National Consultant:Vaccine Management, UNICEF Sierra Leone

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For every child, Survival!

Please visit UNICEF Sierra Leone website here: www.unicef.org/sierraleone

How can you make a difference?

Background

Sierra Leone has been Polio free since 2010 but is currently facing an outbreak of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). As of 27^th January 2021, twelve cVDPV2 cases have been confirmed in four out of the country’s 16 districts. No cases of wild polio have been discovered.

As an immediate response to the polio outbreak, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) plans to conduct two rounds of a national supplemental immunization Activities (SIA)/polio vaccination campaign between February and March 2021 to stop the transmission of poliovirus. A total of 1,472,813 children under five years of age are targeted in each round.

Objectives

The objective of the assignment is to provide technical assistance to the planning, implementation and monitoring of effective vaccine and cold chain management in response at regional level to the cVDPV2 outbreak in Sierra Leone.  

Description of the Assignment

Under the supervision of the Immunization Specialist, the national Vaccine Management consultants will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Collaborate with central EPI team, District Health Management Teams and other in-country immunization partners on SIA planning and response activities

2. Facilitate the implementation of the following at regional level.

3. Work closely with the district emergency operations centres, district logistics working groups

4. Build capacity and to monitor the overall implementation of all aspects of the Cold Chain, Logistics and Vaccine Management at district and health facility levels

5. Provide technical support and guidance to ensure that all procedures are followed as per nOPV2 SOP

Expected Output/Deliverables/Tentative Timelines

Activity plan covering the contact period- first week of work

• Updates from coordination meetings held with partners at regional/district level and below- After every meeting
• Detailed monthly updates on outbreak response activities- Throughout contract period
• Training reports on vaccine and cold chain management- After every training session
• Reports on gaps identified in the implementation of guidelines/SOPs and a plan to address them- Throughout contract period
• Detailed report for every SIA implemented- Two weeks after completion of each SIAFinal technical report- End of assignment

Payment Schedule and conditions- Monthly payment upon certification of monthly reports

Location and Duration

The incumbents will be stationed in the four regions of Sierra Leone (1 in Bo, 1 in Kenema, 1 in Makeni, and 2 in Freetown) and will have programme monitoring missions to the districts within the assigned region to provide oversight on the overall implementation of SIA activities.   

See attached a more detailed ToR  National VM Consultant_ TOR_30-01-2021 _VA.pdf

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

Qualification:

• University degree is required in supply chain management, logistics, business, operations management, public health or any other relevant field.

Experience:

• Experience in similar outbreak response activities/mass vaccination campaigns related to effective vaccine and cold chain management practices.

• Experience in training, planning and delivery of technical assistance in similar exercises.

• Two years progressively responsible field work experience in immunization and cold chain, supply chain management or other related field in primary health care.

• Proven track record in interfacing with national ministries of health is a distinct advantage

• Very good analytical capacities; excellent ability to synthesize information and relate action to results.

• Completed training on BSAFE and PSEA

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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 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:

Consultants and Individual contractors are responsible for paying any taxes derived from the earnings received from UNICEF.

Application to include financial proposal that will detail your daily/monthly rate (in Leones) to undertake the terms of reference. 

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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.