Avis de recrutement d’un conseiller senior en stratégie santé à la direction du capital humain, de la jeunesse et du développement des compétences, Côte d’Ivoire

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

SENIOR HEALTH STRATEGY CONSULTANT TO THE DIRECTORATE FOR HUMAN CAPITAL, YOUTH AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Brief description of the Assignment: The Senior Consultant will support the AHHD Director and her team of experts to ensure the Consultancy Firm engaged to develop the Bank’s Health Infrastructure Strategy delivers quality outputs in line with the Terms of Reference. The outputs will include: (i) Scoping and Comparative Advantage Study Report (ii) Quality Health Infrastructure Strategy that conform to the Bank’s requirements, expectations, institutional culture and operational practices. The constancy will based in Abidjan at the Bank’s Headquarters but it will be home based as long as COVID-19 related travel restrictions apply and Bank staff work from home.

Note: The eligibility criteria, the establishment of a short list and the selection procedure shall be in line with the Bank’s Rules and Procedures for the Use of Corporate Consultants. Please, note that expression of interest a consultant does not imply any obligation to the Bank to shortlist or hire the candidate.

Any questions and requests for clarifications may be sent to: [email protected]

Terms of Reference

Recruitment of an Individual Consultant

1. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT :

The African Development Bank (“AfDB” or “the Bank”) is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. The Bank has 81 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries or RMC). The Bank’s development agenda since its establishment in 1964 it to deliver financial and technical support for transformative projects that contributes significantly to RMCs’ efforts to reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

In May 2013, the Bank Group adopted its Ten-Year Strategy 2013 – 2022 (TYS)1, which was based on Africa’s achievements in the past decade and the Bank´s understanding of the contributions it wanted to make to African development in the next decade, considering the evolving global economy. The TYS was designed to place the Bank at the center of Africa’s transformation and to improve the quality of Africa’s growth. It is built around two inter-linked objectives – inclusive growth and transition to green growth – and supported by five operational priorities (infrastructure development, private sector development, regional economic integration, governance and accountability, and skills and technology) in which the Bank was deemed to have strong comparative advantages.

To accelerate the implementation of the TYS and to enhance development impact, the Bank in September 2015 articulated the need to focus on five high priority areas, known as the High 5s – namely Light up and Power Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa. In addition to scaling up implementation of the TYS through the High 5s, several cross-cutting issues, also highlighted in the TYS, were identified as part of the High 5 agenda. These are fragility, gender, climate change and governance. The Bank has moved ahead to develop specific strategies for four of the High 5 areas, except the fifth.

The Bank’s action in social sectors to date has been guided by its Human Capital Strategy 2014-2018, which is proposed to be extended until February 2021, and by a Bank wide Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy 2016-2025 with the aim to create 25 million jobs for young Africans and equip 50 million youths with relevant skills by 2025. However, health does not appear as a priority in the human capital strategy, and the Bank’s interventions in the sector have been anchored in the two enablers of human capital foreseen by the strategy, namely efficient and inclusive service delivery, and efficient financial systems. Support in the health sector has also been grounded in the governance pillar of the TYS, and significant activities have been undertaken regarding value for money in social spending and public-private collaboration in the health sector. Due to these insufficient strategic foundations, it has proven increasingly difficult to clearly delineate what the Bank should do and not do in health, and there is a need to strengthen the Bank’s strategic positioning in the sector with a view to allow for proper programming and ensure accountability. Recognizing the abovementioned strategic gap, the Bank is embarking on the preparation of a Quality Health Infrastructure Strategy. This focus has been chosen given the centrality of infrastructure for resilient health systems and the current gaps affecting the African continent -as further evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic; and the At the Centre of Africa’s Transformation. Strategy for 2013-2022.

Bank’s historical engagement, experience and comparative advantage in the overall infrastructure area.

The Bank is also preparing a Strategy on Skills and Technology for Employability and Entrepreneurship, which together with the Quality Health Infrastructure and other Bank strategies related to the essential determinants of quality of life (Water and Sanitation, Jobs for Youth), will be synthesized and synergized into an “Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa” Strategy.

A consulting firm is being hired to support the Bank in doing a scoping and comparative advantage study on health infrastructure, and subsequently defining the Quality Health Infrastructure Strategy. These two pieces of work will feature health infrastructure in the broader context of health systems and health financing, and will identify key enablers (e.g. ITC; social protection in health) for the Bank to consider in the strategy, either for direct intervention or smart partnerships with other institution. The same Consultancy Firm is tasked to prepare the Bank’s Africa Pharmaceutical Industry Strategy, as part of the same contract and under the leadership of the Bank’s Vice-Presidency for the private sector.

The Bank has established a Health Infrastructure Task force composed of key senior Bank staff at Director and Manager levels.

