Cold Chain and Vaccine Management Specialist/Consultant (2positions)

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, HEALTH

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Every year, at least one-third of low and middle-income countries (LMICs) experience vaccine stockouts lasting for a month or more. By reviewing annual government reported supply chain indicators over the last ten years, LMICs have seen an increase in the number of stockouts of at least one routine antigen from 30 per cent in 2010 to 45 per cent in 2019.

Sub-optimal vaccine management not only increases the operational and opportunity costs of vaccination but can also play a significant role in broadening inequities and stagnating demand, predominantly affecting under-served, urban poor, insecure and hard-to-reach populations.

The COVID-19 vaccine deployment is ongoing since the second quarter of 2021 and continuous deployment of the COVID-19 is in place with many pipelines expected in the last quarter of 2021 onwards. In such situation, several activities need to be accomplished within a record time, this includes but not limited to determination of the required logistics the will be informed by vaccination strategies, The storage and transportation need for the vaccine should be understood and the required capacity should be determined in a short window of time. A detailed storage and distribution plan need to agree and followed strictly. These activities require additional time and knowledge.

To effectively manage the forthcoming surge in COVID-19 vaccine deliveries, UNICEF is deploying vaccine management specialists (VMS) into the field. The VMS will build capacity and support national authorities in planning, storage, distribution, temperature tracking, monitoring, accountability and waste management of COVID-19 vaccines and relevant commodities.

Through Stock Management Strengthening steam, the Gavi will fund the Focused technical assistance support to the Gavi-57 economies for the planning and preparation for the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine. In order to support the Ministry of Health to ensure supply chain readiness and implementation to efficiently deploying COVID-19 vaccine to the target populations in line with defined vaccination strategies, UNICEF South Sudan is seeking assistance in the form of a consultancy equivalent to International cold chain vaccine management Specialist to support effective planning, storage, distribution, monitoring and accountability of the upcoming surge in COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to the country.

The main objective of this consultancy is to deploy technical assistance, strengthen vaccine inventory tools in cold stores, cover monitoring related DSA and travel entitlements of UNICEF and a limited number of gov. counterparts, enable supply chain performance assessments, leverage independent monitoring structures in high-risk areas and organize capacity development workshops.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with partners, establish/strengthen a data collection system (ODK etc.) so NLWG/EOC has weekly data on COVID-19 vaccine quantities, expiry dates, closed vial wastage and critical operational challenges.
• Prepare monthly vaccine status and accountability reports and share with supply and logistics working groups and key stakeholders.
• Support NLWG/EOC (TOT, on the job training, adopt/deploy SOPs) to plan the timely and equitable distribution of vaccines with active temperature monitoring in transit and on arrival at receiving stores.
• Support NLWGs to expand/deploy data management systems/tools (OCK, SMT, eLMIS) that improve/automate vaccine inventories at national, second and third level stores.
• Support NLWGs to socialise stock management best practices and systems within national supply and logistic systems through cascaded trainings and make it a mandatory part of supportive supervision visits.
• Support regular review of supply chain performance at the national and sub-national level, ensuring course correction and triangulating with service delivery data.
• Prepare monthly vaccine monitoring reports and share them with key stakeholders.
• Strengthen routine stock management practices (ToT, cross-learning, documenting best practices and lessons learnt) and track monthly reporting rates at central, secondary and third level stores.
• Collect, analyse and share COVID-19 and RI stock, consumption, and expiry data up to third level stores with regional office focal point.
• Develop a costed supportive supervision workplan that include the number of government supervisors and frequency of visits, expected and actual results and ensure the allocated funds enable monitoring up to Sep 2022.

