Consultancy: : Document Best Practices from Private Sector Cold Chain Programming - Health, PD - NYHQ, Requisition# 503321

Under the supervision of the Senior Immunization Specialist, the consultant is expected to summarize existing and develop new evidence that needs to be published and should be presented to stakeholders to shape policies.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Background & Rationale

Together with its partners, UNICEF has outlined a clear goal for expanding immunization coverage: reaching 90% of children under the age of one nationwide with routine immunization, and at least 80% of coverage for every country district by the year 2020.

These goals are outlined in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), which was endorsed by the 194 Member States of the World Health Organization in 2012. The GVAP mission is to improve health by extending the full benefits of immunization to all people, regardless of where they are born, who they are or where they live. The goals of the GVAP focus on global and regional elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases and the development of new and improved vaccine technologies.

However, without an adequate supply of vaccines at service delivery levels, children cannot be vaccinated against life-threatening diseases. It is no surprise, therefore, that much of the success of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) over the past 40 years can be attributed to immunization supply chain and logistics systems and the professionals who run them. Their role is to guarantee as efficiently as possible the uninterrupted availability of vaccines all the way to service delivery levels, safeguarding vaccine potency from damaging heat and freezing temperatures in a cold chain system.

Ensuring that international supply chain standards are met guarantees that national immunization programmes worldwide can achieve their goals of coverage and equitable access to lifesaving vaccines. And global analysis of national immunization supply chains have shown that the performance of these systems in low- and lower-middle-income countries needs strengthening.

Strengthening supply chains is not only a priority for public health, but has been a priority for the private sector across all industries where supply chains need to be continuously optimized so that companies remain competitive sourcing their input materials at reduced costs and delivering finalized products to their customers. In business the role and importance of supply chains has been established since decades, implying that many of the best practices of supply chain management have evolved in the private sector world.

UNICEF's health strategy has identified the documentation and sharing of private sector interventions as a key priority in order to leverage these into the public health realm. To date UNICEF is not engaging on such studies on a regular basis and there are many opportunities for collaboration and to share findings with the immunization supply chain practitioners through community sites, such as Technet-21, and to also help shape policies and guidance. 

Methodology & Purpose

Under the supervision of the Senior Immunization Specialist, the consultant is expected to summarize existing and develop new evidence that needs to be published and should be presented to stakeholders to shape policies:

• Kick-off meeting with key internal stakeholders to gather input on scope of work and agree on review process
• Develop research protocol and implement landscape analysis to identify best practices from private sector industries that can be transferred/adapted in developing countries (e.g. fast moving consumer goods, dairy and fresh food industry, and pharmaceutical industry) to help manage complex health and specifically immunization cold chains. The scope of work is to look into at least 3 industries and to document best practices within these industries in least 6 countries. The consultant is expected to review published and grey literature and also engage in stakeholder interviews and travel to two selected countries for country specific analysis and to validate findings. The consultant will need to work closely with UNICEF's immunization, health, NatComs and UNICEF's Corporate Alliances team.
• Write-up findings in a publication (peer reviewed article or white-paper) and present findings to interagency coordination groups (such as the WHO & UNICEF Immunization Supply Chain Hub ,ISG) and partners (e.g. GAVI, BMGF).
• Develop list of actionable priorities for UNICEF to focus on in the coming years to ensure continuous learning from the private sector.

Expected results: (measurable results)

In particular the consultant will:

• Kick-off meeting with relevant internal stakeholders to help scope the work
• Research protocol developed for landscape analysis of best practices from private sector
• Findings on best practices documented and presented
• Report on findings finalized
• List of private sector engagement at global and country levels for UNICEF to focus in coming years

Duty Station

The consultant will work remotely.

Timeframe

Start date:   3 April 2017                         End date: 15 September 2017     

**Payment will be based on the deliverables accomplished, and on the actual number of days worked.

**Can include weekends/holidays, but only with supervisor's written approval.

Key competences, technical background, and experience required Deadline

• University degree (business, public health, sciences or economics)
• 4-5 years of experience in managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders
• Experience in planning and implementation; familiarity with donor funded projects is an asset
• Strong analytical skills, oral and written communication and team building skills
• Excellent working level of English language in both writing and speaking
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, Word  
• Familiar with UNICEF health strategy and child and maternal priorities;
• Experience in R&D and product development;
• Experience in managing multi-lateral engagements and coordination;
• Experience in private sector, preferably in pharmaceutical industry, will have an added value.

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable).  Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.