Roster of consultants – Patient Safety

Purpose of consultancy

To conduct a variety of technical tasks and actively contribute to specific elements of the Patient Safety Flagship (PSF) Unit’s work around implementation of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan (GPSAP) 2021-2030 as well as to participate in a range of advocacy campaigns, strategic and technical meetings, short- and long-term collaborative projects, capacity building and research initiatives around patient safety.

Background

Following the adoption by the 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution WHA72.6 on “Global action on patient safety” in 2019, and subsequently, the endorsement by the 74th WHA in 2021 (WHA decision 74(13) of the GPSAP 2021-2030, the demand for normative guidance and technical guidance on patient safety and different technical topics under patient safety has significantly increased from countries across all regions. The GPSAP provides strategic direction to all stakeholders to eliminate avoidable harm in health care and proposes the framework of action that can be achieved through the seven strategic objectives, as follows:

1. Make zero avoidable harm to patients a state of mind and a rule of engagement in the planning and delivery of health care everywhere.
2. Build high reliability health systems and health organizations that protect patients daily from harm.
3. Assure the safety of every clinical process.
4. Engage and empower patients and families to help and support the journey to safer health care.
5. Inspire, educate, skill and protect health workers to contribute to the design and delivery of safe care systems.
6. Ensure a constant flow of information and knowledge to drive the mitigation of risk, a reduction in levels of avoidable harm, and improvements in the safety of care.
7. Develop and sustain multi-sectoral and multinational synergy, solidarity, and partnerships to improve patient safety and quality of care.

To support the successful implementation of the GPSAP 2021-2030, WHO has developed a number of tools and resources for countries to use in their efforts to improve patient safety at policy and practice level, within broader health systems strengthening context.

Deliverables

·Task 1: Provision of technical expertise to the countries in the formulation of national policies, strategies and plans (Jun 2024-Apr 2025)

Deliverable 1: Perform situation analysis and needs assessment (desk review) and mapping of policies, strategies, and plans

Deliverable 2: Perform stakeholder analysis

Deliverable 3: Facilitate the organization of the consultations

Deliverable 4: Prepare reports and implementation packages

·Task 2: Design ToT package and conduct capacity building initiatives for different stakeholder groups

Deliverable 1: Identify target audience and conduct training needs assessment (Jun-Jul 2024)

Deliverable 2: Review and update the existing resources (Jul-Aug 2024)

Deliverable 3: Develop training toolkit (Sep-Oct 2024)

Deliverable 4: Deliver training workshops (Nov 2024-Mar 2025)

Deliverable 5: Perform training assessment and develop report (Nov 2024-Apr 2025)

·Task 3: Contribute to designing and implementing solutions for patient and family engagement

Deliverable 1: Review the existing framework and provide recommendations for finalization and implementation (Jun-Sep 2024)

Deliverable 2: Organize expert consultation and coordinate peer review process (Oct 2024)

Deliverable 3: Develop implementation solutions and engagement plan (Nov 2024-Apr 2025)

Deliverable 4: Develop a capacity building package for patient advocates and a compendium of patient stories (Oct 2024-Jan 2025)

Deliverable 5: Review the existing Patients for Patient Safety network and propose strategies for its expansion and strengthening (Jun 2024-Aug 2024)

·Task 4: Contribute to the development of patient safety solutions for improvements at the point of care

Deliverable 1: Perform literature review (Jun-Jul 2024)

Deliverable 2: Develop zero draft document/s (Aug-Oct2024)

Deliverable 3: Organize expert consultation and coordinate peer review process (Oct-Dec 2024)

Deliverable 4: Prepare advanced draft/s (Dec 2024-Apr 2025)

Deliverable 5: Prepare resource mobilization plans for implementation, including donor proposals (Mar-Apr 2025)

·Task 5: Contribute to the GPSAP implementation progress survey design and implementation

Deliverable 1: Review the existing survey tool and propose modifications (Apr-Jun 2024)

Deliverable 2: Design framework for data portal (Jul-Sep 2024)

Deliverable 3: Analyze and synthesize data (Oct-Dec 2024-)

Deliverable 3: Contribute to the preparation of the global report (Jan-Apr2025)

Deliverable 5: Contribute to developing of regional and country profiles (Jan-Apr 2025)

·Task 6: Contribute to managing multi-stakeholder platforms and networks

Deliverable 1: Design engagement strategy and communication plan (Jun-Jul 2024)

Deliverable 2: Develop a plan for the creation, expansion, strengthening and activation of global patient safety network and sub-networks dedicated to regions, countries, language-specific and different patient safety themes (Jun-Jul 2024).

