National Health Spending Efficiency Analysis Consultant (nationals-only)

The consultant will undertake a comprehensive analysis of health financing and expenditure trends in Malawi, working closely with government ministries and stakeholders to assess budget execution, efficiency, and sustainability. The role involves developing analytical frameworks, conducting expenditure reviews, stakeholder consultations, and producing policy recommendations to support health financing reforms.

Responsibilities

• Develop an inception report outlining the methodology, analytical framework, workplan, stakeholder engagement approach, and data requirements.
• Develop or refine tools and templates for expenditure analysis, budget tracking, cash flow forecasting, procurement monitoring, and financial performance assessment.
• Strengthen district-level financial monitoring tools, including Excel or DHIS linked systems for expenditure tracking and reporting.
• Conduct a comprehensive analysis of health financing and expenditure trends over the last five fiscal years (2021/22–2025/26) at national and district levels.
• Assess financing adequacy, expenditure patterns, budget execution, efficiency, equity, and sustainability across key programme areas.
• Analyze financing flows, resource allocation, and expenditure performance, including implications of fiscal constraints, decentralization reforms, and declining external financing.
• Assess district planning, budgeting, budget credibility, execution performance, procurement processes, cash flow management, and financial reporting systems.
• Identify bottlenecks affecting budget absorption, expenditure efficiency, and service delivery performance.
• Analyze alignment between District Implementation Plans, approved budgets, and actual expenditures, including implications for provider autonomy and decentralized service delivery.
• Conduct expenditure and efficiency assessments across priority programme areas to understand how financing decisions influence service delivery performance, sustainability, and health outcomes.
• Conduct consultations with government institutions, district structures, development partners, civil society organizations, and implementing partners.
• Validate findings through technical consultations and stakeholder workshops.
• Convene dissemination and policy dialogue meetings to support uptake of findings and recommendations.
• Identify systemic bottlenecks and opportunities to improve expenditure efficiency, sustainability, and accountability.
• Develop evidence-based recommendations to strengthen planning, budgeting, and expenditure management.
• Produce policy products including district briefs, policy notes, advocacy materials, and financing recommendations to inform health financing reforms and stakeholder engagement.

Requirements

• MA - Health Economics, Economics, Public Finance, Health Financing, Public Financial Management
• A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in health financing, budget analysis, public health budget analysis or public financial management.
• Proven experience conducting budget execution and efficiency studies, or expenditure reviews in the health sector.
• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills.
• Experience working with UN agencies, government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and District Health Management Teams is highly desirable.
• Experience working with UNICEF or any UN org is desired
• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of local languages spoken in the six focus districts (e.g., Chichewa or Tumbuka) is an added advantage.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret and synthesize complex health and financial data.
• Expertise in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods.
• Proficiency in developing advocacy tools, such as policy briefs and presentations, to communicate findings effectively.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders, including government officials, civil society organizations, and technical experts.
• Strong facilitation and interpersonal skills to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver quality outputs within tight deadlines.
• High level of organizational skills, including meticulous attention to detail.

Skills

• Health Economics
• Health Financing
• Public Financial Management
• Budget Analysis
• Budget Execution Studies
• Expenditure Reviews
• Quantitative Analysis
• Qualitative Analysis
• Policy Brief Writing
• Health Sector Analysis
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Report Writing
• Data Interpretation
• Advocacy Tool Development
• Facilitation Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Public Health Budget Analysis
• Communication with Government Officials
• Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration

Languages

English