1. Purpose of the Consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to work with the WHO Rehabilitation Programme and Health Workforce Department to:
- Support the finalization and implementation of the Guide for Rehabilitation Workforce Evaluation (GROWE) in countries.
- Integrate health condition-specific assessment and intervention tasks into the WHO Rehabilitation Competency Framework, and facilitate the development of an interactive web platform to support their use.
- Support the finalization and operationalization of the Working for Health 2022-2030 Action Plan.
2. Background
Globally, health and demographic trends are changing; populations are rapidly ageing, and people are living longer with chronic conditions and multimorbidity. More than ever, health systems are compelled to invest in primary health care and accelerate progress to universal health coverage. These endeavors are contingent on a health and care workforce with the capacity and competence to meet the evolving needs of populations. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has strained and disrupted health systems and caused a shift in economic policy priorities. The pandemic has highlighted the critical role of the health workforce in emergency preparedness and health security and positioned it as central to health system resilience. As countries work to deliver primary health care and essential services in the context of highly disrupted health systems, the need to protect, support and bolster the health workforce is more critical than ever.
Among the many and diverse health needs population currently experience, those that require rehabilitation are going largely unmet. Lack of access to skilled rehabilitation workers in low- and middle-income countries in particular poses a major barrier to people receiving the care they need, where they need it. Profound under-investment and widespread misconceptions regarding rehabilitation and its value to population health underpin the rehabilitation workforce crisis experienced in large parts of the world. Countries are compelled to take action, in particular to strengthen workforce production, regulation, and competency-based education and lifelong learning, but many lack the necessary data and technical tools to make meaningful progress.
In order to address this situation, WHO has intensified its efforts to strengthen the health workforce, including targeted efforts to address the rehabilitation workforce crisis. Among these efforts is the development of a revised Working for Health 2022-2030 Action Plan, which seeks to mobilize investment and foster collaboration to expand and transform the health workforce; a Rehabilitation Competency Framework and implementation guides; and a Guide for Rehabilitation Workforce Evaluation. To be truly impactful in countries, these resources need to be accompanied by technical assistance, advocacy, and resources to increase awareness and improve their useability, as well as support their implementation.
3. Work to be performed
Output 1: Support the finalization and implementation of the Guide for Rehabilitation Workforce Evaluation (GROWE) in countries.
1.1 Provide virtual technical assistance to countries implementing GROWE, including the construction of national workforce action plans.
1.2 Produce national rehabilitation workforce evaluation reports for Nepal, Rwanda and Poland.
1.3 Conduct key informant interviews to examine the experience of implementing GROWE in pilot countries, with particular attention to the use of national competency analysis, and publish findings in an academic article.
1.4 Oversee the clearance, production and launch of GROWE after findings from the pilot have been integrated.
Output 2. Integrate health condition-specific assessment and intervention tasks into the WHO Rehabilitation Competency Framework, and facilitate the development of an interactive web platform to support their use
2.1 List of rehabilitation assessment and intervention tasks, based on the WHO Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation, integrated in the relevant components of the Rehabilitation Competency Framework Practice domain.
2.2 An interactive web platform that enables easy access to all content of the Rehabilitation Competency Framework.
2.3 A series of webinar events to present the web-platform and health condition-specific data to relevant stakeholders and promote its uptake.
Output 3. Support the finalization of the Working for Health 2022-2030 Action Plan and its submission to the 75th World Health Assembly
3.1 Prepares a zero draft action plan.
3.2 Facilitates engagement with Member States, partners and key stakeholders on the content, focus, and uptake of Working for Health 2022-2030 Action Plan, through a series of scheduled consultations, interviews and the review of available evidence and data.
3.3 Contributes to the development of recommendations for the strengthening and sustained financing of the existing Working for Health Multi-Partner Trust Fund implementation mechanism.
3.3 Contributes to the drafting, finalization and submission of the Working for Health Action Plan and its implementation mechanism.
3.4 Contributes to the presentation of the Action Plan to Member States, and its submission to the 75th World Health Assembly in May 2022.
3.5 Supports and facilitates 3-level integration, initiation, planning, resourcing, and operationalization of the action plan in collaboration with supported regions and WCO, and other implementing partners.
3.6 Supports the establishment and functioning of a ‘global health workforce expert advisory group’ as a key strategic mechanism for driving the uptake and implementation of the workforce agenda and action plan, the global HRH Strategy, and the continuation of the 2021 Year of the Health and Care Worker campaign agenda.
3.7 Supports the HWF department in the development and design of the 5th Global HRH Forum, scheduled to take place in 2022
Timelines (estimated)
Start date: 1/10/2021 End date: 30/09/2022
Work effort
Full time (40 hours per week, 20 days a month) for 12 months.
6. Specific requirements
- Qualifications:
- Essential: University degree in a rehabilitation science, such as rehabilitation medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, prosthetics and orthotics, or similar;
- Essential: Advanced university degree in public health or a related field.
- Experience:
- Essential: at least 10 years of experience in rehabilitation;
- Essential: demonstrated experience in project management and collaboration;
- Essential: previous experience working providing technical support to countries;
- Essential: demonstrated experience in writing and launching technical products;
- Essential: demonstrated experience with conducting key informant interviews;
- Desirable: previous experience with WHO or other UN agencies;
- Desirable: experience developing high-level political documents, including participation in Member State negotiations.
- Technical skills and knowledge:
- Advanced technical knowledge in public health, workforce, and rehabilitation;
- Excellent skills in data synthesis, evaluation and reporting, including in country reports and academic publications;
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills. - Language requirements:
- Essential: English, Expert- read, write and speak.
7. Place of assignment
Outstation / remote consultancy. Once COVID-19 travel restrictions ease, the consultant will be expected to visit the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland periodically in order to facilitate close working with other WHO teams and external partners. Periodic travel to countries to support the implementation of GROWE may also be required when virtual support is not deemed adequate.
8. Applications
Qualified and interested specialists should submit their CV and Expression of Interest {cover letter} to rehabilitation@who.int by 30 August 2021 18:00 CET. Include reference number HQ/UCN/NCD/SDR/Workforce in the subject.
The cover letter should outline how their experience and qualifications make them a suitable candidate for this position and should include their proposed fee (per month) and availability. Only successful candidates will be contacted.