Vaccine Accountability Monitor

Purpose of activity / assignment:

• To support vaccine & cold chain management related to COVID - 19 vaccine deployment in the country during the vaccination campaign & integration into PHC.

• To provide technical support to the national cold store (NVS), state cold stores & the county cold store to strengthen vaccine stock reporting & visibility.

Background & rationale:

• Every year, at least one third of LMIC's experience vaccine stockouts lasting for a month or more. By reviewing annual government reported supply chain indicators over the last ten years, LMICs have seen an increase in the number of stockouts of at least one routine antigen from 30% in 2010 to 45% in 2019.

• Sub optimal vaccine management not only increases the operational & opportunity costs of vaccination but can also play a significant role in broadening inequities & stagnating demand, predominantly affecting under served, urban poor, insecure & hard to reach populations.

• The COVID - 19 vaccine deployment is ongoing since the second quarter of 2021 & continuous deployment of the COVID - 19 is in place with pipelines expected. In such situation, several activities need to be accomplished within a record time, this includes but not limited to determination of the required logistics that will be informed by vaccination strategies.

• To effectively manage the forthcoming COVID - 19 vaccination campaign & integration of COVID - 19 vaccine in PHC in South Sudan, the organization is deploying VMS into the field. The VMS will build capacity & support national authorities in planning, storage, distribution, temperature tracking, monitoring, accountability & waste management of COVID - 19 vaccines & relevant commodities.

• Through stock management strengthening stream, the organization would fund the focused technical assistance support the MOH to report monthly on stocks of routine immunization & COVID - 19 vaccines & devices to sustain visibility already created at all levels of the immunization supply chain in the country.

• The organization South Sudan is seeking assistance in the form of three consultants equivalent to national Cold Chain Vaccine Management Officers to support effective planning, storage, distribution, monitoring & accountability of the upcoming surge in COVID - 19 vaccine deliveries to the country. This technical assistance would support to strengthen vaccine & cold chain management in the cold store at national, assigned states & county & strengthen vaccine & supplies visibility at the sub national levels.

Scope of work:

• The consultant will support capacity building activity of the vaccine handlers (SOP & trainings), manage vaccine & dry stock receipt, storage, distribution, return at the sub national level & support the use of COVID - 19 vaccine logistics information system (tools, SOP & data management), monitoring & supportive supervision on vaccine accountability & wastage management in line with the national guidelines.

• The consultant will also support the RI supply chain strengthening activities such as regular review of the vaccine request, utilization status, wastage monitoring & rollout of eSMT at sub national level.

• The consultant would work closely with the organization Vaccine Management Officer & the Cold Chain Officer under the close supervisor of the organizations Cold Chain Specialist.

Main duties & responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• In collaboration with partners, strengthen a data collection system (ODK etc.) so NLWG / EOC has weekly data on COVID - 19 vaccine quantities, expiry dates, closed vial wastage & critical operational challenges.

• Prepare monthly vaccine status & accountability reports of the assigned states / administrative areas & share with supply & logistics working groups & key stakeholders.

• Support SMOH & sub national EPI teams (TOT, on the job training, adopt / deploy SOPs) to plan the timely & equitable distribution of vaccines with active temperature monitoring in transit & on arrival at receiving stores in the assigned states / administrative areas.

• Support the planning, implementation & monitoring of the third round of COVID - 19 vaccination campaign & integration of COVID - 19 into the PHC & RI system in the country.

• Support sub national EPI & COVD-19 vaccine deployment teams to expand / deploy data management systems / tools (ODK, eSMT, eLMIS) that improve / automate vaccine inventories at national, state & county level stores.

• Support regular review of supply chain performance at the sub national level, ensuring course correction & triangulating with service delivery data.

• Prepare monthly vaccine monitoring reports & share them with key stakeholders for required action.

• Strengthen routine stock management practices (ToT, cross learning, documenting best practices & lessons learnt) & track monthly reporting rates at central, states & county level stores to ensure visibility for vaccines & devices.

• Support to collect, analyse & share COVID - 19 & RI stock, consumption & expiry data up to third level stores with country office focal point.

• Support implementation of the COVID - 19 vaccination & RI wastage management at the sub national level in line with the national SOP.

Specific deliverables include but not limited to:

• Distribution plan developed & shared & vaccine delivery monitored till state / county stores with submission of proof of delivery as per assigned state.

• Analytical report on the vaccine request, utilization & wastage report.

• Field monitoring report on the vaccine monitoring at sub national level.

• Logistical micro plan submitted as per assigned state.

• End of campaign reports developed & shared with EPI team.

• Updated cold chain inventory reports submitted as per allocated state using the organization inventory tool.

• Report on the comprehensive vaccine utilization report for assigned states & counties.

• Monthly comprehensive & final contract report.

• This role will work under Vaccine Management Officer & Cold Chain Management Officer.

• Bachelors degree is required in pharmacy, public health, epidemiology, public administration, supply chain management, logistics & / or procurement, engineering, or other relevant disciplines with a minimum of five years of professional work experience in planning, programming, implementation monitoring & evaluation of health / immunization programs, immunization / health supply.

• Fluency in English & knowledge of another UN languages is an asset.

• Work experience managing large scale projects, working with governments, working in resource limited settings, monitoring & evaluating supply chains & risk management, mitigation will be an asset.

• Knowledge & experience with data collection, data management analysis & reporting are essential.

• Knowledge of procurement processes & good distribution practice could be beneficial.

• Proficiency in computer tools & the logistics tools of the EPI, SMT, ViVa, CCE inventory tool.

• Know how to maintain good relations with all partners.

• Be a team player.

• Ability to work in a multicultural environment.

• Have the ability to communicate & train.

• This role has no team management responsibility.

• The personnel will have close interactions with our client’s field office program colleagues & frequent travel to the field for supporting coordination & planning at county level & monitoring the implementation of health activities in the ground.

• The payment will be done monthly upon presentation of a monthly report that will be validated by the organization technical supervisor.