OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME
The main objective of the GPSC is to secure and scale up global action on patient safety as well as to closely collaborate with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in their quest to reduce the risk of avoidable harm and improve the safety of their national health care systems. The overall work of the GPSC is organized around three technical areas:

•  Leadership to prioritize patient safety, promote patient safety culture and engage patients and families.

• Education and Training to build a competent, skilled and compassionate health workforce through inter-professional education and training in patient safety.

•  Research to enhance research capacities and evidence-based policy processes in patient safety.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The purpose of this post is to coordinate the implementation of the Global Patient Safety Collaborative (GPSC) activities at the country level, in selected hospitals and provide technical support to the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia in collaboration with key national stakeholders including, hospitals, academic and research institutions, professional associations and councils, patient organizations and patient representatives, in strengthening patient safety systems and practices through the implementation of National Safe-Care align Project-Ethiopia (SCAPE)

GRADE
NO-B, Step 1

Duties & Responsibilities:

Under the overall guidance HQ and WHO-Country office and the direct supervision of the Cluster Lead/UHC Life Course Cluster, reporting to the Infection Prevention & Control Officer, the incumbent will have the following roles and responsibilities:

• Contribution to the development of the country specific GPSC implementation plan.

• Organization of the working groups and round-table discussions, technical webinars, seminars, workshops and other events.

• Coordination of activities between different stakeholders, involved in the implementation of patient safety

• Ensuring alignment with other related programmes and activities, such as IPC, AMR and quality of care, and synergies with the broader health system strengthening agenda in the country.

• Facilitation of implementation of country-level activities, including country missions and capacity building events.

• Participation in planning events and inter-country and inter-regional consultations.

• Documentation and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned.

• Monitoring and evaluation of the GPSC activities, including preparing the donor reports and briefing notes.

 WORK TO BE PERFORMED 

1. Support the development and implementation of the GPSC country-specific implementation plan, in close collaboration with the MoH, Patient Safety Flagship/ WHO Headquarters(HQ) and WHO Regional Office for (name of the region), aligning that with country needs and priorities in the area of patient safety and with ongoing activities, implemented in line with the regional strategies and frameworks, such as (indicate the respective regional strategies and frameworks), through the consultative process, with involvement of key stakeholders.

2. Facilitate the development of the monitoring and evaluation framework for the GPSC, including milestones and indicators at national, state and institutional levels, track the progress of the GPSC implementation and contribute to the GPSC reporting accordingly.

3. Organize country missions within the frame of the GPSC, including development of background documentation, organization of meetings, round-table discussions, seminars and other events.

4. Contribute to the assessment of patient safety gaps within the overall initiatives for UHC and the development of patient safety policy and legislation, as required.

5.  Participate in the planning and other events, organized within the frame of the GPSC, organized by WHO HQ and Imperial College London.

6. Facilitate the establishment of country-level collaborative networks on patient safety, coordinate engagement of key stakeholders into the networks, and organize a series of technical webinars devoted to critical patient safety issues.

7. Support adaptation of the global products and generic tools and resources on patient safety to country-specific context, including translation into local language.

8. Contribute to the training needs assessment to understand the gaps in knowledge and skills, and based on the results, contribute to the strengthening capacity of national stakeholders in leadership, safety culture, teamwork and communication as well as to building capacity of health professionals in specific areas of patient safety (such as medication safety, IPC, diagnostic safety, etc), through the organization of capacity building events, including ToT, at different levels.

9. Facilitate integration of patient safety basic concepts and principles into various educational training curricula of health professionals and promote implementation of the WHO Patient Safety Curriculum Guide at country level.

10.  Contribute to building research capacities of national stakeholders and performing research in patient safety as well as provide support to evidence-based policy development and implementation in the area of patient safety.

11. Facilitate raising awareness about the importance of patient safety, in line with the WHA72 resolution on ‘Global action on patient safety’ and ensure implementation of patient safety activities in line with the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030.

12. Disseminate key patient safety resources, best practices and lessons learned through the series of events, including scientific conferences, forums, and seminars.

13.  Facilitate planning of commemoration of the annual World Patient Safety Day on 17 September, in collaboration with key national and international stakeholders.

Job Requirements

• Education : University degree in medicine, health sciences, public health, health policy, health management, policy analysis, public policy, or other relevant area of study.

• Desirable: Postgraduate degree in one of the above-mentioned areas of study.

Experience
Essential:

• At least 2 (two) years of combined national and/or international experience in patient safety, service delivery and health system strengthening;

• Demonstrated experience in supporting national agencies in national health policy planning in health system strengthening, implementation, and monitoring;

• Demonstrated experience in providing policy advice in the area of patient safety and quality of care;

• Experience in developing and/or managing collaborative programmes/projects with involvement of a wide range of stakeholders with a focus on patient safety;

• Experience in working at national and global levels

Desirable:

• Knowledge of or experience in working with NGOs, academic institutions, and professional associations. Experience working with low- and middle-income countries

WHO Competencies
1.    Teamwork
2.    Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
3.    Communication
4.    Producing results
5.    Ensuring Effective use of Resources

Use of Language Skills

• Essential: Excellent knowledge of English and the local language.

REMUNERATION

• This is a Special Service Agreement (SSA) contract at NO-B, with a monthly remuneration of $3,270.08, paid in local currency equivalent.

How to Apply

Use THIS LINK to Apply

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
1)    The duty station for this position is Addis Ababa.
2)    This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level
3)    Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
4)    A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.
5)    In the event 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. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications 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. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

6)    Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.

7)    WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.

8)    According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

9)    Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and E-Manual.

10)    The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

11)    The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce . Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.

12)    Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int

13)    An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) into practice.

14)    WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.

15)    WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

16)    For information on WHO’s operations please visit: http://www.who.int

17)    This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.