Health Marketplace Consultant at Chemonics International

Chemonics International - We're one of the world’s leading partners in international development, because where Chemonics works, development works. From our founding in 1975, we have worked in more than 150 countries to help our clients, partners and beneficiaries take on the world’s toughest challenges. Today, we re-imagine global supply chains to deliver essential medicines to the right place at the right time. Our global network of more than 4,000 specialists share an unwavering resolve to work better, driven by a conviction that the world must be better.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Health Marketplace Consultant - USAID Frontier Health Markets Engage Project

Location: Abuja
Employment Type: Full-time
Duration of Assignment: This assignment is expected to be full-time based on a 5-day workweek from September 01-November 30, 2023, with the possibility of extending as a long-term role

Background
Chemonics International Inc. is a US-based international development consulting firm operating in over 80 countries, starting up the USAID- funded Frontier Health Markets Engage project in Nigeria. USAID Frontier Health Markets Engage (FHM Engage) is a global cooperative agreement to provide technical assistance (TA) supporting local actors to improve the ability of health markets to meet supply-side gaps and consumer preferences, contributing to equitable provision of and access to high-quality family planning (FP) and other health services and products in mixed health systems. Building on over 30 years of USAID investment, FHM Engage focuses on strengthening local health markets by addressing the root causes of market failures in the core market functions to create the necessary behavior change that catalyzes supply and demand and supports sustainable change.

In line with this approach, FHM Engage seeks achievement toward two main results:

• Result 1: Improved market environment for greater private sector participation in the delivery of health products and services.
• Result 2: Improved equal access to and uptake of high-quality consumer-driven health products, services, and information.

The FHM Nigeria team has conducted a thorough market diagnostics and co-creation exercise, identifying the root causes of market failures and interventions to address them. These interventions cover various components of the Market Development Approach. It is now necessary to analyze each intervention to assess feasibility, potential impact, and determine the most suitable implementation approach.

Objective
The objective of this activity is to conduct detailed market research for the identified FHM Engage market interventions in FCT and Ebonyi states. This will involve a health facility assessment (HFA) to facilitate an in-depth understanding of the scale and quality of RMNCH healthcare services delivery in the FCT and Ebonyi state. This effort will provide additional information on elements of the private sector community pharmacy (CP), patent and proprietary vendor (PPMV) and health facility ecosystems which provide an enabling business environment for the FP, CH and MNH markets.

The sub-recipient will support FHM Engage Nigeria lead a health facility assessment on private at community pharmacists (CPs), and patent and proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs) and private health facilities in the FCT and Ebonyi state.

Tasks

• The health marketplace consultant will work with FHM Engage Nigeria and Global team to develop a marketplace design tailored to Nigeria. Below is a summary of tasks and anticipated level of effort (LOE).

Task 1: Baseline on Private Provider Aggregator

• Work with FHM Engage team to identify private provider aggregators. FHM-Engage team is landscaping different aggregators models. Support the team to collect data on aggregators capacity and interest to support member private healthcare businesses to access finance.

Deliverables:

• 10 slide deck with findings on private provider aggregators and recommendations to establish capacity to bundle applications / projects to access financing.

Task 2: Baseline on Business Solution Providers

• Work with FHM Engage team to identify and map business solution providers and their offerings. Potential business solution providers include training institutions offering business skills and financial management skills, consulting firms with service delivery business and clinical systems expertise, private medical training institutions, data / IT firms with health data, electronic medical records, and other digital technology)
• Conduct web search to gather preliminary information on:
  • Years of business,
  • Naira and US dollar total annual revenue and operation,
  • Range of activities,
  • Funding source.
• Conduct key informant interviews with selected business solution providers to develop in-depth information including but not limited to describe:
  • Contact information including key contact,
  • Total annual revenue and operation,
  • Funding sources and clients,
  • Range and cost of services,
  • Interest in participating in Health Marketplace.

