Family Planning / Reproductive Health Commodity and Security Specialist, Dakar, Senegal , NOC

The Position:

The UNFPA Supplies is a part of the UNFPA’s global efforts to improve access to and utilization of family planning commodities worldwide.

The Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) Specialist plays a key role in ensuring the sustainability of national RHCS efforts to deliver quality reproductive health commodities, including uninterrupted supplies of products, with particular attention to reaching marginalized populations.

S/he will collaborate with national authorities, civil society organizations, private sector and

development agencies to provide technical support in order to increase demand for informed and voluntary Family Planning products for women and men of reproductive age and to secure availability of Reproductive Health commodities. S/he will work in close collaboration with the regional office, the Commodity Security Branch (CSB), based on an approved annual work plan. As the specialist for the RHCS and health systems, s/he will work within an integrated, coordinated, and systems strengthening approach that is fundamental for UNFPA overall strategy.

Organizational Structure

Under the overall guidance of the UNFPA Resident Representative in Senegal and the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative, the Programme Specialist of Family Planning/ Reproductive Health Commodity Security (FP/RHCS) Specialist will work closely with the Reproductive Health and Family Planning Specialist and Programme Teams in the UNFPA Country office. S/he will also work closely with different Senegalese Ministry of Health Departments, NGOs and partners to enhance Family Planning & Reproductive Health Commodity security (RHCS).

How You Can Make a Difference

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2018-2021), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire, and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results. The incumbent will also collaborate with the entire programme staffs and clusters for emergency activities in case of humanitarian context occurrence.

Job Purpose

Senegal is striving to tackle the challenges currently faced by the population in sexual and reproductive health and rights. Indicators selected include: (i) contraceptive prevalence rate (26%), (ii) proportion of women who have their need for FP satisfied by modern methods (53.0%), (iii) fertility rate (4.5), (iv) maternal mortality ratio (236 per 100,000 live birth), (v)population aged 10-24 (32.1 %), (vi) child marriage (32.9% before 18 and 12.0% before 15) and (vii) adolescent birth rate (80/1,000).

Working within a large and complex Country Office (CO) environment, you will support the effective management of UNFPA activities in the areas of population and development, reproductive health and gender with special focus on RHCS issues. Through substantive analysis and assessment of political, social and economic trends, you will contribute to project formulation and evaluation, joint programming initiatives and national development frameworks. Your will also provide programmatic support to UNFPA’s commitments specified in the UNFPA Supplies Programme as it related to Senegal.

You will monitor results achieved during implementation, guiding the appropriate application of systems and procedures, and developing enhancements as required. Among other duties, you will be asked to participate in: (i)Determination of standard product stock levels and replenishment cycles, (ii) Managing replenishment of reproductive health, commodities, including inter agency reproductive health kits and other key commodities held in stock, (iii),Tracking of inventory held in supplier warehouses/elsewhere, (iv) improving knowledge management relating to the logistics, inventory/ emergency procurement processes, (v) Supporting the business development and expansion of products held as PSB/UNFPA inventory.

Main Tasks And Responsibilities

Provide leadership and technical support to national efforts to Family Planning program and RH commodity security, to design the health commodity supply logistic in line with the health priorities defined in the National Health Strategy, and the national FP/RHCS plans.

