PHC Leadership & Management Consultant

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Qualifications

1.    Area of expertise:

 Technical support to the implementation of a comprehensive PHC Leadership Management Training Program

2.    Purpose of consultancy  

The main objective of this consultancy is to provide technical support to the implementation of a comprehensive PHC Leadership & Management Training Program in several EMR Countries, including but not limited to Libya, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, and Syria. The training program aims to develop a pool of competent national trainers who will cascade the training to strengthen leadership and management capacities of PHC leaders and managers at different levels to advance UHC.

3.    Background  

Health systems in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) remain largely hospital-centric, with limited integration of Primary Health Care (PHC) as the foundation for service delivery. This imbalance results in inefficiencies, inequities, and missed opportunities to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), ensure health security, and improve population health outcomes.

The PHC approach, reaffirmed by the Astana Declaration (2018), positions PHC as the cornerstone of resilient, equitable, and people-centred health systems. Achieving this requires strong leadership and management at all levels of the health system including Macro (policy/Ministry of Health), Meso (provincial/district/regional), and Micro (facility/PHC centre).

Transitioning from a hospital-focused to a PHC-oriented model demands leadership and management capacities that many EMR countries currently lack. Policymakers, district managers, and PHC facility managers often have limited formal or informal training in leadership and health care policy and management. Furthermore, there are few established mechanisms for continuous professional development in these areas.

Strengthening these competencies is essential for planning, implementing, and sustaining PHC-oriented reforms. To address this, WHO EMRO, in collaboration with concerned departments and authorities in the Ministries of Health of EMR countries, will support the design and delivery of a country-level Training of Trainers (TOT) program, informed by a comprehensive Training Needs Assessment (TNA) at different levels, to build a pool of national trainers. These trainers will subsequently cascade the program to PHC managers at all three levels, ensuring long-term institutionalization of leadership and management development and alignment with the PHC approach. It will enable policy makers and managers to effectively plan, implement, and sustain PHC-oriented reforms in line with WHO global and regional strategies.

4.    Deliverables

·         Technically lead the preparatory phase which includes Training Needs Assessment (TNA), curriculum development/adaptation, and trainer preparation.

·         Contribute to the review and rollout of the Training Needs Assessment (TNA) as well as the prioritization of training topics based on the TNA results.

·         Support the development and adaptation of modular PHC Leadership & Management curriculum aligned with WHO guidelines and tailored to the country context in the Member States.

·         Orchestrate and assist WCOs and MOHs to organize and deliver TOT to create a pool of certified trainers in PHC leadership and management.

·         Coordinate follow up meetings as needed and liaise between WHO EMRO, WHO Country Offices, facilitators, and partners to facilitate the TOT, and the training cascades.

Outcome

·         Developed/adapted curriculum of PHC Management and Leadership Course (content, case studies, exercises, and guidance notes).

·         Session briefs and training materials for adult-learning principles.

·         Pre-training materials for facilitators and national trainers.

·         Report on TNA results, TOT delivery and outcomes, and recommendations for improvement of the TOT and program cascade across countries (short report).

5.    Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Essential Education required

Master’s degree in public health, Health Systems, PHC, or related field.

Strong experience in PHC-oriented reforms.

Strong experience in capacity building in low- and middle-income countries.

6.    Experience  

From 5 to 10 years of relevant experience in health systems strengthening and PHC leadership and management.

International experience is a requirement for international consultancies.

Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

-          Excellent knowledge of health systems, service delivery and PHC-oriented reforms.

-          Excellent facilitation, mentoring, and communication skills.

-          Good experience with project management.

7.    Languages and level required

Essential: Expert level (Read - Write - Speak) in English

Desirable: Working knowledge (Read - Write - Speak) of Arabic language

8.  Location

The consultant will work at WHO/EMRO, with possible travel to Member States of the EMR, as needed

9.    Travel

Travel will be required.