NPO (Maternal Health and Midwifery)

Contract

This is a NO-B contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 2 years of experience, depending on education. More about NO-B contracts.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

With a view to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and targets, the goal of the WHO support in health through the life course is to help India better confront the changing epidemiological environment and further strengthen and improve maternal health services through the development of evidence-based health policies and strategies.Through policy and technical support at National and State level, the activities of the WHO Country Office more specifically aim at helping the Government of India (GoI) to:Support and improve pre- and in-service training and capacity building for relevant staff.Develop and implement an integrated quality assurance system for maternal health services including midwifery.

Underlying Values and Core Functions of WHO

WHO's mandate revolves around six (6) leadership priorities specifying (i) advancing universal health coverage; (ii) health related sustainable development goals; (iii) addressing the challenge of non-communicable diseases and mental health, violence and injuries and disabilities; (iv) implementing the provisions of the International Health Regulations (2005); (v) increasing access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable medical products; (vi) addressing the social, economic and environmental determinants of health. The South-East Asia Region (SEAR) of WHO is made up of 11 countries, with over 1.9 billion people, with India's population of1.3 billion. All the Member States of WHO/SEAR (Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Thailand) share the common value of the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental human right. All of WHO actions are based on this and rooted in the underlying values of equity, solidarity and participation. The mission of WHO India is to improve quality of life of the 1.3 billion people in India by supporting the government in eliminating vaccine preventable and other communicable diseases, reducing maternal and neonatal mortalities, promoting healthy lifestyles, addressing determinants of health, preparing and responding to health emergencies and strengthening health systems for universal health coverage.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Head of WHO Country Office India and the direct supervision of Team Leader (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health), with a view to achieve the expected results set out in the relevant WCO-India biennial workplans in accordance with WHO's Country Cooperation Strategy with India, as part of the WCO-India team working on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH), the incumbent will have the following responsibilities:

1. Strengthen WCO India capacity to provide technical support in Maternal health, including midwifery initiative in all related policies and interventions of the Government of India (GOI) through:

• Formulating the biennium work plans for GoI/WHO collaborative programme.
• Assisting in developing technical proposals as per work plans.
• Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the progress of workplan implementation.
• Preparing administrative and technical reports.
• Documenting successful interventions and synthesizing lessons learnt for wider dissemination.

2. Collaborate with Central and State level authorities and other stakeholders on technical matters related to Maternal health with emphasis on strengthening antenatal care, intra natal and post-natal care, provision of skilled birth attendance, maternal and newborn death audits, supporting midwifery education and services.

3. Collaborate with the Government of India in identifying maternal health related priorities for research and action including undertaking gap analysis; support capacity building in this area to ensure that priorities are fulfilled. Build research capacity and document successful interventions and synthesizing lessons learnt for wider dissemination.

4. Provide technical assistance to Govt. of India in building skills and capacities for health care functionaries at various levels (center, state, and districts) both for pre-service and in-service education in the area of maternal health.

5. Support adaptation of WHO guidelines, tools and training materials related to Maternal Health for the country and their application in the national programmes.

6. Support information exchange and normative function of WCO India through contributions to reports, policy and media briefs and scientific papers through collation, analysis, systematic review and synthesis of data and information.

7. Provide support of monitoring and evaluation of programme effectiveness in Maternal health and midwifery, including the review and synthesis of relevant data and information.

8. In consultation with supervisors, liaise with donors/ development partners (bilateral and UN) and civil society to harmonize recommendations on policies and strategies relating to Maternal health and midwifery.

9. Undertake any other tasks/duties as assigned by the supervisor(s).

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: University degree in medicine (MBBS) from a recognized university. Desirable: Post-graduate degree in Obstetrics and Gynaecology or Public Health.

Experience

Essential: At least two (2) years of professional experience in field of Maternal Health at national/state level. Experience in programme implementation related to maternal health including developing plans/proposals, and writing reports including experience in research methodologies. Desirable: Working experience with inter-governmental agencies, the UN Agencies or WHO at the national and international level will be an advantage. Working experience of midwifery initiative of GoI at national level including coordination with key partners and ability to lead and guide expert technical groups in midwifery.

Skills

• The incumbent should identify with the core values of the World Health Organization.
• Thorough knowledge of the country's needs and priorities in Maternal Health; ability to make oral and written presentations on technical issues and preparation of reports; demonstrated ability to work in harmony with national/international staff; maintaining poise even in difficult situations; good knowledge of the administrative functioning of government ministries and other related departments/agencies; knowledge of WHO programmes and practices will be an added advantage.
• Sound technical and policy advisory skills, based on evidence. Leadership, coordination, and supervision skills with demonstrated ability to work effectively with government and colleagues in a team setting at various levels. Very good ability to build and maintain relations and network with national authorities and other stakeholders across relevant sectors. Understanding of the potential motivating factors within national context and ability to adjust to new approaches in an increasingly complex environment.
• Modern management skills (planning and evaluation, etc.). Capacity to prepare terms of reference and to prepare, monitor and manage the implementation of contractual agreements. Capacity to convey information and options in a structured and credible way; ability to speak and write clearly. Proficiency in computer applications and ability to draft reports.
• Knowledge of WHO/UN agencies programmes and practices will be an advantage.

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
• Producing results

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Expert knowledge of Hindi.

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at INR 2,476,526 (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.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

• 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.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• 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.