Conduct Desk Research on the Political Economy of Health Issues
Conduct desk research on health policy related issues
Overview
Conduct desk research on health policy related issues
You have:
- Minimum Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in public health, international development, political sciences, economics or a relevant field.
- Experience with desk research and analysis of policy environment/political economy.
- Excellent writing skills in English.
- Experience and/or interest in health issues and health taxation considered assets.
- Knowledge of Spanish or French could afford easier access to sources.
Contract
This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.
UNDP, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Secretariat to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the United Nations Interagency Task Force on NCDs (UNIATF) and national governments have collaborated to conduct national Investment Cases on tobacco control, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mental health, alcohol control, nutrition, and health taxes. The Institutional Context Analyses (ICAs) are designed to complement the economic modeling component of Investment Cases, by providing an assessment of the forces driving health policies and laws in a country, what actors and institutions are most influential, and what the best path would be to scaling up action. The investment cases can be used as advocacy pieces for policymakers, as well as for the Ministry of Health to present to non-health ministries.
The Online Volunteer will use desk research to conduct Institutional Context Analyses (ICAs) as part of national Investment Cases on tobacco control, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mental health, alcohol control, health taxes and other investment cases related to health. The Online Volunteer will be assigned a country or countries and will use UNDP's relevant Guidance Note to summarize the scope of the problem, historical and present barriers to adoption, institutional and governance arrangements and capacities, political economy drivers, in addition to proposing priority actions. UNDP Health and Development Unit will provide required information and guidance. Upon completion, the online volunteer will be given due credit and receive a Certificate of Appreciation for their contribution. No financial compensation is provided for this online volunteering opportunity.
The Online Volunteers are expected to have experience with desk research, analyses of policy environment/political economy, referencing, and excellent writing skills in English. At minimum, a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in public health, international development, political sciences, economics or a relevant field is needed to perform this task. Experience and/or interest in health issues and health taxation are considered assets. For some countries, knowledge of Spanish or French could afford easier access to sources but is not considered essential.
Potential interview questions
| Can you describe your experience with conducting desk research? | The interviewer wants to understand your familiarity with desk research methodologies. | Highlight any relevant projects or tasks where you conducted desk research, focusing on the methods used. |
| What techniques do you use to analyze a policy environment? | This gauges your analytical skills and familiarity with policy frameworks. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How would you summarize complex health data to a non-expert audience? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Can you give an example of a time you faced barriers during research? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Why is understanding political economy important for health issues? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |