Kingdom of Lesotho
Ministry of Health
REQUEST FOR CURRICULUM VITAE
Job Description
DEPARTMENT: Project Implementing Unit
JOB TITLE: Procurement Officer
PROJECT: Lesotho COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project.
RESPONSIBLE TO: Procurement Specialist
DATE OF ISSUE: 14th May, 2021
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis that has become the greatest challenge to countries in a short period of time. The pandemic has disrupted essential health services and negatively impacted multiple aspects of human lives. To counter the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Lesotho (GoL) has implemented several strategies based on the WHO guided pillars, including in surveillance, rapid response teams, and case investigation, national laboratories, case management, and introduction and scale-up of COVID-19 vaccination.
The Government of Lesotho has received funding from the World Bank to implement Lesotho COVID -19 Emergency Preparedness Response Project to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 and strengthen national systems for public health preparedness. The project supports Emergency COVID-19 Response including strengthening COVID-19 case detection, confirmation, contact tracing, recording and reporting, containment, isolation and treatment through enhanced clinical care capacity, and community engagement, prevention and risk communication. Other activities include enhancing disease surveillance, case management and monitoring adverse events following vaccination at community level by training of health care workers and procurement of surveillance instruments, improved sample collection and transportation, and ensure rapid laboratory confirmed diagnoses through procurement of laboratory equipment and training of laboratory staff to promptly detect all potential COVID-19 cases and to carry out contact tracing. In addition, the project will support renovation of existing health facilities to establish the oxygen plants and critical care units and wards for COVID19 patients.
Job Summary
Under the supervision of the Procurement Specialist, the Procurement Officer has the responsibility for the management of the daily procurement activities under the COVID 19 Project starting from the request, to delivery of goods, procurements related to works and consulting services, uploading relevant procurement documents process into Systematic Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement (STEP) and all related procurement process(es).
Duties and Responsibilities
The incumbent will work as part of Procurement unit staff under the supervision and guidance of the Procurement Specialist and Procurement Manager. The Procurement Unit executes and manages procurement for several donor funded projects. The Procurement Officer would carry out the following duties for Project Implementing Unit (PIU) Projects:
Description of duties and responsibilities
- Ensure that guidelines for all procurement procedures, regulations, guidelines, policies and authorization are followed when carrying out procurement activities.
- Facilitate the development of Specifications and Terms of References by End user Department Personnel.
- Coordinate with End User Department personnel on the finalization of drawings/specifications and Bill of Quantities (BOQ) for civil works.
- Develop Bidding documents and proposal with End user Department Personnel.
- Request quotations using approved Request for quotation (RFQ) formats and manage the entire processes until goods are received till the works or services are complete.
- Invite bids using approved Bidding documents and manage the entire processes on STEP and physically.
- Work with evaluations teams to analyze the quotations and prepare quotation analysis reports.
- Issue award notifications and issue out Purchase orders.
- Prepare for evaluation of bids, evaluation report and presentation to the tender panel. If any bid documents and Bids Evaluation Report require Bank’s review and clearance, then the same should be checked and submitted to the Bank.
- Prepare contract negotiations minutes for signing and draft and issue out award notifications and contracts.
- Support End User Department Personnel in managing contracts for consultants and suppliers.
- Assist in dealing with, procurement related complaints, claims and litigation to the contracts and procurement processes.
- Develop and maintain an up-to-date asset register for assets procured under the projects.
- Work with End User Department Personnel to ensure that the products and supplies delivered match Specifications stated or high quality.
- For consultancy assignments, invite expressions of interest (EOI) through advertisements in Newspapers and in UNDBonline / dgMarket (through the World Bank for assignments for prior reviews in value). Coordinate with the Project Coordinator, other PIU staff and co-opt a relevant technical officer in the evaluation of the EOI and finalization of the shortlist.
- Based on the standard request for proposal documents, prepare the Request for Proposal (RFP) for various packages contained in the procurement plan as per agreed timelines.
- Co-ordinate with the World Bank for obtaining “No Objection” for the TOR (all cases), the shortlist and the RFP document (only for prior review cases).
- Issue the RFP document to the shortlisted consultants. Prepare the reply of queries, if received from invited consultants before the deadline for submission of proposals.
- Coordinate the pre-proposal conference, if proposed for the package, prepare the Minutes of pre-proposal conference and circulate to the invited consultants, under information to the World Bank (only for prior review cases).
