Sexual and RH and Rights Economic Assessment Specialist Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Economic Assessment Specialist Contract Type: Individual Consultant (IC) Classification: Equivalent to P4 Location: Remotely Duration: 3 months Deadline to apply: 22 March 2024 at 17:00 (CET) The consultancy: The consultancy aims to conduct an economic assessment of UNFPA's Third-Party Procurement Services (TPP). If investing in family planning and reproductive health provides social benefits to populations and countries, the hypothesis to be worked on through this consultancy is TPP allows the optimization of procurements, getting even more value for the money invested because it provides quality assured RH commodities at affordable and competitive prices. This would be proven by assessing the Return on Investments (ROI) and the Benefit-Cost Ratios (BCR). The consultancy will take the data from TPP operations by countries and regions (types of supplies, quantities, and spent amounts) and estimate outputs like savings in commodities expenditures, impact on health outcomes, and others to measure the benefits of investing in RH and the marginal returns of using TPP. The consultant will be directly supervised by the Team Lead for Supply Chain Solutions at the UNFPA Supply chain Management Unit, with collaboration of the Health System Strengthening and Technical Advisor at Family Planning Branch. Investing in reproductive health is a best buy for developing countries. Firstly, because of health outcomes. When analysing the disease burden in countries making their epidemiological transition, reproductive health becomes one of the biggest priorities. Secondly, because of human rights. Accessing modern and safe contraceptives allows women to decide freely of coercion about their reproductive life. It directly affects their education, labour participation, career, body safety, and contribution to reaching their full potential. Thirdly, at the macroeconomic level, expanding access to family planning yields benefits in economic growth, sustained productivity increase, and tax revenues. Through its Third-Party Procurement Service, UNFPA allows developing countries to boost their investments in reproductive health by acquiring quality assured supplies at competitive prices. So, the high social returns of investing in reproductive health would be multiplied by the efficient acquisition and reduced unit prices. Thus, it is necessary to develop evidence about the convenience of using TPP and to promote evidence-based policy dialogue that ends in smart allocation decisions. The central hypothesis for this assessment is that "using TPP for reproductive health commodity acquisitions allows developing countries to optimise their investments in terms of the value for the invested money." This hypothesis could be disaggregated in others like, "keeping the same levels of domestic investment in RH commodities but using TPP yields more in terms of Couple Years Protected against unintended pregnancies, lives saved, disease burden reduction, demand for health care services." And also..." those effects could be monetized to infer the benefits of the investment. How you can make a difference: UNFPA occupies a unique position in the sexual and reproductive health commodity ecosystem as a critical player in supply chain management, a leading public procurer of sexual and reproductive health commodities, a trusted partner to national governments, and one of the few organizations with the scale and partnerships necessary to build accountability for last mile delivery. The UNFPA Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU) is self-funded and was made operational in January 2022. It is tasked with ensuring that UNFPA is able to effectively and efficiently support the delivery of life-saving reproductive health products and other programme supplies to the end user when and where they are needed. To achieve this, it is important to strengthen the capacity of governments and implementing partners to ensure coordination, end-to-end visibility and accountability on all supply chain and logistics management related activities, in particular for programme supplies, across all UNFPA programmes. Job purpose: This assignment aims to conduct an economic assessment involving all the countries that carried out TPP procurement during the last two years. The consultancy will include the following key components: 1- Assessment framework development. Taking that into consideration: • Literature review of models, tools (like FamPlan, MiPlan, DemProj, Impact 2 and/ or others) and applied economic assessments on family planning and RH. 2- Model design. That involves variable selection, defining parameters, independent, intervenient, and dependant variables to be included in the economic assessment, including but not limited to: • Reproductive health outcomes (mCPR and unmet need for family planning, number of unintended pregnancies and unintended unsafe abortions averted, impact on reduction of maternal deaths and newborn deaths). • Burden of disease (Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYS) reduction through FP/ SRH coverage increases). • Economic and social impacts (direct health cost avoided, demographic dividend and gender bonus activated, child marriages and school dropout averted if the proposed intervention are focused on targeting adolescents, variations on tax revenues, variations on the Gross Domestic Product, variations on the % of population living in poverty, variations on Gini Index). 3- Proposed variables for advocacy (Cost-Benefit Ratio of investments in family planning, reductions in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), possible GDP per capita increase, possible increase in tax revenues, possible reductions in poverty, harnessing the demographic transition and dividend etc.). 4- Alternatives to improve the impact of RH investments. Highlighting, and assessing, key messages for decision makers about how to get more value for the invested money, including but not limited to: • Comparing the marginal results of making acquisitions through TPP with domestic procurement regarding health outcomes, reproductive health results, and social returns, and consider an aggregated measure of the economic benefits. • Identifying complementary alternatives and evidence for boosting investment's results like: (i) expanding method mix; (ii) shifting the proportion of use of each method; (iii) considering other financing sources including coverage and provision of modern contraceptives in social and private health insurers; (iv) adoption of high impact practices e.g. deepening integration in postpartum family planning & post abortion care; (v) strengthening supply chains and addressing social norms that hinder access to family planning services, etc. 5- Conclusions and key statements for advocacy • Highlighting social returns for each dollar invested and other arguments that would contribute to sensitive decision makers about the convenience of using TPP for their reproductive health commodity acquisitions. • Recommendations for decision makers about how to get more value for the money invested in RH. 6- Methodology textbox. Describing the used tools (FamPlan, DemProj, Impact 2 and or other), assumptions and method limitations. Deliverables: This consultancy will include four main deliverables: Deliverable I. Model proposal. That involves activities like: • Meetings for planning, kick-off, collection, and validation of input data with the SCMU staff. • Design of a matrix for the data collection and classification of information sources and databases available with SCMU data for studies on the impact of reproductive health. Identifying countries and regions to be included in the assessment. • Definitions for modelling by selecting variables to consider, years to be considered for the analysis, modelling tools to use, and by defining the scenarios for increasing investments. • Design of an electronic tool for running the assessment model and interpreting outputs. Deliverable II. Results. As a slide presentation containing infographics that explains the main results from the alternative investment scenarios. Deliverable III. Final report. A written and designed short document that presents the results of the consultancy for policy makers. Deliverable IV. Knowledge transfer. A webinar with SCMU staff showing the methodology, demonstration of the use of the electronic tool and the results, and training key personnel about how to use the tool and key advocacy messages in an evidence-based policy dialogue. Duration and working schedule: The deliverables of this consultancy will be submitted in electronic copies as per the below timeline: • Deliverable I. 10 working days after signing the contract. • Deliverable II. 40 working days after signing the contract. • Deliverable III. 60 working days after signing the contract. • Deliverable IV. 70 working days after signing the contract. Qualifications and Experience: Professional in social and/or economic sciences with extensive experience in health policies. At least Master's degree in public health, economics and/or social policy analysis. Experience: • At least 7 years of experience as a health policy consultant and at least 4 international or national consultancies in Sexual and Reproductive Health. • Knowledge of health economics tools for modelling family planning and health interventions. • Experience in stakeholder engagement and management approaches • Strong professional writing skills supported by publications in peer-reviewed journals. • Strong analytical orientation and sound judgement; initiative, culturally sensitive and resourceful. • Excellent facilitation, verbal communication skills required and ability to conduct consultative meetings. • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to interact with national and global partners and provide creative solutions in a professional manner. • Fluent in written and oral English. General Proposal (up to 2 pages) that describes the following: • Consultant background: Describe briefly how the consultant is uniquely qualified to undertake the assignment . Include examples of relevant work (including two references with contact information), and years of experience relevant to the scope of work outlined above. Please enclose CV. • Proposed technical approach Describe approach and how it meets the requirements for the assignment, resources, capabilities, project management and general quality management system. Include a proposed Workplan. • Availability: Please indicate your available start date (pending contracting processes) In evaluating the proposals, consideration will be given to consultant that meet the eligibility criteria and demonstrate the ability to fulfil the requirements of the scope of work as described above. Required Competencies: Values: • Exemplifying integrity • Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system • Embracing cultural diversity • Embracing change Core Competencies: • Achieving results • Being accountable • Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen • Thinking analytically and strategically • Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships • Communicating for impact • Client orientation Functional Competencies: • Ability to collaborate with relevant stakeholders within UNFPA to ensure coordinated and effective tailored solutions for each area of intervention. • Ability to maintain relationships with supply chain counterparts • Attend and participate as required in SCMU and UNFPA in meetings related to supply chain management functions. • Strong interpersonal skills and capability to develop and maintain broad diversified partnerships is required. Application process: Applicants must submit the following required documents by e-mail: • Resume (CV) or P11. • An application letter expressing your interest and motivation in this opportunity. • Applicants should send their applications by 22 March 2024, 17:00 (CET time) to:
scmu.vacancies@unfpa.org, quoting in the subject "Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Economic Assessment Specialist" Disclaimer UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fees 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. Per 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. 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. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Due to the high volume of applications received, we can ONLY contact successful candidates. The successful candidate will be required to provide proof of enrollment in a valid health insurance plan, copy of the degree, a scanned copy of their passport/national ID and a copy of a valid visa (as applicable)
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