National Consultant – Integrated Specimen Referral System (iSRS) Coordination, ALERT-LAO (Activity 2.3.3) (office based with travel for 12 months)

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For every child, the right to health

How can you make a difference?

“Advancing Lao PDR’s Pandemic Response and Transformation” (ALERT-LAO) is a government-led, multisectoral One Health project co-led by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE). On 12 February 2026 the Pandemic Fund Governing Board allocated US$17,585,716.07 to ALERT-LAO as a catalytic investment which, with national co-investment and partner co-financing, mobilizes over US$124 million for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) in Lao PDR. UNICEF and FAO are the Implementing Entities (IEs): UNICEF supports the human health component and FAO the animal health component.

Under Component 2 (Laboratory Systems and Diagnostic Networks), Output 2.3 aims for a coordinated laboratory network and specimen referral system that is operational across human, animal and environmental sectors, enabling timely transport, testing and reporting of priority pathogens. Activity 2.3.3 (Pandemic Fund three-year budget USD 750,000) scales up and optimizes the national specimen referral system so that specimens are transported, tested, and results returned and reported on time, in line with the national specimen referral strategy. Lao PDR scored Level 3 on JEE D1.1 (Specimen referral and transport system) in 2025, and the project aims for Level 4.

The integrated Specimen Referral System (iSRS), led by NCLE, has been piloted in three provinces and the lessons have been documented. A draft SOP for the National Transportation System (NoTS) covering all provinces is available. In line with the NCLE iSRS Operational Plan (2 September 2026) and the NCLE change request for Activity 2.3.3, Year 1 will scale up the system to 14 more provinces through a national Training of Trainers (ToT) followed by provincial-to-district cascade training, bringing coverage to 17 provinces. Years 2 and 3 will focus on refresher training, supportive supervision, and monitoring of turnaround time and specimen volumes.

Year-1 targets this assignment contributes to (Annex-Indicators, Y1 Workplan INDV2): PSRF indicator 2.3.3, “Number of provinces that updated and implemented the national specimen referral system for better use of laboratory network resources”. The Year-1 target is 3 provinces; with the revised target in the change request, 17 provinces should have a working system (3 pilot + 14 scale-up). The assignment also contributes to the linked progress indicator “Number of bio-sample transportation or similar investments supported/facilitated” (cumulative provinces), the Component 2 progress indicator “Number of individuals completing PPR-related training”, disaggregated by sex and cadre, and JEE D1.1 (Level 3 maintained in Year 1, with progress towards Level 4). Means of verification are turnaround times and incoming specimen numbers at receiving laboratories, together with ToT, cascade training and supervision reports.

Working day-to-day within NCLE, under the technical guidance of the Director of NCLE (or the designated iSRS focal point) and the contract management of UNICEF, the Consultant provides dedicated technical coordination to set up and scale up the integrated specimen referral system. The Consultant helps NCLE finalize the iSRS framework and tools, deliver the national ToT and the provincial-to-district cascade in the 14 scale-up provinces, put the transport, packaging and data arrangements in place, and monitor and report on system performance against PSRF indicator 2.3.3. The goal is for the referral system to be functional and sustained in all 17 provinces.

Staff salaries cannot be financed under the Pandemic Fund through UNICEF, so this function is provided as time-bound technical assistance (Activity 2.3.3, sub-activity 2.3.3.13 “Time-bound technical assistance: iSRS coordination / data management” in the NCLE change request). The assignment is temporary and is paid against the monthly deliverables set out below.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  National Consultant – Integrated Specimen Referral System (iSRS) Coordination.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

Minimum requirements: |(Qualifications/Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills)

• Education: Bachelors Medical laboratory technology, biomedical science, microbiology, medicine, pharmacy, public health or another health-related field.
• Work Experience:
  • At least five years of professional experience in public health laboratory systems, laboratory networks or disease programme diagnostics, including at least three years working directly on specimen referral and transport.
  • Demonstrated hands-on experience in setting up, piloting or scaling up an integrated (multi-disease) specimen referral system at national or sub-national level. This includes designing referral pathways and transport routes, setting up courier or sample-transport arrangements, introducing referral logbooks, forms and specimen tracking, and monitoring turnaround time. Evidence is required in the CV and technical note.
  • Experience designing and delivering Training of Trainers and cascade training, and conducting supportive supervision of laboratory and health-facility staff at provincial and district levels.
  • Experience working with the Ministry of Health, NCLE, Provincial Health Offices or national disease programmes (e.g. TB, HIV, malaria, surveillance) in Lao PDR, and/or with UN agencies or donor-funded projects (e.g. Global Fund, Pandemic Fund).
• Language Requirements: Fluency in Lao and English (spoken and written) is required, including the ability to draft reports and correspondence in English and to translate accurately between Lao and English.
• Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:
  • Sound knowledge of national and international requirements for the safe transport of infectious substances, including the WHO guidance, UN3373 / Category B, triple packaging, cold chain and spill management, and of laboratory biosafety and biosecurity.
  • Good understanding of laboratory network functions and quality management: specimen collection, acceptance and rejection criteria, chain of custody, and result return and reporting.
  • Data skills: designing and using referral data tools, and analyzing turnaround-time and specimen-volume data. Working knowledge of DHIS2, LIMS or similar platforms, and advanced MS Excel.
  • Strong coordination, facilitation and report-writing skills. Able to bring together multiple departments, programmes and provinces, and to build trust with senior government officials.
  • Understanding of MOH structures and government planning, financial and administrative procedures in Lao PDR. Culturally sensitive, respects confidentiality and shows the highest standards of integrity.
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• Desirables:
  • Master’s degree in public health, microbiology, laboratory management, epidemiology or a related field.
  • Certified training in shipping infectious substances (e.g. IATA Division 6.2 or WHO infectious substances shipping training).
  • Experience with sample transport networks for GeneXpert, TB or HIV viral load, or with laboratory formation and specimen tracking systems.
  • Experience with FIND – Diagnostic Network Assessment and mapping tool as well as Optimizaiton process
  • Experience with One Health specimen referral, including links with animal health laboratories.
  • Familiarity with UNICEF HACT/FACE procedures, Pandemic Fund results reporting, and JEE/SPAR indicator D1.1.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial proposal National Coordination Consultant.docx
• A detailed technical proposal: a technical note (max. 2 pages) on how the candidate would scale up the iSRS to 14 provinces within six months and monitor turnaround time. Include one example of a referral system tool the candidate has developed (e.g. SOP, route map, logbook or dashboard), anonymized where needed.