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, an advocate

Organizational context
The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated.
There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations. The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action.
Health systems strengthening (HSS), addressing inequities in health outcomes and promoting integrated, multi‐ sectoral policies and programs are necessary approaches to achieve universal health coverage reaching the most vulnerable and marginalized children and women. UNICEF’s HSS strategy targets national, sub-national and community levels of the health system with inter-related systems strengthening interventions: 1) national-level: support MoH to develop equity-focused health policies, strategies and plans, 2) district-level: improve management capacity for evidence-based planning and monitoring, to expand service delivery, 3) community-level: strengthen community platforms and ensure they are well integrated into sub-national health systems.
Central to UNICEF’s HSS approach is contributing to the social protection system and plan for financing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through primary health care (PHC) costing, development of investment cases, financial and fiscal space analysis and leveraging of resources (e.g., promoting insurance schemes focusing on the most vulnerable and prioritizing primary health care), budgeting and design of financing mechanisms to benefit children and women. Given the focus on a comprehensive and coordinated approach, linkages with social welfare services, early child development and adolescent engagement are also promoted.

Scope of work

in the UNICEF ECA region with direct guidance and technical oversight on Health Financing with a focus on Primary Health Care costing (including immunization programmes). The Health Financing expert will provide support to ECARO COs in the area of primary health care and health financing. This includes fiscal space analysis, costing of interventions, health planning and budgeting including supply chain, health insurance, and reform of public financial management systems for the health sector at both national and sub-national level. The ultimate objective is to contribute to health system strengthening to achieve Universal Health Coverage with a focus on Primary Health Care and Routine Immunization. The consultant is expected to develop close collaboration with other key partners at regional and national level, including other UN agencies and International Financial Institutions. Additionally, the consultant will work closely with the UNICEF ECARO Social Policy section on assessing design and implementation of health insurance schemes at community and country level. 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.

Purpose of Activity and description of the Assignment

It is expected that the strategic and technical leadership of the incumbent will significantly impact overall child survival and development across countries in the region. The efficacy and efficiency of the support provided by the position in terms of partner coordination, provision of guidance, resource and partner leveraging, and technical support will contribute to strong strategic and technical positioning of UNICEF at the regional and country level. This will ultimately contribute to enhancing the leadership, credibility, and ability of UNICEF in health financing as critical components of its efforts to improving child survival and development in Europe and Central Asia.

1. Influence policies, plans and priorities

• Lead the undertaking of timely health system analysis, including equity analysis, cost effectiveness analysis and public health expenditure reviews.
• Empower UNICEF Country Offices with evidence for dialogue in improving the efficiency of health spending.
• Development of investment cases for PHC revitalization including community health (e.g. home visiting) and immunization programmes.
• Support and guide UNICEF Country Offices for the development of national health financing systems in the context of PHC towards Universal Health Coverage, including revenue collection, pooling, and purchasing, to assure access to needed promotive, preventive (incl. immunization), curative, and rehabilitative services without financial hardship.
• Lead timely, regular data-driven situational analyses, country program planning and monitoring of the state of health systems, health services and health care financing in the Europe and Central Asia region for supporting the monitoring of health sector performance, including general financing indicators, Sustainable Development Goals and UHC indicators.
• Collaborate with social policy sections to support analysis and understanding of the underlying social determinants of health, to help develop and implement health policies and programmes that enhance health equity and integrate pro-poor, gender-responsive, and human rights-based approaches.
• Facilitate the analysis of social and economic trends and health financing information in the region with focus on implications on fiscal space for health services and support engagement for policy dialogue.
• Support efforts to advocate for and to leverage resources for sustainable health system strengthening.

2. Strategic and technical guidance and support

• Provide guidance to country offices on advocacy and partnerships building for the development of context responsive national and sub-national health system strengthening policies and programs, particularly with regard to health care financing.
• Provide in-country technical guidance on health care financing for PHC-UHC (including costing of their service packages). Undertake field visits and periodic programme reviews with UNICEF teams and their partners for monitoring frontline implementation for UHC and SDG indicators.
• Support identification and analysis of PFM-related bottlenecks to health services delivery relating to the availability, flow and use of resources.
• Support capacity building in PFM to overcome bottlenecks and weaknesses in fund management at subnational level.
• Support and guide the harmonization and alignment of health financing policies/strategies/plans and donor coordination mechanisms for health at country level.

3. Strengthen health financing partnerships at regional level

• Maintain highest level of contacts and active collaboration with regionally active partners, including WHO, Gavi, the World Bank, European Union and other key operational partners to coordinate activities in leveraging technical and financial resources for RMNCAH and immunization.
• Engage actively with existing mechanisms, public and private sector partners, to advance health financing best practices.
• Advocate, during strategic discussions with Ministries of Finance and Health and other key decision makers and stakeholders, including UNICEF COs, to influence agenda setting in favor of health and wellbeing of children, women and young people.

4. Knowledge management

• Document and disseminate lessons learned from regional and national efforts in accelerating strengthening health systems, accelerating PHC and expanding health coverage for UHC and the efforts to improve partnerships for sustainable health systems strengthening.
• Develop and implement country-specific national capacity building strategies in health financing.
• Provide technical leadership and coordination of relevant operational research, thus contributing to the knowledge base in health systems strengthening with a focus on health economics.
• Disseminate relevant academic research findings, publications, presentations, and reports.
• Collaborate with Monitoring and Evaluation officers at regional and country offices for timely, efficient, rigorous, and transparent monitoring, evaluation and reporting on immunization, PHC and HSS initiatives.
• Collaborate with WHO, World Bank, other UN agencies and implementing partners to support country-level technical assistance on public financing: costing, financial and fiscal space analysis, budgeting and design of financing mechanisms to benefit children and women.

5. Other related duties

• Represent UNICEF ECARO in relevant meetings at global, regional, and national levels to ensure that UNICEF perspectives are adequately represented in relevant strategies and frameworks related to health and immunization financing.
• Explore areas and opportunities for country office staff development, including training and opportunities for cross fertilization with UNICEF staff from countries in other UNICEF regions.
• Inform and upskill health staff in the region on Public Financial Management (PFM) for health.
  Carry out any other duties that may be assigned by the Regional Health Adviser from time to time including guiding, training, and coaching staff, interns, and consultants, as needed.

Deliverables

Estimated Duration of the Contract

270 working days from 01 November 2023 to 31 December 2024

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is an Istanbul-office based consultancy.

Travels will be expected as part of this assignment. The consultant will arrange her/his travel and will be reimbursed as when they take place based on actual costs in support for the Activities and Deliverables.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Please propose a Professional Fee for 270 working days between 01 November to 31 December 2024 to undertake this assignment.

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

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required

Technical Expertise and Experience

• 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 (One Health 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 working in the region 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 Russian is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Please include a full CV, and a Financial Proposal in your application by indicating your availability and a lumpsum based on 270 working days to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. 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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.