Organization: UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund
Location: Monrovia
Grade: Junior level – NO-B, National Professional Officer – Locally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
Public Health and Health Service
Malaria, Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases
Closing Date: 2024-08-23
UNICEF Liberia is seeking to hire qualified candidates to to ensure that vaccines are deployed timely, sufficient quantities of vaccines are issued and all vaccines issued are retrieved and accounted for. Qualified candidates with the required qualifications are encouraged to apply.
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, immunization is a must!
How can you make a difference?
Background:
Liberia has recorded two positive environmental samples of polio (CVDPV2) as at March 1, 2024, indicating the risk of further positives (either environmental or human). There are ongoing polio transmissions in Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea which are all bordering Liberia. These bordering countries had earlier planned Sub-national Immunization Days (SNIDs) and National Immunization Days (NIDs) respectively which have been postponed on several occasions.
This situation coupled with the sub-optimal routine immunization data places Liberia as a high-risk country and an outbreak response including a nationwide immunization campaign needs to be conducted as soon as possible. Two rounds of nationwide polio campaign have already been conducted in May and June respectively with remaining two rounds to be conducted in September and October 2024.
There is a global shortage of nOPV2, the vaccine needed for outbreak response, but many countries that needed to conduct outbreak response activities have been postponing their campaigns thereby creating the need to prioritize countries that are ready to respond immediately. Liberia has been prioritized for vaccines based on her high-risk profile. HR surge and financial support has been made available to Liberia.
II. Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
Effective management of nOPV2 vaccines in an outbreak situation is critical to ensure that vaccines are deployed timely, sufficient quantities of vaccines are issued and all vaccines issued are retrieved and accounted for. The Ministry of Health does not have enough technical capacity to manage nOPV2 vaccines effectively. UNICEF is a key partner and accountable for vaccine management during Polio outbreak response hence the justification to engage a national consultant to be deployed specifically in Gbarpolu County to fill in a gap created due to non-extension of the contract of the assigned consultant. The consultant will work in close collaboration with the County Health Team, the SBC consultant and UNV in the assigned county to mount an effective response to the polio emergency.
III: Scope of Work:
Support the County Health Team, the County Child Survival Focal Person and County Cold Chain Officer to develop the distribution plan, distribute vaccines and other related logistics to the various levels of the health system in efficient and timely manner. Support the Vaccine Accountability Coordinators and the Vaccine Accountability Monitors to ensure that all vials are retrieved, and unused vials properly destroyed after the polio vaccination campaigns. Contribute to the strengthening of Routine Immunization services in the assigned county. To identify gaps and put in place strategies and detailed plans on vaccine and cold chain management aspects of the polio emergency response based on field monitoring visits and report.
IV. Work Assignment Overview:
Objective 1: Support the national and regional Vaccine cold room managers to distribute vaccines and other related logistics to the various levels of the health system in efficient and timely manner.
Tasks/Milestones
Deliverables/Outputs
Timeline
Estimated Budget
Key Activities/Task:
a). Estimate the needs for vaccines for counties of the outbreak response in accordance with micro-plans.
b). Review the national cold chain and logistics plan for nOPV2 campaign.
c). Adapt operational procedures for epidemic management and vaccine management in accordance with the country accountability framework.
d). Support country office and MOH logistics teams to streamline planning, ordering and arrival of vaccines and consumables.
e). Train staff and partners involved in the response in vaccine management, logistics and cold chain management in accordance with the guidance note and available learning modules. This includes the deployment of management tools and training materials in the country.
f). Support epidemic response assessment teams (OBRAs) with information related to vaccine management, logistics and the cold chain.
1). Vaccines sales orders raised; distribution plan developed.
2). National cold chain inventory and nOPV2 logistics plan updated or developed.
3). All SOPs on cold chain and vaccine management updated to reflect nOPV2.
4). Staffs at all levels of the supply chain are trained on the management of nOPV2 (storage, distribution, handling, retrieval, and disposal)
5). Epidemic response assessment (risk assessment) conducted for cVDPV2.
