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, as envisaged by 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are on the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners that can bring about results.

Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan and help countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development, as described in the HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2016-2021: Connecting the Dots, leverages UNDP’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 Sustainable Development Goals.

Second, UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses. Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of the law and legal environments in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property law to lower the cost of medicines and diagnostics. UNDP also works to empower and include marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV, such as sex workers, men who have sex with men and people living with HIV. Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, including support to municipal action on SDGs, sustainable responses for Health and HIV such as improving sustainability of AIDS financing, sustainable health procurement, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for key populations.

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.

UNDP’s Partnership with the Global Fund

UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund to Fight ADS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) is an important part of this work, facilitating access to resources for action on SDG 3 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. When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient in these settings, working with national partners and the Global Fund to improve management, implementation and oversight of Global Fund grants, while simultaneously developing national capacity to be able to assume the Principal Recipient role over time.

Health procurement and supply chain management support, an integral part of development solutions and support services that UNDP provides for the implementation of large and complex health programmes, contribute to the equitable delivery of essential services.

The national and international health landscapes are rapidly changing. New health initiatives are emerging, particularly in relation to non-communicable diseases, which bring to light pressing challenges linked to health systems strengthening including, health procurement and supply chain management. These opportunities go beyond UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund and require a new modus operandi to optimize UNDP’s investments into global health. In addition, UNDP needs to continue to expand opportunities for partnerships with key stakeholders on health procurement including with UNICEF, UNFPA and UNOPS/Global Drug Facility but also on supporting the development of national supply chains with additional partners such as GAVI, WHO, and WFP.

UNDP’s Role in Provision of Health Products and Support to National Supply Chains

Generated out of the success of the UNDP-Global Fund partnership, a rapidly increasing number of governments are requesting UNDP to help strengthen national capacities and systems for the provision of health services, especially for the procurement and supply chain management of medicines and health products.

The primary focus of this procurement services has been medicines and diagnostics for infectious diseases, but it also includes a broad range of laboratory and hospital equipment. Increasingly, UNDP is receiving requests to support the procurement of medicines, diagnostics and medical equipment for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In addition to procurement services, UNDP also supports governments to build resilient and sustainable health systems including support to national procurement including support and  supply chain systems and laboratory This includes providing technical expertise to strengthen legal, policy and regulatory frameworks, improve procurement rules and regulations, and remove potential barriers to equitable access to affordable medicines.

In order to provide effective support to our partners worldwide, UNDP seeks for individual consultants to submit their applications for inclusion in the pre-approved Health PSM Roster of Experts and Senior Experts, who are ready to provide consultancy services for sustainable development in the area of Procurement and Supply Chain Management (PSM), specifically pertaining the health sector. The qualified individual consultants based on competencies and value for money principle may be called upon to be contracted and deployed to provide specific technical advice and short-term consultancies for periods, normally not to exceed 12 months.

To this effect, UNDP invites eligible and interested experts in the below listed areas, with experience and expertise in the health sector, to submit their application in response to this Expression of Interest, to be included in one or several of the specialized roster categories which are presently defined below:

1. PSM quantification, forecasting, budgeting and planning experts for health products;
2. Quality Assurance experts: 2.A: QA systems and 2.B: QA for Health Products;
3. Health Supply Chain management systems experts;
4. Health products related procurement process such as Medical devices, diagnostics, X-ray, scanning, radiological equipment and supplies (consumables and medical equipment) experts;
5. Logistics Management Information System (LMIS) experts; pharmaceutical SC traceability systems experts, GS1 Experts;
6. Health Products regulatory experts/ Support to National Regulatory Systems experts;
7. Medical Laboratory (Rapid Diagnostic Tests, reagents, laboratory equipment) experts;
8. Health infrastructure engineers (warehouse and health facilities construction or renovation);
9. PSM capacity development and training experts;
10. Distribution systems /Good distribution and storage practices experts;
11. Sustainable health supply chain experts;
12. Waste Management experts

    Applicants should apply only to the area of specialization that is relevant to their area of expertise and demonstrate the number of working years in that area in their CV.

    Successful candidates with relevant minimum 5 to 7 years of experience will be included in the “Expert” band and those with relevant minimum 10 years of experience will be included in the “Senior Expert” band in one or several of the areas of expertise / categories detailed above under “duties and responsibilities”.

    Only qualified CVs shall be considered in the Roster. Applicants admitted in the  roster and matching the specific TORs for each respective assignment, will be engaged by UNDP through the Individual Contract (IC) modality and deployed to work in any of UNDP Country Offices, HQ locations, or if/when needed work from their own respective locations through remote support modality. The roster will be maintained for a period of 3 years. 

     

Duties and Responsibilities

The selected consultants are expected to provide consultancy services in a range of levels of responsibilities and functions relevant to one or more requested categories. The following is a generic and non-exhaustive list of some tasks and functions under each area of expertise, however a context-specific Terms of Reference (TORs) will be issued for each assignment.

1- PSM Quantification, forecasting, budgeting and planning for health products

• Undertake or support quantification and forecasting activities for health-related products using existing quantification tools in collaboration with UNDP CO staff, national partners and other partners.
• Review of relevant data to support quantification exercise (consumption, distribution, morbidity, programmatic information) and proposal of the most reliable quantification method to be used
• Train on health products quantification process and quantification tools
• Production of quantification report, supply plan, budget and gap analysis.

2- Quaulity Assurance:  

2.A.Quality Assurance Systems in central warehouse and along the Supply Chain (Model Quality Assurance System for procurement agencies – MQAS and GDP)

• Assess, provide support to design and implement quality assurance systems for national procurement agencies and/or central medical stores according to GDP and MQAS
• Prepare (and/or updates)  Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) for Global Fund funded health products in the national supply chain in collaboration with other stakeholders as applicable;
• Support implementation of all QAP activities.
• Assessment of national quality assurance systems and proposals for strengthening

2.B. Quality Assurance of Health Products

• Support UNDP in the assessment of procurement agencies and manufacturing sites according to UNDP QA Policy requirements;
• Support UNDP in the assessment of finished health products (product dossiers)  (for pharmaceuticals, biological products, medical devices including diagnostics) in accordance with UNDP QA Policy and based on Good Practices and QA norms and standards (Good Manufacturing Practices, Good Laboratory Practices, Good Distribution Practices, Bioequivalence studies, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Stability Studies, Quality Management System for diagnostics and QC laboratories)
• Support UNDP QA department in developing and providing training modules to UNDP staffs and partners (in recipient countries)

3- Health Supply Chain management systems:

• Assess the national supply chain
• Develop a risk management plan for the health supply chain.
• Identify main risks in the supply chain and propose solutions.
• Provide advice to UNDP COs and/or national partners for the design and review of suitable National Supply Chain strategies and systems in the health sector.
• Support the development of implementation plans based on the national SC strategies with identification of concrete activities, budget required and clarifying responsibilities among national partners and contribution of relevant partners
• Support activities identified in the national SC implementation plan such as inventory management system.

4- Health products related procurement process such as Medical devices, diagnostics, X-ray, scanning, radiological equipment and supplies (consumables and medical equipment):

• Provide technical advice to the UNDP GF HIST and GPU Health teams  Team on specific categories of products such as pharmaceuticals, biological products, diagnostics, medical devices, medical equipment, imaging equipment, laboratory equipment or reagents for the development of specifications to be used in procurement process, to analyse products offered in response to procurement solicitation and ensure products supplied to UNDP are compliant with UNDP and Global Fund QA Policies.   
• Assist in the Technical evaluation of received offers.
• Conducts market research on the sourcing of requisitioned health products.

5- Logistics Management Information Systems (LMIS) /traceability systems:

• Support for the assessment of needs and the definition of technical requirements for a national electronic LMIS (e-LMIS)
• Support national partners in the selection of the e-LMIS fitting their needs
• Design and implementation of eLMIS pilot projects
• Support the country partners in the design and operationalization of LMIS activities (pilot project and scaling up)
• Support road map development for implementation of traceability in the pharmaceutical supply chain system, with a costed implementation plan
• Develop a national GS1-based product catalogue

6- Health Prodcut regulatory/ Support to National Regulatory Systems:

• Support UNDP and national partners to assess National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) functions (regulations, registration, QC, pharmacovigilance, inspection…) and to identify gaps
• Technical support to medicines quality control laboratories
• Provide support to strengthen NRAs functions

7- Medical Laboratory (Rapid Diagnostic Tests, reagents, laboratory equipment):

• Support the assessment of laboratory services and identify gaps
• Provide support for the development of national laboratory strategies and optimization plans
• Advise on good practice for the procurement of IVD products (sourcing and quantification)
• Review the Laboratories Standards Operating Procedures (SOPs) on test methods, use of equipment, laboratory organization, quality control, safety practices, record keeping, waste management, and provide technical support according to the needs.
• Provide technical assistance in improving the Internal and External Quality Assurance Systems in medical laboratories
• Provide technical support in development of laboratory diagnostic algorithms for diagnosis
• Provide technical support in developing laboratory information system
• Identify technical support needs and HR capacity development needs to effectively provide diagnostic and follow up services.

8- *Health infrastructure (warehouse and health facilities construction or renovation):

• Detailing the design for the warehouse infrastructure, equipment, temperature control systems and energy supply.
• Prepare the drawings, Bill of Quantities (BoQ) and the tender documents in UNDP format for the same.
• Review and validation of fit-for-purpose of drawings and designs
• Support technical evaluation of received bids
• Monitoring and implementation of health infrastructure projects

9- PSM capacity development and training:

• Assess the national procurement and supply chain management systems according to best practices and identify potential areas for capacity development and support the development of an implementation plan; according to the national strategy
• On-the-job Training of the National PSM officers on the components of the PSM cycle and its importance in ensuring the uninterrupted supply of medicines and other health products.
• Development of capacity development plans in the area of PSM, focusing on strengthening PSM systems and capacity of PSM workforce in country.

10- Distribution systems /Good distribution and storage practices:

• Assessment of national systems for storage and distribution systems versus GDP, GSP requirements
• Elaboration and implementation of strengthening plans to improve national distribution systems, development of performance monitoring systems
• Support the selection of the optimal arrangements (warehousing, distribution) for goods procured by UNDP (including relevant arrangements with the MoPH, UNDP CO)
• Support for the development of a contract to subcontract storage and distribution activities to a CMS or a private entity
• Set appropriate controls for proper tracking of goods from transport and handling to final destination.

11- Sustainable health supply chain:

• Assess national health supply chain systems on sustainable aspects.
• Provide advice to UNDP on how to improve sustainable aspects in its procurement system
• Support the development of an up-to-date sustainable energy plan related to health sector operations.
• Development of elements that could be put in place to advance the sustainability agenda in health products procurement.

12- Waste Management:

• Achieve a comprehensive analysis of the waste management situation of health products in a country
• Identify the most adequate, efficient, easy to operationalize solution (s) for the health products waste, taking into account environmental impact, national priorities and available resources
• Develop/review a Health Products Waste Management Plan and Budget which operationalizes the solutions proposed for the various types of Health products
• Propose the most adequate equipment taking into account international requirements, the manufacturer’s requirements as well as environmental standards.

Competencies

Organizational Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards.
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

Functional Competencies:

• Strong analytical, negotiation and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products,
• Professional and/or academic experience in one or more of the areas of the Development or knowledge management field.

Project and Resource Management:

• Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs.
• Ability to focus on impact and results for the client, promoting and demonstrating an ethic of client service.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs.
• Sound judgment, strategic thinking and the ability to manage competing priorities.

Partnership building and team work:

• Demonstrated well developed people management skills.
• Strong ability to manage teams; creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing staff.
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills.
• Demonstrated flexibility to excel in a multi-cultural environment.
• Provides constructive coaching and feedback.

Communications and Advocacy:

• Strong ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to different audiences and speak clearly and convincingly.
• Strong presentation skills in meetings with the ability to adapt for different audiences.
• Strong analytical, research and writing skills with demonstrated ability to think strategically.
• Strong capacity to communicate clearly and quickly.
• Strong inter-personal, negotiation and liaison skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education, professional qualifications and Experience:

• Master's Degree in public health, pharmacy, biology, engineering, Supply Chain Management and/or Logistics or Procurement and/or related disciplines with minimum 5 years experience or relevant Bachelor degree with minimum 7 years experience.
• Specific training, certificate or diploma in health supply chain, and/or procurement from renowned institutions (e.g., ISM, CIPS, SPSM, SCOR etc…..) will be positively considered.
• Specific training, certificate or diploma in relevant aspects of health products, quality assurance will be positively considered.
• Experience with United Nations/UNDP or international agencies will be positively considered.
• Experience in working with the Global Fund will be positively considered.
• Experience in working with national and/or sub-national health authorities and institutions will be positively considered.
• Experience working in countries in special development circumstances and/or crisis countries will be positively considered.

*The mentioned experience requirement is applicable to all required specializations/categories, however, to be considered for Category No. 8. “Health infrastructure experts”, the applicant should have a degree in civil works engineering or equivalent.

Language Requirements

• Knowledge of language (oral and written) in English is required. Knowledge (speak and understand) of other languages such as Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic, and Portuguese will be positively assessed. 

Procedures for Submission of Applications

Interested individuals must submit the following documents to demonstrate their qualifications:

• Brief statement explaining the merits of the candidacy (1000 characters or less, to be uploaded directly to the system).
• A completed Health PSM Roster application form with:
  • Selected categories with the total number of years and provided summary of relevant experience, and AT LEAST 3 supporting references (including name, email and phone number - see Health PSM Application Form, Section c, d, e.)
  • Financial proposal providing a quote for a daily professional rate in USD (See Health PSM Application Form, Section g)). Consultants shall note that the daily rate specified in their submission will be considered as a ceiling amount / maximum daily rate.
  • Completed P11 form (for service and Individual Contracts) section and the Health PSM Roster application duly signed and submitted.

• IMPORTANT: Please note that only 1 (one) file can be uploaded to the UNDP JOBS SYSTEM. Therefore, please uplaod all requested documents including the application form and P11 Form as "One File Document" into the system. The template corresponding to Health PSM Application Form including the P11 Form can be found in this link: 

 http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=60592

• The applications shall contain and include all information & documentation detailed above and will be evaluated as inidicated below.

Evaluation, selection criteria and process

Step One: Screening:

The received applications shall be screened against the following criteria:

• Master Degree in public health, pharmacy, biology, Civil Works engineering, Supply Chain Management and/or Logistics or Procurement and/or related disciplines with minimum 5 years experience or relevant Bachelor degree with minimum 7 years experience.
• Submission of filled in and signed application Form.
• Submission of filled in P11 Form
• Fluency in English. 

Only applicants passing the screening stage shall be considered for further evaluation.

Step Two: Evaluation

The evaluation of each application will be based on a set of selection criteria as listed in the below table and on the basis of the information submitted by each candidate. Only candidates fulfilling the minimum expertise, experience and qualifications required will be considered. For each of the categories applied for, applicants who score 65 or more points will be considered as technically qualified and eligible to be included in the roster. Applicants scoring 75 points or more will be eligible to be considered as “senior experts”.

UNDP may conduct an interview round with applicants, prior to issuance of a final recommendation to include the applicant in the roster, for purpose of determining fulfilment of language and competencies related requirements.

A review of the daily fees proposed by technically qualified experts will follow, to determine adherence to maximum allowed UNDP daily fees for experts and senior experts. In cases where daily fees submitted by consultants exceed maximum allowed UNDP daily fees for each band, the consultant will be invited to review his/her quoted daily fee downwards accordingly.

Qualified pre-selected consultants will be notified by UNDP of their inclusion in the resulting roster. Requests for engagement and deployment of experts will be channelled through the roster in the following manner;

1. UNDP Requesting Business Units will develop a set of TORs.
2. Country Office will screen the roster to identify at least 3 consultants that match the ToRs for the corresponding assignment in close collaboration with the PSM Specialist
3. Matching consultants will be contacted by the Roster Manager and will be asked to confirm interest and availability in the assignment. Matching consultants will also be asked to submit a financial proposal for the specific assignment, including proposed daily fee, travel costs, subsistence allowances, etc.
4. The daily fees proposed by each consultant shall at all times be lower than or equal to the agreed ceiling daily fee.
5. The Requesting Business Unit will give the final confirmation and contact the selected consultant for purpose of establishing an IC contract. 

Other Information:

Monitoring and reporting arrangements upon assignment:

• The consultant shall be supervised by an assigned BPPS/HHD/GF HIST Team PSM focal point and/or UNDP Business Unit representative and s/he will report progress on a periodical basis for inputs and guidance.

• The consultant, upon award of contract, should deliver a detailed work plan for the project, which will govern the reporting and monitoring aspects. The review and approval of payments will be made by the assigned supervisor(s) where the last tranche of payment can be only processed upon issuance of a performance evaluation.

Travel:
When travel is required to be undertaken to a UNDP location for a specific assignment, payment of travel costs including tickets (lowest economy class only), lodging and terminal expenses shall be reimbursed by UNDP

Security: Individual Consultants must obtain a security clearance to travel to locations in Security Level I or above. Business unit must ensure that this requirement is being adhered to before signature of contract. When travel is required to a country with a designated Security Level 1 or above, the Individual Consultant should also undertake the Basic Security in the Field training and the Advanced Security in the Field training, following the procedure for access by non-staff. When travel to a country with no designated security level is required, only the basic training must be completed. CD-ROMs of the trainings must be made available where access to other forms of technology poses a challenge.

Inoculation/Vaccinations: Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring that they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://trip.dss.un.org

Statement of Medical Fitness for Work: Individual contractors whose assignments require travel and who are over 65 years of age are required, at their own expense, to undergo a full medical examination, including x-rays, and obtain medical clearance from a UN-approved doctor prior to taking up their assignment. This does not apply to individuals engaged through a reimbursable loan agreement. The medial clearance is valid only for 12 months from date of issuance.

ANNEX 1- INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS is provided here: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf