Policy and Strategy Consultant , Vientiane, Lao, 6 months, Officebased (Open for both International and National candidates)Req#596788
- Organisation: UNICEF
- Deadline: 18 November 2026
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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.
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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.