Consultancy - Advocacy Paper on Financing of Primary Health Care, LACRO, Panama City (3 Months)

Consultant Medical & Health Programme & Policy

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, health

How can you make a difference?

Background

UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all children and adolescents in everything we do. Together with our allies, we work in 190 countries and territories to transform this commitment into practical actions that benefit all children, especially focusing our efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded, worldwide.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.

UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda, in line with our equity focus, working across our organization and with our partners in government, civil society and the private sector to support shifts in public policy, fuel social engagement, and increase investment for children.

While the average regional and national under five and neonatal mortality rates in Latin America and the Caribbean have improved considerably over time (U5MR from 59.1 to 17.9 per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2019 and NMR from 22.5 to 9.1 per 1,000 live births in the same time span[1]), disparities exist within countries, by wealth quintiles, geographic areas and maternal education levels.[2] Disparities in coverage of key health services are among the contributing factors for this.[3] Migrants and indigenous people face specific challenges in access to health services.

Health systems in the region are fragmented with parallel public, private and social security systems and underfinanced. This situation has created barriers to access. Public expenditures for health average 3.7% of GDP, much lower than the 6.0% target PAHO recommends.[4] Many countries, although with PHC strategies on paper, have reduced investments in PHC in recent times. Community engagement and multisectoral approaches are among the areas that require strengthening in many countries. In addition, the changing pattern of diseases (with the burden in many countries shifting from infectious to chronic non-communicable diseases) requires adaptations in the health system, including in PHC, that have not been fully incorporated.

Sustained, and in most settings increased investments in primary health care are crucial to ensure universal health coverage, maintain and improve the health of the population including the most vulnerable, and avoid catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditures. UNICEF is supporting costing exercises of primary health care in four countries, for advocacy for increased investments in primary health care in these countries, and aims to use the results of these studies as well as a broader review and analysis of health financing in the region, for advocacy at the regional level.

For more information about UNICEF and its work. (www.unicef.org/lac).

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[1] UNICEF Data (https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-survival/)

[2] EWEC-LAC Inequalities in maternal, child and adolescent health in LAC (forthcoming)

[3] EWEC-LAC Country profiles: https://www.everywomaneverychild-lac.org/e/country-profiles-with-disaggregated-data-for-the-eweclac-indicators/

[4] ECLAC-PAHO: Health and the economy: a convergence needed to address COVID-19 and retake the path of sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean, 30 July 2020; see here.

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of the assignment is to develop an advocacy paper on primary health care financing in the LAC region, based on a literature review, and specific information from four countries that have undertaken a costing exercise (Colombia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Peru) .

Specific Tasks

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Adviser, Survive & Thrive and in coordination with the Regional Immunization Adviser and the Maternal and Child Health Specialist, the incumbent will: 1) Undertake a desk review of: a. the epidemiological situation with emphasis on maternal, child and adolescent health, and key trends in the LAC region; b. health systems in the LAC region and the positioning of primary health care (including examples of different country typologies); and c. health financing in the LAC region, with emphasis on primary health care and maternal, child and adolescent health (including examples of different country typologies), and comparing investments n primary health care with investments in other levels of care; 2) Review and analyse the costing studies undertaken in four countries countries (Colombia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Peru) and interview UNICEF staff in these countries; 3) Write a concise advocacy paper in support of increased investments in primary health care by national governments, and external donors where needed, including the inputs described above.

Expected Results

1) Desk review of: a. the epidemiological situation with emphasis on maternal, child and adolescent health, and key trends in the LAC region; b. health systems in the LAC region and the positioning of primary health care (including examples of different country typologies); and c. health financing in the LAC region, with emphasis on primary health care and maternal, child and adolescent health (including examples of different country typologies), and comparing investments n primary health care with investments in other levels of care; 2) Review and analysis of four costing studies (Colombia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Peru) and interviews with UNICEF staff 3) Advocacy paper (draft version for comments and final version after comments from UNICEF staff). Maximum number of pages to be agreed.

Deliverables

Description

Duration [in days]

Expected deadline

1. Desk review

10

7 October

2. Review and analysis of four costing studies

12

4 November

3. Concise advocacy paper

10

25 November (draft)

9 December (final)

Total

32

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

Education

• An advanced University Degree in one or more of the following areas: Economics, Public Health, Health Economics or another relevant area.

Work Experience

• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible relevant work experience in public health and/or health economics.
• Experience with policy advocacy an asset. Experience in working in the UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Experience in the Latin America and Caribbean region is a strong asset.

Languages

• Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be considered an asset.

Technical knowledge

• Professional technical knowledge in health financing with emphasis on primary health care is an asset.
• Knowledge of health systems in LAC an asset.
• Knowledge of UNICEF’s work in the LAC Region in the area of health and specifically primary health care is an asset.

Other skills and attributes

• Client oriented; good listening skills.
• Excellent writing skills.

Administrative details

Supervision

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Maternal and Child Health Specialist and in close collaboration with the Individual Contractor working on immunization-related issues in LAC.

Workplace

This is a home-based consultancy

How to Apply

Application should be submitted online and should include: Resume, Cover Letter and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily and monthly fees in their financial proposal.

Travel

Travel is not involved in this consultancy.

Should travel is included, it will be covered by UNICEF as per policy.

• Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.
• For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering their own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts.
• Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling.
• UN Secretariat Administrative Instruction on Official Travel, ST/AI/2013/3: Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e)
• For information on Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), can be found on the International Civil Service Commission website (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA). To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

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Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org