Consultancy: Health Economist - Financing Specialist

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, a Good Health

The purpose of the assignment is to support the main objective of UNICEF’s work in health financing by influencing the size, composition, equity, efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of health spending at national and subnational level.

How can you make a difference?

The government of Lebanon has renewed its commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage and adopted Primary Health Care as a main pillar for its action to achieve its UHC goals. Optimal Public Financial Management is a strong prerequisite for rational use of scarce resources.

The consultant -Health Financing will provide support to UNICEF Lebanon CO, Health and Nutrition Section, and social policy in the area of health financing. This includes monitoring and analysis such as mapping of existing costing reports and materials, identify gaps in costing needed for shifting policy, monitoring public expenditure, best practices sharing of various financing mechanisms in Lebanon and abroad, developing knowledge management pieces and advocacy materials in partnership with AUB, participate and assist in health strategy development currently led by WHO, study on various health insurances mechanism and social protection support. The ultimate objective is to contribute toward policy shift during health system strengthening (HSS) and reform to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In addition, the consultant will support thematic areas costing using available data and tools such as Immunization, Nutrition, and ECD.

The consultant is expected to work in close collaboration with Social Policy in LCO, other key partners at national level and subnational, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance; National Primary Health Care Network, local and international NGOs; other UN agencies and International Financial Institutions, and academia. The ultimate objective of UNICEF’s work in health financing is to influence the size, composition, equity, efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of health spending at national and subnational level.

Tasks/Milestone 1:

Analysing and Improving use of health sector public financial resources.

Deliverables/Outputs:

Support the MoPH (including PHC) in monitoring budget allocations to and analyzing past public spending on the health sector, as well as providing analyses on fiscal space, out-of-pocket spending, benefit incidence.

Include analysis of the impact of the multilayered crisis on the health sector including COVID-19 repercussions, currency devaluation, subsidy removal, energy crisis, doctors and nurses’ immigration etc.

Provide technical assistance to LCO and MoPH, WHO in developing health financing strategies, including advice on the right strategic purchasing and provider payment mechanisms.

Conduct a mapping and desk review of existent costing exercise performed by both governmental, UN agencies and national and international NGOs; Followed by detailed analysis of the gaps and propose relevant costing exercises to generate evidence and inform decision making.

Support with policy briefs development on financing health care with focus on primary health care coupled with stakeholder involvement and round table discussion to deliver context relevant financing options and suggestions.

Participate in and provide technical inputs to Public Finance Management (PFM) discussions, proposing interventions to improve transparency and accountability.

Work with sector colleagues to build capacity to undertake costing and cost effectiveness analysis on priority interventions to help inform policy decisions on child-focused investments with a focus on free access to a specific package of basic services for children.

Undertake and build capacity of health sector partners for improved monitoring and tracking of public expenditures to support transparency, accountability and effective financial flows for essential health service delivery, at all levels of care, budgeting and public financial management as well as facilitating community participation.

Support health sector financial reporting and accountability by mapping existing structures, identifying gaps and proposing potential mitigation measure and financing options for consideration.

Timeline: 1 July 2022 to 15 June 2023

Tasks/Milestone 2: Advocacy, networking and partnership building.

Deliverables/Outputs:

Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with health sector government counterparts, national stakeholders, as well as global partners, allies, donors, and academia for active networking, advocacy and effective communication to improve health planning, budgeting and financial flows at national and sub-national level.

Prepare communication and information materials to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances, and support national efforts on fundraising for health programmes (PHC and UHC including immunization).

Participate and/or represent UNICEF in appropriate inter-agency discussions and planning on health-related issues to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on PFM related discussions; and on UNSDCF planning and preparation of health financing programmes/projects.

Support compelling use of finance data and evidence in advocacy materials and campaigns, including designing visually attractive infographics and data analysis on health planning, budgeting, and expenditures.

Collaborate with WHO, World Bank, other UN agencies and implementing partners to support country-level technical assistance on all above related PFM activities.

Advocate, during strategic discussions with key decision makers (including Ministry of Public Health and Ministry of Finance) and stakeholders to influence agenda setting in favor of health and wellbeing of children, women and young people.

Timeline: 1 July 2022 to 15 June 2023

Tasks/Milestone 3: nnovation, knowledge management and capacity building.

Deliverables/Outputs:

Provide oversight and support to in-country studies to evaluate the cost of specific health interventions and programmes.

Document and disseminate lessons learned from national efforts in strengthening health systems and expanding health coverage for UHC with a focus on PHC and routine immunization, and to improve partnerships for sustainable health systems strengthening.

Produce high quality written reports and presentations, including technical documents, project status reports, policy briefs, and publications for conferences and journals.

Provide technical support and coordination of relevant operational research, thus contributing to the knowledge base in health systems.

Disseminate relevant academic research findings, publications, presentations and reports.

Timeline: 1 July 2022 to 15 June 2023

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

Master's degree in Health economics or Health Financing or public financial management.

An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in health economics, health financing or public financial management or closely related field is required.

A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience in a public finance or economic development role within the national/international health sector.

Prior experience developing costing/using costing tools (OneHealth Tool, CHPCT, EQUIST) is an asset.

Preference will be given to candidates who have demonstrated knowledge of and professional experience in at least two of the following areas: Public Financial Management in health, health economic analysis (especially cost analysis), strengthening public health financing and governance, Health Systems Strengthening applications and programmes.

Experience and knowledge of the overall as well as the macroeconomic and fiscal Lebanese context or working in a developing country is considered as an asset.

Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization, or in a global health initiative (TGF, GAVI, GFF) or development bank is considered as an asset.

Fluency in English is required knowledge of Arabic is of added value.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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 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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).