Primary Health Care Capacity Assessment Consultant

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

The World Bank (WB) and UNICEF will conduct a Public Expenditure Review (PER) in the Human Development sectors in Serbia, covering health, education and social protection. The purpose of this PER is to help Serbian authorities and broader stakeholders to understand challenges in these three sectors and to provide advice on reforms that could help to either allocate more public resources for these functions, or to use the available resources more efficiently.

Regarding the PER for the health sector, there will be two main outputs: (1) an overall health system public expenditure review and (2) the deep-dive analysis into public primary health care (PHC) capacity in Serbia. The work will also include special consideration related to the public expenditures for maternal and child health, especially at the PHC level. In addition, the work will assess the role of PHC in COVID-19 response in Serbia, the impact of COVID-19 on PHC, and to the extent possible, investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the overall health system.

This assignment relates to the output #2 (PHC capacity assessment). The assessment will adopt the methodology of the Progression Model developed by the PHC Performance Initiative (PHCPI). PHCPI is a partnership that aims to bring together country policymakers, health system managers, practitioners, advocates and other development partners to catalyse and accelerate improvements in primary health care systems performance globally through better measurement and knowledge sharing. PHCPI is currently a partnership formed by the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with technical support from Ariadne Labs at the Harvard School of Public Health and Results for Development. UNICEF has recently joined the PHCPI partnership. More information on the PHCPI and Progression Model can be found at https://improvingphc.org/measuring-primary-health-care-performance.

Work Assignment Overview:

The consultant will take the lead in the PHC capacity assessment, with the special focus on maternal and child heath, and be responsible for final deliverable(s), with inputs and support from the World Bank and UNICEF teams.

Duration of the assignment: August – December 2020, up to 45 workdays

Detailed task description:

• Develop a study protocol/methodology based on specific requirements of the assessment in Serbia and in exchange with the World Bank and UNICEF teams;
• Develop a data template; map relevant data sources, including official documents, quantitative indicators, and key informants to obtain the relevant data to complete the Progression Model;
• Conduct data collection, including document review, quantitative indicator mining, and qualitative data collection (interviews with key stakeholders);
• Ensure thorough and appropriate documentation of all data collected;
• Synthesize all evidence per measure into a standardized format guided by the Progression Model methodology;
• Develop a draft outline for the final report and finalize it in consultation with the World Bank and UNICEF teams;
• Lead the production of final report summarizing process and results;
• Prepare a power point presentation of the final report;
• Perform other tasks as needed.

Deliverables and Timelines:

1. Develop a study protocol and data template; map relevant data sources (up to 7 workdays, until 10th September)
2. Collect and document the collected data (up to 20 workdays, until 30th October)
3. Synthesize all evidence per measure into a standardized format; develop draft outline for the final report and finalize it in consultation with UNICEF and the World Bank (up to 5 workdays, until 15th November)
4. Lead the production of final report summarizing process and results (up to 13 workdays, until 15th December)

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• MSc degree in health policy, heath systems research, health service organization, health care management, public health or an equivalent discipline
• More than 10 years of work experience in the health sector
• Experience of working with a range of high-level stakeholders and teams
• Experience of working in the health sector in the countries of former Yugoslavia
• Experience of doing analytical work on primary health care would be an asset
• Experience with using PHCPI Progression Model would be an asset
• Strong mixed methods and qualitative research and evaluation skills, including interview guide development and conducting key informant interviews and/or facilitating focus groups
• Basic quantitative skills and data literacy
• Ability to synthesize complex information effectively
• Fluency in both English and Serbian
• Good writing skills and ability to generate simple yet articulate, clear reports in English
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

How to apply:

The application must include a financial proposal in RSD as a separate document, providing the following information:

1. Daily rate (all costs included, e.g. health insurance, pension, usage of mobile phone),
2. Daily travel allowance for an overnight stay in Serbia (including accommodation),
3. Transportation costs per km (for travel within Serbia).

Important notes:

Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

For every child, you must demonstrate UNICEF's core values of Care, Respect. Integrity, Trust and Accountability.

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 sexual exploitation and abuse, and on any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will therefore undergo reference and background checks.