1st September – 30th December 2024
Objective 2: Support regional and district Vaccine Accountability Coordinators to ensure that all vials are retrieved, and unused vials properly destroyed.
Tasks/Milestones
Deliverables/Outputs
Timeline
Estimated Budget
a). Collect and analyze vaccine stock and utilization status at all levels of the supply chain after each round.
b). Submit vaccine stock reports when submitting requests for additional vaccines.
c). Ensure that all unusable vials are destroyed according to WHO guidelines and or Country laws and regulations.
d). Provide frequent and regular reports to the technical manager on all aspects of vaccine management, cold chain logistics and contribute to the drafting of SITREPS and bulletins. Prepare reports according to GPEI requirements at the end of each round and at the end of the campaign.
d). Undertake other tasks and responsibilities (especially in support of routine immunization), at the request of country or regional office and other partners, to contribute to the success of the response to the epidemic.
Vaccine stock and utilization report for each round of campaign
Vaccines accountability and disposal report available.
Full report of campaign implementation covering vaccine management, cold chain, and logistics
Report of support provided to strengthen routine immunization.
Vaccine management reports (Forms A for nOPV2 or equivalent for other vaccines) are verified, signed, and collected. Those include physical inventories and details on open and unopened vials 5 days after each round of campaign
1st September – 30th December 2024
Objective 3: To identify gaps and put in place strategies and detailed plans on vaccine and cold chain management aspects of the polio emergency response based on field monitoring visits and report.
Tasks/Milestones
Deliverables/Outputs
Timeline
Estimated Budget
a). Participate in various coordination meetings, including the meetings of the Logistics Subcommittee.
b). Ensure the proper storage of vaccines and consumables at each level of the supply chain.
c). Develop mechanisms to accelerate the preparation, verification, correction, and compilation of reports (vaccine utilization reports and form A) and their daily transmission to coordination centre and central levels.
d). Coordination of Independent Vaccine Monitoring activities including training of supervisors, coordinators and monitors, supervision, compilation of monitoring data and transmission of reports.
e). Coordinate with partners to implement appropriate logistical solutions to ensure the availability of vaccines in hard-to-reach areas.
Reports, minutes and attendance of all meetings attended by the consultant.
Regular (weekly and monthly) vaccine stock and utilization report
Training report of all vaccine accountability monitors (VAM), supervisors and coordinators on nOPV2 (storage, distribution, handling, retrieval, and disposal)
Field reports on vaccine management, logistics and supportive supervision in urban and hard-to reach areas.
1st September – 30th December 2024
V. Qualification/Experience/Competencies/Skills Required:
Education:
Degree in health related discipline, logistics management, supply chain, health logistics, business management).
Work Experience:
Professional/Technical Experience: At least, 2 years of professional experience at related to Cold Chain, Vaccine Management, Waste Management, vaccination campaign logistics management, field experience of OPV management will be an asset.
Relevant work experience in emergency response especially epidemics; Experience with public health supply chain and cold chain management issues.
Leadership skills, teamwork and ability to conduct training.
Masters EPI logistics tools (SMT, Cold Chain Inventory tools).
Additional training in immunization and cold chain is an asset.
Other skills and competencies required:
Results-driven and good writing skills.
Language Proficiency:
Fluency in English and a local dialect is essential.
VI. Working Conditions:
Field Based
The consultant is expected to use his/her own ICT equipment.
The consultant will be based in a specific county to be identified by UNICEF.
VII. Supervision:
The consultant will be supervised by THE Immunization Specialist, NO-C.
VIII. Technical and Financial Proposal:
Applicants are invited to submit with their online application:
A cover letter explaining why they are well placed to undertake this assignment.
A recently updated CV.
Selection criteria will be based on qualifications, skills, expertise and experience in the required field
Evaluation Criteria (This will be used for the selection report) – Technical Evaluation (e.g. maximum 100 Points)
Applicants are invited to submit their financial proposals in USD using the template below:
Description
Unit
Quantity
Unit cost
Total (USD)
Consultancy fees
Daily subsistence allowance, if applicable
Other (to be specified)
Total
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.