Consultant - To support alignment of partners for country Health Information Systems for the Health Data Collaborative / SDG 3 GAP data and digital accelerator (ASIA)

Purpose of consultancy

To contribute to the implementation of the Health Data Collaborative’s (HDC) / SDG GAP D D operational workplan for 2022-2023 so that the HDC can achieve its objectives:

1. Strengthening country HIS;
2. Align partner resources with country priorities; and
3. Adapt global tools with local contexts and milestones). Specifically, the Africa regional consultant will support the strategic approach to scale up using regional platforms for country impact.

Background

The HDC is underpinned by a comprehensive Theory of Change to align partner technical, financial and political investments with country and Government led data and digital priorities.

HDC birth: The Health Data Collaborative (HDC) was launched in March 2016.

The HDC mission is to provide a collaborative platform that leverages and aligns technical and financial resources (at all levels) to country owned strategies and plans for collecting, storing, analyzing and using data to improve health outcomes, with specific focus on SDG targets and communities that are left behind.

HDC objectives:

1. To strengthen country capacity to plan, implement, monitor and review progress and standardized processes for data collection, availability, analysis and use to achieve national health related targets (and therefore eventual SDG health targets);
2. To improve efficiency and alignment of technical and financial investments in health data systems through collective actions; and
3. To increase the impact of global public goods and tools on country health data systems through increased sharing, learning and country engagement.

Deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Workplan for achieving deliverables and completing tasks 2 and 3. To improve efficiency and alignment of technical and financial investments in health data systems through collective actions.

1.1 Apply the HDC Theory of Change and SCORE framework to map current investment landscape in the health information system (HIS), including digitalization.
1.2 Analyze and update repository of current status of HDC partner alignment on HIS/CRVS/ data governance technical and financial investments.
1.3 Undertake a brief desk review considering methods and possible indicators for measuring progress of alignment of financial and technical investments by HDC partners in country health information systems.
1.4 Review options and propose a priority list for consideration by the HDC Steering Committee to measure alignment of technical and financial investments with country health data plans.
1.5 Working with in-country partners and Government in each of the HDC countries, apply the selected method and produce a report that includes recommendations on how to better align partners and efficiently use resources.

Deliverable 2: To recommend activities to strengthen country capacity to plan, implement, monitor and review progress and standardized processes for data collection, availability, analysis and use to achieve national health related targets (and therefore eventual SDG health targets).

2.1 Undertake a stakeholder mapping of country HDC partners involved in data and digital health, and describe their relationships to regional and global partners. Review of partner country development plans where available.
2.2 Review key available documents (such as planning, budgeting, M E plans, coordination meeting minutes, HDC country summaries).
2.3 Review numbers of health sector indicators being reported on within Government health plans, national institutions and key stakeholder plans, consider reporting burden on front line health workers, and assess how many of the indicators are useful for front line decisions. Document any trends over time in terms of reporting burden.
2.4 Review of best practices:

• on collecting and using community-generated data for tracking communities left behind – in consultation with the HDC Community and CRVS working groups;
• on electronic systems for health facility reporting.

2.5:Apply the HDC Theory of Change and SCORE to map:

• planning & budget cycles;
• strengths & challenges of HIS / M E / CRVS in health;
• prioritized 2-3 issues and solutions that HDC partners could support in addressing.

2.6 Together with HDC in-country partners use existing coordination mechanism to disseminate the recommendations and findings of the reviews.

Deliverable 3: To establish strong HDC / SDG GAP profile and information available to regional HDC partners and regional institutes

3.1 To undertake a comprehensive review of regional support for countries to strengthen HIS and provide recommendations to strengthen approaches to align resources with country priorities.
3.2 To provide regional institutes with well analyzed information to fulfil their regional roles in HDC to be data champions, provide technical support and provide capacity building for countries.
3.3 To provide technical expertise to the HDC regional partners as needed.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages.

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• A university degree in a related field of public health, health economics, health system governance or another related field.

Desirable:

• An advanced degree in any of the above.

Experience

Essential:

• Minimum of 5 years national and international experience in countries and regions that includes project management and partnerships with strong emphasis on working group functioning and good governance practices in multi partner contexts.
• Minimum of 5 years national and international experience in public health programme management and international development.
• Experience in strategy formulation and implementation of innovative techniques to improve efficiency and effectiveness of working groups.
• Experience in global or regional-level networking and partnership-building.
• Proven experience in preparing proposals, project and donor reports and other documentation.

Desirable:

• Experience working in the field of health information systems, health measurement, health statistics.

Skills

• Expertise and understanding of partnerships, working groups and field work and the ways in which ministries of health work.
• Excellent, writing and editing skills in English, effective presentation and report-writing skills; with ability to provide concrete technical and other advisory support.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, manage, coordinate and monitor day to day workflow in timely fashion, efficiently and with attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural settings.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Location

Off-site: Asian country with ability to link well with regional offices of WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA and travel to selected countries.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel to countries within the region.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level B-USD 7,000 - 9,980 per month.

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

11 months.

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
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• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
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• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
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