Project Coordinator

Call for Expressions of Interest and Proposal

#027: The Project Coordinator, who will work with Maternal and Child Health Department- Ministry of Health under the supervision of MCH department and World Health Organization in Viet Nam, to provide support to the project on ‘Improving the Quality of Hospital Care to Reduce Maternal, Newborn and Child deaths and Accelerate the Achievement of the SDG Health Targets in Viet Nam’

1. Background:

In the past decade, many countries strengthened access and coverage of effective interventions for women, newborns and children. Governments and partners invested in scaling up of essential interventions, and through coordinated actions, accelerated the pace of achieving MDGs and SDGs. As a result, global under-five mortality declined by 53% and maternal mortality by 44% since 1990. However, each year nearly 300,000 women still die of complications during pregnancy or childbirth and almost six million children aged 14 and younger lose their lives mostly from preventable causes.

The World Health Organization recognizes that improved quality of maternity and pediatrics care and patient safety are among the highest priorities to reduce preventable deaths and disability. In addition, the available evidence indicates that adverse events in early life play a major role in susceptibility to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in adulthood.

To help countries develop best practices and lesson learnt on improving maternal and pediatrics quality of care, the Russian Federation government provided financial support through WHO to four countries, including Viet Nam. The initiative will incorporate quality of care interventions and health systems strengthening in order to improve the entire spectrum of maternal, newborn and child health care and services in four selected countries.

Although Viet Nam has made achievements toward achieving SDGs regarding maternal and child mortality rates, there is still a big parity between remote/rural and urban areas. Infant mortality rates were 8.2/1000 live births in urban and 16.7/1000 live births in the rural areas (GSO 2019). Maternal mortality rates were highest in the mountainous and highland areas, which were from 10 to 20 times higher than in the urban area (MDSR report 2019).

At the request of MOH, WHO will implement this project, which aims to improve quality of maternal and child health care especially in the remote areas, contributing to the reduction of maternal and child mortality in Viet Nam in the next period.

2. Planned timelines (subject to confirmation): 1 year with possible extension

Start date: 25/06/2021
End date: 24/06/2022

3. Work to be performed

The Project Coordinator will be based in the Maternal and Child Health Department, Ministry of Health. He or she will work under the direction of MCH department and report to the Team Coordinator of Universal Health Coverage and Healthy Lifestyle and Environment UHC-HLE, Viet Nam Country Office, with the following Terms of Reference:

• Coordinating with the focal point of the Maternal and Child Health Department to develop plans, project proposal, outlines of activities, and supervise the implementation of the project quarterly and annually under the direction of MCH Department.
• Participating in the organization and implementation of the project activities, promptly detecting issues in the implementation process and proposing solutions to the MCH Leaders and consulting with WHO Viet Nam.
• Preparing quarterly and annual project activity reports (including technical reports and financial reports if required) under the direction of the MCH Department.
• Participating in field trips and carrying out work related to the business trip (content preparation, logistics, coordination, report writing...).
• Providing administrative and logistical support for international/national experts, gathering information, synthesizing and preparing documents for reports, meetings, business trips...

Performing other tasks as directed by the leaders of Department of Maternal and Child Health and WHO Viet Nam when required

4. Specific requirements

Qualifications required:

- Education:

• Essential: University degree in relevant areas including medicine or public health from a recognized university
• Desirable: Postgraduate degree in relevant areas including public health, or health science from a recognized university

Experience required:

- Experience:

• Essential: At least two years experiences in project implementation and management in the areas of public health
• Desirables:

- Working experiences in maternal and child health area, and in health system
- Working experiences in supervision and monitoring public health interventions
- Working experiences with MOH and development partners

Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

Language requirements:

• Knowledge of the functions and tasks of departments of Ministry of Health, Health system, and the project related field as maternal and child health and NCD prevention and control
• Strong communication skills, and the ability to interact with locality, with health professionals at various levels and to work with government officials and nongovernmental organizations.
• Having good computer skills and word processing software in Vietnamese and English (Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Internet), ability to draft reports and administrative dispatches.

Competencies

• Proficiency in English and Vietnamese

5. Place of assignment

The Project Coordinator will be based in Maternal and Child Health Department, Ministry of Health. He or she will work under the direction of MCH department.

6. Medical clearance

The selected SSA will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

7. Travel

The SSA is expected to travel to project provinces to monitor and provide technical support for localities. The expected time for travel is expected at about 30%-40%.

8. Budget

Please take note of the following when submitting application:

- The contractor will be responsible for paying taxes, if any.

Those who are interested can submit your most updated CV and application letter indicating post title and vacancy notice # on or before 7 June 2021 and should be addressed to:

Administrative Officer
World Health Organization
UN Building, 304 Kim Ma Street,
Hanoi, Viet Nam

OR

[email protected]

For further information on this TOR, please contact:
[email protected]