Nursing and Midwifery (National Professional Officer/NPO)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The Division of Country Health Policies and Systems (CPS) assists countries in the Region with the design and implementation of appropriate health policies and systems to strengthen universal health coverage. It works to strengthen data-driven, evidence-informed, contextually tailored health policy development and implementation at national, regional, and local levels, taking an inclusive approach across the life course. The Division advocates strengthening of public health leadership, focusing on implementing policies that are people centred, promote health, prevent illness, and address the social and economic determinants of health, while fostering leadership on equity, human rights, and gender mainstreaming in health. It focuses on building capacity for health systems innovation to enable the sustainable delivery of high-quality primary health and community services that are effectively linked to hospitals, and mental health, public health, and social care services. To do so, CPS supports country efforts to facilitate access to leave nobody behind, to improve financial protection, to strengthen the health workforce, to increase access to affordable medicines and technologies, and to promote the uptake and implementation of digital technology.
The Health Workforce and Service Delivery unit provides strategic direction, technical assistance and tailored support to countries to improve access and quality for health and long-term care services delivered by a competent and sustainable workforce. It will engage with professional bodies and patients to support the design and transformation of services which are geared to improve: patient experience of care across the health and social sector; health of the population, health care efficiency and the experience and engagement of the health and care workforce. In order to deliver these objectives aligned with the European Programme of Work and GPW 13 the unit will focus on supporting countries through the development of policies, strategies, tools and capacities in the areas of health workforce, (including nursing and midwifery and the public health workforce) to improve working conditions, retain and motivate the existing workforce; and align the education, training and production of the future workforce with population health needs, promote integration in service delivery to better bridge the divide between health systems and social care across the whole continuum of care, as well as supporting Member States efforts to put people at the center of services.

Organizational Context

1. Work environment: The incumbent will work as part of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine within the Division of Health Programmes under the overall direction of the WHO Representative in Ukraine (WR), the supervision of the unit head, health services section and the guidance of the Nursing and Midwifery Policy Adviser at the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

2. The role of the individual: The incumbent is expected to provide expert technical support to the Ministry of Health and other national partners on strengthening nursing and midwifery within the health system and their contributions to service development, including in conflict-affected areas. The incumbent will be responsible for gathering evidence and background material, managing of the learning resources e.g., webinars, publications, website; strengthening and engaging partner networks, drafting briefs, reports, terms of reference and provisional scopes and purpose and/or programmes for events; managing consultants; preparing technical overviews, supporting the coordination and implementation of nursing and midwifery activities in Ukraine.

The incumbent is expected to work independently but in close collaboration with other members of the health system team in Ukraine Country Office, other Country Office and Regional office colleagues, including the Regional Nursing and Midwifery Policy Adviser. The work environment calls for extensive liaison and coordination with governmental and non-governmental partners working on mental health issues in the country.

3. Available guidelines: The work will be anchored in and aligned with national and UN as well as WHO policy frameworks, including the Regional Roadmap to guide implementation of the Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery in the WHO European Region, European Programme of Work, WHO Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030, as well as national policies related to nursing, midwifery and human resources for health. The work will be in line with national policies, financing and service delivery and educational priorities.

4. Degree of independence:
The incumbent exercises judgement and flexibility in the application of relevant guidelines and selection of professional courses of action. For activities not covered by established guidelines, and for ad hoc unforeseen situations, the incumbent uses initiative and common sense, drawing from experience. The incumbent may seek guidance for solutions to complicated technical matters from relevant staff in the WHO Country Office in Ukraine. The incumbent works within a country team with a degree of independence, receives directions from the supervisors on technical matters and seeks guidance/information from available sources. Policy matters must be bought to the attention of the supervisors. The work is reviewed upon completion for overall accuracy, timeliness and attainment of objectives.

5. Nature and purpose of contacts

Within the organization:

1. WRas direct supervisor, Regional Nursing and Midwifery Policy Adviser as second level supervisor, Nursing and midwifery Policy Adviser EURO as overall guidance, and the WR for strategic direction, relevant country officers for day-to-day interaction. Guidance and supervision and to decide on the orientation of the work; to brief and appraise on developments; to receive policy guidance; to solve problems arising and to collaborate and harmonize work.
2. Other Divisions and parts of the Organization, including Country Offices, Strategic Partnerships and other health programmes: for mutual information, integration of mental health work into relevant programme areas, for purposes of coordination and prioritization of activities and products, to undertake joint activities as relevant, to share information and expertise.
3. Technical counterparts in the Country, Regional Office and Headquarters Offices: for purposes of coordination of advocacy and partnership activities in relevant areas.

Outside the organization:

1. Officials and programme staff in Ministries of Health, other Ministries and Government Agencies, to provide technical and programmatic support
2. Civil Society (including national and international community based and non-governmental organizations) and bilateral agencies: for purposes of partnership, collaboration, and coordination.
3. Relevant regional and international organizations to ensure stakeholder engagement
4. WHO Collaborating Centers and other regional research and scientific institutions for purposes of partnership, collaboration and coordination.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The purpose of the post is to provide technical support and coordination on strengthening nursing and midwifery capacity to improve service delivery in accordance with country needs and priorities.

Key duties:

• Develop gap analysis of immediate to long- term nursing education and training needs in close coordination with Centre for Nursing Development
• Coordinate a programme of online learning for nurses for short, medium and long term in close coordination with Centre for Nursing Development and by working with networks of RO N&M Policy Adviser
• Implement education reform for nurses in close coordination with Centre for Nursing Development
• Draft nursing input to Health Labour Market Analysis in close coordination with Centre for Nursing Development
• Develop of a spectrum of nursing roles in mental health support to patients to support Ukrainian Mental Health Action Plan (inclusive of training, regulation, development of protocols, guidelines and regulatory documents) in close coordination with Centre for Nursing Development with development
• Support N&M adviser, Country Office and Ukraine Centre for Nursing Development to identify stakeholders who can provide and develop trainings, identified to be immediately needed.
• Support N&M adviser and country office to ensure access for Ukrainian nurses to the trainings (follow up, translation, formatting, submitting to platforms).

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education Qualifications

Essential : University degree (Bachelor's level) in Nursing or Midwifery.

Desirable :
Master’s degree in one of the Health and Health Science.
Expert knowledge of health systems and human resources for health.
Expert knowledge of eastern countries of the Region.
Postgraduate training and experience in Public Health, Global Health or similar.

Experience

Essential : At least two years of relevant experience.

Desirable :
Experience in rapid evidence research skills.
Experience in implementing, shaping and communicating health workforce policy priorities.
Experience in WHO or another international public health organization.

Skills

1. Project Management
2. Research methods and stakeholder management.
3. Report-writing skills (in English)

WHO Competencies

1) Teamwork

2) Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

3) Communication

4) Producing Results

5) Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English, Ukrainian.

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 37,537 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level
Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
A written test may be used as a form of screening.
In the event that your candidature is retained for an 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.
Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.
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This is a National Professional Officer position. Therefore, only applications from nationals of the country where the duty station is located will be accepted. Applicants who are not nationals of this country will not be considered.