Consultant -HEF Technical support

Contract

This is a No grade contract. More about No grade contracts.

1. Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of this assignment is threefold: (1) continue support to Kuwait in establishing and building the capacity of the MOH Health Economics and Financing Unit (HEFU), related capacity building, and analytical work, (2) support Bahrain in conducting a health financing review, establishment of a HEFU, and related capacity building, and (3) carry out regional support as identified by WHO EMRO, including health financing country assessments in selected EMR countries. The consultancy is supported by the P4H Network, the global collaborative for social health protection and health financing. As part of the consultancy arrangement, the consultant will serve as the P4H Country Focal Person (CFP) for Bahrain and Kuwait.

The consultant will provide support for three main activities in Kuwait:

1. Disseminate the findings and key recommendations of the Kuwait health financing assessment to inform policy dialogue with key decisionmakers and program implementers
2. Organize high-level event to raise the visibility of the HEFU as a platform for multi-sector and multi-disciplinary policy analysis and collaboration to strengthen health financing arrangements in support of UHC in Kuwait
3. Conduct technical seminars to examine selected health financing challenges in Kuwait and transfer skills and knowledge about tools and approaches that can contribute to addressing such challenges, including Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and National Health Accounts (NHA).

The consultant will provide support for three main activities in Bahrain:

1. Carry out a detailed and collaborative review of the health financing system in Bahrain
2. Provide technical support to the Ministry of Health and Supreme Council of Health in the creation of a Health Economics & Financing Unit (HEFU)
3. Support joint capacity building of Ministry of Health and Supreme Council of Health, of Bahrain

The consultant will provide support to regional level activities:

1. Update regional health financing assessments (based on previous EMRO work such as the 2018 Health Financing Atlas and the 2015 Health Financing Review of GCC Countries)
2. Conduct health financing country assessments in selected EMR countries
3. Prepare a joint policy note on migrant health in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries by WHO, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The policy note will identify common challenges and propose solutions, considering options for reginal collaboration in policy and implementation, to ensure that no one is left behind in having access to effective and affordable health services.
4. Review pooling arrangements in GCC countries and options paper for solutions to reducing fragmentation

5. Carry out other activities as identified by WHO, reflecting country demand, including coordination of the Global Action Plan Sustainable Health Financing Accelerator meetings and related activities through the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Health Alliance platform, and identification of opportunities for engagement of EMR countries in the P4H Network

6. Background

WHO’s health financing team has developed a Health Financing Progress Matrix (HFPM) to improve efforts to monitor progress in health financing at the country level. The objective is to systematically assess the quality of health financing policies and institutions in a country based on the different functions of health financing policy. The HFPM assesses the situation in a country against a set of benchmarks of good practice, articulated in terms of nineteen desirable attributes. Based on theory and empirical evidence, these attributes are a crystallization of what matters in health financing for UHC.

The assessment builds on the WHO health system framework for UHC; while final UHC goals are subject to extensive data analysis and monitoring as part of the SDG agenda, the HFPM assesses the extent to which a country is implementing policies which are in light with best practice, in terms of making progress towards UHC. The HFPM now forms the standard approach by WHO to assess country level health financing systems. In addition to assessing the current situation in a country, the HFPM is designed to be forward-looking, helping to identify key areas of health financing policy which need to be addressed to make progress towards UHC, as well as priority areas for further analysis and/or technical support.

The HFPM approach is being used in the region to assess progress on health financing and UHC. A health financing review is being carried out in Kuwait in collaboration with the MOH and the School of Public Health of Kuwait University. An HFPM analysis is also being carried out in Sudan. Bahrain has also signalled interest in using the HFPM to review its health financing arrangements.

