Project Coordinator on Improving the Quality of Hospital Care on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health

Call for Expressions of Interest

#008: Full time Project Coordinator to provide support to ‘Improving the Quality of Hospital Care to Reduce Maternal, Newborn and Child’

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: 08/03/2023
End date: 31/12/2023

3. Work to be performed

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

Terms of Reference:

Technical and coordination support for updating the implementation plan and for the development of technical proposals and monitoring plan at central and provincial levels.
Support focal person of MCH Department in coordinating and conducting activities at central and provincial levels
Technical support for monitoring project implementation at central level and at provincial levels online and offline. Contact closely with provinces in troubleshooting any issues, and reporting them to the focal point and the MCH Leaders and consulting with WHO Viet Nam.
Review policy and propose proposals for improving hospital quality of care and technical support for M&E of implementation of QoC at intervention hospitals.
Support for the communication activities including reviewing and developing communication materials on MCH and NCD, developing communication plan and support for deployment of communication activities.
Support the focal point of MCH Department in preparing project technical reports. Consolidate, review and analyse provincial data and develop reports from regular reporting of provinces.
Technical and coordination support for the Annual Review of Early Essential Newborn Care in planning, monitoring the implementation and consolidating data collected.
Perform other tasks as directed by the leaders of the MCH Department and WHO Viet Nam when required.

4. Specific requirements

a. Qualifications required:

University degree in relevant areas including medicine, nursing or public health from a recognized university
Postgraduate degree in relevant areas including public health or health science from a recognized university.

b. Experience required:

At least 5 years of working experience in public health, with experiences in maternal and child health, and NCD risk factors.
Working experiences in health sector and with international agencies/UN partners is desirable.
Working experiences in supervision and monitoring public health interventions
Working experiences in public health policy advocacy

c. Skills/Technical skills and knowledge:

Have understanding Ministry of Health system from central to local levels, and the reproductive, maternal and child health system, and the project-related field as maternal and child health.
Knowledge and experiences in basic skills of data analysis, reporting data analysis, planning, monitoring and evaluation of public health interventions and in the development of locally adapted tools and instruments.
Having good communication skills and the ability to interact with locality, health professionals at various levels, and work with government officials and nongovernmental organizations.

d. Language requirements:

Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English and Vietnamese

5. Place of assignment

The Project Coordinator will be based in the MCH Department, Ministry of Health and in the WHO Viet Nam Country Office. There will be 2 days per week to report in WHO office

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 20%-30%.

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 27 February 2023 and should be addressed to: