Public Health Adviser

Location: Vientiane

Deadline for submitting the application: 23/04/2025 

Start date: 01/07/2025 

Contract type: Limited 

Contract term (months): 30,00 

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:

1. Health and Nutrition (H&N) with a budget of ca. 35,8 MEUR;
2. Local Development (LD) with a budget of ca. 34 MEUR (including Swiss co-financing);
3. Skills for Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry (STAF) with a budget of ca. 25 MEUR (including Swiss and European Union co-financing);
4. 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 optimise synergy and impact. The earmarked interventions are interconnected through a common human capital development approach towards sustainable results. This is the foundation of ICP V, and is key to contributing to the eradication of extreme poverty and strengthened 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.

The duration of the sectoral programme is set at five years comprising a total budget of 46.3 MEUR, including 4.5 MEUR 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 primary objective of the Public Health Adviser (PHA) is to provide coaching and expert guidance to Health Planning and Management Advisers across four provinces to ensure the successful implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Joint Participatory Mechanism (JPM) and DAFI plans. The PHA will be responsible for monitoring public health indicators, with a particular emphasis on nutrition, to assess progress and identify areas for improvement.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES

Specific duties and related tasks are categorized into three focus areas:

Coaching and guidance:

• Provide expert coaching and guidance to Health Planning and Management Advisers (HPMAs) across four provinces;
• Conduct training sessions and workshops to enhance the capacity of HPMAs and Public Health Departments staff in public health planning, monitoring, and evaluation;
• Collaborate closely with JPM Secretariat to ensure the smooth coordination of JPM plans implementation;
• Offer advisory support to provincial health departments on policy development, program planning, and strategic decision-making.

Monitoring and evaluation:

• Supervise the process of implementation of monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress in public health indicators, especially quality if healthcare services and nutrition;
• Regularly assess the implementation of JPM and DAFI plans, identifying areas of success and areas needing improvement.

Data analysis and reporting:

• Analyse data on public health indicators, with a focus on nutrition, to identify trends and patterns;
• Offer advisory support to provincial health departments on policy development, program planning, and strategic decision-making;
• Coordinate the nutrition related activities;
• Coordinate the collaboration with LSB/DRI/UNICEF and other national and international organisations engaged by the programme for research.

4. PROFILE

• Bachelor in Medicine (MD) or equivalent qualification;
• Post-graduate education in public health (Master or PHD degree).
• Minimum 10 years working in the field of public health in developing countries;
• Experience working with public health data analysis and reporting, particularly in the field of nutrition;
• Excellent communication skills and team-work approach;
• Thai/Lao language skills is an advantage;
• Excellent English language skills.

We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds regardless of gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.