International Vaccine Management Consultant with UNICEF in Uzbekistan

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, protect.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: Timely and equitable immunization services are amongst the most cost-effective development interventions with sustained and long-term health and economic dividends for nations. An effective end-to-end vaccine stock management is at its core, ensuring life-saving vaccines are always available up to the last mile, coverage goals are met, and no child is left behind. However, at least one-third of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) each year experience one or more vaccine stockouts lasting for one month or more, including Uzbekistan. By reviewing annual government-reported supply chain indicators over the last ten years, LMICs have seen an increase in stockouts of at least one routine antigen from 30% in 2010 to 45% in 2019.

Sub-optimal stock management not only increases the operational and opportunity costs of vaccination but can also significantly broaden inequities and stagnating demand, specifically affecting underserved, urban poor, insecure and hard-to-reach populations. In 2022, UNICEF provided targeted assistance to improve management practices, conduct effective vaccine management assessment, introduce and roll out new COVID-19 vaccines, update training materials, carry out temperature mapping, installation of the remote temperature monitoring system (RTMS) at 21 cold stores.

Notwithstanding the concentrated effort to strengthen vaccine management in 2022, there are still some areas for improvement and innovations that need to be fostered in 2023: further operationalization of RTMS in 200 cold stores; introduction of the Visibility for Vaccine (ViVa) and Traceability and Verification System (TRVST); capacity building of EPI staff; updating SOPs and training materials, etc. To strengthen the stock management and vaccine forecasting capacity of MOH, UNICEF developed the Visibility for Vaccines (ViVa) tool, which is a stock monitoring dashboard that visualize the pipeline of vaccine orders and forecasts, enabling country goverments to indentify risks of stock-out or overstocking and take corrective action before they occur.

Furthermore, in 2023, UNICEF Uzbekistan plans to launch the Traceability and Verification System (TRVST), a new collaboratively designed solution that allows countries to verify the authenticity of health products and track and trace them through their supply chain. TRVST is being developed under the Verification and Traceability Initiative (VTI), a multi-stakeholder partnership composed of UNICEF, Gavi, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Global Fund, USAID, and the World Bank.

To proactively address stock management (COVID-19 and Routine Immunization (RI)) challenges, operationalize new vaccine and supply chain management electronic platforms and ensure relevant national and subnational authorities (National Logistics Working Group (NLWG)/National EPI agency) have adequate capacity to receive, store, distribute and monitor the major surge in COVID-19 vaccines, UNICEF requires an international vaccine management (VM) specialist to provide support to the Government.

Scope of Work: Under the supervision of the Immunization Officer, the consultant will proactively address stock management (COVID-19 and Routine Immunization (RI)) challenges and ensure relevant national and subnational authorities (NLWG/EOC/National EPI agency) have adequate capacity to receive, store, distribute and monitor the major surge in COVID-19 vaccines.

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the Immunization Officer, the consultant will proactively address stock management (COVID-19 and Routine Immunization (RI)) challenges and ensure relevant national and subnational authorities (NLWG/EOC/National EPI agency) have adequate capacity to receive, store, distribute and monitor the major surge in COVID-19 vaccines.

Within the technical area of COVID-19 VACCINE DEPLOYMENT, the consultant will support MOH to: • Train MOH’s national logistics working group to coordinate COVID-19 vaccines and ancillary products deployment; • assess MOH’s dry storage and cold chain capacity at all levels with regards to the COVID-19 vaccines characteristics and fill the identified supply and logistics gaps by exploring different options (ref global guidance); • map key roles and responsibilities needed for vaccine and ancillary products deployment; collect and confirm contact information for key personnel and facilities; • map the potential port(s) of entry, points of storage (stores), and facilities with their respective cold chain storage for the potential vaccine (2-8C, -20C, -60/70C) and transportation capacity for vaccines and ancillary products; • identify and establish contractual agreements to prepare for vaccine introduction (e.g., vaccine warehousing, transport, waste management, cold chain capacity, etc); • update MOH’s vaccine stock management tools, operating procedures, and information system to reflect the characteristics of COVAX19 (i.e vial size, QR code. barcode); • adapt the training materials and guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine introduction, including vaccine traceability, reverse logistics, and accountability framework, and conduct trainings;

