Consultancy: Technical Specialist, Oxygen Therapy and PSA Plants, 11.5 months (250 days) Office based

Contract

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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, Support...

Contribute expert biomedical engineering input to UNICEF’s accelerating area of work on delivery of oxygen through complex oxygen projects.

How can you make a difference?

Over the past two years, and even before the onset of COVID-19, UNICEF has invested in improving oxygen access globally, through updating oxygen device specifications with WHO, including a suite of oxygen therapy equipment in the UNICEF supply catalogue, developing an oxygen systems planning tool to provide support to countries in planning and costing oxygen needs, developing the Plant-in-a-Box solution for rapid deployment of PSA plants, and improving the quality of maternal, newborn and child health programming including through improved access to and safe use of oxygen as part of integrated service delivery at hospital and Primary Health Care level.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF has supplied over 42,000 oxygen concentrators as well as accessories and consumables, including hypoxemia measurement devices, to 94 countries across the world. UNICEF country offices have supported the local oxygen response in multiple ways through needs assessment, local procurement and installation of PSA plants or liquid oxygen tanks, procurement of oxygen cylinders, service contracts with suppliers, capacity building and other efforts aiming to strengthen country oxygen systems with sustainable solutions for long-term impact beyond COVID-19 to improve child health outcomes.

Health Technology Centre requires a consultant with specialist technical knowledge of oxygen therapy equipment and supplies, including medical gas generating plants, and their implementation in low-resource settings, to contribute expert biomedical engineering input to UNICEF’s accelerating area of work on delivery of oxygen through complex oxygen projects.

Key Tasks Supported by both the Technical Manager (Medical Devices) and the Technical Specialist (Oxygen PSA Plants), the consultant will support on-going efforts at Supply Division to ensure appropriate oxygen therapy equipment and supplies are available to country offices and partners. The consultant will provide technical assistance and support the development of specifications, tender documents, evaluation criteria and technical guidance for global tenders for oxygen therapy devices and PSA plants, including oxygen concentrators, pulse oximeters, PSA plants, and possibly other oxygen therapy accessories. The consultant will conduct technical evaluations for the above tenders. The consultant will also provide direct technical support to countries procuring and installing oxygen equipment and services locally (e.g., PSA plants, Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO), medical gas pipeline systems (MGPS).

Tasks/Deliverables and Output

Support the Technical Manager (Medical Devices) by contributing to the development of specifications, tender documents, and evaluation criteria, as well as conducting technical evaluations of proposals, for oxygen therapy devices. Technical specifications and evaluation for pulse oximeter tender. Expected Output below:

• Technical specifications and evaluation of oxygen concentrator tender
• Technical specifications and evaluation of oxygen analyzer tender
• Technical specifications and evaluation of other oxygen therapy accessories

Support the Technical Specialist (PSA plants) by contributing to the development of specifications, tender documents, and evaluation criteria, as well as conducting the technical evaluation of proposals for goods and services related to PSA plants (the Plant-in-a-box (PiB) 2023 tender). Expected Output below:

• Technical specifications and evaluation of PiB 2023 tender

Ad Hoc support to Country Offices: - Technical input on specifications for local procurement by Country Offices - Technical input for services requested by Country Offices (PSA/MGP) - Coordination and tracking of the requests from Country Offices

- Technical specifications for local procurement of large scale O2 production systems - Review ToR and reports for requests utilizing UNICEF’s LTAs for BME services (PSA/VPSA/MGP) - First line analysis of local procurement requests from CO, tracking and monitoring the follow up

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• University Degree, in engineering, biomedical engineering or related discipline, and/or public health with relevant experience is required • Masters or PhD is preferred • Medical gas accreditation or certification is considered a strong asset

Professional Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of years professional and relevant work experience in oxygen delivery systems (ideally plants specifically). • Direct experience of UNICEF or UN procurement systems and mechanisms preferred, including running tenders. • Proven high-level ability to synthesise and communicate technical information. • Experience in producing technical guidance for oxygen systems is considered a strong asset • Working knowledge of UNICEF and the UN is a strong asset • Knowledge and understanding of public procurement principles is a strong asset • Experience in Project Management is desirable • Experience in workflow / tasks coordination is desirable

Technical Knowledge • Specialist knowledge of oxygen systems, medical equipment, medical devices, and/or biomedical engineering is required • Experience in developing high quality specifications and guidance is required • Knowledge of the context in which UNICEF operates is required.

Functional Competencies: • Able to work independently and problem solving oriented. • Able to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships. • Demonstrated communication and relationship building skills • Proven capacity to work with and lead collaborative teams across different locations and with different technical skills.

Language Requirements: • Fluency in written and spoken English is essential and in another UN language is an advantage.

Qualified candidates are requested to submit: 1. Cover letter/application outlining relevant experience of the role 2. Financial quote including both a daily and monthly rate in US Dollars including all taxes. UNICEF considers best value for money in its evaluation 3. At least 3 Reference contacts who may be contacted

Evaluation Criteria.

Overall Response (20 points) 20

• Understanding of tasks, objectives and completeness and coherence of response 10
• Overall match between the TOR requirements and proposal 10

Technical Capacity (50 points) 50

• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience 15
• University Degree, in engineering, biomedical engineering or related discipline, and/or public health with relevant experience is required. Masters or PhD is preferred 10
• Specialist knowledge of oxygen systems 10
• Developing high quality specifications and guidance 10
• Knowledge of UNICEF context/field locations 5

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL (Max 30 points)

Total Financial proposal - Daily rate (Monthly rate) 30 points

TOTAL SCORE (max. 100 points)

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.