Country: Madagascar
Closing date: 07 Nov 2018
Overview
Management Sciences for Health (MSH) seeks a Senior Health Finance Advisor for the 5-year USAID-funded Accessible Continuum of Care and Essential Services Sustained (ACCESS) program in Madagascar. The objective of ACCESS is to accelerate sustainable health impacts for the Malagasy people by improving access to quality health services, strengthening the functions of the health system, and promoting the adoption of healthy behaviors and social norms. ACCESS will directly support the Government of Madagascar and the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) at all levels of the health system in the design, implementation, management, and monitoring and evaluation of sustainable health services and programs to advance progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and promote the continuum of care. At the national level, ACCESS will engage with health authorities to inform evidence-based policy, develop guidelines and strategies, and promote advocacy on key health service delivery issues. ACCESS will also work to improve the clinical and health governance skills of primary health care providers to deliver high-quality and accessible promotive, preventive, and curative health services. At the regional and district levels, ACCESS will build the capacity of health authorities to effectively plan, coordinate, and manage health activities in line with national policies. At the community level, ACCESS will improve the skills and motivation of community health volunteers (CHVs) to deliver quality health services and ensure linkages with primary health centers (CSBs). Finally, ACCESS will promote positive health behaviors, including care seeking behaviors in targeted communities through a comprehensive and contextualized social and behavior change (SBC) approach and improve the capacity of the MOPH and local institutions to design, implement, and monitor and evaluate SBC activities.
The Senior Health Finance Advisor will support the project’s efforts to advance Madagascar’s progress toward UHC to ensure that all Malagasy have equitable access to quality health services without experiencing financial hardship. The Senior Advisor will provide strategic guidance and leadership in the areas of health financing and health systems strengthening, supporting communities to identify and address major financial and geographic barriers to health services, particularly among the poor and underserved.
Must be legally authorized to work in Madagascar.
Specific Responsibilities
Specific responsibilities could include, but are not limited to:
- Work with the MOPH – including the UHC Comité de Pilotage – and key stakeholders at all levels of the health system to advance Madagascar’s UHC strategy for improved access to high-quality health services and financial protection.
- Collaborate with health authorities at the national, regional, and district levels as well as CSBs and community actors to expand access to and enrolment in risk pooling mechanisms for the informal sector and improve the management and operation of the FANOME’s Health Equity Fund which provides free medicines to the poor.
- Lead formative research to identify and address demand- and supply-side bottlenecks to health services (e.g. low membership in and contributions toward community-based health insurance) and develop locally appropriate strategies to address these bottlenecks.
- Lead a comprehensive review of financial protection strategies currently being used in Madagascar, including the use of vouchers, to identify their potential for reducing barriers to health seeking behavior, especially in the public sector, and for advancing Madagascar’s UHC strategy.
- Work with the MOPH, USAID, partners, and other stakeholders on the implementation and scale-up of savings and internal lending communities (SILC) throughout targeted ACCESS regions.
- Lead activities to strengthen the financial management of community risk pooling mechanisms including community-based health insurance and, SILCs, and the FANOME.
- Provide technical assistance on integrating SILC and other community-based health financing schemes into the national health system.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, partners, and collaborators to advance the ACCESS project’s goals.
- Travel regularly to the field to provide guidance and support to Project field staff and MOPH partners (approximately 25%)
Qualifications and Experience
Education
Required
A postgraduate degree in health economics, business, public health, finance, or a related field.
Eight years of professional experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of health financing and health systems strengthening initiatives.
Five years of experience delivering technical assistance towards capacity building and skills transfer to counterparts in resource-limited settings in low or in middle-income countries.
Proven capacity to support sustainable, equity-focused and gender-responsive health financing schemes for revenue collection, resource pooling, and purchasing of services.
Demonstrated technical expertise and experience in domestic resource mobilization, resource tracking and allocation, results-based financing, financial protection / health insurance, and costing.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with various actors, such as MOPH, other ministries and agencies, donors, and NGOs.
Proven leadership and collaboration with other technical advisors, experts, and host country staff from the public, private, and nongovernmental organization sectors.
Demonstrated capacity to develop and implement work plans, monitor and evaluate activities, and draft reports.
Exceptional interpersonal, teamwork and partnering skills.
Written and oral fluency in French and English.
How to apply:
https://jobs-msh.icims.com/jobs/10276/senior-health-finance-advisor/job