Advisor, Health Workforce Policy

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT
This requisition is for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)
The Department of Health Systems and Services (HSS) is responsible for promoting, coordinating and implementing the Organization’s technical cooperation in health system and services development to achieve Universal Access to Health and Universal Health Coverage (Universal Health), based on the Primary Health Care approach. HSS promotes evidence-based policies, strategies and plans to transform national health system to improve equity and resilience, as health systems move toward the achievement of Universal Health, strengthening governance and stewardship, increasing and improving health financing and social protection and supporting the development of integrated networks of health services based on a highly resolutive first level of care. HSS strengthens national capacity in the organization of people-centered health services, integrating the healthy life course approach, ensuring quality of care and patient safety and the effective deployment and management of human resources.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
Under the general supervision of the Director, Health Systems and Services (HSS), and the direct supervision of the Unit Chief, Human Resources for Health (HSS/HR), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:
Provide technical, strategic and programmatic advice and direct technical cooperation for the development of policies, planning and regulation of the health workforce, to advance the availability, distribution and quality of human resources for health in the Region of the Americas;
Provide technical support and lead the analysis of principal determinants that impact access to qualified human resources for health, in order to support health systems to achieve universal access to health and universal health coverage; continually assess the productive capacity of the education sectors throughout the Region to produce the broad range of health professionals that are required for the delivery of comprehensive people-centered integrated health care; produce periodic analyses of human resources situations, trends and issues in the Region;
Support health sector transformation processes, applying systems thinking methods to analyze health workforce requirements for the expansion of health systems based on Primary Health Care;
Advise and provide technical support for the development and application of methodologies to forecast health workforce needs in the short, mid and long term, taking into consideration the skill set required to deliver quality comprehensive and integrated care within health services networks, and at all levels of care;
Support the generation of strategic information that supports forecasting of needs and dialogue with other sectors involved in the production of human resources for health, as a means to guide policy development in the delivery of health care;
Support Member States in addressing needs related to the shortage of human resources for health in particular at the primary care level, in underserved and marginalized populations; and in remote and rural areas;
Provide support to policy makers to establish the necessary regulatory frameworks and incentives that will support countries in addressing shortfalls in these populations and territories and in ensuring the availability of an effective and efficient health workforce;
Provide support and guidance in the public administration of human resources for health, in the institutionalization of human resources management in accordance with public policy and the defined model of care, not only in the organization and delivery of health services but in all of the essential public health functions required to improve health outcomes;
Collaborate with Member States in addressing challenges associated with the retention and migration of human resources for health; provide policy guidance to countries in this area in line with the principal mandates of the Organization;
Advise and support Member States and health professional associations in the development of regulatory frameworks guiding health profession practice, with a view to addressing and supporting the needs of a health system moving towards universal access to health and universal health coverage;
Promote dialogue across sectors, in particular health, education and labor, to promote human resources for health as a key driver of health and development and as an investment in the health and wellbeing of the population;
Advise and support the development of good managerial practices for HRH, including the promotion of safe and supportive working environments for health personnel;
Support the formulation, execution and evaluation of program and budget plan for the biennium; participate and develop common strategies with other professionals within Country Offices on all aspects related to human resources for health, in particular on the scaling up of human resources; manage with transparency and effectiveness the financial resources under his/her responsibility, including extra-budgetary resources;
Collaborate in obtaining extra-budgetary resources, financial and non-financial, by assisting national and sub-regional authorities in the preparation of project proposals and plans for appropriate national, bilateral and international agencies;
Collaborate in global and regional alliances and networks in health workforce, including the exchange of best practices and experiences among countries; promote the development of regional networks building the necessary expertise and knowledge in the field of work and promote and manage collaborating centers in this area;
Support countries in building partnerships for strengthening health workforce, engaging policy makers from other sectors, NGOs, community based and other civil society organizations and other relevant regional stakeholders;
Mobilize resources, financial, technical and human through the development of projects and initiatives; liaise and coordinate with international financing institutions and agencies in the development and implementation of joint projects;
Participate in the preparation of the Project’s Biennial Work Plan (BWP), budget and technical evaluation reports;
When called upon to directly supervise staff, establish clear work objectives, conduct timely and effective performance appraisals, provide coaching and feedback and support staff development opportunities;
Perform other related duties, as assigned.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Essential: A university degree in a health, social or management science and a master’s degree in public health, human resources development, health systems/services administration or any other discipline related to the functions of the post from a recognized institution.
