Procurement and Supply Chain Specialist

Background

UNDP is the United Nations’ global development network, advocating change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build better lives. We are on the ground in 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people to find their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

The 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the commitment to leave no one behind reflect the interdependence of health and sustainable development issues such as worsening economic and social inequalities, the climate crisis, rapid urbanization, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases (e.g. malaria, tuberculosis, COVID.19), the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and the emergence of health threats. The scope and scale of delivering health and wellbeing for all requires innovative partnerships and financing.

UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund (GF), in line with UNDP’s 2022-2025 HIV and Health Strategy: “Connecting the Dots”, makes an essential contribution to the UNDP 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the commitment to leave no one behind. UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient (PR), working with national partners and the Global Fund (GF) to ensure management, implementation and oversight of Global Fund grants, while simultaneously strengthening institutions and health systems for national entities to assume the role of PR over time.

As a trusted, long-term partner of The Global Fund (GF), UNDP’s value proposition lies in providing an integrated package of development solutions to strengthen institutions to deliver health services. Through its contributions as interim Principal Recipient (PR) and provider of technical assistance in over 53 countries since 2003, UNDP’s provision of integrated policy, implementation and capacity development support to countries has yielded significant health and development results in challenging operating environments. Proactive risk management and investing in sustainability are the cornerstones of UNDP’s portfolio management approach and providing technical assistance to national counterparts during all phases of implementation, strengthening legislation, policies and regulatory frameworks, and building capacities across key functional areas, including financial management, health information systems, procurement and supply chain management. Within the HHD Group the Global Fund Partnership and Health Systems Team (GFPHST) is a dedicated team providing support to UNDP Country Offices implementing health and development programmes.

Since 2009, the UNDP Country Office in Chad has served as the Principal Recipient of the Global Fund malaria grant, supporting the Ministry of Health and civil society in delivering essential malaria prevention and treatment services, while also strengthening health and community systems. Over the years, UNDP has successfully implemented several grants, significantly contributing to the reduction of the malaria burden in the country.

Currently, UNDP serves as a Co-Principal Recipient of the GC7 malaria grant for the period January 2025 to December 2026. The program includes funding for both malaria interventions and the COVID-19 response and recovery, with allocations of €17,113,074 and €56,824,051 respectively. Implementation is carried out in close collaboration with the National Malaria Control Program, civil society organizations, and UN partners.

Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative and in close coordination with the Programme Management Unit (PMU) of the Global Fund grant, Operations unit and Procurement Units of CHAD UNDP Country Office, the Procurement and Supply Chain Specialist is responsible for supporting procurement management as well as capacity development in the areas of supply chain management. The incumbent coordinates execution of transparent and efficient business processes, aimed at provision of high-quality services to external and internal clients.

The Procurement and Supply Chain Specialist will be responsible for identifying and specifying needs, forecasting, quantifying, and managing the procurement of health commodities both locally and internationally under UNDP grants. This role will also involve coordinating the shipment of health commodities, including overseeing pre-clearance, clearance, and delivery of consignments to warehouses at the central levels. The Specialist will collaborate closely with the National Disease Programs, and other partners. He/She will also be responsible for managing and updating the Health Products Management Template (HPMT) and the detailed budgets related to health commodities.

The Procurement and Supply Chain Specialist will be responsible for establishing strategic partnerships, offering policy and technical guidance, and collaborating with partners to enhance the national system for health commodity procurement and supply chain management. Additionally, the Specialist will provide comprehensive analytical reports to support informed decision-making by management.

The incumbent works in close collaboration with the Global

Fund Programme Management unit, UNDP CO, and operations staff of the Sub Recipients, central medical stores to successfully deliver programme and administrative services.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Procurement and Supply Chain Specialist will be responsible for the following responsibilities:

1. Ensure leadership, program planning and effective management and oversight of the global fund programs in the context of procurement and supply chain management for health products, focusing in achieving the following results: 

