Consultant (EBSHIA) at Palladium International Development Nigeria

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits.

Applications are invited for:

Job Title: Consultant to provide technical support to the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA)

Subject RFP #: TO6/217727/Consultancy/Fixed Price Contract-2020-0001
Location: Ebonyi
Project: Integrated Health Program, Ebonyi State Activities

Purpose

• Palladium invites applications from suitably qualified individual consultants to provide technical support to streamlining the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Scheme’s operations and ensuring necessary structures and processes are in place to guarantee delivery of services to enrolees, facilitate expansion to the informal sector, improve quality processes and build capacity of the EBSHIA staff to manage the scheme. In this Request for Proposal, Palladium expects offerors to develop a custom solution and proposal to Palladium for consideration. Bidders are required to provide justification for the work proposed or methodology to be adopted. This will be a Best Value procurement.
• This consultancy aims to improve the enabling environment for equitable and sustainable health services, supplies, and delivery systems through policy development and implementation, with an emphasis on voluntary, rights-based health programs. And support in technical preparations for the take-off of the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Scheme, to provide technical support on the effective operationalization of EBSHIS including building the capacity of staff on claims management, development of operational plan and business process manuals. Support EBSHIA advocacy and community engagement activities to critical stakeholders to generate demand for the scheme; including the Head of Service, Labor union, Religious leaders, Traditional leaders, Women groups and women leaders, Media etc. Support EBSHIA to procure and set up an efficient ICT platform in line with NHIS standards

Type of Contract:

• This is a firm-fixed price deliverable-based contract. The consultant is expected to satisfactorily accomplish the deliverables before he/she gets paid for that deliverable.
• The IHP Chief of Party reserves the right to confirm if a deliverable is delivered adequately or otherwise. No price change is expected after contract is signed. IHP will not pay for cost of any deliverable that is not complete, of quality and delivered on time.

Anticipated Contract Term:

• The anticipated performance period for the consultancy is February 1, 2021 to May 30, 2021. As a firm fixed price consultancy based on deliverables, Palladium will only pay for deliverables that have met the standards and expectations of the program and which is also delivered within assigned timelines.

Project

• The Integrated Health Program (IHP) is a USAID-funded five-year project with a mandate to improve health systems, improve access to and increase quality of primary health care in designated states (Sokoto, Bauchi, Kebbi, Ebonyi and FCT). IHP is working with state governments to strengthen and advance operationalization of State Health Insurance Schemes toward attainment of universal health coverage. IHP aims to improve the enabling environment for equitable and sustainable health services, supplies, and delivery systems through policy development and implementation, with an emphasis on voluntary, rights-based health programs.
• The decentralization of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and consequent establishment of State Health Insurance Schemes (SHIS) across the country is one of the key policy thrusts of the Government of Nigeria aimed at reforming the health financing landscape for a stronger health system and improved health outcomes. To this effect, IHP is supporting focus states to put in place necessary design elements and operational structures for the effective roll-out and implementation of the various SHIS.
• The Ebonyi State Health Insurance Scheme (EBSHIS) was established in September, 2018 to provide good quality, accessible and affordable health care for all residents of Ebonyi State through efficiency and equity with a user-friendly ICT platform by engaging qualified health care providers The EBSHIS strives to improve financial risk protection of Ebonyi state residents towards achieving universal health coverage. With the support of the USAID-funded Health Policy Plus (HP+) project, the Agency has put in place some technical requirements in readiness for the scheme. This includes passing the EBSHIS establishment bill which enshrines the mandatory participation of all Ebonyi state residents, setting up its institutional structure (operational and governance), development of operational manuals, benefit package and accreditation of facilities for enrolment
• Consequently, EBSHIA is desirous of developing structures, systems and processes that will enable the scheme to take off and ensure coverage of the formal, private and informal sectors.
• USAID-IHP now wishes to build on this platform to support the EBSHIS in implementing the designed technical processes, develop required standard operating procedures and enhance the EBSHIA capacity to manage health insurance operations.
• USAID-IHP is seeking a qualified consultant to be embedded within the EBSHIA to provide technical guidance on the implementation of health insurance technical operations and to build the team’s capacity to progressively take on these activities.

Timeline:

• Applications are expected to be submitted on or before the due date as specified at the first page of this RFP. Bidders are expected to submit both technical and financial bids and in two separate emails to [email protected] stating as part of the subject matter of the email whether “Technical bid” or “Financial bid” and also quoting the RFP number as it appears on the cover page. Applications received will have a validity period of six months.
• Palladium will set up an evaluation committee who will meet to review all applications received within two weeks after the application period has closed. Top candidates may further be invited for an interview by the evaluation committee which will be conducted a week after the first evaluation. Depending on availability of the members of the evaluation committee and the exigences of the program, evaluation may be conducted at times which may be shorter or longer than stated here.
• Palladium will most likely issue the contract to the successful contractor from this process within 30 to 60 days after submission. Palladium’s ability to issue such contracts may be contingent upon USAID approval and when donor approval is required, timelines for contract award may be longer than stated. Palladium hopes that the services to be rendered on this consultancy will commence on February 1, 2021.

