Hiring Office:
UNFPA Mozambique Country Office: SRH Unit
Purpose of consultancy:
The East and Southern Africa Region faces unique challenges and opportunities in supply chain management (SCM) due to its diverse geography, economic development levels, and healthcare needs.
In this context, UNFPA will support the Country Office in conducting a capacity assessment on quantification. This assessment aims to identify challenges and gaps in data, tools, human resources (trained healthcare professionals), and access to reproductive health commodities and supplies. It will also evaluate if current quantification efforts effectively inform stock levels and management to prevent expiration.
With the phasing out of USAID support for QAT, which previously improved quantification and supply plan management for the Ministry of Health, there's a risk to effective process and supply chain management. This consultancy will explore current practices and recommend tools to ensure continuity.
This technical assistance is crucial for improving the availability, accessibility, and quality of reproductive health commodities and services for vulnerable communities, directly contributing to UNFPAโs three transformative results.
Considering this, UNFPA Mozambique Country Office in collaboration with the SCMU Demand and Supply Planning team and the Regional Office, is planning to assess the current Countryโs capacity to carry out Quantification practices and managing their overall SCM systems for Reproductive Health, including the New and Lesser Used (NLU)/maternal health commodities. The aim is to assess the quantification capabilities for RH/NLU/CAC supplies to identify the best practices and gaps in knowledge and skills. This identification will further inform the development of a general framework and roadmap of how quantification practices can be improved for all countries supported by UNFPA.
The best practices identified will serve as lessons learned to further strengthen health supply chain management systems, ensuring efficient delivery of essential medical supplies and need-based quantification of reproductive health commodities.
The insights and best practices identified from this assessment will be invaluable in enhancing UNFPAโs capacity-building efforts beyond workshops and training guiding future work on how to strengthen health supply chain management capabilities in the region and globally.
Scope of work:
An individual supply chain management expert/consultant is urgently required to conduct a comprehensive Quantification Capacity Assessment within the country. This critical role involves a multifaceted approach to evaluate and enhance the nation's capacity for effective supply chain management, particularly concerning the quantification of essential supplies. The consultant's responsibilities will encompass the following key areas:
Conduct In-Country Assessment using UNFPA Methodology:The consultant will be responsible for executing a thorough in-country assessment, strictly adhering to the established methodology and framework developed by UNFPA. This comprehensive assessment will involve: Convening and Interviewing Key Informants: Facilitating and conducting in-depth interviews with a diverse range of key stakeholders and informants at the country level. This includes, but is not limited to, government officials, healthcare professionals, logistics personnel, and representatives from relevant non-governmental organizations. The aim is to gather qualitative insight into current practices, challenges, and opportunities within the supply chain. Assessing Data and Documents: Rigorously analyzing existing data and documentation provided by these key informants. This will include reviewing inventory records, consumption data, procurement procedures, distribution networks, and any other relevant operational or strategic documents. The objective is to identify data gaps, inconsistencies, and areas for improvement in data management and utilization for quantification purposes.
Draft a Final Report with Assessment Results:
Upon completion of the in-country assessment, the consultant will be tasked with drafting a detailed and comprehensive final report. This report will meticulously present the findings of the assessment, including: Identified Strengths and Weaknesses: A clear articulation of the existing strengths and weaknesses within the country's quantification capacity, covering aspects such as human resources, infrastructure, systems, and processes. Opportunities and Threats: An analysis of potential opportunities for improvement and any prevailing threats that could hinder effective quantification. Specific Recommendations: Actionable and data-driven recommendations tailored to address the identified gaps and enhance the overall quantification capacity. These recommendations should be practical, prioritized, and aligned with UNFPA's strategic objectives. Communicate and Participate in Further Dissemination Efforts:The consultant will play a crucial role in communicating the assessment findings and participating actively in subsequent dissemination efforts. This may include: Presenting Findings: Delivering presentations to relevant national stakeholders, UNFPA country offices, and other international partners to share the assessment results. Engaging in Discussions: Facilitating and participating in discussions aimed at building consensus on the recommendations and fostering commitment to their implementation. Contributing to Knowledge Sharing: Supporting efforts to disseminate the assessment findings more broadly to contribute to global knowledge sharing on supply chain management and quantification best practices. Provide Feedback:
The consultant will be expected to provide continuous and constructive feedback throughout the assessment process. This feedback will be crucial for: Refining Methodology: Offering insights that could contribute to the refinement and improvement of UNFPA's quantification assessment methodology. Enhancing Future Assessments: Sharing lessons learned and best practices to inform and enhance the effectiveness of future quantification capacity assessments in other contexts. Supporting Stakeholders: Providing direct feedback to country-level stakeholders to guide their efforts in strengthening quantification processes.
This consultancy demands an experienced and analytical professional with a deep understanding of supply chain principles, particularly within the context of public health or humanitarian aid. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong communication, analytical, and report-writing skills, coupled with the ability to work effectively in diverse cultural environments.
Outcome:ย
Documentation and clear understanding of current quantification practices.ย Documentation and clear understanding of various gaps when it comes to quantification practices at different levels. Based on insight, a framework developed to assess various intervention areas (e.g. HR, knowledge, systems etc.) that can be improved/capacitated to ensure a robust quantification process.ย Establish a roadmap for SCMU/ROโs to enhance the various intervention areas over time Utilize both qualitative and quantitative methods, including In-depth Interviews with different relevant stakeholders to gather comprehensive data on current contraceptive quantification practices and identify areas for improvement.ย Identify major gaps in terms of HR, policy and regulations, and recommend viable and doable capacity-building initiatives utilizing available resources and local capabilities in contraceptive quantification and supply chain management. Provide a comprehensive assessment report detailing findings, gaps, and challenges, along with actionable short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations.ย
Methodology:
Duration and working schedule:
Total of 45 days of consultancy to complete the work. The contract end date is 31 December 2024.
Place where services are to be delivered:
SCMU and UNFPA Mozambique COย
Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.): Please see the attached TOR
Expected Results:
Comprehensive Quantification Capacity Assessment was developed and disseminated
Supervisory arrangements:
The consultant will be working under the supervision of the Regional Supply Chain Specialist of ESARO, Supply Chain Management Unit and SRHR Specialist with support of the RHCS Program Analyst and Logistics Officer.
Expected travel:ย
The consultant is expected to travel to the provinces and the respective districts โ Nampula and Zambezia, 2-3 districts and 8-10 Health facilities.
Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:
Bachelorโs degree in Logistic Management, Business management, Public Health, Health sciences, Pharmacy, Management or similar, with proven experience in the supply chain management area with more than 4 years. Additional qualifications in regulatory sciences, health policy and administration or health systems management will be an asset.
Have knowledge of the in-country Public Health supply chain Extensive experience in conducting national or regional quantification exercises for health commodities. This includes the ability to apply different methods (e.g., consumption-based, morbidity-based, demographic-based) and to select the most appropriate method for a given context. Proven ability to facilitate discussions and build consensus among a wide range of stakeholders, including government officials, donors, and implementing partners. Professional written and spoken presentation skills, including for the development of reports, presentations, and the ability to synthesize complex supply chain documents for both technical and non-technical audiences are required. Strong interpersonal skills and capability to develop and maintain broad diversified partnerships are required. Basic knowledge of the principles and operational aspects of integrated reproductive health care in the global development and humanitarian community is an asset.ย Knowledge of UNFPA mandates, policies, and guidelines is an assetLanguages:
ย ย Fluency in English and Portuguese is required.ย