Policy and Strategy Consultant , Vientiane, Lao, 6 months, Officebased (Open for both International and National candidates)Req#596788

Contract Duration: 6 Months

Working arrangement: Office Based

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For every child, the right to HealthCare

How can you make a difference?

Advancing Lao PDR’s Pandemic Response and Transformation” (ALERT-LAO) is a government-led, multisectoral One Health project co-led by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE).

It is funded by a Pandemic Fund allocation of US$17,585,716.07 of which, with national co-investment and partner co-financing, mobilizes over US$124 million for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR).

UNICEF supports the human health component and FAO the animal health component as Implementing Entities.

The Department of Disease Control (DDC), as de facto National Public Health Institute, project lead and IHR National Focal Point, leads coordination and hosts the Project Coordination Unit (PCU).

Several Year 1 (July 2026 – June 2027) milestones in the Project-Specific Results Framework (PSRF) depend on the Government producing national strategies, standards, standard operating procedures (SOPs), protocols and inter ministerial agreements.

The related consultation and validation meetings are budgeted in the ALERT-LAO workplan and organized by DDC through government channels. What DDC looking for is dedicated technical capacity to prepare drafts, consolidate multisectoral input and finalize documents to the standard required for endorsement.

Purpose

Under the supervision of the UNICEF Health Manager (Pandemic Fund), and working day-to-day with the Head of the DDC PCU and the technical leads of the responsible DDC divisions and the Department of Healthcare and Rehabilitation (DHR), the Consultant provides technical, analytical and drafting support so that the Government can produce the nine documents listed above to the stage required by the Year 1 PSRF targets.

The Government retains full ownership and leadership of every document; the Consultant analyses evidence, drafts, facilitates technical discussion, consolidates input and prepares documents for endorsement, but does not set policy.

The assignment is temporary, time-bound and deliverable-based: payments are made only on submission and acceptance of the deliverables listed below.

Scope of Work:

Function 1 – Surveillance, joint risk assessment and health security planning (PSRF 1.1.1, 1.3.1, 1.5.1)

• National surveillance strategic plan (1.1.1): assess the performance of the current surveillance system across indicator-based, event-based and community-based surveillance, and draft the national surveillance strategic plan and its operational plan. Align priority pathogens with the national risk profile, the NAPHS, One Health priorities and the AMR strategic plan, and include equity-focused indicators (disaggregation by sex, geography and other social determinants) and a monitoring framework for the 18 provinces. Build on the national consultation held under sub-activity 1.1.1.1 and work closely with DDC and NCLE.
• Multisectoral data sharing and joint risk assessment mechanism (1.3.1): review the 2021 EOP and the PHEM SOP and compile lessons learned (sub-activity 1.3.1.1). Draft the mechanism for routine, timely sharing of disaggregated surveillance data between human, animal, wildlife and environmental health sectors, covering data elements, frequency, channels, data-protection arrangements and roles. Develop a JRA methodology and toolkit (triggers, standard templates, scoring, reporting and feedback of decisions to all sectors) adapted from the WHO–FAO WOAH Joint Risk Assessment Operational Tool, and integrate both into the updated EOP for finalization under sub activity 1.3.1.2.
• NAPHS sustainability plan (1.5.1): draft a costed sustainability plan for human health surveillance systems within the NAPHS 2026–2030, covering financing sources, the transition of donor-funded functions to domestic budgets, human resource retention and institutional arrangements. Prepare technical inputs for the NAPHS dissemination meetings and propose a format and indicator set for the annual NAPHS review, linked to SPAR reporting.

Function 2 – Points of Entry standards, strategy and workforce training plan (PSRF 1.4.3, 3.3.2)

• National PoE standards and strategic plan (1.4.3): review IHR (2005) PoE core capacity requirements, the JEE and SPAR PoE findings and current practice at designated and traditional PoEs. Draft national standards for PoE surveillance and public health emergency preparedness, with an assessment checklist that can be used to measure the proportion of priority PoEs meeting the standards from Year 2. Draft the national PoE strategic plan 2027 2030. Both documents address coordination and information sharing between public health and PoE and public security authorities, gender-responsive and accessible practice, and the needs of mobile, marginalized and vulnerable populations. Support the consultations under sub-activities 1.4.3.1 and 1.4.3.2.
• Wattay International Airport SOP (1.4.3.3): provide technical inputs to update the SOP on public health emergency response at Wattay International Airport, consistent with the national PoE standards.
• PoE training plan and module guideline (3.3.2): prepare a training plan for 12 international or traditional PoEs (selection criteria, target cadres in health, immigration, customs and public security, schedule and sex disaggregated participant targets). Draft the training module guideline on surveillance and information sharing with the public health sector, including session plans, case scenarios, reporting tools and pre- and post-tests, for validation at the workshop under sub-activity 3.3.2.1. Provide a training report template that captures sex- and sector-disaggregated data for PSRF reporting.

