Health Expert, ARTF Third-Party Monitoring

  • Contractor
  • INTEGRITY
  • TBD USD / Year
  • INTEGRITY profile




  • Job applications may no longer being accepted for this opportunity.


INTEGRITY

Introducing Integrity

Integrity is an ethical consultancy and service provider working in challenging and complex environments around the globe.

We help our clients succeed in fragile and challenging environments while building trust and understanding as the basis for transformative change. We work across all phases of the programme and project cycle, delivering eleven complementary services: monitoring, evaluation and learning / data and knowledge management / research, evidence and analysis / advisory / project management / communications / risk management / technical assistance / capability and capacity development / stakeholder engagement / grant and fund management. Our services are underpinned by the principles on which we were founded, a commitment to providing reliable information and evidence, and expert and high-quality delivery.

Headquartered in London and Washington DC, Integrity also has offices in Jordan, Kenya, and Pakistan. Our multi-national team of over 60 deliver multi-year projects, programmes and consulting assignments to a wide range of government clients, international organisations, foundations and private sector clients.

Vision: Integrity sets the international standard for ethically delivered, expert services in complex and challenging contexts. Our work helps create stability, accountability and prosperity.

Mission: Based on evidence and learning, we help clients and communities to build trust and understanding as the basis for transformative change. We do not advocate: we listen, comprehend and recommend.

Commitment: Integrity upholds the highest ethical standards in our service delivery, our employment of staff and our interaction with people. Through adherence to our core values, we ensure not only that our clients receive the best possible service but that we benefit the individuals and communities amongst whom we work.

Further information about Integrity can be found at www.integrityglobal.com.

Project Background

Between 2002-2021, the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank, supported immediate stabilization and reconstruction needs in Afghanistan. It helps to fill the large financing gap in both the operating and development budgets of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The Fund also provided a platform for pooled on-budget financing and coordinated implementation support to the government. As of February 2019, 34 donors had contributed a cumulative $11.4 billion through the ARTF to fund Afghanistan’s development priorities through policy-based budget support and investment projects that aim to reduce poverty, service delivery, citizens’ engagement and social inclusion, as well as support of governance and state effectiveness.

As part of the Fund’s administration, the World Bank contracted an independent Monitoring Agent to provide monitoring, financial management, and accountability support for disbursements. The Monitoring Agent was responsible for reviewing disbursements, payments, accounting, and reporting for the activities to be financed by the ARTF. In 2011, the WB expanded the third-party monitoring of ARTF-financed initiatives and contracted an independent Supervisory Agent (SA) to support the Bank’s task teams in monitoring implementation of investment initiatives in widely dispersed locations around the country. The Supervisory Agent helped the teams develop monitoring protocols specific to individual projects and applicable environmental and social safeguards considerations. It deployed monitoring teams that used mobile technology and software to compile and share detailed monitoring data with Afghan government implementing agencies and the Bank task teams. The Supervisory Agent also engaged in follow-up on reported deficiencies to track and verify remediation the agencies and Bank task teams. Both the Monitoring and Supervisory Agents reported monthly, quarterly, and annually on their findings and periodically provided briefings to ARTF stakeholders, at the request of the WB.

In 2020, the World Bank combined the roles of the Monitoring and Supervisory Agents under a new Third Party Monitoring Agent (TPMA) contract phase, implemented by a consortium that included BDO (the previous Monitoring Agent), ATR, and Integrity Global. The overall goal was to maximize value for money of ARTF-financed programs and provide fiduciary assurance on the Afghan government’s use of grant proceeds and their likely development impact to the ARTF partners, the WB management, the Government, and the public.

The specific objectives of that combined contract were to:

a) Verify the eligibility of recurrent expenditures for financing based on agreed sample-based reviews of relevant financial records.

b) Assist in minimizing weaknesses in payroll management including possible inaccuracies in the government payroll records, such as “ghost” employees, through physical verifications of government employees based on agreed sampling procedures.

c) Assure value for money of ARTF investment projects through integrated oversight of project implementation performance and compliance with fiduciary standards and requirements, and with the environmental and social safeguard policies and/ or framework as applicable; including the establishment and implementation of monitoring protocols for measuring implementation progress through site visits, validation of project MIS data, and assessments of physical progress, construction quality, deviations and usage of infrastructure.

d) Provide additional assurances through ad hoc “special” assignments on deeper reviews of project performance and fiduciary and/or safeguards compliance, as requested by the WB.

e) Contribute to improvements in project-level performance monitoring, fiduciary oversight (control, reporting, etc.), environmental and social safeguards, and data management by project implementing agencies through knowledge sharing, as requested.

Shortly before the Taliban took control of the government in mid-August 2021, the World Bank had started the process of extending this combined contract for a period of 24 months, until December 2024. The sanctions and lack of international recognition of the new Taliban administration required a dramatic change in the World Bank’s activities. The ARTF will be closed and several hundred million dollars from the fund transferred to WFP and UNICEF for humanitarian response to meet the immediate basic daily needs of nearly 26 million Afghans. The World Bank is currently undergoing a planning and approval process for its future activities in the country, which has impacted the planning for the TPMA extension.

Under current plans, the TPMA extension will run for six months from 1 January to 30 June 2022, with Integrity’s reporting activities ending on 31 July 2022. During the extension, the TPMA’s work will include:

• Project Closure: This includes both financial and physical monitoring activities of former ARTF projects in support of the Bank’s formal closure processes.

• Sustaining ARTF Gains: A variety of activities ranging from on-going project monitoring of remaining active ARTF projects and sector monitoring, a new monitoring activity meant to address information gaps on key sectors previously supported through the ARTF.

• New Project Design: Support to Bank task teams in the development, implementation, and monitoring of new projects.

Scope of Work

The Health STE will work with our Analysis and Reporting Team to support the design, analysis, and reporting on current health sector monitoring (and potential future project monitoring) for the World Bank in Afghanistan. Working closely with Health Sector Monitoring Focal Point, as well as relevant staff from the World Bank, Physical Monitoring Team and Financial Monitoring Team, s/he will provide inputs into design and final deliverables. The Health STE will work with the Health Sector Primary Focal Point to produce high-quality monitoring products on time, including drafting and finalisation of the final Health Sector Monitoring summary report. Should funding be available and based on strong performance, opportunity for support on potential future project monitoring, shall be considered.

Terms of Reference

Design and Planning

The Health STE provides subject-matter expertise during the development of the health sector monitoring design phase. Expected activities include:

  • Conduct desk review of documents from a relevant World Bank health sector project in Afghanistan and grey literature about the current status of the country’s health care system and planned response by the World Bank and other stakeholders to the crisis.
  • Support the Health Sector Monitoring Primary Focal Point and the Data Unit Lead in the use of standard analysis and reporting processes
  • Update draft outline of narrative report with the Health Sector Monitoring Primary Focal Point.

Technical Delivery

The Health STE will play a key role in the analysis of health sector data and the development of key deliverables. This includes working in collaboration with the Health Sector Monitoring Primary Focal Point and other relevant consortium stakeholders based in locations around the world.

  • Working with the Health Sector Primary Focal Point, conduct a technical review of health sector monitoring data and analysis according to the agreed quantitative and qualitative data analysis processes and identify key trends.
  • Prepare for and hold analysis discussions for validation and contextualization of results and trends.
  • Draft high-level findings presentation, along with the Health Sector Primary Focal Point.
  • Deliver presentation to the World Bank and revise to incorporate feedback.
  • Using the presentation and report outline, draft narrative report and revise following technical and forensic quality assurance, along with the Health Sector Primary Focal Point
  • Deliver second presentation with complete findings to a wider stakeholder audience (once the report is completed), as needed.

