Remote Consultancy: Review, harmonise and update the indicators within the UNICEF Supply Chain Maturity Model, SCSC Centre, SD Cph

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.

BACKGROUND:

Globally there is continued increase in financial resources being dedicated to providing health commodities to vulnerable communities in developing countries. To help ensure that these commodities ultimately reach intended beneficiaries, there has been an increase in investments being made to the supply chain; with the broad objective to strengthen in-country supply chains systems that have the mandate to deliver products to the final users – particularly children. In many countries, supply chains have suffered many years of under-investment, resulting in sub-optimal performance across most of the key supply chain functional areas such as infrastructure, data, human resources and overall process capability.

One fundamental challenge that partners in the development sector face is the need to quickly identify strengths and gaps across all areas of the supply chain through a government led and participatory methodology and to measure the impact of all deployed interventions. To address this challenge, UNICEF has developed the Supply Chain Maturity Model which has been deployed across 29 countries and 9 programmatic areas (Education, Essential Medicines, HIV, Immunisation, Malaria, Nutrition, TB, WASH) with a view to rolling out strengthening roadmaps.

Supply Chain Strengthening Centre, UNICEF Supply Division (SD); and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working together to develop a new resiliency maturity model assessment that will identify the level of preparedness and resiliency of public supply chains to respond to upcoming emergency situations. In this role, both organisations are investing resources to finalise this joint assessment tool with the aim of pilot testing it in countries in fragile settings before the end of 2021.

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this assignment is to review the narrative of the indicators, align the level definitions across all technical areas and include new programme-specific indicators.

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT:

The Consultant will work with the Monitoring Specialist and the Supply Manager in the Supply Chain Strengthening Centre (Supply Division) on the following assignments and tasks.

• Review the language and logic of all indicators to ensure ease of understanding and consistency.
• Review the indicators to ensure consistency across the different levels of the maturity continuum.
• Identify and include programme specific indicators for Immunisation, Education, WASH, Nutrition and Essential medicines in collaboration with relevant centres, other divisions in UNICEF, WHO and other partners.
• Ensure that all indicators/questions follow a consistent logic and style that supports interview type assessments using the defined criteria.

KEY DELIVERABLES:

#	Deliverable
1	Final set of indicators with a harmonised and reviewed language across both maturity tools.
2	Final set of programme-specific indicators to be included into the tool.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education:

Advanced, post-graduate degree is required, preferably in relevant field (e.g. business/public administration, public health, supply chain management, or other quantitative degree).

Work Experience:

At least 10 years work experience in strengthening national supply chain systems at country and global level. 

 Competencies:

• To view our competency framework, please visit here.
• Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

Key Functional Competencies

• Analysing
• Planning and Organizing

Technical Knowledge: 

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in assessing and reviewing government-led supply chains.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in conducting supply chain assessments using recognised tools (familiarity with the UNICEF maturity model a plus).
• Familiarity with supply chain maturity models
• Exposure to private sector supply chain practice is an added advantage.
• Excellent presentation skills

Language: Fluent English, speaking/reading; French or Russian desirable.

EVALUATION PROCESS:

Qualified candidates are requested to submit: 

1. Cover letter/application.
2. A technical proposal with proposed methodology/approach to managing the project, showing understanding of tasks.
3. Financial quote for the consultancy in USD per deliverable, also stating the timeframe for completion of deliverable and/or daily rate in USD.
4. CV.
5. Examples of previous, relevant work related to the deliverables.
6. Proposed methodology/approach to managing the project.
7. At least 2 References
8. Applications submitted without a rate per deliverable in USD will not be considered
9. Currency of payment will be agreed upon at time of contracting.
10. Successful applicants will be invited to a telephone interview and candidate will be selected based on the following criteria:

General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants / Individual Contractors

1. Legal Status

The individual engaged by UNICEF under this contract as a consultant or individual contractor (the “Contractor”) is engaged in a personal capacity and not as representative of a Government or of any other entity external to the United Nations.  The Contractor is neither a “staff member” under the Staff Regulations of the United Nations and UNICEF policies and procedures nor an “official” for the purpose of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, 1946 (“the Convention”).  The Contractor may, however, be afforded the status of “Expert on Mission” in the sense of Section 22 of Article VI of the Convention and if the Contractor is required by UNICEF to travel in order to fulfill the requirements of this contract, the Contractor may be issued a United Nations Certificate in accordance with Section 26 of Article VII of the Convention.

3. Title rights

UNICEF shall be entitled to all property rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights and trademarks, with regard to material created by the Contractor which bears a direct relation to, or is made in order to perform, this contract.  At the request of UNICEF, the Contractor shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to UNICEF in compliance with the requirements of the law governing such rights.

4. Travel

If UNICEF determines that the Contractor needs to travel in order to perform his or her obligations under this contract, that travel shall be specified in the contract and the Contractor’s travel costs shall be set out in the contract. In cases where travel costs have not been set in the contract, travel may either be organized by UNICEF or reimbursed upon submission of receipts within ten (10) days of completion of a specific travel on the following basis:  

1. UNICEF will pay for travel in economy class via the most direct and economical route, provided however that in exceptional circumstances, such as for medical reasons, travel in business class may be approved by UNICEF on a case-by-case basis. 
2. UNICEF will pay for out-of-pocket expenses associated with such travel, up to an amount equivalent to the daily subsistence allowance that would be paid to staff members undertaking similar travel for official purposes.

5. Statement of good health

Before commencing work, the Contractor must deliver to UNICEF a certified self-statement of good health and take full responsibility for the accuracy of that statement.  In addition, the Contractor must include in this statement of good health (a) confirmation that he or she has been informed regarding inoculations required for him or her to receive, at his or her own cost and from his or her own medical practitioner or other party, for travel to the country or countries to which travel is authorized; and (b) a statement he or she is covered by medical/health insurance and that, if required to travel beyond commuting distance from his or her usual place or residence to UNICEF (other than to duty station(s) with hardship ratings “H” and “A”, a list of which has been provided to the Contractor) the Contractor’s medical/health insurance covers medical evacuations. The Contractor will be responsible for assuming all costs that may be incurred in relation to the statement of good health. 

6. Insurance

The Contractor is fully responsible for arranging, at his or her own expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the term of this contract as he or she considers appropriate taking into account, among other things, the requirements of paragraph 5 above.  The Contractor is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members.  The responsibility of UNICEF and the United Nations is limited solely to the payment of compensation under the conditions described in paragraph 7 below.

7. Service incurred death, injury or illness

If the Contractor is travelling with UNICEF’s prior approval and at UNICEF’s expense in order to perform his or her obligations under this contract, or is performing his or her obligations under this contract in a UNICEF or United Nations office with UNICEF’s approval, the Contractor (or his or her dependents as appropriate), shall be entitled to compensation from UNICEF in the event of death, injury or illness attributable to the fact that the Contractor was travelling  with UNICEF’s prior approval and at UNICEF’s expenses in order to perform his or her obligations under this contract, or was performing his or her obligations under this contract in a UNICEF or United Nations office with UNICEF’s approval.  Such compensation will be paid through a third party insurance provider retained by UNICEF and shall be capped at the amounts set out in the Administrative Instruction on Consultants and Individual Contractors. Under no circumstances will UNICEF be liable for any other or greater payments to the Contractor (or his or her dependents as appropriate).

8. Arbitration

1. Any dispute arising out of or, in connection with, this contract shall be resolved through amicable negotiation between the parties. 
2. If the parties are not able to reach agreement after attempting amicable negotiation for a period of thirty (30) days after one party has notified the other of such a dispute, either party may submit the matter to arbitration in accordance with the UNCITRAL procedures within fifteen (15) days thereafter.  If neither party submits the matter for arbitration within the specified time the dispute will be deemed resolved to the full satisfaction of both parties.  Such arbitration shall take place in New York before a single arbitrator agreed to by both parties; provided however that should the parties be unable to agree on a single arbitrator within thirty days of the request for arbitration, the arbitrator shall be designated by the United Nations Legal Counsel.  The decision rendered in the arbitration shall constitute final adjudication of the dispute. 

9. Penalties for Underperformance

Payment of fees to the Contractor under this contract, including each installment or periodic payment (if any), is subject to the Contractor’s full and complete performance of his or her obligations under this contract with regard to such payment to UNICEF’s satisfaction, and UNICEF’s certification to that effect. 

10. Termination of Contract

This contract may be terminated by either party before its specified termination date by giving notice in writing to the other party.  The period of notice shall be five (5) business days (in the UNICEF office engaging the Contractor) in the case of contracts for a total period of less than two (2) months and ten (10) business days (in the UNICEF office engaging the Contractor)  in the case of contracts for a longer period; provided however that in the event of termination on the grounds of impropriety or other misconduct by the Contractor (including but not limited to breach by the Contractor of relevant UNICEF policies, procedures, and administrative instructions), UNICEF shall be entitled to terminate the contract without notice.  If this contract is terminated in accordance with this paragraph, the Contractor shall be paid on a pro rata basis determined by UNICEF for the actual amount of work performed to UNICEF’s satisfaction at the time of termination. UNICEF will also pay any outstanding reimbursement claims related to travel by the Contractor.  Any additional costs incurred by UNICEF resulting from the termination of the contract by either party may be withheld from any amount otherwise due to the Contractor under this paragraph.

11. Taxation

UNICEF and the United Nations accept no liability for any taxes, duty or other contribution payable by the consultant and individual contractor on payments made under this contract.  Neither UNICEF nor the United Nations will issue a statement of earnings to the consultant and individual contractor.

Queries can be sent to: Supply Chain Strengthening ([email protected]) with subject line “Consultancy:  Supply Chain Maturity Model”. Applications must be received in the system by date 18 May 2021 at our website: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index.php   Requisition no: 540428.