Job description

Background:

UNFPA’s Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU) has identified Supply Chain Management (SCM) as a critical strategic priority to ensure progress toward its three transformative results. To enhance strategic foresight, SCMU launched a pioneer model of decentralisation: the Regional SCM Desk in West and Central Africa (WCA), headquartered in Dakar. As part of the SCMU’s realignment initiative in 2024, the WCA Regional SCM Desk was designed to bring expertise closer to delivery, embedding supply chain considerations early in program planning and enhancing anticipation of local logistics and political challenges.  While the WCA Regional SCM Desk is physically located in the region, it is not a unit of the UNFPA WCA Regional Office (RO). The WCA desk has been set up differently from the other regions. Every region has dedicated Supply Chain Specialists (in all six regions) and Logisticians (in three of the six regions), compared to an additional procurement services team in the WCA region. The WCA regional office (non-SCMU) also has supply chain expertise, whereas not all other regions have this function in their structures.

The Regional Supply Chain Desk (Downstream Supply Chain) is expected to:

  • Provide technical inputs into country programme documents, work plans and other relevant technical documents/ grant proposals to ensure supply chain considerations are taken into account.
  • Support countries to develop robust multi-year quantification and adopt government-led and coordinated national supply planning processes.
  • Review UNFPA Supplies Partnership Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Transformative Action (TA) supply chain management applications, ensuring that planned activities are aligned with findings from the LMA process.
  • Follow up with countries on outstanding reports, including resolution of audit recommendations related to supply chain management.
  • Maintain supply chain management issue logs, detailing the nature and status of significant capacity gaps identified throughout LMA activities and proactively support countries to resolve them.
  • Analyse the Quarterly Stock Review (QSR) reports and identify opportunities for re-distribution of overstocked programme supplies to optimise use and reduce wastes/ expiries, including coordinating inter-country transfers as appropriate.
  • Position and advocate for integration of  SRH supply chain management into regional and national supply chain strategies and development plans with Regional Economic Commissions (RECs).
  • Support Country Offices (CO) with their local procurement and with establishing  country and region-specific Long Term Agreements with suppliers.
  • Conduct transactional procurement and contracting activities in coordination with the other SCMU procurement teams located in Copenhagen.
  • Conduct logistics coordination at a regional and country level to facilitate faster movement of goods to the desired locations.
  • Provide back-stopping and best practices in logistics management to the COs in the WCA region.

Beyond the pilot period that has extended for 2 years now, there is a strategic need to evaluate this pilot model for delivery against expected results, identify lessons learned, refine reporting and governance structures, and either establish a roadmap for expanding the Service Desk concept to other regions with adjustments, or recommend an alternative course of action based on the assessment.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

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

The UNFPA Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU) is self-funded and was made operational in January 2022. It is tasked with ensuring that UNFPA is able to effectively and efficiently support the delivery of life-saving reproductive health products and other programme supplies to the end user when and where they are needed. To achieve this, it is important to strengthen the capacity of governments and implementing partners to ensure coordination, end-to-end visibility and accountability on all supply chain and logistics management related activities, in particular for programme supplies, across all UNFPA programmes.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results

Job Purpose:

The primary objective of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive review of the SCM Service Desk pilot in Dakar. The findings will inform whether this pilot initiative should be expanded to all or some regions (and if adjustments should be introduced), discontinued, or replaced with alternative solutions. The consultant will:

  • Evaluate the operational performance and impact of the WCA Regional SCM Desk against its original objectives.
  • Assess the effectiveness of current structure, reporting lines and administrative arrangements between SCMU (at Headquarters and in the region) and the Regional Office.
  • Identify best practices and systemic bottlenecks encountered during the pilot phase.
  • Assess the feasibility of scaling the model to other regions (e.g., East and Southern Africa, Asia Pacific, Arab States, Latin American and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and Central Asia) and develop a strategic roadmap for expansion, or recommend against expansion if the pilot findings warrant maintaining the current structure.

The consultant will report to the Head of Pillar 3, SCMU and work in close collaboration with Pillars 1, 2 and the WCARO Regional Supply Chain Management Team and the regional office colleagues.

You would be responsible for:

A. Pilot Performance Review

  • Analyze the efficiency/effectiveness of the "Desk" in handling procurement, supply planning coordination, last-mile assurance (LMA) support, logistics coordination, advisory services to the COs, procurement services to third parties, etc.
  • Review the impact of the Desk on domestic resource mobilisation (DRM) and partner engagement.
  • Evaluate the integration of the Desk to the RO and interaction with other teams beyond the Sexual and Reproductive Health and rights (SRHR)  team, including internal collaboration models, such as joint planning processes or inter-unit coordination mechanisms, and whether this translates to better programme delivery at CO level.
  • Evaluate how the Desk has incorporated or can integrate with digital transformation tools, specifically the UNFPA Control Tower (Supply Chain Analytics Platform) for Orchestration activities.
  • Evaluate client engagement strategies and their direct impact on client satisfaction and responsiveness within the WCA region pilot.
  • Review the staff morale and experience of the WCA regional pilot

B. Governance and Structural Analysis

  • Review the current reporting arrangements, specifically the alignment between the Regional Commodity Management Team Lead, the Procurement Specialist, the Regional Supply Chain Specialist, and the Regional Logistician.
  • Compare the advantages and disadvantages of the current arrangement compared to the structure in the East and Southern Africa (ESA) and Arab States (AS) regions and how these structural differences across regions affect the overall functioning of the SCMU support teams located in the regions.
  • Evaluate the "dotted line" reporting relationship between outposted SCMU staff and the Regional Office leadership, particularly how it affects decision-making, efficiency, accountability, and performance management.
  • Assess the administrative and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration within the Regional Office Business Unit.

C. Lessons Learnt & Way Forward

  • Conduct online stakeholder interviews with SCMU leadership, WCARO management, selected COs in the region and ESA countries that are supported by the Desk.
  • Conduct online interviews with relevant SCMU staff at the Head Quarters, regional desks and from other regions (East & Southern Africa for example), Programme Division and Humanitarian Response Division colleagues, and select suppliers for a comprehensive overview of expectations and support from the Desk
  • Synthesise findings into a "Lessons Learnt" report that addresses both successes (e.g., proximity to delivery, understanding of the local context) and challenges (e.g., role clarity, lead times, risks).
  • Draft a "Global SCM Service Desk Blueprint" including recommended staffing structures, standard operating procedures, and resource requirements specific to the regions, only if findings support global expansion; otherwise, provide a detailed rationale for maintaining pilot status or exploring alternative models.

Duration and working schedule:

The consultancy is expected to be for eight (8) weeks. The consultants will work Monday – Friday, 9:00 to 17:30, following the current schedule of SCMU in Copenhagen.

Place where services are to be delivered:

This consultancy will be conducted on a fully remote basis.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

  • Advanced university degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, International Relations, and related areas is required. 

Knowledge and Experience: 

  • A minimum of 7 years of experience in international supply chain management is required. Previous experience within the UN system or international NGOs, as well as field experience, is considered a strong asset.
  • Proven track record in evaluating decentralised operational models and organisational design.
  • Deep understanding of procurement, logistics, and last-mile assurance in fragile and humanitarian contexts.
  • Ability to synthesise complex data from digital platforms (e.g., Control Tower) into strategic recommendations.

Languages: 

  • Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in French is highly desirable.

Required Competencies: 

Values:

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

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,

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.

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