Job no: 576709
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Kyiv
Level: Consultancy
Location: Ukraine
Categories: Health, Health and Nutrition

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.
For every child, hope
UNICEF Ukraine
Full text of TOR is attached:
Background:
Making vaccines available when and where needed is essential for successful implementation of the national vaccines programme and avoiding vaccine-preventable diseases in children, adolescents and women of child-bearing age. Forecasting and supply planning are essential supply chain processes for estimating future programme demand, the associated commodity requirements, and costs as well as when supplies should be delivered to ensure uninterrupted service delivery. The successful implementation of these supply chain functions is dependent on the availability of skilled and motivated staff, well defined and standardized processes, high quality data, and informed assumptions among other considerations.
Following the 2020 forecasting and supply planning assessment and the Strategy document on Strengthening Country Vaccine Forecasting Capacity that was released in May 2021, UNICEF worked on developing different country guidance materials on forecasting and supply planning for vaccines and other immunization supplies. The guidance materials cover all activities around the forecasting and supply planning cycle and are grouped into a comprehensive Forecasting and Supply planning Guidance Manual. The Guidance Manual and accompanying operational forecasting tools are published in a Toolbox for Immunization Forecasting and Supply Planning (IFSP) that is available on Tech Net and accessible to users in countries.
UNICEF is looking for a consultant to support the assessment of the forecasting, supply and distribution planning processes in Ukraine, and at the same time help the country strengthening the forecasting, supply and distribution planning processes for vaccines and other immunisation supplies. The consultant will use the UNICEF forecasting and supply planning assessment tool to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement and based on the findings help the country finalise the comprehensive and agreed improvement plan and long-term improvement roadmap for forecasting and supply planning strengthening in Ukraine. The consultant will also implement specific/identified improvement plan activities. These could be helping setting up a forecasting team, training of team members, supporting the identification of methodology and assumptions and designing key performance indicators to monitor forecast and supply plan performance. In addition, the consultant will support the country to design and implement an effective and efficient distribution system to guarantee availability of vaccines and immunization supplies at the last mile. The specific activities could be adapted based on the assessment findings.
Purpose of assignment:
Under the supervision of Immunization Specialist, UNICEF Ukraine Country Office, the consultant’s duties and responsibilities will include the following. The level of effort estimated for each activity is included in brackets.
Assessment of the immunization forecasting and supply planning situation in Ukraine and development of improvement plan (25%)
The consultant will use the UNICEF Forecasting and Supply Planning Assessment Tool to assess the current situation and identify recommendations to strengthen the processes for immunization forecasting and supply planning. The tool includes areas such as team structures, forecasting and supply planning capacity, availability and quality of logistics and programmatic data, forecast methodology and assumptions, and monitoring of the forecast and supply plan. The assessment will be implemented through meetings with the national level Ministry of Health staff as well as travel to selected facilities to assess the data quality. Based on the findings, the consultant will develop a draft assessment report and presentation, which will be shared and presented to relevant stakeholders (individually or in a workshop) for collection of inputs to the report. Based on the final report, the consultant will help the country develop a short-, medium- and long-term improvement roadmap for forecasting and supply planning strengthening, including data quality improvement in collaboration with relevant MOH and other partners, a process that started during the Copenhagen workshop, and have them endorsed by the EPI team/MOH.
Assessment of the immunization distribution planning situation in Ukraine and development of improvement plan (25%)
The consultant will develop a questionnaire to assess the current distribution situation and identify recommendations to strengthen the processes for distributing vaccines and immunization supplies. This assessment questionnaire will be developed following literature/desk review and consultation with stakeholders to better understand country context. Key areas to be covered include coordination structures and human resources, distribution model(s) including, supporting infrastructure, quality assurance and control system during transportation, transportation options (including lead times), routes data, storage capacity and utilization at existing facilities, human resource capacity for distribution capacity, availability and quality of distribution data, distribution processes and policies, and methods for estimating resupply quantities, and monitoring of stock level across facilities. In developing the questionnaire, the consultant will conduct literature/desk review and meet with stakeholders The assessment will be implemented through interviews/meetings with relevant officials of the Ministry of Health as well as travel to selected facilities to assess the distribution system. Based on the findings, the consultant will develop as draft assessment report and presentation, which will be shared and presented to relevant stakeholders (individually or in a workshop) for collection of inputs to the report. Based on the final report, the consultant will help the country develop an improvement roadmap for distribution system strengthening, including relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs) in collaboration with relevant MOH and other partners. Based on the improvement plan and developed SOPs, the 2025 distribution plan will be created.
Establish and/or strengthen forecasting and supply/ distribution planning team (15%)
Based on experience from other countries and the current situation in Ukraine, the consultant will lead the country to establish and/or strengthen a team to oversee and guide the 2025 immunization forecasting and supply planning process. Through relevant consultations and meetings, the consultant will develop terms of reference for the team, prepare for meetings as well as participate in meetings to move the forecast process forward. The consultant will also ensure capacity building to the team through a series of training sessions in Forecasting and Supply planning using the materials from the immunization forecasting and supply planning Toolbox (IFSP Toolbox). This may include conducting national training of trainers and supervision of cascade trainings at the subnational level.
Facilitate development of 2025 immunization forecast and supply plan (15%)
The consultant will facilitate the 2025 immunization forecast and supply plan exercise and use the experience to inform guidance on assumption development and forecast methodology. The consultant will participate in relevant meetings with stakeholders to collect inputs to the best process for forecasting in Ukraine. Based on this, he/she will work with the UNICEF CO, NLWG and MOH/EPI team to arrange one or more targeted consultations and/or (training) workshops with relevant stakeholders and Subject Matter Experts to agree on assumptions and methodologies for the immunization forecasting and supply planning and to validate the final forecast and supply plan. The consultant will be responsible for preparing the materials for the workshop and/or targeted consultation meetings and facilitate technical discussions during the meetings. Based on inputs from these meetings, the 2025 immunization forecast and supply plan will be created.
Develop forecasting and supply/ distribution planning SOPs (15%)
Based on the experience with the immunization forecast development and work with the forecasting team, under the technical oversight of UNICEF SD/RO, and using the tools provided in the IFSP Toolbox, the consultant will develop/adapt agreed guidance materials to guide future forecasting and supply planning processes in Ukraine, including process SOPs and other necessary documents. These will be practical in nature.
Develop key performance indicators to monitor forecasting and supply/ distribution planning performance (5%)
Continued follow-up on the forecast and supply/distribution plan is important and is best done by monitoring forecast performance and accuracy using standardized key performance indicators (KPIs). Using the tools provided in the IFSP Toolbox including the guidance on IFSP performance monitoring, the consultant will develop practical reference sheets for the KPIs based on inputs from relevant stakeholder including NLWG, the EPI team and warehouse staff. The consultant will also support the advocacy for integrating selected IFSP KPIs into the overall MOH/EPI monitoring framework.
KEY DELIVERABLES
Draft assessment report of the immunization forecasting and supply planning situation with recommendations for improvements.

• Power Point presentation on the findings from the forecasting assessment and presentations to relevant stakeholders to gather inputs on the findings and recommendations.
• Final assessment report of the immunization forecasting situation with recommendations for improvements, incorporating the inputs from the stakeholder meetings.
• Short, medium and long-term improvement roadmap to strengthen forecasting and supply/distribution planning, based on the findings in the assessment report.
• Government-endorsed forecasting and supply/distribution planning improvements plan and roadmap
• Approved Terms of reference for the forecasting team
• Training report for the IFSP team
• 2025 immunization forecast for all relevant vaccines and immunization supplies
• Assessment questionnaire for the evaluation of the immunization distribution system
• Assessment report of the immunization distribution system with recommendations for improvements, incorporating the inputs from the stakeholder meetings
• 2025 immunization supply/distribution plan for all relevant vaccines and immunization supplies

Approved guidance materials to guide future forecasting and supply/distribution planning processes in Ukraine, including process SOPs Approved key performance indicators to monitor forecasting supply and distribution planning.

Work assignment overview:

Travel plan:
Within Ukraine: 36 days.
Regions of Ukraine: Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, Volyn, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv regions.
Please provide an all-inclusive financial proposal including travels to carry out the deliverables listed above.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education: Master’s degree in public health, Statistics, Supply Chain Management, Logistics Management, Pharmacy, Procurement or another relevant discipline for health supply chain data use or first university degree with relevant experience in supply chain, data for management or visualization.
Professional experience:

• Minimum six years relevant and progressive professional work experience including work experience in the field of immunization, immunization supply chain, forecasting and supply planning.
• Experience in country-level forecasting and supply planning for health commodities.

Languages:

• English: Proficient/Native [C2];
• Ukrainian: is an advantage.

Skills and competencies:
Core Competencies

• Excellent communicator of concepts both verbally and in writing to a developing country government and international audience.
• Able to work well in a team environment.
• Proficiency in commonly used public health forecasting and supply planning tools

Functional Competencies

• Works independently and is problem-solving oriented.
• Works in a multi-cultural environment and establishes harmonious and effective working relationships.
• Demonstrates communication and relationship-building skills.
• Proven capacity to work across different locations utilizing technical skills within supply chain management, data visualization, management and/or monitoring.

EVALUATION PROCESS:
Qualified candidates are requested to submit:


For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
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:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
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.
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-Co V-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.