International Consultant - Vaccine Management, Accra Ghana (Part Time, 40 working days)

Job no: 591101
Position type: Consultant
Location: Ghana
Division/Equivalent: Dakar (WCAR), Senegal
School/Unit: Ghana
Department/Office: Accra, Ghana
Categories: Health

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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Health

In Ghana, UNICEF cooperates with the Government and other partners to defend the rights of children and help them fulfill their potential. With offices in Accra and Tamale, the UNICEF team seeks to achieve results in strategic programme areas. The overall goal is for every child to survive and thrive, to live in a safe and clean environment, to learn, to be protected from violence and exploitation, and to have an equitable chance in life. The current Country Programme of cooperation is aligned with the Government priorities, the UN Sustainable Development Partnership (UNSDP) and Key Results for Children (KRCs) in the West and Central African Region (immunization, nutrition, learning outcomes, ending child marriage and ending open defecation). UNICEF main strategies include evidence-based advocacy, system strengthening, integrated programming across sectors, emergency preparedness and response, and innovation.

To know more about our work click here

How can you make a difference? 

The Government of Ghana, through the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and with support from UNICEF and partners, plans to conduct an Effective Vaccine Management Assessment (EVMA) and development of Continuous Improvement Plans (cIP) from March to May 2026. The EVMA is a globally recognized WHO-UNICEF tool used to assess vaccine supply chain systems against defined criteria to ensure that vaccines are managed safely and efficiently throughout the supply chain, from national stores to the service delivery point. The last national EVM assessment was conducted in 2021, with an improvement plan developed that has contributed to various iSC improvement initiatives including iSC support to the country with additional vaccines introduction. EVMA serves as a critical diagnostic tool for the entire immunization supply chain. It objectively identifies systemic gaps—from cold chain failures in remote districts to inventory inaccuracies—to ensure vaccines remain potent and to reduce financial waste. This process is vital for maintaining public trust, achieving equitable vaccine access across all regions, and building a resilient foundation for introducing new, temperature-sensitive vaccines.
 
The subsequent Costed Improvement Plan (CIP) will translate these findings into a strategic and actionable roadmap. It will prioritize interventions and will provide detailed budget estimates, which are essential for mobilizing both domestic and donor resources.
To ensure effective EVMA preparation, implementation, analysis, and report writing and cIP drafting, finalization and endorsement support, EPI has requested the support of a qualified Consultant to provide technical assistance to EPI and partners.
 
Objectives of the Consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical leadership and hands-on support for EVMA planning, capacity building, data collection, analysis, and report writing, and to support the development, finalization, and endorsement support of a costed continuous improvement plan (cIP) aligned with national immunisation priorities.
 
Specific Objectives
1. Support EPI and partners to plan and implement a high-quality EVMA and cIP in line with WHO-UNICEF guidelines.
2.Assess the performance of the vaccine supply chain at national, regional, district, and selected service delivery points.
3. Identify strengths, gaps, and bottlenecks in vaccine management systems.
4. Support the development and validation of a realistic, costed 5-year continuous improvement plan (cIP).
 
Details of Assignment
Stage 1 - Preparatory/inception Phase (Duration: Up to four weeks, 1-week F2F)
•Review relevant background documents (previous EVMA reports, cIP update reports, cold chain inventories, SOPs, distribution plans).
•Support the establishment and orientation of the national EVM-cIP coordination team.
•Adapt EVMA tools and sampling plans to the country context and introduce cIP methodology and tools to country stakeholders.
•Support training of national and sub-national EVM managers and assessors.
•Participate in readiness assessments and finalization of the EVMA implementation plan.
 
Stage 2: EVMA Implementation Phase (Duration: Up to two weeks, 1-week F2F)
•Provide technical oversight during field data collection at all selected levels.
•Assess a minimum of one location per supply chain level
•Ensure correct application of EVMA tools and scoring methodology.
•Provide on-the-job mentoring to assessment teams.
•Support real-time problem-solving and quality assurance of collected data.
•Lead or support data cleaning, analysis, and interpretation of EVMA findings.
•Support the development of a comprehensive EVMA report, including findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
 
Stage 3 cIP Development Phase (Duration: Up to 4 weeks, 1-week F2F)
•Facilitate national EVMA and initial cIP desk review debriefings with key stakeholders.
•Orientation of country stakeholders on cIP tools (especially cIP assistant tool and supply chain continuous improvement plans, SCIP)
•Lead cIP development workshop and support the development of a costed continuous improvement plan (cIP) in line with national strategies and partner investments.
•Support finalization and endorsement of cIP and readiness for continued tracking through the SCIP platform.
 
Deliverables
The consultant is expected to deliver the following:
•Inception report and detailed workplan.
•Training materials and reports from assessors’ training.
•Draft EVMA report.
•Final EVMA report incorporating stakeholder feedback.
•Pre-cIP workshop desk review/presentation of current iSC performance
•Draft cIP (post-cIP workshop)
•Fully Costed and finalized continuous improvement plan.
 
Duration and Level of Effort
The consultant will be engaged for an estimated 40 working days over a period of 4 months, covering preparation, implementation, and reporting phases.
 
Reporting and Supervision
The consultant will work under the supervision of UNICEF Ghana – Health Section, in close coordination with the EPI Programme Manager, Ghana Health Service, and relevant partners.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

  • Education: Advanced degree in Public Health, Supply Chain Management, Pharmacy, or a related field.
  • Work Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in Public Health, Supply Chain Management, Pharmacy, or a related field.
  • Skills
  • Proven experience conducting or supporting EVMA or EVM assessments in low- and middle-income countries.
  • Strong knowledge of immunisation supply chain systems, cold chain equipment, and logistics management.
  • Strong coordination and stakeholder engagement skills.
  • Ability to work independently and deliver results under tight timelines.
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. 
  • Language Requirements: Fluency in English (both spoken and written) is required.

Desirables:

  • Experience working with Ministries of Health, EPI programmes, WHO, UNICEF, or Gavi-supported countries.
  • Strong analytical, facilitation, and report-writing skills
  • Technical expertise in immunisation supply chains.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidate are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Advertised: Greenwich Standard Time
Application close: Greenwich Standard Time

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