South Sudan: Cold Chain Specialist - Health Pooled Fund 3: South Sudan

Who we are

Crown Agents are an international development company that partners with governments, aid agencies, NGOs and companies in nearly 100 countries. Taking on clients’ fundamental challenges, they make lasting change to the systems and organisations that are vital for people’s well-being and prosperity. Its main focus is to help governments around the world to increase prosperity, reduce poverty and improve health by providing consultancy and training in health systems strengthening, trade and growth, public private partnerships, public financial management and governance.

Background Information

The Health Pooled Fund began its third phase (HPF3) in October 2018 and is supported to run until 2023 by the British Government’s Department for International Development (DFID), the Government of Canada, the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency (SIDA), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI). A consortium led by Crown Agents is responsible for managing and implementing HPF

HPF3 supports delivery of community level, essential primary health care, secondary health care and referral health services, stabilisation of local health systems, and procurement and supply chain management of essential medical commodities.

HPF3 supports services in eight state hubs of South Sudan formerly known as: Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Unity and Lakes.

The programme impact will be an improved health and nutrition status for the population that saves lives and reduces morbidity (including maternal, infant and under-5 mortality), and has the following three principal outcomes:

• Improved health and nutrition services for the population, especially women and children;

• Improved community engagement and accountability of health services;

• Stabilisation of local health systems.

To attain these outcomes, the HPF3 team is responsible for:

• Effective programme management, including robust risk management;

• Ensuring continuity of and support to service delivery, with a focus on improving quality;

• Specialist technical assistance covering health service delivery, community engagement, nutrition, health planning, information and HRH.

• Procurement and supply chain management of essential medical commodities

• Management of the Implementing Partner fund

• Management of fiduciary risk associated with use of donor funds;

Position Summary

The Cold Chain Specialist is a key role in the Health Systems Stabilisation team providing technical support to Implementing Partners on strengthening the last mile cold chain from County Health Department to HPF-supported facilities and beyond to the community when outreaches are conducted. The incumbent will monitor Implementing Partners and their implementation progress and adherence to BPHNS and other MOH guidelines and policies as relevant. The Cold Chain Specialist plays an important external representation and coordination role and is expected to successfully engage with other relevant stakeholders in the health sector in South Sudan.

Responsibilities

• Within the first six weeks of employment, conduct a needs assessment of Implementing Partners to analyse Cold Chain capacity and surge requirements

• Work with the Health Systems Stabilisation Manager to develop, and oversee the implementation of, the Cold Chain work plan, ensuring completion of project deliverables.

• Provide technical support to Ministry of Health and Implementing Partners on strengthening the key elements of last mile cold chain logistics to primary and secondary health care.

• Regularly review achievements of Cold Chain indicators against programme targets. When necessary take corrective measures to ensure compliance

• Build the capacity of Implementing Partners to ensure that health facilities are carrying out regular self-inspections of cold chain equipment, performed at appropriate intervals. Ensure that when necessary corrective actions are put in place.

• Support the standardisation of last mile cold chain activities through the establishment of SOPs across all health facilities

• Conduct frequent supportive supervision visits to Implementing Partners and health facilities to ensure minimal deviations occur in the cold chain.

• Any other tasks or responsibilities based on organizational or programming needs as assigned by the line manager

Requirements

Qualifications

• At least 10 years’ working experience in a related field

• Master’s qualification in International Public Health, Supply Chain Management or related field is desirable

• Preferred experience working in Fragile and Conflict Affected States

Skills and Experience

• Demonstrable experience of successfully working at a Manager level in a large development programme team or for a development organisation

• Excellent people management skills

• Experience of working in the South Sudan health sector, with a good understanding of the stakeholder landscape and importance of coordination with other actors in the sector

• A minimum of 5 years' relevant experience at national and international levels in supply management, vaccines programming including cold chain and vaccine management. Work experience managing large-scale projects, working with governments, working in resource-limited settings, monitoring and evaluating supply chains, and risk management and mitigation will be an asset.

• Product knowledge on cold chain equipment, new cold chain technologies and understanding of the principles of vaccine management, knowledge and experience with data collection, data management analysis and reporting are essential. Knowledge of procurement processes and good distribution practice could be beneficial

• Clear and articulate communicator in English, both in writing and verbally.

• Experience providing external representation at high-level meetings

• Demonstrable ability to write reports

• Excellent personal relationship skills.

• Computer literate; at a minimum must be able to use Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook proficiently.

Reporting and Communication

• This position reports to HSSD Manager

• Work closely with other technical specialist in the HSSD team.

Duration

Fixed-term, from October 2019 to March 2021 (dependent on project funding)

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