Consultant: Improving Efficiency of Public Health Spending at National and Sokoto State through Public Finance Management Reforms at World Health Organization (WHO)

Ref Id: 1903990
Location: Sokoto
Grade: No grade
Contractual Arrangement: Individual service contractor
Contract duration: 35 days
Organization: AF_NGA Nigeria
Schedule: Full-time 

Objective

• To achieve more health for the money through Public Finance Management reforms including Program Based Budgeting (PBB), thereby creating a replicable model of PFM reform in the health sector.

Rationale

• Nigeria is currently not on track towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The sub-optimal performance of Nigeria’s health system can be attributed to the poor financing of the required investments for delivery and management of health services. With General Government Health Expenditure (GGHE) as a percentage of the General Government Expenditure (GGE) at 5.9% (Federal), 4.2% (States), and 3.8% (LGAs), Nigeria is still far from Abuja Declaration of 15% spending on health.
• Available evidence suggest that favorable macro fiscal dynamics, reprioritization and efficiency savings are the most potent ways of expanding fiscal space for health in Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Addressing inefficiency in health sector could prove very useful as competing priorities of government could make it difficult for the health sector to fully benefit from favorable macro fiscal dynamics and reprioritization.
• Between 30-40% of health resources is wasted and common areas of inefficiency include, Human Resources for Health, commodity procurement and supply management and health system organization. Demand side strategic purchasing which ties spending to purchase of needed services that are most effective has been recognized as potent tool for enhancing efficiency of demand-side financing. However, the bulk of government spending in Nigeria is channel through supply-side as the health insurance penetration is still very low. Therefore, the need to prioritize supply-side strategic purchasing cannot be overemphasized.
• Adjusting Public Financial Management (PFM) structure by migrating to Program Based Budgeting which allows linkages between health funding and health outcomes is a promising approach for allocating resources to program areas that will bring highest level of impact and provide opportunity for efficient budget execution and revolutionize budget tracking.
• While World Bank and other partners have provided support that enables some states to develop administrative code as part of advancement towards International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS), states are yet to develop program code that will enable Program Based Budgeting and where program code exist it’s not used as the basis for budget, allocation, execution and monitoring. Another related PFM initiative in the horizon is Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) which among other things, will ensure migration from paper based to fully automated financial accounting and reporting.

Scope of work

• Design of scoping protocol
• Desk review of available relevant documents on PFM processes and reforms at Sokoto State level
• Engage with relevant institutions in Sokoto State namely the Ministry of Finance, Sokoto State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Accountant General of the State, Auditor General, State Ministry of Health and relevant development partners, etc.
• Review of Budget allocation, execution and monitoring process in Sokoto State;
• Conduct a stakeholders’ workshop on PFM processes and introduction of PBB including electronic systems
• Synthesis of evidence using health financing data (budget and expenditure) and health outcomes in Sokoto State to develop a scorecard
• Develop State Operational Guidelines for PFM Systems
• Collaborate with the Consultant working on the PFM of Sokoto State
• Report writing

Specific Deliverables

• Scoping report protocol
• Scoping Report detailing:
  • Analysis report of Sokoto State PFM processes including allocation, execution and monitoring and identification of PFM challenges
  • Analysis report of ongoing PFM interventions at national and sub national levels
  • Mapping of institutions that play important role in PFM reforms at the national and sub national levels
• Established mechanisms for PBB in Sokoto State including coordination platforms and electronic systems
• Report of evidence synthesis and scorecard using health financing data (budget and expenditure) and health outcomes in Sokoto State
• State Operational Guidelines for PFM Systems
• Identification of intervention elements and opportunities for reforms
• PowerPoint presentation on the products
• A detailed consultancy report

Required Skills, Qualifications, and Experience

• Essential: Advanced University degree in Health Financing/Economics, Public Health, or other related area.
• At least 5 years’ experience and technical expertise in Public Health, Health Financing, Public Finance Management, costing, economic evaluations, health policy and strategy development, planning, monitoring and evaluating health systems
• Desirable: At least 10 years’ experience and technical expertise in Public Health, Health Financing, Public Finance Management, costing, economic evaluations, health policy and strategy development, planning, monitoring and evaluating health systems
• Extensive Knowledge of Nigeria’s health system and health financing landscape
• Previous experience in the design and implementation of Public Financial Management interventions in Nigeria will be an advantage
• Performance of similar assignment with WHO will be an advantage
• Demonstrated ability to provide sound methodological and technical advice and guidance to multiple stakeholders and partners in Nigeria
• Demonstrated ability to analyze political contexts, interact, and negotiate effectively with multiple interests at the political level.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, and with a wide variety of stakeholders at the country, State, and LGA levels
• Proven ability to interact effectively at the political level with multiple high level Stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to innovate, integrate, synthesize and communicate complex concepts and ideas verbally and in writing.
• IT Proficiency is essential.

Breakdown of the number of days for technical assistance
Tasks - Days - Output/Deliverable:

• Submit consultancy work plan - 1 - Consultancy Work plan
• Conduct planning Meetings - 2 Planning Meeting reports
• Design of scoping protocol - 2 - Draft scoping tool
• Desk review of available relevant documents on PFM processes and reforms at national and state level - 4 - Report of desk review
• Facilitate stakeholders’ consultations including key informant interviews and workshop at both states and national level - 10 - Report of key informant interviews and stakeholders’ meetings, Workshop report
• Review of Budget allocation, execution and monitoring process at National level and in Sokoto State - 5 - Report of PFM process review
• Conduct evidence synthesis using health financing data (budget and expenditure) and health outcomes in National and Sokoto State to develop a scorecard - 3 - Report of evidence synthesis and scorecard using health financing data (budget and expenditure) and health outcomes in National and Sokoto State
• Develop State Operational Guidelines for PFM Systems - 5 - Draft Sokoto State PFM Operational Guidelines
• Write detailed technical report detailing analysis of National and Sokoto State PFM processes, ongoing PFM reforms at the national and state level and mapping institutions including PowerPoint presentation - 2 - Draft Technical Report, PowerPoint presentations on consultancy report
• Write a comprehensive consultancy process report - 1 - Consultancy Report.

Remuneration
The Contractor will be paid at the level of NOC Step 1 converted to daily rate of NGN64,301 for 35 days.