UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for a Vaccine Management, Cold Chain and Logistics consultant (Open to nationals of Zimbabwe only)

Contract

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Supporting the Government’s vision of a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society, the 2022 to 2026 UNICEF Zimbabwe country programme is aimed at contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development that provides all children, including adolescents, with opportunities to fulfil their potential, lead a healthy life, access quality learning and protection and meaningfully participate in society.

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UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for a Vaccine Management, Cold Chain and Logistics

consultant responsible for assisting the vaccination programme in the planning, use, stock management, disposal (if necessary) and tracking of all vaccines used in polio vaccination campaigns. The consultant will provide support to the national immunization programme at MoHCC HQ and will also be deployed to the field to assure quality at sub-national level.

BACKGROUND

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) aims to vaccinate children of the world against all types of polioviruses, thus creating no space for the virus to breed, leading to its extinction. The program, initiated in 1988, has achieved remarkable results, where today, wild poliovirus is endemic in only two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan.

However, the number of outbreaks of Polio has far exceeded global expectations in recent years. Shortly after the recent celebration of Polio Free Status in Africa (WPV), a case of WPV 1 has been declared in Malawi and Mozambique. This comes with a risk for international spread and re-emergence of polio in Africa and across the World, thus undermining the greater success achieved in recent past. Considering the cross migration across the countries of the region, GPEI has launched a multi-country response to interrupt the transmission and improve immunity across the region for susceptible children.

Effective logistics planning and vaccine management is essential to improve the results of supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) and any other outbreak response. The GPEI RRT for Africa will assist polio outbreak countries, and national immunization programs to have effective vaccine management support to outbreak response planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

With UNICEF as a major player in GPEI and directly responsible for global management of vaccines, UNICEF Zimbabwe would directly be expected to support the Ministry of Health and Child Care to ensure that all aspects of the immunization supply chain and logistics are ready and in keeping with global standard to ensure a quality campaign achieving the delivery of viable and potent drops of polio vaccine to all eligible children in the country.

ASSIGNMENTS

UNICEF seeks to engage the services of a consultant to support the team in the setting up of provincial coordination committees for the preparation and implementation of activities for the response to the polio outbreak to ensure uninterrupted vaccine availability and complete recovery of all vials of polio vaccine after the rounds in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and the recommendations of the Advisory Group. The national consultant will implement the planned activities and will present the deliverables described below.

To provide technical assistance and build local capacity for Immunization Supply Chain and Logistics (Immunisation Supply Chain L) management for the polio outbreak response nation-wide, the following will be the specific tasks: -

• Provide technical support to the Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI) in the MoHCC to assess the cold chain and logistics support required for the Supplementary Immunization Activity (SIA) - Assist the UNICEF EPI Health Specialist and MoHCC EPI team to develop detailed Immunisation Supply Chain L implementation plan with a monitoring framework to ensure quality implementation of SIA and that the planned SIA results are achieved.
• Assist the Health Specialist and the Supply Chain Specialist in managing the procurement and distribution of vaccines as well as monitoring of functionality of cold chain and logistics (cold box, vaccine carrier, ice packs, fridges) in the country.
• Assist in monitoring vaccine arrival at national level and in country distribution to all regions and districts, including monitoring of the distribution of vaccines and related accessories from National Vaccine Stores (NVS) to Regional/District Vaccines Stores (R/DVS) and the vaccines availability at health facilities for SIA.
• Work with WHO to conduct the training/orientation of the provincial/district/health facility staff on cold chain and vaccine management (cold chain recommendation, VVM, disposal etc.).
• Monitor regular vaccine expenditure and accounting during the SIA.
• Monitor vaccine wastage and forecast any shortage in the campaign area.
• Assist in engaging with key stakeholders including WHO, national or international NGOs, other existing partners, and donors in the above-mentioned activities.
• Perform other duties as will be assigned within the scope of this work.
• Document lessons learnt and convene stakeholders to share lessons learnt.
• Include cold-chain equipment purchased for the SIA in the RI Programme equipment inventory and maintenance plan.

• Make sure that vaccines collected after the campaign are accounted for are stored in correct storage conditions.

  Major tasks and deliverables:

Tasks/Milestone:****Deliverables/Outputs:****Indicative Timeline/Days (payments)Inception report covering the scope of work including input to RI, including the final report of a rapid cold chain inventory assessment report for district level 1-2 weeks before the campaign, ensuring readiness for vaccine arrivals and storage.Inception report covering the scope of work including input to RI is done (10%)Week 1

(12 days)

Ensure that the inventory of active and passive cold chain equipment for all health facilities is updated.

Ensure the proper functioning of the cold chain: temperature readings, recycling of ice packs, packaging of vaccines, etc.Cold Chain Inventory Report for districts is updated (15%)Week 2 -3

(18 days)

Coordinate and faciliate capacity building on vaccine management at all levels, including developemnent of training module and material for all vaccine handlers and managers. Training report sharingThe training report is available with the results of the post-training tests (20%)Week 4-6

(23 days)

Coordinate and facilitate the delivery of vaccines and commodities including droppers, data tools, IEC material, and all campaign supporting commodities, ensuring availability and adequacy of all commodities at all levels in line with distribution and delivery timeline.

The receipts and distribution plans for vaccine and supplies, management and communication tools are shared with all levels seven days before shipments begin.

Inventory Report indicating number of vials, chalk, markers, management and communication tools matching with the quantities received. (25%)Week 7-9

(30 days)

Develop mechanisms to accelerate the preparation and compilation of reports (vaccine utilization reports and forms A) and their transmission to upper levels;Progress reports on vaccine utilization are signed by the District Medical Officer, collected, and verified. (10%)Week 10

(11days)

Monitor the level of preparedness of health areas, to verify proper vaccine management and to build capacity;Field visits conducted and detailed reports vaccine availability and cold chain adequacy submitted (5%)Week 11-12

(7 days)Post Campaign vaccine utilization report and accountability report, including stock balance and storage status of the usable bOPV vialsPost Campaign Report on bOPV submitted two weeks after the campaign (5%)Week 13-15

(6 days)

Production of Final ReportFinal Report produced and shared (10%)Week 16

(11 days)

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

Education:

Advanced university degree from a recognized academic institution in one or more of the following areas is preferred: Pharmacy, Supply Chain Management, or related to supply and logistics operations in UNICEF program areas. 3 years working experience.

First university pharmacy degree combined with relevant professional work experience and understanding of relevant functions may be considered in lieu of advanced university degree combined with at least five years of experience in immunisation and supply chain.

Experience:

3 years relevant working experience. Work experience in Southern Africa in managing large-scale projects, working with governments, working in resource-limited settings, monitoring and evaluating supply chains, and risk management, mitigation will be an asset.

Languages:

Written and spoken fluency in English required and knowledge of main local languages (Shona and Ndebele) is an added advantage.

For more information on this consultancy kindly refer to the attached terms of reference; ToR Vaccine Management Consultant.pdf

If interested and available to undertake the individual consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including a technical proposal

The technical proposal should articulate an understanding of the TOR and include the proposed Tasks/Milestones, Deliverables/Outputs, Timeline and level of effort by deliverable. The similar table provided in the TOR is indicative. Applicants may use the indicative table as a guide or deviate as per the proposed approach and/or days proposed per deliverable.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including 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.