JOB DESCRIPTION

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

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UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, health. 

Vaccines are one of the most effective tools for preventing infectious diseases and saving lives. However, the success of immunization programs depends on proper vaccine management and maintaining an effective cold chain to ensure the potency and safety of vaccines. Inadequate storage, handling, and transportation can compromise vaccine quality, leading to reduced effectiveness or wastage.

Healthcare workers play a crucial role in safeguarding vaccine quality at different stages of the immunization supply chain. Nepal”s federal structure, with health services delivered across federal, provincial, and local levels, requires job aids that can be adapted and implemented consistently across diverse geographic and administrative contexts. Healthcare workers in remote mountainous areas face unique challenges in maintaining cold chain integrity during transport and storage, necessitating practical solutions that address these specific operational realities. Current job aids were developed prior to the implementation of Nepal”s federal health system and do not reflect recent technological advances, updated WHO-PQ equipment specifications, or lessons learned from COVID-19 vaccine deployment. Feedback from healthcare workers and supervisors indicates that existing materials are outdated, difficult to understand, and lack practical step-by-step guidance for complex procedures. To support them, there is a high demand of easy-to-use job aids that provide clear guidance on vaccine and cold chain management. These job aids will serve as quick reference tools to reinforce best practices, improve operational efficiency, and ensure compliance with national and international standards.

This consultancy aims to develop job aids, tailored to the needs of healthcare workers at various levels of the health system, to strengthen immunization services and promote better health outcomes.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of Assignment:

The primary purpose of this assignment is to develop a comprehensive suite of evidence-based, user-friendly job aids that will strengthen healthcare worker capacity in immunization and cold chain management across Nepal”s federal health system. Specifically, this assignment will:

1. Review existing job aid pool and identify the need for new ones: Review existing job aids on immunization and cold chain. Identify the need of job aid in new areas of cold chain and vaccine management in line with global evidence and national immunization strategy.
2. Update existing development new standardized job aids: Update the existing job aid based on feedback and consultation with stakeholders. Develop comprehensive job aids in identified areas covering all critical aspects of vaccine and cold chain management, aligned with current WHO-PQ standards, EVM 2.0 criteria, and Nepal”s national immunization guidelines.
3. Address federal system needs: Design materials that can be effectively implemented across federal, provincial, and local health system levels, with appropriate adaptation guidance for different operational contexts.
4. Incorporate Technological Advances: Ensure job aids reflect current cold chain technologies including digital temperature monitoring, ultra-low temperature storage, and innovative transport solutions appropriate for Nepal”s geographic challenges.
5.  Strengthen Quality Assurance: Provide practical tools that enable healthcare workers to implement best practices in vaccine handling, storage, transportation, and administration while maintaining compliance with national and international standards.
6. Build Sustainable Capacity: Create materials that support ongoing training and supervision systems, enabling continuous improvement in immunization service delivery quality and efficiency.

Scope of Work:

A Consultant hired to develop this job aids will be responsible for following activities:

Key Responsibilities:

Desk Review Assessment

• Conducting a rapid review of existing materials, policies, and guidelines related to immunization program and vaccine and cold chain management job aids.
•  Identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in alignment with WHO standards.
• Analyses of immunization supply chain needs and system efficiency.
• Consulting with Family Welfare Division, Management Division, UNICEF, WHO to identify specific job aid needs.

Development of Content

Update, Retrieve and/or Develop Job Aids in:

• Vaccine arrivals, storage, transportation and handling protocols.
• Cold chain equipment usage.
• Corrective and preventive maintenance.
• Temperature monitoring and recording with the use of different devices.
• Use of new technology cold chain equipment (e.g; Freeze free vaccine carrier, Artek, Ultra Low temperature freezer).
• Vaccine administration techniques.
• Safe use of immunization product and Waste disposal.
• Needs-identified job aids in accordance with the standards and categories in Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) as per below tables:

Field Test:

• Field Test the job aids in selected cold chain points.
• Incorporate feedback.

Design and formatting

• All Job aids materials should be properly formatted and illustrated through appropriate means (either through photographs, figures, infographics etc).
• Content needs to be simple and in local languages (Nepali).
• Developed final versions of the job aids in both print and digital formats.

Specification:

• Each job aid should be accompanied by detail ideal specification that can be followed when printed. The specification should at least include size, resolution, material to be printed on (Flex, Laminated papers, Chart paper, spiral handbook, booklet etc).

Intended Audience and location

• Each job aid should also have information on its intended audience (who should use the job aid primarily), location and how it should be kept for better visualization and utilization (eg. To be kept on the table of cold chain officer, to be hanged in front of ILR, to be pasted on the refrigerator wall, to be given as a handbook etc).

Presentation and Handover

• Present the final material with Technical Working Group (TWG) and development partners.

All the content needs to be aligned with national guidelines and as per WHO/UNICEF standard. The consultant will work closely with Family welfare Division and Management Division of DoHS and coordinate with UNICEF and WHO for consultation.

Specific tasks:

Assessment Planning and Preparation

• Desk review of the existing job aids completed

Development of Job Aid’s Content

• Development of Draft illustration of the job aids in various categories completed and shared with TWG

Presentation and Handover

• Job aids with proper formatting and illustrations completed and finalised

TASK

First Deliverable:

• Submission of inception report along with the findings of the desk review

Second Deliverable:

• Submission of Draft illustrations

Final Deliverable:

• Submission of final job aids illustrations documents

For detailed information on the assignment check TOR.pdf

Duration:

The duration of the assignment is for the duration of three months, tentatively staring from First week of September 2025

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education: Advanced university degree in Public Health, Communication, Supply Chain/Vaccine Management, Education, Social Sciences or other relevant disciplines with specialized training in Immunization and Vaccine management.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

Desirable: Specialized training in adult learning principles and instructional design

Work experience: Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in immunization supply chain and vaccine management, immunisation programme; Demonstrated knowledge of immunization programme management and cold chain systems . Working experience of UN agencies is desirable.

Special skills: Good written and spoken Nepali and English languages, interpersonal skills and teamwork, self-motivated able to work with partners and work in remote settings. Must have knowledge of health system in Nepal. Proficiency in graphic design or experience working with design teams is an asset.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks: 

female candidates and candidates from the under-represented ethnic groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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 health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements