Re-advertisement: The Verification and Traceability Initiative (VTI) and the TRVST – Senior Governance Consultant, 9 months part time. Home based with some travels

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UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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DK Home-based; Copenhagen (Denmark)

Application deadline 9 months ago: Thursday 8 Jun 2023 at 21:55 UTC

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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, Love!!!

Worldwide COVID-19 vaccine distribution has demonstrated the presence and ongoing risk of counterfeit vaccines, representing significant risks to the public health response and financial loss. The need for product quality verification and traceability extends beyond COVID-19 vaccines to all health products. Falsified vaccines and medicines cost low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) $30 billion/year and over $200 billion globally. Investments in verification and traceability can protect beneficiaries from counterfeit health products while strengthening digitally enabled supply chains for all public health use cases.

UNICEF together with other key stakeholders, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GAVI, UNICEF, USAID, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, the regulatory authorities of Rwanda and Nigeria, and the World Bank, established the Verification and Traceability Initiative (VTI). Vital Wave Inc. has been contracted as the Project Management Unit (PMU) to support the VTI. The VTI is a partnership that seeks to provide access to trusted health product data, and tools and resources, for medicines verification and traceability, through the establishment of a global digital repository (TRVST) of trusted health product information (pronounced “trust”). By doing so, it aims to accelerate the country’s efforts to build health product verification and traceability capabilities.

UNICEF plays a vital role globally as the largest procurer of vaccines in the world; and also procures medicines, hygiene, health products, and other essential supplies. At the regional and local levels, UNICEF contributes to response and recovery measures by providing health system strengthening support to national and regional governments, including efforts to optimize the digital health ecosystem. In this context, the VTI requested UNICEF to operate and manage the TRVST, in collaboration with the VTI membership. UNICEF executes its responsibilities in this regard through its Supply Division in Copenhagen.

The VTI has adopted a governance structure for the TRVST during its “incubation period” suited to an early sprint phase, but the VTI Steering Committee has identified a need to evolve to a more mature governance structure for the TRVST which reflects VTI, and key stakeholder needs and expectations. As the organization with responsibility for operating and managing the TRVST, UNICEF is seeking the expert advice of a senior governance consultant to support the review of the governance on behalf of the VTI Steering Committee.

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Work: Worldwide COVID-19 vaccine distribution has demonstrated the presence and ongoing risk of counterfeit vaccines, representing significant risks to the public health response and financial loss. The need for product quality verification and traceability extends beyond COVID-19 vaccines to all health products. Falsified vaccines and medicines cost low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) $30 billion/year and over $200 billion globally. Investments in verification and traceability can protect beneficiaries from counterfeit health products while strengthening digitally enabled supply chains for all public health use cases.

UNICEF together with other key stakeholders, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GAVI, UNICEF, USAID, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, the regulatory authorities of Rwanda and Nigeria, and the World Bank, established the Verification and Traceability Initiative (VTI). Vital Wave Inc. has been contracted as the Project Management Unit (PMU) to support the VTI. The VTI is a partnership that seeks to provide access to trusted health product data, and tools and resources, for medicines verification and traceability, through the establishment of a global digital repository (TRVST) of trusted health product information (pronounced “trust”). By doing so, it aims to accelerate the country’s efforts to build health product verification and traceability capabilities.

UNICEF plays a vital role globally as the largest procurer of vaccines in the world; and also procures medicines, hygiene, health products, and other essential supplies. At the regional and local levels, UNICEF contributes to response and recovery measures by providing health system strengthening support to national and regional governments, including efforts to optimize the digital health ecosystem. In this context, the VTI requested UNICEF to operate and manage the TRVST, in collaboration with the VTI membership. UNICEF executes its responsibilities in this regard through its Supply Division in Copenhagen.

The VTI has adopted a governance structure for the TRVST during its “incubation period” suited to an early sprint phase, but the VTI Steering Committee has identified a need to evolve to a more mature governance structure for the TRVST which reflects VTI, and key stakeholder needs and expectations. As the organization with responsibility for operating and managing the TRVST, UNICEF is seeking the expert advice of a senior governance consultant to support the review of the governance on behalf of the VTI Steering Committee.

