Mentorship and Community of Practice Support Programme

In alignment with EMRO Resolution EM/RC63/R.4: Strategic Framework for Strengthening Health Laboratory Services in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (extended to 2029), a key priority is to strengthen laboratory quality management systems (LQMS) and support public health laboratories in achieving readiness for accreditation against ISO 15189 through structured capacity building, mentorship, and peer learning

In alignment with EMRO Resolution EM/RC63/R.4: Strategic Framework for Strengthening Health Laboratory Services in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (extended to 2029), a key priority of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Laboratory Unit (CSL) under the WHO development programme is to strengthen laboratory quality management systems (LQMS) and support public health laboratories in achieving readiness for accreditation against ISO 15189 through structured capacity building, mentorship, and peer learning. Within this development framework, and as a no-cost UN Volunteer assignment, support is required to strengthen the design and implementation of a structured mentorship programme for ISO 15189 readiness. This includes curating, adapting, and contextualizing mentorship tools, as well as supporting the development of a standardized mentorship approach that enables consistent technical guidance across countries. In addition, the assignment will support the facilitation of a digital Community of Practice (CoP) in collaboration with Project ECHO, aimed at strengthening continuous professional development, fostering peer-to-peer learning, and promoting sustainable knowledge exchange across Member States. This will contribute to institutionalizing mentorship and building long-term regional capacity for laboratory quality systems strengthening.

The Online Volunteers will support specific deliverables related to LQMS mentorship. The volunteers will contribute to: 1- Mapping and adaptation of available LQMS mentorship materials 2- Supporting the creation of a pool of regional mentors by assisting in the review of applications and contributing to the selection process Expected Outputs 1. One curated and structured LQMS mentorship toolkit adapted for regional use 2. One draft mapping framework and roster template for regional mentors