Crown Agents
About the role
Job Title: Team Leader/Health Expert
Location: Guyana
Start date: 15th September 2022
End date: 31st December 2022
LOE (#days): 75*
LOEs are subject to review by the client.
Applicants must be residents of Guyana in order to be considered for this role.
Background:
Crown Agents is preparing to bid for the Health Facilities Supply Chain Assessment Consultancy Services in support to the improvement of Maternal and Child Health Services of the Ministry of Health, Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Health Facilities Supply Chain Assessment will require the expertise of a Team Leader who will provide strategic, technical, and managerial oversight of the programme.
Though Guyana met its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets for nutrition, child health (under five years of age), and communicable diseases, it continues to experience maternal and infant mortality rates (less than one year of age) that are among the highest in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region. The maternal mortality ratio is estimated at 121 per 100,000 live births and the infant mortality rate is estimated at 23 per 1,000 live births. Most infant deaths occur in the neonatal period (up to 28 days after birth). To manage this, the country is looking at strengthening its supply chain systems that support the forecasting, procurement, storage, distribution, and availability of essential maternal, child and neonatal health commodities. A first step to strengthening the supply chain systems will be an assessment of the existing supply chain mechanisms, process flows for forecasting, procurement and distribution at all supply chain levels and propose steps the MOH should take to implement an electronic Logistics Management Information System (eLMS).
Position Summary:
Team Lead will be based in Guyana and will be accountable for the overall delivery of the Health Facility Supply Chain Assessment in Guyana. The Team Lead will supervise other key experts including the Health Supply Chain Expert., the Digital Health Expert and any other non-key experts and work closely with counterparts in Crown Agents HQ in London. Reporting to the HQ Programme Director, the Team Lead will be the primary liaison between Crown Agents, in-country stakeholders/partners and the client.
Main Activities
The technical team leader drives a team of Health and Supply Chain Technical Experts, providing strong TA leadership and support to deliver effective results, manage risk and ensure excellent cross-functional internal and external stakeholder management at strategy level. The main activities to be carried out by the technical team leader include the following:.
- Functions as primary single point of contact for all stakeholders and confidently reports verbal updates to all stakeholders in meetings
- Leads the TA project strategy to a high standard ensuring technical thought leadership and robust stakeholder management.
- Ensures TA strategy and deliverables are clearly defined, communicated and regularly monitored to ensure effectiveness and timeliness.
- Coordinates the team’s inputs to deliver all programme milestones accurately and timely per client expectations, including narrative reports.
- Ensures technical and programmatic risks are identified, documented, mitigated and managed
- Manages client and stakeholder relationships to high professional standards per programme requirements and client’s need.
- Manages team dynamics and work flows professionally, providing support to the team members to pursue and achieve the set
- Monitors and prioritises Level of Effort allocations across the team as needed.
Expected Deliverables
- Documented methodological approach and work plan of the different activities per set timeline.
- Submission of the first draft evaluation report on the current logistic management system and process flows from the various perspectives including the health facilities, regional hubs, and the end users, among others.
- Submission of a a formal narrative report detailing aspects that should be considered for the implementation of an electronic logistic management system, gap analysis and recommended electronic logistic management systems.
- Submission of costed implementation plan, Operational Model, stakeholders’ engagement plan and M&E Strategy including the selected electronic logistics management system as per project schedule
Responsibilities:
Specific responsibilities of the Team Leader Include:
Leadership
- Organises and leads weekly reporting meetings with the MMU Unit, prepares aide memoires of every meeting, oversees the implementation of activities according to the agreed timeline, and submits all products for approval, among others.
- Sets the strategy and oversees total implementation of project deliverables against contracted deliverables.
- Builds and supports a cohesive technical and operational team that is effective, efficient, and outcome orientated.
- Networks and leads the team aligning to Crown Agents’ Ways of Working.
- Leads and drives continuous quality improvement processes as needed,
- Where applicable, coordinates activities with other Crown Agents programmes in country and the region.
- Works closely with Crown Agents Global Health team to distil and apply lessons learnt from work in Guyana across the Crown Agents portfolio of programmes.
Technical Leadership
- Reviews the current Logistics Management System (LMS) inclusive of, but not limited to, a mapping of the current process flows related to forecasting, procurement and distribution of the different types of commodities (assuming different commodities might have different process flows) in conjunction with health patient information flows
- Conducts an evaluation on the current Logistic Management System from different perspectives including those of the health facilities, regional hubs and health departments, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the patients/clients. To carry-out this activity, the consultancy will conduct interviews and/or focal points with the different stakeholders.
- Outlines any limitations encountered during the review and lists recommendations – particularly regarding improvements needed in process flows and how to achieve them (e.g., participatory design of new process flows, training, supervision, etc.).
- Working with the other Technical Experts, prepares a report on aspects that the MoH should take into consideration to implement an electronic Logistic Management System (eLMS), including the selection of the most appropriate electronic solution, given Guyana’s context, the acquisition of hardware and software, the establishment of an implementation plan (e.g., pilots, evaluations, phased approach), the definition of the stakeholders that should be involved in each phase of the project, etc.
- Conducts a quick assessment of the existing gaps to carry-out the implementation of an eLMIS.
- Recommends viable options for an electronic logistics management information system (eLMIS) for the supply chain taking into consideration the geographical context and infrastructural capacity of Guyana.
- Prepares a costed report on the implementation of an electronic Logistic Management System with clear indications of the different types of resources needed. The costed implementation plan should be disaggregated by regions and resource needs, that is, fix cost, capital cost and recurrent cost by year.
- Recommends strategies to support the development of public/private collaboration to strengthen public health supply chain management systems for drugs and medical supplies, including procurement (e.g., centralized purchasing).
Stakeholder Coordination
- Serves as liaison between the MoH Unit, IDB and the consultancy firm’s team for the coordination of all activities related to this project.
- Finds synergies and collaborations with all local stakeholders involved in the implementation.
- Establishes and maintains effective, trust-based relationship and dialogue with Crown Agents programme sub-contractors, MoH and other programme stakeholders.
- Establishes and maintains effective, trust-based relationship and dialogue with key programme representatives from the MOH Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
- Represents Crown Agents at with stakeholders in meetings and other forums as needed.
Project Management
- Provides overall technical, programmatic, financial oversight of the programme.
- Prepares and coordinates technical assistance missions to ensure the quality of their work.
- Ensures compliance with work plans and the successful implementation of the activities listed in the terms of reference.
- Contributes to the preparation of periodic reports and final reports of the consultancy; as well as reports detailing the systematization of experiences.
- Provides strategic management of the programme including overseeing all deliverables and planning activities, and subsequent implementation strategies, to ensure activities are implemented within timelines to achieve expected results.
- Works closely with the Programme Management and Technical Advisory teams within Crown Agents HQ to ensure programme deliverables are implemented according to MOH Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) standards and regulations.
- Ensures the visibility of the program in accordance with the communication strategy agreed upon with contract coordinator(s).
Person Specification:
To succeed in this role, you will have:
- Master’s degree (or higher degree) in medicine, health administration, public health, health economics or related or equivalent field, is required.
- 10 years’ experience leading public health and/or quality of care programme
- At least 3-5 years of professional experience in supply chain management.
- Knowledge of the political reality in Guyana and the LAC region, particularly in the administrative organization of the public sector. Experience in Latin America and/or the Caribbean would is a plus.
- At least 5 years’ experience in any of these areas: capacity building, project management, strategic planning, or the strengthening of health systems.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills.
- Excellent technical report writing skills.
- Flexibility and adaptability.
Desired
- Field experience highly desired.