Key functions, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks

  • With facilitation provided by the PMU, draft and finalize deliverables that consider the perspectives of the VTI Steering Committee and other key stakeholders identified by the Steering Committee to fully understand the governance needs of the VTI for the TRVST, including, but not limited to, considerations of data governance.
  • Review the current governance structure of the VTI for the TRVST; and review similar governance structures to provide insights and learning, i.e. Global Family Planning Visibility, EMVO.
  • With facilitation provided by the PMU, work with VTI Steering Committee and other key stakeholders identified by the Steering Committee, develop proposals for a revised governance structure that reflects the expectations of the VTI key stakeholders and meets the expected growth and ambitions of the VTI for the TRVST.
  • Attend meetings of the VTI governance bodies.
  • Draft relevant governance documentation.
  • Provide ad hoc governance advice as and when requested, by the PMU, Steering committee Members, and key Stakeholders.
  • In the spirit of partnership, act as an honest broker for the key stakeholders of the VTI in the context of governance matters.
  • Undertake a ‘Hyper care’ supporting role during the initial implementation of the chosen future-state governance, guiding and advising the VTI Steering Committee members on their roles, contributions, and methods to ensure the ongoing viability of the selected governance approach. This shall include a follow-up Quality Assurance task two-three months after the stabilization of the VTI governance process to guide and advise on fine-tuning and enhancements as appropriate.

Impact of Results

  1. The timely and quality expert analysis leads to actionable recommendations that efficiently and effectively resolve governance questions in relation to the maintenance of the TRVST and thereby lead to effective solutions to complex supply chain issues, removing barriers in order to prevent falsification and diversion of COVID-19 vaccines, routine immunizations, ART for HIV, anti-malarial therapeutics and potentially other medicines with a medium to the long-term vision of end-to-end commodity traceability.
  2. The highest level of integrity, standards, and accountability is maintained by implementing sound, accurate governance advice in accordance with UNICEF procedures.
  3. Effective collaboration with UNICEF and other key stakeholders maintains coordination, communication, and networking, which reinforces strong working relationships

Tasks/Milestones, Deliverables/Outputs

  • Review of the current governance structure of the VTI during the “incubation period” through desk reviews, and interviews, building on the VTI governance options discussion paper already developed for the VTI Steering Committee. Review structure should include Stakeholder requirements, legal approach and framework, organizational structure, financing mechanisms and mobilization strategy, roles and responsibilities, decision-making processes, approach to automation and enforcement of strategy. Output: Kick-off Meeting with the PMU, Including Presentation of the Review, (20-slide PowerPoint) by June 2023.

  • Project approach and plan: Methodology for review, based on interviews and Steering Committee input, aligned with the expectations of the VTI key stakeholders and the projected growth and ambitions of the VTI for the TRVST. Workplan with timelines and milestones, research guide and data collection tool. Research guide and tool should follow the same structure as milestone 1 review. Output: Methodology Report and Workplan (15 to 20-page docx), Research Guide (3 to 5-page docx), Data Collection Template, by July 2023.

  • Completion of interviews and research, submission of populated data collection tool, and summary report including governance requirements and limitations from each stakeholder, and a collective expression of desired state. Output: Summary Report (15-page docx), Populated Data Collection Tool, by August 2023.

  • Summary of viable governance options, detailing 3 to 4 scenarios for governance of the VTI including all dimensions of governance in the previous deliverables. Develop a comparative analysis of the scenarios to support the SteerCo decision process. Output: Governance Options (15 to 20-page docx), In-person Participation at SteerCo Meeting in Geneva, 21st and 22nd September 2023 September 11th 2023.

  • Presentation of the selected VTI governance model for validation and further refinement by the SteerCo. The presentation must include conceptual graphics and speaker notes, and must demonstrate alignment with the expectations of the VTI key stakeholders and the projected growth and ambitions of the VTI for the TRVST. Output: Summary Presentation of Governance Model (10 to 15-slide PowerPoint), by October 2023.

  • Key written governance documentation, (e.g., VTI by-laws, organograms, and decision workflows) based on the summary presentation and inputs from the VTI Steering Committee. Output: Final proposal (40-page docx), by November 2023.

  • Ad hoc governance advice as and when requested. Contribution to work of task teams in developing governance strategies for the VTI system, data, country, and supplier areas. Output: Reports as needed. Ongoing (to be invoiced at the end of the contract)

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

  • A minimum of ten (10) years' professional experience is required as a lawyer practicing in a relevant field (including as in-house counsel, a law firm, a government and/or an international organization’s legal office) or as a governance specialist within a public private partnership, international organization or corporate). Prior experience in the UN system or with public private partnerships is desirable.
  • Relatable experience of data-sharing agreements, including within a variety of regulatory regimes is desirable.
  • Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in one of the UN languages is desirable.

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.

Added 10 months ago - Updated 9 months ago - Source: unicef.org