HP+ Consultancy, Family Planning, Malawi 342 views

HP+ Consultancy, Family Planning, Malawi

Company Overview:

About Palladium – Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value.  We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people’s lives. 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.  

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com

Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.

Project Overview and Role:

Operating
in more than 90 countries, Palladium develops and delivers solutions that
create positive impact for communities, businesses, societies, and economies.
Palladium leads the consortium implementing the USAID-funded Health Policy Plus
(HP+) Project (2015-2022), which works with key stakeholders to advance health
policy and financing for family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH), HIV,
and maternal and child health. The project aims to improve the enabling
environment for equitable and sustainable health services, supplies, and
delivery systems through policy development and implementation, with an
emphasis on voluntary, rights-based health programs, and by strengthening
in-country partners’ capacity for effective policy design, implementation, and
financing.

Malawi has made strides in family planning
(FP) in recent years. More women are using contraception than ever before. Government
funding for FP has increased. Unmet need has decreased. Even so, Malawi faces sustainability
challenges with its program. A report by the Options project (https://options.co.uk/country/malawi), Mapping of Funding Flows for Family Planning Commodities,
highlights some key concerns. In 2019, the government’s FP funding covered 1.4
percent of total forecasted costs, leaving the country reliant on donor support.
The report notes that late release of FP funds is an issue: “As of March
2020, none of the MK186 million allocated for FY 2019/20 had been released by
the Treasury, just three months before the end of the current financial
year.” Late release of funds, in turn, leads to low spending rates and the
risk of mid-year budget reductions. In 2018, a FP sub-committee task force
found issues such as mis-alignment among invoices, expenditures, and the
commodities procured; high handling fees from the Central Medical Stores; and
some use of funds for non-FP commodities. Inadequate data and stakeholder
coordination contributed to stock-outs and inefficient resource use (Options,
2020). Amid these challenges, demands on the program are intensifying. Malawi
is young, with 44 percent of its population under age 15 (NSO and ICF, 2017).
As the large youth population approaches its childbearing years, Malawi will
need to keep pace with the demand for quality FP services and supplies.

 Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

Scope:
This consultancy will entail two major activities: one focused on policy
advocacy with targeted decision-makers and the other on a matching funds scheme
to promote increased local investment in family planning. Under this
deliverables-based contract, the consultant will work under the direction of a
global HP+ manager and in coordination and contact with HP+’s Malawi team. The
detailed scope of work is outlined below:

1. Policy Advocacy for Family Planning

This task entails supporting activities to
strengthen the support of select decision-makers for family planning,
especially those that have influence over the timely concurrence and release of
funds for family planning. The consultant will be responsible for the
following:

• Conduct meetings to identify a local partner for this work
• Synthesize existing modeling and other data/results on FP and economic growth and compile
  information on late concurrence or release or
  inadequate budget execution of FP funds
• Co-develop with partner/s specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound (SMART) advocacy objectives and a short-term (< 6 months) action plan
• Work with partner/s to prepare a policy PPT on FP tailored for select decision-makers
• Support partner/s to provide targeted decision makers with evidence that shows the linkages between family planning and economic gains and the importance of timely concurrence, release, and execution of budget funds
• Facilitate policy dialogue with stakeholders on different opportunities for enhancing sustainability of family planning in Malawi (e.g., improved efficiency in procurement of services and commodities such as pooled or bulk procurement of family planning commodities). Topics will be co-identified with stakeholders.

Deliverables for this
task include: 1) Synthesis backgrounder summarizing relevant data
for advocacy; 2) Short-term policy advocacy plan with SMART objectives and
budget; 3) Policy PPT on family planning; 4) Summaries on policy dialogue sessions

2. Family Planning Matching Funds Scheme Consultancy

This task entails working closely with select districts
to help them develop and implement strong plans for matching funds support in
FP from HP+. Ongoing engagement with districts and careful documentation and
reporting on implementation are required.

Deliverables for this task
include: 1) District engagement summaries submitted
every two weeks; 2) Finalized district concept notes and budgets for matching
funds support; 3) Monthly collection and compilation of documentation of FP
budget allocations and execution; and 4) PPT and brief summarizing experiences
and lessons with the district level matching funds scheme.

Estimated Timeline:

Timeframe and Location of Performance

This
consultancy is estimated at up to 140 days level of effort from October 2021
through July 2021 with payment determined by submission of deliverables. The
location for this consultancy is in Lilongwe with some travel to select
districts required. Only local applicants currently eligible to work in
Malawi will be considered. Please submit a cost proposal to complete the
deliverables or provide a daily rate.

Evaluation Criteria:

Experience
(45%)

• Experience in implementing policy advocacy activities in the health sector
• Experience in facilitating meetings with government and/or civil society stakeholders
• Experience providing technical assistance or capacity strengthening services
• Experience in synthesizing policy-relevant data and evidence on FP or health topics
• Knowledge and existing contacts with stakeholders from government and/or civil society
• Experience in working with USAID and other global partners

Technical
(45%)

• Strong understanding of Malawi’s FP policies and programs
• Strong understanding of Malawi’s budget cycle/processes and entry points for influence
• Strong understanding of data and evidence in FP
• Fluency in English and strong writing, communication, and presentation skills
• Master’s degree in public health, economics, public administration, business administration, public policy, health financing or other relevant field

Cost
(10%)

• A reasonable cost quotation submitted.
  

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in public health, economics, public administration, business administration, public policy, health financing or other relevant field.
• At least 10 years of experience in policy advocacy, policy or strategy development, health finance or related areas in Malawi.
• Experience of working in family planning policy, advocacy, or finance required.
• Demonstrated strategic ability, and excellent written and oral communication and negotiation skills.
• Experience liaising with government, civil society, donors, and other stakeholders required
• Experience with monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities preferred
• Good computer skills (PPT, Word, Excel)
• Fluency in English with excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Legal ability to work in Malawi is required