Consultor en Análisis de Costos de la Estrategia de Salud Familiar y Comunitaria (ESFAM)

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, established in 1946, is a United Nations agency that works in over 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of children and adolescents. The organization aims to reach the most disadvantaged children in the world, saving lives and helping them reach their full potential. UNICEF operates with a mission to ensure that every child has a fair chance in life, advocating for children's rights and providing essential services to improve their health, education, and well-being.

Job Overview:
The purpose of this consultancy is to comprehensively define the total cost of implementing and operationalizing the Family and Community Health Strategy (ESFAM) at the national level, disaggregated by health region (20 regions in total). This analysis will support the request for increased budget allocation from national authorities and international partners, as well as improve financial and operational planning for the health service network in Honduras. The consultant will work closely with the Department of Primary Health Care Services of the Ministry of Health and coordinate with various stakeholders, including UNICEF's Health and Nutrition area. The consultancy will involve field visits to gather necessary information from health establishments and regions, ensuring a thorough understanding of the current health system's challenges and needs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct a methodological diagnosis and preliminary proposal within three weeks of contract signing.
• Develop and validate costing tools that allow for the calculation of costs associated with ESFAM interventions, ensuring they can generate reports and export data. This should be completed within 2.5 months of starting the consultancy.
• Prepare a preliminary costing report that includes evidence of the methodology applied through a pilot exercise in a representative sample of health regions, including travel to specific health establishments. This report is due 11 weeks after contract signing.
• Deliver a final costing report of the ESFAM with detailed analysis by health region, due 18 weeks after contract signing.
• Facilitate a socialization event for the final report, with logistics covered by UNICEF, due 20 weeks after contract signing.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a university degree in economics, public finance, health economics, health administration, or related fields, preferably with a postgraduate degree in health economics, health services management, public policy, or strategic planning. Additionally, candidates should have a minimum of three years of experience in designing and executing cost analyses, preferably in health systems within primary care contexts, or have led at least four demonstrable costing exercises in public management or health strategy cost estimation at national or subnational levels. Strong communication skills, ability to lead interdisciplinary teams, and experience in preparing technical and economic reports are essential. Knowledge of the Honduran health system and ESFAM is crucial, along with proficiency in financial data analysis software such as advanced Excel, R, or STATA.

Educational Background:
A professional university degree in economics, public finance, health economics, health administration, or related fields is required. A postgraduate degree in health economics, health services management, public policy, or strategic planning is preferred.

Experience:
A minimum of three years of relevant experience in cost analysis within health systems, particularly in primary care settings, is required. Candidates should have demonstrable experience in leading costing exercises and preparing financial projections for budget justification.

Languages:
Fluency in Spanish is mandatory, and proficiency in English is considered an asset.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy will be based in Tegucigalpa, with specific travel requirements to various health regions. The consultant will be responsible for their travel expenses, which should be included in the proposal. The contract duration and payment terms will be based on the successful delivery of agreed-upon deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment if deliverables do not meet required standards or deadlines. Selected consultants must complete mandatory training courses before starting the contract. The consultancy is not considered a staff position, and consultants are responsible for their tax obligations.