Summary
Date Posted: Friday, July 14 2023, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
The Position:
• To support the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the procurement of RH commodities, conceptualization of the drug basket fund, actualize the utilization of the Third-party Procurement system and other supply chain related activities.

How you can make a difference:
• UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
• In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
• UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Terms Of Reference For Individual Consultant
Hiring Office: Zambia Country Office
Purpose of consultancy:
To support the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the procurement of RH commodities, conceptualization of the drug basket fund, actualise the utilisation of the Third-party Procurement system and other supply chain related activities.
Scope of work:
Scope of Work
Under this scope of work, the Consultant shall perform the tasks specified below;
a) Facilitate the Implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the UNFPA on the provision of RH Commodities and services.
In 2022, the Government of the Republic of Zambia and UNFPA signed an MoU on the provision of RH commodities and services. This MoU will be valid from 2023 to 2027 and seeks to contribute towards the improvement of funding availability for the procurement of family planning and reproductive health commodities. Among other things, the MoU recommends the use of a Third-Party Procurement system, a system where the government uses the UNFPA procurement system to procure RH commodities. Use of this system would result in the procurement of quality-assured RH commodities at lower prices.
This being a strategic intervention towards improved RH services in Zambia, the consultant will lead the process of implementing the MoU by working closely with all parties to the agreement so that all obligations are fulfilled as planned.
b) Last Mile Assurance activities
The ultimate goal of the public health supply chain is to ensure that commodities are delivered when and where they are needed. To achieve this, there is need to conduct last-mile assurance spot check exercises, institutionalise the tool used for spot checks and devise innovative ways of distributing commodities.
The consultant is to lead this process.
c) Customs clearance processes
Most of the commodities that UNFPA procures for the Zambian Public Health Supply Chain are imported. A delay in the customs clearance process can thus impact the availability of commodities in health facilities. The import process is multipronged and may need streamlining to embed efficiency in it.
The Consultant will be expected to conduct a scooping exercise of the current customs clearance process and come up with standard operating procedures that are reflective of local prevailing circumstances.
d) Drug Basket Fund
The Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Act provides for the establishment of a drug basket fund which will be used for ring-fencing funds meant for the procurement of essential medicines and medical supplies.
While the law provides for the existence of this fund, there are no accompanying regulations to provide for the administration and management of the drug fund.
e) Taskforce on pilferage of essential medicines and medical supplies
Despite the tremendous efforts that the government puts forth in increasing accessibility and availability of medicines and medical supplies, stock out of these commodities is still rampant. Part of the reason why this occurs is the pilferage of commodities from health care facilities. Therefore, the consultant will support the activities of the Taskforce on pilferage of essential medicines and medical supplies
f) Shipment tracking and receipt of RH Commodities
The Consultant will also be expected to devise a tool that can be used to track commodities as they are transported from the source. Further, the Consultant will lead the process of receiving UNFPA procured commodities at the Central Warehouse and documenting the receipts using Delivery Slips and Receipt and Inspection Reports.
g) Documentation of good practices
The UNFPA Country Office has taken the initiative to support the Ministry of Health in reducing the unmet need for family planning and preventable maternal deaths. This was in the past year done by facilitating the transfer of commodities from other countries to Zambia. Doing so led to reduced lead times, reduced wastage due to expires and assisted the country to meet its commodity needs.
Such good practices require documenting so that the processes used can be replicated within and outside Zambia. The Consultant will lead the exercise of documenting best practices following international standards.
h) Offering general Logistical support to the Country office
Other than RH commodities, the Country Office also manages other non-medical logistics to support the attainment of the overall mandate of UNFPA. The Consultant will be required to support the CO in this way.
i) Performing any other duties as may be assigned.
Duration and working schedule:
Duration – 4 Months
Working Schedule: Monday to Friday from 08:00hrs to 17:00hrs
Place where services are to be delivered: Countrywide

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered
By 31st October 2023, the consultant would have delivered on the following;
– Signed Annex A for 2024 MoU
– Institutionalization of the UNFPA spot check tool
– Developed and approved SOPs for customs clearance
– Developed and approved guidelines for drug basket fund management
– Task Force workplan implementation developed
– Developed an updated and easy-to-follow shipment tracker
– Best practices documented
– Non-medical logistics managed according to UNFPA policy

Monitoring and progress control,including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline: Progress towards deliverables highlighted above will be monitored on a weekly basis in form of qualitative and quantitative reports submitted to the Sexual and Reproductive Health Specialist.
Supervisory arrangements:
The Consultant will report to the Sexual and Reproductive Health Specialist
Expected travel: 40% of the work of the consultant will involve travel

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:
i) Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, Logistics, Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Health sciences or any other related field with 5 or more years of similar experience. Or
ii) Master’s degree in relevant field of Logistics, supply chain management, Procurement, Public health, Business Administration or related field with two years of similar experience. And
iii) Experience in Reproductive Health Commodity security programming
iv) Excellent analytical and writing skills
Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner UNFPA will provide relevant enablers for the Consultant to effectively deliver on the assigned tasks

Job Experience: No Requirements

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months:

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Job application procedure
• Interested and qualified? Click here to apply

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