Senior Health Economist - The World Bank - Washington, DC

WORLD BANK GROUP CONTEXT

Established in 1944, the WBG is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for development solutions. It is governed by 188 member countries and delivers services out of 120 offices with nearly 15,000 staff globally.

The vision of the World Bank Group (WBG) is the eradication of extreme poverty by reducing the number of people living on less than $1.25 a day to 3 percent by 2030, and the promotion of shared prosperity by fostering income growth of the bottom 40 percent in each country. To achieve that vision, in 2013 the WBG Board of Governors approved a strategy for the organization. The strategy leverages the combined strength of the WBG institutions and their ability to partner with the public and private sectors to deliver customized development solutions backed by finance, world class knowledge and convening services. It has three components: (1) maximizing development impact by engaging country clients in identifying and tackling the most difficult development challenges; (2) promoting scaled-up partnerships that are strategically aligned with the goals; and (3) crowding in public and private resources, expertise and ideas.

On July 1, 2014, the WBG launched the architecture underpinning the strategy and instrumental to its success: the new fourteen Global Practices and five Cross-Cutting Solution Areas that, in concert with the WBG regions, will design solutions to address clients’ most pressing developmental challenges, and ultimately, enable the WBG to meet its twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. The Global Practices perform the following functions:

• Defining Strategic Direction: (i) define strategic priorities to deliver solutions and achieve results based on country and regional demands and interactions and global priorities; (ii) define/implement integrated resource strategies, (iii) engage in selected, high priority partnerships, and (iv) establish robust monitoring and reporting systems.


• Developing and Deploying Expertise Globally: (i) lead the development and delivery of solutions to clients by deploying the right technical staff where and when needed; and (ii) invest in developing technical talent.


• Delivering Integrated Solutions: (i) deliver operations, while Regions ensure fit for purpose; (ii) develop public-private integrated solutions that draw on GPs, CCSAs, MIGA and IFC; and (iii) hold the “Concurrence” role in all project/AAA approval steps, ensuring that all technical quality, safeguard and fiduciary requirements (if applicable) are met.


• Capturing and Leveraging Knowledge Effectively: (i) ensure knowledge is used effectively to deliver solutions to clients; (ii) assign staff roles and accountabilities in creating, capturing, sharing and using knowledge’ (iii) reward knowledge sharing and learning, in performance management and career development; and (iv) develop knowledge base around key development challenges and solutions sets.

HEALTH, NUTRITION AND POPULATION GLOBAL PRACTICE CONTEXT

The central contribution of the HNP Global Practice to the World Bank’s twin goals is to enable the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), in which all people are effectively covered by essential health services, and nobody suffers undue financial hardship as a result of illnesses. In the quest for UHC, the HNP Global Practice is building on progress made in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals, an array of analytical and advisory services, strategic partnerships with partner institutions and other financing agencies, and an active lending portfolio. The HNP Global Practice includes staff members in Washington, DC and many country offices.

The HNP Global Practice is led by a Senior Director, who has overall responsibility for the GP. The Senior Director is assisted by the Director, who serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the Practice. The HNP Global Practice Leadership Team, which leads and manages the HNP GP, consists of the Senior Director, the Director, eight HNP Practice Managers and six Global Leads (for Financing; Healthy Societies; Nutrition; Population and Development; Decision and Delivery Science; and Service Delivery). The HNP Global Practice works with and across multiple sectors, in recognition of the fact that HNP outcomes often depend on actions that lie outside the HNP sector. Accordingly, a capacity to work across GP boundaries, forge coalitions and influence multi-practice solutions is essential for achieving the major objectives of improving HNP outcomes.

MENA CONTEXT:
Over the last 5 years, the MENA region has witnessed a growing demand for increased fairness and accountability and a new approaches to the governance and delivery of services. The demand to increase the quality and access to health services has come at a time, when many countries in the regions are faced with shrinking fiscal space for public sector programs, a concern exacerbated, in some countries by the decline in the price of oil and gas.

Investments in health, sanitation and hygiene over the last 50 years have improved health conditions – over that period life expectancy has increased by 25 years. There are still serious challenges facing the region: while child mortality has declined overall it remains high in Yemen and Djibouti, with under five mortality of 78.5 and 91.2 deaths per 1,000 live births; maternal mortality remains high in some countries – 97, 100,000 live births in Algeria, 100 in Egypt, 100 in Yemen, and over 200 in Djibouti. Lifestyle changes have contributed to the rapid rise in non-communicable diseases, the top three cause of morbidity and mortality in MENA are health disease, low back and neck pain, and unipolar depressive disorder; malnutrition, under nutrition and obesity are increasing, in Egypt, in 2014 among ever married women aged 15-49, 48 per cent are obese, an increase from 40 per cent in 2000. Male obesity levels are lower but growing; child under nutrition remains a problem in Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, and Yemen; despite high income levels, health insurance coverage and financial protection is limited. While nominal coverage levels are relatively high, through subsidized government services or social security schemes, out-of-pocket payments are also high leading to financial impoverishment. Estimates for the region, excluding the GCC countries, suggest that 5.5 to 13 million individuals face catastrophic health expenditures annually; the percentage that forgo treatment because of cost ranges from 12 in Egypt, to 20 in Lebanon.

