Technical Officer, Social Health Protection, P. 3

The Social Protection Department (SOCPRO) is responsible for promoting enhanced coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all through comprehensive, efficient and sustainable national social protection systems, including floors, in line with provisions of the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102), the Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202) and other ILO social security standards, and reflected in the SDGs. It provides, at the request of member States, technical advice for the formulation of national policies, the design of social protection systems, including floors, as well as for their implementation and monitoring. The Department covers the full range of social protection throughout the life course, including access to health care, various contributory and non-contributory benefits in case of sickness, maternity, unemployment, disability, old age, poverty and social exclusion, as well as child and family benefits.

The position is located within the Social Policy Unit of the Social Protection Department (SOC/POLICY). The ILO’s Social Protection Department (SOCPRO), and particularly its Social Policy Unit (SOC/POLICY), undertakes research and policy development to underpin strategies for the extension of social security; develops good governance tools for social protection systems; carries out knowledge development; strengthens national capacities in the field of social security; and undertakes promotion and advocacy in order to strengthen national social protection systems. 

Within the framework of Development cooperation projects under the Global Flagship Programmes on Building Social Protection Floors for All and Safety and Health for All, the incumbent will contribute to the extension of social health protection in developing countries, by providing backstopping in the form of administrative and technical support for the implementation of several development cooperation projects. These projects include:

Under the ILO-France partnership 2020-2024, the Social Protection Department and the Labour Administration, Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health Branch have developed jointly a research project which will look at the synergies between social health protection and occupational health services. The incumbent will be the technical officer in charge of the coordination of this project component « Research on the integration of occupational health services and social health protection systems ». 

The PROSPECTS partnership project focuses on areas of decent work, including social protection, that are critical for forcibly displaced persons to overcome their specific vulnerabilities and for host communities to pursue their own development agenda in a transformed environment. In the framework of this programme, the ILO and UNHCR wish to scale-up their existing partnership on social health protection. The objective of this partnership is to bring together ILO’s expertise on social health protection (https://www.social-protection.org) and the refugee protection mandate of UNHCR, especially on public health (https://www.unhcr.org/public-health.html) to seek opportunities and implement integration schemes for refugees into existing national social health protection systems, with the aim to allow refugees to access health services at the same level as nationals, through shared risk pooling mechanisms. The incumbent will be involved in the technical support provided to this project by SOC/POLICY.
 

In Nigeria, Madagascar, Burkina Faso and Senegal, the ILO is supporting the government to build sustainable social health protection schemes within comprehensive social protection systems. The incumbent will be involved in the technical support provided to these projects by SOC/POLICY.

• In Nigeria, the ILO implements jointly with other agencies a project on social protection funded by the SDG Fund, which will include a component aimed at supporting the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) at central level as well as in one region. Within the framework of this project, the ILO will support NHIS to assess the feasibility of parametric and process changes as well as of the extension of the scheme in one region to expand the current scope of coverage..
• In Madagascar, the ILO implements jointly with other agencies a project on social protection funded by the SDG Fund, which will include a component aimed at supporting the extension of the national health insurance fund through two main mechanisms: i) explore the possibility to affiliate populations already benefiting from family cash assistance and ii) support the extension of coverage towards workers in the informal economy, especially in rural settings.
• In Burkina Faso and Senegal, the ILO implements a programme funded by the Belgian Government with a view to reinforce the social protection system. In this effort, a particular focus on social health protection was requested in both countries as they have embarked in reforms of their systems.

Reporting lines

The incumbent will work under the supervision of the Head of the Social Policy Unit with the technical supervision of the Health Protection Specialist of the Social Protection Department, and in close collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Specialist in the Labour administration, Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health Branch for the research project. The incumbent will be placed under the overall responsibility of the Director and Deputy Director of the Social Protection Department of the ILO. The incumbent will work in close collaboration with field specialists and the project staff of the assigned projects as well as the other units of the Social Protection Department, namely the Public Finance, Actuarial and Statistics Unit, the Actuarial Services Unit and the Programming, Partnerships and Knowledge-Sharing Unit.

The position will contribute to the development of the activities regarding social health protection within the development cooperation projects mentioned above.  The incumbent will:

1. Carry out the planning and implementation of the project component « Research on the integration of occupational health services and social health protection systems », in collaboration with the Health Protection Specialist of the Social Protection Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Specialist in the Labour administration, Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health Branch. This will include in particular the following tasks:

1. Scope research questions in a way that will maximize the practical implementation of final research findings and recommendations at country level.
2. Design, organize and implement quantitative and qualitative research methods, including empirical methods, in line with project objectives.
3. Analyse research results, provide technical inputs for analyses, reports and publications.

2. Contribute to programming and operational support for the activities planned in Burkina Faso, Senegal, Nigeria and Madagascar, in close collaboration with the project staff as well as the responsible officials and regional specialists based in the concerned Decent Work Teams. In particular:

1. Support the provision of SOC/POLICY’s technical inputs on social health protection to the relevant projects with regards to scheme architecture, design, financing and management in line with ILO standards, policies and principles.
2. Assist the backstopping and design of project activities on social health protection, in particular the formulation of terms of references, selection of consultants and experts, design of workshop and training agendas. Support the development of capacity building activities on social health protection as required within project activities.
3. Undertake missions in relation to project implementation.

3. Provide support to the PROSPECTS programme (covering Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia) on social protection, and particularly social health protection, for refugees and host communities. In particular:

a. Support the provision of SOC/POLICY’s technical inputs on social health protection to the different country teams of the project (in particular in Kenya, Uganda, Sudan and Lebanon) with regards to scheme architecture, design, financing and management in line with ILO standards, policies and principles.

b.Liaise and ensure efficient and effective communications between the different project partners and in particular with the Public Health Section of UNHCR.

4. Prepare substantive inputs on relevant monitoring and evaluation documents and programme progress reports in close collaboration with the responsible staff for each project.

5. Support the development of resource mobilization strategies with a view to securing development cooperation resources to support countries in the extension of social health protection.

6. Perform other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Advanced university degree in economics, social science, public health, health economics, health financing, or a related field.

• At least five years’ relevant professional experience, preferably in the fields of social health protection, health financing, occupational health, social health insurance, health and migration, including three years or more of experience at the international level.
• At least two years’ relevant experience in supporting project implementation, planning and/or monitoring.
• Previous experience implementing interventions on access to health would be a strong advantage.
• Previous experience in conducting analytical work with practical implications on the extension of social protection would be an advantage.

Excellent command of English and good knowledge of French are essential. Working knowledge in additional languages would be an advantage. 

• Proven ability to communicate effectively to different audiences and draft analytical texts and reports of high quality.
• Proven ability to conduct rigorous analytical work and apply quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation techniques.
• Client orientation and ability to be perceptive in coordination processes with partners and stakeholders from different technical areas and perspectives in a politically sensitive context. Ability to provide first-line technical advice in the area of specialisation.
• Ability to guide and coordinate technical work with colleagues, external collaborator and partners.
• Ability to develop capacity-building and training materials.
• Ability to participate effectively in technical missions and multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to adapt to change and propose action accordingly.
• Commitment to gender equity and proven ability to integrate gender considerations in programme work plans and tools.
• High standards of integrity, professionalism, personal discipline and impartiality.
• Ability to advocate and provide policy advice.
• Excellent organizational skills and experience administering development cooperation projects.
• Good programme formulation, implementation and evaluation techniques.
• Demonstrated computer literacy, especially with Microsoft Office software.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory  behaviour and attitudes.