Director-Research And Planning

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Director General, the Director of Research and Planning has the responsibility for the planning, research, and information activities that are an essential pre-requisite to the formulation of coherent policies in the successful implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Zambia.The Research and Planning Director will advise and support all matters concerning the formulation of draft long-term policies in health insurance in the Authority and ensure that the same are approved and implemented. The Director will, as per the stipulations of the NHI Act No. 2 of 2018, undertake research in health insurance to services utilisation to inform policy formulation for the attainment of Universal Health Coverage.

The role will also superintend over the design, execution, and review of actuarial activities as well as the coordination of stakeholders and co-operating partners’activities and resource mobilisation. It will also be in charge of coordinating strategic planning, developing and implementing a robust monitoring and evaluation regime in NHIMA. Working closely with Human Resource, the role will ensure there is direct linkage between personal Key Performance Indicators to organisational strategic outcomes.

The role holder will also be a member of the Executive Team and is expected to participate in Authority management activities that may be outside the Research & Planning Directorate.

Key Responsibilities

Key Functions/Responsibilities

The key functions of the role will include but not limited to;

• Plan, coordinate and implement research activities in order to generate information that will guide and inform the Authority operational plans, policies and all other interventions;
• Coordinate and implement the strategic plan of the Authority as it relates to the Directorate and Authority;
• Collect, collate and analyse data on health services utilisation, disease prevalence, wages, contributions and health services costs to inform the solvency of the Fund through actuarial assessments;
• Facilitate and coordinate the carrying out of comprehensive actuarial assessments as may be required from time to time;
• Coordinate timely preparations of Authority annual plans and evaluations to facilitate the acquisition of additional resources for the sustainability of the Fund;
• Prepare and monitor forecasts of population growth, mobility and the distribution and severity of morbidity and diseases for insurance planning;
• Monitor the implementation of strategic and operational plans to ensure quality, quantity, timeliness and results in relation to planned objectives and expected outcomes;
• Conduct periodic monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of health insurance policies for presentation to the Director General and the Board;
• Coordinate the tracking of the National Status of Health Insurance in order to inform government on progress towards Universal Health Coverage;
• Be the in-house Authority Think Tank through collaborative research and ensure timely publication of research papers on emerging concepts and findings relating to National Health Insurance implementation;
• Provide linkages with key stakeholders and partners and collect information for resource mobilisation;
• Supervise and manage the Research & Planning Team;
• Participate and engage in all management activities of the Authority that may be outside the Directorate; and
• Perform any other function as may be directed by the Director General and the Board.

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Grade 12 School Certificate with at least five (5) credits that should include English and Mathematics;
• Degree in a Finance, Accounting, Insurance, Economics, Mathematics and Statistics, Actuary or any related field; and/or
• Masters Degree in any business, insurance, health economics or public health with bias towards health care financing/health insurance.

Competencies required for this Role

Education

• Grade 12 School Certificate with at least five (5) credits that should include English and Mathematics;
• Degree in a Finance, Accounting, Insurance, Economics, Mathematics and Statistics, Actuary or any related field; and/or
• Masters Degree in any business, insurance, health economics or public health with bias towards health care financing/health insurance.

Experience:

• At least eight (8) years of industry experience in health care financing, policy development and implementation;
• Significant experience working with co-operating partners in the health care financing landscape in Zambia and Sub-Sahara Africa; and
• Significant knowledge on Zambia’s National Health Strategic Plans, policies and strategies coupled with the in-depth knowledge of the National Health Insurance Act No. 2 of 2018.