International Consultant - Rehabilitation And Assistive Technology
Posted on March 13, 2026 by World Health Organization
- Manila, Philippines
- N/A
- Part Time
Contractual Arrangement: External consultant
Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 11 months or more
Job Posting: Mar 13, 2026, 2:42:36 AM
Closing Date: Mar 27, 2026, 5:59:00 PM
Primary Location: Philippines-Manila
Other Locations: Anywhere
Organization: WP/DHS Division of Health Systems and Services
Schedule: Part-time
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device's system settings.
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Purpose of consultancy
Provide senior-level technical expertise to support WHO Western Pacific Regional Office and Member States in leveraging digital technology to strengthen rehabilitation and assistive technology services, including development of tele-support systems and integration of assistive technology into primary and secondary health care systems.
The consultant will support implementation of initiatives in Fiji, Cambodia and Indonesia to strengthen health systems capacity for equitable and high-quality delivery of rehabilitation and assistive technology services.
Background
The Western Pacific Region faces significant challenges in ensuring equitable access to assistive technology (AT) for its 1.9 billion population. An estimated 200 million people in the region require assistive products, yet access remains severely limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and in rural and remote areas. It is estimated that less than 10% of people in lower and middle-income countries have access to the products they need, with similar gaps in rural areas of larger nations and for certain groups of products (such as those for communication and cognition).
Several Member States in the Western Pacific region have demonstrated political commitment to expanding access to AT through policy frameworks aligned with WHO's Global Report on Assistive Technology (GReAT). Countries including Fiji, Cambodia, and Indonesia have incorporated AT into their national health strategies and disability action plans. However, implementation remains constrained by limited trained personnel, weak supply chains, inadequate health information systems, and geographic barriers.
Regional initiatives, including the Western Pacific Regional Framework on Rehabilitation, increased investment into AT in Pacific Island Countries, along with ongoing technical support to Member States, have created momentum for strengthening AT. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated adoption of digital approaches across the region, demonstrating both the feasibility and acceptance of technology-mediated communication, reporting, learning, and service delivery models. This presents a strategic opportunity to leverage digital technologies and platforms to address traditional barriers to AT. In particular, there is a need to scale up the use of digital technology to address the critical workforce shortages at primary and secondary healthcare levels to manage procurement, provision and maintenance of assistive products, which prevents people from accessing products close to their homes.
Under the overall guidance of the responsible officer, the consultant will be expected to provide senior-level technical expertise to lead and deliver high-complexity and high-visibility technical services. This includes advising Member States and key stakeholders on the strategic planning, implementation and evaluation of rehabilitation and assistive technology initiatives; supporting the integration of rehabilitation within broader UHC, primary care and health system strengthening agendas; and guiding the application of WHO normative and technical products to strengthen the use of digital technology in the context of rehabilitation and assistive technology.
Deliverables
The consultant will provide technical support to the Western Pacific Regional Office and its Member States, specifically Fiji, Cambodia, and Indonesia, to leverage digital health in strengthening health systems for the effective, equitable and high-quality delivery of rehabilitation and assistive technology.
Output 1: In collaboration with the University of Sydney and Fiji National University, as well as Fiji MHMS stakeholders, develop and implement a sustainable tele-support service connecting specialist rehabilitation staff at the national referral hospital (Tamavua) with those in provincial hospitals to improve continuity of care for people with spinal cord injury, stroke, and amputation.
- Conduct participatory design consultations with service users, caregivers, provincial and national staff to identify support needs, technology preferences, and user requirements.
- Utilize existing, widely available technology (e.g. WhatsApp) rather than introducing new systems, ensuring sustainability and acceptance
- Pilot the service with at least 2 provincial hospitals over 24 months, documenting cases, outcomes, user satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness
- Conduct mid-term and end-of-pilot evaluations to refine the model and develop a scale-up strategy for additional provinces
Deliverable 1.1: Concept or process note detailing the design, including plans for evaluation and scale up.
Deliverable 1.2: Mid-term and end-term evaluation reports of the pilot, including data on support sessions conducted, and qualitative feedback from rehabilitation workers and service users involved.
Deliverable 1.3: Recommendations for progressive scale up.
Output 2. Strengthen existing health systems to incorporate assistive technology assessment and provision as routine components of primary and secondary healthcare in Cambodia and Indonesia, through leveraging digital technology.
- Cambodia: In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and development partners, use digital technology, including the use of the WHO Learning on TAP online platform and WHO Basic Interventions for Rehabilitation (B-PIR) Clinical Resource, to support integration of rehabilitation and assistive technology into the Transformative Primary Health Care (T-PHC) agenda. Assess and support development of assistive technology pathways to increase access to products in the community.
- Indonesia: In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, support capacity building of the primary care workforce to provide basic rehabilitation and assistive product provision, including through use of the WHO Learning on TAP online platform and WHO B-PIR Clinical Resource. Assess and support development of assistive technology pathways to increase access to products at the “puskesmas” (primary care) level.
Deliverable 2.1: Rapid situation assessment of rehabilitation workforce capacity at Cambodian T-PHC demonstration sites and capacity building plan, including mechanisms for sustainability.
Deliverable 2.2: Assessment of assistive product procurement and supply chains at Cambodian T-PHC demonstration sites with recommendations for addressing challenges.
Deliverable 2.3: Training reports from implementation of Learning on TAP and WHO B-PIR Clinical Resource, including disaggregated participant data, and learner feedback for trainings in Cambodia and Indonesia.
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Educational Qualifications
Essential: Master's degree in a rehabilitation science, such as rehabilitation medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, prosthetics and orthotics, or similar; Advanced university degree in public health, development, or a related field.
Experience
Essential: At least 10 years of experience in rehabilitation and assistive technology; Essential: demonstrated experience in project management and collaboration; experience working in low- or middle-income countries on implementation of projects/programmes related to rehabilitation or public health.
Desirable: Previous experience with WHO or other UN agencies;
Skills/Knowledge
Advanced technical knowledge in public health and rehabilitation. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Languages and level required
Essential: Expert-level proficiency in English (reading, writing, and speaking).
Location
The consultant will work remotely, with travel as required.
Travel
Travel to Indonesia and Cambodia to provide technical support will be required. Travel to additional countries in the Western Pacific region may also be required.
Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):
Remuneration: Payband level C = USD 5000/month (this is based on a daily rate of USD 500 rated at 50% FTE role or half-day part-time)
Living expenses: not applicable unless on duty travel.
Expected duration of contract (Maximum contract duration is 11 months per calendar year):
4 May 2026 to 5 April 2027 (11 months)
Additional Information (For HR use only):
This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.- Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
- A written test may be used as a form of screening.
- If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
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Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int
- An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) into practice.
- WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.
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- Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.
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Advertised until:
April 12, 2026
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