Health Tax Initial Modelling

Contribute to health tax analyses and modelling for low- and middle-income countries.

This opening expired 3 years ago. Do not try to apply for this job.

Application deadline 3 years ago: Monday 10 Jul 2023 at 00:00 UTC

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Overview

Contribute to health tax analyses and modelling for low- and middle-income countries.

You have:

  • At a minimum, a bachelor's degree or equivalent in statistics, economics, public health, finance or a relevant field is needed to perform this task.
  • Experience in and understanding of health taxation is considered an asset.
  • Experience in quantitative modelling and forecasting is considered an asset.

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

UNDP, together with national governments and other partners, have collaborated to conduct health tax analyses in various low- and middle-income countries. These provide countries with estimates of the additional government revenue expected from increases in health tax rates and the associated decreases in consumption of the taxed products. These tax briefs are used as advocacy pieces for policymakers, as well as for the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health to present to other policymakers.

The Online Volunteer will contribute to the modelling of expected tax revenues from increases in the rates or structure of taxes on health-harming products. This will include research into the markets of these goods (the demand, supply information, leading brands’ prices, market share data) and tax rates and structures of tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages, all of which need to be inserted into an Excel-based model. The Online Volunteer will be assigned to a specific country and will need to familiarize themselves well with UNDP's Excel template to input the data necessary for health tax modelling. The Online Volunteer may additionally be involved in other data collection and modelling tasks, such as problem solving the model, in the case of unexpected results, or other health economic modelling. The UNDP Health and Development Unit will provide the required information, guidance and supervision. 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 be proficient in Microsoft Excel. At a minimum, a bachelor's degree or equivalent in statistics, economics, public health, finance or a relevant field is needed to perform this task. Experience in and understanding of health taxation is considered an asset, as is quantitative modelling and forecasting.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe your experience with quantitative modeling and how it relates to health taxation? The interviewer wants to understand your background and its relevance to the role. Discuss specific projects or coursework where you utilized quantitative modeling techniques.
What strategies would you use to ensure accuracy when inputting data into Excel templates? This question assesses your attention to detail and data management skills. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you approach learning about a new country's tax structure and market dynamics for health-harming products? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe a time when you encountered unexpected results in a data model. How did you resolve the issue? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you keep updated with changes in health economics and taxation policies? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unv.org