WORLD BANK VACANCIES

JOB: 102496
JOB TITLE: SR HEALTH SPEC/ECONOMIST (RESULTS BASED FINANCING-COTERM APPT)
JOB FAMILY: HEALTH, NUTRITION & POPULATION
LOCATION: ABUJA, NIGERIA
APPOINTMENT: LOCAL HIRE
JOB POSTED: 02-JAN-2011
CLOSING DATE: 09-FEB-2011
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: ENGLISH [ESSENTIAL]
APPOINTMENT TYPE

BACKGROUND / GENERAL DESCRIPTION
NOTE: This is a Trust Fund supported position. If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a three-year renewable co-terminous appointment.

The Africa Health, Nutrition, and Population Unit (AFTHE) is seeking a Senior Health
Specialist/Economist to be part of the health team. The position will be based in Abuja, Nigeria and the candidate will report to the AFTHE Sector Manager.

Despite several decades of financial and human capital investments, Nigeria has made only limited progress in delivering key health interventions and the country still lags woefully on meeting the MDG targets. Bold innovations and reforms are required that increase the focus on results and address the ineffective incentive structures. The Bank has initiated the preparation of Nigeria State Health Program Investment Credit (NSHPIC) a Results Based Financing (RBF) operation that aims to address two key challenges encountered in the current Nigeria portfolio (i) How to enhance the focus on results; and (ii) How to shift the Bank’s strategic focus to a few states in order to demonstrate improved health outcomes. The proposed project is a performance-based loan in the amount of US$ 150 million aimed at improving delivery of high impact primary health care services. The project will:
Test the effectiveness of programmatic financing linked to a set of disbursement linked indicators (DLIs); and
Pilot test innovative results based management tools such as Results-Based Financing (RBF) for health facilities. These pilot innovations will be carefully evaluated using rigorous methodologies and implemented at a level of expenditure that will be sustainable.

The tasks of the Sr. Health Specialist/Economist will be to support the Nigerian government and the country team in understanding, designing and implementing both demand and supply-side results-based financing mechanisms to improve health outcomes. The Sr. Health Specialist/Economist will contribute to the Unit’s operational and analytic work program focused on results-based financing as a tool to strengthen health systems and to improve health outputs and outcomes.

To support design and implementation of RBF at country level, the HNP Family created the Health Results Innovations Trust Fund (HRITF). To-date, two donors — Norway and UK — have committed US$558 million equivalent for the HRITF through 2022. The HRITF has three specific objectives:
Develop and disseminate the evidence base for implementing successful RBF mechanisms;
Achieve HNP results for those that need them the most while simultaneously building national institutional capacity to strengthen health systems in general and sustain and scale-up effective impactful RBF mechanisms;
Support the design, implementation and evaluation of RBF mechanisms.

The HRITF has awarded the Nigeria State Health PIC under funding stream 1A a total of US$17.5M to provide financial support to country programs funded by IDA for RBF projects. This financing allows for staff costs during preparation and implementation of the RBF project. The position will be a national recruit, based in Abuja.

DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
The Senior Health Specialist:
Play a lead role in supporting the Nigerian Federal Government and States and country health teams with technical assistance on how to design and implement appropriate RBF mechanisms.
Design and implement appropriate analytical work to address relevant operational questions on RBF. Develop, write and disseminate case studies and papers on lessons learned with governments, Bank staff, and international partners.
Engage with colleagues responsible for providing technical assistance and deliverables within specific technical components of the RBF mechanisms including impact evaluations, information systems strengthening, etc.
Support training, workshops, and other channels to share experiences and lessons learned.
Support the HNP work program in health systems strengthening especially as it relates to RBF approaches.

SELECTION CRITERIA
The selected candidate will have:
Knowledge and/or experience with designing results-based/performance-based financing mechanisms (and other related financing/contracting for health service provision) in developing countries, preferably in a variety of international and country settings, including different regions and different institutional contexts
Strong knowledge and understanding of the Nigerian HNP issues, the political economy and institutional and governance context of Nigeria
Advanced degree in Health Economics, International Development, or Public Health, and at least 8 years of relevant experience.
Proven analytical skills, writing ability, and written and oral communications skills.
Experience in international development and experience with operations in a multilateral institution.
Strong diplomatic skills and success working in teams both as a team member and as a team leader.
Strong Language and communication skills in English are required.

The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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