E T Consultant

E T Consultant

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.

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Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Context

The Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) region is diverse, spanning low-income and lower-middle-income countries and a number of upper-middle-income borrowers, with wide variation in health outcomes, fiscal space, and institutional capacity. Many countries face a high and evolving burden of disease alongside persistent inequities in access and quality, while also managing recurrent shocks, including climate-related hazards, epidemics, and food and fuel price volatility. In this context, the World Bank supports governments through analytics, policy dialogue, and financing to strengthen human capital and build more resilient health systems and essential public health functions.

Through its Health, Nutrition, and Population (HNP) Global Practice, the World Bank supports countries’ efforts towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and providing quality, affordable, equity-focused 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.

Some of the ongoing health and nutrition challenges in the AFE region include:

• Triple burden of disease and epidemiological transition: a continuing burden of communicable diseases (including HIV, TB, malaria and outbreaks), persistently high maternal, newborn and child mortality in many settings, and a rapidly growing burden of NCDs and injuries—often coexisting within the same populations and health systems.

• Health system constraints and inequities: persistent gaps in access to quality essential services, especially for rural, remote, and vulnerable populations, driven by constraints in the health workforce, medicines and supply chains, service readiness, governance and accountability, and limited fiscal space and financial protection for households.

• Nutrition and food insecurity: high levels of child stunting and micronutrient deficiencies in several countries, alongside rising overweight/obesity, compounded by food price shocks and climate variability that affect diets and worsen vulnerability throughout the life course.

Summary of Botswana and Southern Africa Health Portfolio

The World Bank’s health portfolio in Botswana combines investment financing with targeted technical assistance (TA) and analytics to advance the Government’s priorities on UHC, primary health care revitalization, and health security. The portfolio is anchored by the Botswana Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPRR) Project, which supports preparedness and response; strengthened surveillance, laboratory, and emergency management systems; and investments in core enablers, including digital public health infrastructure and availability of quality data. In parallel, the World Bank provides TA supporting sector planning and governance such as development of the Health Sector Strategic Plan, digital health and data use (interoperability, registries, and routine data quality and use), and improvements in supply chain performance and regulatory systems for health products. This work is complemented by analytics to inform reforms and investments, including on health financing and efficiency, equity, and service delivery performance to strengthen human capital and system resilience.

Across southern Africa, the World Bank’s health engagement in South Africa, Namibia, Eswatini, and Lesotho combines investment lending with analytical and advisory services to strengthen primary health care, improve quality of care, and build more resilient health systems. In Lesotho, the portfolio includes an active health and nutrition system strengthening project focused on expanding coverage and improving the quality of essential maternal and child health, nutrition, and NCD services, alongside reforms to strengthen stewardship and service delivery readiness. There are opportunities to support the preparation of new operations and enhance the scope of TA and advisory work in southern Africa. In South Africa and Namibia, support is anchored in policy dialogue and analytics, including public expenditure and efficiency work, to inform reforms that expand effective coverage, reduce inequities, and improve the sustainability of health financing. 

Objectives and Scope of Work

In light of the growing health portfolio, the HAEH2 team seeks an Extended-Term Consultant (ETC) with experience as a Health Specialist/Economist to provide day-to-day technical and operational support to HNP task teams and Government counterparts, primarily in Botswana and, as needed, across the southern Africa portfolio. The scope of work includes:

• Provide technical and operational support to the health portfolio in Botswana. The ETC will support implementation of the Botswana health portfolio (including the HEPRR project) by monitoring progress against the results framework (including support to M&E, data quality, and results reporting) and follow-up on agreed actions; supporting planning and delivery of implementation support missions; and contributing to key operational deliverables (aide memoires, management briefs, and client-facing communications). The ETC will help convene consultations with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, monitor progress, and coordinate with fiduciary, safeguards, and technical colleagues to ensure timely, integrated support. 

• Help ensure close coordination with government, development partners, and the CMU and World Bank teams across other sectors in Botswana. The ETC will facilitate coordination and information flow across the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies, development partners, and World Bank teams (including the Country Management Unit and colleagues in other sectors) to align priorities, timelines, and implementation support. The ETC will play a pivotal role in providing strategic sectoral guidance to the CMU and provide key inputs into country management reviews and documents.

