HP+ Malawi: Health Economist (Full Time Position)

Job Description

HP+ Malawi: Health Economist (Full Time Position)

Company Overview:

Palladium is an international company that develops and delivers solutions to create positive impact for communities, businesses, societies and economies. We are currently implementing over 100 projects with more than 2000 employees across 90 countries. In Malawi, Palladium manages the USAID-funded Health Policy Plus (HP+) Project. HP+ works with key stakeholders to advance health policy and financing for family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH), HIV, and maternal and newborn health at national and subnational levels. The project aims to improve the enabling environment for equitable and sustainable health services, supplies, and delivery systems through policy development and implementation, with an emphasis on voluntary, rights-based health programs, and by strengthening in-country partners’ capacity to navigate complex environments for effective policy design, implementation, and financing aligned to the existing priorities.

As part of its work in Malawi, HP+ will be supporting the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) with its interrelated health sector reforms to improve service delivery. These reforms include decentralization of both the central and district health systems, strengthening the resource mobilization mechanisms, introduction of purchasing mechanisms, strengthening partnership agreements between the MOHP and CHAM, and the development of policies and bills to facilitate oversight and implementation of service delivery.

POSITION SUMMARY:
To support the MOHP in its health sector reforms, HP+ is seeking a Health Economist to be seconded full time to the MOHP’s Department of Planning and Policy Development (DPPD). The successful candidate will provide high-level technical assistance to the MOHP at the national level to support health sector reform in the areas of health financing and policy analysis and development. The position is a fixed-term contract through September 2020, with an annual renewal thereafter depending on performance, MOHP and USAID priorities, and the availability of funding.

The Health Economist will be responsible for developing her/his scope of work with the MOHP to advance the MOHP’s Policy and Planning Department’s annual work plan. Areas of work will likely include finalizing the health financing strategy; supporting government finalization of policies, bills, and guidelines to advance health sector reform; supporting hospital autonomy reform of five central hospitals; and other district health system reform activities. The Health Economist will produce briefing papers/ reports on Health Financing with technical recommendations expected to contribute to decisions made by Senior Management Team in the Ministry of Health and Population. The Health Economist will submit his or her advice, reports and technical opinions to the Director of Planning and Policy Development.


DUTY LOCATION:
The duty location for this position is Ministry of Health and Population Headquarters in Lilongwe, Malawi. Applicants should be legally authorized to work in Malawi.

SUPERVISION / REPORTING:
The incumbent of this position will be working hand in hand with other members of staff in the Department of Planning and Policy Development (DPPD). The Health Economist will report for day-to-day assignment to the DPPD Director within the Ministry, who will be the direct supervisor of the Health Economist. The HP+ Malawi Country Director will also provide management oversight for this position in line with Palladium policies and procedures. The Health Economist will be required to provide HP+ with updates on activity status and progress, and share results, best practices and lessons learned. Additional technical support will be available through Palladium global technical experts including the US- based health-financing team.


DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Health Economist shall serve as the direct liaison between Health Policy Plus and the Ministry of Health and Population on issues related to Health financing and costing of health services, in liaison with the Country Director and other HP+ technical advisors. Outlined below are some of the Specific Tasks for the Health Economist:

• Provide high-level, state-of-the-art technical assistance to the MOHP on key health sector/health financing reform activities.
• Participate in relevant policy and guidelines development.
• Recommend steps to strengthen technical efficiency and the equitable allocation of resource use in the sector.
  Assist in improving the quantity and quality of information of health financing in general in Malawi.
• Support Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning related to health financing and costing work, using the findings to improve work in Malawi on a continuing basis, and ensuring the exchange of best practices and lessons learned.
• Conduct absorptive capacity analysis and suggest practical steps to the Ministry of Health and Population.
• Address the challenges of the Global Health Initiatives/Funds (e.g. Gates Foundation, PEPFAR, GAVI, and HSJF) particularly in terms of unpredictability and long-term sustainability.
• Assist in further strengthening the strategy on universal health coverage and equitable access to health care.
• Assist with research and dissemination efforts as needed.
• Participate in the design and implementation of performance-based financing programmes and advise accordingly on its improvement.
• Participate in the process of developing the regulatory framework and management and organization of health insurance in Malawi.
• Coordinating and facilitating Health Financing technical working group (TWG) and other meetings and consultations.
• Participate in National Health Accounts (NHA), Public Expenditure Reviews (PER) and resource mapping studies.
• Contribute to finalization and implementation of the Health Financing strategy.
• Provide timely updates (at least twice per month) to the HP+ Malawi team on work progress and contribute to activity reports and success stories as needed. Assist with identifying new activities or partnerships that will advance MOHP and HP+ project goals.
• Collaborate regularly with US based HP+ headquarters health financing team.
• Carry out other duties as assigned from time to time.

Required Qualifications: See full posting. Includes 10 years work experience with at least 5 years in health economics and/or health financing, including substantial experience in Sub-Saharan Africa; experience working on health insurance and costing studies preferred.

See www.palladium.com, careers to apply. Contact hpplus.malawiinfo@thepalladiumgroup.com with any questions or issues with the application process. Applicants should include their CV (three pages max) and a cover letter (two pages max) outlining how they meet the requirements along with a proposed salary rate in their application submission.

About the Organization

Palladium develops and delivers solutions that create positive impact for communities, businesses, societies and economies. We transform lives and create enduring value by working with governments, corporations and non-profit organisations.


Palladium is built on the idea that progress will be supported by four key pillars: • International Development • Strategy Execution Consulting • Impact Investment • Training and Events We create positive impact through more than 100 current projects with more than 2000 employees operating in over 90 countries.