The USAID funded Country Health Information Systems and Data Use project (CHISU) strengthens country capacity, leadership, and self-reliance to manage and use high-quality health information systems to improve evidence-based decision-making. John Snow Inc. Research and Training Institute (JSI) leads CHISU in partnership with RTI International, Vital Strategies, Macro-Eyes, Jembi Health and GEMNet Health. More information about CHISU is available here: https://chisuprogram.org/
To address supply chain challenges highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with funding from the USAID Eastern and Southern Caribbean Mission, JSI as part of CHISU is assisting the Ministry of Health in Guyana to support comprehensive country readiness to make timely, data-driven decisions to optimize the supply chain processes that ensure timely delivery of COVID-19 vaccines and other health commodities to their citizens.

Activity Role:
JSI is currently seeking an experienced consultant to work on the CHISU program to assess the country’s supply chain processes and the information systems that support them to facilitate improved supply chain efficiencies. This initiative is especially focused on improving inventory availability at the last mile and system-wide visibility of supply chain data, to improve procurement, forecasting, distribution/re-distribution of health commodities, including COVID-19 vaccines.
CHISU will support the Ministry of Health by providing a consultant based in Guyana to identify and apply appropriate solutions to address issues in the collection, storage, and utilization of COVID-19 vaccination and other supply chain data. This consultant will be seconded to the Ministry of Health and will work under the supervision of the Chief Medical Officer.
This role is a full-time position for 12 months.

Activity Objectives:
At the national level, Guyana currently employs an information system to manage inventory and delivery to sub-tiers within the supply chain. However, below the national level, most supply chain data is captured on paper; this method of data capture and transmission offers significant opportunities to improve the flow of information and the accuracy of the data used to make decisions concerning forecasting, procurement, inventory management, and product distribution. One key area of opportunity is the implementation of an electronic Logistics Management Information System (eLMIS). The consultant selected for this role will define high-level requirements and options for deploying an LMIS, followed by an eLMIS system, to achieve Guyana’s supply chain objectives.

JSI invites individual consultants based in or willing to relocate for 12 months to Guyana to present a CV demonstrating experience and capacity to provide the services described below:

• Review and document the current-state supply chain system architecture in Guyana.
• Review and document current-state supply chain processes at all tiers in the supply chain, especially those that impact inventory availability at the last mile.
• Perform a comprehensive assessment of the process and systems environment to develop an effective integrated solution for improving supply chain management of COVID-19 vaccines and other health commodities. In-scope systems include the health management information system (HMIS), electronic logistics management information system (eLMIS), Lab Information Systems LIS), Warehouse Management Information systems (WMS) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR). This effort includes:
• Conducting a holistic assessment of systems’ and data requirements to ensure alignment between the HMIS and the eLMIS, while supporting timely data exchange between the systems.
• Developing strategies for process and data integration between the proposed eLMIS and the existing WMS in use at the national level.
• Document functionality of LIS that is currently in use, identify new requirements, and establish an approach to meeting those requirements. Identify opportunities for data integration with other in-scope systems and devise approaches for doing so.
• Perform an assessment of current-state supply chain data flows and data quality and provide recommendations for improving both.
• Collaborate closely with the HMIS consultant, MoH constituents, and other key stakeholders to establish a unified, cross-functional approach to ensure that systems and process improvements are closely aligned with the overall information systems strategy.
• Document currently-recognized supply chain process gaps and identify additional areas of opportunity. Design solutions to close gaps, with an initial focus on high-benefit “low-hanging fruit†improvements.
• Propose a future-state supply chain architecture that is specifically designed to be successful given the operating context in Guyana, including factors like infrastructure, geography, population demographics, and other factors.
• Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for key supply chain functions and develop strategies to ensure adoption and sustainability.
• Based on the other efforts described here, frame out high level requirements for the deployment of an eLMIS in Guyana.
• Design and conduct capacity building/training programs for practitioners as well as Train the Trainer sessions.
• Support for additional related tasks as requested by the Ministry.

• 10+ years’ experience working with health information systems including HIS, LMIS, LIS (Laboratory Information Systems), and others
• Familiarity with Pipeline and Quantimed software applications highly desirable
• Familiarity with Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) software, particularly DISA*LAB, highly desirable
• 10+ years’ experience documenting, assessing, and optimizing processes to support health systems supply chains
• Experience analyzing and improving multi-tier distribution and information exchange models
• Experience analyzing challenges and improving last mile delivery results
• Experience collaborating with multiple stakeholders in a project context to create supply chain process maps, validate them, identify key gaps, and design approaches for improving them
• Experience analyzing data quality challenges in health information systems and designing and implementing strategies for addressing those challenges
• Experience optimizing supply systems that rely on paper-based communication of usage data across multiple tiers in the supply chain
• Experience building consensus with project stakeholders for new initiatives designed to improve supply chain operations
• Experience preparing for and facilitating collaborative workshops
• Experience in capacity building at multiple tiers in the supply chain (National, Regional Local) – including Train the Trainer sessions – on subjects like data quality and supply chain best practices
• Experience working with MoH in Guyana highly desirable
• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred) in health-related areas or health information systems.
• Fluent English: read, write, speak