Consultant - Palliative Care Services

Purpose of consultancy

To contribute to the development of WHO Palliative Care resources, guidance, and technical products for the IHS and NCD Departments. To facilitate the coordination of the WHO Working Group on Palliative Care, which membership spans the organization and its partners.

Background

At the 67th World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2014, Member States endorsed Resolution 67.19 on Strengthening of Palliative Care as a component of Comprehensive Care throughout the Life Course. The Resolution urges health systems to integrate and provide Palliative Care into all levels of health care.
WHO is supporting countries in the implementation of WHA Resolution 67.19 and working toward the achievement of Universal Health Coverage by strengthening Palliative Care provision through policy, empowering communities, promoting Palliative Care research, improving access to essential Palliative Care medicines, promoting education and training systems for Palliative Care workers and professionals, and by providing tools to monitor the quality of Palliative Care Services worldwide.
This consultancy is to contribute jointly to the NCD and IHS departments Palliative Care activities. The Department of Integrated Health Services (IHS) works with Member States and key global stakeholders to strengthen health service delivery. In the IHS Department, Clinical Services and Systems (CSY) brings together WHO’s work on integrated delivery channels – including primary care, emergency care, critical care, operative care and Palliative Care. CSY has brought a new focus on effective service organization and the importance of optimizing people’s movement across the health system. These approaches amplify the impact of WHO’s normative guidance by helping to align guidance with the reality of service delivery and users’ needs.
The Department of Non-Communicable Diseases, Disability and Rehabilitation (NCD) works to reduce the avoidable burden of morbidity, mortality and disability due to NCDs. The Department contributes to the implementation of WHA 67.19 focusing on Palliative Care training and education working in partnership with NSAs in official relations, and WHO collaborating centres to strengthen integration of Palliative Care through capacity building.

Deliverables

• Output 1: Contribute to the development and dissemination of tools and resources on Palliative Care service delivery.
  • Deliverable 1.1: Revised palliative clinical decision algorithms, three IMPACT lessons and assessment questions with revisions based on user feedback and written summary of user feedback from pilot testing Palliative Care IMPACT lessons with primary care workers in two low resource settings.
    Expected by end of Month 2
  • Deliverable 1.2: Final version of Palliative care handbook and library of messages including final algorithm (draft version for review/consultation).
    Expected by end of Month 3
  • Deliverable 1.3: Well-defined package of services for Palliative Care, which includes detailed information on human and material resources requirements with details needed for costing and cost-effective estimates, as well as links to relevant references.
    Expected by end of Month 6
  • Deliverable 1.4: Final gap analysis of Palliative Care training and education courses available through WHO and its partners.
    Expected by end of Month 6
  • Deliverable 1.5: Documents and informational materials that support the dissemination of WHO resources and products.
    Expected by end of Month 6
• Output 2. Contribute to the coordination of the WHO Working Group on Palliative Care.
  • Deliverable 2.1: Facilitate and document dialogues with the WHO Palliative Care Working Group, partner organizations, and organizations, and across WHO Departments, Regional Offices and WHO Collaborating Centers.
    Expected by end of Month 4
  • Deliverable 2.2: WHO Working Group on Palliative Care Meeting Report (virtual meeting held in April 2024).
    Expected by end of Month 4
  • Deliverable 2.3: WHO Working Group on Palliative Care Meeting Report (hybrid meeting held in October 2024).
    Expected by end of Month 8
  • Deliverable 2.4: Year 1 progress report on the implementation of the joint workplan of the WHO Working Group on Palliative Care.
    Expected by end of Month 10
  • Deliverable 2.5: Updated Palliative Care Activities Mapping’ for 2024 providing a comprehensive overview of activities occurring across the Working Group which relate to Palliative Care.
    Expected by end of Month 11

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• Advanced university degree in medicine and in public health or Palliative Care.

Desirable:

• Professional qualification in public health (FPH/ABPM membership or equivalent).

Experience:

Essential:

• At least 5 years of experience leading public health/health systems projects, including organization and management of health services and policy and strategy development.
• At least 3 years of experience in working with international organizations or low-income country health authorities on health systems development and Palliative Care.
• Demonstrated experience working with global Palliative Care partners networks.

Skills:

• Knowledge of global and national policy approaches to Palliative Care.
• Skills in development of Palliative Care technical guidance and other normative documents.
• Knowledge of methods to assess and improve healthcare quality.
• Skills in development of healthcare policy and strategy and related technical assistance.
• Knowledge of the interface between quality of care and Palliative Care.
• Technical skills in health system strengthening.
• Knowledge of the broader global health policy and programme environment, including donor and technical programmes and partners relevant to Palliative Care.
• Ability to lead and manage complex public health projects, including leading teams.
• Ability to find and appraise data and evidence.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills.

Languages required:

Essential:

Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

Intermediate knowledge of another UN language.

Location

Off site: Home-based.

Travel

The consultant is not expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level B - USD 7,000 - 9,980 per month.

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

11 months.

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for 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.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• 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.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html