BACKGROUND

Social prescribing is a means for healthcare workers to connect people to a range of non-clinical services in the community, to improve health and wellbeing. Social prescribing can help to address the underlying causes of patients’ health and wellbeing issues, as opposed to simply treating the symptoms.

Social prescribing can take various forms, but all involve connecting patients to resources in their communities based on individual needs. For example, primary health care providers can directly refer patients to community-based services. Alternatively, they can refer them to specialized “link workers”, who provide the referred patients with focused counselling. The link workers may also work with the patients to design personalized wellness plans, support the patients in connecting with the prescribed services, and follow up on patients to monitor their progress.

The Healthy Ageing Unit of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office has recognized social prescribing to be a vital tool in achieving integration of health and non-health services, one of the core objectives of Regional Action Plan on Healthy Ageing in the Western Pacific. To promote and support social prescribing in the Western Pacific Region, the Healthy Ageing Unit, with support from experienced international practitioners, has developed a toolkit on how to implement social prescribing.

The intended primary audience of the toolkit are community health centres that are interested in introducing social prescribing in their practice, with the goal of eventually scaling up the local model to the regional and national levels, and policy makers interested in introducing an integrated health, social and long-term care services at the community level. The toolkit focuses on the process and provides a minimum set of information for interested community health care facilities to feel confident and empowered to design and implement their own version of a social prescribing system.

The proposed project serves two main objectives: (1) To identify the possible implementation models of social prescribing in Malaysia (2) To prototype a selected model through a “table-top exercise” style workshop with the relevant stakeholders.

PURPOSE/SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY

The Healthy Ageing unit seeks an organization to identify and prototype the possible implementation models of social prescribing in Malaysia.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT

Output 1 - A report on the feasibility of introducing Social Prescribing in Malaysia, describing at least three possible implementation models. These may include:

1. Implementation in a government-run healthcare facility
2. Implementation in a private healthcare facility
3. Implementation through a community-based organization

Deliverable 1.1 - A documentation of the series of interviews/round table discussions with the relevant stakeholders, with the purpose to examine and define the potential implementation models.

Deliverable 1.2 - A report outlining the structure of the potential implementation models (outlining each step of the implementation process), with insights into how these models could be implemented in Malaysia, including the opportunities, challenges, and support needs.

Output 2 - An implementation, monitoring and evaluation plan on how one of the above models could be implemented in a selected community.

Deliverable 2.1 - A “table-top exercise” style workshop with representatives from the organizations identified in one of the models outlined in Output 1. During the workshop, participants should go through all the steps outlined in the social prescribing toolkit, as if they were planning to introduce the service, to detail a potential operational plan (including identification of financial and human resources). This may take form of a 1 or 2-day workshop (virtual or in person, in accordance with the local and national COVID-19 outbreak measures, rules and regulations).

Deliverable 2.2 - A report describing the possible structure of a social prescribing system in a given community, based on the discussions during the workshop - to include detailed implementation, monitoring and evaluation plan that outlines actionable steps by each stakeholder involved (roles and responsibilities).

Deliverable 2.3 - A one/two pager (short commentary/op-ed type of writing) on social prescribing and how it could be adopted in the Malaysian context to share as background material to selected community leaders (government and non-government), community members, health and social care professionals and to the general public.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• • Experience working with the Malaysian Ministry of Health, civil society organizations and the private health sector
• • Experience conducting research in a community-based setting
• • Able to convene, lead and facilitate multi-stakeholder discussions
• • Good understanding of the social prescribing concepts
• • Good knowledge of the community-based resources available in Malaysia
• • Experience working with the WHO or other UN agencies

TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

Excellent communication and coordination skills

Good knowledge and skills in report writing and structural thinking

Persistence in follow up, tact and diplomacy to work with international personnel

LANGUAGES

Fluent in written and spoken English and Malay

COMPETENCIES

Communicating in a credible and effective way

Producing results

Fostering integration and teamwork

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

WHO will review all the proposals and take the best proposal, based on the prevailing industry rates.

Implementation location will be in Malaysia.

Duration of contract: 20 September 2021 - 31 December 2021 (3.5 months)

APPLICATIONS

Qualified and interested specialists should submit their Company Profile {for institutional applications}, cost and project proposal and Expression of Interest {cover letter} to the Supply Officer through WP RO UNGM at < [email protected] > by 30 August 2021. 

The cover letter should outline how their experience and qualifications make them a suitable candidate for this position and should include their proposed daily consultancy fee and availability.

Please use Tender Notice No. 138889 as subject to all submission. Only successful candidates will be contacted.