Deliverable 3: Update and maintain a database of the networks’ members (Jun 2024-Apr 2025)

Deliverable 4: Develop innovative approaches to knowledge management and information sharing (Jul-Oct 2024)

Deliverable 5: Organize series of technical webinars, covering various patient safety themes (Jun 2024-Apr 2025)

·Task 7: Contribute to the organization of the World Patient Safety Days and implementation of global initiatives

Deliverable 1: Develop strategy, communication plan and resources for the WPSD 2024 and 2025 (Jun-Sep 2024 and Oct 2024-Apr 2025)

Deliverable 2: Contribute to the organization of the global events (Jun-Sep 2024 and Jan-Apr 2025)

Deliverable 3: Prepare global celebration reports (Dec 2024-Apr 2025)

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• For band level B: First university degree in medicine, public health, or other related health sciences.
• For band level C: Advanced university degree (Masters or above) in medicine, public health, or other related health sciences.

Desirable:

• For band level B: Specialized training in patient safety and quality of care.
• For band level C: Advanced university degree (PhD) in patient safety and quality of care.

Experience

Essential:

• For band level B: Five to ten years of experience in the areas of patient safety, quality of care, service delivery, public health, or health systems at national and international level.
• For band level C: Over ten years of experience in the areas of patient safety, quality of care, service delivery, public health, or health systems at national and international level.

Desirable:

• For band level B: Experience working in low- and middle- income countries and in UN system.
• For band level C: Experience working in low- and middle- income countries and in UN system.

Skills:

• Excellent knowledge of the global context around patient safety and quality of care, including epidemiological trends, burden of harm and improvement tools and resources.
• Strong knowledge of global health issues and developments, including UHC and SDG agendas as well as the role of patient safety in health system strengthening.
• Strong technical expertise in one of the following areas:

a) Conducting policy analysis and supporting policy, strategy and plan development, with focus on integrated health services provision, patient safety and quality of care.
b) Performing scientific reviews and research activities.
c) Assessing training needs, developing training resources and conducting capacity building events.
d) Data management, with focus on collection, analysis, visualization, synthesis, and use.
e) Creation and management of partnerships, collaborations, multi-stakeholder networks and platforms and stakeholders’ coordination.
f) Running advocacy campaigns and performing communication activities.
g) Developing and managing programmes and projects at different levels (global, regional, national, institutional).
h) Resource mobilization and proposals’ development.

• Strong knowledge and technical expertise in designing and implementing solutions in one of the following areas:

a) Leadership in patient safety.
b) Safety culture.
c) Patient safety incident reporting and learning systems.
d) Risk assessment and management.
e) Patient safety education and training, and HR development in patient safety.
f) Patient and family engagement.
g) Human factors.
h) Patient safety in emergencies, epidemics and FCV settings.
i) Medication safety.
j) Surgical safety.
k) Diagnostic safety.
l) Maternal and child health safety.
m) Venous thromboembolism risk assessment and prevention.
n) Patient identification.
o) Implementation science.
p) Digital solutions for patient safety.

• Excellent writing skills.
• Excellent skills in computer applications, including Microsoft office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and inter-personal skills.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of any other UN official language (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish).

Location

Off site: Home-based.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level B – USD 7,000 – 9,980 per month.
Band level C – USD 10,000 – 12,500 per month.

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

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

1 -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.
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  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.
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• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.
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For roster VNs:

The purpose of this vacancy is to develop a list of qualified candidates for inclusion in this advertised roster. All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application (whether successful or unsuccessful) upon conclusion of the selection process. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently may be selected for consultancy assignments falling in this area of work or for similar requirements/tasks/deliverables. Inclusion in the Roster does not guarantee selection to a consultant contract. There is no commitment on either side.