Function 3 – Prevention, infection prevention and control and emergency response (PSRF 4.1.1, 4.3.1, 4.6.1)

• Influenza pandemic preparedness and response strategy (4.1.1): review the existing joint national preparedness and contingency plan for zoonotic influenza and lessons from COVID-19. Draft a multisectoral national strategy for influenza pandemic preparedness and response aligned with WHO pandemic influenza preparedness guidance, the national risk profile, the NAPHS and One Health frameworks, covering surveillance, laboratory, clinical management, IPC, risk communication, countermeasures, continuity of essential services and coordination. Support the review and endorsement consultations under sub-activity 4.1.1.1.
• IPC and patient referral SOPs (4.3.1): working with DHR, review the current national IPC guideline against WHO minimum requirements. Draft the SOP for a safe and efficient patient referral system for patients with suspected or confirmed priority infectious diseases, and update the IPC SOPs on standard precautions, hand hygiene and environmental cleaning. Prepare training content for the WHO-standard IPC training at central and provincial hospitals (sub-activity 4.3.1.2) and provide technical review of the IPC information and education materials (sub activity 4.3.1.1).
• IMS protocol for district-level PHEOCs (4.6.1): review the current IMS manual and PHEOC arrangements. Draft the updated IMS manual (sub-activity 4.6.1.2) and a protocol for district-level PHEOCs that defines activation levels, IMS functions and roles, reporting lines to provincial and national PHEOCs, and the participation of animal health, environmental health and security sectors. Prepare a tabletop exercise scenario to test the protocol and draw on findings of the after-action review planned under sub-activity 4.6.1.4.

Function 4 – Multisectoral governance and legal instruments (PSRF 5.1.3)

• Review of MOUs and legal documents: map existing MOUs, decrees, ministerial decisions and committee terms of reference that govern One Health coordination on zoonotic diseases, and identify outdated provisions, missing ministries and gaps in routine information sharing, joint risk assessment and joint response.
• Draft updated MOUs: draft the revised MOH–MAE MOU on One Health zoonotic disease prevention and control for review at the workshop under sub-activity 5.1.3.1 and prepare draft MOUs or annexes for engagement of other relevant ministries (e.g., MOPS, MOD, MOLSW). Include joint response protocols with national security and civil protection sectors and terms of reference for the governance structures, consistent with the information-sharing and JRA mechanism under PSRF 1.3.1.
• Legal coordination: work with the MOH Department of Legislation and the legal units of partner ministries so that the drafts follow Lao legal drafting conventions and the correct approval route.

Standard drafting process (applies to every document)

• Review: analyse existing national policies, laws, plans and SOPs, assessment findings (JEE, SPAR, PVS, NBW, after action and intra-action reviews) and international frameworks (IHR (2005); WHO, FAO and WOAH guidance), and summarize the gaps the document must address.
• Concept note and annotated outline: set out purpose, scope, legal basis, structure, institutional roles and the consultation and endorsement pathway, for agreement with the lead division.
• Zero draft: prepare the full draft in English in clear, implementable language, with a Lao version of key sections as agreed. Strategies and plans include a results framework, implementation plan, roles and responsibilities and, where required, costing; SOPs and protocols include step-by-step procedures, decision algorithms, tools and templates; MOUs and legal texts follow Lao drafting conventions and are coordinated with the MOH Department of Legislation.
• Consultation and validation: prepare presentations and discussion questions for the meetings budgeted under each sub-activity, facilitate technical sessions, and record comments and decisions.
• Revision: consolidate all comments into a comment-response matrix, revise the draft, and ensure consistency across related documents (NAPHS, National One Health Strategy, national AMR strategic plan, national risk profile, EOP).
• Finalization: prepare the endorsement-ready version with a two-page summary for decisionmakers and a short dissemination and implementation note and track the document through the endorsement process.

