Individual Consultancy: Polio Campaign Cold Chain and Vaccine Management Technical Assistant (five consultants for Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Inhambane, Maputo province and Maputo city)

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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, a vaccine

How can you make a difference?

Introduction

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) seeks to ensure that future generations of children will be free from the threat of polio paralysis. Achieving this goal depends on interrupting poliovirus transmission in the remaining endemic countries and on ensuring rapid and effective responses to poliovirus outbreaks occurring in polio-free countries. The GPEI has recently revised its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the response to new polio outbreaks in polio-free countries.[1]

This document describes the Terms of Reference for the conultant for CCL&VM in polio event/outbreak in the context of the new SOPs. While CCL&VM is an essential function for any polio supplementary immunization activity (SIA), it becomes particularly important when bonovalent oral polio vaccine type 2 (bOPV-2) is deployed to respond to an outbreak or an event due to polio virus type 2 (PV2) after the completion of the global switch from trivalent to bivalent OPV.

In August and December 2021 two confirmed cases (cVDPV2) of Polio were identified in Nampula district in Nampula province and Chiúre district in Cabo Delgado, and one confirmed case (WPV1 ) of Polio was identified in Malawi in February 2022. Mozambique which calls for a polio vaccination supplementary activity SIA. This activity requires quite intensive and urgent logistics and strict adherence to the GPEI SOPs for bOPV2 Vaccine Management and Cold Chain Management. It is for this reason that there is need for a dedicated cold chain and vaccine management focal person for the campaign.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE.

The CCL&VM consultant is responsible for assisting country programmes in proper planning, utilization, stock management, disposal and reporting of all vaccines used in polio SIA four rounds for 3 months.

The CCL&VM consultant will be deployed to regions as part of the Surge Team): Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Inhambane, Maputo province and Maputo city.

METHODOLOGY AND TECHNICAL APPROACH.

• Collaborate with MOH/WHO/UNICEF/other GPEI partner teams and the Outbreak Technical Lead/Coordinator to work on vaccine forecasting, develop cold chain and logistics aspects of the country outbreak response plan and adapt the outbreak SOP and mOPV2 management technical guidance - to the country context.
• Liaise with UNICEF Programme and support the vaccine logistics teams at WHO/UNICEF country offices and in MOH to streamline
  • Planning, ordering and arrival of vaccine and consumables (e.g. droppers, AD syringes, safety boxes, finger markers etc.) through international or national shipments
  • Necessary clearances from national regulatory authorities for receiving the vaccine supplies with particular reference to nOPV & bOPV2
• Support MOH and GPEI partner teams to build capacity for
  • Proper storage of vaccines and consumables at each level of the supply cold chain. This may include short-, medium- or long-term cold chain equipment planning.
  • Optimal distribution and utilization of vaccines and consumables as per SIA macro- and micro-plans
  • Recording of missing vials, stock balance and reporting on vaccine utilization at all levels of the vaccine supply chain after each SIA round. Providing regular reports on vaccine stocks in the country when submitting requests for additional vaccines.
• CCL&VM consultant will provide technical assistance to MOH and GPEI partners to ensure that all procedures are followed as per nOPV & bOPV2 management technical guideline, such as:
  • At end of each round all partially used bOPV2 & nOPV vials are disposed of as per WHO and/or national guidelines
  • At end of the final round, all used and unused bOPV2 vials are disposed of as biological waste as per WHO and/or national guidelines and MOH attests to restoration of PV2 free status for the country.
• Monitor implementation of all aspects of CCL&VM policies as laid out in the outbreak response plans and the Guidance Note on VM/CCL during polio SIAs. Increasing capacity: Training of staff and partners involved in polio outbreak response on vaccine management and CCL in context of polio SIA per the available Guidance Note and eLearning modules. This includes the rolling out of these training tools and resources in the country.
• Engage with key partners and apply appropriate logistical tactics or special strategies (e.g. pre-positioning, opportunistic low-key campaigns etc.) for making vaccines available in insecure areas.
• Provide frequent and regular reports to the Outbreak Technical Lead on all aspects of CCL&VM and contribute updates for SITREPS, bulletins, and newsletters. Prepare reports as per GPEI requirement at end of each round and at end of final SIA round.
• Support outbreak response review assessment teams with information pertaining to CCL&VM aspects of the outbreak response.

• Undertake other assignments and responsibilities as requested by heads of country offices, regional directors, and other partners to support the successful response to the outbreak.

  ACTIVITIES AND TASKS.

  Plan for all polio campaign supplies including forecasting, budgeting

• Develop a procurement plan for all polio campaign supplies

• Source all Polio campaign supplies
• Develop detailed distribution plans and revisions where necessary to meet all needs
• Develop an execution plan for Polio Campaign logistics
• Implement the polio logistics plan mainly in Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Inhambane, Maputo province and Maputo city.
• Accounting for all nOPV & bOPV2 vaccine delivered, distributed, withdrawn, and remaining unused vials
• Manage the disposal of empty vials and unused vials as per GPEI and WHO guidelines.
• Support independent bOPV2 withdrawal monitoring and validation activities.

DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENTS.

Payments will be processed upon acceptance of the corresponding deliverable and against an invoice that will make reference to the contract reference and deliverable number. Payments will be approved by the Chief of Health or designate.

Deliverable 1: Complete detailed Polio Campaign Vaccine Management and Cold Chain Logistics, Monitoring and Accountability Report for each Health Facility, District and Province (Niassa, Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Zambezia, Tete, Manica and Sofala) for Polio Round 3 campaign.

1. Report on all full accountability of all vaccine vials per health facility, district, and provinces.
2. Report on disposal of all used vaccine vials
3. Report on all remained vials from Round 1 Campaign
4. Produce an in-depth report consolidating analyses after each vaccination campaign on the conduct of the campaign, what went wrong, what was good, and lessons learned in order to improve Round 1 SIA.

1.5 months from the onset of Campaign (35 working days)

Deliverable 2: Complete detailed Polio Campaign Vaccine Management and Cold Chain Logistics, Monitoring and Accountability Report for each Health Facility, District and Province (Niassa, Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Zambezia, Tete, Manica and Sofala) for Polio Round 4 campaign.

1. Report on all full accountability of all vaccine vials per health facility, district, and provinces.
2. Report on disposal of all used vaccine vials
3. Report on all remained vials from Round 2Campaign
4. Produce an in-depth report consolidating analyses after each vaccination campaign on the conduct of the campaign, what went wrong, what was good, and lessons learned in order to improve Round 2 SIA.

1.5 months from the onset of the Campaign (35 working days)

Payment: Paid after delivery of each deliverable 35 working days

MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION.

Supply and Logistics Specialist in UNICEF Mozambique Child Health and Nutrition Section will supervise the work of the consultants. He/she will work in coordination with MISAU-PAV Logistics Managers, Logistics Officers, EPI Managers, including the districts, UNICEF staff in Zambezia and Nampula, other partners involved in the campaign WHO, CDC, VillageReach and others.

The consultant is expected to complete his/her work without subcontracting to other individuals.

The assignment will have a maximum duration of 3 months with an estimated start date of 20th May 2022. The consultant will be expected to complete the tasks outlined to him/her and give reports to the supervisor on the completion of the tasks in a timely manner.

In-country Travel.

Travel organized by UNICEF through a Travel Authorization per the applicable policy for the in-country travel in Mozambiuque and DSA.

[1] Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Responding to a poliovirus event or outbreak, Standard Operating Procedures for a new polio outbreak in a polio-free country, December 2018, Available at:

http://polioeradication.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/sop-polio-outbreak-response-version-3-dec-2018-20181220.pdf

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

Academic qualifications.

University degree in Pharmacy, Cold Chain Logistics, Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business Management, Logistics.

Work experience.

Five or more years of working experience in the field of vaccine and cold chain management, with international/UN organization.

Experience in the campaign is preferable.

Experience in emergency logistics is preferable.

Technical knowledge and experience in vaccine stock management and cold chain maintenance (including EVM assessment methodologies as per WHO and UNICEF guidelines).

Specific knowledge, competencies, and skills required.

Experience in undertaking/analyzing inventories of cold chain equipment and suggesting long term plans

Strong facilitation skills, with prior training experience in EPI cold chain and logistics management

Language Skills.

Technical writing, speaking and presenting skills in English and Portuguese.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

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:

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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).