Your Experience and Expertise

You will have:

  • 8+ years’ experience working on health sector or project monitoring, evaluation and learning within the international humanitarian or development sector.
  • Master’s degree in a relevant subject such as public health, health administration, health information management, or healthy systems management.
  • Excellent understanding of health sector and project monitoring and evaluation framework design, instrument design, contextual analysis, Theory of Change design, data collection supervision, and analysis plan development
  • Experience designing and delivering health sector monitoring and evaluation projects, using qualitative and quantitative data collection methodologies including direct observation, survey forms, call centre data collection, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and HMIS review.
  • Demonstrated experience of quality control, quality assurance, and analysis of health sector data; leading to the writing of monitoring and learning reports in a variety of different reporting formats.
  • Strong proficiency with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; proficiency working with PowerBI, and competency working with qualitative and quantitative analysis software outputs (e.g., Nvivo, SPSS, R).
  • Excellent ability to communicate, work in a team, and collaborate with individuals with diverse technical backgrounds and with external stakeholders including government entities and international agencies.
  • Previous work experience in Afghanistan preferred.

Languages:

  • Written and oral fluency in English, with the ability to write clear and compelling narrative.

Competencies

Competency and Definition

User-focused

To be able to ensure that stakeholders gain from the relationship so they can be sufficiently motivated to engage and cooperate.

  • Talks to stakeholders to understand issues, what they want and how satisfied they are with our support and/or products.
  • Lets stakeholders know they are working to meet their needs.
  • Finds ways to measure and track stakeholder satisfaction.
  • Anticipates, meets and exceeds the needs and expectations of stakeholders (internally and externally).
  • Works together to build long-term relationships and focuses efforts on delivering increased value.

Adaptable and flexible

The ability to adjust or change to best meet the needs of the situation or environment.

  • Engages in continuous learning, adjusting the application of knowledge, skills and abilities while addressing new challenges.

Collaborative

The ability to work co-operatively with a range of stakeholders, to be part of a team, to work together as opposed to working separately or competitively.

  • Acts to promote a friendly climate, good morale and co-operation.
  • Works to address and resolve conflicts within the team.
  • Creates and supports opportunities for cross functional team working.

Organised

The ability to plan and monitor one’s own work and the work of others to ensure achievement of desired results.

  • Coordinates ideas and resources to achieve goals.
  • Identifies the sequence of tasks and the resources needed to achieve a goal and prioritises key action steps. Anticipates the impacts and risks of decisions and actions.
  • Creates realistic schedules and follows them. Evaluates progress against schedule and goal. Evaluates proposed actions and timelines against the project’s theory of change.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

  1. Final narrative report outline
  2. Draft high-level findings presentation
  3. Final high-level findings presentation
  4. Draft narrative report
  5. Final narrative report
  6. Draft complete findings presentation, as needed
  7. Final complete findings presentation, as needed

Conditions

The Health STE may be required to remotely attend calls/meetings hosted by team members and/or project stakeholders based worldwide, located in time zones such as Australia and the West Coast of the United States. The Health STE should review their attendance of these calls/meetings and coordinate with their line manager and colleagues to ensure any time considerations are shared and their attendance is confirmed in good time for the meeting. The Health STE is expected to retain flexibility in working hours to adjust to meeting and deliverable requirements, in coordination with their line manager.

Reporting

The Health STE will report directly to the Deputy Analysis and Reporting Lead. The Health Sector Monitoring Primary Focal Point will functionally manage the Health STE on any assigned health sector monitoring activities.

Location

The position will be home-based, with potential travel in accordance with project requirements.

Level of Effort

10 days of LOE. Design activities expected to take place in early June 2022. Analysis and report drafting expected mid to late June 2022, depending on data collection start.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete the application form at **www.integrityglobal.com/apply** and attach a CV and Cover Letter at the bottom of your application.

The closing date for applications is 29th May 2022.However, we will review candidates on a rolling basis and the vacancy may be filled before this deadline. We encourage early applications. Please be advised that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Integrity is an equal opportunities employer. And positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. We will respect your confidentiality and abide by UK data protection laws.


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