INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT A NATIONAL BASELINE ASSESSMENT OF THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY TO MANUFACTURE CRITICAL LIFESAVING MEDICINES AND EXAMINE THEIR COMPLIANCE TO GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING IGAD

REQUEST FOR AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (REOI)

FOR

INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL CONSULTANT

TO

Conduct a National Baseline Assessment of the Capacity of Local Pharmaceutical Industry to Manufacture Critical Lifesaving Medicines and examine their Compliance to Good Manufacturing Practice in one of The Following IGAD Member States, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda.

BACKGROUND: 

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-member state regional intergovernmental organization (RIGO) of the African Union Commission (AUC) in the Horn of Africa (HOA) with a combined population of over 260 million people. HOA experiences migration and cross-border mobility due to economic uncertainties and fragile political environment. Most IGAD member states are low-middle-income countries with low health service coverage, high mortality and morbidity rates and cross-border mobility often accompanied by movement of diseases. IGAD with the support from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded cross-border health initiative (IGAD-CBHI) project seeks to strengthen pharmaceutical manufacturing in the region in line with African Union Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA) business plan. 

IGAD intends to develop IGAD pharmaceutical policy and pharmaceutical manufacturing busines plan informed by a baseline assessment. IGAD therefore seeks to recruit four (4) national pharmaceutical consultants to carry out a situational assessment of the capacity of IGAD manufacturers in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. The consultants will provide a technical report of the capacity local manufacturers and and examine their compliance to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) to produce to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable critical essential medicines for the region in line with international standards in order facilitate implementation of evidence based regional interventions. 

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Individual Consultant. One (1) national individual consultant per member state, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. 

OVERALL OBJECTIVE : To enhance private sector stakeholder engagement and increase investments within the local pharmaceutical sector for the supply of safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable essential medicines in the region. 

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT: To undertake a regional baseline assessment of the capacity of local pharmaceutical industry to manufacture critical essential lifesaving medicines and examine their compliance to GMP in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. To achieve this main objective, the consultancy will focus on the following specific objectives:

1. Undertake a national baseline assessment of the capacity of local pharmaceutical industry to manufacture critical essential lifesaving medicines and examine their compliance to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) in line with international and national pharmaceutical regulatory standards. 
2. Analyse regional socio-political, policy and multispectral intervention context and other decision-making processes and contexts to improve production of critical essential lifesaving medicines in the region. 
3. Take stock of the manufacturers with a critical analysis of their capacity and compliance to GMP for a resilient local pharmaceutical production lifesaving medicines for the region. 
4. Analyse the gaps, barriers and opportunities in improving the capacity of local manufacturers in selected IGAD Member States 
5. Provide pragmatic programmatic recommendations to fill-up the gaps while addressing the barriers in order to promote local manufacturing in the region. 

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

1. A comprehensive national inception report for the assignment showing the strategy to be applied to complete the task, detailing the understanding of the scope of work (SOW), the detailed approach/methodology, tools to be used for information/data collection and a work plan and assessment implementation plan. The inception report will be reviewed by and presented to by IGAD secretariat. A virtual meeting will be held for this purpose. 
2. National technical baseline assessment report on the capacity of local pharmaceutical manufacturers and their compliance to GMP from one of the specified IGAD member states (Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan or Uganda). The report should highlight the findings, gaps barrier and opportunities and provide programmatic or policy recommendations based on the purpose and objectives of the baseline assessment and provide a high-level national roadmap for improvement of local manufacturing.
3. National technical brief that will summarise the findings, recommendations and key strategic interventions in 3-4 pages to improve or promote local manufacturing in the region. 
4. Provide technical inputs to the harmonised draft regional technical baseline assessment report from a lead consultant.
5. Consultancy assignment report outlining in brief the process of engagement, the deliverables submitted, and the critical lessons learns, challenges and recommendations to the IGAD secretariat on future similar assignments. 

DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The assignment is for a fixed period of ten (10) working days between May and June 2021. 

PAYMENT: The consultancy fee will be commensurate with the qualification and experience of the successful candidate. Payment schedule will be based on the milestones shown above on the deliverables. 

LOCATION: Home-based. Due to travel restrictions, the consultant will be expected to explore ways of obtaining information through working with specific focal persons in local pharmaceutical manufacturers to obtain the required information. 

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ASSIGNMENT: Great value is placed on the technical qualification and independence of the expert. Candidates should have the following basic and essential qualifications:

• Minimum of a degree in Pharmacy from a recognized institution or any other related fields of study.
• At least 10 years working experience with broad understanding on various areas of pharmaceutical manufacturing including pharmaceutical policy, regulatory, practice distribution and retail practices
• Conversant and with experience in conducting desk reviews, quantitative and qualitative pharmaceutical sector reviews and other related information/data in any of the stated IGAD member state.
• Demonstrated experience working at senior strategic levels to advance pharmaceutical sector.
• Demonstrated good program design skills, including capacity to prepare logical, coherent and consistent documents.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team, including coordinating technical input into a framework.
• Ability to work remotely with team members in various locations.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Conceptual and strategic analytical capacity coupled with good writing skills
• Proven experience in participatory processes and in facilitating dialogue between various stakeholders.
• Strong research, and documentation skills

• Must be result oriented team player with excellent interpersonal skills, including enthusiasm, tact, diplomacy and high level of integrity.
• Past working experience with the local manufacturing sector in IGAD is an added advantage.

• High level written and oral communications skills in English. Working knowledge of French will be an added advantage.
• Knowledge and understanding of IGAD or major donor policies and practice is desirable 

ELIGIBILITY: Qualified and experienced national consultants are invited to submit their CVs and related credentials. Groups of Individuals and/or Firms are not eligible for this consultancy assignment.

The selection shall be in accordance with IGAD Procurement Procedures. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) now invites interested and eligible consultant to submit Expressions of Interest for the above assignment.

Interested Individual consultant may obtain further information at the address below during office hours from Sunday to Thursday 7:30am to 2:30 pm local time, or by email from procurement@igad.int  with copies to anthony.toroitich@igad.int  

Please note at this stage PROPOSALS whether TECHNICAL or FINANCIAL are not required.

HOW TO APPLY: All individual consultants should submit their Expression of Interest and Curriculum Vitae (s) to: procurement@igad.int with copies to anthony.toroitich@igad.int not later than Friday 30^th April, 2021 at 23:59 Hrs. EAT (GMT+3).

Procurement Unit

Administration and Finance

IGAD Secretariat

Avenue Georges Clemenceau

E-mail: procurement@igad.int

P.O. Box 2653,

Djibouti,

Republic of Djibouti