Tasks under the technical area COLD CHAIN EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT will include: • Provide technical support in the area of temperature management, which includes: conducting a temperature mapping study in the vaccine cold rooms in selected regions using the WHO tool (protocol, training, data analysis) and building national capacity to conduct future studies • Coordinate a temperature monitoring study in the vaccine distribution routes in selected regions using the WHO protocol and the UNICEF guide (temperature monitoring handbook) and build national capacity to conduct future studies • Support the development and deployment of guidance, training materials and SOPs to ensure adoption and sustained use of the system by health workers and managers • Implementation of remote temperature monitoring systems (RTMS) and data management processes • Assist with the operationalization of the Vaccine Logistics Management Information System (VLMIS) at 100 per cent of cold stores (n=220) • Support user training for 9,000 vaccinators and cold store managers • Contribute to the development of trainings manual and job aids for users • Provide inputs for the development and endorsement of the Cold Chain Equipment Management Information System and Vaccine Transport Management Information System • Assist with developing a sustainability plan for immunization-related modules of HMIS

Work Assignments Overview - Deliverables/Outputs - Timeline 1. Develop a consultancy workplan articulating linkages with the work of VLMIS, RTMD, EIR to ensure synergies, as well as a draft consultancy report layout - Consultancy workplan developed - 5 days

2. Provide monthly vaccine accountability reports, including stock receipts, distribution, utilization, and wastage rates, developed, and shared with NLWG and UNICEF country and regional offices - Monthly vaccine stock reports provided - 25 days

3. Update and revalidate Supply Chain and Cold Chain Management sections of the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP) for COVID-19 and the National Immunization Strategy (NIS) - NVDP and NIS are updated semi-annually - 20 days

4. Support NLWG to effectively plan the arrivals, storage, temperature monitoring and control during storage, distribution, and redistribution of COVID-19 and routine vaccines - Consultancy reports provided - 20 days

5. Review SOPs and training materials on vaccine and supply chain management, RTMS, ViVa platform, TRVST, etc., and provide training to EPI staff - SOPs updated, and training reports provided - 40 days

6. Oversee nationwide rollout of RTMS and ensure operationalization through training and capacity building of EPI staff - RTMD is fully functional in all cold stores (220) - 30 days

7. Provide technical support in temperature management, including conducting a temperature mapping study in the vaccine cold rooms in selected countries using WHO tool (protocol, training, data analysis) and building national capacity to conduct future studies - Temperature mapping report is provided and action plan on improvement is developed - 30 days

8. Contribute to the reporting to partners/donors/UNICEF Reports -15 days

9. Assessing further needs and development of recommendations for sustainability - Lessons learned and recommendations in the reports/final report - 8.5 days

Travel:

Round trip from home to duty station. The consultant will be required to travel twice a month (18 in total) to the fields to monitor vaccine management, and provide training/supportive supervision.

Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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

• University degree is required (Advanced degree an advantage), preferably in relevant field (e.g., business planning, supply chain management, economics, international development studies, medicine, procurement, logistics, or another quantitative degree). Relevant work experience can substitute in cases where a university degree is not aligned with a relevant field.
• At least (8) years of experience in international public health programme management including at least three (3) years in immunization, with experience in low- and middle-income countries, preferably in the areas of: - Logistics management systems - Supply chain bottleneck and root cause analysis - Familiarity with inventory policies, allocation, ordering and distribution strategies and other supply chain operations - Health systems strengthening - Assessing and measuring supply chain performance - Experience interfacing with national ministries of health is an advantage.
• Proven experience in strategic negotiations and planning in multi-stakeholder settings
• Experience in writing complex strategic proposals, and developing multi-year operational plans Experience in training, planning and delivery of technical assistance
• Effective presenter, including ability to adapt the message and visual aids for multiple audiences to deliver concise, impactful presentations
• Knowledge of supply chain management and operations
• Excellent analysis skills
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
• Proven track record in interfacing with national ministries of health a distinct advantage.
• Fluency in written and spoken in English and the knowledge of Russian or Uzbek is an added value.

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.