Public Finance Management Lead

Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) Vietnam

PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT LEAD

Organization Overview

Abt Associates is a mission-driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development. Known for its rigorous approach to solving complex challenges, Abt Associates is among the top global research firms and international development innovators. The company has multiple offices in the U.S. and program offices in nearly 40 countries, including in Vietnam.

Opportunity

The Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) Project is a USAID-funded 5-year, $209 million global task order that works to strengthen health systems as a means to achieve universal health coverage and improve population health and well-being. Interventions will focus on reducing financial barriers, holding health services accountable for meeting all clients’ needs and making sure that the care patients receive meets minimum standards. USAID’s LHSS Vietnam activity will focus on improving health financing for HIV and TB prevention and control, strengthening supply chain systems, and supporting the expansion of the Social Health Insurance (SHI) scheme to improve the provision of quality care and treatment at a national scale. The project will work collaboratively at the national level with the Government of Vietnam (GVN), particularly the Ministry of Health and the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) to support GVN efforts to increase sustainable domestic financing for health, including TB and HIV, ensure quality of HIV care, and to seek efficiencies in health spending and procurement and supply chain management.

The Public Finance Management Lead will provide strategic leadership, management, and technical direction and support to the project team and counterparts in the implementation of activities to support the GVN to strengthen their public financial management (PFM) systems to maximize budgetary space for public health and to find greater efficiencies in the use of existing resources, including the social health insurance fund (SHI). The Public Financial Management Lead will report to the Deputy Chief of Party.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership in the implementation of critical activities on financial management for the health sector. These activities may include: maximizing the use of existing domestic financing for the public health system, and ensuring that funding is used efficiently across program areas and among relevant actors; supporting the GVN to maintain quality and effectiveness of HIV services under the SHI; strengthening the GVN’s capacity to collect and use data to advocate for increased domestic financing and improved budget allocations for the health sector; and supporting the GVN to develop and implement an SHI integration plan for TB services.
Lead and manage the implementation of activities to strengthen the government of Vietnam’s health financing, resource generation, allocation, budget formulation and execution, expenditure tracking and accounting capabilities.
Facilitate the development of cost-containing mechanisms and social contracting modalities.
Ensure public financial management strategy activities are conducted in coordination with ongoing project and GVN activities.
Build lasting in-country capacity for financing and financial management of the health sector.
Contribute to reporting, updating, and implementing the technical strategies, identifying technical assistance needs, and mobilizing required technical resources and staff.
Implement activities in a way that is harmonized with the finance and other project objectives to ensure complementary and efficient implementation.
Contribute to the timely production of quality deliverables to USAID, such as quarterly and annual reports, work plans, budgets, technical reports, and publications.
Guide, coordinate, and collaborate with project staff and partners in the implementation of cross-cutting activities.
Coordinate with international and local subcontractors, working with the home office, regional and technical staff to ensure that all activities and outputs are technically sound and appropriate.

Skills/Knowledge Required

Master’s Degree (minimum), or a Doctorate (desirable), in Public Health, Business Administration, Finance, (Health or Macro) Economics or another relevant field.
Ten years of relevant professional experience with a Master’s Degree, or 6-8 years with a Doctorate.
Substantial developing country context experience in facilitating health financing system development and strengthening, national-level budgeting and accounting processes, including central level coordination and systems integration, including digital systems.
Extensive knowledge of Public Financial Management; Social Health Insurance issues and key stakeholders in Vietnam
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with government counterparts and coordinate various actors such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Vietnam Social Security, other ministries and government agencies, donors, and NGOs
Experience in capacity building in public financial management, particularly in health and other social sectors
Knowledge and experience working with donor-funded programs, especially USAID projects, strongly preferred
Proven professional knowledge of MS Office applications
Proven project management, oversight, and appropriate organizational skills
Fluent in Vietnamese with excellent oral and written communication skills in English