Request for Expression of Interest
(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)
Egypt
Supporting Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance System Project
Loan No.: IBRD-91320
Assignment Title: Operations Officer to work for project management unit.
Reference No. EG-MOF-456521-CS-INDV
The Ministry of Finance has received a loan of $400M from the World Bank toward the cost of the Supporting Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance System Project, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.
The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment are attached to this request for expressions of interest.
The “Supporting Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance System Project” now invites eligible (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services.
Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services ( profile, brochures, experience in similar assignments, availability of appropriate skills and resources, ... etc.).
The shortlisting criteria are:
- A relevant degree (preferably master's) in project management, business administration, or a related field.
- At least 5 years of demonstrated experience in project operations, preferably within the public sector or international development context.
- Familiarity with stakeholder engagement, particularly in the context of health or social development projects.
- Strong communication skills with an emphasis on stakeholder engagement, particularly in health or social development projects. This includes the ability to navigate the Egyptian government communication and governance frameworks, foster collaborative relationships, and facilitate clear, inclusive, and effective dialogue among diverse stakeholders.
- Experience working with government institutions and international organizations, such as the World Bank, is highly desirable.
- Strong organizational and coordination skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities.
- Proficiency in written and spoken English and Arabic.
The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” November 2020 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant Selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations.
Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 10.00 am to 4.00 pm – Sunday to Thursday.
Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below by e-mail by 11th of May, 2025.
Supporting Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance System Project.
Attn: Yara Gamal – Procurement Specialist.
Ministry of Finance.
Cairo – Egypt.
Tel: +201141221444
E-mail: procurement.uhis.eg@outlook.com
Supporting Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance System Project
Terms of Reference
Operations Officer
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Job Title: |
Operations officer |
General Manager: |
PMU Manager |
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Department |
Project management unit of the Supporting UHIS project |
Reporting to: |
Senior health economist |
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Location: |
New Capital - Egypt |
Travel Required: |
Yes, if needed |
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Duration: |
3 months subject to renewal based on performance and availability of fund |
Position Type: |
full-time – Hybrid |
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Dates: |
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Working Time |
9:00 am – 5:00 pm |
- Background:
Egypt has made significant health progress over the past three decades. For example, the maternal mortality ratio declined from 106 to 37 deaths per 100,000 live births, and the infant mortality rate fell from 60 to 18 deaths per 1,000 births between 1990 and 2017. Egypt was able to achieve the Millennium Development Goals 3 and 4, on promoting gender equality empowering women, and improving maternal health, respectively. However, following rapid improvements in the 1990s and early 2000s, health progress has been considerably slowing down. Life expectancy increased from 66 to 72 years over the last two decades but remains below the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) average of 74 years.
Disparities persist in rural, remote, and slum areas, which have the poorest health outcomes and inadequate medical services, especially basic health services such as maternal and child care. Upper (Southern) Egypt and the border governorates tend to be the most lagging behind. For instance, under-five mortality is highest in Upper Egypt (38 deaths per 1,000 births) which is almost twice the level of the urban governorates (20 deaths per 1,000 births). On the other hand, Egypt has been facing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mainly due to poorly controlled risk factors.
In terms of health spending, Egypt is one of the lowest healthcare spenders in the MENA region with health expenditure at 1.4% of the GDP. Only 5.6% of the total government budget is spent on health, accounting for 38% of the total health expenditure (THE). Thus, more than half of the THE (61%) is out-of-pocket (OOP). In addition to low health spending, systemic inefficiencies and inequities in health financing limit the effectiveness of the healthcare system. Moreover, approximately 90% of private expenditures are considered OOP, directly paid to healthcare providers by households. These expenditures are either prepaid to voluntary health insurance (10% of THE) or paid directly to healthcare providers by households.
As part of the effort to respond to such health challenges, the government passed the universal health insurance law (UHIL) in January 2018, to accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). Such a mandate goes in line with the health pillar of Egypt‘s 2030 sustainable development vision and the Egyptian constitution of 2014 (Article 18 - “Every citizen is entitled to health and to comprehensive health care with quality criteria […]”). The UHIL envisions coverage for all citizens, including disadvantaged groups (approximately 30% of the population) who will be covered for free by the government, over 15 years.
Management and application of the universal health insurance system (UHIS) entailed the formation of three main entities: 1) General Authority for Healthcare Accreditation and Regulation (GAHAR), which is primarily responsible for accreditation of healthcare service providers; 2) Universal Health Insurance Agency (UHIA), which is responsible for revenue collection and contracting with service providers; and 3) Health Care Organization (HCO), which is responsible for service provision.
The government has recently requested the Bank’s support to the new UHIS, and the latter has developed an outline for a 6-year project featuring the following key components.
- Project Components:
Component 1: Enrollment and empanelment of the population into UHIS. This component will support the enrollment of the population in UHIS as well as the empanelment of enrollees with General Practitioners (GPs). This will be achieved by supporting, inter alia (i) the enrollment and empanelment for the entire population in Phase I governorates, (ii) IEC campaigns to raise awareness about UHIS among the population, (iii) identification of the disadvantaged groups who are eligible for non-contributory free coverage, as per the UHIL, (iv) contributions of the disadvantaged groups, and (v) government contribution to UHIS for civil servants.
Component 2: Strengthening capacity of UHIS-related agencies, UHIS governance and creating an enabling environment. This component will support:
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- Capacity building for UHIS-related agencies, with a focus on the UHIA and GAHAR to better help them carry out their mandates. For each agency, the project will support institutional strengthening, including the development and implementation of a comprehensive set of complementary regulations, strategies and work plans, which are required for UHIS roll-out.
- Institutional arrangements and governance for UHIS, including support for UHIS oversight and coordination platform.
- Creating an enabling environment for UHIS, including the policy environment for private sector participation, citizen engagement mechanisms at both the central and governorate level such as 24X7 Call Center, and Local and National Health Assemblies/Forums.
Component 3: Providing temporary financial protection against catastrophic health expenditures for vulnerable populations outside Phase I Governorates. This component will provide temporary support, for three fiscal years, for the costs associated with the utilization of the program of treatment on the expense of the state (PTES) by the most vulnerable segments of the society who are affected by the negative health and economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt.
Component 4: Technical assistance, project management and monitoring and evaluation. This component will support TA including capacity building and analytical activities for the establishment of the new UHIS. It will include support for UHIA, GAHAR, HCO, and the Social Justice Unit of the Ministry of Finance (MOF), as well as other related entities.
- Overview of the Key Social Aspects of the project and Key Related Project Documents:
The Project is planned to support the UHIS in the phase 1 governorates (Port-Said, Suez, Ismailia, South Sinai, Luxor, and Aswan). The population and poverty status of these governorates are shown in the below table[1]:
|
Gov. |
Population number |
|
|
|
Vulnerable population |
|||
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Port Said |
749,371 |
35,579 |
|
|
Ismailia |
1,303,993 |
152,534 |
|
|
Suez |
728,180 |
32,598 |
|
|
S. Sinai |
102,018 |
8,759 |
|
|
Luxor |
1,250,209 |
339,450 |
|
|
Aswan |
1,473,975 |
209,128 |
|
|
Total |
5,607,746 |
1,682,511 |
Accordingly, roughly 2 million people are below the national poverty line and should be eligible for contribution-exemption. The identification process of these people (as well as the other contribution-exempted categories outlined in the Prime Minister’s decree 1948/2019) is likely to involve inclusion and exclusion errors. Furthermore, the near-poor, who represent approximately 30% of the total population, are not exempted from contributions; consequently, the contributions they have to pay may be impoverishing.
Other potential risks include: 1) exclusion of marginalized tribal groups in South Sinai and Ismailia, due to lack of customized targeting criteria; and 2) exclusion of local private clinics from enrollment under the system, owing to inability to obtain accreditation. (For more information on the potential risks, refer to the ESRS—Environmental and Social Review Summary).
On the other hand, the government has established a 24/7 call center (15344) to respond to beneficiaries’ inquiries and complaints. This center is assumed to be a key uptake channel, through which complaints can be received and rerouted to respective bodies, such as GAHAR or UHIA, for further inspection and feedback. In addition, there is an officer at each healthcare facility who is responsible for client satisfaction and can therefore be one of the channels to handle complaints. Furthermore, the inspection of exclusion-related complaints is stipulated by the above-mentioned Prime Minister’s decree to be the responsibility of a permanent committee that shall be formed by UHIA’s chairman.
