Strengthening Regulatory EMR Consultant

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1. Purpose of the Consultancy
The consultancy will contribute to the flagship initiative on investing in a resilient health workforce through supporting the health practitioners’ regulation towards improving the quality and population’s safety across the region. The consultancy will focus on strengthening and aligning health practitioners’ regulation in EMR. The consultant will provide technical guidance and formulate the strategic common frameworks for the functions of health practitioners’ regulation.

2. Background
A skilled health workforce is essential for effective health systems and achieving universal health coverage (UHC). Although there is global shortage of health workers, the challenge is particularly acute in the Easter Mediterranean Region (EMR) due to its complex emergencies and fragile political, social, and economic contexts. Recent projections estimate that the EMR will account for approximately 18% of the projected global shortfall of 11 million health workers by 2030. The competencies and quality of health workers has equally been a concern. These factors significantly impede progress towards national and regional health goals.
In the 71st Regional Committee Meeting held in October 2024, Member States adopted the Resolution (EM/RC71/B-Rev.1) on Regional Flagship Initiative ‘Investing in a resilient health workforce’. The flagship initiative aims to fast-track the implementation of measures that ensure access to a competent resilient and sustainable health workforce towards achieving the SDGs, UHC and Health Security.
Four key priorities have been identified to improve health workforce situation in the Region. These include increasing investments in health workforce, scaling up and retaining the workforce for primary care and EPHFs, building a health workforce that is fit for the future across the Region and creating Regional Health Workforce Collaborative. The flagship initiative also identifies several priority actions at the country and regional levels to achieve meaningful outcomes.
One of the priority actions in building a fit for future health workforce across the region is strengthening and aligning the health practitioners’ regulation. The process will explore

• How can we strengthen regulation of health workforce to achieve a competent and safe health workforce across the region?
• Can we have some commonly agreed frameworks and system elements that each country can work towards it?
As a result, the process will diagnose the gap between policy and practice and will allow to agree on common principles standards that all national institutions can target to attain. The process will also facilitate and enhance the collaboration and cooperation among institutions involved in regulation of health practitioners.
The process also links to other parts of health strengthening and convergence with other regulatory functions.

3. Work to be performed
Output 1: Conduct a comprehensive situation analysis.
Deliverable 1: Develop methodology and guidance tools to understand the current situation, structures, and policies in countries, this will include desk review, group discussion and interview with relevant stakeholders and any other means for situation analysis and guide the key informant interviews for further information and opinions.
Deliverable 2: Analyse the findings and identify policy-practice gaps and capacities for regulation of practitioners
Deliverable 3: Develop recommendations and key actions to guide further activities in the process

Output 2. Design and facilitate two consultations with high level officials and all relevant stakeholders and partners to discuss situation analysis/outputs and directions, development of common frameworks and agreement on the common frameworks
Deliverable 1: Design of consultations including conceptual development and themes
Deliverable 2: Development of relevant background documents
Deliverable 3: Facilitate the sessions of the consultation and develop the final recommendations based on the discussions.

Output 3. Lead the development of common frameworks and facilitate regional consensus and alignment in health practitioners’ regulation
Deliverable 1: Develop three frameworks that will include
• System elements for design of regulatory systems
• Entry to practice standards
• Common code of conduct for professional and ethical behaviour
Deliverable 2: Facilitate building consensus with relevant stakeholders through conducting awareness sessions.

4. Specific requirements
Qualifications required:
Minimum an advanced university degree (Master’s level or above) in social sciences, public health, health and/or health workforce policies, management
Experience required:
Over 10 years of relevant experience in public health, health workforce policies, planning, regulation of health practitioners’.
International experience is required for international consultants.
Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:
• Extensive Background and international experience of health practitioners’ regulation.
• Excellent Experience of supporting health workforce regulation in similar contexts.
• Excellent report writing and analytical skills competencies
• Previous collaboration with WHO or other UN agencies
Language requirements:
Excellent knowledge of English, both written and verbal.

5. Place of assignment
Assignment is offsite consultancy (full time basis).
6. Travel
Travel is not needed if face to face meeting is organized

7. Remuneration and budget
Remuneration: Band c

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.
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The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States ( https://www.who.int/careers/diversityequity- and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs.
Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process.
Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int
· An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. 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 (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) 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 short-listed candidates.
- WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
- Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.
- WHO shall have no responsibility 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.
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