State Facilitator (VSL) at Committed To Good (CTG) - 8 Openings

Committed To Good (CTG) is an award-winning private sector company that enables humanitarian and development projects in conflict zones. As a people solutions business, we recruit, deploy and manage the right people with the right skills to implement projects in the world’s toughest regions.

Having worked in more than 25 fragile and conflict-affected countries, we pride ourselves on hiring 90% local employees, providing decent, dignified work and new opportunities in fragile communities. 90% of our turnover goes back into the local economy.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: State Facilitator (VSL)

Locations: Katsina, Sokoto, Kano, Kebbi, Niger, Zamfara, Jigawa and Kaduna
Job Type: Full-time

Overview of Position

• To sustain the vaccine management technical support, ensuring effective supplies of safe & quality vaccines up to the last mile as well as facilitating the visibility into vaccine stock data for decision making.

Role Objectives

• Support the development of annual & quarterly state work plans for EPI (vaccine security, logistics & service delivery) to ensure conformity with Comprehensive Multi Year Plan (CMYP) / Nigerian Strategy for Immunization & Primary Health Care System Strengthening (NSIPPSS) & State Logistics Working Groups (SLWG) workplans.
• Support the implementation of state work plans for EPI (vaccine security, logistics & service delivery) to ensure alignment with the workplan goals, Effective Vaccine Management Improvement Plan (EVM IP) including articulation of a well defined action tracker for monitoring implementation.
• Support the development of SLWG work plans towards implementing the vaccine management standards & practices including bundling vaccines, maintaining stocks levels, preparing & following optimised distribution plans of vaccine, devices & data tools forRI (Routine Immunization) & SIAs & ensuring cold chain functionality & maintenance in line with Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) standards.
• Review the temperature records of state cold stores & advocate for solving identified gaps such as ensuring timely repair & routine maintenance of cold chain equipment; backup generators are functional, adequate funds are provided to operate generator as required on continued basis & provide regular reports.
• Ensure that computerized temperature monitoring devices, provided to stores are functional & maintained & Temperature Monitoring & Control (TMC) systems are adhered to.
• Facilitate the development of a state action plans for implementation of the polio & other SIAs including MNCHWs in the target states & support their implementation.
• Facilitate tracking progress of implementation of the EVM improvement plans at state, LGA & health facility level by the SLWG.
• Facilitate conduct of cold chain inventory & development of cold chain planning, including CCEOP implementation in the state of assignment.
• Facilitate the roll out of open LMIS & thrive 360 in the state of assignment, ensuring timely & quality reporting.
• Support last mile vaccine delivery to ensure availability of potent vaccines at the service points.
• Serve as state Technical Advisors in cold chain management, delivery & distribution of vaccines for the polio eradication & RI program.
• Assist with the implementation of guidelines & norms regarding cold chain & safety of immunization services delivery.
• Support the state team in ensuring timely planning & disbursement of funds to LGAs.
• Develop specific related vaccine security & logistics strategies for reaching the hard to reach, nomadic & minority groups in the high risk within the state.
• Transfer of competences to state & LGA Cold Chain / Logistics Officers on VSL issues.
• Support capacity building of government & partners in immunization with special emphasis on VSL considering the lessons learnt & new developments from the EVM processes & new vaccine introduction.
• Support capacity building of state Cold Chain Officers on new cold chain equipment technologies, considering GAVI CCE optimisation systems, for effective cold chain planning in respective states.
• Assist state / LGAs in building cold chain & logistics equipment inventory & efficient equipment management systems, utilize same for needs assessment & provide corrective trainings as the need arises.
• Support states in conducting trainings, supportive supervisions in vaccine management & logistics & cold chain maintenance.
• Provide regular comprehensive bottleneck analysis of stock, cold chain operational status & coverage (RI & SIA, including COVID-19) of states & support states in implementing the innovative solutions monthly.
• Support the CCO & SIO to be conversant with the use of navision & ensure completeness & accuracy of the data therein.
• Undertake supportive supervisory field visits to LGA & communities to assess progress, identify problems & propose remedial or alternative strategies or courses of actions to accelerate / improve quality of EPI delivery in the assigned state.
• Carry out any other duties in support of our client led health interventions as assigned by supervisors or authority of our clients Field Office (FO).

Deliverables:

• Weekly stock validation & submission of collated status of vaccine stocks on approved formats.
• Weekly temperature monitoring reports, incidence management & tracking of implementation of RTMD system.
• Monthly RI & SIA (where applicable) vaccine utilization / consumption & wastage rate tracking & reporting.
• Quarterly cold chain inventory status update & submission of updated IRP tool.
• Quarterly submission of state heat map for supervisory / targeted / standalone EVMA & cIP updates.
• Consultant must submit a detailed work plan to his / her supervisor at the beginning of the contract period for the entire contract period.
• Supervisors will have the flexibility to review with the consultant as needed on a monthly or quarterly basis.
• A monthly progress report should be provided by each consultant to their supervisor for payment of consultants fees.
• A detailed assignment report will be required at the end of the current contract period.

Project reporting:

• This role reports to the line manager.

Key Competencies

• Bachelor's Degree in Basic Sciences, Health & Allied / Material Management / Engineering or equivalent (minimal) with at least 3 years progressively professional work experience with at least 1 year at providing technical support in the area of logistics, supply chain management, cold chain or a master’s degree in public health / pharmacy, health sciences, basic medical sciences or engineering.
• Experience in managing cold chain system for vaccines or other related medical supplies & providing immunization services is an advantage.
• Fluency in English (minimal) & knowledge of any of the three major Nigerian languages is an added advantage (Igbo, Hausa & Yoruba).
• Proven ability to conceptualize, develop, plan & coordinate logistics activities as well as to transfer knowledge and skills.
• Good analytical & negotiating skills.
• Ability to work in an international or multicultural environment.
• Proficiency in computer applications including Excel & PowerPoint.
• Ability to work as a team member.
• Ability to monitor progress, collect & analyze data, effect corrections & prepare reports.

Team management:

• This role has no team management responsibility.

Further information:

• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for this role.

Application Closing Date
1st May, 2024.