Technical Officer (Reproductive Health)

Contract

This is a NO-C 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 5 years of experience, depending on education. More about NO-C contracts.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

WHO works closely with the Ministry of Health, other UN agencies and partners to improve the health outcomes for the people of Sierra Leone. The country has a number of pressing health challenges, including high rates of maternal and child mortality. The Ministry has declared zero tolerance for both maternal and child mortality hence accelerated reduction of the high burden of maternal and child mortality is a priority. The MOH's Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) Policy and Strategy provides strategic direction to end preventable mortality and enhance the health and wellbeing of women, newborns, children, and adolescents in Sierra Leone. The RH/FP programme, in conjunction with the Quality Management Unit in MOH lead on improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes and the quality and experience of care. There have been significant advances in efforts to strengthen MDSR, EmONC training and mentoring, and initiate Obstetric triage assessment and treatment in selected high-volume facilities, but access to and utilization of many SRH cost-effective interventions remain limited. The nursing and midwifery workforce constitutes the largest workforce for health and is central to attaining the ambitious targets of RMNCAH Strategy, but challenges remain with respect to nursing and midwifery education, scope of practice and regulation The RMNCAH strategy promotes a range of interventions that should be further facilitated and describes those remaining barriers and bottlenecks which should be urgently addressed to end preventable mortality and enhance the health of women, newborns, children, and adolescents in Sierra Leone. The National Nursing and Midwifery Strategic Plan 2019- 2023 aims to assess the context-specific needs in nursing and midwifery within the wider remit of the relevant policies of the Ministry of Health (MOH), and to translate these into strategies for the improved provision of services

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the supervision of the ULC Cluster and RMNCAH unit lead, the National Professional Officer, (Sexual & Reproductive Health) will: • Work closely with other RMNCAH team members and with MOH colleagues at central and district level to develop and implement strategies to improve Sexual Reproductive Health within RMNCAH, including liaising with stakeholders in the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Directorate, the Nursing & Midwifery Directorate, and the Quality Management programme • Participate in the Review of the Sierra Leone National Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) Strategy to assess performance against health systems capacity to deliver SRH interventions and make recommendations to address bottlenecks and gaps • Support the translation and implementation of the Sierra Leone Quality and Patient Safety Roadmap, as it applies to sexual reproductive & maternal health. In particular support the application of QI approaches to reducing maternal deaths from the commonest causes of maternal mortality, building on current efforts Position Description - Professional Classified version of Position Description as at: 07-Mar-2024 3 Sensitivity: Internal & Restricted • Support the implementation of the National Nursing and Midwifery Strategic Plan, and activities to commemorate and document the Sierra Leone International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife • Coordinate TWG engagements and forums in order to plan and prioritize for the most effective coordinated delivery of technical assistance. This will be done through reviewing and familiarizing with national RMNCAH health policies, strategies, programmes, and related legislation, major players. • Work with other Nursing & Midwifery HRH partners to build the capacity of Nursing and Midwifery Faculty to deliver quality competency-based education • Build the capacity of the Nurses and Midwives Board to regulate the nursing and midwifery workforce and pre-service education • Collaborate in the facilitation and supervision of central and district level RMNCAH in-service and on-the-job trainings, with follow up on quality supportive supervision, mentorship, and corrective actions, in order to ensure that trainings are more effective and result in sustained positive changes in knowledge, competencies, attitudes and practices. And where relevant support preservice curriculum development and training • Prepare monthly donor progress reports against agreed detailed work plan milestones, and quarterly technical reports. Assist MOH in preparing concept notes and budgets for activities, and their reporting on these. • Collaborate with the WHO Regional Office for Africa and Headquarters and support global and regional initiatives through joint planning and missions with a specific focus on the development and implementation of SRH priorities including to global and regional declarations and mandates, and • Perform all other related duties as assigned

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: University degree in Medicine, Midwifery, or other Clinical discipline Desirable: Postgraduate degree in Clinical Sciences and/or Public Health with specialization in SRH or equivalent from a recognized University or College Experience

Experience

Essential: At least 5 years of relevant post qualification experience including clinical practice Desirable: Experience working on scaling up the delivery of public health programmes at decentralized levels. Experience in pre-service medical education/clinical instruction of health professionals, (doctors, midwives, other)

Skills

Strong technical skills and knowledge in the area of Reproductive and Child Health Skills and ability to timely synthesize key components and working group outputs. Ability to build and promote partnerships across the organization and beyond. Demonstrated ability to produce results, while respecting WHO's professional, ethical, and legal framework

WHO Competencies

Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Creating an empowering and motivating environment### Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Desirable: Beginners knowledge of French.

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at SLE 528,310 (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 and/or an asynchronous video assessment 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.

• According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

• The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int

• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. 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.

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

• WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.

• The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.

• Please note that WHO's contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at [email protected].

• 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.

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