National Consultant - Accessibility Modelling Specialist

To support WHO Country Office in Ukraine in strengthening GIS-based accessibility modelling and health data analytics for health service planning, including refinement of existing PHC, EMS and HeRAMS accessibility products, development of new modelling scenarios, and preparation of analytical outputs for WHO teams and national counterparts.

The Health Information Management (HIM) Unit of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine provides cross-cutting analytical support across programmes, with geospatial analysis as one of its key focus areas. This work is essential for identifying accessibility gaps and supporting efficient planning and response, particularly in areas most affected by the ongoing war. The analyses are based on triangulated data from multiple sources and are increasingly used to support the work of Emergency Medical Services, Rehabilitation, Noncommunicable Diseases, Health Operations, Service Delivery, Primary Health Care, Health Financing and other teams.

Using GIS technologies, including ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, AccessMod and Power BI, WHO CO Ukraine has developed several analytical products to support operational and strategic decision-making.

• The PHC Accessibility Dashboard is an NHSU data-based analytical tool that maps settlements without primary health care services and links them to the nearest PHC divisions, pharmacies and specialized facilities. The results are grouped into distance bands, such as 0–7 km, 7–15 km, 15–30 km and over 30 km. The dashboard provides summary indicators, maps and operational tables showing uncovered settlements, nearest available providers and exact distances. This helps identify the most critical accessibility gaps and supports prioritization of outreach, service planning and discussions with NHSU and oblast-level counterparts. 
  •The EMS Accessibility Dashboard supports analysis of emergency medical service coverage across Ukraine. It includes interactive maps showing EMS locations, settlements, travel-time accessibility layers and population coverage based on EMS capacity. The dashboard also provides tables with EMS locations and settlements, distance and travel time from settlements to EMS points, population distribution by access-time category and EMS capacity coverage. Charts summarize the number of settlements and population by access-time group and provide an overview of the EMS network.
• The HeRAMS accessibility models were developed with the participation of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine to support a better understanding of health service coverage, barriers to service delivery and population access to essential health services. The models combine HeRAMS data on service availability and barriers, spatial accessibility modelling and gridded population data to generate indicators that help identify access gaps and support prioritization of needs and interventions. The analysis covers priority oblasts in Ukraine and is based on HeRAMS data reported as of 2 January 2024.

The results of the completed accessibility analyses have generated strong interest among national counterparts and have been useful for internal decision-making. Some analyses need to be further refined using national datasets, while selected approaches and products should be sustainably transferred to NHSU and other national counterparts for routine use.

In addition, further projects related to accessibility modelling for specialized health services are planned and under preparation. Therefore, there is a need for a national accessibility modelling consultant to join the HIM Unit team to continue work on the above-mentioned products, support their refinement and transfer to national counterparts, and contribute to the development of new accessibility modelling projects.

Deliverable 1. Accessibility modelling scenarios for selected health services developed using AccessMod and QGIS, based on HeRAMS July 2026 data, including analysis of service coverage, population access, and distance/travel-time gaps. Expected by: 30 September 2026.
Deliverable 2. Refined PHC Accessibility Dashboard, EMS Accessibility Dashboard, and HeRAMS accessibility models prepared using updated datasets and agreed methodologies, with improved maps, indicators, and operational tables where applicable. Expected by: 30 September 2026.
Deliverable 3. A replicable accessibility modelling algorithm documented, including key methodological steps, required input datasets, processing logic, modelling assumptions, and guidance for application by national counterparts, including NHSU and other relevant institutions. Expected by: 30 September 2026.
Deliverable 4. GIS-based analytical outputs prepared for WHO Country Office workstreams, including Health Operations, Service Delivery, PHC, Health Financing, Rehabilitation, NCDs, EMS-related activities and other relevant programmes, as requested within the consultancy period. Expected by: 30 September 2026.
Deliverable 5. Dashboards, analytical tools and reporting products related to accessibility analysis improved or developed using Microsoft 365 tools, including Power BI, Power Automate, SharePoint, Excel and related applications. Expected by: 30 September 2026.
Deliverable 6. Maps, visualizations, technical notes and analytical summaries prepared to inform WHO internal planning and discussions with national and oblast-level counterparts. Expected by: 30 September 2026.

Educational Qualifications: 

Essential: At least Bachelor’s University degree in data science, mathematics, statistics, public health, biomedical engineering or related field.  
Desirable: Master`s University degree in data science, mathematics, statistics, public health, biomedical engineering or related field.  

Experience:

Required:  

• 2 years of experience in handling health-related data geospatial analysis, including familiarity with health systems and facilities data.  
• Proven experience in massive datasets visualization in ArcGIS and PowerBI.  
• Experience in leading or managing data management projects, demonstrating the ability to deliver on similar scopes of work.  

Desirable:  

Prior work in crisis or conflict-affected regions, ideally in the Ukrainian context or similar environments.  

Skills/Knowledge: 

• Required:  
• Proficiency in geospatial analysis, especially in AccessMod, QGIS and ArcGIS 
• Proficiency in data automation, especially Power Automate or similar platforms.  
• Ability to integrate various data sources and ensure seamless data flow between platforms and dashboards.  
• Advanced knowledge in developing study design.  
• Strong capabilities in analyzing complex data sets and developing practical, context-appropriate solutions using PowerBI or similar sources.  
• Strong analytical and report writing skills in English and Ukrainian.  

Desirable:  

• Knowledge of the Ukrainian health system and the challenges posed by the current conflict.  
• Ability to propose innovative technical solutions that address specific challenges in data management and visualization.   
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to present complex data in an understandable format to various stakeholders.  

Languages and level required:

Essential: Excellent knowledge of English and Ukrainian.  

Location 

Off-site: Home-based
 

Travel

The consultant is not expected to travel

Remuneration:

Contract total value: $9,546.00.
Monthly rate, daily rate and numbers of the days: 3,182 USD equivalent/month, 20 days per months
Consultant pay band range: SB-4 level
Terms of payment: the payment will be on a monthly basis after provision of Technical Report and approval from Responsible Officer

Expected duration of contract 

Target Start Date: 1 July 2026
Target end date: 30 September 2026 
Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 3 months

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