POSITION DESCRIPTION
Position Title:
STRATEGIC PROJECT ADVISOR - CLINICAL
18 months Fixed Term
Reports to:
Date:
Deputy Medical Director – Secondary Care
APRIL 2013
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
PHARMAC has been given responsibility for new functions involving the formulary and
budget management of hospital medicines, and greater management of some medical
devices for use in hospitals. Accordingly, the Medical Team is going through a period of
increased change.
Change management initiatives, especially around the clinical aspects of hospital
medical devices and clinical leadership, have increased in scope and strategic priority.
The Medical Team requires someone to work with the Deputy Medical Directors during
this change period to determine how to turn PHARMAC’s strategies for success, and its
work in the new field of medical devices, into projects. This person will also be
responsible for these projects and will oversee, co-ordinate, and give impetus to these
changes within the Medical Team. This work should be completed within 18 months,
which
is
why
the
role
is
fixed
term.
The expectation for this position is to lead and/or support change management initiatives
delivered by the Medical Team and to work through any clinical policy and procedure
changes that result. The position will:

Design, manage the consultation process for, develop and assist with
implementation of the Clinical Governance frameworks, policies and procedures
needed for successful completion of projects and initiatives

Provide advice to the PHARMAC team working on hospital medical devices on
clinical aspects of the project, working with the relevant Deputy Medical Directors

Work closely with the Deputy Medical Directors and Medical Devices Project
team (and in particular with the Senior Stakeholder Advisor- Medical Devices and
the Programmes Manager) to coordinate the project in the clinical advice
framework and processes workstream of the hospital medical devices
management work

Facilitate and coordinate Clinical Governance initiatives within the Medical Team.

Advise and support the Medical Team to plan and implement other (future)
projects under the Strategies for Future Success.
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PHARMAC’S OBJECTIVE
PHARMAC’s objective is to secure for eligible people in need of pharmaceuticals the
best health outcomes that are reasonably achievable from pharmaceutical treatment and
from within the amount of funding provided.
DIMENSIONS AND AUTHORITIES


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
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Responsible for the planning, management and implementation of a range of
small to medium sized projects
Management of expert external advisors as required
Acts as advisor to the Medical Director and deputies on issues related to the
clinical advice framework and processes
Member of the Medical team, reporting to the Deputy Medical Director –
Secondary Care
No financial delegations.
RELATIONSHIPS
The Strategic Project Advisor - Clinical is expected to assist in developing and maintaining
effective relationships with the wide range of stakeholders relevant to the position. Of
particular importance are:
External
 Sector stakeholders involved in clinical aspects of devices assessment and
procurement
 Clinicians and their representative organisations
Internal
 The Medical Director, Deputy Medical Directors and other members of the
Medical Team
 The Medical Devices project team – particularly the Senior Stakeholder Advisor –
Medical Devices and the Programmes Manager
 The Senior Policy Analyst and Policy Analyst within the Corporate and External
Relationships team
 All PHARMAC staff and managers
 The PHARMAC Board
KEY ROLE REQUIREMENTS
Given the nature of this role, a wide range of activities are potentially relevant to
PHARMAC’s Medical Team’s project and policy work involvement and, accordingly, are
covered by this position description. The core requirements of the role are set out below,
but do not in any way limit the ambit of activity the role is responsible for.
Project Implementation and Management
Lead and/or coordinate Medical Team projects to support the Medical Devices project,
the Improved Clinical Leadership strategic priority and other PHARMAC initiatives. This
will involve:
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

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Creating project plans for management approval within the newly established
PHARMAC Project Process
Project management and/or oversight of a range of small – medium projects
including regular reporting on progress and achievement of business case
Direct responsibility for completion of many project tasks, especially those
involving clinical policy and procedures
Implementation support to the Medical Team and other PHARMAC teams
Clinical Policy and Procedure Development
Develop clinical frameworks, policies and procedures to support the Medical Team
initiatives. This will involve:
 Identifying the changes needed to existing clinical frameworks, policies and
procedures to enable Medical Team projects
 Seeking specialist knowledge internally and externally to support change
 Consulting with wide range of stakeholders
 Incorporating feedback from consultation
 Writing new policies and procedures
 Gaining PHARMAC Board agreement, if required, to changed policies and
procedures
Consultation and External Relations
The Change Management and Policy Development aspects of this role necessarily entail
a significant level of consultation and stakeholder engagement. This will involve:
 Close liaison with the Senior Stakeholder Advisor to ensure connected work,
particularly across the Medical Team and the Medical Devices Establishment
area
 Consulting with the Medical Director, the Deputy Medical Directors, other
members of the Medical Team and other PHARMAC staff
 Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with key external
stakeholders
 Reviewing and updating as necessary mechanisms for ongoing consultation and
engagement with external and internal stakeholders in order to achieve the aims
of the Medical Team projects
 Developing relationships to remain well informed about sector developments of
relevance to the Medical Team, the specific initiatives and PHARMAC’s
operations.
PERSON SPECIFICATION (IDEAL)
(Experience, skills and competencies)

Operational implementation/understanding - the demonstrated ability to
translate concepts or policy into workable, effective operational systems.

Self management – a history of taking the initiative to develop and progress
projects and initiate contact and discussion internally and externally.

Communication skills – good written and verbal communication skills, including
the ability to present information in a lucid, succinct and coherent way (including
in plain English).

Critical thinking – a high level of skill in problem solving, conceptual thinking,
and distillation of ideas into decision making.
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
Innovation and strategic acumen – an ability to develop new ideas and
approaches to problem solving, see the big picture and think and act strategically

Collaboration – an ability to develop appropriate networks, internally and
externally, for collaborative work (a key aspect of developing PHARMAC’s policy
perspectives).

Interpersonal savvy – an ability to effectively manage relationships at all levels,
including conveying PHARMAC’s position on policy issues in a persuasive way
cognisant of the views/perspectives of other stakeholders.

Presentation skills – effective verbal presentation skills.

Policy experience – experience in policy development would be an advantage.
Alternatively, applicants may not have specific policy development experience,
but would have demonstrated capability in key relevant competencies such as
strategic thinking, systems or business models, innovation and collaborative
work.

Project management – an ability to effectively lead and manage projects,
including multiple tasks and priorities. A relevant tertiary qualification and/or
experience with operating within a project management framework such as
PRINCE2 would be an advantage.

Contextual awareness – an understanding of the machinery of government and
the health system, and ability to work effectively to obtain outcomes in these
contexts. Familiarity with PHARMAC’s model and operating processes would be
a significant advantage.
Values – the PHARMAC ‘way'
 Fresh Thinking – We value the collection of new ideas and options to challenge the
status quo. We will go out of our way to understand the evidence, listen to
stakeholders and encourage colleagues to think innovatively. Our success is
founded on our ability to select and carefully implement the best choices.
 Can Do – We value a focus on implementing good solutions. With tenacity, process
and collaboration with colleagues, challenges are transformed into opportunities to
make a difference. We hold ourselves accountable for what we do and for delivering
on our obligations, including under the Treaty of Waitangi.
 Within Our Means – We value being careful stewards of taxpayer funds. We seek
resources which are just what we need to fulfil our objectives and commit to ensuring
that we deliver within our budgets.
 Due Respect – In exploring boundaries we value the importance of proper process,
and others’ accountabilities and perspectives. The choices and actions we take only
continue if they are made on a sound basis and with a focus on serving New
Zealanders.
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