Remote Consultancy: External Assessment of the Vaccine Procurement Practitioners Network (VPPN) and Vaccine Procurement Practitioners Exchange Forum (VPPEF), Vaccine Centre, SD - Copenhagen

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.

LOCATION/DURATION:

Duration: 65 working days over 5 months

*Location**:* Home-based

*Start Date**:* May 2021

*Reporting to**:* Supply Officer (Immunization), Vaccine Centre, UNICEF Supply Division, Copenhagen.

Backup: Project Officer, Vaccine Centre, UNICEF Supply Division, Copenhagen

BACKGROUND

OBJECTIVES

To conduct an external assessment of the VPPEF/ VPPN since their inception in 2015/16 describing the main achievements to date, the impacts of the capacity building initiatives on countries procurement capacities and formulate recommendations on way forward in alignment with the Theory of Change.

The specific objectives of the assessment are:

• To provide a high-level overview of the extent to which the VPPN/VPPEF has achieved its goal
• To assess how stakeholders utilize the VPPN
• To document the achievements of the VPPN/VPPEF, including through country case studies
• To better understand the key challenges
• To make recommendations to inform future decisions for the VPPN/VPPEF
• To develop a new logistical framework for the VPPN

The assessment will seek to answer the following questions:

1. To what extent has the VPPN fulfilled its goal “to serve as a platform for continuous exchange of theoretical and practical knowledge, joint learning and collaborative problem solving related to vaccine procurement in MICs & Gavi Transitioning Countries”?
2. What are the key examples of activities, projects and structures that have contributed to this goal?
3. How aligned is the VPPN/ VPPEF in helping UNICEF and governments achieve its goals?
4. How has the VPPN benefitted from being hosted by TechNet?
5. How efficient is the staffing structure and management of the VPPN operations?
6. To what extent has the VPPN/ VPPEF leveraged partnerships to achieve its goal?
7. SWOT Analysis: What areas should be prioritized for improvement of the VPPN/VPPEF?

METHODOLOGY

The external assessment will take a mixed methods approach that includes quantitative analysis[1], document review, surveys and key stakeholder interviews. The assessment will also include the development of 3 – 5 country case studies to be determined during the data collection stage.

The assessment will be undertaken by an independent consultant, managed by the Planning Unit in the Vaccine Centre, in close collaboration with the Monitoring, Strategic Data and Evidence Unit (MSDEU) in Supply Division. Due to the current COVID 19 situation, this assessment will be conducted remotely. All data collection and meetings to be conducted online and no travel is involved.

The other following stakeholders will be engaged during the process:

1. Core Technical Group: Vaccine Centre Planning Team and MSDEU

• Participation in inception meeting, bi-weekly calls to review progress, preliminary findings, report preparation and recommendations workshop
• Provide written feedback on inception report and assesment report

2. Assessment Support Group: Supply Officer and CoP Consultant

• Provide access to resources and the network
• Identify key stakeholders to contact
• Facilitate initial meetings with other stakeholders for the consultant

3. Key Informants

The key informants will be members of the VPPN and other external partners

• A representative sample of the VPPN (30 – 50 members) to respond to survey
• Participate in Key Informant Interviews
• 3 – 5 Key Informants for the case studies

The review will be implemented according to the following steps:

Phase 1: Inception – desk review and refinement of methodology (estimated 10 working days)

During this stage, the consultant will go through documentation and clarifying discussions with the core technical group. We will agree on the final composition of stakeholder groups, finalize the methodology for the review (including data collection strategy and tools), and discuss details on how to implement the assessment.

Phase 2: Data Collection (estimated 20 working days)

The data collection will include surveys and key informant interviews as appropriate.

Phase 3: Analysis and Reporting (estimated 15 working days)

During this stage, the consultant will produce a draft review report.

Phase 4: Recommendations workshop and reporting (estimated 10 working days)

During this stage, the consultants will plan and facilitate an online stakeholder workshop to present, discuss, validate and finalize the recommendations including in the review. This is an interactive exercise that allows recommendations to be more tailored, realistic, and implementable. As a result of the discussions, the consultants will prepare a second draft of the review report.

Phase 5: Final review report (estimated 10 working days)

During this final stage, the report will be completed, incorporating feedback received in the previous rounds. The final report will also include a revised Log Frame of the VPPN, country case studies and clear, actionable recommendations. Internally, the report will be communicated and discussed with management and other relevant stakeholders, when the recommendations will be discussed and actions moving forward will be planned.

KEY DELIVERABLES

The activities detailed in the previous section will lead to the preparation of the key deliverables:

[1] Simple quantitative analysis of the VPPN (e.g membership, visits to the site, content) [2] Final timeline will be agreed with UNICEF [3] Final delivery dates will be agreed with UNICEF.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

• End of Inception Phase (Phase 1): 20% of contract amount
• End of Analysis and Report Phase (Phase 3): 30% of contract amount
• End of Final Review Phase (Phase 5): 50% of contract amount

RESPONSIBILITIES

UNICEF will have the responsibility to ensure that the consultant has all the conditions to implement the assessment. Among others, UNICEF will:

• Provide documentation package containing the necessary documents for the desk review;
• Provide data required for analysis;
• Provide support for interviews with staff;
• Facilitate contacts with external interviewees;
• Organize the recommendation workshop
• Keep stakeholders, partners and consultants informed of progress or any challenges that arise during the implementation of the assessment.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree in management, social sciences, supply and procurement, or another relevant discipline or first university degree with relevant experience

Work Experience: At least five years of experience in leading evaluations, reviews or institutional assessments, of similar scale and level. In addition to the following:

• Relevant and progressive professional work experience with supply and procurement, contracting of goods and services and supply chain management is highly desirable
• Strong skills in quantitative and qualitative research and approaches, including the facilitation of participatory workshops
• Working knowledge of the UN, UNICEF experience is an asset

Language: Fluency in written and spoken English is essential. Fluency in French is an advantage.

Competencies: The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate the following competencies that are considered to be necessary to this consultancy:

Core Competencies

• Excellent communicator including for reporting and presentation.

• Works in a multi-cultural environment and establishes harmonious and effective working relationships.

  Functional Competencies

• Works independently and is problem-solving oriented.

• Strong organizational skills.

• Demonstrates communication and relationship-building skills.

  UNICEF Core Values: The consultant also has to follow UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability

EVALUATION PROCESS

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

• Cover letter
• Technical proposal including (indicative length of each section is provided in brackets):
  • Understanding of the ToR and overall approach to the assessment (1 page)
  • Methodology to conduct the assessment (up to 2 pages)
  • Proposed workplan for the assessment (1 page)
• All-inclusive amount financial proposal, with cost breakdown by deliverables and working days. The following cost items should be included and described in detail in the financial proposal:
  • Daily rates for the consultant (payments schedule will be based on the number of working days included in the technical proposal)
  • Additional costs (if any, justification to be provided. No travel costs expected)
• Full CV
• Links to 2 sample relevant reports (co)/authored by the applicant (if available)
• 2 Professional References with contact details (preferably e-mail)

Applications that meet minimum requirements will be assessed by the following breakdown: 70% Technical Proposal / 30% Financial Proposal.

Applications must be submitted through the UNICEF electronic application system by Monday 10 May 2021.

NB: 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.