Vaccine Cold Chain Management (VCCM) Expert Consultant (Fundamental Infrastructure), Programme Group, Health Section, Remote – Req 590819

Consultancy Title: Vaccine Cold Chain Management (VCCM) Expert Consultant (Fundamental Infrastructure)

Section/Division/Duty Station: Programme Group, Health Section

Duration: 15 February 2026 – 30 June 2026

Home/ Office Based: Remote

About UNICEF – 

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

Towards achieving high immunization coverage while introducing new vaccines through equity-focused vaccination program, the need for effective immunization supply chain remains vital. Efficient supply chains equipped with efficient immunization infrastructure including reliable cold chain are important in helping countries primarily to reaching children with potent lifesaving vaccines to protect them against vaccine preventable diseases and subsequently increase immunization coverage.

Immunization infrastructure by definition includes active and passive cold chain equipment for all levels of supply chain, logistics and infrastructure for health care waste management, solar electrification of health facilities, information management systems for inventories of such equipment, gap analysis for future investments and performance monitoring systems for operations and maintenance of these systems.

With the Gavi 6.0 strategy and new cash grant application process, the GAVI Vaccine Alliance jointly invests with countries specific to the ‘Fundamental Infrastructure & Use’ pillar in the purchase, deployment and installation of modern, high performing cold chain equipment, as an essential component of the supply chain to ensure that life-saving vaccines reach every child.

The development of cash grant applications under Gavi 6.0 is expected to be complex with new processes, programme funding guidelines and based on past experience with the CCEOP application, that requires significant experience with multi-year data analysis, critical cold chain technology selection and effective use of existing tools on immunization cold chain. Solid expertise on cold chain and immunization supply chain, HCWM strategies and in solar electrification along with inventory, maintenance strategy aspects as core components of the application in the context of the overall country immunization programme and equity aspects to best reach zero dose children.

While significant cold chain equipment (CCE) and remote temperature monitoring devices (RTMD) have been delivered to countries over the past many years, there is currently no clear visibility on the CCE performance and cold chain functionality due to lack of updated live CCE inventories and active use and analysis of temperature monitoring data. The new CCE standards developed through the WHO PQS Equipment Monitoring System (EMS) will start as of January 2026. There is thus an urgent need for UNICEF to ensure country readiness through strengthening critical CCEM systems to achieve the new KPIs agreed between UNICEF and Gavi under the Partner Accountability Framework  (PAF) that requires UNICEF to report on CCE inventory data, CCE functionality rates and temperature monitoring as well as average lead time to repair CCE to ensure  a minimum of 90% CCE functionality rates.

Specific to RTMDs, these systems require substantial planning, funds management, HR etc. to successfully implement, manage and effectively use temperature data to drive action. Further, with the upcoming WHO PQS Equipment Monitoring System (EMS) applicable for cold chain equipment being delivered to countries, higher emphasis is being placed on ensuring CCE functionality and adequate maintenance aspects linked to temperature monitoring. UNICEF has in collaboration with Gavi and other partners developed a revised Temperature monitoring data use strategy to strengthen evidence-based decision-making processes with increased emphasis on CCE functionality to safeguard the vaccine potency. The revised strategy supports the updated UNICEF Immunization Roadmap and the current Gavi 5.0 Strategy as well as the new Gavi 6.0 strategy that emphasizes CCE functionality and TM data use with CCE data integration and temperature visibility as key element for informed decision making.

In addition, UNICEF together with Gavi and The Global Fund is supporting countries in better planning the needs of managing health care waste and the treatment and disposal of waste produced at primary health care level in environmentally sustainable manner. Countries are required to develop strategies and implementation roadmaps on HCWM to integrate these plans with NIS and EVM SCIP and other potential funding windows to implement these activities.

Another important element of immunization infrastructure is solar electrification of health facilities, that is enabling health facilities with reliable energy and thus supporting primary health care services.., Health facility solar electrification, when combined with cold chain equipment, provides opportunity of conducting fixed immunization sessions, improved outreach services targeting reaching out to zero dose communities and improves overall footfall of patients access primary health care services thereby improving other health indicators such as maternal mortality rates, neo-natal mortality rates, improved coverage of FIC and other laboratory services.  It is thus required to scope the needs of electrification in countries based on the package of care, support assessments to profile solarization sizing needs and package the electrification plans tailored to available fundings or prepare investment cases for seeking funding support. Support is also required to assist   countries with the preparation of operational deployment plans, coordination of the stakeholders at country level, monitoring and evaluation of such systems and their impact on immunization and health indicators.

The consultancy aims to enhance immunization infrastructure across Gavi countries, encompassing existing systems and upcoming Gavi applications.

The main purpose of the consultancy is therefore, through the newly established Centers of Excellence (CoE), to provide strategic guidance and capacity strengthening to national governments and UNICEF with the preparation and finalization of Gavi 6.0 cash grant applications to increase the success-rate of country applications being approved through the first Gavi IRC review process.

Further, to offer guidance and expertise to regional entities and different national governments and UNICEF with the roll-out of the TM data use strategy (as a pre-cursor to EMS) and digitalization of CCE inventories that supports the further enhancement of the Thrive360 CCE module for global and country use. The consultancy will also focus on capacity development activities and development of implementation plans to increase the data use for evidence-based decision making and contribute to higher uptime of CCE and improved CCE maintenance, as well as conducting assessments and evaluation reports.

