Switzerland: Supply Chain Visibility and Analytics Expert

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks and, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations.

The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) is home to the largest number of protracted emergencies and populations in need of humanitarian medical assistance globally. The Health Emergency programme (WHE) of WHO relies upon pre-positioned medical supplies and equipment for a timely and effective response to all types of health emergencies.

Recently, WHO expanded its regional supply chain hub located within the International Humanitarian City (IHC) in Dubai, UAE from 3000 sq meter to 14,000 sq meters. Enabling WHO to deliver a safe, secure, uninterrupted supply of medical commodities in a timely manner. Within Q1 of 2019, the Dubai-based operation responded to over 24 countries across 3 regions delivering medical supplies to over 2.4 million beneficiaries.

The expanded capacity of regional supply chain platform provides a unique opportunity to build upon the successes of the operation, adopt more efficient and agile supply chain practices, and modernize supply chain management approaches within WHO to save more lives and alleviate more suffering, and protect more people from health emergencies globally.

Innovative Technologies in Medical Emergencies (INTiME)

Poor performing humanitarian supply chains contribute exacerbate emergency conditions and can lead to additional loss of life. Limited supply chain visibility represents one of the most significant and visible impediments to protecting 1 billion from health emergencies. The lack of a modern, intelligent supply chain management information system limits the availability of life-saving medical supplies and reduces the number of lives saved by World Health Organization. Today, more than ever before, mobile technology and social media monitor, document, and share, in real-time, the arrival of emergency medical supplies. Delays in product delivery or the misuse of shelf-life data can be used to damage WHO’s reputation with record speed, instantly eroding a trust that has often been hard-fought to build. Yet at the same time, the expertise and technology to overcome these limitations have never been more accessible or affordable. Innovative mobile technology and advances in the science of supply chain management offer WHO an unparralled opportunity to adopt industry-leading best practices.

For these reasons, a ground-breaking innovative supply chain management project is needed to seize the opportunity to transform the business of delivering life-saving humanitarian medical supplies and reshape WHO’s global supply chain.

The project concept, Innovative Technologies in Medical Emergencies (INTiME) was developed to harness innovative technologies and best-practices to modernize WHO’s supply chain and improve the performance and delivery of life-saving medical supplies.

The WHO medical supply chain has the potential to save lives, alleviate human suffering, and improve public health outcomes, yet fragmented and obscure supply chain data impedes the effectiveness of and access to life-saving medicines and medical supplies, particularly during the initial phases of health emergencies. Limited supply chain data thwarts efforts to improve field-level coordination and leads to the ineffective allocation of limited resources, impeding healthcare delivery in areas where it is most critically needed. Harnessing available supply chain management information systems as well as mobile and digital technologies, the Innovative Technology in Medical Emergencies (INTiME) project aims to design and implement a set of modules, dashboards, and mobile applications to capture, share, and increase the real-time visibility of WHO medical supply chain data. Tracking and tracing the real-time production, shipment, storage, consumption, distribution, and location information of medical supplies.

InTiME will place vital supply chain data into the hands of front-line response personnel and their organizational leadership to enable strategic decision making regarding items to be held in inventory as well as for the field-level prioritization of resources, coordination among first responders, and a more agile and effective supply chain to support emergency responses. Equipping WHO with real-time supply chain data from the manufacturers of medical supplies to the field will: 1) Increase access to life-saving medical supplies among vulnerable populations; saving lives, 2) Accelerate the responsiveness of humanitarian medical supply chains to evolving field-level demands; saving time, 3) Strengthen the use of supply chain data to improve the allocation of limited resources; reducing costs, and 4) Enhance response coordination among front-line organizations through the sharing of real-time supply chain data; strengthening partnerships.

WHO seeks a consultant to lead and implement this supply chain data visibility project that will directly impact and transform the Organization’s capabilities to respond to crisis and reach the goal of protecting 1 billion from health emergencies.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

1.Analyze and map Supply Chain Business Processes and Information flows

Conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing internal and external business processes and supply chain information flows contributing to WHO’s global supply chain including but not limited to WHO systems, Suppliers, Freight forwarders and 3PL (DHL), mapping the current “as-is” state and identifying current gaps, weaknesses, and opportunities for improving supply chain data visibility. Produce a comparison with the systems currently available and the benefits that can be realized.

Output: A set of info-graphics with comprehensive summary of the overall supply chain information systems utilized by WHO through detailed analysis starting from the “upstream” donor proposals/awards through supplier production and goods readiness, to the final delivery in-country.

Deliverable: A detailed mapping of current supply chain data sources and information with gaps identified and risks indicated to prioritize development of short-term and long-term solutions.