The purpose of the present consultancy is to support the Bank’s Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Department² (AHHD) in addressing the additional workload resulting from the above described undertaking; and to supplement the expertise available in the Department’s Public Health, Security and Nutrition Division.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT :

The key objective of the assignment is to support the AHHD Director and her team of experts in ensuring that the Consulting Firm engaged for the scoping and comparative advantage study and the design of the Quality Health Infrastructure delivers, products that conform to the Bank’s requirements, expectations, institutional culture and operational practices. More specifically, to provide the necessary support to :

• Ensure that the scoping and comparative advantage study, and the subsequent Quality Health Infrastructure Strategy, are delivered in an efficient and timely manner ;
• Ensure that the Quality Health Infrastructure Strategy complements and synergize with other Bank strategies, existing or under preparation, including in particular the Africa Pharmaceutical Industry Strategy mentioned earlier ;
• Ensure awareness of the Bank’s Team regarding recent knowledge and thinking in domains related to the assignment of the Consultancy Firm ;
• Ensure the adequate level of internal coordination in executing the above, through the regular meetings of the Health Infrastructure Task Force, and other means directed by the Bank’s management. This is with a view to ensure contribution, buy-in and support from relevant Bank units, with the ultimate goal of promoting ownership and effective ;
• The Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development, which is part of the Bank’s Vice Presidency for Agriculture and Social ;
• Development, spearheads the achievement of the High 5s on “Improving the Quality of Life of People in Africa” and contributes to the other High 5s. The Department supports scaling-up of Bank’s support to strengthening skills, youth employment and health systems for Africa’s industrialization and economic transformation implementation of the Quality Health Infrastructure Strategy after its approval by the Bank’s Board of Directors ;
• Ensure the adequate level of external consultation with African governments and development partners, for same reasons as above ;
• Ensure appropriate documentation of the above (documents; Powerpoint presentations; etc.) ;
• Ensure quality control on the products delivered by the Consulting Firm, including and where necessary, evidence verification ;
• Ensure the administrative management of the execution of the contract signed between the Bank and the Consultancy Firm.

3. ACTIVITIES :

The Consultant will spend the first week of his assignment to familiarize her/himself with relevant Bank strategies and policies. Following this, the assignment will entail a broad set of activities that will be undertaken in partnership with designated Bank staff, inter alia :

• Documentary reviews ;
• Knowledge sharing and advising ;
• Preparation of reports, briefs, memoranda, PowerPoint presentations, etc. ;
• Preparation and documentation of the meetings of the Health Infrastructure Task Force as well as consultation and other meetings ;
• Meeting facilitation ;
• Preparation of policy notes.

The assignment may also entail occasional travel to select African countries, COVID-19 restrictions permitting.

4. DELIVERABLES :

Over the contract period of 6 months (renewable, see Section 7 below) the Consultant will have achieved the following :

• At least 12 meetings of the Health Infrastructure Task Force prepared and documented ;
• At least 6 policy notes policy notes produced ;
• Successive draft of the Scoping and comparative advantage study reviewed and commented ;
• Successive drafts of the Quality Health Infrastructure Strategy reviewed and commented ;
• Weekly 1-pager status reports on progress in the scoping and comparative advantage study and strategy formulation (format to be discussed with the Bank).

5. REPORTING :

The Consultant will work closely with the Bank’s health team and report to the Director, AHHD.

6. SELECTION CRITERIA : 

1 Qualifications :

• Holding at least a Master degree in economics, health economics, international development, international policy, public health or equivalent, the successful candidate will be a seasoned Consultant and citizen of one of the Bank’s Member States, having ;
• At least 15 years of professional activity in areas relevant to the assignment ;
• Robust background in strategy design and coordination ;
• Extensive experience in the health sector ;
• Proven experience in working with senior officials in governments and development institutions ;
• Solid experience in working with Multilateral Development Banks and other development institutions. Knowledge of AfDB will be an asset ;
• Experience in working in Africa.

2 Skills :

The Consultant will also have :

• Excellent language capability (read, write, speak) in either English or French, with good working capacity in the other language ;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both writing and verbal) ;
• Excellent report writing skills ;
• Competence in the use of standard MS Office and virtual work applications.

7. DURATION OF CONTRACT :

The contract is for a period of 6 months, renewable in view of needs and performance.

8. REMUNERATION :

The Consultant will receive a monthly lumps sum. No additional benefits or per diems will be paid. She/he will be responsible for own health insurance and accommodation costs. The Bank will cover full costs of any required missions and provide per diems in accordance with rules governing consultant mission travel.

9. LOCATION :

This assignment will be based in Abidjan at the Bank’s Headquarters but will be home based as long as COVID 19 -related travel restrictions apply and Bank staff work from home.

The successful candidate will have to secure reliable technology and network connection to smoothly implement her/his duties virtually.

10. OTHER PROVISIONS :

The Bank will provide the Consultant with the documentation necessary to the fulfilment of her/his duties. It will also avail a workspace when office-based work becomes possible.