Consultant for Annual Operational Plan for SPHCDA Technical Assistance to Abia at Palladium Group

Project Overview and Role

• Health Policy Plus (HP+) is a USAID-funded five-year $185 million project awarded to Palladium on August 28, 2015. HP+ mandate is across the global, country, and subnational levels to strengthen and advance health policy priorities in family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH), HIV, and maternal health. It 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 their priorities. The Central elements of HP+ revolve around building in-country capacity, institutionalizing achievements of past investments and promoting country ownership of programs and initiatives.
• In Nigeria HP+ as part of it support, is working with Abia, Ebonyi, Osun and FCT Primary Health Care Development Board (PHCB) to strengthen and advance the health policy priorities particularly in the area of achieving Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) compliance. A key pillar for achieving PHCUOR according to the NPHCPDA scorecard, is the availability of comprehensive AOPs that will guide the activities of the SPHCDA.
• PHC management systems should function in an integrated manner for efficient and effective PHC service delivery. Governance and management systems need to reflect the needs of stakeholders towards achieve strategic goals and objectives of the state. To achieve this, the SPHCB needs a strategic and costed annual operational plan that will guide the implementation and monitoring of its activities. In order to aid supported states in attaining PHCUOR and improving PHC governance and quality of care; HP+ is supporting the states and FCT PHCB to develop costed annual operational plans that clearly articulates mechanisms and activities for improving primary health care delivery in the states.

Objective

• The Objective of this consultancy assignment is to provide technical assistance to HP+ 3 supported States and FCT Primary Health Care Board SPHCB to produce an Annual Operational Plan that will foster PHCB ability to plan, develop and implement an effective and efficient PHC system in the state.

Scope of Work:

• The consultants will work with the Senior Governance Advisor and State PHC Advisors in collaboration with the NPHCDA to support the SPHCDAs in Abia, Osun, Ebonyi states and FCT to develop PHC annual operational plan incorporating the LGA PHC annual plans as well as develop M&E /results/performance framework with clear milestones and targets for the SPHCB.

Specific Tasks

• Desk-review of planning documents and planning templates used by SPHCDA and LGAs, NPHCDA guidelines and other necessary documents
• Engage stakeholders at the SPHCDA, NPHCDA and other relevant actors on the development of the plan. 
• Support LGHAs in the development of LGA PHC annual plans, and collate LGHA plans to feed into the state level plan
• Facilitate the development SPHCB annual operational plan involving key relevant stakeholders
• Facilitate the costing of the developed AOP, adapting NPHCDA and other established protocol. 
• Lead the development SPHCB M&E / results / performance framework with clear milestones and target
• A report of activities and support focused on lessons learned in the process, including challenges to developing the AOP, solutions to overcoming those challenges, recommendations for changes to the process in future years.

Key Deliverables:

• 2019 costed AOP for each state (3 states and FCT)
• Results framework for 2019 AOP
• Assignment report

Duration:

• The expected period of performance for this assignment is 20 days per consultant per state between the period of April and May 2019.

Requirements   
Required Experience:

• Experience is developing and costing of Annual Operational Plans is desired

Desired or preferred qualifications:

• A degree or its equivalent from a reputable University in Medicine, Sciences, Public Health, Public Administration or Numerate disciplines such as Actuarial Science, Statistics, etc
• Post graduate qualification in Management, Public Health, Public Administration Health Management, Health Economics, or other related fields
• Certification in and/or professional membership of Health, Management and related bodies shall be an added advantage
• Proven record of working with state and local levels to guide priority-setting and the development of realistic workplans that reflect those priorities.
• Planning expertise and experience in budgeting (costing plans).
• Minimum of 5 years' conducting similar work in Nigeria.
• Experience in developing and delivering capacity building workshops;
• Good understanding of current health financing reform initiatives in Nigeria especially the subnational level;
• Good understanding and expertise in Primary Health Care, and familiarity with prevalent policies and guidelines on PHCUOR and PHC in Nigeria.
• Experience carrying out similar assignments in Nigeria particularly at the sub-national level.