- Receive the proposals until the agreed deadline and open the technical proposals as per the time indicated in the bid document.
- Coordinate with the Procurement Specialist, Project Coordinator and other PIU staff in the evaluation of the technical proposals.
- Share the technical evaluation report with the World Bank and obtain the “No Objection” (only for prior review cases).
- Open the financial proposals of the technically qualified consultant(s) as detailed in the SRFP/World Bank Procurement Regulations for Investment Project Financing (IPF) and coordinate with the Project Coordinator and other PIU staff in the evaluation of the financial proposal(s).
- Conduct negotiations with highest ranked consultant, prepare draft initialed negotiated contract and minutes of negotiations and seek the ‘’No Objection’’ of the World Bank for contract award recommendations (only for prior review cases).
- Get the contract documents signed by the successful consultant and provide the feedback to unsuccessful consultants and thereafter publish the contract award notice.
- Monitor the contract management including timely completion of the assignment, release of payment, issuing contract amendments, etc.
- Prepare procurement progress update reports monthly and quarterly.
- Work as part of the PIU team and assist End user’s department with budgeting and proper planning.
- Make professional decisions in a fast-paced environment.
- Provide mentorship and training to Ministry of Health Procurement Junior staff.
- Work with team members and procurement specialist to complete duties as needed.
- Deal with procurement and contract data management for the project – Filing system. Maintain established central procurement filing system (both electronically and manually), and ensure all related documents are included in the respective files, to ensure ease of retrieval of information, the ease of following the trail of procurement by independent external auditors or authorized agents; and also, for tracing of documents taken by other stakeholders;
- Perform inventory management and administrative tasks such as preparing and forwarding all invoices, updating databases, filing, and organizing documents for accounts.
- Systematically maintain accurate and up-to-date procurement related records and documentations for audit/ review by the MoH and/or World Bank.
- Make time for Internal, External and World Bank Audits and submit the files for audits.
- Scan all relevant procurement documentation for filling into STEP System.
- Upload Procurement Plan into STEP for approval and procurement documents for each procurement plan.
- File all procurement documentation into arch files and keep record of all procurement activities.
- Maintain records of purchases, pricing, and other important data.
Qualifications and Experience
- Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Economics, Engineering, Law, Business Administration or any related field with at least 2 years’ experience in public procurement.
- Accreditation with a procurement professional body will be an added advantage.
- At least 3-years’ experience working with donor funded projects such as the World Bank, African Development Bank, EU or UN Projects involving high procurement of Goods and Services.
- Experience and in-depth knowledge of STEP will be an added advantage
- Experience in training, capacity building, system set-ups etc. in procurement.
Key Skills
- Organization skills – record keeping is a key part of this job and strong organization skills will help Procurement officer to track orders and keep accurate records.
- Time management – The incumbent will need to prioritize tasks to ensure deadlines are met and verify that orders come in when expected.
- Teamwork – The incumbent will work closely with other departments and external suppliers.
- Computer knowledge – basic computer skills are important for procurement Officer to update records, respond to emails, and carry out data entry tasks.
- Ability to work independently and be creative and innovative; integrity and ability to work in a team;
- Good listener with demonstrated ability to present and win support for ideas as well as make effective and timely decisions;
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; and
- Must be result focused and be able to work under pressure and tight deadlines.
- High integrity and accountability in all aspects of project procurement.
Reporting
The Procurement Officer will be reporting directly to the Procurement Specialist
Duration
The duration of the assignment shall be 36 months, subject to a probation period of four (4) months.
Duty Station
The duty station shall be the Ministry of Health Head Office, Maseru, with frequent field visits to project and distribution sites.
Remuneration
Successful candidates will be offered performance-based contract; subject to annual review.
Application Instructions
Interested and suitably qualified candidates should forward their applications indicating the advertisement and position on the subject line of letter together with detailed curriculum vitae indicating work experience and certified certificates and National ID. Day time telephone contacts, names and telephone contacts of 3 referees should be included in the CV.
Applications to reach the undersigned not later than 27th May 2021 1200hour to:
Procurement Specialist, Procurement Unit Ground Floor, Room 11 Ministry of Health, Corner constitution & Linare Roads, Kingdom of Lesotho, Telephone: (+266) 27323277.
Only shortlisted and successful candidates will be contacted within two weeks from submission deadline. If you do not receive a call and email from us consider application not successful.