Health Economist Consultant

Activity Background:

SoCha is a seeking a Health Economist Consultant to support USAID/KEA’s Health Population and Nutrition Office to provide the following technical support:

• Provide technical support to the office regarding Health Financing and Social Protection, ensuring that the two projects are coordinated and activities are carried out efficiently and effectively.
• Establish and coordinate training/orientation of implementing partners on health insurance (social health insurance (SHI)/National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in line with the new government development agenda.
• Support delivery of SHI/NHIF, including assistance to develop regulation and guidelines to support the purchasing of major SHI health financing functions (revenue generation, risk pooling, and purchasing of services), legal and institutional arrangements, expansion of insurance coverage and risk pooling especially to the poor and vulnerable. Additionally, support will include risk analysis, ensuring financial sustainability, and provider payment mechanisms that promote efficiency and productivity that support Kenya’s goals for the realization of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This will include the institutional framework for managing the SHI.
• Provide technical advisory support to the Council of Governors (COG) on implementing the new health financing reforms.

Responsibilities:

The Health Economist Consultant’s responsibilities will include:

1. Assess the impact of current health policies and propose evidence-based recommendations for current health interventions.

• Conduct a comprehensive review of current health financing policies, healthcare programs/interventions, and healthcare data to assess the effectiveness of existing policies.
• Engage with stakeholders to validate research findings.
• Prepare reports, presentations, and policy briefs to communicate findings to stakeholders.

2. Provide technical support for the delivery of the key strategies for sustainable healthcare financing/universal healthcare coverage.

• Provide assistance in developing plans for the implementation of UHC and offer technical support to implement key strategies for sustainable healthcare financing and inclusive universal healthcare coverage.
• Provide technical advisory support to the COG on health financing reforms and collaborate with COG to implement and adapt health financing reforms.
• Conduct regular reviews of implementation plans and monitor and report on progress and challenges.

3. Contribute to and support training and capacity building of implementing partners on health financing.

• Support the HPN team to develop and implement capacity building of implementing partners and county teams on SHI/NHIF.
• Identify capacity building needs and align training with the new government agenda on health insurance.
• Conduct comprehensive post training assessment of the capacity building initiatives and implemented and monitor the effectiveness of programs and make adjustments.

4. Support the team in the project cycle management processes for successful delivery of health financing activities.

• Participate in project planning sessions, monitor project timelines and deliverables, and provide support in monitoring and evaluating project activities for efficiency.
• Address challenges to ensure the successful completion of health financing activities with focus on expanding insurance coverage, including conducting risk analyses

5. Provide technical support to SHI/NHIF on their plans to implement UHC, ensuring the benefits packages are inclusive and equitable and support financial risk protection.

• Support coordination between the Health Financing and Social Protection projects while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to provide economic input into health projects.
• Develop and use economic models to simulate healthcare scenarios and outcomes.
• Provide technical assistance to health policymakers and practitioners and engage closely with stakeholders to develop UHC implementation and offer technical guidance to align plans with UHC objectives.
• Conduct regular assessments of benefits packages and collaborate with stakeholders to address gaps in inclusivity.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Health Economics, Economics, or related field.
• At least ten (10) years of proven experience in health economics research and analysis.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills.
• Proficiency in statistical software and economic modeling.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team and independently.
• Knowledge of health systems and policy issues.
• Familiarity with global and national health indicators.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English is required.

Period of Performance:

12 months (February 2024 – February 2025).

Location:

Nairobi, Kenya with local travel.