Cold Chain Consultant at Committed To Good (CTG)

Overview of Position

• CTG is looking to hire a staff for our operations in Nigeria to provide technical support on cold chain equipment management & logistics, ensuring effective storage & transportation of vaccines & supplies up to the last mile as well as monitoring functionality of cold chain equipment.

Role Objectives

• Provide rapid & relevant responses to evolving cold chain needs in relation to the situations facing immunization, including emergency situations, with a priority on achieving value for money.
• Support the development of annual & quarterly state work plans for EPI with special emphasis on vaccine management, cold chain & logistics to ensure conformity with Nigerian Strategy for Immunization & Primary Health Care System Strengthening (NSIPPSS) & State Logistics Working Groups (SLWG) workplans.
• Support the implementation of state work plans for EPI (vaccine security, logistics & service delivery) to ensure alignment with the workplan goals, Effective Vaccine Management Improvement Plan (EVM IP) including articulation of a well defined action tracker for monitoring implementation.
• Facilitate conduct of regular cold chain inventory, gap analyses & development of cold chain planning & deployment, including facilitation of site readiness for installations & maintenance.
• Ensure utilization of open LMIS & Thrive 360 in the state of assignment, ensuring timely & quality reporting & triangulation of cold chain equipment functionality to make informed decision.
• Support last mile vaccine delivery to ensure availability of potent vaccines at the service points.
• Facilitate tracking of wastage rates of vaccines & support implementation of activities targeted at reducing vaccine wastage rates.
• Undertake supportive supervisory field visits to LGA & communities to assess progress, identify problems & propose remedial or alternative strategies or courses of actions to accelerate/improve quality of EPI delivery in the assigned state.
• Carry out any other duties in support of our client led health interventions as assigned by supervisors or authority of our clients field & country office.

Support the development of Zonal Logistics Working Group (ZLWG) & their respective states work plans towards implementing the cold chain equipment & logistics management standards & ensuring cold chain equipment functionality & maintenance in line with Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) standards:

• Review the temperature records of state cold stores & advocate for solving identified gaps such as ensuring timely repair & routine maintenance of cold chain equipment; backup generators are functional, adequate funds are provided to operate generator as required on continued basis & provide regular reports.
• Ensure that computerized temperature monitoring devices, provided to stores are functional, maintained & Temperature Monitoring & Control (TMC) systems are adhered to.
• Facilitate the development of logistics campaign plans for implementation of polio & other non SIAs including MNCHWs outbreak responses in the target states & support their implementation.
• Facilitate tracking progress of implementation of the Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) improvement plans at zone, state, LGA & health facility level by the NLWG / SLWG.

Serve as State Technical Advisor in cold chain management, delivery & distribution of vaccines for the polio eradication & routine immunization programs:

• Assist with the implementation of guidelines & norms regarding cold chain & safety of immunization services delivery.
• Support the state team in ensuring timely planning & disbursement of logistics & other vaccine management funds to LGAs.
• Develop specific related vaccine security & logistics strategies for reaching the hard to reach, nomadic & minority groups in the high risk within the state.

Transfer of vaccine & cold chain management competences to zonal, state & LGA Cold Chain / Logistics Officers:

• Support capacity building of government & partners in immunization with special emphasis on VSL considering the lessons learnt & new developments from the Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) processes & new vaccine introductions.
• Support capacity building of Zonal & State Cold Chain Officers on new cold chain equipment technologies, in light of GAVI CCE optimization systems, for effective cold chain planning in respective states.
• Assist states / LGAs in building cold chain & logistics equipment inventory & efficient equipment management systems, utilize same for needs assessment & provide corrective trainings as the need arises.
• Support states in conducting trainings, supportive supervisions in vaccine management, logistics & cold chain maintenance.
• Provide regular comprehensive bottleneck analysis of stock, cold chain operational status & coverage (RI & SIA, including other outbreak vaccines) of states & support states in implementing the innovative solutions on a monthly basis.
• Support the CCO & SIO to be conversant with the use of digital tools for cold chain & vaccine management (IGA, Open LMIS, Thrive 360, EVM tools etc.), ensure completeness & accuracy of the data therein.

Deliverables:

• Weekly & monthly stock validation & submission of collated status of vaccine stocks on approved formats.
• Weekly temperature monitoring reports, incidence management & tracking of implementation of RTMD system.
• Monthly RI & SIA (where applicable) vaccine utilization / consumption, wastage rate tracking & reporting.
• Quarterly cold chain inventory status update & submission of updated IGA tool.
• Quarterly submission of state heat map for supervisory / targeted / standalone EVMA & continuous Improvement Plan (cIP) updates.
• Quarterly submission of status of EVMA cIP.
• Consultant must submit a detailed work plan to his / her supervisor at the beginning of each month for the entire contract period.
• Supervisors will have the flexibility to review with the consultant as needed on a monthly or quarterly basis.
• A monthly progress report should be provided by each Facilitator to their supervisor for payment of Facilitators fees.
• A detailed assignment report will be required at the end of the current contract period.

Project Reporting

• This role reports to the line manager.

Key Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in basic sciences, pharmacy, health & allied / material management / engineering or physical sciences is required.
• At least 3 years progressively professional work experience with at least 1 year at providing technical support in immunization, logistics, supply chain management, cold chain or a master’s degree in public health / pharmacy, health sciences, basic medical sciences or engineering / physical sciences.
• Fluency in English & knowledge of any of the three major Nigerian languages is an added advantage.
• At least 3 Years experience
• Experience in managing cold chain system for vaccines or other related medical supplies & providing immunization services is an advantage.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, develop, plan & coordinate logistics activities as well as to transfer knowledge & skills.
• Good analytical & negotiating skills.
• Ability to work in an international or multicultural environment.
• Proficiency in computer applications including Excel & PowerPoint.
• Ability to work as a team member.
• Ability to monitor progress, collect & analyse data, effect corrections & prepare reports.
• Knowledge of managing inventory, transport & diverse logistics operations (e.g., program supply & logistics) in the international environment.