You Would Be Responsible For

• Programme Management and coordination
• Take overall responsibility for managing the Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) as specified in UNFPA Supplies Programme in an integrated manner with other interventions;
• In collaboration with Government counterparts, NGOs and other partners, contributing to the design and implementation of the RHCS component of the country programme, aligning with Government priorities and UNFPA programme policies and procedures.
• Ensure the timely development and implementation of evidence and results-based annual work plans (AWPs) with Implementing Partners of UNFPA;
• Ensure production of demand projections, procurement plans, and systems for forecasting procurement and warehousing of reproductive health commodities
• Production of short/medium term, operational procurement plans for contraceptive and related product/kits;
• Be accountable for financial resources allocated to the RHCS Programme; carry out budget projections, closely monitor expenditures, conduct regular budget reviews and analyze related financial reports; ensure proper compliance with UNFPA norms and procedures for the utilization of funds; ensures timely and quality reporting requirements both financial and programmatic are met;
• Prepare procurement plans where required, with distribution lists of equipment and supplies and make necessary follow-up to facilitate timely and efficient delivery;
• Contributes to the periodic estimation of needs and budgeting of SR products (annual, semi-annual and quarterly needs);
• Ensuring appropriate monitoring and oversight mechanisms and systems are established and implemented to improve the efficiency of the logistics management system at all levels (national, regional and service points) and to ensure availability of quality commodities and reproductive health supplies to the last mile products in close collaboration with the National Health Information System (SNIS) and within the framework of PNDS M&E;
• Ensuring the implementation of the last mile assurance (LMA) process, established to provide assurance on whether programme supplies: (i) are adequately managed and safeguarded by the implementing partners to which they are entrusted, minimizing waste and fraud; and (ii) timely and effectively reach the “last mile”, i.e., the service delivery points where beneficiaries can timely access them easily; regularly assessing and documenting the programme supplies’ receipts, distributions, stock on hand, excess stock and stock outs, near expiry and related risks etc. along implementing partners’ supply chain ; supporting implementing partners on identifying supply chain capacity gaps and implementing remedial actions ; managing the deployment of regular on-site verifications (spot checks) and quality assuring their results ; disseminating UNFPA’s guidelines and good practices on appropriate supplies management with implementing partners;
• Coordinating and providing political and technical guidelines for the development of strategic documents from the Ministry of Health on the national strategy for securing RH products;
• Analyzing and interpreting the political, social, cultural and economic environment relevant to UNFPA activities, and identifying opportunities for UNFPA assistance and intervention;
• Assessing implications of new policy developments and strategies on programme execution, and ensuring their integration. Assisting in implementing knowledge management strategies to capture lessons learned and best practices, sharing these with management for future planning supporting training needs of project personnel;
• Represent UNFPA in the United Nations Joint Technical Working Group, national SRHR and FP working groups, RHCS steering committee, etc.
• B. Technical assistance coordination and technical backstopping
• Liaise with relevant Government institutions and Implementing Partners to assess, identify technical assistance (TA) needs and facilitate capacity building in close collaboration with SRHR / Gender teams as pertinent;
• Ensures a continuous upgrade of the national team in charge of the management of commodities and supplies related to reproductive health product management software including that of UNFPA (CCM and CHANNEL) and other partners, such as USAID (Pipeline) etc.
• Provides support to the various national actors for the identification of training needs and the provision of training for product management;
• Provides the necessary support to national partners for the development of community-based distribution of contraceptive products and the development of social marketing and contributes to accelerating the achievement of the country’s objectives in terms of family planning, harnessing the dividend demographic and sustainable development goals (SDGs);
• Strengthens the capacities of staff and partners in the implementation of the national strategy for securing RH products;
• Ensuring the active engagement of PSB in inter-organizational coordination groups to address stock-outs, overstocks proactively, and thus improve RH supply chain performance more efficiently and cost-effectively.
• Supporting project activities relating to the development of supply chain capabilities.
• Provide technical support and advice to strengthen the national health system for an increased accessibility, demand creation and use of RH commodities to all individuals. This will entail a demonstrated ability to provide technical advice and information on how to increase contraceptive prevalence rate, and effectiveness of national logistics systems.
• Technical leadership and support to national partners in setting up an effective procurement and supply management for all health commodities in compliance with national standards and norms.
• Provide support for an improved coordination, organization and management of the Logistic Management Information System (LMIS), with RHCS mainstreamed, of the public health facilities and ensure national ownership and readiness to take over this responsibility
• Assist national partners in analyzing and disseminating data on the movement and utilization of commodities.
• Provide technical assistance to ensure the effective functioning of the FP/RHCS Committee and monitor the procurement of Reproductive Health Commodities to ensure uninterrupted flow of RHCS.
• Contribute to the development and formulation of national policy and plan of action in the areas of FP/RHCS.
• Perform any other tasks as assigned by the UNFPA Representative or Deputy Representative
• C. Partnerships, resource mobilization and advocacy
• Establishing collaborative relationships with executing agencies, experts, government counterparts, national stakeholders in the RHCS / FP, in particular the PNA and the decentralized entities of the Ministry of Health and other UN agencies to facilitate timely and efficient delivery of project inputs.
• Analyzing policy papers, strategy documents and national development plans; preparing briefs and inputs for policy dialogue, technical assistance coordination, and development frameworks.
• Supporting the advocacy and resource mobilization strategy of the CO, by ensuring preparation of relevant documentation, i.e. project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles, and participating in related meetings and public events.
• Participates in the United Nations Joint Technical Working Group; national SRHR and FP working groups; RHCS Steering committees.
• Identify potential new donors and initiate the development of proposals to mobilize resources for the programme
• D. Monitoring, Evaluation, Model building, Scale-up, and Reporting
• Take overall responsibility for monitoring and supervision of the programme planned activities in order to identify best practices as well as constraints / implementation bottlenecks to inform follow-up action;
• Undertake regular field visits to monitor the quality and timely implementation of program activities, as well as arranges periodic program review with counterparts and other partners;
• Put in place mechanisms to ensure timely quality data on the programme and country indicators
• Collect, analyze and synthesize information/data on FP programme and its availability to facilitate programming, advocacy and resource mobilization;
• Ensures that routine data / information are collected and analyzed with engagement of people, adolescents and young people;
• Ensures timely and quality reporting requirements both financial and programmatic are met.
• Carries out any other relevant activities/responsibilities as assigned by the UNFPA leadership.

