Health Financing / Advocacy Specialist (Consultant) at Palladium Group

Project Overview and Role

• Health Policy Plus (HP+) is a USAID-funded project awarded to Palladium in August 2015 as a five-year, $185 million project; the project was later awarded a two-year extension and $37 million added to its value, making it possible a seven-year program worth $222 million. HP+ has a mandate across global, country, and subnational levels to strengthen and advance health policy priorities in HIV, family planning and reproductive health, 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. HP+ provides technical assistance to governments, civil society, and the private sector to effectively engage in domestic resource mobilization, put in place sustainable financing and accountability mechanisms, and make progress toward global, national, and subnational health goals.
• HP+ conducted an assessment on the feasibility of local manufacture of HIV drugs in Nigeria. The Health Financing/Advocacy Specialist (Consultant) will provide technical and advocacy support to NACA to hold wider discussions on the findings and recommendations of the memo with multiple stakeholder groups under the guidance of the Country Director. S(he) will provide support to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and NASCP to engage various stakeholders, to advance discussions on the local production of ARV drugs in Nigeria and explore potential interests. S(he) will work closely with the health financing advisors and NACA, NASCP on this and ensure the integrity of high-quality technical work.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide support to NACA and NASCP in engaging various stakeholder groups and in memo dissemination/policy dialogue meetings
• Jointly design, prepare and facilitate roundtable engagements with multiple stakeholders (e.g, Donor, Private and Government agencies)
• Synthesize and document findings from the stakeholder engagement sessions, dissemination and the policy dialogue meetings
• Lead the development of a roadmap for action for local production of ARV drugs in Nigeria
• Engage relevant stakeholders and subject matter experts to obtain information on market size estimates
• Conduct other tasks as assigned by the Country Director

Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

A - Experience and Required Education (40%):

• Post-graduate qualification in Public Health or a related Technical Degree
• Experience in Health Governance, Financing and Regulations in Nigeria.
• Profound knowledge in Nigeria's governance, health system, and political terrain
• Strong interpersonal, writing, presentation, and organizational skills.

B - Program management and previous work with Government Agencies and Private Sector (40%):

• Project management experience, including health governance and financing
• Relevant work experience with government agencies and private sector
• Relevant experience with Donors
• Relevant educational background

C - Related Skills (20%):

• Ability to meet tight deadlines
• Attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong English writing, oral communication, and reporting skills
• Strong report writing and presentation skills
• Flexibility, adaptability, and resourcefulness.
• Ability to take the initiative and/or respond independently to situations

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced Degree in Public Health, Public Policy, Development Economics, or other related disciplines
• At least 10 years’ experience in health systems strengthening, health financing, health governance, health economics and project management
• Profound knowledge in Nigerian governance, health systems and political terrains
• Demonstrated problem solving, analytical, financial, and evaluative skills
• Strong program management and supervisory skills
• Track record of engaging government, private sector and other high-level stakeholders
• Demonstrated capacity to identify and resolve problems of coordination of multiple stakeholders
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc)
• Excellent negotiation, coordination and communication skills
• Strong English writing, oral communication, and reporting skills for high-level policy audiences
• Flexibility, adaptability, and resourcefulness.
• Ability to take the initiative and/or respond independently to situations