2.Define the systems and solutions needed optimize and improve WHO supply chain performance through a higher level of automated intelligence.

Define the system requirements, software requirements, and technical specifications of proposed solutions to establish:

2.1 The requirements to achieve “quick wins” defined as near-immediate benefits.

2.2 The requirements for a full solution capable of providing end-to-end visibility.

Output: A clearly defined set of solutions that can be utilized by WHO to implement projects and improve supply chain visibility.

• Identified set of software solutions that can be adopted with “as is” infrastructure
• Validation of the system viability through development of prototype dashboards
• Definition of technical requirements and process maps of information flows
• Mapping of automated aspects and manual aspects of system
• Costing of the solution and maintenance and/or training costs defined

Deliverable 2.1: Identification, validation, defining of technical requirements, costing, mapping, and summary white-paper of software solutions and approaches that can provide immediate improvements in the coordination of fragmented information sources.

Deliverable 2.2: Identification, validation, defining of technical requirements, costing, mapping, and summary white-paper of the systems solutions needed for a more comprehensive approach and integration or coordination with current HQ initiatives.

3.Identify and lead the design of system solutions including the development of initial dashboards to improve visibility and tracking of medical supplies globally.

Develop the initial consolidation and linking of data to increase visibility and improve forecasting by capturing supplies under production, supplies in-transit, inventory, supplies prepared for dispatch, forecasts and demand planning analysis, and in-country receipt and distribution.

Develop dashboards capable of connecting the data and improving the tracking/tracing capabilities through the implementation of immediately available techniques.

Output: A fully operational dashboard capturing supply chain data across the entire supply chain and providing decision makers with the data and analysis needed to support supply chain management best practices. The dashboard shall be automated to the greatest extent possible and focus on improving supply chain performance, particularly the prioritization of inventory and the sequencing of delivery to the field.

Output: A fully operational dashboard for tracking and tracing in-country distribution based upon country office inputs. Raw data from pre-defined spreadsheets will need to be uploaded into the system to establish the mapping, financial reporting, and beneficiary calculations required.

Deliverable: Identify, source, and implement a software solution for two dashboards that will 1) improve supply chain management and supply chain performance and 2) provide countries with a systematic approach for tracking and tracing the distribution of supplies with the ability to identify the items, quantities, funding sources, and locations (through an interactive map) of medical supplies delivered.

4.Develop a strategic approach to optimizing and improving the supply chain management information system and increasing data visibility by proposing and leading the implementation of a Supply Chain management information solution(SCMIS)

Develop a concept note, budget, change management, implementation plan, and proposal for an open source, flexible IT solution fit for EMRO/WHE supply chain needs considering existing WHO systems, future expansion plans and modern supply chain systems available in the market.

Output: Prepare a technical paper in-line with international standards for publication in a peer-reviewed journal that clearly identifies the strategic approach, solutions, and requirements and implementation plan for establishing a modern supply chain management information system within the humanitarian context.

Deliverable: Interview stakeholders, conduct focused in-depth research on the current systems as well as potential systems being used by WHO, map the entire supply chain and conduct an analysis on existing systems and capabilities to produce clear guidance and summaries of the potential systems and expected benefits of supply chain management information systems.

5.Apply industry-proven solutions to improving and optimizing the “Donation to Delivery” system through a higher level of automation through design and implementation of the INTime Project

Development of a web-based, open source, flexible Supply Chain management information system, capable of providing end to end supply chain visibility from planning, forecasting, and inventory management, to shipping, distribution, and monitoring and reporting.

Output: An automated intelligence system capable of improving forecasting accuracy, tracking key performance indicators, and capturing and increasing the visibility of supply chain data.

Deliverable: Implement a software solution for integrating supplier production data, transport provider data, and updated country demands in order to automate and map upstream supply availability with downstream demands.

6.Identify and lead the implementation of innovative mobile technology to enable tracking/reporting at the field-level.

Identify and lead the development of open-source or customized mobile applications capable of coupling mobile, digital, and cloud-based innovations with tracking capabilities such as Quick Response Codes (QR codes) through a mobile application that can aggregate vital supply chain data for frontline responders to drive the use of data for decision making and enhance the effectiveness of multidisciplinary interventions.

InTiME enhanced supply chain visibility mobile applications will be deployed to the field strengthening data analysis for more informed decision. Providing healthcare workers from local communities with access to dashboards and data, amplifying logistics oversight and enabling professional development.

Output: A fully operational mobile application with the capability to provide users with medical supply pipeline data, inventory (including quantities, shelf life, funding source for original procurement, and distribution data), mapping, and cloud-based updating/automation of information.

Deliverable:** Meet with developers, and WHO staff to develop the concept, business case, request for proposals, and/or grant proposals inclusive of budgets, timelines for implementation, technical requirements, and implementation plans to lead the launch of the mobile application.

7.Develop the training material and execute trainings

Development of user-manuals and other training materials, and organize trainings for users including trouble shooting, data entry, monitoring, reporting, exporting and importing of data from and into the SCMIS system.

Output: A comprehensive process flow and user guide to define each user role, their information requirements, key performance indicators, and job aids to guide their use of the systems and processes to improve the efficiency of supply chain activities within the organization.

Deliverable: Shadow each role within the supply chain and define the position information requirements, the key performance indicators, and the system interaction to enable each user to process information and complete their responsibilities in the most efficient manner possible.

Data Sources/Components: Due to the current organizational architecture and nature of operations, complete flows of goods and information are not managed within WHO. There exist a number of partners involved in WHO supply chain operations that provide critical information throughout the supply chain cycle.

The SCMIS will provide a platform with direct access to all partners/stakeholders to view, upload and download relevant information related to their role within supply chain. Fig.1 provides an overview of key stakeholders and relevant information captured or retrieved by them.

The Supply Chain information management system is expected to provide complete visibility of supply chain from needs identification to delivery of goods. Apart from providing data visibility system benefits are expected to include intelligent needs-based forecast through advanced analytics.

The SCMIS will provide a global overview of supply chain through analyzing complex data sets including WHO stocks, suppliers stocks, shelf-life, production rates and lead-times. A monitoring dashboard will have up to date status of supply chain process whereas reporting dashboard will give an overview of impact and volume of supply chain activities. SCMIS will have following components:

1.Needs planning :

• Primary needs planning based on countries forecasts, procurements plans and funding.
• Secondary planning based on regional supply chain hub forecast.

2.Requisitions/ order monitoring:

• Primary order monitoring for purchase orders from WHO ERP.
• Secondary orders monitoring for requisitions to regional supply chain hub.

3.Pipeline monitoring:

• Track/monitor progress of primary orders. Prepared and shipped from suppliers/manufacturers.
• Track/monitor progress of secondary orders. Prepared and shipped from regional supply chain hub.

4.Shipping documents:

• Submission of shipping documents for primary orders. From suppliers/manufacturers.
• Submission of documents for primary orders. From freight forwarders.
• Submission of documents for secondary orders. From Regional supply chain hub.

5.Green-Lights follow-up:

• Green-light requested from countries for primary and secondary orders.
• Green-lights received from countries.

6.Shipment tracking:

• Tracking of shipments from suppliers/manufacturers to countries and regional SC hub.
• Tracking of shipments from Regional SC hub to countries.

7.Inventory management:

• Complete inventory management module. In/out, expiry, value, temperature requirements, weight, volume.
• Barcode, mobile app tracking system.

8.Monitoring & reporting

• Monitoring dashboard to monitor supply chain information flow, demand, pipeline, shipment tracking, shelf-life.
• Reporting dashboard to report number of beneficiaries, weight, volume, requesting entities and port of entries.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: First university degree in Business Management, Engineering, Supply Chain Management or related field

Desirable: Masters or higher degree in Management, Engineering or related field.

Experience

Essential: A minimum of ten years working experience in the area of supply chain management including at least five years of experience managing complex supply chains requiring improvements in data visibility and analytics to enhance performance. Previous experience in developing dashboards, control towers, and/or linking software systems is preferred.

Desirable: Experience developing and implementing institutional and corporate supply chain solutions.

Skills

Demonstrated skills in enhancing supply chain visibility, implementing software solutions to improve supply chain performance, and experience with influencing measurable supply chain performance improvements by increasing supply chain information sharing, integration, and automation. Increasing the use of data and analytics for decision making is desirable along with experience in developing dashboards or methods of sharing supply chain metrics to enhance management oversight and improve decision making.

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Producing results
• Ensuring the effective use of resources
• Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable: French and/or Arabic

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

Contractual Arrangement:INDIVIDUAL Consultancy.

Contract duration: 6 months renewable subject to availability of funds, satisfactory performance
Organization:** EM/WHE WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE)

Schedule**:** Full-timeconsultancy

Starting date : ASAP

Closing Date: 10-Dec-2019

Primary Location: shared between Geneva, Switzerland and Dubai, U.A.E. and home-based work.

If you are interested, please send you CV to : LORENZIN, Egle at lorenzine@who.int

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device's system settings.