Currently, MENA is witnessing one of the largest movements of people within and from the region. There are refugee and internally displaced populations in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. In Lebanon and Jordan, 1.5 million Syrian refugees have stretched the countries’ ability to provide health and social services to both the refugee and host community populations. Financing and delivering quality services in these country contexts is both a challenge and a priority. At the same time, in Yemen, Iraq and Syria conflict and fragility have destroyed health infrastructure, and led to a migration of human resources: the demand is for both humanitarian and development responses is high.

Within the GCC group of countries, the Bank has developed RAS operations in Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. The Bahrain RAS, $4.5 million over 3 years, is the largest. As in other countries in the region, concerns over longer-term fiscal sustainability and system efficiency. The countries are examining the options for implementing health insurance, improving and increasing private sector involvement in the health sector, and managing dual practice.

Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 3 year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities:
The selected candidate will be recruited into the HNP GP with an initial work program that will focus on issues and challenges related to integration of donor-financed health programs in countries in the MENA region. She/he will be required to provide substantive technical, operational, and knowledge management support to several countries in the MENA region and will be expected to serve also as a Task Team Leader (TTL). The incumbent will have the following main responsibilities:

Conduct policy dialogue and technical assistance activities related to HNP, and specifically on integrating donor-financed health programs;

Support regional and country tasks teams in the preparation, design, and implementation of HNP operations;

Support and ensure the technical rigor of complex sectoral (and multi-sectoral) analytical and advisory services with a strong emphasis on health financing to achieve UHC and on integration of donor-financed health programs;

Prepare major reports, including just-in-time policy briefs to meet client demand, and disseminate ideas to stimulate new ways of meeting long-standing challenges in HNP including those related to integration of donor-financed health programs;

Conduct capacity building activities on health economics, health financing (including public financial management), and health systems strengthening;

Contribute to analytical and operational services in other parts of the HNP GP;

Collaborate with other sectors to support multi-sectoral approaches for improving HNP outcomes, and strengthen country systems.

Selection Criteria:
Advanced degree in economics, health economics, or public policy/administration with extensive economics content with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience;

Demonstrated evidence of technical excellence and operational expertise in health economics, health financing (including public financial management), and health systems strengthening in developing countries;

Familiarity with donor-financed health programs and with the international aid architecture;

Well-developed quantitative skills and experience working with economic and sectoral data and analytical tools and models to conduct economic analyses and synthesize complex results into user-friendly outputs;

Demonstrated ability to function within and across diverse teams in operational and analytical work;

Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills, with strategic patience in negotiations among team members and with external clients;

Ability to inspire, coach, and mentor less-experienced colleagues;

Strong writing and presentation skills in English; French and Arabic are an advantage;

Ability and willingness to travel frequently for multi-week missions in the MENA region.

COMPETENCIES

Policy Dialogue Skills – possesses political judgment, diplomatic acumen, and negotiating skills. Applies cross-country development knowledge to discussions with clients and development partners. Is able to anticipate needs and requests in the field and develop/offer relevant tools to clients. Is able to conduct independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners on selected policy issues. Able to lead task teams, participate in formal negotiations, and assist government in establishing priorities.

Health, Nutrition and Population Knowledge and Experience – has the ability to critically assess the performance of health systems, to identify key challenges and solutions. Understands and is able to articulate the basic economic issues related to HNP. Has broad cross-sectoral understanding relevant to HNP and is able to identify how HNP issues relate to overall country development strategies, non-HNP policy decisions, and development initiatives across sectors. Ability to lead the Bank’s overall strategy development and policy dialogue in HNP in a country.

Integrative skills – is able to link all relevant cross-sectoral areas to own work, and understands how they are interrelated. Draws on diverse, cross-sectoral teams to enhance the rigor of advice on cross-cutting and sectoral issues. For operations roles, demonstrates ability to undertake cross-sectoral work, in lending and non-lending operations.

Lead and Innovate – encourages and works with others to identify, incubate and implement relevant solutions. Identifies opportunities in changing circumstances and energizes others to continuously improve, using intentional strategies to boost morale, team spirit, and productivity in context of WBG’s values and mission. Helps others to understand problems, client needs and the underlying context.

Deliver Results for Clients – Develops and implements solutions that show understanding of how clients and/or own work achieves results that are financially, environmentally and socially sustainable. Shares new insights based on in-depth understanding of the client and recommends solutions for current and future needs of clients. Holds self and team accountable for risk management and outcomes.

Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries – collaborates across organizational boundaries, internally and externally with a sense of mutuality and respect. Consistently engages others in open dialogue, brings out any conflicting viewpoints and incorporates viewpoints into solutions, giving credit where credit is due. Leverages expertise of all team members to ensure successful outcomes. Makes choices and sets priorities with a WBG corporate perspective in mind.

Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – ensures systematic sharing of good practice and learning from lessons from across WBG, clients, and partners. Is known across WBG in their subject area and is sought out by WBG colleagues to advise, peer review, or contribute to knowledge products of others. Seeks mentoring opportunities with more experienced staff to deepen or strengthen their professional knowledge and mentors junior staff. Builds networks across the WBG and as part of external professional groups/networks.

Make Smart Decisions – applies critical thinking and seeks inputs and experience from others to recommend a course of action consistent with the WBG’s strategy. Evaluates risk and anticipates the short and long term implications of decisions. Commits to a decision and takes action once a decision has been reached.