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.

Purpose: The Reproductive Health and Family Planning Commodities Specialist (RH&FP) Consultant is responsible for adeptly analyzing the political, social and economic environment related to family planning and will identify opportunities for UNFPA assistance and intervention.

The RH&FP Specialist Consultant will provide technical support to the UNFPA country office and other stakeholders on the national supply chain, forecasting/quantification, logistical management for family planning and bulk procurement of RMNCAH essential drugs to the last mile.

The RH&FP Specialist Consultant will be responsible for coordinating with UNFPA SCMU, Asia-Pacific Regional Office (APRO), UN Agencies and other stakeholders on opportunities to source RMNCH medications and modern family planning.

You would be responsible for:

• Analyses and interprets the political, social and economic environment relevant to reproductive health/ family planning and identifies opportunities for UNFPA assistance and intervention. 
• Advise CO on the formulation of reproductive health product lists and supports the preparation, implementation and monitoring of Procurement Plans and Quality Assurance Plans.
• Assist in monitoring of the delivery of the procurement plans related to procurement and supply chain management. 
• Provide technical support to CO and implementing partners to strengthen national supply chains including product selection, forecasting/quantification, quality assurance, Logistic Management Information Systems, inventory management, distribution, storage and waste management. 
• Analyses and reports on programme and project progress in terms of achieving results, using existing monitoring and evaluation tools and introducing new mechanisms and systems; identifies constraints and resource deficiencies and recommends corrective action. Monitors projects expenditures and disbursements to ensure delivery is in line with approved project budgets and to realize targeted delivery levels. 
• Expedite and timely coordinate project implementation establishing collaborative relationships with implementing partners and other UN agencies facilitating timely and efficient delivery of project inputs and addressing training needs of project personnel. 
• Helps create and document knowledge about current and emerging RH/ FP issues, by analyzing programmes, projects, strategies, approaches and ongoing experience for lessons learned, best practices, and shares with management for use in knowledge sharing and planning future strategies.
• Assists advocacy and resource mobilization efforts of the CO by preparing relevant documentation and participating in donor meetings. 
• Strengthen the implementation of electronic Logistics Management Information System (eLMIS); support the development of an offline version. 
• Manage Programme funds in accordance with UNFPA policies and procedures. 
• Monitor, evaluate, and report project activities (e.g., tracking the progress of the indicators). 
• Support in emergency preparedness and response. 
• Conduct regular meetings with implementing partners (IPs) to ensure timely and proper coordination and implementation of RH/FP planned activities 
• Contribute to timely preparation and submission of SRH progress reports and SitReps as required. 
• Providing supportive supervision to the implementing partners for the FP/RH programme.
• Routine field monitoring visits to the implementation sites to ensure proper implementation of the FP/RH programme.
• Determine appropriate strategies to improve the existing FP/RH program implementation at all levels. 
• Develop and coordinate the quality assurance mechanisms for domestic procurement of medical supplies in collaboration with SCMU QA and APRO Supply Chain teams. 
• Explore with WHO and UNICEF, opportunities for sourcing of restricted medical supplies classified as high and medium risk for domestic procurement.

Education:  

Advanced university degree in public health, population, demography, pharmacy, health sector, medicine and/or other related social science field. 

Knowledge and Experience:  

• At least 2 years working experience related to project/programme management, planning, monitoring and evaluation 
• Professional experience, and strong technical knowledge and expertise in survey data organization and supply chain management 
• Extensive knowledge and experience in reproductive health, family planning and RHCS situation and trends, and thorough understanding of the social, economic and political context of Afghanistan  
• Fluency in oral and written English  
• Proficiency in current office software applications. 
• Willingness to travel outside Kabul on a regular basis. 

Languages:  

Fluency in English and local languages (Pashto, Dari)  

Required Competencies

Values: 

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change 

 Functional Competencies: 

• Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda 
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Delivering results-based programmes
• Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization 

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, 
• Communicating for impact 

Expected travel: The consultant will be based in Kabul. H/she may travel outside of Kabul as guided by the office.

The consultant will be based in Kabul. S/he may travel outside of Kabul as guided by the office:

The consultant will be responsible for arranging her/her own laptop and other working aid equipment. The office will provide office space. 

UNFPA will only accept properly completed job application forms in Quantum before the closing date & will not consider late submissions after the closing date. Any information provided on the Quantum job application form will be considered binding.

To Apply Click Here