Building organizational and individual capacity for the future

BACKGROUND

The Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization incorporates a diverse group of countries with different cultural, political, social and economic backgrounds. The Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) of the WHO, with the leadership of the Regional Director, and with broad consultations with all country offices and Member States, published its strategy for the Region, For the Future, in 2019, that provides the framework for WHO/WPRO’s work over the next five years across four thematic areas: Health Security (including antimicrobial resistance/AMR); NCDs and Ageing; Climate Change, the environment and health; and Reaching the Unreached—people and communities still afflicted by infectious disease, and high rates of maternal and infant mortality.

The Data, Strategy and Innovation (DSI) unit was set up in 2019 in WPRO in response to “For the Future” and focuses on innovation, data and strategic engagement with countries on health systems transformation. DSI leads the Health Futures Strategic Dialogue process for WHO Regional Office in the Western Pacific.

The Health Futures Strategic Dialogue (HFSD) is a foresight-based process enabling Member States to develop and drive a national longer-term transformation agenda for health systems and population health and wellbeing. HFSD involve rigorous analysis and debate on change drivers across (geo) political (e.g. trade policies and restrictions), economic (e.g. inequalities in income, economic growth, labour market changes), social (demographic and cultural changes, patient/consumer behaviour), technological (e.g. precision medicine, gene drive, AI, virtual reality), and environmental (e.g. climate change, air pollution) dimensions.    

This process applies futures planning approaches, often used in the private sector, to health systems planning and design. The rationale for this approach is that if the longer-term vision is clear, the shorter-term planning is more effective in preparing health systems for the future. Traditional planning generally strives to overcome problems and issues being faced at the time of planning and from experiences in the recent past. This retrospective approach can result in short-sighted changes that may not meet the challenges posed by a rapidly changing world with emerging environmental threats, demographic shifts and technological opportunities. By contrast, a HFSD is based on a prospective approach, by which a vision for the health future is developed and policies and plans to achieve that vision are formed through backcasting.   

In response to COVID-19, the HFSD process was tested, modified and coupled with an agile methodology through the establishment of four thematic virtual think tanks in March 2020. Multi-disciplinary teams tasked with looking at the future through a specific impact lens (non-pharmaceutical interventions, non-COVID mortality, equity, ethics and human rights) were established. The teams worked over several short sprints, describing future scenarios and the impact on health systems, outcomes and status. Using a back-casting approach, the teams then helped identify strategic actions for WHO and countries that future-proof systems and responses, manage hyper change and build resilience.  

WPRO has also engaged in a series of HFSD processes with WHO Country Offices. The HFSD process aims at the highest levels of political leadership and includes a wide range of health relevant stakeholders from multiple sectors, development partners, civil society, academia, and private sector (depending on country and context). The Health Futures Strategic Dialogues have two main functions:  

•  (1) leads to the development of long-term agendas that Member States use to work towards the preferred future for their health system and creates the environment for healthier populations; and  
• (2) builds capacity and institutionalizes foresight perspectives in countries.

The HFSDs are currently being established in 3 countries working primarily with WHO Country Offices supported by WHO WPRO.  

These processes are tailored to country contexts and span over 12 to 18 months. They are facilitated by WHO Country offices with support from the Regional Office. Within each country a key group/task force works with WHO to co-create the process. HFSDs bring together high-level members of government under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and can include “allies” of the health sector such as the education or environment ministries; “enabling sectors” such as the ministries of budget/finance and the ministry of planning; and development partners as well as civil society organizations in some cases. 

The outcomes of this process will be context specific and the level of detail will be dependent on the country needs but will encompass the key steps that enable the country to achieve the agreed vision for health and health systems.

In order to ensure the HSFD process itself leads to the changes needed to start the countries’ journey towards achieving this vision, DSI aims to strengthen its support to organizations who will be involved in driving change to adapt to the health future in their countries.

One or several vendors will be hired to deliver:

Phase 1 – conceptual models and approaches that can be embedded in the HFSD process and that build individual and organizational capacity and leadership to drive the changes described in the longer-term health agendas

WHO/WPRO seeks to consider a wide array of methods to support organizations, and individuals within them, to inspire change. To achieve this, DIA is keen to receive, review and compare different models and approaches in the form of evidence-based think pieces for:

• • Inspiring and enabling key stakeholders and groups involved in driving and supporting the changes required to achieve the longer-term health agendas;
• • Setting-up organizations to successfully implement organizational change to carry forward the health agendas resulting from the HFSD, including strategic decision making, creating enabling environments for change, leadership that inspires and enables change. 

Phase 2 – (Subject to the results of phase 1) technical assistance to WHO in delivering this support to countries

• • Following an analysis by WPRO of the pieces submitted in phase one, one or several models may be selected to be refined and implemented in countries as part of the HFSD process.

This announcements is a request for proposals for Phase 1 only at this stage.

METHOD(S) TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITY

Each think piece should take the form of a short strategic paper (3-5 pages in length/1500-2500 words) in English that provides thought-provoking content consisting of background material and thought leadership.

The vendor may research and propose relevant case studies from organizations who have successfully built their capacity to enable positive change.

They may also provide insights into more theoretical/creative/experimental models. We welcome disruptive options as well as more conservative ones.

A vendor may choose to produce one or several pieces, thereby proposing more than one model.

Proposed options should take into account the constraints that the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to pose in the months to come, such as limited international travel and in-person collaboration opportunities.

They should also take into account the timeframe of an HFSD (12-18 months) and include culturally and gender sensitive considerations if relevant.

The proposed models should take into consideration the country contexts in the region and should explicitly explore modifications and changes required to set the process up for success in this region.

Description of the tasks/process involved in carrying out the activity

Output 1: Providing think pieces. The partner will be expected to:

• • Familiarize with WPRO’s global strategy, the HFSD methodology, and possibly country updates 
• • Produce draft short written pieces describing options/models to fuel WHO’s thinking
• • Present the model(s) to key WHO staff in a virtual meeting (to be confirmed)
• • Finalize piece integrating WHO’s feedback following an iteration process

APPLICATIONS

Qualified and interested individual or party should submit to the Supply Officer through WP RO UNGM at < wproungm@who.int >  and WP RO DIA  at < wprodia@who.int > by 10 March 2021 the following:

• • Curriculum Vitae of the lead person or persons producing the think piece(s)
• • Cover letter outlining how their or the agency’s experience and qualifications make them suitable candidates for this position.
• • Financial offer. A detailed budget in American Dollar and including and specifying all the necessary costs to produce the outputs, including taxes.
• • Note outlining the methodology and/or discussing assignment execution.

Please use Tender Notice No. 122928 as subject to all submission. Only successful candidates will be contacted.