Working modalities

• Deliverable-based contract: payments are made only on submission and acceptance of the deliverables listed in the deliverables table below. Each deliverable is reviewed by the responsible DDC division (or DHR) and certified by the UNICEF supervisor before payment.
• Inception and prioritization: within the first month, the Consultant agrees with DDC, DHR and UNICEF a document-by-document work plan that confirms the target stage for each product by 30 June 2027 (drafted, ready for submission or endorsement), the lead division, the review chain and the dates of the related workplan meetings. Where DDC has already held initial consultations or produced drafts, the Consultant builds on them rather than starting again.
• Requests outside scope: documents not listed above require prior written agreement between DDC and UNICEF and, where they change the workload, a contract amendment.
• Government ownership: documents are drafted on behalf of, and under the direction of, the responsible division. The Consultant does not represent the Government or UNICEF in negotiations and does not commit either party to policy positions.
• Coordination with partners: the Consultant works alongside technical partners already supporting these activities (including WHO, FAO, PSI, Fondation Mérieux and CHAI), avoids duplication, and ensures that partner input is reflected in a single consolidated draft.
• Multisectoral and inclusive process: drafting follows the One Health approach, with input from MAE, security and other relevant sectors, and with consultation of women-led organizations, civil society and representatives of mobile, marginalized and underserved populations where relevant.
• Exclusions: the Consultant is not assigned routine administrative, clerical or logistical duties; does not handle cash, approve expenditure, or sign or certify fund requests; and does not organize meeting or training logistics, which are financed under the relevant sub-activities through government channels.
• Intellectual property: all products are the property of the Ministry of Health and UNICEF and carry Pandemic Fund visibility in line with project requirements.
• In-country travel: the assignment is office-based in Vientiane Capital (MOH/DDC). The Consultant may be required to undertake up to two in-country trips (up to six travel days in total) to selected provinces, districts or Points of Entry for consultations, field verification and validation of draft documents (for example, the PoE review under PSRF 1.4.3 and 3.3.2). Destinations, timing and duration will be agreed in advance with DDC and UNICEF based on operational needs. Travel costs are covered by UNICEF in line with its rules, separately from the professional fee. Travel as per operational needs, reimbursed separately.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: Terms of Reference TMC0007961.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

Minimum requirements:

Education:

Post graduate degree in Public health, epidemiology, medicine, health policy, law or another relevant field. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.

Work Experience:

• Minimum five years of progressively responsible professional experience in public health, health security, disease control or health policy.
• Proven track record of drafting national-level strategies, action plans, standards, SOPs, protocols and/or MOUs or other legal instruments for the MOH or other government institutions in Lao PDR; candidates must list documents drafted or co-drafted and provide one writing sample.
• Experience in at least three of the following: disease surveillance and early warning; joint risk assessment; Points of Entry and IHR (2005) core capacities; health emergency operations and Incident Management Systems; infection prevention and control; pandemic influenza preparedness; NAPHS, JEE or SPAR processes.
• Experience leading or facilitating multisectoral consultation and validation processes with senior government officials and partners, including in a One Health context.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required, including the ability to draft formal policy, technical and legal texts.

Fluency in Lao is a strong advantage.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:

• Excellent analytical and writing skills; able to turn complex technical and stakeholder input into clear, well-structured and implementable documents.
• Sound knowledge of the Lao legal and policy-making process, government structures and endorsement procedures, particularly in the health sector.
• Strong technical knowledge of health security, the One Health approach, IHR (2005), surveillance, emergency response and IPC systems.
• Ability to develop results frameworks, implementation plans and basic costing for strategies and plans.
• Strong facilitation and consensus-building skills; proficiency in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Highly organized, diplomatic and respectful of government ownership; able to manage several documents in parallel; committed to gender equality, equity and inclusion and the highest standards of integrity.

Desirables:

• Formal training in health policy, health security, IHR (2005), One Health, emergency management, field epidemiology (FETP) or legislative drafting.
• Experience with a United Nations agency (e.g., UNICEF, WHO, FAO, IOM) or a donor-funded health security programme (strongly preferred).
• Experience in costing health plans, or in designing training programmes for PoE, PHEOC or hospital staff.
• Fluency in Lao, including the ability to translate accurately between Lao and English.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) Financial Proposal TMC0007961.docx
• A detailed technical proposal: List of national documents drafted or co-drafted; one writing sample (strategy, standard, SOP or MOU/legal text); brief methodology and work plan (max. 3 pages) showing how the nine products will be sequenced.

Remarks: If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not downloadable on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18).

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities.