Pharmaceutical Policy Specialist Consultant

Overview:

The Reaching Impact, Saturation, and Epidemic Control (RISE) project is a multi-year global project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) working with countries to achieve a shared vision of attaining and maintaining epidemic control, with stronger local partners capable of managing and achieving results through sustainable, self-reliant, and resilient health systems. RISE will support the National Department of Health (NDoH) in improving the quality of the national immunization program and service delivery. Furthermore, RISE will support the NDoH Expanded Program for Immunization (EPI) unit in strengthening its capacity-building activities for pandemic preparedness. To implement these activities, RISE is engaging a Pharmaceutical Policy Specialist to work with its partners in South Africa.

This role is a donor-funded position and is available on a consultancy basis from January to September 2025.

Responsibilities:

1. Inception meeting
   1 Day
   January 2025
   Deliverable: Inception Report
2. Develop a plan to convert the NDOH EPI training material on the NDOH knowledge hub into online courses
   2 Days
   January 2025
   Deliverable: Approved Plan
3. Gather and identify existing NDOH EPI training material on the NDOH knowledge hub to be converted into online courses
   2 Days
   January 2025
   Deliverable: List of NDOH EPI training material
4. Review and update the NDOH EPI training material
   5 Days
   February 2025
   Deliverable: Updated training material
5. Convert NDOH EPI training material into online courses in collaboration with NDOH and RISE Teams
   30 Days
   February-June 2025
   Deliverable: Final online courses for training
6. Support the development of a plan to support the modelling of identified facilities into Ideal Vaccination Centers
   5 Days
   January 2025
   Deliverable: Approved Plan
7. Develop/update facility quality assurance standards (QAS) for vaccination centres.
   5 Days
   February 2025
   Deliverable: Approved Facility QAS including a checklist
8. Conduct pre-assessments and develop quality improvement (QI) plans at identified vaccination centers using the QAS checklist
   10 Days
   February 2025
   Deliverable: QI plans
9. Provide Technical Assistance (TA) for QI adhering to the QAS
   30 Days
   March-August 2025
   Deliverable: QI reports
10. Deploy real-time digital solutions to strengthen safety systems for follow-up of post-vaccination events, enhance reporting, collation, and advanced analytics
    10 Days
    March 2025
    Deliverable: Deployment Report
11. Pilot Interactive Voice Recording (IVR) System & SMS, tele-caller support for taking vaccination feedback & reporting post-vaccination events
    20 Days
    April-June 2025
    Deliverable: Pilot Report
12. Draft and finalize report including recommendations, lessons learned, best practices for expanding to other facilities
    10 Days
    September 2025
    Deliverable: Final Report

Total: 130 Days

Required Qualifications:

• Pharmacy university degree with postgraduate degree in Public Health
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible and directly relevant experience required
• Proven experience providing technical support to the NDOH and other relevant stakeholders.
• A deep understanding of the South African EPI program including vaccine safety.
• Experience collaborating and communicating with national, regional, and global stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Experience supporting capacity building approaches at both national and provincial levels.
• Demonstrated analytical, organizational and decision-making skills.
• Excellent policy document writing skills.
• Oral and written fluency in English and any additional South African official language.
• Previous experience with USAID local capacity strengthening in South Africa
• Ability to travel nationally (20% travel)

Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, other legally protected characteristics or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Jhpiego promotes Affirmative Action for minorities, women, individuals who are disabled, and veterans.

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