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Continuous Professional Development Adviser

Location: Vientiane

Deadline for submitting the application: 07/09/2025 

Start date: 01/11/2025 

Contract type: Limited 

Contract term (months): 24.00 

 

 

1. BACKGROUND

 

The Lao and Luxembourg governments decided for the fifth Lao-Luxembourg Indicative Cooperation Programme (ICP V) to maintain and deepen collaboration nationally, but with emphasis on the provinces of Bokeo, Bolikhamxay, Khammouane and Vientiane, through following four sectoral programmes (2023-2027) with a total budget of approximately 116.5 MEUR, as follows: 

 

  • Health and Nutrition (H&N) with a budget of ca. 46 MEUR. 
  • Local Development with a budget of ca. 34 MEUR (including Swiss co-financing). 
  • Skills for Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry (STAF) with a budget of ca. 25 MEUR (including Swiss and EU co-financing). 
  • Rule of Law, Access to Justice and Good Governance (ROLAG) with a budget of 11.5 MEUR. 

 

Both governments also agreed to seek strong linkages between the four programmes to optimize synergy and impact. The earmarked interventions will be interconnected through a common human capital development approach towards sustainable results. This will be the foundation of ICP V and key to contribute to eradicate extreme poverty and strengthen socio-economic inclusion in the target areas. 

 

The Health and Nutrition programme is the continuation and further expansion of two previous healthcare support initiatives named Lao-Luxembourg health sector support programme (LL-HSSP). The programme will work in close cooperation with the United Nations Joint Programme (UNJP), especially at the provincial level in the fields of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) and nutrition – latter in close concert with ongoing initiatives undertaken by Caritas Luxembourg.

 

The duration of the sectoral programme is set at five years comprising a total budget of ca. 32.5 million EUR, including 4.5 million EUR for Aide au Développement de la Santé (ADS), a Luxembourg non-governmental organization (NGO) working for more than 20 years in Lao PDR in the field of cardiology.

 

The programme will predominantly contribute to the long term change objective that Lao people have access to an essential health service package (including RMNCAH and nutrition services) of adequate quality and affordable to all, leaving no one behind, whereby (i) Lao people do indeed have “access” to those health services, (ii) those health services are affordable to all, and (iii) those health services provided to Lao people are of good quality.

 

The programme will uphold a geographic focus on all districts in the three provinces of Bolikhamxay, Khammouane and Vientiane Province but aims to deepen interventions to enhance overall effectiveness and efficiency. Programme expansion to Bokeo province will interface with a parallel Luxembourg-financed Local Development programme as well as the UNJP.

 

For good quality health service to be provided to Lao people, eight broad areas of intervention are described as part of the ToC pathway, each contributing to Human Resources Capital Development (HRCD).

 

Overall, the ICP V sectoral programme aims at creating favourable conditions for institutional and technical sustainability with (i) the accent put on HRCD, training and capacity development activities, (ii) an emphasis on embedding supported activities into the national management structures and (iii) the institutionalisation and expansion of the Joint Participatory Mechanism i.e. a “multiplication” co-financing apparatus between Laos and Luxembourg to finance health care operations and out-of-pocket expenses at grassroots level in the participating provinces.

 

Regarding the national level, the Health and Nutrition programme will closely work together with other bilateral and multilateral actors in the sector to ensure Luxembourg interventions are harmonized, including in policy dialogue, practical collaboration and coordination.

 

 

 

2. OBJECTIVES

 

 

The CPD Adviser strengthens the capacity of health training institutions and health facilities in the delivery of quality continuous professional development (CPD) through institutional support, training system development, curriculum reform, and licensing collaboration.

 

 

 

3. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES 

 

 

  1. Support the development and functioning of Medical Training Units (MTUs) in provincial hospitals

  • Provide technical guidance to provincial hospitals in establishing and operationalizing Medical Training Units (MTUs) as institutional hubs for in-service training.
  • Support the development of MTU regulations, internal procedures, and the use of training equipment and teaching aids.
  • Contribute to the implementation of accreditation standards for MTUs, including introduction of a credit-based system for CPD tracking.
  • Collaborate with the project’s provincial advisory teams (clinical care advisers, nurses/midwife advisers) and with hospital quality advisers, HR and admin to support the implementation of CPD programmes, including training of trainers (ToTs), annual training needs assessments, and the development or adaptation of training plans and curricula.

 

  1. Support health professional licensing in target hospitals

  • Facilitate coordination with the Department of Health Personnel (DHP) and the National Professional Council to promote and implement licensing mechanisms for health professionals in supported hospitals.
  • Assist facilities in complying with national licensing requirements, including documentation, verification of qualifications, and support for CPD fulfilment.

 

  1. Provide technical support to the University of Health Sciences (UHS)

  • Collaborate with UHS leadership and technical departments to review and revise existing curricula for medical and allied health programmes.
  • Advocate for alignment of pre-service training content with current health service delivery needs, clinical realities, and modern pedagogical approaches.
  • Support integration of CPD principles and feedback loops from the field into academic training programmes.

 

  1. Strengthen nursing education in Khammouane and Vientiane Province Nursing Schools

  • Provide ongoing support to the Nursing Schools in Khammouane and Vientiane Province to upgrade the academic level of their training programmes.
  • Contribute to efforts aimed at improving the quality of education, including curriculum enhancement, teacher capacity building, improved clinical practice placements, and use of simulation-based learning where feasible.

 

The activities shall be implemented in collaboration with central government organizations (CPD council, MoH, UHS) and health authorities at provincial level, including nursing schools. Travels to the target provinces are envisaged to fulfill this assignment.

 

 

 4. SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THE JOB

 

  • Minimum Master’s degree in public health, health management, or a related field;
  • Bachelor’s in Medicine;
  • At least 10 years of relevant working experience with Human Resources for Health (HRH) planning and development;
  • Experience working with Ministry of Health and public health authorities at the provincial level;
  • At least 5 years of working experience with development projects in Lao PDR, including Ministry of Health (Department of Health Personnel) and Provincial Hospital Directors (PHDs).

  

 

5. CONDITIONS

 

  • Location: Vientiane Capital
  • Nature of the position: fixed-term contract, full time;
  • Duration: until 31.12.2027;
  • Expected starting date: 01.11.2025 or asap;
  • Salary: calculated based on the experience and qualifications of the successful candidate. 

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