Scope of Work:

In collaboration with MOH/WHO/UNICEF/other extended partner teams for planning and deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine, the consultant will assess the supply chain gaps at all level in light of COVID-19 vaccine characteristics, prepare and implement the expansion/rehabilitation of the cold chain capacity, support capacity building activity of the vaccine handlers (SOP and trainings), as well as manage vaccine and dry stock receipt, storage, distribution, return and COVID-19 vaccine logistics information (tools, SOP and data management)

Work Assignment Overview

Strengthened/revitalized the structures for coordination and Vaccine Management (CTWG/ NLWG) with TOR and SOP at all levels of the health services (including the mapping of key roles and responsibilities needed for vaccine and ancillary products deployment and the lists of confirmed contact information for key personnel and facilities.)

Cold Chain Capacity and Gap analysis report for COVID-19 vaccine introduction including the procurement plan for cold chain equipment expansion/rehabilitation (CCE including Passive Containers)

• NLWG structure revitalized and minutes of meetings documented and shared
• Cold chain capacity gap analysis finalised; findings used for deployment of CCE

The costed National Covid-19 vaccine logistics plan (including required vaccine and ancillary products, entry point, storage points, the distribution/reverse distribution strategy and the locations based on priority setting for target population, shipment plans of prepositioned vaccine, HR and transport arrangement, waste management and reversed logistic plan)

Weekly/Monthly report of the National Logistics Working Group for COVID-19 vaccine introduction including progress report supply chain component of the readiness assessment tools

• Costing of vaccine deployment, especially the vaccine and cold chain logistics section, updated
• Minutes of covid-19 related coordination meetings documented and shared; follow-on action points made regularly

Updated vaccine and stock management tools as well as operating procedures to reflect the characteristics of COVID-19 vaccines (i.e. vial size, VVM, and waste management).

Weekly/Monthly report of the National Logistics Working Group for COVID-19 vaccine introduction including progress report supply chain component of the readiness assessment tools

• Support the vaccine management team at national vaccine store with updating the SMT tool; support implementation/cascading of eSMT

Training report on COVID-19 vaccine and stock management in line with updated SOP

Weekly/Monthly report of the National Logistics Working Group for COVID-19 vaccine introduction including progress report supply chain component of the readiness assessment tools

Quality training conducted; training reports prepared and shared in time

• Minutes of covid-19 related coordination meetings documented and shared; follow-on action points made regularly

National and Field level monitoring report of vaccine distribution, utilization, and reverse distribution report

Weekly/Monthly report of the National Logistics Working Group for COVID-19 vaccine introduction including progress report supply chain component of the readiness assessment tools

• Planned field supervisions conducted in regularly; report of supervision prepared and shared for documentation
• Minutes of covid-19 related coordination meetings documented and shared; follow-on action points made regularly

Final report on the Readiness and implementation of Covid-19 vaccine logistics plan and for COVID-19 vaccine introduction including progress report on supply chain component of the readiness assessment tools and lessons learnt

• Clear and concise report prepared and shared with the cold chain team/immunization manager in time

Minimum Qualifications required:

• A university degree is required in Pharmacy, Public Health, Epidemiology, Public Administration, Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Procurement, Engineering, or other relevant disciplines
• A minimum of five years of professional work experience at the national and international levels in planning, programming, implementation monitoring and evaluation of health/immunization programmes, immunization/health supply, logistics and procurement

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Health logistics specialist with extensive knowledge and experiences of the Expanded Programme on Immunization, including aspects related to mass vaccination campaigns and covid-19 vaccination response activities
• Work experience managing large-scale projects, working with governments, working in resource-limited settings, monitoring and evaluating supply chains, and risk management, mitigation will be an asset.
• Experience of cold chain equipment management, including preventive and curative maintenance is an asset
• Knowledge and experience with data collection, data management analysis and reporting are essential
• Knowledge of procurement processes and good distribution practice could be beneficial
• Proficiency in computer tools, and the logistics tools of the EPI, SMT, ViVa, CCE inventory tool
• Have an organizational and managerial capacity
• Know how to maintain good relations with all partners
• Be a team player
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Have the ability to communicate and train

All applications must be submitted with detailed financial and technical proposal

Payment Schedule

Payment will be done monthly upon delivery of key task and submission of all necessary reports as stipulated in the detailed Terms of Reference.

https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/

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UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.