Consultancy: Technical Specialist, Medical Devices

UNICEF wishes to enter into one or more “as needed” consultant “master” arrangements to provide technical services for medical equipment and devices in order to maintain a strong portfolio; expand the portfolio to ensure strategic selection of new supplies to support UNICEF’s evolving programmatic strategy; and to ensure timely response to new emergencies that may arise.

Duration:  Part time, as-needed, project-based

Location:

On-site working days: approximately 90 (as needed)

Off-site working days: approximately 90 days (as needed)

Field Missions/Travel: approximately 15 (as needed)

Start Date: starting August 15, 2017 (as needed)

Reporting to: Paul LaBarre, Health Technology Center; Medical Unit; UNICEF Supply Division, Copenhagen.

BACKGROUND:

• UNICEF, in accordance with its Charter and Mission Statement, works with governments, civil society, organizations and other partners in more than one hundred and sixty countries to advance children’s rights to survival, protection, development and participation and in doing so is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• UNICEF Supply Division (SD) supports UNICEF and partners to implement programs in maternal, newborn, and child health and other UNICEF programming through the procurement and supply of essential commodities for women and children.
• SD works across the entire supply chain to support both development and emergency response.
• The workload for the Technical Team in the Health Technologies Center Medical Unit varies considerably due to tender schedules, technical screenings, regional emergencies, portfolio expansion, and special innovation projects.
• The Technical Team in the Health Technologies Center Medical Unit strives to maintain the highest quality professional services to support operational procurement, proactively update and expand the supply catalogue with innovative medical supplies to support UNICEF’s evolving strategies, and plan for and support emergency response.
• UNICEF wishes to enter into one or more “as needed” consultant “master” arrangements to provide technical services for medical equipment and devices in order to maintain a strong portfolio; expand the portfolio to ensure strategic selection of new supplies to support UNICEF’s evolving programmatic strategy; and to ensure timely response to new emergencies that may arise.
• The consultant “master” arrangement will be established between UNICEF SD and the awarded consultant agreement holder.
• The consultant services are to be established on an “as-needed” basis, therefore UNICEF is not obligated to order any minimum quantity of services from the consultancy holders.
• Individual assignments and deliverables, within the scope of this Terms of Reference, will be added to an addendum to the consultant “master” agreement once the assignment terms have been agreed upon by both UNICEF and the consultant.
• UNICEF shall not be liable for any cost in the event that no purchase of Services is made under the consultancy arrangement.
• Consultant arrangements are non-exclusive. UNICEF is entitled to procure the same or similar services from multiple consultant agreement holders to ensure SD can arrange services with the most capable consultant agreement holders in an efficient and timely manner.
• Funding for the consultant arrangement is not guaranteed.  Individual funding request ToRs will be submitted through the Unit Manager to the Center Chief on an “as-needed” basis.

OBJECTIVE:

Specific details of the envisioned project/assignment; the framing and presentation of the objectives, purposes, expected outputs, and results to be achieved.

Special projects:
Purpose: Special projects arise out of unusually complex procurement service requests that are large in scope or have technically unique requirements. Examples include countrywide equipment installations requiring well-coordinated technical execution of selection, delivery, warehousing, training, installation, after sales service and M&E. Other special projects include research necessary to justify catalogue portfolio in areas such as maternal health, oxygen therapy, and assistive products

Deliverable: The deliverables of the special project may include project plan, technical assessment, product guide, policy research, or technical recommendations.

Duration: The typical duration of a special project is 2-4 months although duration will vary based on complexity and number of products.

Indications: Indications of success include recommendations in a concise, highly organized, and complete report.

Tender evaluations:

Purpose: The purpose of technical evaluation is to identify the acceptable offer(s) based on relevant assessments, thus securing the quality, ability and fit-for-purpose of medical equipment and devices. Technical evaluation of quotations, bids and proposals is an essential part of the solicitation process. The technical evaluation is based on the predetermined technical requirements and specifications laid down in the solicitation document. For each product in a bid, the consultant will compare the bidder’s product specifications, regulatory documentation, and quality documentation to the UNICEF specifications and make a recommendation “acceptable” or “unacceptable”. 

Deliverable: The deliverable of the evaluation is a report that establishes the acceptability of all bidder’s products along with appropriate justification. Justification involves a line by line comparison of bidder’s offered product attributes, regulatory and quality certifications as compared with UNICEF specifications.

Duration: The typical duration of a technical evaluation is 2-4 weeks although duration will vary based on complexity and number of products.

Indications: Indications of success include an objective, traceable evaluation, conclusion and recommendations in a concise, highly organized, and complete report.

