International Consultant - Health Workforce (HWF) Strategic Plan Development

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1. Area of expertise:

Health Workforce Strategic Planning and Health Labour Market Analysis Consultant

2. Purpose of consultancy:

Support the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) in developing Palestine’s first comprehensive National Health Workforce Strategic Plan, including a costed operational plan and monitoring framework. The consultancy will also conduct a Health Workforce and Labour Market Dynamics Analysis to provide the evidence base for strategic decision-making and workforce planning.

3. Background:

The Palestinian health system faces significant challenges due to prolonged occupation, territorial fragmentation, movement restrictions, recurrent emergencies, and chronic resource constraints. The Ministry of Health has identified health workforce strengthening as a strategic priority to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and improve continuity and quality of essential health services.

4. Deliverables:

Output 1: Health Workforce and Labor Market Dynamics Analysis in Palestine (Strategic Input to Health Workforce Strategic Plan)

The purpose of this output is to generate policy-relevant and decision-oriented evidence that directly informs the formulation of the National Health Workforce Strategic plan. The health workforce and labour market analysis is not a standalone exercise, but a preparatory and integral component of the Health Workforce Strategic plan development process.

All labour market and workforce analysis will be undertaken under the strategic leadership of the Ministry of Health Policy and Planning Unit (HPPU) and embedded within the overall Health Workforce Strategic plan formulation process, ensuring coherence with national policy priorities, planning cycles, and governance arrangements, to support strategic choices and prioritization and translate evidence into clear implications for action, reform, and investment.

Deliverable 1.1: Conduct a focused desk review of all relevant existing documents, including national health strategies, previous workforce reports, labour market studies, WHO and other partners’ assessments, and available data on workforce numbers, distribution, shortages, migration trends, and dynamics.

Deliverable 1.2: Identify critical data gaps and guide the collection of additional information through stakeholder consultations, key informant interviews, secondary data analysis, or other feasible methods to enable a robust assessment of the current health workforce situation and labour market, with emphasis on labour market dynamics and future needs.

Deliverable 1.3: Produce a concise Health Workforce and Labor Market Dynamics Analysis Report, , explicitly structured to inform the Health Workforce Strategic plan, covering:

• Situational analysis of the current health workforce stock, distribution (geographic, sectoral, public/private), skill-mix, and competencies;

• Labour market dynamics (production, entry, absorption capacity, retention, migration, unemployment/underemployment of qualified health professionals);

• Projections of future supply and demand based on population needs, demographic trends, epidemiological shifts, and health system priorities;

• Key bottlenecks, inequities, and opportunities, with explicit linkages to UHC progress and the four strategic objectives of WHO Workforce 2030.

Deliverable 1.4: Present and validate key findings through targeted consultations with MoH leadership, health directorates, professional associations, academia, and other stakeholders, with emphasis on translating evidence into strategic implications and policy options for the Health Workforce Strategic plan.

Output 2: Development of the National Health Workforce Strategic plan (Primary Output)

Deliverable 2.1: Design a clear, phased and participatory methodology for the development of the National Health Workforce Strategic Plan, fully aligned with the four strategic objectives of the WHO Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030:

Deliverable 2.2: Facilitate structured high-level and technical consultations with MoH leadership, directorates, health professional associations, academic institutions, private sector representatives, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders to:

• Define strategic priorities bottlenecks, opportunities, and policy choices;

• Ensure coherence with UHC objectives and national health priorities;

• Build ownership and consensus around the strategy.

Deliverable 2.3: Prepare the draft National Health Workforce Strategic plan document, including:

• A synthesis of the situational analysis (drawing on Output 1);

• Vision, goals, and strategic objectives;

• Strategic policy directions and priority interventions;

• A realistic operational/action plan with timelines, responsible entities, and indicative costing;

• Explicit alignment with UHC dimensions (availability, accessibility, acceptability, coverage, and quality).

Deliverable 2.4: Organise and facilitate national validation consultations and workshops (virtual and/or in-person, subject to security conditions), using structured tools to collect feedback and support consensus-building.

Deliverable 2.5: Revise the draft strategy and operational plan incorporating inputs and recommendations from the consultation process.

Deliverable 2.6: Submit the final National Health Workforce Strategic Plan package, including:

• The endorsed strategy document;

• A costed operational plan;

• A practical monitoring and evaluation framework with indicators, reporting mechanisms, and a simple tracking tool aligned with Workforce 2030 milestones and UHC-related outcomes.

5. Qualifications, experience, skills and languages:

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: Advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in Public Health, Health Policy and Planning, Health Management, Human Resources for Health, Health Economics, or related field.
Desirable: PhD and/or additional qualification in Health Workforce Planning or Management.
Experience:

Essential: At least 10 years of professional experience in public health and health systems strengthening; 5–10 years in health workforce assessment, labour market analysis, and strategic planning; experience in fragile or conflict-affected settings.
Skills/Knowledge:

Deep understanding of health workforce issues, labour market analysis, stakeholder engagement, policy development, strategic planning, and excellent communication and analytical skills.

Languages:

English – Expert (Essential)
Arabic – Desirable

6. Location :

Off-site (home-based) with up to two short-term missions to the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), subject to WHO approval and security conditions.

7. Remuneration and budget (Travel cost not included):

• Remuneration: BAND C - Daily rate range USD 500 – 625 Monthly rates range USD 10,000 - 12,500 – depending on expertise

• Living expenses: N/A

• Expected duration of contract 11 months with a first contract up to 31 December 2026 subject to extension.

8. Additional Information

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