International Consultant - Health Systems Governance (UHC)

1. Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of the consultancy is to strengthen health system leadership and governance functions in Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). The selected consultant will achieve the agreed-upon deliverable through conducting needed research, producing technical products and advocacy material, and supporting relevant regional and country meetings.

2. Background

Over the past few years, there has been increased solidarity and commitment towards achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and global health security. Moving closer to this goal requires the health services to be available, of good quality and affordable, which in turn requires attention to all the various components of a health system including infrastructure, medicines and medical products, health workers, health information, and health systems financing. Health systems governance and leadership are closely tied with all of these components, as well as to the interactions between them. In addition, the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has delivered an unprecedented shock to national health systems, further demonstrating the relevance and essential need to strengthen health system leadership and governance at global, regional, national, and sub-national levels.

Health Systems Governance Team at the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (WHO/EMRO) builds on a set of technical assets to support countries in strengthening their health system leadership and governance functions to inform transformation plans and build stronger, more resilient, fairer, and greener health systems. In this effect, the team is generating strategic evidence on health systems governance challenges, gaps, and bottlenecks in the region. This includes the development of a governance mapping tool applying a COVID-19 lens for better health systems preparedness, response, and recovery. The application of this tool guided the team in producing a desk review on health system governance arrangements and institutional set-ups, health policy and planning development processes, as well as supportive regulatory and legislative measures for 22 EMR Member States. Between 25-28 October 2021, a technical consultation was organized to present the interim results of the regional desk review and endorse the identified health system governance strategic directions and actions to advance UHC and health security in EMR. These include four strategic directions:

• Strengthen public health sector authorities’ leadership functions and reshape the role of the Ministry of Health.
• Strengthen health systems institutional (organizational) arrangements and capacities to protect and promote essential public health functions at national and sub-national levels.
• Support, strengthen, and promote participatory governance and its institutionalization in health-decision making at the national and subnational level.
• Strengthen regulatory measures and legal frameworks to advance UHC and health security.

In line with these strategic directions, Health Systems Governance Team is promoting participatory governance in health decision making and engagement of key stakeholders including parliamentarians and civil society. In particular, the team is working closely with the Regional Parliamentary Forum for Health and Well-being, which is a platform for parliamentarians in the Region formally launched in June 2019, in Tunisia, to facilitate the exchange of experiences, practices, and lessons learned and enhance parliamentarians’ capacities to advance the health agenda at the regional and national levels. The Forum came into existence after a series of consultations with parliamentarians, health system experts, legal advisors, and representatives of international organizations. The WHO Regional Office provides technical support to the Forum and facilitates its activities.

In this effect, this consultancy builds on former efforts carried out by the team to operationalize the identified strategic directions in selected EMR countries, considering their different country contexts and available opportunities through the development of country guidance, advocacy material, and research.

3. Planned timelines (subject to confirmation) 40% of time

Start date: 20/09/2022 tentative

End date: 20/03/2023

4. Work to be performed

Output 1****: Review of the role of the Ministries of Health in 22 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

• Deliverable 1.1: Conduct a desk review on the role of Ministries of Health in EMR countries, including the organizational structure of ministries, their key responsibilities, delegated authorities, mechanisms of accountability, and the legislative framework in which they operate and their role in relation to other governmental bodies and non-state actors at national and sub-national level.

• Deliverable 1.2: Develop a deep-dive questionnaire, guided by the generated evidence from the desk review, to be shared with key country informants in 8 selected EMR countries to gain better insight into the role and responsibilities of the Ministry of Health and validate the collected information.

• Deliverable 1.3: Produce a regional report based on the findings of the desk review and the deep-dive questionnaire.

5. Technical Supervision

The selected Consultant will work under the supervision of:

Responsible Officer:

Dr. Hala Abou-Taleb, Acting Regional Advisor, Health Systems Governance Team

Manager:

Dr. Awad Mataria, Universal Health Coverage/Health Systems Department Director

6. Specific requirements

- Qualifications required:

Essential: University degree in public health, social sciences, international development, public policy, or any related field.

Desirable: post-graduate degree in public health, social sciences, international development, public policy, or any related field.

- Experience required

• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in health systems strengthening, health system governance, any related technical area at regional or national levels.
• Additional years of relevant professional experience are highly desirable.
• Demonstrated strength and experience writing technical reports, policy briefs, among others.
• Experience working with WHO or any other UN agency would be an asset.
• Evidence of having undertaken similar assignments is an asset.

- Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

The selected candidate should demonstrate a wide set of technical and soft skills including:

• Ability to produce comprehensive knowledge management products, including desk reviews and workshop reports in a clear and presentable format
• Ability to translate research into real and tangible policies and recommendations
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and facilitate and encourage open communication
• Ability to perform efficiently under work-pressure and actively work towards continuing personal learning and development

- Language requirements:

Essential: Excellent English and Arabic language skills

7. Place of assignment

Cairo, Egypt

8. Medical clearance

The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

9. Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel.

All travel arrangements will be made by WHO – WHO will not be responsible for tickets purchased by the Consultant without the express, prior authorization of WHO. While on mission under the terms of this consultancy, the Consultant will receive subsistence allowance.

Visas requirements: it is the consultant’s responsibility to fulfil visa requirements and ask for visa support letter(s) if needed.

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.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• 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.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.