Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life, as envisaged by 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are on the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners that can bring about results.

The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan and help countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.  BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

BPPS supports UNDP’s 2014-2017 Strategic Plan, focusing on 7 outcomes including strengthening institutions to progressively deliver universal access to basic services (outcome 3). The HIV, Health and Development Group (HHD), within BPPS, is helping to contribute towards this outcome.

UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development, as described in the HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2016-2021: Connecting the Dots, leverages UNDP’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialist health-focused UN agencies. UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development. 

First, UNDP helps countries to mainstream attention to HIV and health into action on gender, poverty and the broader effort to achieve and sustain the Sustainable Development Goals.  For example, UNDP works with countries to understand the social and economic factors that play a crucial role in driving health and disease, and to respond to such dynamics with appropriate policies and programmes outside the health sector. UNDP also promotes specific action on the needs and rights of women and girls as they relate to HIV.

Second, UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses. Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of the law and legal environments in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property law to lower the cost of drugs and diagnostics. UNDP also works to empower and include marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV, such as sex workers, men who have sex with men and people living with HIV. Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a key role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, including support to municipal action on SDGs, sustainable responses for Health and HIV such as improving sustainability of AIDS financing, sustainable health procurement, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for key populations.

Third, as a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multisectoral health projects, while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time. The UNDP/Global Fund partnership is an important part of this work, facilitating access to resources for action on SDG 3 by countries that face constraints in directly receiving and managing such funding.  UNDP partners with countries in crisis/post-crisis situations, those with weak institutional capacity or governance challenges, and countries under sanctions. When requested, UNDP acts as temporary Principal Recipient in these settings, working with national partners and the Global Fund to improve management, implementation and oversight of Global Fund grants, while simultaneously developing national capacity to be able to assume the Principal Recipient role over time.

Cross-sectoral co-financing

The scope of the SDGs demands win-win interventions which can accomplish multiple health and development objectives at once. These interventions exist, with social protection a powerful example. Amongst other things, social protection has been shown to alleviate poverty, strengthen food security, reduce gender and economic inequalities, and improve education and health outcomes. But the problem is that, when thinking about where to allocate their budgets, government sectors tend to evaluate their options in isolation. They often use conventional, sector-specific methods of calculating cost-effectiveness that only focus on a narrow set of outcomes, and tend not to factor the spillover benefits to other sectors. The result is that high-value, cross-cutting programmes often appear too costly for a single payer (say a Minister of Education or Health) to fund on its own, so they go under-valued, under-financed and under-implemented. In simple terms, cost-effective programmes that should be implemented or taken to scale are not, and welfare is lost.

In 2014, UNDP and the STRIVE research consortium developed an innovative solution called cross-sectoral co-financing. The approach recognizes that win-win structural interventions can be funded more efficiently if benefitting sectors pool their resources together, with contributions guided by each sector’s willingness to pay for expected results. For example, if a conditional cash transfer programme can increase school enrollment for girls by 10 percent, the education sector would contribute its willingness to pay for this outcome.

In 2015, with funding from the Japanese Government, UNDP, the Economic Policy Research Institute (EPRI) and STRIVE developed the first-ever set of operational tools on co-financing. Through a regional course, UNDP introduced the approach to policymakers from Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania. UNDP also supported these countries to develop initial co-financing models that tackle challenges related to universal health coverage (UHC) and development more broadly.

As part of a two-year next-phase project, ‘Financing across sectors for universal health coverage in sub-Saharan Africa’, UNDP will: (1) continue sensitizing senior policymakers and technical officers from the original co-financing countries (Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania) as well as introduce the approach to senior policymakers and technical officers from three additional  countries (Kenya, Zambia and Ghana); (2) assist all seven countries to develop costed co-financing models/plans that advance UHC and human development; and (3) provide all seven countries with the follow-on technical and other support needed to implement their co-financed interventions as well as track results. The project’s overall objective is to strengthen the capacity of senior policymakers and technical officers in sub-Saharan Africa to efficiently finance demand-side structural interventions for UHC, as a necessary complement to supply-side health system investments under the health budget.

Relatedly, the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) has included cross-sectoral co-financing as a key financing strategy under MAPS (Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support) – the dedicated, common approach of over 30 UN agencies under the auspices of UNDG to support SDG implementation in countries. Most recently, the Government of Malawi requested UNDP’s support in implementing co-financing for not just SDG target 3.8 on UHC but also for other SDGs. UNDP’s HIV, Health and Development Team is collaborating with its Strategic Policy Unit to meet this additional request for Malawi.

Objective of the assignment:

The objective of this consultancy is to provide project management, coordination and technical support to the first year of the UNDP’s co-financing project, ‘Financing across sectors for universal health coverage in sub-Saharan Africa’. The consultant shall perform the services as described between 6/1/2017 and 4/30/2018. The consultant should be competent in health and/or development economics, including national budgeting processes, as well as the social determinants of health.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Team Leader: Heath and Innovative Financing in New York, the Consultant will be responsible for:

Specific Deliverables and Activities:

  1. Develop a guidance note on cross-sectoral co-financing. The note will outline the co-financing methodology, discuss partnerships, include lessons learned from pilot countries, and situate the co-financing approach within a larger narrative on financing for development. It should build upon tools and approaches that can assist development partners, policymakers and other stakeholders to identify and overcome political barriers to implementation (e.g. institutional and context analyses).
  2. Update existing co-financing materials with the latest evidence and tailor the materials to each of the 7 SSA project countries, inclusive of country-specific universal health coverage considerations.
  3. Provide technical and logistical support as required to the hosting of a regional course to 28 policymakers from 7 SSA countries, working with UNDP country offices and other consultants as required.
  4. Work with country technical government teams, partner consultants and country offices to develop 7 government-endorsed national co-financing plans.
  5. Support the UNCT within each of the 7 countries to define technical support roles, providing requisite support capacity as needed.
  6. Support the establishment and functioning of 7 cross-sector project steering committees.

