Back International Consultant – Integrated Health Services

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Qualifications

Purpose of consultancy

Under the overall guidance of WHO Representative (WR) and direct supervision of the Health Policy Advisor (HPA), the consultant will support relevant health systems related activities at WCO Timor-Leste with a focus on strengthening the flagship initiative of integrated health service delivery, through the public health field officers across all municipalities. This supports Timor-Leste’s priority to enhance de-centralization through strengthening of capacities at sub-national levels.

Scope of work:

The aim of the consultancy is to develop, coordinate, strengthen, monitor, supervise and institutionalize the WHO Public Health Field Officers program (with these public health officers to be placed in all 13 Municipalities of Timor-Leste), in order to streamline the delivery of integrated health services in the country, and to provide guidance and supportive supervision to district health services in light of decentralization.   

Background

Ministry of Health Timor-Leste, with active support from WHO is set to reform and manage the health sector, to effectively and efficiently deliver comprehensive and quality healthcare services that are equitable, accessible, and sustainable for people in Timor. The National Health Sector Strategic Plan 2011-2030 (NHSSP) highlights the vision for “Healthy East Timorese People in a Healthy Timor-Leste” with clear commitment for the provision of free and equitable health services for all.

The major step acknowledged by the government for realizing the NHSSP vision, and towards attainment of UHC is the delivery of integrated health service. Integration across all directorates and programs is critical to build bridges between all the vertical Health Directorates and programs, by not only improving the efficiency and effectiveness of health system operations, but by also addressing specific health needs of the population while maintaining high quality standards. Integrated health services aim to deliver essential services package and to develop strong referral linkages between primary, secondary, and tertiary care. The program also aims to strengthen the coordination between six building blocks of health systems, and to streamline communication channels between national and municipal health services through municipality-based field officers. These WHO Field Officers will not only support the implementation of MoH health programs at sub-national level but will also act as a bridge between Municipal health offices and the WHO office in Timor-Leste.

Health services in the country are organized at four major levels - health posts (HPs), community health centres (CHCs) at the municipal and sub-municipal levels, and referral hospitals (RHs) at the regional and national levels, along with outreach activities like SISCa, PT and SnF. Essential Health Service package for PHC, has been identified as the primary vehicle to deliver Integrated Health Services, linking it to Universal Health Coverage strategy and health-related SDGs. Timor-Leste’s ‘family practice’ approach, is considered pivotal in delivering health services to the communities, to ensure that the health facilities (both Health Post and CHC) along with the SnF (and the community volunteers, PSF) can complement and provide high quality primary care services to all the registered members of that community.

WHO as a trusted partner, has committed to extend complete support to Ministry of Health, right from policy level to strategic support, and furnishing evidence based and actionable technical assistance towards establishing and strengthening the integration of programs and platforms across all levels. WHO’s public health field officers would be instrumental in integrating health services at district level. As a result, WHO aims to hire a technical consultant who will be responsible for the development, coordination, training, supportive-supervision, monitoring, and institutionalizing of public health field officers to support the integrated health services.

Deliverables

Output 1: Development of induction and refresher modules for the field officers training program; and organizing the induction training program.

• Activity 1 – Developing the induction training Framework & Plan.
• Activity 2 – Preparing and finalizing the induction modules, in coordination with the relevant program teams at WCO-TLS.
• Activity 3 – Organizing logistics and management of induction training program.
• Activity 4 – Rolling out the training modules. 

   

  Output 2: Supporting the coordination of Public Health Field Officers (PHFO) with relevant program department at MoH, and institutions at the national level – submitting monthly progress reports.

  📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

  ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

  • Activity 1 – Regular supportive supervision and handholding of PHFO for on ground activity implementation.
  • Activity 2 – Organizing joint meetings of PHFO, MoH program officials and Municipal health relevant officers to assess the program progress (quarterly).
  • Activity 3 – Monitoring and supervision of program implementation.
  • Activity 4 – Submitting monthly progress reports.

     

    Output 3: Supporting capacity building of district municipal health officers, in close coordination with public health field officers – submitting monthly progress reports.

    • Activity 1 – Conducting field visit to monitor program implementation and to conduct training need assessment.
    • Activity 2 – Conducting half-yearly program refresher trainings across all municipalities, based on the findings of training needs assessment.
    • Activity 3 – Submitting monthly progress report.

       

      Output 4: Program supportive supervision, coordination meetings, continuing professional development, monitoring, and troubleshooting – submitting monthly progress reports.

      • Activity 1 – Organizing monthly joint meeting (virtual) with PHFO from all municipalities.
      • Activity 2 – Collating the PHFO requests from all municipalities and sharing with relevant MoH program departments.

         

        Output 5: Any other tasks assigned by supervisor and country representative – submitting monthly progress reports.

         

        For the successful completion of all the aforesaid activities, the period of assignment has been kept as 11 months.

         

        Qualifications, experience, skills, and languages\\

         

        Educational Qualifications:

         

        Essential: A degree in medical/social sciences or related field

        Desirable: Advanced degree in Public Health, with special focus on health system strengthening

         

        Experience

         

        Essential:

        • At least 5 years of professional work experience at the National/ international level in public health
        • Experience of working within Health systems and with Ministries and development partners

           

          Desirable:

          • Experience of working in LMICs, focusing on health system strengthening
          • Experience of working in primary health care will be added advantage
          • Knowledge and experience of working across different health programs will be added advantage
          • Experience of working with international health organizations is an asset, such as the experience of working with UN or other international development organizations

             

            Skills / knowledge