COVID-19 Laboratory Fume Hood Expert Technician

https://www.crs.org/about/bid-opportunity Please visit the CRS website for the full scope of work and attachments.

COVID-19 Laboratory Fume Hood Expert Technician RFP

Scope of Work

**RFP Number US184911
Consultancy Title COVID-19 Laboratory Fume Hood Expert Technician
Location Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, and Oro, Republic of the Congo
Contract Duration and LOE May 17th, 2022-May 24th, 2022
Contact Person Chris Mericle
Deadline for Questions Friday, April 22nd, 2022 at 3:00 PM ET (GMT-4)
Submission Deadline Friday, April 29th, 2022 at 3:00 PM ET (GMT-4) **

**I. Background
On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified of cases of an unusual flu-like illness that progressed to pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan city, Hubei province, in China, the first case of which dates back to December 1, 2019.

On January 30, 2020, the WHO Emergency Committee declared an outbreak of novel coronavirus (20019-nCoV) an international public health emergency (USPPI).

To date, 263,563,622 infected people have been recorded worldwide, including 5,232,562 deaths.
In the Republic of Congo, the first case of COVID-19 was recorded on March 14, 2020 and as of December 02, 2021 the country had 19,066 confirmed cases, 17,167 cured cases and 359 deaths.

Since 2020, Congo has benefited funding from the Global Fund to Fight HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria as part of the strengthening of the response mechanism to COVID-19 (C19RM).

Through the National Coordinating Committee for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (CCN) projects, the country has submitted an ambitious and comprehensive request to the Global Fund which describes the priority programmatic needs to be funded.

On August 20, 2021, the Republic of Congo was notified by the global fund of the approval of its request for funding in the amount of 15,221,413 euros, a grant which will be dedicated to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic for the period of 2021-2023.

The main interventions that will be developed in this grant relate to the following priority modules:
· COVID-19 control and containment interventions;
· COVID-19 risk mitigation measures for HIV, TB and Malaria programs;
· Increased strengthening of key aspects of health systems and community response systems.

With regard to the first module, several activities have been listed including the maintenance of the microbiological safety cabinets (PSM, commonly called fume hoods) of the five main laboratories involved in the diagnosis of COVID-19.

II. Primary Purpose
Carry out the maintenance of the microbiological safety stations (postes de sécurité microbiologique) of the five main laboratories involved in the diagnosis of COVID-19 in the Republic of Congo.

III. Specific Tasks
The consultant will provide technical expertise to implement the following activities:

1. Perform maintenance on fume hoods in a laboratory setting with biological conditions that include the COVID-19 virus.
2. Transverse an emerging country.
3. Wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment.
4. Adhere to safety standards in accordance with national and international regulations to cease transmission of infectious diseases.

5. Utilize in-country resources to conduct regular testing of staff and/or consultant(s) to stop transmission of infectious diseases.
   IV. Deliverables and Estimated LOE
   Below is a list of specific deliverables under each tasks that the consultant will produce. In addition, there is an estimated number of working days it will take to complete each deliverable:
   Deliverables:

6. At the end of this maintenance, each of the laboratories will have maintained and certified with a Maintenance Status Tag that includeds date(s) of service and timeframe for next service appointment for microbiological safety stations.

7. Ensure the proper functioning of equipment, free of workmanship defect, in accordance with applicable governmental and manufacturer standards.
   Level of Effort:
   DAY ACTIVITES
   DAY 1 Arrival of the Technician from Johannesburg South Africa in Brazzaville
   DAY 2 Visit to the National Laboratory,
   Visit of the FCRM laboratory in Brazzaville,
   Brainstorming on work methodology with key National Laboratory and personnel
   DAY 3 Maintenance work at the National Laboratory,
   Debriefing with the National Laboratory Team
   DAY 4 Maintenance work at the FCRM,
   Debriefing with the FCRM Laboratory Team
   DAY 5 Travel from Brazzaville to Pointe Noire,
   Maintenance work at the Loandjili General Hospital Laboratory,
   Debriefing with the Loandjili General Hospital Laboratory Team
   DAY 6 Maintenance work at the MMG Hospital Laboratory,
   Debriefing with the MMG Hospital Laboratory Team,
   Travel back to Brazzaville from Pointe Noire
   DAY 7 Travel from Brazzaville to Oyo,
   Visit of the CREPIT laboratory
   DAY 8 Maintenance work at the CREPIT Laboratory,
   Debriefing with the CREPIT Laboratory Team,
   Travel back to Brazzaville from Oyo and final report writing
   DAY 9 Departure from Brazzaville to Johannesburg, *A firm work schedule will be established once the consultant is on board and as per the Key stakeholders ‘availability. Qualifications: We are looking for a dynamic individual in biotech COVID-19 fume hood maintenance field. The candidates should fulfill the following criteria: 1. Extended Experience working in a labratory setting with fume hoods. 2. Advanced degree in public health, pharmacy, biology, or related discipline. 3. Relevant hands-on experience in managing or advising on the systems and structures in public and/or private health sector relevant for effectively and efficiently managing fume hoods, chemicals in a lab setting, and infectious diseases. 4. Proven understanding of AIDS, TB, and COVID-19, Malaria medical products market dynamics and existing global supply challenges and international health products, as applicable national and international laws, and recognized standards. 5. Experience developing policy, procedures, and working instruction to support the maintenance of fume hood systems. 6. Experience in project design with respect to infectious diseases and chemicals, including technical writing. 7. Appropriate certification(s) to certify microbiological stations.

Application Components:
Applicants must submit the following:

1. Cover letter, which describes a brief summary of approach that demonstrates qualifications in undertaking the Scope of Work. This summary should highlight how the applicant will complete the deliverables (Document cannot exceed 2 pages single-spaced).
2. Compensation rate per day and total cost for completing the assignment, including a confirmation of the level of effort (number of billable days) to complete the assignment.
3. Resume/ CV (Document may be no longer than 2 pages).
4. Three professional references, with the following details about the references: (a) name, (b) position, (c) company, (d) phone number, (e) email address, and (f) city, state, country
   **