Consultant - Diabetes/Diabetic Foot Care Specialist, Solomon Islands

Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultant will provide technical support to improve screening and management of diabetes and diabetic foot, including wound care, at primary care facilities by further developing and scaling-up the diabetes and foot care primary care assessment and planning guidelines and supporting facility and national planning. The consultancy will focus on further development, implementation and national scale-up of diabetes, diabetic foot and wound care coaching and quality improvement intervention.

Background

In the context of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD), the WHO Country Office (CO) in Solomon Islands supports implementation of strategies that address access to services, determinants of health, and availability of essential medicines and devices for primary health care. The WHO CO NCD Team provides support to the MHMS and in the context of technical and administrative support to the Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) programme and related assignments. Additionally, the WHO CO NCD Team coordinates activities to strengthen NCD prevention and monitoring of key NCD risk factors. The team collaborate closely with key partners across and outside the MHMS. In 2023, an assessment and planning approach to screening and management of diabetes and diabetic foot was developed and tested at primary care facilities; data were collected to begin the process of local planning and action to address practice gaps. In 2024, development of diabetes and diabetic foot screening and management coaching has been implemented at target health facilities within Honiara, Solomon Islands. Further work is required to complete active foot coaching packages and for national scale-up of all phases of coaching and quality improvement.

Deliverables

The consultant will play a pivotal role in the development, enhancement, and expansion of diabetes and diabetic foot care. Particularly, focusing on implementation and scale-up of diabetes, diabetic foot and active foot coaching and quality improvement. This includes development of national facilitator and multi-stakeholder teams at the national, sub-national and provincial level. He/she will develop a summary report of the main findings. These activities include:

1. Develop checklists, methodology, facilitator guide and scenario simulations for active foot, wound care and sharp debridement coaching.
2. Design and implement diabetic foot simulations to enhance active foot coaching. Procure and utilize resources, including models of diabetic feet with simulated wounds and skin conditions, for practical demonstrations of sharp debridement.
3. Develop and maintain and train staff on an online database and dashboard to monitor performance and progress of coaching and quality improvement activities. Distribute dashboard to relevant stakeholders to ensure ongoing access to view coaching and quality improvement performance and progress.
4. Ensure robust data collection, management, and analysis to monitor and evaluate the performance and impact of coaching and quality improvement activities. Regularly share insights and recommendations with stakeholders to drive ongoing enhancements.
5. Identify key equipment, supply, medicine and footwear gaps and work with local and national counterparts to address these gaps and improve availability of these items to support practice change in the longer term.
6. Conduct iterative test-revise cycles of the active foot, wound care, and sharp debridement coaching package within key Honiara health facilities, refining the facilitator guide until each section is optimized. Following successful pilot tests, expand field-testing with national facilitators, ensuring continuous improvement at each stage.
7. Develop the coaching manual including diabetes screening & management; diabetic foot screening and management; active foot assessment and management, and overall quality improvement.
8. In consultation with relevant stakeholders develop annual plan to map health zones and health facilities to scale-up national diabetes coaching and quality improvement interventions. Review and adapt mapping on a regular basis to improve efficiency and effectiveness of scale-up where indicated. After each test, the incumbent will identify areas needing improvement, suggest track changes and discuss with the team for final changes.
9. Lead and travel with national facilitator teams to conduct 2-week trips to scale-up diabetes coaching to targeted provincial health facilities in Guadalcanal, Malaita & Western Province to achieve a national catchment of 40%. Each province is expected to require four trips to scale-up each phase of coaching:
   
   • Diabetes screening and management
   • Diabetic foot screening and management quality improvement
   • Active foot assessment and management quality improvement
   • Quality improvement
10. During each provincial trip, identify and train participants to develop a provincial facilitator team of at least 6 persons. Provincial teams will be required to complete the following requirements:
    • The skills demonstration and written exam of the coaching course.
    • One-day national facilitator training course.
    • Facilitation of at least 2 supervised coaching courses.
11. Ensure that diabetes, diabetic foot and active foot coaching and systems support activities are coordinated, planned and managed in collaboration with national, sub-national and facility staff (including support selection of focus facilities, coordination with facilities, integration into ongoing quality improvement activities, development and budgeting of activity plans for diabetes, diabetes foot and active foot care coaching and quality improvement). Engage NCD coordinators and identified stakeholders to take provincial ownership of coaching and scale-up of activities.

12. Summary report each month which will include the followings:

• • Compiled findings from the totality of the effort
  • Draft facilitator coaching guide
  • Comparison of findings pre-post coaching and at follow up

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Qualifications required:

Essential: University degree in podiatry, medicine, public health or related health studies.
Desirable: Master’s degree in podiatry or in public health from a recognized university and/or training/s in public health at postgraduate degree level or its equivalent.

Experience required:

Essential: Minimum five years of relevant experience in working in podiatry, data analysis and data quality, and coaching on diabetic foot care.
Desirable: Relevant experience in implementation of noncommunicable diseases programmes, especially in diabetes and diabetic foot care areas giving experience for implementing the TORs. Previous experience at the field level in developing countries, particularly in Pacific countries is an asset.

Skills/Technical skills and knowledge:

Knowledge of the specific or technical area of noncommunicable diseases programmes.
Diabetes and diabetic foot care planning at operational, subnational, and national levels, with political and technical elements.
Capacity-building through multiple methods, including training, mentoring and example setting.
Ability to establish harmonious working relationships as part of a team, adapt to diverse educational and cultural backgrounds, and maintain a high standard of personal conduct.
Ability to demonstrate gender equity and cultural appropriateness in the delivery of services to Member State.

Language requirements:

Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English is essential. Good command of Pidgin (official language of Solomon Islands) is desirable.

Location

On-site Honiara, Solomon Islands

Travel

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

Remuneration and budget

Remuneration: Payband level B - USD 7,000 - USD 8,000 (monthly)
Expected duration of contract: 11 months, February to December 2025

Additional Information:

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
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