Consultant to support the Development of National Health Financing Strategy in Jordan

1. Purpose of consultancy

The purpose of this consultation is to provide technical expertise to the development of a health financing strategy for Universal Health Coverage in Jordan.

2. Background

The World Health Organization (WHO 2014) defines Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as the goal of “ensuring that all people obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them.” Progress towards UHC requires a well-managed health system that responds to people’s priority health needs, a financial system that prevents financial hardship for people availing health services, and access to essential diagnostic, treatment, medicines, and skilled health workers. UHC pertains to two aspects of health system performance: health service and financial protection. Health service includes health promotion and prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation. Financial protection includes assistance in times of catastrophic health spending and prevention of impoverishment due to health spending (Xu, 2005).

Consistent with these WHO messages, many countries have committed to UHC and are as a result reviewing, analyzing, and modifying their health system. The progress toward UHC needs not only political commitment but also a strategy to ensure that the different aspects of the health system are aligned and coordinated with each other to address performance challenges effectively. A coherent and well-aligned strategy for health financing can play a key role in this process. A Health Financing Strategy (HFS) is a set of policies and arrangements that a country puts together defining how they will raise revenues, pool funds, purchase and pack services and define the overall system architecture and governance covering the 5 or 10 next years. HFS could ensure stable and sustainable financing which is needed to promote the progress toward UHC. However, no best model of organizing financing arrangements can be applied to all countries. Each country should undertake its analysis of health financing to find appropriate strategic directions. The strategy development should be guided by a policy dialogue and built on the country's context to ensure its success. The establishment of a steering committee and technical working group, relying on the results of a situation analysis, ensuring stakeholder consultation, and timely dissemination of objectives, priorities, and actions are needed to promote buy-in and consensus of the strategy.

Besides its international UHC-SDG commitments (target 3.8), Jordan signed in 2018 the UHC2030 Global Compact and endorsed in the same year the UHC-Salalah Declaration for the Eastern Mediterranean Region. In addition, within the framework set by the Jordanian national strategy of the health sector 2016-2020, UHC was placed as a long-standing strategic goal. However, the Jordanian health system is yet, structured around input-based financing and significant out-of-pocket payments. Jordan is continuing its pivot towards a new financing mechanism that will be conducive to the objectives of UHC. The MoH envisages developing its first health financing strategy with the support of the WHO Country Office in Jordan (WCO). To this end, WCO is providing technical support to develop the strategy through its staff and a national consultant that is familiar with the realities of the health system, financing, and coverage. The Health Financing Progress Matrix (HFPM), developed by WHO’s Department of Health Systems Governance and Financing will be used to assess the Jordanian health financing system against a set of evidence-based benchmarks, framed as nineteen desirable attributes.

The WCO is looking to engage a health financing specialist. It is expected that the candidate will support all activities of the strategy development and ensure that it reflects the country’s vision and is agreed upon by the steering committee.

3. Work to be performed

Output 1: Coordinate the activities of the HFS development (communication, meetings, workshops) in collaboration with the WCO Jordan and the HFS committee.

Deliverable 1.1: Coordinate regular meetings of the technical working group and if needed with relevant stakeholders.

Deliverable 1.2: Establish sharing of information and dissemination of results.

Deliverable 1.3: Report all events and share progress with committees and relevant stakeholders.

Output 2: Co-organize and co-facilitate meetings and workshops on the HFS development.

Deliverable 2.1 Provide for each event, a concept note that defines objectives, methodology, and agenda.

Deliverable 2.2 Co-facilitate the meetings/workshops requested by the HF Committees.

Deliverable 2.3 Co-facilitate the stakeholder’s consultation and dissemination workshop.

Output 3: Conduct a stakeholder consultation and a situation analysis to identify issues, and their root causes, final priorities, and objectives accordingly.

Deliverable 3.1Provide an inception report and work plan including the stakeholders to be consulted.

Deliverable 3.2 Undertake a thorough desk review using available data and legal frameworks that include relevant legislation, national strategies and policies, and other relevant documents identified during the inception stage.

Deliverable 3.3 Assess the current policy and implementation in health financing using HFPM to outline critical issues, priority areas, and gaps to be addressed.

Output 4: Contribute to the draft of the health financing strategy.

Deliverable 4.1: Provide a report of the stakeholder consultation and analysis based on an extensive literature review.

Deliverable 4.2: Develop an advanced draft strategic plan for discussion with stakeholders.

Deliverable 4.3: Provide a final report.

4. Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
   

Educational Qualifications:

Master’s degree in health economics or public health with essential knowledge the health financing.

Experience:

A minimum of 7 years of combined working experience in health financing, health policy dialogue, and health system reforms and strategy implementation

Skills/Technical skills and knowledge:

Experience in working with the government (especially with the Ministry of Health, Royal Medical Services, Ministry of Development, and Budget department), development agencies, and/or NGOs in health is desirable.

Expertise in the field of health financing and policy and strategic development along with:

• • Ability to analyze policy documents and make constructive policy suggestions.
  • Experience in facilitating a country's situational analysis or other similar processes.

Strong interpersonal, communication, and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team

Good writing and reporting skills.

Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations, and to meet tight deadlines.

Knowledge of the Government of Jordan and UN systems and processes is an advantage

Languages and level required:

Proficiency in English and Arabic is required.

5. Location

Amman, Jordan (off-site)

6. Planned timelines (50 working days) – dates to be confirmed

Start date: 1 January 2023

End date: 31 May 2023

7. Medical clearance

The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

8. Travel

N/A

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.