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National IC: Family Planning Finance Study Consultant
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Baghdad (Iraq)
Consultant Consultancy Locallly Recruited
Finance, Budget and Accounting
E Hardship Non-Family Danger New
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Posted 7 hours ago
Job Description

Purpose of consultancy: 

UNFPA Iraq seeks a qualified Senior Consultant to conduct a foundational study on "Family Planning (FP) Financing and Public Financial Management (PFM) Integration." The primary purpose of this consultancy is to bridge the gap between Iraq’s reproductive health policy goals and its financial implementation mechanisms. Designed to reflect the practicalities of the Iraqi public health system and the legal requirements of PFM Law No. 6 of 2019, this consultancy aims to map fiscal and administrative bottlenecks, facilitate a targeted technical dialogue between the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Ministry of Finance (MoF), and develop a costed, evidence-based roadmap for integrating family planning into the national budget

The results will support the MoH’s engagement within the national Human Capital Committee, facilitating a later-stage strategic alignment with the Ministry of Planning (MoP) to secure the family planning (FP) component of the Iraqi human capital development strategy.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies. 

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.

Background: 

Iraq is navigating a complex demographic transition, with a population projected to reach 50 million by 2030.[1] While the "Women, Children, and Adolescent Health (WCAH) Strategy 2024-2030" sets ambitious targets, the previous RMNCA strategy evaluation identified critical bottlenecks: fragmented service delivery, high out-of-pocket expenses (up to 78.5%), and a disconnect between policy and fiscal allocation.[2]

To ensure the new WCAH strategy is financially viable, the MoH seeks to shift away from broad multi-departmental consensus toward a targeted, evidence-based approach centered on the Essential Health Service Package (EHSP).[3] This requires a transition from line-item budgeting to a program-based model that complies with PFM Law No. 6 of 2019, ensuring that preventative services remain centrally funded while curative services are integrated with the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) under Law No. 22 of 2020.[4].
[1] iraq national strategy for women,children and ... - Extranet Systems, accessed February 24, 2026, https://extranet.who.int/uhcpartnershiplivemonitoring/system/files/doc_attachments/Iraq%20WCA%20health%20Strategy%20-%202024%20-2030%20-%20full%20-%20revised%20-%202%20February%2024%20%28002%29.pdf 

[3] A Basic Health Services Package for Iraq [EN/AR] - ReliefWeb, accessed February 24, 2026, https://reliefweb.int/report/iraq/basic-health-services-package-iraq-enar 

[4] Iraq's 2025 Budget, accessed February 24, 2026, https://www.bayancenter.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iraq-2025.pdf 

Scope of work:

The consultant will adopt a three-phase approach designed to avoid administrative gridlock and ensure PFM compliance:

1. Strategy for Streamlined Technical Consensus

  • Targeted Consensus Model: Facilitate technical agreements exclusively between the FP Program, the Primary Health Care (PHC) Centers Department, the Directorate of Technical Affairs (for hospital-level coordination), KIMADIA and the Financial Planning Department.
  • Evidence-Based Selection: Define "core FP interventions" at the PHC level derived from DCP3 standards and cross-matched with the 2009 and 2020 Iraqi essential health services package (EHSP).6
  • National Treatment Guidelines: Explicitly describe all inputs for selected interventions, including medicines, medical supplies, HRH (human resources for health) time, lab/equipment requirements, and referral/reverse-referral pathways to secondary hospitals.

2. Integrated EHSP Provision: Three-Level Referral Model

  • Formulate the WCAH-EHSP around vertical integration and clear division of labor:
  • PHC Level: High-volume, low-complexity tasks (counseling, OCP distribution, barrier methods).
  • General Hospital Level (Secondary): Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) such as IUDs and injectables requiring specialized training and cold-chain logistics.
  • Tertiary Level: Complex complications and permanent surgical methods (e.g., tubal ligation).

3. Pilot Implementation and Normative Costing (Karkh Health Directorate)

  • Karkh Pilot: Conduct a bottom-up normative costing within a sample of PHCs in the Karkh Health Directorate (Baghdad).
  • Operational Tasking: Develop operational plans detailed to the level of weekly/daily tasks with clear distribution of duties among stakeholders.
  • Dual-Pillar Budgeting (Article 26 Compliance): Translate Article 26 of Law 22 of 2020 into a "split-costing" spreadsheet:
    • MOH-Funded: Isolate purely preventative services (counseling, routine vaccines) for 100% MOF funding.
    • HIA-Funded: Identify "individual-benefit" curative services to be reimbursed by the HIA.
  • Incentive Modeling: Explore how HIA reimbursements can be used for performance-based incentives for PHC staff.