• Support policy dialogue with the Ministry of Health, relevant national institutions, and other stakeholders. The ETC will support policy dialogue by preparing briefs, talking points, and presentations, synthesizing implementation experience, sector analytics, and international lessons. The ETC will help translate discussions into clear decisions and follow-up actions to inform priority reforms in primary health care, health security, health financing, and other system strengthening areas.

• Provide technical and operational support to the health portfolio in southern Africa, as needed. The ETC will support task teams in South Africa, Namibia, Eswatini, and Lesotho, including assistance with preparation and follow-up of missions and key deliverables, and contributions to selected analytical and advisory work (e.g., service delivery performance, health financing and efficiency, and health security). 

Duties and Accountabilities:

The ETC’s key tasks and activities will include but are not limited to: 

• Support implementation support for HEPRR and other Botswana portfolio activities, including monitoring implementation and results; consolidating inputs across technical, fiduciary and ESF colleagues; and proactively following up with counterparts on agreed actions.

• Contribute to the planning, preparation, and follow-up of missions, technical consultations, and key portfolio engagements, including drafting agenda/talking points, preparing briefing packages, and drafting aide memoires and progress reports, and management updates as requested by Task Team Leaders.

• Support monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and results reporting for the portfolio, including maintaining an M&E implementation plan, supporting updates to the results framework and indicator definitions as needed, compiling and quality-checking data and narrative inputs for progress reporting.

• Provide technical inputs to project implementation, including review of technical specifications and Terms of References for goods and services (e.g., medical and laboratory equipment, digital systems, and technical assistance), and advise on alignment with good practice, user requirements, and World Bank procurement principles (in coordination with procurement specialists).

• Support stakeholder coordination across Government, development partners, and World Bank teams (including the CMU and other sectors) by preparing coordination notes, documenting decisions, and escalating issues requiring management attention.

• Contribute to selected analytical and advisory activities (ASA), including literature and data review, drafting sections of technical notes and reports, and supporting quality assurance to ensure analytical rigor and consistency of messaging.

• As needed, provide operational and analytical support to the southern Africa health portfolio (South Africa, Namibia, Eswatini, and Lesotho).

• Maintain well-organized records of key documents and correspondence; support timely sharing of information within task teams; and contribute to knowledge management by capturing lessons learned and good practices.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in public health, economics/biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy/management, international development, or a related field.

• At least 5 years of relevant experience supporting health sector programs/projects, including operational support to investment lending and/or technical assistance/analytics.

• Demonstrated experience in health systems strengthening (e.g., primary health care, health financing, service delivery performance/quality, health security, or health information systems) 

• Excellent written and spoken English, including ability to draft clear briefs and results reporting inputs with minimal supervision.

• Strong coordination and client engagement skills, including ability to work with government counterparts and partners.

• Strong analytical and communication skills, including ability to work with quantitative and qualitative data and to prepare high-quality outputs in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (including tables, charts, and presentations).

• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple deadlines under time pressure, including mission preparation/follow-up, reporting cycles, and coordination across stakeholders.

The following would be highly desirable:

• Experience working on World Bank operations and/or analytical and advisory services in the health sector, including familiarity with implementation support processes and documentation.

• Hands-on experience supporting implementation, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and results reporting for health projects (e.g., results frameworks/indicator definitions, data quality assurance, and documentation/verification of results).

• Experience working with government counterparts in Botswana or similar settings, including in primary health care, health security, health financing, digital health/health information systems reform, M&E and results reporting for health projects, is an advantage.

Disclosure of Possible Conflicts of Interest

During the period of this assignment, the hired ETC will not in any way communicate with or contact any potential bidders to packages to be procured under the HSS or any other project, including any subcontractors, partners, or other stakeholders with a potential interest in the bidding process, even if related to other World Bank or non-World Bank projects, without the prior written approval of the relevant World Bank task team leadership. This will ensure there is no conflict of interest. The ETC is also to disclose any past affiliations with any potential bidders or otherwise interested parties on behalf of themselves and any immediate family members.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

As per WBG policy, an Extended Term (ET) appointment is subject to a lifetime maximum of three (3) years. Former and current ET staff who have completed or are in the process of completing their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

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