Senior Manager, Immunisation Financing & Sustainability (2 positions)

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership committed to saving children’s lives and protecting people’s health by increasing equitable use of vaccines in lower-income countries. The Vaccine Alliance brings together implementing country and donor governments, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. Gavi uses innovative finance mechanisms, including co-financing by recipient countries, to secure sustainable funding and adequate supply of quality vaccines. Since 2000, Gavi has contributed to the immunisation of more than 888 million children and the prevention of more than 15 million future deaths.

THE ROLE Please note this is a temporary role, approximately 3 years, until December 2025.

Gavi’s 5.0 strategy for the period 2021 to 2025 focuses on introducing and scaling up vaccines (Strategic Goal 1), reducing the number of zero-dose children and addressing issues of equity (Strategic Goal 2); and ensuring the sustainability of immunisation programmes through strengthened domestic resources (Strategic Goal 3). While the Immunisation Financing and Sustainability (IF&S) team is specifically accountable for Strategic Goal 3 and Gavi’s unique approach to sustainability, it supports country teams in using financing mechanisms to achieve all three goals. The team provides strategic and thought leadership across the Secretariat on issues related to immunisation financing and sustainability, oversees the implementation of the eligibility, co-financing and transition policies, and provides support to country teams on a broad range of financing issues. To strengthen its capacity in immunisation and health financing Gavi is looking to recruit a dynamic, results-oriented Senior Programme Manager (SPM) – Country Focal Point to join its Secretariat in Geneva. There are some important successes that the Gavi Alliance has achieved in immunisation financing. Country co-financing of vaccines has been maintained or increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and has surpassed $160 million In 2021. A review of the transition of 16 countries from Gavi support has highlighted the maintenance or expansion of vaccine portfolio in all of them and the maintenance of coverage rates in most of them. Despite the successes, there are threats to immunisation and health financing in the countries supported by Gavi. The macro-fiscal situation is complex and is likely to remain uncertain until the end of the Gavi 5.0 period or beyond. The COVID-19 pandemic has left many countries with large amounts of debt, the financing of which might well reduce the fiscal space for health and immunisation. The war in Ukraine might further complicate the macro-economic situation and further reduce government allocations for health. The timing is unhelpful because many countries have suffered setbacks in immunisation and primary health care (PHC) which would point to need for additional financing for health services. Navigating these challenges will require greater financing expertise in immunisation programmes and in Ministries of Health, excellent collaboration with Alliance partners, and effective advocacy. These myriad challenges will also necessitate the testing of innovations that can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of investments in immunisation and PHC. Some of the most promising financing innovations, and where evidence is accumulating quickly, are those that pay for outputs or outcomes rather than inputs. This entails diverse approaches, such as the use of small conditional cash transfers (CCTs) to encourage families to avail of immunisation services or direct facility financing (DFF) which provides operating budgets directly to frontline health facilities, or engagement with civil society organisations (CSOs) to help deliver services to under-served communities.

Key results expected: The SPM is expected to contribute to the achievement of the following outcomes, with a specific focus on a portfolio of 8-12 countries in the countries s/he is responsible for: • Greater mobilisation of domestic and external (on-budget) resources dedicated to immunisation and primary health care (PHC); • Timely and complete payment of co-financing obligations in keeping with Gavi policies; • Timely and accurate reporting and analytics on country performance implementing Gavi’s co-financing and transition policies; • Country examples and lessons learned in increasing domestic health financing and innovations to strengthen effectiveness and efficiency of health investments documented and shared; • Appropriate sequencing and prioritisation of Gavi support in countries approaching transition; • Successful transition of countries from Gavi support; • Appropriate investments (TCA, HSS, EAF) towards transition preparedness and robust, results-based PHC and immunisation financing; • Increased effectiveness and efficiency of financial resources in reaching zero-dose children and improving equity; • The appropriate deployment of results-based financing approaches, such as demand side incentives such as conditional cash transfers (CCTs), direct facility financing (DFF), supporting civil society organisations (CSOs) in delivering immunisation services, etc. in the service of decreasing the number of zero-dose children and improving immunisation coverage; • Strengthened advocacy for domestic resource mobilisation through work with CSOs, local champions, elected representatives, and government officials; • Greater engagement of external partners such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and other multilateral development banks (MDBs) on issues of immunisation and PHC financing.