The Senior Advisor Immunization, Vaccine and Cold Chain Management, will be the consultancy assignment supervisor. The consultant in consultation with senior advisor will offer technical expertise selecting from menu of TA activities listed below to priority countries  from, but not limited to, these countries: Priority 1: Angola, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, BF, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, CIV, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Priority 2: Malawi, Zambia, PNG, Myanmar, Indonesia, Honduras, Bolivia, Haiti, Guinea, Nepal, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Ukraine, Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan.

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the Senior Advisor Immunization, Vaccine and Cold Chain Management, the consultant will be responsible for:

Facilitate the development of Gavi cash grant applications

1. Provision of technical expertise for Gavi Cash Grant applications under Gavi 6.0 (focus ‘Fundamental Infrastructure & Use’) to Governments in developing the application including all the detailed supporting documentation. This includes as a minimum the CCE inventory and gaps analysis, ODP development and CCE performance monitoring and maintenance, decommissioning as well as providing guidance on adequate selection of CCE technology (incl. new technology) in the country context and to provide equitable access to vaccines and reaching ZD children.
2. Provide guidance for strengthening country-led deployment of cold chain equipment and associated services.
3. Provision of technical expertise on Maintenance and Decommissioning strategies for countries as part of the cash grant application requirements. Enabling the Government with development of a decommissioning plan and budget.
4. Provision of technical expertise to develop cash grant applications to scale solarization infrastructure initiatives to ensure sustainable energy sources and integrate comprehensive waste management practices into infrastructure management.
5. Provision of technical expertise to develop proposals to establish and maintain warehousing for vaccines (WICR/WIF) and dry supplies, including enabling improved integration.

Cold Chain Equipment Management

6. In collaboration with Government and UNICEF CO developing an inventory strategy with focus on digital CCI systems, interoperable with other TSS compliant country systems and aligned with the Digital Health Strategy, for conducting cold chain gaps analysis for informed decision-making processes and linked to CCE maintenance CCI (e.g. mSupply CCI application for scale-up). Conducting training on CCE inventory systems to Governments, including supporting as facilitator for technical workshops.
7. Provision of technical expertise for the roll out of the CCE Performance Monitoring & TM data use strategy to Governments to establish a strengthened culture of data-driven and evidence-based decision making for CCE performance monitoring through TM data to effectively manage maintenance, uptime and longevity of CCE.

This includes development of a detailed implementation strategy and plan, linking to broader in-country temperature monitoring strategy and eLMIS activities. Further, ensuring adequate data review structures are in place to effectively review data and use such to drive corrective and preventative actions to safeguard vaccines and increase the reliability of the cold chain as well as to report on the new Gavi PAF KPIs related to cold chain. This also includes facilitating capacity building activities based on available global guidance.

8. Work with countries on how to best address the weaknesses identified through the RTMD Maturity Level Assessment for countries categories ‘low’ and ‘medium’ maturity level. Develop country tailored implementation strategies and costed improvement plans to increase the maturity level for better use and benefit of the RTMD data. (CVM25)
9. Provide TA to countries requiring support to prepare for EMS and strengthen TM data flows, TM data usage to feed into the new EMS.
10. Work with countries to implement plans for repurposing the Ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers within the health programmes and decommissioning obsolete equipment

Strengthening immunization infrastructure in countries

11. Facilitate the development of roadmap on HCWM and include the roadmap in NIS and EVM SCIP.
12. Map maintenance systems of various components (CCE, Solar, Waste, PHC) and explore means and scope of integrated maintenance with government for countries that advance on HFSE front, provide the mapping of health facilities on electricity availability and HFSE needs analysis using the tools developed by UNICEF for assessment and sizing of health facilities and provide data for preparing BOQ and investment case.
13. Support advocacy with government on Operations and Maintenance of HFSE systems, adopting strategies for O&M suitable to context and prepare business case for funding and operationalization.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Travel – Estimated $40,000

Qualifications

Education:

• An Master’s/Advanced University Degree in one or more of the following areas: Engineering, Public Health (Immunization Supply Chain), Statistics, Logistics, or other relevant fields.
• A Bachelor degree and additional qualifying experience of minimum 10 years on CCEM and iSCM may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s Degree

Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• A minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible relevant work experience national and international levels in CCE inventory management systems and eLMIS, temperature monitoring and CCE maintenance, Data/Statistical Analysis, supply management, vaccines programming including cold chain and vaccine management, design and implementation of solarization of health facilities and health care waste management
• Experience in managing large-scale projects, working with governments, working in resource-limited settings, monitoring and evaluating supply chains, and risk management and mitigation will be an asset.
• Experience working in the UN system agency or development organization is an asset. Familiarity with emergency response is an asset.
• Demonstrated expertise/skills in data analysis for immunization health commodities, cold chain technical understanding, proposal writing
• Ability to work in multi-cultural environment.

Language Proficiency:

• For Anglophone: Fluency in English, both spoken and written, is required. Knowledge of French is an asset.
• For Francophone: Fluency in French, both spoken and written, is required. Proficiency in English is an asset.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

– Upload copy of academic credentials

– Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

– Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

– At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

– Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

Remarks:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.