Technical Officer

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The Health Policy and Service Design (HPS) unit supports Member States to develop and implement policies, strategies, and plans and service delivery design, including primary health care, to strengthen governance, financing, health workforce in order to ensure access to needed promotive, preventative, curative, rehabilitative and palliative services without financial hardship. To design, promote and implement activities aimed at advancing progress towards UHC and health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Member States of the Western Pacific Region through better planning and management of the health workforce polices and its implementation.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Generic duties:

• Develops and proposes innovative technical health policies and strategies for implementation through collaboration with regional and country offices and provides advice in developing further the health workforce for strengthening and improving technical capacity of target clienteles.
• Manages the subunit area of work in delivering its objectives through efficiently managing a small team of technical staff, to optimize the programme’s deliverables in line with the mandate of the Organization.
• Develops and monitors workplans and budgets for the team’s activities and follow-up on the implementation of planned activities.
• Analyses data and information on best practices in implementing sustainable public health programmes and disseminates information.
• Manages research activities and the implementation of the subunit’s activities and dissemination of information for capacity building in the respective area of work.
• Conducts monitoring and evaluation of the specific field of work and conducts timely reporting for decision makers.
• Provides technical guidance and works closely with counterparts in technical departments across the Organization and liaises with counterparts in partner UN agencies, donors and other stakeholders to harmonize recommendations and policies and strategies related to public health and the facilitation of successful implementation of national and/or global health programmes.
• Upon delegation, represent WHO at various meetings.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Specific duties: 

• Provide technical support to Member States to strengthen the availability and use of health workforce data to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the health workforce situation and generate evidence for policy decisions through the dissemination of tools and guidance, including National Health Workforce Accounts (NHWA), Workload Indicator of Staffing Needs Analysis (WISN) and Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA).
• Provide technical support to Member States to strengthen systems and processes for the regulation of health professionals with the primary objective of improving quality and safety of health services in support of UHC.
• Provide technical advice to Member States to strengthen health professional education – through curricula reforms, establishment of quality assurance mechanisms and continuing professional development, support to build institutional capacity – to prepare a health workforce with required competencies to address evolving individual and population health needs.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Essential: An advanced university degree in health science, social science or related field from a recognized university with a higher qualification in public health policy, planning and management.
• Desirable: A PhD in one of the above-mentioned fields. Additional qualifications in health workforce and service planning.

Experience

• Essential: A minimum of seven years of professional experience in the management of health services management, related to the development of Human Resources for Health (HRH) policies and strategies in the context of public health or social development at national and international levels, including experience in the development of health policies and strategies. Demonstrated experience in managing human and financial resources. Demonstrated experience at the international level. A minimum of five years international exposure, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• Desirable: A working knowledge of WHO systems or working experience in countries in the Western Pacific Region.

Skills

• Sound skills in the management of public health programmes, which may include the implementation of public health/disease control programmes
• Strong skills in the area of developing and establishing policies and strategies
• Excellent skills and ability in managing diverse teams and financial resources
• Good skills in mobilizing resources
• Ability to engage effectively and diplomatically with external partners including Ministries of Health, donor institutions, civil society and other stakeholders. Commitment to collaborate effectively with other key partners in the health subject area

Technical/Scientific Knowledge

• Capacity to plan and conduct operational activities with political and technical elements
• Ability to establish harmonious working relationships as part of a team, adapt to diverse educational and cultural backgrounds, and maintain a high standard of personal conduct

Use of Language Skills

• Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
• Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French.

Source: https://careers.who.int/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=2403447