MAIN DUTIES

The SPM will work closely with SCMs, other secretariat staff, Alliance partners, and government officials on the following activities: • Budget: Support government officials, directly or indirectly (e.g., through technical assistance) in: (i) the preparation of budget proposals; (ii) ensuring timely release of funds; (iii) prompt expenditure of budgetary resources; and (iv) robust expenditure tracking; • Co-financing: Work with the government, Gavi colleagues, and partners to ensure that the country’s co-financing obligations are completely met in a timely fashion. Help minimising co-financing delays to reduce stock-outs risks. Support medium term budgeting of co-financing requirements; • Transition: In those countries going through the transition process, particularly those in accelerated transition, support the government and the SCM in planning for an effective transition where coverage rates are maintained at high levels, the portfolio of vaccines is maintained or expanded, and financing of vaccines and immunisation services is sustained. Work with Gavi colleagues, Alliance partners, and the Government in the planning and execution of activities that will increase the likelihood of a successful transition. • Investments in health financing and transition preparedness: Support countries and country teams in ensuring that Gavi investments (including TCA, HSS, EAF) include a great focus on activities towards increased, more effective domestic financing of health and immunisation and transition preparedness; • Financing Innovations: Mobilise Gavi, government, and partner resources to support the implementation of health financing innovations (such as CCTs, DFF, CSO service delivery, disbursement-linked indicators, performance bonuses, etc.). Provide technical support to the country, Alliance partners, and the SCM in the design, implementation, and evaluation of such innovations; • Advocacy: Seek out and exploit opportunities to work with CSOs on effective budget advocacy and increased accountability for reaching zero-does children and improving coverage. Provide technical support to the CSOs where needed. Engage with local champions from civil society, the private sector, elected representatives and government officials to mobilise additional domestic resources for PHC and immunisation. Support high-level engagement with national authorities on health financing issues; • Policy Dialogue: Effectively engage with external partners such as the IMF, World Bank, and other MDBs to enhance the policy dialogue with the government around health financing and equity; • Collaboration: Collaborate effectively with core and expanded partners to address challenges in health financing, especially those related to PHC and immunisation. Work with the Sustainable Health Financing Accelerator (SFHA) partners in priority countries to help make progress on the common SFHA agenda; • Cross-team learning: Document country-level innovations in health financing and transition preparedness, actively share good practices and concrete examples with countries, partners and Gavi Secretariat teams.

The post will require significant travel.

Note: The essential functions listed in this section are not exhaustive of the job responsibilities; other duties may be assigned consistently with the department needs.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

• University degree in health and/or development economics. Master’s degree highly preferred.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience at national and international levels in health systems and/or health financing programmes is required, Work in a variety of settings is also required; • Experience of working in and with low-income countries (LICs) and/or lower middle-income countries (LMICs) is a great advantage; • Experience of helping to implement innovations in health financing and/or health systems at country level is required; • Experience in collaboration and coordination with government, bilateral, multilateral, local, and civil society development partners is required; • Demonstrated ability to successfully manage complex and/or politically sensitivity situations is required; • Experience working with immunisation programmes is desirable; • Experience conducting and publishing quantitative research is desirable.

SKILLS

• Deep understanding of health financing and health economics in LICs and LMICs; • Good understanding of the global health architecture and the roles of different stakeholders. A good understanding of the global development financing architecture including the roles of the different international financial institutions (IFIs) such as the IMF, MDBs, etc. • Familiarity with. and experience of, the implementation of health financing innovations including the various types of results-based financing (RBF); • Experience of working with non-state actors including CSOs, the private sector and elected representatives; • Experience with the political and technical aspects of government budget systems, including proposal, communications, releases, expenditure, and tracking; • Some understanding of public-sector financial management (PFM); • Knowledge of immunisation and primary health care financing issues, strategies and policies; • Demonstrated ability to coordinate among diverse stakeholders in the health sector; • Excellent inter-personal, oral and written communication, presentation, negotiation, and advocacy skills; • Demonstrated poise, tact, and diplomacy in high pressure situations; • Ability to work successfully in an international and multi-cultural environment; • Proven ability to quickly and flexibly adapt to challenging environments and provide solutions to complex immunisation financing challenges at country level; • Excellent quantitative and analytical skills with economic and social data; • Proven ability to conceptualise, innovate, plan and execute ideas, as well as to impart knowledge and skills; • Demonstrated capacity to work effectively in a team setting and under pressure, to deliver high quality, accurate work within target deadlines, manage a variety of work streams simultaneously and maintain focus on priorities; • Excellent organisation skills and high sense of responsibility, efficiency, reliability and a focus on results; • Ability to take initiative in the absence of specific instructions, and to work effectively and efficiently with minimal supervision.

LANGUAGES

• Fluency in English; • Fluency in other languages considered an asset.

CONTACTS

• Gavi Secretariat; • Gavi Alliance partners and expanded partners; • UN, Multilateral & bilateral donor agencies and civil society; • Gavi supported country governments.