Consultant - Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)

Job Posting Organization:
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. Established on April 7, 1948, WHO's mission is to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve vulnerable populations. With over 7,000 employees and operations in more than 150 countries, WHO plays a crucial role in addressing global health challenges, including infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and health systems strengthening. The organization is committed to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly focusing on health equity and access to essential health services.

Job Overview:
The consultant will play a pivotal role in enhancing the understanding and implementation of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) within the context of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The position involves using the WHO-developed SRHR costing tool to generate country-specific cost estimates for SRHR services. This work is essential for informing health financing and planning decisions, advocating for increased investments in SRHR, and ensuring that these services are included in national health benefit packages. The consultant will be responsible for translating complex data into actionable insights that can drive policy changes and improve health outcomes for women and young people.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be tasked with several key responsibilities, including:

• Reviewing the proposed package of health services and strategic health plans to understand the scope, target populations, and delivery modalities.
• Identifying and analyzing existing country data on unit costs, facility-level inputs, human resource costs, commodity prices, and overhead costs.
• Adapting and populating the SRHR costing tool with relevant country-specific data, including unit costs, service utilization rates, coverage targets, demographic data, and health system parameters.
• Running the SRHR costing tool to generate cost estimates for individual services and the overall package.
• Conducting sensitivity analyses to evaluate the robustness of estimates based on key assumptions and data quality limitations.
• Facilitating workshops with stakeholders to validate preliminary results and key assumptions.
• Preparing a comprehensive country costing report that details methodology, results, and policy implications.
• Developing a concise policy brief that summarizes key findings and actionable recommendations for policymakers.
• Creating a slide deck for stakeholder dissemination to effectively communicate findings and recommendations.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (master’s) in health economics, public health, health policy or planning, or a related field. A PhD in these areas is desirable but not mandatory. Essential qualifications include a minimum of seven years of professional experience in health systems, health economics, and health financing, particularly in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. Candidates should demonstrate hands-on experience with health intervention costing methodologies and have prior experience in facilitating the costing of health benefit packages or essential health service package design. Proven experience in health benefit package analysis, including understanding the evidence requirements and policy processes involved in EHSP/HBP reviews, is also essential.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree (master’s) in health economics, public health, health policy or planning, or a related field. A PhD in these areas would be considered an asset, enhancing the candidate's qualifications and expertise in the field.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of seven years of professional experience in health systems, health economics, and health financing, specifically within low- and middle-income country (LMIC) contexts. Candidates should have demonstrated experience with health intervention costing methodologies and a solid understanding of the processes involved in health benefit package analysis. Prior experience in reproductive and maternal health policy analysis and/or reviews is desirable but not mandatory.

Languages:
Excellent written and spoken English is essential for this position. A working knowledge of French and/or Portuguese is considered desirable, as it may enhance communication with stakeholders in the region and facilitate the dissemination of findings.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is expected to last for approximately three months, with the start and end dates to be confirmed upon contracting. The consultant will work off-site (home-based) and is not expected to travel. The remuneration for this position is set at Band level B, with a monthly compensation of USD 8,500, excluding travel costs. This vacancy notice may also be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level. Candidates under serious consideration will be contacted, and a written test may be utilized as part of the screening process. Applicants will need to provide scanned copies of their educational qualifications in advance of the interview. WHO emphasizes workforce diversity and encourages applications from women and nationals of underrepresented Member States. The organization maintains a smoke-free environment and has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct.