National Consultant - School Health Services, WHO Country Office, Viet Nam (part-time)

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Qualifications

Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the WHO Representative Office in Viet Nam as it works with the Ministry of Health in assessing the current status of school health equipment and medicines in educational institutions and developing recommendations for a minimum package of equipment and medicines that is appropriate to the functions, basic service scope, available personnel and competencies, expected clinical situations and referral arrangements of school health units in Viet Nam.

Background

School health services play a critical role in protecting and promoting the health, wellbeing and learning outcomes of children and adolescents. The National Programme on School Health for 2026–2035 emphasizes strengthening school health services and ensuring that educational institutions are equipped to provide basic health care, first aid and emergency response. The assessment and development of the proposed package will also be guided by the functions and responsibilities of school health units/rooms as stipulated in the Law on Disease Prevention, ensuring that the recommended medicines and equipment are appropriate to the legally defined functions and scope of school health services.

To support implementation of the Programme, the Department of Disease Prevention (VADP), Ministry of Health, with technical support from WHO, plans to assess the current availability and adequacy of school health equipment and medicines in educational institutions. The assessment will provide evidence to develop recommendations for a minimum package of equipment and medicines for school health units, taking into account different educational levels, the functions and basic service scope of school health units, the competencies of personnel available, the clinical situations they are expected to manage, referral arrangements, and implementation feasibility.

The proposed medicines component will be a setting-specific school list and should not be presented as a separate national or paediatric essential medicines list. It should be derived from and consistent with Viet Nam’s National Essential Medicines List and applicable national treatment guidance, while remaining a much narrower subset appropriate for use in schools. Relevant WHO guidance, including the WHO Model Lists of Essential Medicines for Children, will also be reviewed as appropriate. The work will also consider the distinction between medicines routinely stocked by school health units, emergency medicines, and medicines prescribed for individual students. In general, individual prescriptions should not be routinely stocked by schools; where a student needs to take a prescribed medicine during school hours, the medicine should normally be supplied by the parent/caregiver and administered or supervised by appropriately authorized school personnel in accordance with applicable guidance. WHO will recruit a National Short-Term Consultant (STC) to provide technical support to VADP in conducting the assessment and developing the proposed minimum package of equipment and medicines, including basic requirements for their safe and appropriate use.
 

Deliverables

Under the overall supervision of WHO Viet Nam and in close collaboration with VADP, the consultant will undertake the following:

Output 1: Review the policy and evidence and assess current status

Deliverable 1.1: Review relevant national policies, regulations and technical guidance, including the Law on Disease Prevention, the National Programme on School Health, Viet Nam’s National Essential Medicines List and applicable treatment guidelines.
Deliverable 1.2: Review the functions and basic service scope of school health units, including available personnel and competencies, health conditions/situations to be managed, and referral arrangements.
Deliverable 1.3: Review relevant WHO guidance and international evidence, including the WHO Model Lists of Essential Medicines for Children.
Deliverable 1.4: Assess the availability, adequacy, use and safe management of medicines and equipment in educational institutions, including procurement, storage, expiry management, maintenance/calibration, training, protocols and documentation.
Deliverable 1.5: Identify key gaps, challenges and priority needs to inform the recommended package.

Output 2. Develop the draft minimum package of school health equipment and essential medicines for different types of educational institutions

Deliverable 2.1: Develop a recommended minimum package of medicines and equipment for different types of educational institutions, based on the functions and service scope of school health units, personnel competencies, expected health conditions/situations, referral arrangements and assessment findings.
Deliverable 2.2: Develop a setting-specific medicines list consistent with Viet Nam’s National Essential Medicines List and applicable treatment guidelines, distinguishing routine stock, emergency medicines and medicines prescribed for individual students.
Deliverable 2.3: Define basic requirements for the safe and appropriate use of medicines and equipment, including competencies and training, procurement, storage and expiry management,
maintenance/calibration, protocols, documentation, and management of recalls, adverse events and device incidents, as applicable.
Deliverable 2.4: Consult relevant technical departments, experts and stakeholders and revise the draft recommendations accordingly.

Output 3. Consultation and finalize the draft document

Deliverable 3.1: Prepare and present the assessment findings and draft minimum package at technical consultation meetings and workshops.
Deliverable 3.2: Facilitate technical discussions and incorporate comments from VADP, WHO and relevant stakeholders.
Deliverable 3.3: Finalize the recommended minimum package and supporting technical document.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential: University degree in medicine, public health, health system or related field. 

Desirable: Advanced university (master’s degree) in medicine, public health, health system or related field.

Work Experience

Essential: Minimum 5 years' professional experience in school health, child health, public health or health systems. Demonstrated experience in conducting technical assessments and developing policies.
   
Desirable: Good understanding of Viet Nam's health system and the organization and implementation of school health services. Good knowledge of the policy and regulatory framework related to school health in Viet Nam. Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and other relevant stakeholders. Experience working with WHO, UN agencies or other international organizations is an advantage.
 

Skills/Knowledge

• Strong analytical and technical writing skills
• Experience in conducting policy reviews and technical assessments
• Knowledge of essential medicines, treatment guidance and/or medical equipment appropriate to primary/basic health care settings is desirable
• Understanding of safe procurement, storage, stock and expiry management, equipment maintenance/calibration, training, protocols and documentation is desirable.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder consultation skills.
• Ability to work independently and deliver high-quality outputs within agreed timelines

Languages and level required

Essential:  Excellent report-writing skills in Vietnamese and good working knowledge of English

Place of assignment

Home-based in Viet Nam with in-person visits to Ha Noi (and other provinces if required) for stakeholder meetings and the validation workshop

Travel

Travel only in Ha Noi or other provinces in Vietnam as required. Travel and per diem will be reimbursed according to WHO rules and only where explicitly authorized

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration: USD 125 per day
Expected duration of contract: part-time arrangement of 40 working days within 6 months contract duration

Additional Information:

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
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• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for 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.
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