Consultant – Strengthening Capacity in Health Financing and Public Finance for Health and Immunization in EAP Region, UNICEF Bangkok, Thailand, UN jobs

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 fulfilling 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, a better future

UNICEF works to ensure the rights of all children in the East Asia and Pacific Region.  This means the rights of every child living in this country, irrespective of their nationality, gender, religion or ethnicity, to:

• survival – to basic healthcare, peace and security;
• development – to a good education, a loving home and adequate nutrition;
• protection – from abuse, neglect, trafficking, child labour and other forms of exploitation; and
• participation – to express opinions, be listened to and take part in making any decisions that affect them

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office is seeking an individual consultant to strengthen UNICEF capacity and engagement in health financing, particularly in relation to sustainable immunization financing. This includes scoping existing UNICEF engagement, challenges and capacity building needs, designing and delivering targeted online capacity building material, providing technical support to key country-level evidence generation products, and strengthening documentation and knowledge management.

Objectives:

1. Map UNICEF’s current engagement, thematic priorities and capacity building needs across the region in the areas of health financing and public finance for health and immunization;

2. Design and deliver a series of customized online webinars and seminars to build capacity and share best practice examples and approaches; and

3. Provide technical review and input to selected UNICEF country office health and immunization financing evidence, policy or advocacy products; and

4. Strengthen documentation and knowledge management, including through documentation of best case examples identified during the seminar series, and building an online document archive.

Work assignment (remote/ home-based modality, not office-based), Expected deliverable and Delivery schedule:

Based on the overall purpose and objectives indicated above, the consultant will design, develop, deliver and document a series of three to five technical online seminars or capacity building sessions on key health and immunization financing issues, customized to the specific needs and priorities of the region. The consultant will also provide online technical assistance to one to three country offices to support economic analysis, evidence generation, strategy development or documentation of a best practice example in the area of health or immunization financing. At least one of the online seminars, and at least one of the countries selected for technical assistance will relate to immunization financing issues in middle income countries.

The consultant will undertake a capacity building needs assessment, based on a review of current UNICEF engagement, priorities and capacity building needs. This will include a desk review of existing documentation and inputs from UNICEF country offices on their health and immunization financing goals and plans, current workstreams and products, and capacity building priorities, supported by additional consultation with country office teams if required. The consultant will also review relevant UNICEF global and regional strategies, guidance, assessments, tools and training material in the area of health, immunization and public finance for children (PF4C). In addition, the consultant will review recent health and immunization financing strategies, products and capacity building material from key external partners such as the WHO, ADB, World Bank, other UN agencies and Gavi, including online consultation with key stakeholders if required.

The capacity development needs assessment and proposal will include:

• A summary of capacity building priorities and needs, covering thematic issues, skills, and tools, including their alignment with financing context, external and government partnerships, access to data, and UNICEF’s relevant niche advantage;
• Identified good practice examples of UNICEF work on health financing or public finance for health or immunization; or external examples of good practice that align well with UNICEF priority areas;
• An outline of a series of between 3 – 5 online technical training seminars or webinars, including details on topic, target audience, core learning outcomes, proposed delivery modality, and expected content, and any additional requirements such as guest expert speakers, or further source material. Seminar topics will be based on the capacity building review, with at least one seminar to focus on topics relevant to immunization financing in middle income countries;
• Identification of any issue or topic best dealt with through targeted virtual assistance to a single country office, including outlining the country office support requirements, and proposed online technical assistance input;

Following approval of the capacity development needs assessment, the consultant will develop the content and methodology for the seminars, including preparing agendas, technical material, presentations and activities, identifying and coordinating additional presenters or facilitators. The consultant will also undertake coordination and logistics required for scheduling and delivery. The consultant will document each seminar, including compiling a repository of materials (presentation materials, recordings, source materials or related resources, participant lists and participant feedback), as well as preparing a brief report on each session, incorporating any feedback or lessons learned.

Following agreement from regional and country offices on the issues identified for targeted technical support, the consultant will provide remote assistance that may include review or input to financial or economic analysis or evidence generation, support to development of strategies or documentation of case studies, reports or policy briefs.

As the delivery of webinars and technical assistance will depend on the availability and participation of country offices and their counterparts, the activities may be delivered over the course of eleven months, or may be completed prior to end of this contract.

Assignment 1: remote/ home-based modality

Expected deliverable 1: Capacity development needs assessment and training proposal

Assignment 2: remote/ home-based modality

Expected deliverable 2: Design, delivery and documentation of 3 – 5 seminars or webinars        

Assignment 3: remote/ home-based modality with possible in country visit

Expected deliverable 3: Technical assistance to 1 – 2 country offices on economic analysis, evidence generation, strategy development or documentation.

Assignment 4: remote/ home-based modality with possible in country visit

Expected deliverable 4: Document archive of relevant guidance, resources and best case examples identified through the needs assessment, seminars and technical assistance of regional best case examples

Duration of Contract:    1 February 2025 – 15 December 2025
 

Duty Travel:  Travel to Thailand or other regional countries only applicable if a deliverable demonstratively cannot be produced without travel, and will be funded by CO.
 

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

• Experience in applied health financing or public finance for health in LMICs

• Experience in immunization, including immunization financing in LMICs

• Experience working with or advising Ministries of Health or Finance, preferably in the EAP region

• Experience in the design or delivery of training or technical seminars

• Experience working with UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, ADB or other UN agencies, preferably in the EAP region

Interested candidates are requested to submit CV, full contact information of minimum 3 references, availability, and proposed daily professional fee in USD by 15 December 2024.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks: 

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. Consultants 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.