Individual Consultant Health Economist - Development of Midwifery Investment Case

The Position:

The Economist consultant is to lead the economic and financial analysis for the midwifery investment case. This involves quantifying the costs, economic benefits, and overall return on investment (ROI) of scaling up midwifery models of care, and developing a compelling case to persuade government and partners to adopt and increase investments in MMoC in Kenya.

The consultant will work under the supervision of the SRHR & Health Systems Specialist, overall guidance of the SRHR/Youth Advisor and Deputy Representative, with direct technical guidance from the designated team from UNFPA’s Regional and Headquarters offices.

 

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

 

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

 

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results

Consultancy Background Information:

Global attention and investment in midwifery are increasing as an effective strategy to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3). To advance this agenda, the Midwifery Accelerator was launched in April 2025 by a global coalition including WHO, UNICEF, and ICM to scale up the Midwifery Model of Care (MMoC). A key part of this initiative is encouraging increased domestic and international funding for midwifery through evidence-based advocacy.

In this context, UNFPA has developed a comprehensive "Investing in Midwifery Models of Care" handbook to guide the creation of national investment cases. UNFPA will support the rollout of this framework in several countries, with Kenya selected for implementation in 2026. This consultancy is crucial for adapting the global framework to the Kenyan context, generating country-specific evidence to drive sustainable improvements in midwifery services.

An Economist/Health Economist is needed to collaborate with a Public Health Consultant  to develop the Midwifery Investment Case for Kenya. This will entail working with key stakeholders that include the MOH, the Midwives Association of Kenya (MAK), WHO, UNICEF, Private & FBO sectors and other relevant stakeholders under the guidance of UNFPA team and international experts.

Scope of Work and Responsibilities:

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Funding and Financial Analysis: 
  • Analyze the current funding landscape for SRMNCAH and midwifery in Kenya, including government budgets, donor flows, and out-of-pocket expenditures.
  • Identify financing gaps, opportunities for resource reallocation (e.g., from underspent budgets), and potential innovative financing mechanisms to advance MMoC.
• Costing Analysis: 
  • Using an ingredients-based approach and tools like the OneHealth Tool and LiST, estimate the total costs of scaling up the defined midwifery intervention package under different scenarios. This includes costs of drugs, supplies, labor, logistics, and programs.
  • Estimate the costs of the proposed workforce development, including estimation of workforce requirements, workforce modelling and development, and costs of workforce development- pre-service training, salaries, and incentives.
• Benefit Analysis: 
  • Health benefits: Quantify the long-term economic benefits resulting from improved health outcomes (reduced morbidity, mortality, stillbirths, unintended pregnancies and enhanced nutrition). This includes Years of Life gained, morbidity