4. MOF Negotiation Dossier

  • PFM Compliance: Package the costed EHSP into a formal budget request following PFM Law No. 6 of 2019, using "Program-Based" justifications rather than vague percentage increases.9
  • Investment Case: Produce a transparent "Investment Case" for the MOF, demonstrating the efficiency of the referral path and financial risk protection.

Methodology:

The consultant will adopt a multi-faceted assessment plan utilizing the following methods:

  • Targeted Stakeholder Workshops: Focus on technical consensus between the five core MoH departments mentioned above.
  • Bottom-Up Normative Costing: Actual cost calculation of commodities, staff time, and overhead in the Karkh pilot.
  • Legal/Fiscal Analysis: Comparative analysis of PFM Law No. 6 (Federal) vs. KRG legal contexts to produce separate recommendations where necessary.
  • Revenue Tracking Tool: Design a pilot-specific reporting tool for Karkh PHCs to track Treasury vs. HIA income.
  •  

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

  • Submission of a comprehensive Final Strategic Roadmap (Validated by MoH).
  • Consensus reached during inter-ministerial dialogues on the classification of FP as a non-discretionary expenditure (Documented in workshop reports).

Data Collection Methods:

Desk review of the 2019 Federal Financial Management Law, annual Budget Laws (2021-2024), and the National Development Plan.

  • Review of MoH procurement records and Kimadia tender AWARD data for 2024-2025.
  • Utilization of real-time monitoring data from HeRAMS and DHIS2 to correlate facility-level stockouts with budgetary execution phases.

Data Analysis: Data will be analyzed using a problem-driven iterative adaptation (PDIA) lens to ensure that recommendations are tailored to the political and institutional realities of Iraq. Financial data will be triangulated across MoF treasury reports and MoH expenditure reports to identify "leakage" or "bottleneck" points in the flow of funds.

Ethical Considerations: The assessment will strictly adhere to UNFPA’s ethical guidelines for research and data collection in fragile settings. This includes ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive financial information, maintaining impartiality in inter-ministerial dialogues, and ensuring that the needs of marginalized populations—including IDPs and those in conflict-affected areas—are integrated into the final financing recommendations.

Place where service to be delivered:

The consultant will be based in Baghdad with required travel to Erbil (KRI) to consult with the KRG Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance

Delivered dates:

Inception Report: Targeted stakeholder mapping and refined Karkh pilot plan (End of Week 2).

National Treatment Guidelines for FP: Detailed input/resource map for core interventions (End of Month 2).

Karkh Pilot Costing Report: Normative costing and operational task schedule (End of Month 2).

MOF Negotiation Dossier: PFM-compliant "Program-Based" budget request for the WCAH-EHSP (End of Month 3).

Final Strategic Roadmap: Phased PFM integration plan with separate sections for Federal and KRG contexts (End of Month 3).

The consultant will report bi-weekly to the UNFPA Iraq Deputy Representative and the Head of the SRHR Unit. Acceptable performance will be certified through a "Certification of Payment" counter-signed by UNFPA after the submission of each milestone 

Expected travel:

Local travel within Iraq (Baghdad, Erbil, and potentially Basra) is required to support data collection and workshop facilitation. Internal travel costs will be covered by UNFPA

Qualifications and Specific Requirements:

Master’s or PhD in Health Economics, Public Finance, or related field.

Minimum 5 years' experience in PFM reform, specifically regarding Iraq’s Law No. 6 of 2019.

Deep technical knowledge of Article 26 (Law 22 of 2020) and the transition from line-item to program-based budgeting.4.

Proven track record of high-level engagement with the Iraqi MoH Financial Planning Department.

Language Requirements: Fluency in oral and written English is essential. Proficiency in Arabic or Kurdish is highly desirable for direct government engagement.

Corporate Competencies:

  • Exemplifying integrity and commitment to UNFPA’s mandate.
  • Embracing cultural diversity and sensitivity to the Iraqi context.
  • Achieving results and being accountable for technical deliverables.

Functional Competencies:

  • Expertise in health economics and public financial management in fragile states.
  • Advanced skills in quantitative data analysis and financial modeling.
  • Strong ability to facilitate high-level inter-ministerial policy dialogues.
  • Excellent technical writing and infographics skills for high-level briefings.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in
connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be
submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm
In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in
the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than
their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.

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