Technical specifications:

Purpose: The purpose of developing and revising technical specifications is to ensure UNICEF SD provides high quality products of the highest efficiency and economy. The consultant uses specialized product knowledge to draft technical specifications, standards and guidelines for medical equipment and devices requisitioned by UNICEF programs, specialized UN agencies, governments and non-governmental organizations on a procurement services basis, and provide technical guidance on the selection and use of these products.

Deliverable: The deliverable of the technical specifications is the “technical card” that will be reviewed and approved by the material owner.

Duration: The typical duration of technical specification development and revision is 2-4 weeks although duration will vary based on complexity and number of products.

Indications: Indications of success include concise, highly organized, and complete technical cards with generic specifications that are non-ambiguous and achievable, and are aligned with UNICEF’s standard format and mandate.

User needs assessment: 

Purpose: Health needs are changing and new challenges from chronic and infectious diseases as well as emergencies must be faced. Timely and accurate information is essential if health services in developing countries are to meet the needs of their populations. The purpose of the needs assessment is to gather the information required to ensure regional access to the most appropriate, cost-efficient medical equipment and devices. 

Deliverables: The deliverable of the user needs assessment is a report that details regional health care structure, regional health burdens, regional health policy and strategy, technology gap analysis, a list of key stakeholders and technology recommendations.

Duration: The typical duration of technical specification development and revision is 4 weeks including field missions and travel although duration will vary based on complexity, number of regions, and depth of analysis.

Indications: Indications of success are a concise, highly organized, and complete report providing objective evidence, analysis, conclusions and recommendations for UNICEF follow-up.

Market research: 

Purpose: Global life sciences sector growth correlates highly with countries’ general economic strength and health care spending levels. As these attributes are constantly changing, UNICEF strives to understand and anticipate supply- and demand-side market shifts to guide portfolio changes and for stock and supply planning.  The purpose of market research is to provide up-to-date market information, identify market gaps, and provide specific recommendations for introducing new products, obsoleting outdated products, initiating market-shaping activities, and initiating new innovations.

Deliverables: The output of the market analysis is a report that details target demographics, market trends, current market conditions, market challenges and concerns, priorities, opportunities, and alternatives.

Duration: The typical duration of market research is 4 weeks including field missions and travel although duration will vary based on complexity, number of regions, and depth of analysis.

Indications: Indications of success are a highly organized, and complete report providing objective evidence, analysis, conclusions and recommendations for UNICEF procurement and market-shaping strategy.

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT:

These consultant arrangements are being established to enable “as-needed” consultant services.  Therefore, the individual assignments, details, communication plan, responsibilities and project schedule will be fully detailed in an assignment-specific “Terms of Reference”.  These terms of reference will be shared with the consultant(s) who will then provide an estimated duration, level of effort, and overall costs for each assignment based upon the daily rate agreed in the consultant agreement. Individual assignments will be added to an addendum to the consultant “master” agreement.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education: University degree in engineering, biomedical engineering, or related discipline, and/or public health.  Specialist knowledge of medical equipment, medical devices, and biomedical engineering required. Advanced degree (masters/PhD) preferred.

Work Experience:  Minimum 5 years of progressive relevant professional experience.  Hands-on working experience in medical device development, evaluation, commercialization, or scaling environment. Field experience in developing countries and knowledge of regulatory requirements is an asset. Knowledge of UN procurement processes is an asset.

Competencies:

Technical Breadth:  Must be capable of independent leadership in technical support in procurement and supply management of medical equipment and devices.  Should have significant professional strength and leadership as responsibilities fall in a range of functional areas (leading and supervision, relating and networking, analyzing and applying technical expertise).

Innovation and Conceptualization:  Considered fully competent to apply both standardized approaches and models and innovative approaches to sourcing of quality, innovative products and advising on the deployment of such in health systems in collaboration with government counterparts and partners.

Networking: Ability to effectively liaise with and draw on knowledge institutions inputs to identify innovations and lessons learned.

Technical Knowledge:

Knowledge on technical, requirements and good distribution practices of medical equipment and devices.

Sound knowledge of computer applications, internet navigation and advanced Excel skills required

Innovation processes aiming to shorten the pipeline to introduction of medical equipment and devices in public health supply chains.

Language: Proficiency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

EVALUATION PROCESS:

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

• Cover letter/application.
• Financial quote of daily rate in US Dollars. Financial quote should be inclusive of service fees, and living expenses (if consultancy is not home-based). 
• Examples of previous, relevant work.
• At least 2 References

Please indicate your availability and daily rate to undertake the terms of reference above.  Applications submitted without a daily rate will not be considered.

UNICEF considers best value for money as a criteria for evaluating potential candidates.  As a general principle, the fees payable to a consultant or individual contractor follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee.  Please note that consultants and individual contractors are responsible for assuming costs for obtaining visas and travel insurance.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.