Consultant - Health Workforce Strategy, Honiara, Solomon Islands

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, the National Health Workforce Strategy Taskforce and WHO Representative Office, the consultant will provide technical support for the development of a 10-year National Health Workforce Strategy to address the need for appropriately skilled and experienced staff being available to work in health facilities and in the communities served by those facilities.

In 2018, the MHMS launched the Role Delineation Policy (RDP) which sets out the path for health service provision across the country. The launch of the 10-year National Health Strategic Plan (NHSP) 2022 - 2031 in November 2022 further guides the RDP with the ultimate goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage for our people. The RDP and the NHSP both highlight very strongly the need for appropriately skilled and experienced staff being available to work in health facilities and in the communities served by those facilities.

The Vision of the NHSP is “A Healthy Future for All” with a Mission to “prevent disease, restore and promote health and well-being”. However, the NHSP also recognizes that “human and financial resources is among several the challenges facing MHMS. Under the framework of the NHSP, strengthening the health workforce is an area of strategic focus of the three (3) Strategic Objectives. Strategic Objective 1: on better governance of the health sector under strategy 1.5 states that the National Health Workforce Strategy (NHWS) will be drafted as a companion to the NHSP with the priority of building ahead on our workforce needs over the next ten years. Strategic objective 2: Our systems and resources meet our needs and are responsibly managed, on health workforce, highlights the need to collaborate in performance management of the workforce across health programmes and provincial health offices.

Therefore, managing the health workforce is a significant responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) given the Government’s commitment to continue investing in building and strengthening competent and dedicated health workers who are supported fully in their efforts to deliver safe and quality health for our people, especially the most vulnerable geographically remote and ethnic communities. To address this commitmmet and the vision of the NHSP, a Taskforce has been established to develop the 10-year National Health Workforce Strategy for the Solomon Islands. This Taskforce will oversee the work of the consultant throughout the NHWS development period.

The following objectives will guide the overall process of developing the 10-year NHWS:

• To support the achievement of the strategic objectives and strategies of the NHSP 2022 – 2031;
• To support the adaptation of the Global Strategy on HRH: Workforce 2030 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) Regional Framework for Health Workforce;
• To help guide government investment in the health workforce;
• To propose reform of the current health workforce arrangements to the Public Service Commission (PSC) with a key focus on addressing vacancies versus need of the health workforce and delegation of powers to the MHMS in managing the health workforce; and
• To support and lead to strengthening Health Workforce development and management.

The consultant will support the Taskforce with the preparation and development of the 10 -year NHSW. The Consultant will also be expected to work with the NHWS Taskforce to ensure the RDP with regards to the “required number” of workforce for the different cadres and achieve vision & objectives of the NHSP 2022 – 2031 is addressed.

Output 1: Situational Analysis: update the HRH Country Profile for Solomon Islands (developed in 2014 by WHO, UNSW HRH knowledge Hub)& include Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA). Comparative analysis with the RDP with regards to the “required number” of workforce for the different cadres and achieve vision & objectives of the NHSP. May-June 2024

The HRH Country Profile and Gaps/Challenges identified should address the other components of the NHWS including:

• Health Workforce Supply & Trends
• Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA)
• Health Workforce Distribution
• Health Professionals Education
• HRH Utilization
• Financing HRH
• Governance of HRH

Deliverable 1.1: Desk Review of Key Documents of the Government, Ministry of Health & Medical Services and other related Ministries and departments; regional and global HRH plans and strategies

Deliverable 1.2: Key Informant interviews

Deliverable 1.3: Report on Situational Analysis with a Revised Country Profile

Output 2: Development of Outline/Framework of NHWS with key strategic areas for actions. July - 2024

Deliverable 2.1: Present Framework for approval by the NHWS Taskforce

Deliverable 2.2: Approval of the Outline / Framework & key Strategic Areas by Taskforce

Output 3: Preparation of Draft National Health Workforce Strategy. August – November 2024

Deliverable 3.1: In-depth interview with selected key informants (National and Provincial level)

Deliverable 3.2: Travel to Provinces/Districts with designated Taskforce members

Deliverable 3.3: Draft NHWS

Output 4: Presentation of the draft NHWS to Taskforce, Senior Executives of the MHMS and selected stakeholders for consensus and approval. November – December 2024

Deliverable 4.1: NHWS revised as per feedback received

Deliverable 4.2: Revised NHWS

Output 5: Support the MHMS for the launch of the 10 year National Health Workforce Strategy. End of December 2024

Deliverable 5.1: Final Report with approved NHWS

Essential: Master's degree in health management & administration and/or Human Resources Development

Essential: At least ten (10) years of relevant experience in working in human resources planning, development and management.

Relevant experience health management, policy and planning at Ministry of Health level. Previous experience at the field level in developing countries, particularly in Pacific countries is an asset.

• Knowledge of the specific or technical area of health workforce planning.
• Knowledge of the national and ministry development agendas and linking this with workforce planning.
• Capacity-building for health managers on workforce planning planning through multiple methods, including training on workload indicator of staff needs.

Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English is essential.

Knowledge of spoken Pidgin (official language of Solomon Islands) is desirable

On site: Honiara, Solomon Islands

The Consultant is expected to travel to the country according to the itinerary and estimated schedule that would be agreed with WHO Country Office. Frequent domestic travel is required for this consultancy.

a. Remuneration: TBD

b. Expected duration: 7 months, May to December 2024

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