UNDP Jobs - 60353- Procurement Specialist (Supply Chain Management an

Procurement Specialist (Supply Chain Management and Logistics)

Location :

Geneva, SWITZERLAND

Type of Contract :

TA International

Starting Date :

01-Nov-2015

Application Deadline :

05-Oct-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

364 days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

364 days

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

BPPS supports UNDP’s 2014-2017 Strategic Plan, focusing on 7 outcomes including strengthening institutions to progressively deliver universal access to basic services (outcome 3). The HIV, Health and Development Group (HHD), within BPPS, is helping to contribute towards this outcome.

HIV, Health and Development Approach

UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development leverages the organization’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialist health-focused UN agencies. UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development.

First, UNDP helps countries to mainstream attention to HIV and health into action on gender, poverty and the broader effort to achieve and sustain the Millennium Development Goals. Second, UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses. Third, as a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multi-sectoral health projects, while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time. The UNDP/Global Fund partnership is an important part of this work, facilitating access to resources for action on MDG 6 by countries that face constraints in directly receiving and managing such funding. UNDP partners with countries in crisis/post-crisis situations, those with weak institutional capacity or governance challenges, and countries under sanctions.

UNDP’s Partnership with the Global Fund

As of July 2015, UNDP served as the interim Principal Recipient (PR) for 50 grants, covering 25 countries and one Regional Programme, funded by the Global Fund. In its role as interim PR, UNDP is responsible for the financial and programmatic management of grants, as well as the procurement of health and non-health products. Given the importance of the partnership with the GF, UNDP continues to provide high value-added services to Global Fund both in its role as the interim Principal Recipient, and, increasingly as a significant technical partner to governments and civil society organizations who implement Global Fund grants. These services are predominately, in the area of health procurement and supply management, combined with capacity development support, and this work is likely to expand further.

The national and international health landscapes are rapidly changing: new health initiatives are emerging and bring to light pressing challenges connected with health systems strengthening including, health procurement and supply management that require a new modus operandi to optimize UNDP’s investments into global health. These opportunities go beyond UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund. In addition, there is a need for UNDP to continue to expand opportunities for partnerships with key stakeholders on health procurement including GAVI, World Bank and UNITAID.

Under the overall guidance of the Senior Procurement Advisor, UNDP Global Fund Partnership team, HHD, UNDP is seeking a Procurement Specialist (Temporary Assignment). The Procurement Specialist is responsible for the management of the procurement for countries where UNDP is not the interim Principal Recipient and providing the effective delivery of procurement services in order to obtain the best value for money in country offices with health procurement initiatives. The Procurement Specialist provides solutions to a wide spectrum of complex and politically sensitive issues related to procurement. The Procurement Specialist will expand opportunities with key stakeholders on health procurement and supply management and provide technical advisory support for UNDP country offices that are providing capacity support in health procurement. He/she will work in close collaboration with project teams in UNDP Country Offices, UNDP Headquarters staff, Geneva and New York and government officials to successfully deliver procurement services.

Duties and Responsibilities

Advisory and support services to Country Offices in pursuing new opportunities in the area of health procurement and supply management, with the following key responsibilities:

Provide technical support in pursuing new opportunities in health procurement and supply chain capacity development for governments and partners beyond the Global Fund;
Participate in the planning and development of new procurement lines and supply programmes, involving the coordination of a number of contracts and sub-contracts with partners;
Provide technical support to Country Offices with feasibility and risk analysis of new initiatives and programme development;
Take the lead in coordinating procurement support to Country Offices for non-Global Fund procurement and to be a PSM focal point for these countries;
Provide support to Country Offices in drafting of agreements and project documents, setting up new Long-Term Agreements (LTA) for new product lines, preparation and implementation of procurement plans and PSM capacity development plans for new business lines, monitoring progress and communicating the results; and
Prepare and analyze information on UNDP procurement activities and the pricing structure with a view to increase and catalyze the volume of health procurement initiatives.

Advisory and support services for procurement and supply chain management issues with the following key responsibilities:

Provide technical assistance to Country Offices and government counterparts on pharmaceutical supply chain management to ensure programme delivery;
Provide technical assistance to Country Offices and government procurement counterparts in the formulation of PSM planning including development of related documents (procurement action plans, lists of health products, specifications, GF New Funding Model’s procurement documentation, etc.);
Provide technical assistance to Country Offices in collaboration with government counterparts in the formulation of Procurement Planning Tools and Quality Assurance Plans to ensure compliance with international procurement standards;
Provide technical assistance to Country Offices in collaboration with government counterparts for the development and monitoring of capacity building plans as they relate to PSM;
Provide technical assistance to Country Offices in the area of intellectual property, international trade and regulatory issues in accordance with international standards;
Advise Country Offices on CAP and ACP submissions as quality assurance;
Advise Country Offices on best procurement and supply chain management practices in accordance with UNDP rules and international standards;
Advise Country Offices and review Value for Money Submissions as quality assurance; and
Build the capacity of Country Offices and government counterparts in the area of procurement as well as develop procedure, guidelines and SOPs and best practices of procurement and supply chain management.

Monitoring specific risk assessment model that allows COs to mitigate procurement and supply chain management challenges and improve quality assurance with the following key responsibilities:

Monitor quantitative questionnaire used as an assessment tool for the procurement capacities of UNDP country offices and government counterparts for development of risk mitigation plans;
Monitor and provide support to Country Offices in addressing audit recommendations to ensure timely fulfillment;
Provide guidance to Office of Audit and Investigations on the procurement and supply chain management in the scope of GF audits and investigations;
Monitor the procurement capacity of Country Offices on a regular basis by updated annually the information on the questionnaire; and
Ensure detailed procurement and supply chain management risk mapping of every grant implemented by UNDP in the non-PR role.

Partnership development to foster establishment of new procurement and supply chain initiatives with the following key responsibilities:

Explore and develop opportunities with international (GAVI, World Bank, UNITAID and others) and national (Governments) stakeholders on health procurement and PSM capacity development;
Support and coordinate the liaison with Geneva-based key partners including WHO, GAVI, UNICEF, UNFPA, Stop TB, RBM and the Global Fund as it relates to new procurement and PSM initiatives, to ensure UNDP’s effective engagement as a key PSM partner.

Knowledge Sharing on procurement and supply chain management with Country Office staff with the following key responsibilities:

Ensure systematic knowledge sharing on procurement with Country Offices by assisting the Senior Procurement Advisor in the organization of all training workshops and in the development of knowledge tools;
Develop knowledge and support capacity in the areas of patent and international property issues and human rights related to access to medicines in accordance with international standards;
Provide regular updates on procurement tools, methods, and approaches relevant to procurement via the relevant UNDP knowledge network (global fund-net and others) to enhance PSM capacity; and,
Actively participate in UNDP and other relevant external networks to promote capacity development in procurement and supply chain management and asset management.

Impact of Results:

UNDP will be able to ensure effective programme implementation and that the financial resources entrusted to it for Global Fund and government financed programmes and projects are managed optimally at the country level;
UNDP will be able to ensure optimum programme results for beneficiaries through strengthened professional capacity in managing the specialized procurement requirements and supply chain management;
UNDP Country Office staff members in operational and programme roles will benefit from the ongoing coaching and mentoring support provided by the procurement advisor in the context of a complex and specialized development programme;
UNDP, governments and partners will be able to develop and improve tools, methods, approaches, and knowledge products to better support procurement and supply chain management; and
UNDP will be able to build an effective and sustainable partnership with key stakeholders in health procurement and supply management.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Innovation:

Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership:

Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management:

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication:

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery:

Ability to get things done.

Technical /Functional Competencies:

Primary:

Partnerships:

Knowledge of anti-corruption concepts, principles and policies and the ability to apply in strategic and/or practical situations.

Procurement:

Ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source.

Strategic Sourcing:

Knowledge of strategic sourcing concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Supplier Management:

Knowledge of supplier management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Contract Management:

Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Secondary:

Public Relations:

Ability to manage the spread of information between the UNDP and the public.

Negotiation:

Ability to reach an understanding, resolve point of difference, or gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue.

Logistics:

Knowledge of logistics operations, principles and methods, and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Finance, Economics or related field;
Complimentary qualifications in public health, pharmacy or medicine an asset.

Experience:

A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience, which includes international experience in pharmaceutical supply chain management, or operations;
Solid experience in the management of people and systems in high-pressure environments;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of web based management system;
Experience of UN or UNDP procurement policies and procedures.

Language:

English language fluency and strong writing skills required;
A second UN language is desirable.

Other Requirements:

UNDP Procurement Certification Programme.
Willingness to travel frequently to UNDP Country Offices.