Consultant - Support Health Law and Ethics (HLE) to manage the beta phase of the online Health Law Tool

BACKGROUND

The Western Pacific Regional Action Agenda on Strengthening Legal Frameworks for Health in the Sustainable Development was endorsed by Member States at the 69th session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific (RC69) in October 2020. The action agenda provides guidance to WHO and countries on prioritising action areas, improving processes, and enhancing capacities of stakeholders. Direct support to countries on the strengthening of legal frameworks for health is a key priority for the HLE unit.

Member States regularly request support from WHO in the development, implementation, and evaluation of legal frameworks across a broad range of programmatic areas, including health governance, health rights, health service delivery, public health risks, and social determinants of health. Legal reform involves complex processes that include problem identification, stakeholder engagement, legal drafting, enforcement, and monitoring. WHO has developed an interactive e-based information platform intended to support a better understanding of the law-making process and the role of the law in responding to health-related challenges. The Health Law Tool intends to help countries strengthen their legal frameworks for health more effectively. The Tool will allow users to easily access information and learn how to navigate issues to advance health through law. It intends to guide users through the law-making process, and how it relates to health, and health law topics; illustrate the underlying core components of legal interventions and how these combine to create policy-based responses within a health topic. The Tool was launched internally in early 2021, with plans for an external launch in 2022. There are three additional modules planned for finalization prior to the external launch. The selected consultant will oversee the development of content, quality assurance process, and publication process for these modules.

Using the Health Law Tool as a core product and entry point, HLE is undertaking activities to strengthen capacities at a regional and country level for health law. This includes rolling out the Tool to selected WHO Country Offices and technical programmes, testing the Tool with country-level officials, as well as carrying out regular forums and meetings for information-sharing and exchange, and developing networks for health law in the region.

Some changes are planned to make the platform more user friendly and more intuitive in the use of the various repositories of information across the platform and how these might be more easily used and understood by the target audience.

PURPOSE/SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY

The general purpose of this consultancy is to support the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in assisting Member States of the Western Pacific to strengthen legal frameworks towards achieving health in the Sustainable Development Goals. Specifically, the consultant will support Health Law and Ethics (HLE) to manage the beta phase of the online Health Law Tool and prepare it for external launch, contribute to technical support for Member States in priority areas, and build regional and country capacity through forums and other information-sharing activities.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT/ METHODS TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITY

Output 1: Management of the Health Law Tool beta phase and preparation for launch

Deliverable 1.1: Coordinate development of technical webtool content for 2-3 health law modules (to be determined by WHO) and ensure quality and consistency of approach.

Deliverable 1.2: Manage the ongoing quality assurance process for the Tool and work with external quality assurance partners to ensure all content is of appropriate technical standard for publishing.

Deliverable 1.3: Develop project plan and provide technical and logistical support for external launch in 2022.

Deliverable 1.4: Develop a dissemination plan including countries with which HLE is working on legislation projects in 2022-23.

Output 2: Provide technical support and guidance for technical programmes and countries

Deliverable 2.1: Coordinate the development and dissemination of tools and technical guidance for technical programmes and Member States on legal and regulatory actions for the implementation of digital health strategies.

Deliverable 2.2: Provide technical support to countries on legislative development activities as requested.

Output 3: Support activities to strengthen legal capacities at regional and country level

Deliverable 3.1: Provide planning and technical support for the Ethics portfolio, such as the APNEC working group and related events, provision of technical support to country requests.

Deliverable 3.2: Coordinate two forums for WHO officials to discuss priority issues and areas of work on health law.

Deliverable 3.3: Support the communication of HLE technical guidance and events through the development of a communications strategy and key events calendar.

Deliverable 3.4: Support the development of a regional women health lawyers network.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION

Required: University and/or post-graduate degree in law.
Desired: Certification in online training, information technology or related. .

EXPERIENCE

Required: Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in strengthening legal frameworks for health, or related experience, including the provision of legal support to governments.

Desired: At least three progressive work experience in web resources development: web design and content.

SKILLS / TECHNICAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Ability to review legal instruments, and draft technical papers, concept notes, and reports; proven analytical skills and strong communication skills. Strong experience in project management.

LANGUAGE

Excellent command of English.

COMPETENCIES

• -  Communicating in a credible, effective, and culturally competent way
• -  Moving forward in a changing environment
• -  Producing results

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Duration of contract:     

1 year starting 03 January 2022

Place of assignment:

Home based

Travel:

While the place of assignment is principally at the Consultant’s home base, the Consultant may be requested to undertake travel overseas as part of the engagement.

All travel arrangements will be made by WHO – WHO will not be responsible for tickets purchased by the Consultant without the express, prior authorization of WHO. While on mission under the terms of this consultancy, the Consultant will receive subsistence allowance.

Visas requirements: it is the consultant’s responsibility to fulfil visa requirements and ask for visa support letter(s) if needed.

Remarks:

All rights in the work, including ownership of the original work and copyright thereof, shall be vested in WHO, which reserves the right (a) to revise the work, (b) to use the work in a different way from that originally envisaged, or (c) not to publish or use the work.

APPLICATIONS

Qualified and interested specialists should submit their CV to the Supply Officer through WP RO UNGM at < wproungm@who.int > by 13 December 2021

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. 158075 as subject to all submission. Only successful candidates will be contacted.