Location: Any MSF office*
Contract: Permanent contract at 50%
Starting date: mid-October 2023
Deadline to apply: 10th of September 2023
*By default, the successful candidate will be offered a contract in the MSF office of their country of residence at the time of application.
I. MSF INTERNATIONAL
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural disasters. MSF offers assistance to people based only on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.
MSF International is the legal entity that binds MSF’s 24 sections, 25 associations and other offices together. Registered in Switzerland, MSF International provides coordination, information and support to the MSF Movement, as well as implements international projects and initiatives as requested.
II. POSITION BACKGROUND
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) develops medical guidelines for use in resource-limited environments. These guidelines draw from practical experience and scientific data collected in MSF’s projects, as well as evidence published by the World Health Organization and other leading medical institutions and scientific literature. Based on its experience gathered in it projects, and in the absence of relevant documents from other agencies, MSF has been producing medical practical guides for more than 25 years. The International Guidelines team (hereafter: ‘Guidelines team’) has been established to ensure the quality production of MSF guidelines.
International guidelines include 2 categories:
- Public guidelines: for use within and outside MSF, available through medicalguidelines.msf.org and MSF’s international guidelines application. MSF’s public guidelines are used by other non-governmental organisations and international agencies, thereby contributing to enhancing MSF's profile. The Essential drugs guideline is available to the public.
- Internal guidelines: for use by MSF only.
There are currently about 30 different guidelines, some of them are produced in several languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic).
III. PLACE IN THE ORGANISATION
The Medical author-coordinator Clinical guidelines is part of the International Guidelines Publication (IGP) team of MSF International. S/he is under the direct supervision of and reports to the IGP Manager. Collaboration with the IGP team members and the IGP stakeholders, including but not limited to MSF Working Group (WG) leaders and experts, is essential.
IV. OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION
The Medical author-coordinator Clinical guidelines:
1) coordinates the development and maintenance of the content quality of MSF Clinical Guidelines. S/he ensures the Clinical Guidelines are scientifically sound and up to date, consistent with other MSF international guidelines, relevant and adapted to MSF operational environment;
2) s/he writes relevant chapters for MSF Clinical Guidelines;
3) s/he provides input to other MSF international guidelines and tools, as requested.
V. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Planning:
- Generate an annual plan of updates in coordination with the IGP manager, the Editor of the Clinical guidelines; the Pharmacist for the Essential drugs, other IGP members and MSF’ WGs;
- Adjust planning, in coordination with the IGP manager and editor of the Clinical Guidelines, if new evidence or recommendations relevant to the guideline emerge.
2. Writing:
- Conduct proactive literature search, external guidelines review, etc. to support content with up to date scientific evidence, or if lacking, on a consensus of internal and/or external experts;
- Write draft chapters maintaining consistency and in compliance with the Guide to produce MSF guidelines and integrate input from relevant MSF and external experts, as well as references, illustrations, etc.;
- Coordinate closely with the editor of the Clinical Guidelines throughout the writing and revision process e.g. provide regular updates on content changes, consider and integrate feedback;
- Prepare a discussion document for IGP manager and the Medical Director in case of lack of agreement between the different collaborators (Author-coordinator, Editor, Pharmacist and MSF, and external, experts) on a certain topic. Document and integrate the decision taken;
- Finalise the text, considering the feedback of the Editor, Pharmacist, MSF, and external, experts and the Medical Directors, and submit to the editor of the Clinical Guidelines for a final check prior to translation and publication.
- Support translation process by identifying which references are available in French, Arabic and/or Spanish and responding to translator’s content questions, where agreed with Editor.
3. Coordination:
- Coordinate the input of MSF, and external, experts e.g. regular email communication, attending Working Group meetings when invited;
- Handle Working Group’s requests for updates to Clinical Guidelines, and facilitate consensus-seeking and decision-making on content;
- Coordinate with other authors working on international guidelines and managers of existing tools (Spinco etc.) for coherence.
- Create systematic mechanisms for transfer of feedback from MSF, and external, experts to IGP, as directed by IGP manager, in coordination with wider IGP team;
- Discuss the production and strategy with the IGP Manager on a regular basis and with the Medical Director on a yearly basis;
- Disseminate finding of literature research, external guidelines review, etc. to IGP authors and MSF experts;
- Provide input to other MSF international guidelines and tools, as requested and agreed with IGP manager.
4. Documentation:
- Collect and store requests for updates of the Clinical Guideline (from WG, IGP editors, field staff, spontaneous contacts);
- Track and ensure references are used and cited correctly;
- Ensure permission received for all illustrations, images and photos that are not from an MSF source;
- Archives documents and references used for the guides, to help answer any future questions related to the guidelines;
- Make use of the IGP CMS system for writing and storage of changes and Sharepoint for documentation.
5. Be a proactive IGP team member:
- Proactive participation in monthly meetings and provide regular information on the progress of activities;
- Contribute to the annual IGP plan of action and multi-year plans;
- Participate in the budget forecast, midterm reviews and reporting;
- Participates to the transversal projects of the international guidelines;