Deliverables:

• 10 slide deck with findings on and recommendations on business solution providers and capacity requirements

Task 3: Baseline on Business Finance Providers

• Work with FHM Engage team to identify potential business finance needs aligned to market strategies for FP, CH, and MNH. Categories of financing needs may include but are not limited to: (a) infrastructure rehabilitation and equipment leasing/purchases to improve quality, (b) financing commodity inventory, (c) expansion and scaling of services to underserved geographic and/or underserved population groups. Refer to FHM Engage health facility assessment to develop final classification of financing needs.
• Work with FHM Engage team to identify financing sources aligned to private healthcare financing needs. Through a web-search and interactions with FHM staff, develop list of different sources and types of finance. Examples included but are not limited to: USAID DFA banks, development partners (including USAID) investments and grants, commercial banks and micro-finance institutions, wholesalers/importers offering credit (receivable financing), medical equipment companies offering leasing agreements, and equity and venture capital firms.
• Conduct web search and key informant interviews. Information needed include:
  • Years of operation in Nigeria,
  • Naira and US dollar amount of investments,
  • Types of financing in health,
  • Terms of financing, and
  • Interest and conditions to participate in Health Marketplace.
• Convene a meeting with FHM Engage, Nigeria Mission and AORS. After the second round of data collection, convene a meeting to review findings on key business solutions and opportunities aligned to FP, CH and MNH market strategies and select preliminary cohort of business solution providers.

Deliverables:

• 20-25 slide deck with findings on types and sources of financing with recommendation of preliminary 'matches' between private provider aggregator and funding sources

Task 4: Health Marketplace Model Options

• Conduct literature review of other relevant "marketplace" models (including discussing with FHM Engage India and Liberia teams).
• Assess rules and regulations governing financing and investments to determine feasibility of the Health Marketplace and types of investments allowed under current law.
• Explore potential models to manage the Health Marketplace. Models may include:
  • Co-location of Health Marketplace within a
  • business solution provider,
  • Co-location with a firm currently managing a Health Marketplace, and/or
  • Hiring a full-time finance expert to manage the Health Marketplace.
  • Also explore financing mechanisms and/or revenue sources to fund the Health Marketplace (e.g. facilitation fee for matching aggregators with funding sources).
• Host a brainstorming session with FHM Engage team, Nigeria Mission and AORS to:
  • Weigh the pro's and con's of the different Health Marketplace models,
  • 1" cohort of demand (e.g. private aggregators), business solution providers and business finance providers,
  • Preliminary finance 'deals' / 'projects' (e.g. match between demand and supply), and
  • Health Marketplace sustainability strategy.

Deliverables:

• 15-25 slide describing rules and regulations, different models and recommendations on which model to manage the Health Marketplace
• Facilitated meeting with FHM Engage and AORS to agree on general concept for Health Marketplace

Task 5: Health marketplace design, budget, and implementation plan

• Host a co-design session including interested business solution providers, selected Health Marketplace implementer, representatives from different private sector groups who will be potential investments and AORS.
• Draft a prototype design for the health marketplace: based on brainstorming sessions, to serve the two states
• Develop implementation plan for prototype with staffing plan and budget
• Share implementation plan with FHM Engage and Nigeria Mission
• Refine based on feedback

Deliverables:

• 20-25 slide deck describing design, budget and implementation plan Excel spreadsheet with budget.

Supervision of Consultant

• The Health Marketplace consultant will report technically to the Chief of Party.
• The consultant will work in collaboration with several individuals/firms including Solina, Health Products consultant, Technical Advisor Quality, Technical Advisor Health Financing, and the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager.
• A high level of interaction with the USAID Mission is expected.

Qualifications of Consultant

• Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or relevant field; strong business acumen with MBA or equivalent work experience
• Experience in design, implementation, and management of financing, brokering deals, negotiating investments, and managing a portfolio of investments.
• Expertise in community lending (e.g., non-traditional financing mechanisms targeting small and medium-sized businesses).
• Experience in healthcare businesses preferred. Agrobusiness and livelihoods may be considered.
• Ability to engage and coordinate with a wide range of stakeholders within the health value chain (networked providers, small and medium enterprises, supply chain actors) as well as business solution providers.
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills, and ability to communicate effectively to diverse audiences.
• Ability to develop financial models in Excel.
• Fluency in English written and spoken.

Application Closing Date
22nd September, 2023.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send an email with CV and Cover Letter attached to: FHM-Nigeria-Recruit@chemonics.com using the Job Title as the subject of the mail.

Note: No telephone inquiries, please. Chemonics will contact finalists.