ThinkWell is an international development organization focused on providing health financing technical assistance across low- and middle-income countries. We believe that effective health financing systems are essential to ensuring health services are well-resourced, high quality, accessible, and do not cause financial impoverishment by those who use them.
ThinkWell seeks a part-time consultant based in Lusaka with 10+ years of experience in health financing and market dynamics within the Zambian context. The consultant should have an understanding of how a government’s health (specifically oncology) budget is developed, decided, and executed. The consultant should be well-versed in qualitative data collection methods, including the development of data collection tools and identification of key informants. Furthermore, the consultant should be able to independently conduct outreach and carry out interviews with government and non-government officials. As a part of this scope of work, the consultant, as a subject matter expert, should be able to frame the current health financing landscape in Zambia, determine the government’s priorities and challenges, and identify opportunities for financing and policy reforms to strengthen financing.
Period of Performance: As soon as possible May 31, 2024
Level of Effort: 20 - 25 days, part-time over the stated period of performance
Background
Leveraging its expertise in health economics and financing, ThinkWell will collaborate closely with the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)'s ATOM Coalition (Access to Oncology Medicines) on an upcoming project in Zambia to identify, develop, and implement sustainable financing models that can overcome the economic barriers hindering the distribution and affordability of oncology treatments.
Job Responsibilities
The consultant will conduct several activities in collaboration with the ThinkWell and ATOM Coalition teams. These include:
Information collation:
- Support the ThinkWell team in gathering relevant health financing data, which may include contacting local stakeholders for budget and expenditure information.
- Conduct detailed stakeholder mapping to identify key ministerial departments, relevant civil society organizations, and other oncology financing influencers.
- Develop a schematic overview of health financing flows in the context of expanding access to oncology services, visualizing different sources of funding and pooling structures.
Qualitative data collection:
- Identify and conduct outreach to key stakeholders that are relevant to project objectives.
- Lead a series of key informant interviews to gather information from decision-makers on health financing and medicines pricing in Zambia.
- Validate data analysis and provide insights and inputs into key findings for the ThinkWell team.
Health financing and market dynamics expertise:
- Review and support report write up of final report in collaboration with ThinkWell staff.
- Contribute to the development of findings and recommendations as a subject matter expert.
- Help ensure technical accuracy and relevancy of all materials produced.
Partner coordination:
- Attend in-person meetings during ATOM Coalition country visits between February to May (schedules to be provided during onboarding).
- Meet with ThinkWell US-based staff on a regular basis and participate in periodic meetings with the ATOM Coalition on an ad hoc basis to share insights and findings.
- Support local validation workshop in collaboration with ThinkWell and ATOM Coalition staff.
Requirements
- BA/BS and 10+ years of experience or graduate degree and 8+ years of experience. Degrees in health financing, economics, health economics, public health, or other related degrees preferred.
- Substantive, relevant work experience in health systems with a development agency, NGO, or government. Adept at communicating technical information to non-technical audiences.
- Expertise on qualitative research design and data collection related to health financing.
- A strong understanding of the current health financing and market dynamics landscape in Zambia.
- Exceptional problem solving and analytical capabilities.
- Outstanding writing and verbal presentation skills in English and the native language.
- Skilled at communicating technical information to non-technical audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with external strategic partners, donors, and key government stakeholders.
- Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
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