..Purpose of consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide senior technical assistance to the WHO Ukraine Health Financing Unit to strengthen health financing policy and strategic purchasing under the Program of Medical Guarantees (PMG). The consultant will contribute to analytical work, policy development, and stakeholder engagement in priority areas including strategic purchasing of hospital services, mental health financing, Ukraine's EU accession agenda related to cross-border healthcare, and development of performance and quality monitoring frameworks for specialized care.

Background

Since 2015, Ukraine has implemented fundamental reforms to its health financing system, culminating in the establishment of the Program of Medical Guarantees (PMG) and the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU) as the country's single national purchaser. These reforms have strengthened access to health services, improved financial protection, and created a resilient purchasing system that has continued to function throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation.

As Ukraine advances health system recovery and progresses towards EU accession, further strengthening strategic purchasing has become a national priority. WHO is supporting the Ministry of Health and the NHSU to improve purchasing arrangements, strengthen financing of priority health services, enhance performance and quality monitoring, and develop evidence-based policies that support efficient, equitable, and sustainable health financing reforms. This consultancy will contribute to these efforts through analytical work, policy development, technical consultations, and preparation of evidence-based recommendations.

Deliverables

The consultant will:

Conduct analytical reviews of health financing policies, purchasing arrangements, and health system reforms;
Collect, analyse, and synthesize quantitative and qualitative evidence;
Develop technical reports, policy papers, and evidence-based recommendations;
Support technical consultations, stakeholder engagement, and policy dialogue;
Contribute to WHO publications and technical products;
Prepare presentations and technical materials for national and international audiences.

Outputs and tasks

Under the supervision of the WHO Technical Officer for Health Financing, the consultant will:

Support analytical work on strategic purchasing of hospital services, with a particular focus on surgical care and alignment with hospital network development;
Contribute to policy analysis and recommendations on financing and strategic purchasing of mental health services;
Provide technical support for health financing aspects of Ukraine's EU accession process, including cross-border healthcare financing and implementation of relevant EU acquis;
Support the development of performance and quality monitoring frameworks for specialized health services under the PMG;
Participate in technical consultations with the Ministry of Health, NHSU, international experts, and development partners;
Contribute to WHO analytical reports, policy recommendations, and technical guidance supporting health financing reforms.

Deliverables

Deliverable 1. Provide technical analyses, policy recommendations, and drafting support to strengthen strategic purchasing and financing of priority health services under the Program of Medical Guarantees, with a particular focus on surgical care and mental health services, including contributions to WHO technical reports and recommendations for future PMG reforms.
Deliverable 2. Provide technical support for health financing aspects of Ukraine's EU accession agenda, including development of analytical products, policy recommendations, and technical inputs related to cross-border healthcare financing, implementation of the relevant EU acquis, and institutional arrangements required for implementation.
Deliverable 3. Support the development of performance and quality monitoring frameworks for specialized care by conducting analytical reviews, preparing technical documentation, and developing evidence-based recommendations to strengthen monitoring and strategic purchasing under the Program of Medical Guarantees.
Deliverable 3. Provide cross-cutting technical support to WHO health financing activities through preparation of technical reports, policy briefs, presentations, stakeholder consultations, technical meetings, and other analytical products, as requested by the supervisor.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages:

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: Master's degree in health economics, health financing, public health, medicine, health policy, public administration, or another relevant field.

Experience:

Essential:

At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in health financing, health economics, health policy, health systems, or strategic purchasing.
Experience conducting policy analysis and preparing technical reports or analytical publications.
Experience working with government institutions or international organizations in health sector reform.

Desirable:

Experience working with WHO, the World Bank, the European Union, or other international development partners.
Experience supporting health financing reforms in Ukraine.
Experience working with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and/or the National Health Service of Ukraine.
Experience in strategic purchasing, provider payment systems, or health service financing.

Skills/Knowledge:

Essential:

Excellent analytical and report-writing skills.
Strong policy analysis and research skills.
Ability to manage multiple technical workstreams and deliver high-quality outputs under tight deadlines.
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
Ability to work independently while coordinating effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
Knowledge of the Program of Medical Guarantees and NHSU purchasing arrangements.

Desirable:

Knowledge of EU health policy and health financing aspects of EU accession.
Experience with quantitative data analysis and interpretation.
Experience organizing technical consultations and facilitating policy dialogue.

Languages:

Essential: Expert knowledge of English and Ukrainian

Location

On-site: WHO Kyiv Office, Kyiv

Travel:

The consultant is expected to undertake 2–3 missions within Ukraine, subject to the security situation.

Remuneration

Contract total value: USD 18 400
Monthly rate, daily rate and numbers of the days: Monthly rate USD 4 600 for 4 months (full-time).
Consultant pay band range: Pay band level NOC
Terms of payment: The payment will be on a monthly basis after provision of Technical Report and approval from Responsible Officer.

Expected duration of contract

Target Start Date: 1 September 2026
Target end date: 31 December 2026
Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 4 months

Additional Information:

This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
A written test may be used as a form of screening.
If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
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National Consultant – Health Financing and Strategic Purchasing