Regional consultants on Cold Chain and Supply Logistics

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, hope

How can you make a difference?

Background:

Immunization supply chain is the backbone of the immunization programme. An intact and responsive supply chain ensureds the availability of the potent and safe vaccines for the vaccinations sessions for the children and pregnant women. The cold chain infrastructure not only ensures the safety and potency of the vaccine but also expands the reach of the programme. Investments in the cold chain infrastructure and immunization supply chain are crucial for achieving the global and regional targets.

The entry of the COVID-19 vaccines to respond to the pandemic and planned introduction of new vaccines in routine immunization have overburdened on the immunization supply chain, especially the cold chain infrastructure. Therefore, towards achieving high immunization coverage the need for a robust and responsive immunization supply chain equipped with standard cold chain equipment are important in helping Ukraine primarily to reaching children with potent lifesaving vaccines to protect them against vaccine preventable diseases as well as ensuring the availability of C19 vaccines.

Purpose of assignment:

UNICEF Ukraine Country Office is supporting the MoH in strengthening immunization supply chain with expanding the Cold Chain Infrastructure with PQS qualified cold chain equipment (CCE), ensuring better vaccine management.

To ensure vaccines safety during storage, transportation and distribution, UNICEF is updating and expanding the cold chain infrastructure by increasing the storage capacity at national, regional and subregional levels, while also replacing the currently used domestic refrigerators for the storage of the vaccines with WHO prequalified equipment in 4,000 health care facilities. UNICEF CO is implementing the following components:

• Procurement and delivery of CCE (WICRs/WIFRs, refrigerators, freezers, spare sets, 30-day temperature loggers, remote temperature monitoring system);
• In-country logistics;
• CCE installation and training;
• Inventory of the current situation on CCE with site readiness evaluation and implementation IGA platform as well as UNICEF Dashboard updating to ensure proper cold chain management;
• Capacity building activities including training on proper use of CCE (uploading of vaccine, unloading, transportation and temperature monitoring);
• Providing technical support to the programme managers at oblast, rayon, and facility levels;
• Development, support with implementing of SOPs on proper vaccine storage and management using novel CCE;

With the expanded support from the donors, there activity continues with procurement of more cold chain equipment, installation and capacity building of the staff concerned with vaccine and cold chain handling. The successful implementation of the additional scope of work requires the presence of the consultants for the identification and preparation of the site for cold chain installation, capacity building of the vaccine and cold chain handlers as well as updating the cold chain inventory and trouble shooting in case of any cold chain related issue till March of 2024.

Work assignment overview:

Deliverable

Deadline

# of w/days

Reports of CCE inventory, evaluation, including inventory of current situation with site readiness assessment for CCE installation

12-Dec-23

24

Reports of complaints, claims and other technical issues with procured CCE on a regular basis

12-Feb-24

12

Reports of regular capacity building of personnel responsible for CCE, immunization supply chain management at oblast, rayon, and facility levels are submitted and trainings are conducted on a regular basis.

12-Feb-24

18

Reports of the regular monitoring visits to health facilities and other relevant institutions at oblast, rayon, and facility levels with the aim to assess their readiness and implementation of relevant recommendations, regulations, and standard operating procedure (SOP) on CCE for immunization.

12-Feb-24

18

Preparation of the updates to UNICEF on progress made, relevant challenges and priority action points in written and submission on the regular basis to UNICEF.

12-Feb-24

24

Prepared updates to UNICEF on progress made, relevant challenges and priority action points in written and submission on the regular basis to UNICEF

12-Feb-24

12

Reports of progress IGA platform implementation, updating UNICEF CCE Dashboard on a regular basis.

12-Dec-23

16

Updated recommendations, regulations, tools, and standard operating procedures (SOP) on CCE, immunization supply chain management are implemented at oblast, rayon, and facility levels.

12-Feb-24

6

Final consultancy report is prepared with technical recommendations.

14-Feb-24

2

Sub-total:

132

Travels within Ukraine (to be discussed): t****ravel days per contract - 36 days, accumulated trips - 16 days.

Education: An advanced university degree (Bachelor’s or higher) from a recognized academic institution or university in one or more of the following areas is preferred: refrigeration engineering; and/or power engineering; and/or power supply of enterprises; and/or medicine/public health (immunization supply chain management, cold chain supply logistics is an advantage).

Professional experience:

• Minimum 3-year work experience in relevant area work experience in managing public health programs and/or cold chain, vaccine management and supply management will be an asset.
• Knowledge of the rules and regulations of Ukraine in cold chain management.
• Knowledge of WHO/UNCIEF recommended vaccine management practices and vaccine management assessment tools will be an asset.
• Work experience in resource-limited settings, monitoring and evaluating supply chains, and risk management and mitigation will be an asset.
• Strong interpersonal communication and writing skills, with ability to lead/train a group of individuals and impart knowledge.
• Experience in conducting trainings, seminars, good trainer skills is required.

Languages:

• Ukrainian: Proficient/Native [C2]
• English: Intermediate [B1]

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.

Skills and competencies:

• Product knowledge on cold chain equipment, new cold chain technologies and understanding of the principles of vaccine management, and reporting are essential. Knowledge of procurement processes and good distribution practice will be an asset.
• Skills in adult training methodology are strongly preferred.
• Working with People adn Drive for results.
• Technical skills.

Please provide an all-inclusive financial proposal to carry out the deliverables and travels listed above.

i Costs indicated are estimated. 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.

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.