The project involves a wide range of stakeholders, primarily: 1) Egyptian citizens/beneficiaries in the targeted governorates, especially the disadvantaged groups who are eligible for non-contributory coverage; 2) government health service providers, including different categories of workers from different levels; 3) private service providers, including pharmacists, doctors, and assisting staff; 4) civil society organizations of different interests and different scales; 5) professional syndicates; 6) pharmaceutical industry; 7) private health insurance companies; 8) international development agencies; and 9) the major involved public sector and government entities, such as UHIA, GAHAR, HCO, MOHP (Ministry of Health and Population), CAPMAS (official statistics body), ACA (Administrative Control Authority), and MOSS (Ministry of Social Solidarity).
Key project documents covering the social aspects and commitments of the project are:
- Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure Plan (Link here)
- Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (Link here)
- Social Impact Assessment (available at the Ministry of Finance)
- Responsibilities of the Operations Officer
I. Overview
The Operations Officer will work under the umbrella of the Project Management Unit (PMU) at the Ministry of Finance and report directly to the senior health economist. The primary objective of this role is to ensure the efficient execution of the project’s operations, and the overall coordination and monitoring of operational activities. The Operations Officer will also collaborate closely with the PMU team, including Social Safeguards specialists, consultants, and other relevant stakeholders.
This position requires full-time commitment, and presence in the Ministry of Finance premises in the New Administrative Capital *as needed, as well as in meetings at other locations.
*A fixed transportation allowance is provided monthly by the MoF as a compensation for commuting to the New Administrative Capital.
II. Responsibilities of the Operations Officer
The Operations Officer will focus on ensuring the smooth implementation of the project’s operational aspects while incorporating communication and stakeholder engagement components where necessary. Key responsibilities include:
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- Oversee day-to-day project operations to ensure timely and efficient implementation.
- Develop and monitor operational plans, ensuring alignment with the project’s goals and objectives.
- Track project operational progress and compliance, providing regular reports to the PMU Director and feedback to the PMU team.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate operational risks, working closely with the M&E specialist to proactively address challenges that could impact project execution.
- Ensure implementation and periodic revision of the Project Operations Manual.
- Act as the primary liaison between the PMU and key institutional stakeholders, such as Government agencies, development partners and Private sector entities on UHIS operational issues.
- Ensure timely information sharing and collaboration between all partners.
- Organize and support meetings with key stakeholders, ensuring alignment on project goals.
- Track and follow up on commitments made by external partners to ensure timely action.
- Address bottlenecks in stakeholder coordination and project implementation that could delay project progress.
- Work with relevant agencies to ensure smooth execution of on-ground activities.
- Work closely with relevant agencies to ensure alignment between operational activities and project objectives.
- Collaborate with the World Bank to assess the understanding of stakeholders of the project components, objectives, and operational requirements.
- Design and implement targeted training programs aimed at strengthening the communication, information-sharing, and reporting capabilities of project staff and stakeholders. Ensure these trainings foster a culture of transparency, effective collaboration, and timely dissemination of project-related information.
- Work closely with the Social Safeguards Specialist and other PMU team members to ensure that all operational activities are aligned with the project’s social development and communication strategies, as well as WB requirements.
- Develop and implement quality assurance measures to ensure that the operational processes meet predefined standards, to guarantee consistency and quality in the execution of project operations.
III. Qualifications
The candidate should meet the following qualifications:
- A relevant degree (preferably master's) in project management, business administration, or a related field.
- At least 5 years of demonstrated experience in project operations, preferably within the public sector or international development context.
- Familiarity with stakeholder engagement, particularly in the context of health or social development projects.
- Strong communication skills with an emphasis on stakeholder engagement, particularly in health or social development projects. This includes the ability to navigate the Egyptian government communication and governance frameworks, foster collaborative relationships, and facilitate clear, inclusive, and effective dialogue among diverse stakeholders.
- Experience working with government institutions and international organizations, such as the World Bank, is highly desirable.
- Strong organizational and coordination skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities.
- Proficiency in written and spoken English and Arabic.
IV. Reporting Lines
The Operational Officer will report directly to the Senior Health Economist will coordinate closely with the broader PMU team, particularly in areas of stakeholder engagement and operational risk management.
[1] Population and poverty data were extracted from the national 2017 census and the household income, expenditure, and consumption survey (HIECS) 2018, respectively.