Local Consultant: Finalization of the development of Financial Sustainability plan for EPSS-Addis Ababa Ethiopia

The Position:

The consultant will report technically to the Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Supply Service's (EPSS’s) Deputy Director General for System Strengthening and Finance, and administratively to UNFPA’s Program Analyst for RHCS.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

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

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results

Job Purpose:

The purpose of the consultancy is to finalize the development of the long-term financial goals, strategies, and costed action plans that will enable EPSS to sustain its business over the long term, including the capacity to respond to short-term crises

Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Supply Service (EPSS) is a government organization established by proclamation to procure and supply pharmaceuticals to public health facilities in Ethiopia. Its headquarters is located in the capital city, Addis Ababa, and it operates its storage and distribution operations by utilizing its warehouses found at the head office and in its nineteen (19) hubs which are located in strategic areas of the country. It has around four thousand employees and operates with more than three hundred vehicles.

EPSS generates its income mainly from the revolving drug fund and from program health commodities’, procurement, storage, and distribution service charges, and donations. One of the pillars of the 10-year Pharmaceuticals Supply Transformation Plan II and the recently developed mid-term Investment and Development Plan (PSDIP) is developing and implementing a Financial Sustainability Plan that focuses on the efficient utilization of available funds, generating additional income, and reducing operational costs. It was with this view that an individual consultant was hired by UNFPA during the 4th quarter of 2023 to consolidate financial statements, identify areas of strengths, identify cost centers and cost reduction areas, determine income-generating activities, and draft a long-term financial sustainability plan.

Accordingly, the consultant, in collaboration with the established supply chain financial sustainability plan development taskforce, was able to undertake situational analysis both at EPSS (both center and branch) and selected health facility levels, conduct desk reviews on the information available in similar countries, identify the cost centers of the EPSS supply chain, and analyze the current operations performance of EPSS using operational and financial ratios, and developed draft financial sustainability plan.

Finalizing the draft financial sustainability plan by hiring consultant is part of the July to December 2024 work plan of EPSS with UNFPA. This TOR is, therefore, developed to describe the scope of work of the individual consultant, the expected deliverables, the required qualifications and experience of the expert, and the time required to undertake the assignment.

You would be responsible for:

The Consultant shall provide sufficient technical support to ensure that these tasks are performed efficiently, accurately, on time, and in compliance with the requirements of this document. The consultant is expected to:

1. Present an inception report on finalizing the draft financial sustainability plan.

2. Based on the Identified cost centers, develop a costed improvement plan

3. Refine and cost the identified income-generating projects to improve EPSS financial performance

4. Facilitate consultative workshops with the task force members and the Finance team of EPSS to review the refined plan

5. Finalize the plan incorporating the feedback from consultative meetings and task force members

The consultant will prepare and share a detailed work plan (as per the TOR), which will be the basis for monitoring the progress of the assignment.

The consultant will provide a progress update every week and submit a full performance report and complete sustainability plan at the end of the assignment in both hard and soft copies.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

Advanced degree in health or pharmaceutical supply chain management, health economics, business management, accounting, logistics, or related fields. ACCA certification is advantageous 

Knowledge and Experience: 

Required expertise, qualifications, and competencies, including language requirements:

• At least 5 years of relevant experience in supply chain management with knowledge and experience of the working system of the Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Supply Service (EPSS).
• Having experience in supply chain financial sustainability plan development 
• Proven competence certificate for the provision of consultancy service
• Ample experience in the provision of consultancy, training, and project development in the field of the pharmaceutical supply chain 
• Proven experience in the provision of consultancy and training services in the pharmaceutical sector.
• Ability to work in Team

Languages: 

• Fluency in oral and written English, Amharic and other local languages

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,

Functional Competencies:

• Advocacy / Advancing a policy-oriented agenda
• Result-Based Programme Development and Management
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners
• Innovation and marketing of new approaches
• Job knowledge / Technical Expertise

Compensation and Benefits:

 This position offers an attractive remuneration.

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. 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 insurance proof 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.