Scope of Work and Standards
Background:

• The Ebonyi State Health Insurance Scheme (EBSHIS) was established in September, 2018 to provide good quality, accessible and affordable health care for all residents of Ebonyi State through efficiency and equity with a user-friendly ICT platform by engaging qualified health care providers The EBSHIS strives to improve financial risk protection of Ebonyi state residents towards achieving universal health coverage. With the support of the USAID-funded Health Policy Plus (HP+) project, the Agency has put in place some technical requirements in readiness for the scheme. This includes passing the EBSHIS establishment bill which enshrines the mandatory participation of all Ebonyi state residents, setting up its institutional structure (operational and governance), development of operational manuals, benefits package and accreditation of facilities for enrolment.
• Consequently, EBSHIA is desirous of developing structures, systems and processes that will enable the scheme to take off and ensure coverage of the formal, private and informal sectors.
• USAID-IHP now wishes to build on this platform to support the EBSHIS in implementing the designed technical processes, develop required standard operating procedures and enhance the EBSHIA capacity to manage health insurance operations.

Roles and Responsibilities

• The consultant will provide technical support for streamlining the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Scheme’s operations and ensuring necessary structures and processes are in place to guarantee delivery of services to enrolees, facilitate expansion to the informal sector, improve quality processes and build capacity of the EBSHIA staff to manage the scheme.

Services Description:
The specific responsibilities of the Consultant will be to:

• Building the capacity of EBSHIA on organizational restructuring including a code of conduct, work ethics and identifying priority HRH gap.
• Provide technical support to EBSHIS to revise the EBSHIS roll-out plan with the aim of identifying immediate processes and structures that need urgent attention
• Develop (and where applicable, finalize) documents, technical processes and tools that are needed for EBSHIS operations. This includes an EBSHIA 2021 Annual Operational Plan, and standard operating procedures for health insurance operations such as accreditation, enrolment, TPA engagement, claims management and quality management.
• Provide TA to EBSHIA in the selection of an ICT system in line with NHIS standards by playing a central role in the review, vendor demonstrations and evaluation of different ICT systems’ functionalities
• Provide technical assistance to EBSHIA identify/develop informal sector aggregators/platforms/ structures that can be leveraged for health insurance enrolment and develop an informal sector strategy, incorporating a demand creation plan, to achieve target informal sector coverage
• Support EBSHIA with enrolment processes for both formal and informal sector
• Build the EBSHIS’ staff capacity on managing health insurance operation through a mix of on the job training, mentorship and engagement in the development and implementation of technical and operational documents including accreditation, TPA engagement and enrolment

The Consultancy will run for a period of three (3) months and the consultant is required to be embedded within the EBSHIS for the period of this consultancy

Deliverables and Output:
Conduct a technical needs assessment for EBSHIA. This includes:

• The goal, objectives, status, challenges and opportunities.
• Identification of gaps; organizational/institutional and financing capacity development plan for agency staff.
  • Output:
    • Needs assessment report

Capacity building/mentoring of EBSHIA staff. This includes:

• Workplace ethics and training on job specifications per department
• Revised roll-out plan that shows step-by-step activities in readiness for EBSHIS takeoff
• Building the capacity of technical staff on EBSHIS claims management and reimbursement processes, public financial management
  • Output:
    • Three Capacity building assessments that shows improved performance and conduct at least 8 in-house events.
• Provide expert TA to finalize the design of the ICT scope and requirements
  • Output:
    • EBSHIS ICT manual

Documents required for technical readiness for EBSHIS implementation. This includes:

• Build the capacity of EBSHIS staff to develop a detailed demand creation and enrolment plan for both the formal and informal sector
• Build the capacity of EBSHIS staff to conduct a 2021 Annual operational plan
• Initial needs assessment report with recommendations for strategic planning and implementation for the next 5 years.
  • Output:
    • Informal and formal sector enrolment plan Demand creation plan 2021 Annual Operational Plan 2021-2025 EBSHIS strategic plan
• Provide expert TA to develop an orientation package on EBSHIS implementation for all stakeholders (including TPAs, Health Facilities and etc
• Conduct a pre and posttest with the intended audience
• Support EBHSIS to conduct sensitization for enrolment
  • Output:
    • Orientation plan for stakeholder engagement
• Support EBSHIS to develop a proposal on the pregnant women package
  • Output:
    • Proposal completed
• Work with EBSHIA to develop and submit a bi-monthly progress report and final report on this technical assistance assignment.
  • Output:
    • Final consultancy and bi-monthly progress reports

Eligibility Requirements

• A good first degree or its equivalent from a reputable University in Medicine, Sciences, or numerate disciplines such as Actuarial Science, Statistics, Insurance, etc.
• Post graduate qualification in Management, Public Health, Health Management, Health Economics, Insurance or other related fields
• Certification in and/or professional membership of Health, Management and Health Insurance related bodies shall be an added advantage
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience implementing health insurance in Nigeria or related settings.
• Expertise in claims management and reimbursement best practices
• Experience in developing and delivering capacity building workshops; including on health insurance implementation
• Experience in contributing to the development of health insurance strategic plans and managing teams to implement health insurance strategic plans
• Good understanding of current health financing reform initiatives in Nigeria especially the subnational level
• Experience carrying out similar assignments in Nigeria particularly at the sub-national level.

Required Technical Competencies:

• Expert in insurance management and operations
• Familiar with results-based management
• Knowledgeable about ICT systems for insurance management
• Knowledgeable about change theories and health system approaches
• Expert in knowledge management and skills development

Required Skills:

• Analytical skills
• Leadership and coaching skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Good communication skills (negotiation, moderation, representation, presentation of results)
• Strong oral and writing skills in English

Application Closing Date
11th January, 2021 11:59pm (WAT).

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Applications to: [email protected]

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Important Notice

• Please follow the instructions as contained in the Request for Application (RFP) and submit to the email above.
• No late application will be received after the deadline.