P4H is the global network for health financing and social health protection. It aims at promoting equitable and sustainable health financing systems to progress towards UHC. As of October 2021, the Network is comprised of 19 member organizations: WHO, World Bank, ILO, the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, the Global Fund, Global Financing Facility, Council of Europe Development Bank, France, Germany, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, the USA and Seoul National University and Shanghai Fudan University. The member organizations are committed to collaborating at global, regional, and country levels in health financing and social health protection for UHC. More information about the Network’s mission statement; aims and objectives; and operations is available from the P4H Network Web platform at www.p4h.world

3. Consultancy period

Start date: August 21, 2022

End date: June 30, 2023

4. Work to be performed

Output 1: Provide technical support to the Ministry of Health of Kuwait in strengthening local capacity to apply health economics and financing tools and approaches to improve policymaking and program implementation in the health sector

• Deliverable 1.1: Finalize health financing review document, slide deck, and policy brief
• Deliverable 1.2: Prepare Concept notes for (a) high-level event with senior decision-makers, (b) the establishment of a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process in Kuwait, and (c) a workplan for producing National Health Accounts (NHA)
• Deliverable 1.3: Submit concept notes, presentations, and summary reports of capacity building events and activities

Output 2: Provide technical support to the Ministry of Health in Bahrain in strengthening local capacity to apply health economics and financing tools and approaches to improve policymaking and program implementation in the health sector

Health financing review

• Deliverable 2.1: Complete Stage 1 of the HFPM (identification of health coverage schemes);
• Deliverable 2.2: Complete Stage 2 of the HFPM (in-depth analysis of health financing components): this constitutes the bulk of the assessment.
• Deliverable 2.3: Submit final version of health financing assessment, including proposed scoring, and a draft of the summary messages

Establishment of HEFU

• Deliverable 2.4: Finalize concept note on the creation of a HEFU in the Ministry of Health of Bahrain
• Deliverable 2.5: Draft a plan for establishing HEFU, including options for institutional arrangements and required staff positions for the HEFU and job descriptions

Capacity building

• Deliverable 2.7: Prepare a needs assessment report of capacity gaps and needs
• Deliverable 2.8: Carry out capacity building activities to introduce basic health economics and financings concepts and tools and in-depth technical seminars on specific health financing topics
• Deliverable 2.9: Package and disseminate analytical reports and policy notes as part of knowledge management efforts to promote and inform evidence-based policy making

Output 3: Regional support

1. Deliverable 3.1: Update EMRO regional health financing assessments
2. Deliverable 3.2: Conduct health financing country assessment reports using health financing progress matrices assessment
3. Deliverable 3.3: Prepare joint note with ILO and IOM on migrant health in GCC countries
4. Deliverable 3.4: Review pooling arrangements in GCC countries
5. Deliverable 3.5: Coordinate Global Action Plan Sustainable Health Financing Accelerator meetings and related activities, and engage in the P4H network activities

5. Technical Supervision

The selected Consultant will work under the supervision of:

Responsible Officer:

Faraz Khalid (Technical Officer, Coordination for UHC, UHS EMRO)

Manager:

Awad Mataria (Director, UHS EMRO)

6.Specific requirements

Qualifications required:

Master’s degree in public health and/or health financing and/or health economics.

Experience required:

Essential

1. Minimum 7 years of experience in evaluation of health financing arrangements in national and international contexts.
2. Strong expertise in overall health systems assessments, including health financing analyses.

Desirable

3. Experience working in WHO Eastern Mediterranean region.
4. Experience working with national Ministries of health
5. Experience with the P4H network

Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

1. Strong communication skills (writing/speaking).
2. Proven analytical skills and ability to synthesize.
3. Ability to work independently in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural settings.
4. Strong planning and organizational skills.

Language requirements:

Expert knowledge of English (Read - Write – Speak) essential.

7.Place of assignment

This assignment will be conducted through a hybrid working arrangement; the consultant will carry out three missions to Kuwait and three missions to Bahrain and, if needed, 1-2 missions to selected EMR countries. The consultant will be providing remote technical support in between the missions to MOH and WHO country offices.

8.Medical clearance

The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

9.Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel three times to Bahrain and three times to Kuwait and, if needed, 1-2 trips to selected EMR countries. Specific travel dates are to be decided in consultation with the WHO country offices.

All travel arrangements will be made by WHO – WHO will not be responsible for tickets purchased by the Consultant without the express, prior authorization of WHO. While on mission under the terms of this consultancy, the Consultant will receive subsistence allowance. Visa requirements: it is the consultant’s responsibility to fulfil visa requirements and ask for visa support letter(s) if needed.

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO