Antecedentes

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.

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 and help countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 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. UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund 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 drugs and diagnostics.  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 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 temporary Principal Recipient (PR) 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.

Given the importance of the partnership with the GF, UNDP continues to provide high value-added services to the Global Fund both in its role as the interim PR, and, increasingly as a significant technical partner to governments and civil society organizations who implement Global Fund grants and other health initiatives. While the national and international health landscapes are rapidly changing, new health initiatives are emerging (e.g. noncommunicable diseases) 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. UNDP has a broad range of partnerships including technical partners (e.g., WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, Stop TB) and emergency and humanitarian partners (e.g., UNHCR, IRC, OCHA). 

In order to strengthen our capacity to effectively support our partners worldwide, UNDP seeks for candidates to send 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 Management (PSM), specifically pertaining the health sector. The qualified individual consultants based on competencies and value for money principles 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 PSM experts, 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 PSM roster categories which are presently defined below:

1. PSM quantification, forecasting, budgeting and planning experts
2. Quality Assurance experts (Model Quality Assurance System for procurement agencies - MQAS, Good Manufacturing Practices - GMP, Quality Control - QC)
3. Design of Health PSM strategies and systems experts
4. Evaluation and risk assessments of health supply chains experts
5. Health products related procurement process experts
6. Logistics Management Information System (LMIS) experts
7. Pharmaceutical regulatory experts
8. Laboratory supplies experts (Rapid Diagnostic Tests, reagents, laboratory equipment)
9. Medical devices and supplies experts (consumables and medical equipment)
10. Health supply chain infrastructure experts
11. PSM capacity development and training experts
12. Good distribution and storage practices experts
13. X-ray, scanning and radiological equipment experts
14. Sustainable energy experts
15. Waste Management experts
16. Biological products experts

On an if/when required basis, consultants listed 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.

Procuredure for submission of applications

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

1. Brief statement explaining the merits of the candidacy (1000 characters or less, to be uploaded directly to the system).
2. A completed and uploaded Health PSM Roster application form which includes
   • 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 specifying daily asked rates in USD (See Health PSM Application Form, Section f)). Consultants shall note that the daily rate specified in their submission will be considered as a ceiling amount / maximum daily fee.
   • Completed Personal History 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 —the Health PSM Application Form— can be uploaded to the UNDP JOBS SYSTEM. Therefore, please submit this application form as one file. The template corresponding to Health PSM Application Form can be found in this link: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=41698

The applications shall contain and include all information & documentation detailed above and will be assessed on a quarterly basis.

Evaluation, Selection criteria and process

The evaluation of each application will be based on a set of selection criteria as listed in the table below and on the basis of the information submitted by each candidate. Only candidates fulfilling the minimum expertise, experience and qualifications required will be considered. Candidates who score 65 or more points will be considered as technically qualified and eligible to be included in the roster. Candidates scoring 75 points or more will be eligible to be considered as “senior experts” for each of the categories they have applied for, provided their corresponding relevant expertise exceeds the minimum 10 years required.

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;

• UNDP Requisitioning Units will develop a set of TORs and will transmit these to Roster Manager based in Copenhagen.
• Roster manager will screen the roster to identify a match between one or several consultants and the ToRs for the corresponding assignment.
• Matching consultants will be contacted by the Roster Manager, provided the ToRs and asked to confirm interest and availability in the assignment. Matching consultants will also be asked to submit an ad-hoc financial proposal, including proposed daily fee, travel costs, subsistence allowances, etc.
• The daily fees proposed by each consultant shall at all times be lower than or equal to the agreed ceiling daily fee.
• The Roster Manager will transmit one or several consultant options to the requisitioning unit
• The requisitioning unit will effect final confirmation and contact the selected consultant for purpose of establishing an IC contract

Monitoring and reporting arrangements:

1. The consultant shall be supervised by an assigned BPPS/HHD/GF Programme Team PSM focal point and/or UNDP Business Unit representative and s/he will report progress on a periodical basis for inputs and guidance.
2. The consultant, upon award of contract, should deliver a detailed work plan for the project, which will govern the reporting and monitoring aspects
3. The review and approval of payments will be made by the assigned supervisor(s)

Deberes y responsabilidades

The selected consultants are expected to provide procurement and supply management support services in a range of levels of responsibilities and functions, as below. However, context-specific Terms of Reference (ToRs) will be issued for each assignment.

• Support UNDP COs and/or national partners with strengthening of national capacities in the area of Health PSM, including the ability to identify and manage supply chain risks, and the optimization of systems and procedures related to the procurement, logistics, storage and distribution of pharmaceuticals and health items to secure delivery of health services.
• Support UNDP COs and/or national partners with development and implementation of Quality Assurance strategies and procedures, for the supply, transportation, storage and distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.
• Support UNDP Country Offices (COs) and/or national counterparts with annual quantification, forecasting and planning exercises, including development of PSM plans mainly for procurement of pharmaceutical and health related procurement.
• Support UNDP COs and/or national partners with the design and establishment of suitable PSM strategies and systems in the health sector.
• Develop business cases for rationalization of existing PSM strategies and procedures, including procurement planning, spend analysis, establishment of framework agreements, review of existing solicitation documents, strengthening bid evaluation, etc.
• Support and/or advise in writing Contracts (Civil Works, Professional Services, LTA, etc.) using standard UNDP templates
• Other assignments, duties and responsibilities to be determined as a case-by-case basis by demand of the UNDP CO for Health PSM Capacity development within the roster categories.

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.
 

Competencias

• Excellent Analytical skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Office packages
• Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective
• Continues to seeks new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the tasks
• Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms
• Service minded, self-motivated, proactive, team-oriented, reliable, and ability to work in harmony with teams of different nationalities and professional backgrounds.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education and professional qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, public health, pharmacy, engineering, Supply Chain Management and/or Logistics or Procurement and/or related disciplines.
• Specific training, certificate or diploma in supply chain and/or procurement from renowned institutions (e.g., ISM, CIPS, SPSM, etc.) will be positively considered.
• Specific training, certificate or diploma in relevant aspects of public health will be positively considered.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 (five) years’ (for Expert band) and 10 (ten) years’ (for Senior Expert band) in one or several of the areas of expertise / categories detailed above under “duties and responsibilities”.
• 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.

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.