REGIONAL CONSULTANT (FRANCOPHONE) – SENEGAL AND DRC

HealthAI is a Geneva-based, not-for-profit organization serving as a trusted implementation partner for governments worldwide. We collaborate with multiple government, public, and private partners to ensure the innovative, safe, and responsible introduction of AI in healthcare systems. Our mission spans high-, middle-, and low-income countries, bridging regulatory frameworks to ensure equitable access to safe AI technologies while maintaining compliance with medical device regulations, data privacy laws, and emerging AI governance frameworks.

CONTEXT

HealthAI is conducting a multi-country scoping assessment on artificial intelligence’s role and impact on health system transformation across five priority countries: Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Senegal. The assessment examines national digital, data, and governance readiness; the government’s health transformation landscape; case studies of AI use and impact in each country; and near-term opportunities for responsible AI adoption in health. To deliver this work, HealthAI is seeking a Regional Consultant for West Africa to support research on health transformation and digital health, in-country stakeholder engagement, and contextual data collection on Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Consultant will work with the Project Lead and will be central to translating national and sub-national realities into the assessment’s findings.

The Consultancy Agreement is deliverable-based and time-bound. The Contractor shall operate independently and, in alignment with HealthAI and the agreed project methodology, apply their local and regional knowledge and networks to achieve the deliverables set out below.

SCOPE OF WORK & DELIVERABLES

The Regional Consultant will support the following four areas of work across the assigned countries, in line with the project’s phased delivery (inception, desk research, country consultations, synthesis, and validation).

1. Desk Research and Country Framing Support (Sep)

The Consultant shall contribute regional and national expertise to the desk-based evidence baseline.

• Co-drafting the project’s desk-research framework and conducting structured desk research for the assigned countries, covering national strategies, digital health and data systems, governance and regulatory frameworks, health financing and delivery structures, and existing AI use cases in health and adjacent sectors.
• Contributing to the country framing summaries and to the preliminary identification of AI opportunity areas and key constraints for each assigned country.
• Identifying evidence gaps in desk research to be filled through the survey and consultations.

2. Stakeholder Mapping and In-Country Engagement (Sep-Dec)

The Consultant shall build and maintain the stakeholder base required for the assessment across the assigned countries.

• Comprehensive mapping of key actors and other relevant governmental and institutional stakeholders.
• Development and maintenance of validated stakeholder contact lists to support survey distribution and consultations.
• Facilitation of access to key counterparts, including introductions and support in securing participation from senior-level stakeholders.
• Gathering of contextual insights not available through public sources, including a sub-national execution lens where relevant.

3. Survey and Consultation Coordination (Sep-Oct)

The Consultant shall coordinate primary data collection in the assigned countries, working closely with the project lead.

• Designing a survey for the project in partnership with the Project Lead.
• Compilation of survey distribution lists from the stakeholder mapping, and deployment of the survey across the assigned countries.
• Active response-chasing and reminders to secure adequate survey response rates.
• Scheduling, coordination and, where appropriate, participation in online consultations with key stakeholders. Note: time-sensitive and intensive activity concentrated in the September–October window.
• Research follow-up to fill contextual and implementation-reality gaps identified during consultations.

4. Country Reporting and Validation Support (Sep-Dec)

The Consultant shall support translating country evidence into the assessment’s outputs and validating them.

• Contribution to draft country-level findings, country reports and maturity assessments for the assigned countries, including inputs to the 2–3 priority AI opportunity feasibility profiles per country.
• Contribution to identifying strategic priorities and required enablers, and to the cross-country comparative analysis.
• Documentation of engagement throughout (key decisions, action points, recommendations), demonstrating progress and increased awareness of HealthAI’s work in the region.
• Contribution to translating material from English to French and vice versa where needed.

Duration

• Estimated Workload: The services are expected to require approximately up to 32 hours per week between September 2026 and December 2026. The Contractor shall retain full autonomy regarding the organization and timing of the work.
• Modality: off-site

Selection Criteria

• Fluency in both French and English (written and spoken) is required.
• Experience with and understanding of the government institutions and health systems of Senegal and/or the DRC.
• Demonstrable prior engagement with national or sub-national government bodies in a health systems context, evidenced by deliverables or formal acknowledgments.
• Verifiable track record of independently delivered outcomes in stakeholder engagement, coordination, data collection, and/or technical assessment work.
• 7+ years of professional experience relevant to the assignment + Master’s degree in a related field, such as public health, health systems, implementation science, or public policy. A focus on digital health and AI would be advantageous.
• Strong understanding of health system structures, governance, and health data or digital health environments in the region. Familiarity with public administration and digital transformation is an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to produce and present professional-quality written work, and to engage credibly with senior government counterparts.

Practical Information

• Service proposals should be submitted in English to this email address only (contact@healthai.agency) with the subject: “Regional Consultant – Senegal and DRC”.
• The following set of documents is required:
  • An offer including quote and work assignment suitability (1-page limit);
  • A portfolio of your work and two to three pieces of evidence (work samples) of past deliverables (e.g., assessment reports, stakeholder maps, implementation or engagement plans) — ideally showing work done for multiple clients.
  • Business registration, Tax identification/Clearance or any mandatory documents. We reserve the right to request additional documents based on your country’s registration requirements.
• Deadline for submissions: 20 September 2026 (midnight, CEST).
  Please note that we review proposals on a rolling basis. Service proposals that do not meet these guidelines will not be considered.