Health Finance Specialist at DAI

Position Objectives:

• The Health Finance Specialist (HFS) in Kebbi State will be a technical staff member of USAID/Nigeria State2State Activity.
• S/he will provide support and leadership to Health Finance activities and ensure efficient and effective implementation of relevant health related PFM interventions within the state; and emplace a well-coordinated relationship between MDAs in the health sector and PFM institutions in Kebbi State.

Responsibilities:

The HFS will provide technical assistance (TA) and advisory services in relations to the following PFM activities in the health sector, within Kebbi State:

Budget Planning, Administration and Execution:

• Planning and preparation of health MDAs budgets that are comprehensive, realistic, credible, and clearly link policies with proposed expenditures;
• Developing and implementing multi-year planning frameworks such as health sector Medium Term Sector Strategies (MTSS);
• Developing annual procurement plans in the health sector to foster greater transparency, reduce risk, and support service delivery efficiency.
• Planning and management of procurement and expenditure processes to ensure that a higher portion of the budget is executed during the fiscal year; and
• Monitoring, adjustments, and reporting on the achievement of the purposes for which the budget was approved, through timely in-year (monthly and quarterly) budget performance reports.

Budget Transparency:

• Developing systems to release draft budgets, approved budgets, and regular within-year (monthly or quarterly, not just annual) expenditure reports in a format conducive to public understanding and analysis; so that citizens can monitor not only what has been allocated but also what has actually been spent in the health sector.

Procurement:

• Support the health sector MDAS in their annual procurement planning and operationalizing e-procurement.
• Internal Controls
• Improving the quality and functioning of systems of internal controls process and system in MDAs in the health sector. This is to ensure fewer opportunities for fraud, waste and abuse of public funds, and a reduced chance of negative audit findings; and eventually promote appropriate use of funds leading to improved allocation and expenditure in health sectors.
• Domestic Resource Mobilization (DRM)
• Increasing DRM, particularly tax revenues, through the development of Revenue Expansion Strategy, and appropriate policies and roadmap for implementation of the Strategy; and Encouraging the state governments and LGAs to spend a significant portion of these increased revenues on the health sector.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Strengthening and improving the capacity of MDAs in the health sector and LGAs to monitor and evaluate both their financial management, procurement and audit functions and the magnitude of impact of resulting improvements to health service delivery.
• Conduct baseline PFM assessment for the health sector using State2State PFM Assessment Tool; and conduct other thematic assessments as required, prepare reports, identify gaps, and make recommendations.

Cash/Treasury Management

• Supporting in the development of budget profiles in the MDAs of the health sector to ensure that health sector’s MDAs budgets are properly captured in the state and LGAs’ annual budgets.

The role will collaborate on PFM activities design, and support implementation, and other activities as needed.

Reporting:

• The PFM Specialist will report, technically, to the Technical Director PFM [Bauchi main office] and administratively on a daily basis with the State Program Manager (SPM), and coordinate with other members of the state team as well as other State2State teams.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as accounting, business, social sciences, law, development studies, public policy etc. Master’s preferred.
• At least nine (9) years of relevant professional experience. At least three (3) years of demonstrated experience in the successful implementation of international development activities, with preference given to governance and health finance activities under a USG instrument, or experience related to technical area of the position.
• Experience working in PFM, democracy, and governance sector in Nigeria, especially at the subnational level.
• Prior experience in overseeing the awarding and managing grants to local organizations to promote democracy and governance goals preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills as well as good knowledge of the local language.