National consultant to conduct Vaccine Temperature Monitoring study (TMS), Mbabane, Eswatini, 3 months, Remote

Contract

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Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

It is essential to administer a potent vaccine in order to trigger an immune response that will protect the fully vaccinated recipient. Yet vaccines are sensitive biological products that can be damaged to varying extents by exposure to freezing temperatures and heat; once vaccine potency is lost, it cannot be regained. Therefore, the Cold Chain system remains vital for rapidly deploying and vaccinating target groups.

Eswatini, with the support of donors and partners, strengthened the cold chain system during the COVID-19 vaccination introduction. UNICEF played a key role in this process, providing technical assistance in conducting a cold chain capacity assessment. The assessment uncovered non-functional freezers and refrigerators that required repair. UNICEF provided financial support to the procurement and installation of the spares to the nonfunctional cold chain units. The repair and maintenance resulted in an increase of 6000 liters of cold chain storage capacity at the operational level through the repair of 40 units and the procurement of 22 new fridges that were distributed to clinics and health centers. Three (3) Cold Rooms were rehabilitated at the subnational level, increasing the capacity at that level by 20,000 liters. UNICEF also supported temperature monitoring at the national level with nine (9) Remote Temperature Monitoring Devices (RTMD) procured for the ultra-cold freezers, and there are plans to roll out this type of monitoring to all levels of the Country’s Cold chain. At the moment, thirty-day electronic temperature recorders (Fridge-tag® recorders) are used to monitor temperature at the facility level. Facility vaccine distribution from the CMS is performed at regional and sub-regional depots, and health facilities pick up vaccines from the depots.

The WHO Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) initiative sets global standards for safe vaccine handling and storage of vaccines to ensure that heat and freezing temperatures do not damage vaccines. The EVM recommends conducting a temperature monitoring study every two to three years to gather temperature data for vaccines throughout the supply chain to identify risks and prevent temperature excursions that may damage vaccines. The study protocol is based on continuous temperature recording of a set of shipments throughout the entire distribution system from vaccine arrival in the country to their point of use. A temperature monitoring study was never conducted in Eswatini.

Freezing of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B vaccines, and combination vaccines can compromise their immunological potency. WHO guidelines and manufacturers’ vaccine labels state that hepatitis B, DTP, DT, and TT vaccines should be stored at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C and should not be used if thought to have been frozen. Yet recent studies in Canada, Hungary, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and other countries have found widespread freezing at many levels of the vaccine distribution system. Emphasis is frequently placed on preventing vaccine heat exposure, with many immunization providers unaware that monitoring and preventing vaccine freezing is also essential.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) of Eswatini, with support from WHO and UNICEF, is undertaking a review of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) from the end of August to October 2023. As part of the EPI review, UNICEF will hire a national consultant to provide technical support in coordination with WHO to the EPI Unit of MOH to conduct a comprehensive Effective Vaccine Management Assessment (EVMA) that will be complemented by an in-depth vaccine temperature monitoring study and mapping to determine actual temperatures throughout the cold supply chain from Central Medical Store (CMS) to the clinics, including outreaches, in accordance with WHO Protocol WHO 05.01.

Scope of Work:

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical support to the MOH EPI unit to conduct the temperature monitoring study as part of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) review planned from end of August to October 2023.

The temperature monitoring study has four main objectives as follows: • To ascertain the extent to which temperature excursions are occurring throughout the supply chain and under what conditions. • To establish a qualitative basis for prioritization of technical and infrastructural assistance for cold chain strengthening. • To build greater health worker awareness and understanding of vaccine thermostability and vulnerabilities during transport and storage. • To review current practices and procedures for the storage and transportation of vaccines to help prevent temperature excursions.

The Consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UNICEF Immunization Specialist, with overall support and leadership from the UNICEF Chief of Child Survival and Development, receiving technical guidance from the UNICEF Cold Chain consultant and in close collaboration with WHO and MOH EPI unit as well as in coordination with WHO/UNICEF Regional Offices and other immunization partners. The consultant will use the WHO Study Protocol for temperature monitoring in the vaccine cold chain (HO/IVB/05.01 REV.1 ORIGINAL: available on the Internet at www.who.int/vaccines-documents/)..)

The Consultant will be responsible for the specific tasks as follows: • Conduct Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) Assessment, including temperature monitoring study: 1. Engage and coordinate with respective MOH EPI and key stakeholders to finalize the list of participants for training and study. 2. Prepare specific country set-up for the study in coordination with MOH, UNICEF, and WHO RO cold chain teams: Selection of the study vaccine, study sites selection (vaccine stores and health facilities), selection of distribution routes and sites for the temperature study, outlining the timeline, preparing the tracking forms, defining roles and responsibilities. 3. Develop and/or update material for training on temperature monitoring assessors considering cold chain and vaccine management practices. 4. Facilitate training sessions on temperature and prepare field assessment team composition and plans. 5. Support data collection, cleaning, and analysis. • Present the findings in TWG and facilitate the review of the current practices and procedures for the storage and transportation of vaccines to help prevent temperature excursions. • Build greater health worker awareness and understanding of vaccine thermostability and vulnerabilities during transport and storage through formal and informal training.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Estimate Timeline

Payment schedule

Develop inception report including workplan and timelines

Inception report (finalized and submitted to UNICEF and MOH

5 days

15%

Develop the protocol and update material for training of temperature monitoring and present to MOH for endorsement.

Protocol and Training material finalized

5 days

Identify and train staff participating n the cold-chain study and vaccinators at each point through which study vaccines will pass.

Training report

5 days

20%

Temperature monitoring data collection: arrangement of the boxes, vaccine storage, and distribution, including outreach.

Data logger collection, data entry, and analysis.

Develop draft report

Draft Report of temperature monitoring submitted

20 days

30%

Present the study draft report to MOH and key stakeholders for validation

Final temperature monitoring study Report submitted

2 days

Facilitate the review of the current practices and procedures for the storage and transportation of vaccines to help prevent temperature excursions.

Revised SOP for storage and transportation of vaccines submitted

5 days

15%

Build greater health worker awareness and understanding of vaccine thermostability and vulnerabilities during transport and storage.

Training report

5 days

Finalize the consultancy report

Finalized consultancy report

3 days

20%

50 days

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

• An advanced university degree Advanced level education in public administration, policy, monitoring and evaluation, health, engineering, supply chain management, or related fields.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• At least 8 years of experience, at the national and international levels, on supply chain management, cold chain management, logistics or operations management and at least 5 years of experience on immunization/public health programmes. • Familiarity with cold chain systems, effective vaccine management, inventory policies, logistics, outsourcing, segmentation strategies, integration of health products, and other system design strategies. • Demonstrated experience conducting EVM assessments and/or temperature monitoring studies, including work in developing countries. • Experience in Immunization data handling and support analysis of monitoring and supportive supervision data • Proven expertise in providing training, implementing, and monitoring immunization and/or health programmes. • Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and have the initiative to work independently to meet deadlines. • Strong interpersonal communication and writing skills, with the ability to lead/train a group of individuals and impart knowledge. Skills in adult training methodology are strongly preferred. • Computer skills, including quantitative analysis and reporting tools.

Administrative details:

Country Based (no office seating arrangement) Internet access required: YES

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 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 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. Consultants 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 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.