International Consultancy – Technical assistance for health supply chain system strengthening

Job Number: 527399 | Vacancy Link

Locations: Africa: Sierra Leone

Work Type : Consultancy

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.

In 2010, the Government of Sierra Leone introduced the Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI) to allow pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under five years of age to receive essential treatment and medicines at no cost. An independent review conducted in 2016 concluded that, while FHCI contributed to improvements in coverage and equity of essential services for mothers and children, important challenges in implementation remain in the areas such as regular supply of essential commodities.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose and objective of the consultant assignment:

The purpose of consultancy is two-fold: Firstly, to help develop a health supply chain performance monitoring framework; and secondly, to document lessons learnt and remaining gaps in support to strengthen health supply chains and draft recommendations towards UNICEF’s future contributions in longer-term supply chain system strengthening efforts under its new country programme 2020-2023.

The objectives of the assignment are to

Develop a health supply chain performance monitoring framework using one programme as a proxy;

Take stock of health supply chain system strengthening efforts supported by different partners to date as well as those in pipeline, their status and outcomes;

Identify the lessons learned and remaining gaps in the FHCI; and

Recommend a way forward to guide UNICEF’s future roles in providing technical assistance and capacity development support in PSM.

Methodology and Technical Approach

The consultant will conduct a desk review of the relevant documents and data, interview of key informants at national and sub-national levels, and consultative meetings with the relevant stakeholders for inputs and validation. The stakeholders will include selected national and district supply chain experts, policy makers, MoHS managers, service providers, development partners active in health PSM, and relevant UNICEF staff.

Specific Tasks of the Consultant

Under the supervision of the Health Manager and Chief Procurement and Supply at UNICEF, the international consultant has the following tasks and responsibilities.

Review current Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) used to monitor supply chain performance in one programmatic area (for example HIV, TB or Malaria), to set targets for supply plan performance, and to develop a health supply chain performance monitoring framework using one programme as a proxy.

Documentation and analysis of the 10 years of FHCI implementation focusing on PSM aspects. The documentation should capture lessons learned, successes and challenges with regard to FHCI related PSM and should l include analysis of FHCI procurement over the past 10 years, through:

identifying trends in procurement rounds by categories of medicines/commodities (most essential life-saving medicines, paediatrics, reproductive health, nutrition, etc.) over the years

comparing procurement list (items with quantity) with epidemiological data / disease burdens as well as HMIS service delivery data,

updating the risk matrix for FHCI PSM particularly with information related to fraud and leakages and the status of any mitigation/response measures taken,

analysing the costs and future financial sustainability, including the funding model, based on the resource mapping and budget analysis for essential drugs,

making a recommendation for re-defining FHCI service / commodity package,

creating the long-term vision of MoHS towards the integration of nutrition and other commodities managed in parallel supply chains as part of the FHCI strategy, plan and management,

developing FHCI PSM exit/sustainability road map,

identifying data gaps as a limitation to the desk review

Please see attached ToR for more information.  Supply Chain Strengthening ToR.doc

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

Advanced university degree in Public Health, Medicine or Social Sciences, Health Systems Management, Supply Chain Management or other related disciplines.

Experience: At least 8-10 years of relevant experience of working in health supply chain system strengthening in developing countries. Previous working experience with UNICEF and/or other international agencies. Experience in Sierra Leone is an advantage.

Fluency in English is required.

Please include your financial proposal.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Closing Date Tue Nov 12 2019 00:55:00 GMT+0100 (Afr. centrale Ouest)