Public Health Expert

Role Summary

The Public Health Expert will create a comprehensive Business Continuity Planning Toolkit for RCRC Health Centers to ensure the continuity of routine health services in RCRC NS Health Centers, in contexts of epidemic outbreaks and/or disasters. The toolkit will be developed in English first and will include tools/materials and a step-by-step approach to drafting a health center business continuity plan. The toolkit is to be translated to French before the phase of piloting in the francophone piloting countries.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Collect existing evidence and experiences on the approach of Business Continuity Planning of the GDPC.
• Review existing literature on Continuity of Care of Health Structures in times of hazards and particularly during epidemics/pandemics as well as disasters.
• Consultation with RCRC National Societies as well as government officials and key stakeholders of pilot countries in the development of guidelines and strategies.
• Develop a toolkit including guidelines, tools, and approaches for the health centers to facilitate continuity of services during epidemic outbreaks and/or disasters (content of toolkit is detailed in the deliverable section below).
• Test the toolkit in the predefined zone of intervention in one health center for each country through the CP3 programme.
• Contribute to build epidemics and disaster preparedness capacities for Health Centers based on scientific evidence.
• Disseminate the Business Continuity Toolkit internally (RCRC) and externally.

Deliverables

Phase 1: Preliminary review phase

• Inception report including results of literature and desk review
• Key Informant interviews reports
• Development outline document

Phase 2: Toolkit development phase

• The validated Business Continuity Planning Toolkit with the following components (In English and French)
  • Business Continuity Planning Guideline
  • Business Continuity Planning Template for events such as epidemics and various natural and man-made disasters
  • Business Continuity Planning Check-List
  • Business Continuity Plan – Risk Assessment Matrix
  • Business Continuity Plan – Risk Mitigation Approach
  • Business Continuity Plan – Critical Incident Staff Matrix
  • Delegation of Tasks and Responsibilities
  • Business Continuity Plan – Recovery Strategy
  • Maintenance and Sustainability Plan

Phase 3: Toolkit pilot testing and feedback phase

• Activity reports from toolkit pilot tests
• Report on recommendations to improve toolkit based on feedback and pilots
• Final validated Business Continuity Planning Toolkit

Qualifications

• Public Health background with understanding of epidemics prevention preparedness and response
• Knowledge or previous experience in health care facility management (preferably RCRC facilities)
• Knowledge or previous experience with approaches and concepts to epidemic and disaster preparedness, contingency planning, and business continuity planning
• Knowledge of the Red Cross Red Crescent movement
• Experience conducting ateliers and trainings with experience in pedagogical approaches and tools
• Experience in public health/humanitarian/development sector
• Experience in multicultural contexts
• Fluent in both English and French with excellent communication and writing skills