The development and delivery of a Solomon Islands health leadership and management programme 2017-2020

Background

The Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) has identified a lack of experience and gaps in knowledge in health services leadership and management across the country’s health system, and sees addressing this as critical to achieving both national and global health goals.

The MHMS consists of programme areas (such as vector borne diseases, maternal and child health), the National Referral Hospital, and ten provincial health offices, including Honiara city. In addition, there is a large number of young doctors who have recently been trained in Cuba and who the government intends to deploy at the provincial level and area health centre level. The number of doctors in the Solomon Islands will double over the next five years as a result of this influx, and it is hoped that these new graduates will play a leadership role in health facilities in the rural areas.  

The MHMS is currently undergoing organizational reform, with a movement of operational responsibility from the national office to the provincial level across the national programs. The National Referral Hospital is in the planning phase of relocating the facility and reconfiguring the inter-dependent primary, secondary and tertiary care services for Honiara city. Currently, the provinces are led by Provincial Health Directors, who are medically trained, and who have significant clinical responsibilities alongside management and administrative duties. At the provincial level, the MHMS as part of its reform program, intends to establish dedicated management and clinical leadership positions for each province.

Given the extent and the breadth of the challenges and reforms in the Solomon Islands health system, with the assistance of the World Health Organisation, it intends to address this gap by establishing a health leadership and management training programme based in Honiara. The program will:

• Have a strong focus on the health management and leadership challenges in the Solomon Island context, alongside international best practice;
• Be of a high academic standard; and
• Focus on contemporary Melanesian health systems.

The program will train provincial health managers, health programme / divisional managers, and hospital heads of department. Both the government and church health organisations will be eligible to participate.  Approximately 40 people will participate in the training in 2017-2020.

Objectives

• To train at least 40 health leaders in health services management to postgraduate certificate/diploma or master level by 2020.
• To support reforms of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, including the staffing of dedicated provincial management and clinical leadership positions with appropriately qualified, skilled and experienced staff

Program design

The program will be developed and delivered in partnership with the Solomon Island National University (SINU).

The program will involve participants coming to Honiara for one week a month during eight months of the year. Participants will engage in group activities which focus on current management and leadership challenges in the Solomon Islands Health system. It is expected that participants will complete a postgraduate certificate/diploma or master level course in two years.

The program will have three elements:

1. Problem based learning group activities working on current problems identified within the Solomon Islands’ health system.
2. Training modules relevant to the health service management in a Solomon Island context and reflective of international best practice. The modules will be fully developed so that they can be undertaken independently ‘on-line’. Visiting and online tutorial support will also be required.
3. Mentoring and coaching support for the participant’s personal development as managers and leaders.

Proposals will contain the following (detailed request for proposal will be available after receiving the expression of interests)

Course outline for the Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma including:

• Entry requirement
• Proposed list of subjects/modules
• Mode of delivery: Online (main for topic-based modules), face-to-face lecture (complementary), blended (online & face-to-face), problem based learning, mentoring and coaching support 
• Number of credits for each module,
• Expected duration for completion
• Approach to assessment

Course outline for the Master:

• (same as above)

Qualifications and experience required

• A recognised provider of health service management programs to postgraduate and masters level or equivalent
• A track record in delivery practically oriented, problem-solving based education and training in health services management
• Demonstrated potential to produce high quality ‘on line’ training materials suitable for the Solomon Islands context
• Experience in programme delivery in developing country hubs
• Experience in working with Universities in developing countries to foster local/national capacity
• Familiarity with the health leadership and management challenges in the Melanesian context
• Credentials of key staff nominated to lead this work

List the documents to be submitted together with the Expression of Interests

1. Company Profile (general information) to include:
   1. Main thrust of business
   2. Track record/experience of service in actual years
2. Technical Documents:
   1. Organizational chart and staff competence
   2. List and types of programmes and clients (past and present) with type of service in relation to this task and length of service
   3. International affiliations
3. Financial Documents:
   1. Audited financial statements for the last two (2) years duly stamped and received by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
   2. Certified copy of Income Tax return for the last two (2) years duly stamped and received by BIR
4. Certifications on the following
   1. That the company is in good standing and is not blacklisted or barred to any government or private agencies and financial institutions.
   2. Proof that the company is in good financial standing (bank certification, accreditations, etc)
   3. Proof that Supplier/Contractor is paying its workers at least minimum wage and that it shall comply with SSS law on compulsory premiums.
5. Authorization letter to WHO/WPRO or to any of its authorized representative to verify/validate authenticity of the documents submitted by the prospective supplier/contractor

Timeframe

• Expression of interests to submit a proposal by 13th May 2016
• Proposals to be submitted by 3rd June 2016 (A RFP (request for proposal) will be sent to only those who submit the expression of interests)
• All enquiries to be addressed to: wpfjidpsprocurement@who.int

Qualified and interested institutions should submit an expression of interests to wpfjidpsprocurement@who.int  by COB 13th May 2016. Please use Tender Notice No. 44944 as subject to all submissions.