Pacific Open Learning Health Net+ (Capacity building platform) – Supporting the Enablers of the For the Future in the Western Pacific Region

BACKGROUND

There is a direct and positive causal relationship between the number of health workers and health outcomes in countries. This is also being alluded to in the Region's vision paper For the Future in that all of countries' health priorities will be realized if we have enabled and supported health workers. This is the target on the scaling up of the Pacific Open Learning Health Net+ (POHLN+), particularly on the health workforce development and learning areas.

POLHN has been supporting the pacific health workforce since 2003 by providing online learning courses made available and accessible to all Pacific Island countries. POLHN was initially support by the Japan Government and then later by other donors such as the New Zealand and Australian governments. POLHN has also undergone various transformations to respond better to the needs of the Pacific health workforce. Latest reform includes the offering of blended learning platforms targeting specific cadres of workers which leads to their eventual accreditation/registration.

One of the major intentions of the current mandate of the Region in the For the Future document was to enable health workforce through staff development and learning. Indeed, if we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we will need to strengthen the very health workforce that will be needed to achieve the outcomes that the SDGs have set and agreed by Member States.

Upscaling POLHN to be made available not just for the Pacific but for the rest of the Region is just one way of enabling the development and learning of the health workforce in the Region. Leveraging on the brand that POLHN has made in the Pacific, WPRO will continue to further strengthen the provision of various development and learning courses and platforms throughout the Region with the POLHN+.

POLHN+ aims to understand better the development and learning needs of health workers, and more specifically those in the communities and grassroots who are expected to deliver quality health services directly to the population and the communities. POLHN+ will ensure that tailored approaches will be done from identification of programmes to development and eventual offering will be practical and relevant to the needs of the health workers.

To further the scaling up of POLHN+, WPRO will need to ensure that adequate and careful planning is made reflecting the priorities of various programmes, the learning capacities and development stages of Member States and the very needs of the health workers in the Region. Hence, it is being proposed to engage a contractor that would support the transition of POLHN+.

PURPOSE/SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY

• To actively support the development an action plan for the transition of POLHN including devising ways and mechanisms to support implementation of related activities.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT

• • Review and analyse relevant POLHN documents
• • Understand the development contexts of Member States in the Region in relation to their health workers
• • Identify the needs and priorities of the health workforce in the Region, especially in the area of learning and development
• • Work with various technical programmes to explore opportunities of collaboration
• • Develop an action plan for POLHN+ transition
• • Support the implementation of various activities of POLHN+

METHODS TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITY

• • Group or individual discussions either through face-to-face meetings or through TC/VC
• • Desk work on documents, data analysis and other related materials
• • Drafting of preliminary findings and reports

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION

Essential:  

• • University degree in public health, management, education, learning and development or related field

Desirable:

• • Post graduate degree in public health or related field

EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• • More than two (2) years' experience in innovative learning and education, organization development and reviewing technical documents and other related materials

Desirable:

• • Working experience in international level

TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

• • Expertise in public health management, innovative education and learning, organization development
• • Good technical writing ability

LANGUAGES

• • Excellent speaking, writing and reading knowledge of the English language.

COMPETENCIES

• • Teamwork
• • Communication
• • Producing results

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• • Proposed contractor will be assigned in the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
• • Resident of the Philippines or within commuting distance in Manila is preferred.

APPLICATIONS

Qualified and interested specialists should submit their CV {for individual contractors} or Company Profile {for institutional applications} and Expression of Interest {cover letter} to the Supply Officer through WP RO UNGM at < wproungm@who.int > by 21 March 2020. 

The cover letter should outline how their experience and qualifications make them a suitable candidate for this position and should include their proposed daily consultancy fee and availability.

Please use Tender Notice No. 105122 as subject to all submission.  Only successful candidates will be contacted.