In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. PAHO, only considers official degrees obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.
Experience:
Essential: Nine years of combined national and international experience in the development of national and/or regional policy in human resources for health, involving multiple health and non-health stakeholders. Experience should include identification, development, implementation and monitoring of policy strategic lines, plans of action, programmatic analysis, planning and evaluation of HRH programs and resources, resource mobilization, consensus and commitment building.
SKILLS:
PAHO Competencies:
Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relate well to diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity - Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.
Teamwork: Collaborate and cooperate with others - Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve and build rapport; helps others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the team’s successes and shortcomings.
Communication: Write effectively/Share knowledge - Writes down ideas in a clear, structured, logical and credible way; drafts and supports the development of guidelines, policies and procedures. Shares relevant information openly and ensures that the shared information is understood; considers knowledge sharing as a constructive working method and demonstrates awareness of the Organization.
Producing Results: Work efficiently and independently/Deliver quality results - Monitors own and others’ work in a systematic and effective way, ensuring required resources and outputs. Aligns projects with Organization’s mission and objectives. Consistently solves own and team’s problems effectively as needed. Proactively engages in projects and initiatives, accepting demanding goals, in line with Organizational Strategies and Program of Work. Demonstrates accountability for work of team and sets an example, while explicitly articulating lessons learnt for own and team’s benefit.
Ensuring effective use of resources: Strategize and set clear objectives/Monitor progress and use resources well - Sets specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large- scale projects in line with key Organizational objectives. Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team’s projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/ or challenges; creates measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.
Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond: Develop networks and partnerships and encourage collaboration - Builds and negotiates strategic partnerships and alliances with a wide range of key stakeholders to ensure Organizational results and success. Creates innovative opportunities for promoting synergies inside and outside the Organization to improve Organizational success.
Creating an empowering and motivating environment: Provide direction – Manages individual and group projects and ensures that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clearly defined, understood and accepted; delegates work appropriately to achieve best results.
Technical Expertise:
Technical expertise in the areas of human resources development, policies, planning, financing and regulation, management of health human resources, analysis of labor markets and work conditions.
Expertise in health education, life-long learning, continuing education and professional development; quality improvement and accreditation of educational programs and institutions.
Expertise in strategic thinking, planning of human resources for health, political and stakeholder analysis, communication, negotiation methods, leadership development, health system performance, utilization of information and communication technologies and networking.
Knowledge and skills in the formulation of technical cooperation interventions and in the development of criteria and instruments for evaluating program interventions.
Strong professional oral and writing skills, including the development of reports, oral presentations and technical/persuasive documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.
Expertise in systems thinking and the analysis of complex systems, methods for requirements analysis and planning under uncertainty, quantifying information where knowledge is sparse, requiring strong stakeholder collaboration.
Languages:
Very good knowledge of English or Spanish with a working knowledge of the other. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.
IT Skills:
Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.
REMUNERATION
Annual Salary: (Net of taxes)
USD $77,326.00 post adjustment
Post Adjustment: 70.2% of the above figure(s). This percentage is to be considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
THIS VACANCY NOTICE MAY BE USED TO FILL OTHER SIMILAR POSITIONS AT THE SAME GRADE LEVEL.
Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual. For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org PAHO/WHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities. PAHO/WHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct. PAHO/WHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution. PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity. PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco. PAHO/WHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary and post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station and exchange rates (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance). Other benefits include: 30 days annual leave, dependency benefits, pension plan and health insurance scheme. Benefits for internationally recruited staff may include home leave, travel and removal expenses on appointment and separation, education grant for dependent children, assignment grant and rental subsidy. Candidates appointed to an international post with PAHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world. All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this post. Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. A written test and/or interview will be held for this post. The post description is the official documentation for organization purposes.