Chemonics International seeks a Private Sector Engagement consultant for the USAID Frontier Health Market (FHM) Engage project in Liberia to be based in Monrovia, Liberia, with an anticipated start date of January 15, 2025. The objective of this consultancy is to provide strategic and technical support to the Ministry of Health (MoH)/Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Unit and the Healthcare Federation of Liberia (HFL) to further strengthen the frameworks for private sector engagement. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

1. Background

FHM Engage is a global cooperative agreement designed to provide technical assistance supporting local actors to improve the ability of health markets to meet supply-side capacity gaps and consumer preferences and contribute to equitable provision of and access to high-quality family planning and other health services and products in mixed health systems. Within Liberia, recognizing an opportunity to further advance Liberia’s health priorities FHM Engage received funding in FY22 to support the country’s PSE objectives to strengthen dialogue and collaboration between public and private sectors. These efforts build upon the Liberia Private Sector Engagement Strategy, which provides a roadmap for the MoH to begin engaging the private health sector in support of national health goals, with a focus on exploring opportunities for partnership and collaboration. FHM Engage continued those efforts in FY23-FY24 with an expanded approach aimed at supporting the development of Liberia’s private health sector and addressing the challenges of accessing capital, technical skills, and business advisory services. As the project moves into the next year of our activities, FHM Engage will continue to support the MoH and HFL to build institutional capacity and to fully utilize the private health sector for essential services.

1. Main Responsibilities and Tasks/Deliverables

The Private Sector Engagement consultant will support the MoH/PSE Unit and HFL to forge strong partnerships with the private health sector in Liberia, with a goal of enhancing organizational and capacity development of both organizations and to move towards sustainability.

Under the direction of the chief of party, the Private Sector Engagement Consultant will support the MoH/PSE Unit and HFL through the following tasks and responsibilities:

• Conduct an organizational capacity assessment of HFL using an organizational capacity assessment (OCA) tool
• Work with HFL to assess infrastructure, equipment, services, and human resources in private health facilities to document resources, identify gaps, and ensure alignment with standards for operation
• Based on the findings of the organizational capacity assessment, provide technical support and capacity strengthening to HFL in targeted areas, potentially including in grants management, financial management, PSE concepts and operations, and other identified operational needs
• Based on capacity needs identified by the MoH and FHM Engage, provide technical assistance and capacity strengthening support to the MoH/PSE Unit in targeted areas, potentially including in grants management, financial management, PSE concepts and operations, and other operational needs
• In collaboration with the MoH/PSE Unit staff, revise and update the Private Sector Engagement Strategy to ensure its alignment with the National Health Policy and Strategy
• Work with HFL and the MoH/PSE Unit to disseminate the PSE strategy and build partnership opportunity plans
• Support the MoH/PSE Unit and HFL to strengthen communication and collaboration amongst themselves and with private sector organizations and companies by coordinating information sharing; developing memoranda of understanding; and establishing communities of practice, working groups, forums, and other relevant organizing and collaboration bodies
• Foster and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with the private sector in Liberia, particularly with the MoH/PSE Unit and HFL, through planning engagement meetings and events, facilitating public private partnership dialogues, strengthening advocacy, and building institutional linkages. Meetings and events will correspond to the deliverables below with topics including health equity, business development, frameworks for PSE strengthening, etc.
• Promote sustainability of HFL and MoH/PSE project activities and income generating schemes with effective networking, linkages to other programs, capacity building of project staff, and institutional strengthening
• Collaborate with MEL and technical team members to strengthen data collection and monitoring to ensure that activities in private sector engagement are tracked against key performance indicators and the project activity monitoring and evaluation and learning plan (AMELP). Assist with reporting on program progress and contribute to the FHM Engage’s learning agenda
• Provide written inputs to quarterly reports and other required technical reports and deliverables
• Ensure the timely implementation of PSE project activities and submission of work plan deliverables meet FHM Engage quality standards and are in accordance with the project’s detailed implementation plan
• Stay up-to date on global best practices, new developments, and emerging issues in private sector engagement and public private partnership strengthening
• Any other responsibilities as required by the chief of party

1. Deliverables

HFL

• Organizational capacity assessment of HFL conducted
• Assessment report on health infrastructure, equipment, services, and human resources in private health facilities across the project counties submitted.
• Assessment report of financial status of patients unable to pay presented to the MoH Policy and Planning Department, to form part of the Liberia Health Equity advocacy resource document

MoH/PSE

• HFL and MoH/PSE capacity building plan developed
• Update memoranda of understanding within the MoH for the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and the National AIDS Control Program (NACP)
• Ministerial Stakeholders Bi-annual Forum re-activated,
• Revise and update the PSE Strategy and align it with the new National Health Policy,
• Private partnership opportunities plan with Liberians in the diaspora developed

1. Qualifications

• Master’s degree in field related to business, management, economics, health, finance, or development studies
• Five (5) years or more of professional experience in the fields of market systems development, private and public sector stakeholder engagement, private sector development, health economic reform, financial management, business and financial modeling, income generation
• Familiarity with, and ability to apply and adapt methods to engage the private sector in policy reforms, advocacy, public-private dialogue, and monitoring implementation of reforms
• Previous experience supporting USAID funded projects or other development organizations on projects and programs
• Ability to work well in a team and with minimum supervision
• Strong written and verbal communications skills
• Liberian citizen only
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Oral and written fluency in English

1. Duration of Assignment

This assignment is expected to be part-time (total around 100 days LOE) between February 1, 2025 – September 30, 2025.

Application instructions:

Please send an email with your CV and cover letter attached and “Private Sector Engagement Consultant” in the subject line to Recruitment-Liberia-FHMEngage@chemonics.com by January 3, 2025. No telephone inquiries, please. Finalists will be contacted.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.