Key Outcomes

• Documented and Strengthened UNFPA RH/Family Planning capacity in the implementation of SDGs.
• Enhanced visibility of UNFPA as a trusted partner in UNFPA RH/Family Planning though the universal access to reproductive health commodities which is firmly placed within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Enhanced ability of UNFPA Senegal to fulfil its mission to achieve sustainable, locally owned and concrete results solutions to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.

Education

Qualifications and Experience:

Master’s degree in medical sciences, public health, pharmacy, procurement, logistics, supply chain management or equivalent education.

• Professional and logistics qualifications in procurement an asset. A course in logistics, essential drugs, and MIS is a plus

Knowledge And Experience

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in increasing responsibilities at the national level in SRH ideally, public sector pharmaceutical supplies management of which 5 years’ experience relating to health and logistics systems and management of family planning programmes.
• Experience in public sector pharmaceutical program management at national level, especially in policy & management, Selection, Access, Quality Assurance and Rational Drug Use is strongly desired.
• Extensive knowledge of Family Planning, supply chain management, forecasting, warehousing and distribution, transportation, logistics information systems and eLMIS.
• Practical experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects
• Previous experience working in a multi-stakeholder environment including NGOs, bilateral and multilateral agencies. Experience working with the United Nations system in general, and in particular the mandate, policies and operations of UNFPA, as well as current themes of development an asset;
• Health sector-specific experience, including: Family planning programming, Experience with Public Health systems in Senegal is an additional advantage;
• Strong data analysis skills and ability to use Excel, e.g. for ERPX3 data exploitation, reconciliation between deliveries and receipts at IP level or LMA tools.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills. for the dissemination of information and advocacy activities.

Languages

Fluency in French is required and working knowledge of English is desirable.

Values

Required Competencies:

• Exemplifying integrity,
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change

Functional Competencies

• Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Delivering results-based programmes
• Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilisation
• Conceptual innovation in the provision of technical expertise
• Job knowledge/technical expertise and Results based management
• Adaptation/application of knowledge in different contexts

Core Competencies

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
• Communicating for impact

Compensation And Benefits

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary, health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

Disclaimer

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm