Consultants - Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)

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Qualifications

1.    Background 

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) are central to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). Despite this, SRHR interventions remain underrepresented in many countries’ Essential Health Services Packages (EHSPs) and Health Benefit Packages (HBPs), partly due to insufficient country-level evidence on the costs and resource requirements associated with delivering these services. 
Robust cost estimates are a prerequisite for evidence-informed advocacy, health financing dialogue, and the prioritization of SRHR interventions within national health systems. To address this gap, WHO has developed the SRHR costing tool, as part of its work under the 2ghether4SRHR initiative. The tool is a standardized instrument designed to estimate the costs of a defined package of SRHR interventions using country-specific unit costs, coverage targets, and demographic data. 
This work proposes to use the tool and generate country-level cost estimates for SRHR services, and translate findings into actionable, country-specific evidence products to inform health financing and planning decisions. 
The outcome will provide evidence to drive advocacy for increased investments in sexual and reproductive health by expanding health benefit packages to include priority SRHR interventions, scaling up coverage for women and young people, and keeping SRHR at the forefront of health priorities.

Planned timelines.

The expected start and end date of contract will be confirmed upon contracting. The estimated duration of the consultancy is 3 months. A detailed workplan with timelines will be finalized during the inception phase.

Work to be performed 
•     Under the supervision of the technical officer responsible, the consultant will conduct the following tasks to support the country in costing their SRHR strategies and packages: 
•     Review the proposed package of health services and health strategic plans including the scope, target populations, and delivery modalities.  
•     Identify and review existing country data on unit costs, facility-level inputs, human resource costs, commodity prices, and overhead costs. 
•     Adapt and populate the SRHR costing tool with country-specific data, including unit costs, service utilization rates, coverage targets, demographic data, and health system parameters. 
•     Run the SRHR costing tool to generate cost estimates of individual services and the overall cost of the package. 
•     Conduct sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of estimates to key assumptions and data quality limitations. 
•     Facilitate workshop with key stakeholders to validate preliminary results and key assumptions. 
•     Prepare a country costing report presenting methodology, results, and policy implications. 
•     Develop a concise policy brief summarizing key findings and actionable recommendations for policymakers. 
•     Develop a slide deck for stakeholder dissemination.

2.    Deliverables

The consultant will be expected to deliver the following: 
•     Inception report, outlining the understanding of the assignment, proposed data collection methodology, workplan, and data requirements. 
•     Annotated SRHR costing tool file. 
•     Facilitation of a stakeholder workshop to present and validate preliminary results. 
•     Country costing report detailing the costing methodology, assumptions, findings, and policy implications, accompanied by a dissemination slide deck. 
•     A policy brief summarizing key findings and actionable recommendations for policymakers.

3.    Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential: Advanced university degree (master’s) in health economics, public health, health policy or planning, or a related field.

Desirable: PhD in health economics, public health, health policy or planning would be an asset.

Experience:

Essential 
•     Minimum of seven years of professional experience in health systems, health economics, health financing, in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. 
•     Demonstrated hands-on experience with health intervention costing methodologies. 
•     Prior experience in facilitating costing of health benefit package, or essential health service package design. 
•     Proven experience in health benefit package analysis, including the evidence requirements and policy processes involved in EHSP/HBP review

Desirable 
Prior experience in reproductive and maternal health policy analysis and/or reviews  

Skills/Knowledge

•     Strong communication skills with ability to relate to and tailor information for different types of target audience. 
•     Excellent analytical, writing skills, including the ability to translate complex technical findings into accessible policy-relevant products. 
•     Experience conducting stakeholder consultations and facilitating technical workshops in complex multi-actor environments. 
•     Proficiency in Microsoft365 applications  
•     Familiarity with health systems and costing tools (e.g., WHO OneHealth Tool, CostIt, Excel-based models).  

Languages and level required

•     Essential: Excellent written and spoken English. 
•     Desirable: Working knowledge of French and/or Portuguese.

4.    Technical Supervision 

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the HFG Team lead, and under the guidance of the assigned technical leads.

5.    Location 

Off-site (Home based)

6.    Travel - If travel is involved, full medical clearance is required

The consultant is not expected to travel.

7.     Remuneration and budget (travel costs excluded)

Band level B - USD 8,500 per month. 

8.    Additional Information:

•    This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
•    Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
•    A written test may be used as a form of screening.
•  If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
•    For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
•    WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
•    WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
•    Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
•    WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice. 
•    WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
•    Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
•    WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
•    Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html