National Specialist for the development and validation of standard treatment guidelines for animal health sector (terrestrial & aquatic) for the Veterinary Services in Liberia

Organizational Setting

In December 2020, a situational analysis on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) was conducted in Liberia which revealed the weak implementation of regulations on the use of antimicrobial agents in the animal and human sectors, lack of data on AMR, lack of control on selling of antimicrobials, the common practice of buying counterfeit drugs from “drug peddlers,” the unrestrained use of antibiotics in the livestock and agriculture industry among other issues. Additionally, inadequate treatment guidelines and infection prevention and control (IPC) measures at animal/poultry farms, slaughterhouses, and veterinary clinics necessitates the need for well-coordinated efforts by all sectors through a multi-sectoral approach to combat and prevent the threats posed by AMR as well as improve therapeutics and IPC practices.

AMR which occurs by means of various factors such as natural selective pressure, has a direct consequence of human actions, such as overuse and misuse of antimicrobial agents in various sectors pertaining to human and animal health, animal production, agriculture, aquaculture and environment. These are favored by several factors such as absence of or weak enforcement of existing regulation, poor therapy adherence; non-therapeutic use, over-the-counter or internet sales, and availability of counterfeit antimicrobials as well as stock out of antimicrobials in healthcare settings.

It is against this background and in line with activities within the AMR National Action Plan (NAP) that the Antimicrobial Resistance Technical Working Group of the One Health Platform, in collaboration with the animal health sector and support from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has embarked on the development of a national IPC and treatment guidelines for the animal sector of Liberia.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Liberia, the technical Leadership of the ECTAD Country team leader and technical guidance of the ECTAD AMR focal point supported by AMR regional experts.

Technical Focus

Development and validation of standard treatment guidelines for terrestrial and aquatic animals for the Veterinary Services in Liberia.

Tasks and Responsibilities

During this assignment, the incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative for Liberia, the direct technical supervision of the FAO-ECTAD Country Team Leader in Liberia, in collaboration of the ECTAD AMR Focal point. The incumbent will develop and co-facilitate the validation process of the IPC and standard treatment guidelines for the animal health sector (terrestrial & aquatic) for the Veterinary Services in Liberia. She/he will take stock and leverage the existing documents, systems, instruments such as the WOAH/OIE guidelines, the Animal Diseases Surveillance and Response strategy (ADSR), the National strategy for AMR surveillance in the Animal Health sector, LMRHA/Board, the National Action Plan on Prevention and Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR), Infectious Disease Surveillance and Response strategy (IDSR), the results of the 2017 WHO Joint External assessment (JEE), the National Action Plan Health Security (NAPHS 2018-2022), the One health governance manual (2021), NAP-AMR assessment reports and other relevant documents to perform the different tasks. The duties and responsibilities will include, but not limited to the following:

• Carry out assessment or conduct situational analysis of the animal health sector with regards to treatment protocols that will inform guideline development • Provide support to stakeholders through working teams, meetings, work schedules, and interviews. • Participate in discussions with Veterinary services and One Health AMR TWG for collaboration on the development of the treatment guidelines. • Review existing guidelines on IPC for preventing transmission of infectious diseases. • Review Global/regional and relevant IPC and treatment guidelines for adaptation and implementation to animal healthcare facilities through active engagement with stakeholders to practice effective IPC and treatment protocols. • Develop an inception concept note, report, detailing evaluation of guideline development, methodology, indicators, and work plan schedule. • Document best practices to inform and improve overall animal treatment approaches. • Collate and incorporate inputs from stakeholders at the validation workshop to improve the contents of the guidelines. • Facilitate/ Participate in joint technical working sessions to validate guidelines. • Provide support with the develop and submit the first draft report and debriefing to the VS, One Health AMR TWG and FAO. • Support the development of the guidelines to strengthen hygiene and therapeutic practices, to prevent transmission of infectious agents or resistant pathogens, and promote the engagement of all stakeholders within the Animal Health value chain. • Oversee the development of the guidelines and define the systematic approach to prevention, treatment and control of emerging diseases and AMR threats. • Draft of treatment guidelines with indicators. • Support with the engagement of focal persons, stakeholders, and partners to facilitate collation of relevant national documents and inputs. • Review and update guidelines based on feedback from stakeholders and reviewers. • Participate in the finalization of the report on guideline validation and present to MOA, One Health AMR TWG and FAO. • Specifically, the specialist will develop the draft “Standard treatment guidelines for animal health sector (terrestrial & aquatic) for the Veterinary Services in Liberia” • Support a 2-day pre-validation workshop of the drafted guidelines • Support a 3-day validation workshop of the guidelines • Draft and submit a consultancy report which will include: the validated strategy and validation workshop report

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• He/she must have a clinical degree (Veterinary Medicine, Animal Health, Agriculture, Medicine, Pharmacy, Medical Sciences or Nursing, public health, epidemiology or infectious diseases) from an accredited university and a Master‘s degree in the same or related fields. • Must have over 5 years of proven record of knowledge and experience in development, validation and review of guidelines or strategies related to animal diseases. • Must have over 5 years proven record of knowledge of the Animal health pharmaceutical products in Liberia, livestock value chains, animal production dynamics and disease control strategies in Liberia. • Working knowledge of English. • National of Liberia or a resident in the country with a valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Must have comprehensive knowledge and experience of the existing animal health regulations plus national animal health systems and networks in Liberia. • Must have knowledge and experience in animal disease treatment, therapeutics, AMR activities and IPC in Liberia. • Technical knowledge of quality improvement principles and best practices is also necessary. • Proven ability to build good relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including government institutions, NGOs, and local communities, and conduct fieldwork. • Ability to translate and adapt international guidelines into local context. • Demonstrated ability to work with One Health AMR TWG, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock production/Animal Health stakeholders • Experience in working with stakeholders within the various sectors and subsectors is an added advantage • Ability to work alone and in teams and have strong interpersonal communication skills • Previous experience working on international donor projects is highly preferred. • Working knowledge of MS office and relevant IT tools and software (Word, Excel, Power point) • Excellent communication, networking, written and presentation skills. • Familiarity with United Nations System and/or FAO’s programming mechanisms.