Consultant (To Provide Basic Health Care Provision) at Palladium Group

Details

• Consultancy to provide technical support to the two gateways of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) which includes the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA) and Ebonyi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EBSPHCDA) and the State Steering Committee to ensure effective implementation and utilization of funds. This support might extend to other stakeholders as pertains to the operations of the BHCPF

Type of Contract:

• This is a firm-fixed price deliverable-based contract. The consultant is expected to satisfactorily accomplish the deliverables before he/she gets paid for that deliverable. The IHP Chief of Party reserves the right to confirm if a deliverable is delivered adequately or otherwise. No price change is expected after contract is signed. IHP will not pay for cost of any deliverable that is not complete, of quality or on time.

Purpose

• Palladium invites applications from suitably qualified individual consultants to provide technical and capacity-building support to both gateways of the BHCPF in Ebonyi; the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA) and Ebonyi state Primary Health Care Development Agency (EBSPHCDA); and the State Ministry of Health (SMoH) in ensuring proper utilization of funds and delivery of quality health services
• In this Request for Proposal, Palladium expects offerors to develop a custom solution and proposal to Palladium for consideration. Bidders are required to provide justification for the work proposed or methodology to be adopted. This will be the Best Value procurement.
• The consultant will provide technical and capacity building support to both gateways of the BHCPF in Ebonyi; the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA) and Ebonyi state Primary Health Care Development Agency (EBSPHCDA); and the State Ministry of Health (SMoH) in ensuring proper utilization of funds and delivery of quality health services. The Consultant will be to provide technical assistance to the two gateways of the BHCPF, and the Ministry of Health at the state level i.e. Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA), Ebonyi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EBSPHCDA) and Ebonyi State Ministry of Health (EBSMOH)

Services Description
The specific responsibilities of the Consultant will be to;

Provide technical assistance to the EBSPHCDA to cascade relevant operational guidelines, procedures and templates to the LGHA and PHC levels in the following areas:

• Support EBSPHCDA to institutionalize a framework/process for ensuring the development, vetting and collation of PHC business plans that are aligned with the state’s service delivery priorities
• Support EBSPHCDA to develop a framework/process for ensuring the development, collation and submission of retirement and expenditure reports within the timelines prescribed by the NPHCDA to ensure continuous receipt of funds
• Support EBSPHCDA in implementing the quality assurance and improvement system designed by NPHCDA to improve the quality of services provided by the PHCs.  
• Support the SPHCDA in strengthening the LGHAs’ capacity to provide direct oversight and supportive supervision of BHCPF implementation at the PHC level

Provide technical assistance to support the implementation of BHCPF in the State through the EBSHIA gateway at the State and LGA level in the following areas;

• Support EBSHIA, in collaboration with the NHIS, to accredit and empanel private facilities into the BHCPF
• Support EBSHIA to set up systems and processes at the community and/or facility levels to expedite the enrollment of targeted beneficiaries, in line with NHIs guidelines, in BHCPF
• Build the EBSHIA’s staff capacity to review, verify and report on BHCPF claims submitted by facilities on a timely basis
• Support EBSHIA to set up structures for timely prospective payments of capitation to PHCs and reimbursement of private and secondary health facilities
• Support EBSHIA to develop and submit financial and operational reports to NHIS in line with the frequency and timing specified in the BHIS Gateway guidelines

Provide advisory support at State Steering/Oversight Committee meetings to function effectively and also use available data and information to make evidence-based strategic decisions to strengthen the implementation of BHCPF at the State level and LGA level.

The Consultancy will run for a period of three (3) months and the consultant is required to provide guidance on the implementation of BHCPF technical operations and to build the team’s capacity to progressively take on these activities and regularly conduct joint review meetings and joint supervisory visits to facilities for the implementation of BHCPF in the state.

Eligibility Requirements
The consultant must possess the following core competencies:

• Master’s Degree or higher in Public Health, Policy and Governance, Health Economics, Development Studies or other relevant field required.
• Must be an experienced professional in the field of health systems strengthening.
• Must have a sound knowledge of National Health Act (NHACT) and Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and have capacity building and project management experience in public health programs
• Proven experience working in Health Systems Strengthening in developing countries, preferably in Nigeria
• Demonstrable capacity to network and negotiate with key stakeholders across different sectors in support of health.
• Strong skills in design, implementation and monitoring of program components; e.g. health systems strengthening, supportive supervision, advocacy and coordination.
• Excellent facilitation and mentoring skills’ supporting decentralized entities to translate policies into strategic plans for implementation
• Demonstrated problem solving, analytic, and evaluative skills.
• Attention to detail and ability to effectively and efficiently perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities often within a required timeframe.
• Experience with technical assistance for programs funded by USAID and / or other donor programs in developing countries is an added advantage

Required Technical Competencies:

• Good interpersonal skills with emphasis on communication, multi-stakeholder coordination, respect and negotiation
• Good Leadership skills
• Proficient in the use and application of computer and mobile technology, Microsoft packages (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Internet Explorer)