International Consultant Specialized in Logistics for COVID-19 Vaccines

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, Health

The Government received a first tranche of 100,000 doses from the Government of China to vaccinate priority groups (medical personnel, military personnel, people with certain chronic diseases and the elderly). Subsequently, China offered an additional 225,000 doses to accelerate the campaign and to expand the target population to all people over 18 years of age, including foreign nationals. With this first shipment, as of 31 May, the country has vaccinated 148,085 people. Currently, the government has financed 500,000 doses available in the country since 21 June 2021. As of 26 July 2021, the campaign has reached 293,703 people, including 174,001 for the first dose and 119,701 for the second.

In the first quarter of 2021, the Government of Equatorial Guinea focused on rolling out a comprehensive COVID-19 immunization plan. In February 2021, the Government launched a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Sinopharm, which was approved by WHO Emergency committee in February 2021. The Government aims to accelerate the rolling out the COVID-19 vaccines over the next months to urgently achieve herd immunity. The COVID-19 immunization plan includes a national wide awareness raising campaign, a comprehensive surveillance, testing and treatment components.

How can you make a difference?

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The COVID-19 vaccine campaign in Equatorial Guinea requires critical interventions with strong support from highly skilled personnel with knowledge of middle-income countries environment and appropriate programme approaches. There is limited capacity in MOH and there are challenges with inter-sectoral coordination and with management of health district.

Under the supervision of the Deputy Representative, the incumbent will:

• Lead on UNICEF country office’s support on COVID-19 vaccine cold chain / logistics and in-country supply chain readiness and support the implementation of supply chain related activities in WCAR as an active member of the Supply chain, logistics and vaccine forecasting working group and through national immunization COVID-19 Vaccine National Committee.
• Coordinate the National Supply / Cold Chain Logistics, in collaboration with all relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure the supply of both Vaccine and Device Supply chain / Cold chain / In-country logistics readiness and implementation activities.
• Share regular COVID-19 vaccine supply and logistics activities updates including progress, challenges and recommendations with the CO team and WCARO team within Health/Immunization and Supply Management.
• Ensure that all supply chain challenges, and risks are shared with the management and adequate solutions are timely implemented.

KEY DELIVERABLES

• Responsible for facilitating the rapid delivery of vaccine and associated supplies/equipment at national level and the deployment to vaccination centers / target groups.
• Conduct a supply chain assessment to identify the strengths and weaknesses to adequately store, deploy the vaccine and dispose the waste considering to the specific of cold chain complexity.
• Enhance national awareness and readiness on the COVID-19 vaccine deployment and the required supply chain and logistics interventions
• Contribute to develop an implementation & monitoring framework to guide COVID-19 vaccine National Committee on supply chain / cold chain and logistics matters and ensure close monitoring of the planning and the implementation phases
• Prepare the country for the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines and rapid delivery to the central vaccine store/Hub
• Prepare the country for the arrival and rapid delivery of any bundled cold-chain equipment and devices
• Support the modelling / conception of deployment strategy from central level to the periphery, identify and fulfil the supply chain gaps
• Update guidance and tools (incl. waste collection and treatment) to support the adequate implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination strategy
• Support the country to ensure a close supervision and monitoring of supply chain and logistics interventions.
• Identify and document enabling factors, challenges and lessons learnt from the vaccine deployment activities

The Consultant is expected to coordinate and work closely with WHO for the deliverables.

TABLE OF SUPPORT

Category

Area

Description

Coordination

COVID-19 vaccine National Committee

Represent UNICEF in the different supply chain, logistics and vaccine forecasting working groups.

Readiness

Supply Chain Maturity and Readiness

Review the performance of the national system across all supply chain areas to identify gaps, priorities and investment needs to develop an updated evidence-driven strengthening roadmap aimed at enhancing the readiness levels of countries to effectively manage the COVID-19 response. Moreover, deploy an M&E framework which will be used to review progress and efficiency from all deployed interventions and enable the redirection of resources to newly/modified gaps/priorities.

Private Sector Engagement Roadmaps

Based on the operational gaps identified and where applicable/ optimal, help engage private sector service providers to absorb peaks in short-term throughput, increase flexibility and responsiveness of the network, and contribute to long-term resiliency.

Operations/

Capacity strengthening

Forecasting and Procurement

Support the country in assessing and identifying gaps in commodity forecasting and supply planning, through harmonized templates. UNICEF can support the National Technical Committee in institutionalizing performant forecasting practices and putting in place regular monitoring measures to actively respond to supply chain challenges. Activities to improve demand forecasting and supply planning could be focused on future COVID-19 Vaccines.

Monitoring

Contribute to the development of adequate monitoring tools to secure full visibility of vaccines and devices from procurement to delivery points at national level

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… PROFILE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT

• An Advanced University Degree in one or more of the following areas: Supply Chain Management, Cold chain / Logistics or equivalent.
• Minimum of eight years of progressively responsible relevant work experience in Immunization logistics and Supply Chain management in a developing country is required.
• Experience working in the UN system agency or organization is an asset. Familiarity with emergency response is an asset.
• Fluency in Spanish is required with professional proficiency level of French and/or English.

For every Child, you demonstrate…Care

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

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Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.