• Leads on the strategic planning, oversight and management of the procurement and supply chain management for health products in compliance with UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures, the grant agreements and corporate agreements with the Global Fund ensuring integration across functional areas;
• Conceptualize and implement a client-orientated procurement management system including tender processing and evaluation, e-procurement, contractor appraisal, evaluation and negotiation of offers, contract and contractor management, legal considerations and payment conditions and risk assessment.
• Leads on the coordination, management, supervision and oversight of the procurement team to achieve program goals, ensuring GF procurement business processes mapping and elaboration/establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures, control of the workflows with the procurement team and harmonization of the workflows in the PMU and the Country Office.
• Leads substantive monitoring of procurement and supply chain management for health products and proactively leads on reviews for underperformance, bottlenecks and ensures the accountability for the timely implementation of corrective action(s) to ensure consistent supply of health products and expiries with international standards.
• Ensures strong collaboration with UNDP regional and headquarters, Bureau of Management Services, and the GFPHST (including the Quality Assurance Advisor) in the context of procurement and supply chain management for health products for the programmes.
• Effectively and efficiently plans and implements all approved international and local procurements of health commodities in coordination with the Global Fund Partnership Health Support Team PSM specialist, UNDP Procurement Unit, Alliance against Malaria AMF and other local and international procurement partners and suppliers, while ensuring compliance to grant and UNDP procurement and operation policies and procedures.
• Prepares, updates, and disseminates periodic procurement tracking sheets summarizing the procurement plans, implementation status, contract management status, payment status and financial variance analysis (BvA).
• Systematically maintain and update the programme inventory lists/recorders as per UNDP and the Global Fund rules and regulations.
• Prepares (and/or updates) and submits and executes a Quality Assurance Plan for GF health commodities in Collaboration with Procurement Support Office
• Prepare and submit all procurement and supply chain documents required for the procurement reviews, LFA review, OAI auditors and follow-up requests for clarifications and implementation of OAI recommendations.

2. Ensures proactive procurement and health product management and oversight, ii) controls are met and proactively performs risk assessments focusing on achievement of the following results: 

• Reviews program requirements, conducts a needs assessment, develops specifications, forecasts, and quantifies health commodities requirements, utilizing program morbidity and mortality data, supply chain information and reports.
• Conduct periodic and/or when needed assessment of the national warehousing and distribution system and develop a proposal for its improvement.
• Support the National Programs for malaria to properly quantify the different commodities, monitor the stock level, timely take actions to address potential problems and eliminate stockout of any commodity.
• Support the Programme Management Unit to prepare reports on the status of the procurement to report to the programme stakeholders including MoHP, and the Global Fund.
• Periodically reviews, updates and follows up the approval of the health products management template (HPMT) and detailed budgets based on the outcome of the periodic forecasting and quantifications.
• Support the project in developing/monitoring and implementing the project procurement plan (tracker), identifying procurement priorities, track commodities etc.
• Analyze the potential problems concerning procurement issues and take respective measures to timely address and ensure the continuous supply of needed commodities for malaria prevention intervention included the bed nets.
• Conduct periodic spot-check verifications on the SRs level (Malaria National Program) to verify the fixed assets, the status of stocks and document any bottlenecks.
• Provision of guidance to the sub recipients on routine implementation of projects on PSM related aspects.
• Monitors storage conditions for drugs and other health products, visits storages facilities and formulates the recommendations to create the appropriate conditions for storage and distribution of drugs and health products.
• Follows the level of stocks to avoid stock outs and overstocks.
• Set appropriate controls for proper tracking of goods from transport and handling to destination, including the mass distribution campaign.
• Prepares and updates the PSM risk management plan and ensures its implementation.
• Participates with partners in the coordination and preparation of the national LLIN campaign
• Ensures timely procurement of LLlNs for the nation-wide campaign
• Ensure timely logistics of the LLINs nation-wide-campaign
• Work with relevant parties to ensure health product safety and stock accountability at health facility level; and
• Participate in all PSM stakeholders meeting and to technical support to mitigate risks of stock outs and overstock at health facility level.

3. Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing focusing on achievement of the following results: 

• Engages with the Ministry of Health, implementing partners, CSOs, UN entities, financial and technical partners to strengthen national systems and health institutions, in the area of procurement and supply chain management, including logistic information system, sustainable procurement storage, distribution and waste management systems and services for health products, developing, monitoring and amending improvement plans.
• Ensures the Malaria National Program are well advised on procurement issues throughout the grant life cycle to ensure procurement plans are adequately scheduled, budgeted and comply with contracts and is in line with UNDP rules, policies and procedures;
• Identifies and supports development of communications (print, video) highlighting key programme achievements, best practices, and lessons learnt and contributes to information sharing with the Ministry of Health, implementing partners, CSOs, UN entities, financial and technical partners, the GF and the CCM; and Actively participates in UNDP and other relevant external networks to promote the programmes and UNDP’s health and development work (e.g., conferences, community of practice, Yammer) and represents UNDP in relevant technical meetings, working groups at country, regional and global level and gathers lessons learnt to apply to the programmes in the area of procurement and supply chain management.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

The Procurement and Supply Chain Specialist will work under direct supervision and report to the Deputy resident representative.

Competencies

Required Skills and Experience

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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