Kingdom of Lesotho
Ministry of Health
Essential Programme on Immunization (EPI)
(Individual Consultant Selection)
Terms of Reference (ToR)
Date
Contract Title: Vaccine Wastage Assessment
1. Background
The Ministry of Health (MoH), through the Essential Programme on Immunization (EPI), is mandated to ensure uninterrupted access to potent and safe vaccines for all eligible populations in Lesotho. To achieve this, the end-to-end vaccine supply chain from forecasting, procurement, storage, and distribution to administration and disposal must function efficiently and transparently. With increasing population growth and the introduction of new vaccines, the budgetary requirements for procurement have risen, demanding enhanced accountability and optimization of available resources.
2. Rationale for Conducting the Vaccine Wastage Assessment
Vaccine wastage defined by WHO as the sum of doses discarded, lost, damaged, or destroyed remains a major challenge in vaccine management. Minimizing wastage is crucial for sustaining immunization coverage, optimizing resources, and improving forecasting accuracy. This assessment will provide data-driven insights into the magnitude, trends, and root causes of vaccine wastage in Lesotho and recommend interventions aligned with global best practices, including the WHO/UNICEF Vaccine Wastage Reduction Strategy.
3. Overall Objective
To conduct a comprehensive national assessment of vaccine wastage across all levels of the immunization supply chain and develop an actionable improvement plan aligned with WHO’s global strategies for minimizing vaccine wastage and improving vaccine management efficiency.
4. Specific Objectives
- Determine open and closed vial wastage rates for all EPI vaccines at national, district, and facility levels.
- Assess the adequacy and functionality of existing systems for recording, monitoring, and reporting vaccine wastage.
- Evaluate health worker capacity and practices related to vaccine handling, stock management, and documentation.
- Analyze systemic factors contributing to wastage, including cold chain performance, stock distribution, and data gaps.
- Review alignment with WHO Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) standards and global frameworks for wastage reduction.
- Develop a National Vaccine Wastage Reduction and Improvement Plan outlining actionable interventions.
5. Scope of Work / Tasks
- Develop a detailed roadmap and inception report outlining the assessment design, data sources, and implementation plan.
- Conduct a desk review of national, regional, and global vaccine management guidelines.
- Design and validate data collection tools for district and facility assessments.
- Conduct field visits in four districts and selected facilities representing varied service delivery volumes.
- Analyze and triangulate EPI routine data, vaccine stock records, and DHIS2 reports.
- Develop a comprehensive assessment report and PowerPoint presentation for stakeholder validation.
- Facilitate a validation meeting and finalize the Lesotho Vaccine Wastage Assessment and Improvement Plan.
6. Expected Deliverables
| Ref | Deliverable | Description | Timeline |
| 1 | Inception Report | Validated roadmap and methodology | Week 1 |
| 2 | Field Assessment Report | Preliminary field findings | Week 3 |
| 3 | Draft Assessment Report | Comprehensive analysis and plan | Week 4 |
| 4 | Validation Workshop | Presentation of findings | Week 5 |
| 5 | Final Report & Plan | Validated final deliverables | Week 6 |
7. Required Qualifications and Experience
- Master’s degree in Data Analytics, Statistics, Public Health, Supply Chain Management, or related field.
- At least five years of experience in immunization logistics, data analysis, or supply chain management.
- Proven experience with WHO, UNICEF, or GAVI vaccine management frameworks.
- Excellent analytical and communication skills.
- Fluency in English (written and spoken).
8. Contract Modality and Duration
This is a short-term consultancy of 6 wees where payment schedule is based on deliverables as per below table
Payment schedule per deliverable.
| Ref | Deliverable description | Payment percentage |
| 1 | Inception report | 15% |
| 2 | Data collection training report, data collection, data analysis and report writing | 35% |
| 3 | Validation workshop with report | 15% |
| 4 | Final report with recommendation with road map and costed implementation plan | 35% |
9. Reporting and Supervision
The consultant will report to the EPI Manager, with day-to-day alignment and planning with immunization supply chain responsible officer, Ministry of Health. Regular updates will be required.
10. Application Process
Interested candidates are invited to submit proposals comprising the following mandatory documents: a signed cover letter, detailed curriculum vitae (CV), certified copies of relevant qualifications and certificates, samples of previous similar assignments or publications, and a brief Technical Proposal and Financial Proposal quoted as a lump sum.
All proposals shall be prepared and submitted in English, be duly completed, and comply with the requirements of this solicitation. Proposals must be submitted no later than 29th January 2026 and may be delivered either electronically via email to [email protected] , copied to [email protected], or in hard copy to the address indicated below.
Address for Submission:
Attention: Procurement Specialist
Ministry of Health Ground Floor Procurement Unit, Left wing
Corner of Constitutional and Linare Roads
Maseru, Lesotho
The Ministry of Health, in accordance with the Lesotho Public Procurement Act, 2023, reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, to annul the procurement process at any stage, and to award the contract in whole or in part, without incurring any liability to the affected bidders.