Expected Outputs (schedule to be developed in consultation with supervisor):

  1. Co-financing Operation Guidance Note.
  2. Revised training materials adapted to project countries, with course delivery support.
  3. Training reports covering relevant countries.
  4. Seven country co-financing plans/roadmaps.
  5. Seven UNCT operational support plans.
  6. TORs/Minutes/reports of steering committee activities as appropriate.

Reporting:

The consultant will report regularly to Team Leader: Health and Innovative Financing, with the reporting schedule based on a mutually agreed work plan that includes the activities, deliverables and timelines.

Travel:

Travel to and within sub-Saharan Africa is anticipated for this assignment. The exact dates and locations will be determined by progress against the work plan and undertaken in agreement with the supervisor. Travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP HHD Team and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be covered and paid by UNDP. The fare will always be “most direct, most economical” and any difference in price with the preferred route will be paid for by the consultant.

Evaluation:

Applicants will be screened against qualifications and competencies specified below through a desk review and interview process. Applicants will be evaluated based on: Cumulative analysis method that combines the results of technical and financial evaluation results.

The award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  • Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only the highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Evaluation Criteria (maximum 70 points): 

Criteria 1:  At least seven years’ experience in economics, public finance and administration related to health and/or development, including familiarity with national budgeting processes; 20 points

Criteria 2:  Experience managing and coordinating multi-stakeholder programmes and/or projects, experience in the Africa region considered an asset; 10 points

Criteria 3:  Strong knowledge of the development dimensions of HIV and health, including the role of cash transfers in low and middle income countries; 10 points

Criteria 4:  Familiarity and relevant experience with UN agencies as well as international donors, including at the country-level; 5 points

Criteria 5:  Strong research and writing skills, as demonstrated by a writing sample as well as the quality and quantity of publications on the candidate’s CV; 5 points

Interview: 20 Points

UNDP reserves the right to conduct an interview in case of equally qualified shortlisted candidates

Financial Evaluation Criteria (maximum 30 points):

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal
µ = price of the lowest priced proposal
z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Payment Method:

All-inclusive daily fee.

Payment:

  • The consultant will be paid as a daily rate (based on the number of days worked).
  • Payments will be based on the Certificate of Payments that will be submitted on a monthly basis;
  • Time Sheet will be attached and verified by the direct supervisor; and
  • Final tranche upon performance evaluation from the direct supervisor.

Competencies

Functional:

  • Familiarity with health financing and national budgeting processes and collaborative work with international donors in HIV and health.
  • Strong knowledge of the development dimensions of HIV and health.
  • Significant knowledge of social protection in low- and middle-income countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in the context of HIV prevention.
  • Experience in supporting the design and delivery of capacity building courses for policymakers. Strong analytical and communication skills, including the ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products; and
  • Competence with Microsoft Word and Excel.

 Project and Resource Management:

  • Exceptional organizational skills.
  • Ability to work independently and produce high quality outputs in a timely manner.     

Communications and Advocacy:

  • Exceptional writing skills.
  • Ability to clearly and briefly generate insights based on analysis of data.
  • Strong capacity to communicate clearly and quickly.

Organizational Competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards.
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP.
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Partnership building and team work:

  • Demonstrated well developed people management skills.
  • Strong ability to manage teams; creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing staff.
  • Excellent negotiating and networking skills.
  • Demonstrated flexibility to excel in a multi-cultural environment.
  • Provides constructive coaching and feedback.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Minimum of a master’s degree or equivalent in public health, finance, economics, international relations, social science or a field related to health and development.

Experience:

  • At least seven years’ experience in economics, public finance and administration related to health and/or development, including familiarity with national budgeting processes;
  • Experience managing and coordinating multi-stakeholder programmes and/or projects, especially at global and regional levels;
  • Strong knowledge of the development dimensions of HIV and health, including the role of cash transfers in low and middle income countries;
  • Familiarity and relevant experience with UN agencies as well as international donors, including at the country-level;
  • Strong research and writing skills; and.

Fluency in written and spoken English required.

GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION:

Interested applicants are advised to carefully review this advertisement and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications described.

Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain:

Please note that our system only takes one attachment. Therefore, kindly scan all your documents into a single PDF file to upload.

*Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. rent of dwelling, fee, health insurance, vaccination, visa costs and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services...). All envisaged costs (except of the unforeseen travel costs for missions, if any) must be included in the financial proposal. Unforeseen travel costs for missions, if any, will be paid separately according to UNDP rules and regulations. All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. Per diems cannot exceed UN DSA rates (http://icsc.un.org/rootindex.asp).

Security: Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://trip.dss.un.org

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.

Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.