation identified in the report;
8. Support the project team in all matters related to AMR regulatory frameworks, including preparation of national reports that contain references to legislation.

2. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• List of legislation relevant for AMR: 10 July 2021
• First version – report of national legislation relevant for AMR and AMU with identified gaps in the existing legislation: 15 July 2021
• Validation workshop: 30 July 2021
• Final version of the national report: 10 August 2021

3. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Qualifications required:

• University degree in law, preferably specialized in health law and/or administrative law.

Experience required:

• At least 10 years of experience practicing law and/or performing legal research.
• Experience in legal research, preferably in health law or administrative law.
• Experience in public health or healthcare desirable.
• Adequate knowledge of infectious diseases and/or antimicrobial resistance desirable.
• Experience drafting reports, memos and/or providing legal analysis for an international context desirable.

Duration of the Local Consultancy

• The consultancy will be undertaken over a period of one month (30 person days)
• Start date: 1 July 2021

Deliverables

1. List of legislation relevant for AMR: 10 July 2021. First draft version – report of national legislation relevant for AMR and AMU with identified gaps in the existing legislation: 15July 2021

3. Attendance and presentation at the validation workshop: 30 July 2021

4. Final version of the national report: 10 August 2021

Place of Assignment: Harare, Zimbabwe

Budget Breakdown

Remuneration at Grade NOC

5141.00