Senior Health Specialist/Lead GFF Country Operations

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

The Human Development (HD) Practice Group (PG)

The World Bank Group (WBG) is the largest provider of development finance and solutions for human development working with high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries to develop country-tailored solutions for human development (HD) under the themes of education, health, social protection, jobs and gender. The HD PG coordinates with other Practice Groups to ensure a coordinated and integrated approach to development challenges, and through the World Bank Regional Units is expected to deliver the strongest and most pertinent support to our client countries.

The Human Development Vice Presidency (HDVP) at the World Bank Group is made up of the Global Practices for education; health, nutrition, and population; and social protection and jobs; additionally, the HDVP houses the gender group. As such, HD is central to the World Bank Group’s goals to end extreme poverty by 2030 and raise shared prosperity.

The primary challenges of health development relate to health, nutrition, and demographic transitions, through an agile short-term response, and a sustainable and inclusive longer-term response that tackles inequitable opportunities and outcomes in the health sector globally, regionally and within countries. The fundamental challenge is to preempt, prevent and mitigate the developmental impact of these challenges now and into the future. Specific challenges include: providing equitable, efficient, accountable and sustainable financing of health coverage; providing equitable, quality, appropriate and scaled-up delivery of priority public health services according to need; mobilizing the appropriate quantity and quality of key health systems inputs related to health workers, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare technology and facilities; and strengthening models of governance for the health sector that recognize core functions for government, responsibilities/accountability of key actors and enhance competencies for governance across levels (local, national, regional and global) and sectors (public/private/civil society, as well as government sectors such as education, transport, social protection, etc.).

Health, Nutrition & Population Global Practice

The World Bank Group (WBG) supports countries’ efforts towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and to provide quality, affordable health services to everyone —regardless of their ability to pay — by strengthening primary health care systems and reducing the financial risks associated with ill health and increasing equity. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/health

Unit Context

Global Financing Facility Context

The Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF) is a multi-stakeholder global partnership housed at the World Bank that is committed to ensuring all women, children and adolescents can survive and thrive. Launched in July 2015, the GFF supports 36 low and lower-middle income countries with catalytic financing and technical assistance to develop and implement prioritized national health plans to scale up access to affordable, quality care for women, children, and adolescents. The GFF also works with countries to maximize the use of domestic financing and external support for better, more sustainable health results. The GFF is squarely focused on prioritizing and scaling up evidence-driven investments to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition through targeted strengthening of primary health care systems – to save lives and as a critical first step toward accelerating progress on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The GFF has pioneered a shift from traditional development approaches to a more sustainable way forward where governments lead and bring global partners together to support a prioritized, costed national plan. Through this partnership, the GFF aims to mobilize additional funding through the combination of grants from a dedicated multi-donor trust fund (the GFF Trust Fund), financing from International Development Association (IDA) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the crowding in of additional domestic and external resources. This approach has catalyzed high-impact investments for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition in the world’s most vulnerable countries. More information is available at: www.globalfinancingfacility.org

Duties & Responsibilities:

The lead on Country Operations is responsible for the operationalization of the GFF Secretariat engagement with countries and the development and effective implementation of the work program in this area. The lead will have a co-supervisory role to provide day-to-day oversight, support and mentorship of the staff working in the Country Operations workstream across the various topic areas.

The specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Contribute to the strategic direction of the GFF through participation in the GFF Management Team and contributions to key strategy documents.
• Lead development and effective implementation of the overall Country Operations work program and staff work programs.
• Ensure effective functioning of Country Platforms to help steward the GFF process at country level and strengthen alignment of national and donor investments in support of the Investment Case (IC) objectives.
• Lead the Country Engagement Strategies (CES) discussion based on epidemiological profile of country and understanding of health systems approaches and political economy of each GFF partner country.
• Responsible for a prioritized and fully funded investment cases, provide input/guidance to the development and operationalization using an evidence-based approach, building on learning from Investment Case evaluations. Work closely with the Health Financing and Results & Learning leads to consult on strategic direction and for evidence base/monitoring purposes.
• Oversee the high-quality delivery of all country grants as part of co-financed World Bank Project that is aligned to IC and contribute to GFF value add in line with the country CIS. Actively engage with the WB regional and country teams to ensure full participation in WB co-financed preparation process including PCN and DM Overseeing quality assurance process - ensuring input from other WSLs - for any co-financed projects.
• Oversee the focal point country assignment, ensure onboarding, and provide support and guidance to the focal points for technical and operational issues. In close collaboration with Country focal points, the country operations lead is responsible for performance management of liaison officers, oversees the contractual arrangements and ensure regular communications, capacity building and supervision.
• Support the development of high-quality technical work, integrated in CESs, relevant ICs, and operationalized and supported at country level (through projects, TA and other mechanisms) in key areas of health system strengthening (notably commodities/supply chain, human resources for health).
• Provide regular data and information to portfolio manager and Sr. Operations Specialist on the areas of work under the country operations team, contribute to portfolio meetings with the regional PM and Regional Directors and flag challenges in implementation and disbursement in portfolio meetings and to the practice manager. Ensure accountability of use of funds for BETF and RETF and documenting of deliverables.
• Contribute to the learning between countries and developing capacity in a sustainable manner.
• Ensure regular communications with World Bank task teams through regular updates and monthly meetings. Contribute to the production of country-based content for communications and K&L as well as donor outreach including the annual report.
• Management and co-supervision of staff in workstream. In a co-supervisory role with the GFF Practice Manager, lead and support team members in the development and implementation of individual work programs, and mentor staff and provide support for career development.
• Engage with key global partners and stakeholders as may be needed (in consultation with external relations lead) to develop opportunities for collaboration and ensure alignment of country approaches and provide support to ensure high quality content for the governance function. Ensure and oversee regular engagement with country offices of key bilateral donors (e.g USAID, UK, EC) and other partners (e.g UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO).

Selection Criteria

• A Master’s degree (International Relations/Public Affairs, Political Science/Public Policy, Communications, Public Health or other related field) plus a minimum of 15 years of relevant work experience;
• Strong results-orientation, including knowledge of systems used in countries to monitor results as well as practical solutions-orientation to address implementation bottlenecks;
• Proven successes and experience in independently leading and managing support to large-scale country programs, including extensive experience in high level policy dialogue and country implementation;
• Familiarity with Worldbank operations;
• Experience in managing a portfolio of financing that includes multiple moving parts, including a track record of focus on quality;
• Knowledge of RMNCAH-N technical issues in low and lower middle-income countries including of the types of evidence used in this field;
• Knowledge and experience of country coordination mechanisms and of the political economy of the main country stakeholders with an interest in the GFF approach;
• Demonstrated experience engaging with high-level leadership in governance context, and stakeholder relationships with donors, multilateral and bilateral donors and agencies, as well as civil society and private sector representatives and constituency engagement required;
• Track record of effectively working across organizational boundaries, both within an organization and with key external partners;
• Significant experience leading dialogue on development issues at senior levels in low and lower middle-income countries;
• Experience leading teams and supporting staff for maximum performance and career development;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate in writing and orally in a professional and timely manner with senior-level internal and external partners;
• Excellent planning and organizational skills, including in managing a high volume of tasks;
• Excellent English language skills. French language proficiency a strong advantage;
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate, nurture and maintain relationships and communications with critical internal and external constituencies and stakeholders;
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and rapidly analyze diverse information from varied sources;
• Demonstrated ability and the necessary personal organization skills to take initiative, personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines, manage multiple tasks at high quality under pressure, and achieve agreed-upon results;
• Demonstrated ability for teamwork in a multicultural environment

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

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