“Access to Medicines” component manager / National DNPM technical assistant At Expertise France

Expertise France

Public agency, Expertise France is the interministerial player in international technical cooperation, a subsidiary of the Agence française de développement group (AFD group). The second largest agency in Europe, it designs and implements projects that sustainably strengthen public policies in developing and emerging countries. Governance, security, climate, health, education… It operates in key areas of development and contributes alongside its partners to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For a world in common. Find out more: www.expertisefrance.fr

French expertise in Guinea

The Expertise France Agency has been present in Guinea since 2015, including in the health sector. In the post-Ebola context, with French and European funds, the Agency has implemented a portfolio of projects in favor of international health security. Expertise France also implements projects in favor of strengthening health systems.

Project description

The health sector support programme in Guinea (PASSGUI), financed by the European Union to the tune of 20 million euros, with parallel co-financing from France and Belgium, implemented by Expertise France and Enabel, aims to improve and make more equitable access to quality health care through the transition to universal health coverage.

In this perspective, the project will intervene on the following products:

• P1: Governance
• P2: Service offer
• P3: Medicines and consumables
• P4: Human resources in health
• P5: Demand-Side Financing

The action is expected to cover the entire Guinean territory as regards the reform of the health system. A pilot experiment will focus on the regions of Conakry and Nzérékoré.

The Essential Medicines and Consumables product constitutes a component, and is structured around the following axes:

1. Support for governance of the pharmaceutical sector

• Technical assistance to the DNPM
• Support for the dissemination and popularization of new legislative texts (e.g. pharmaceutical law, public health code, etc.)
• Support for the dissemination and popularization of the new governance framework (e.g.: renewal of the professional order of pharmacists, code of ethics, etc.)
• Support for updating the list of essential medicines
• Support for the harmonization of drug prices (method)
• Support for the supervision of prescriptions in DCI
• Participation in regional projects: Reg-Pharma, MEDISAFE, MAV+

2. Support for pharmaceutical regulations

• Support for the development of the DNPM institutional development plan
• Support for the implementation of the quality management system
• Support for monitoring marketing authorizations
• Support for accreditation (“licensing”)
• Support for inspection

3. Strengthening prescription and dispensing capacities

• Support for the dissemination of the guide to the proper use of antibiotics
• Technical support for the revision, dissemination, popularization of the flowchart
• Support for the development of a manual of good dispensing practices.

These activities can be carried out directly by the “Support for the governance of essential medicines and consumables” component manager, or by partners or short-term experts.

Supply and inventory management (DNPM, PCG) will be supported by other actors, in close coordination with PASSGUI, and will require the involvement of the component manager.

The component manager may also be required to contribute to other relevant activities.

Situation/position : Operations Directorate – Guinea Country Directorate

The “Support for governance of human resources in health” component manager is placed under the hierarchical responsibility of a “Support for governance of essential medicines and consumables” component manager, in the PASSGUI project team.

He/she also holds the position of National Technical Assistant DNPM, under the functional direction of the National Director of Pharmacy and Medicine (DNPM) at the Guinean Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene.

He/she works in functional liaison with the DNPM executives and with the other members of the project team:

• Other international and national technical assistants
• A monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning officer
• An operational support officer

He/she also works in functional liaison with the technical experts of other projects, the collaborators of the Guinea Project Support Unit.

Missions :

The “Support for the governance of essential medicines and consumables” component manager is responsible for implementing the component’s activities. He/she contributes to the planning and management of the component’s activities. He/she He/she contributes to monitoring indicators and reporting for the component.

With a technical profile, he/she is also National Technical Assistant DNPM, in charge of strengthening the capacities and procedures of the National Directorate of Pharmacy and Medicine (DNPM) at the Guinean Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene.

He/she works closely with implementing partners and short-term experts.

He/She works in coordination with national and regional stakeholders concerned by the theme, and other TFPs active on the theme.

The responsibilities of the component manager cover the following aspects:

1. Implementation

• The component manager is responsible for implementing component activities, directly and/or through partners or short-term experts;
• The component manager will also be required to provide contributions to the other components of the project, taking into account their expertise.

2. Technical assistance

As National Technical Assistant, he/she:

• Contributes to supporting the development, implementation and monitoring of the DNPM’s annual operational action plan (PAO);
• Strengthens the capacities and transfers its skills from the DNPM;
• Contributes to supporting the DNPM procedures and tools and updating them where appropriate;
• Directly implements certain support activities for the DNPM (e.g.: development/contribution to texts, training, etc.), in line with the mission letter;
• Participates in meetings on health products of the Ministry of Health;
• Contributes to thematic groups on health products.

3. Team life:

• Participates in regular component meetings.

4. Project management:

• Contributes to the planning, management, implementation and monitoring of the component;
• Contributes to the articulation of the component with current or future policies and programs in Guinea, in connection with the component;
• Plans the activities assigned to him/her by contributing to the updating of a monthly schedule and the monthly updating of milestones (RPP);
• Contributes to project reviews for the component;
• Contributes to the selection of partners and the recruitment of experts within the component;
• Monitors the actors and/or partner structures implementing the component;
• Verifies the quality of the component’s contractual activities and key deliverables;
• Contributes to communication activities on the component;
• In conjunction with the component manager, ensures good circulation of information on the actions implemented with partners and maintains collaboration;
• Contributes to the preparation of the project’s steering and technical committees.

5. Support functions:

• Contributes to the development and monitoring of the project procurement plan, in conjunction with the USP, for its component;
• Contributes to defining needs for contracts and purchases, in conjunction with the coordination of support functions and the project manager;
• Contributes to monitoring expenses related to its component with the USP;
• Contributes to the budgetary monitoring of its component (forecast), in conjunction with the USP;
• Follows the administrative and financial procedures of Expertise France, in conjunction with the USP.

6. Monitoring, evaluation, reporting:

• In conjunction with the monitoring and evaluation officer, helps to reread and consolidate technical reports from partners if necessary;
• In conjunction with the monitoring and evaluation officer, and under the coordination of the component manager, ensures that the component’s indicators are monitored, in compliance with the logical framework;
• In conjunction with the monitoring and evaluation officer, and under the coordination of the component manager, contributes to the drafting of donor reports for the component;
• In conjunction with the monitoring and evaluation officer, and under the coordination of the component manager, contributes to capitalization for the component.

7. Monitoring, development

• Identifies and escalates priority needs and requests for support in the country;
• Contributes to monitoring, identification of partnerships and development opportunities related to the project;
• Contributes to the development of concept notes where appropriate;
• Contributes to the development of Expertise France’s strategy in Guinea.

8. Security

• Follows safety rules, in conjunction with the component manager, the project manager, the Country Director, and the Gulf of Guinea Regional Safety Coordination.

Diploma :

• Degree in medicine, pharmacy or any other similar field,
• Additional training in pharmaceutical regulations appreciated,
• Diploma in public health appreciated,
• Diploma or experience in process management, industrial management appreciated.

Experiences:

• Proven experience in access to essential health products;
• Expertise on the supervision of the prescription and dispensing of health products;
• Expertise on antimicrobial resistance an asset;
• Expertise in the management of supplies and stocks (GAS) of health products an asset;
• Expertise in developing policies, procedures and tools an asset;
• Experience in pharmaceutical regulation appreciated;
• Knowledge of strategies to combat counterfeit medicines appreciated;
• Knowledge of WHO support strategies on access to essential health products appreciated;
• Expertise in initial and continuing training in the pharmaceutical sector an asset;
• Expertise in health economics, health financing, health product pricing policy, evaluation of the “medical service rendered” of drugs, and social protection an asset;
• Work experience in training/skills transfer appreciated;
• Proficiency in health product tracking software appreciated;
• Mastery of the fundamentals of project management and the project cycle appreciated.

Skills:

• Initiative, autonomy and responsiveness;
• Ability to adapt ;
• Organizational skills, ability to identify priorities;
• Analytical and synthesis skills;
• Oral and written expression skills;
• Ability to communicate and work in a team;
• Sense of diplomacy, interpersonal skills;
• Operational mastery of office software;
• Excellent command of French (written and oral);
• Integrity, punctuality, and professionalism;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment.

Further information :

• Contract: Fixed-term contract, under Guinean law
• Mission location: Conakry, with possible travel in the region
• Duration of the mission: 12 months, possible renewal for a maximum period of 42 months
• Start date: From October 2024