Consultancy

i+solutions provides long and short term technical assistance to low and middle income countries in areas that affect access to treatment including pharmaceutical supply chain management, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), reproductive health and pharmaceutical production and rational use of drugs. We employ several (senior) consultants with different educational backgrounds and work experience. In addition we also have a roster of consultants, which contains a team of experts in related fields. Our clients include the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Private Pharmaceutical Companies and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership.

Please find information on a number of i+solutions’ 2008 projects below.

Long Term Consultancy Projects

1. Capacity Building at National Drug Service Organization (NDSO) & hospitals in Lesotho (HERA/World Bank)
In 2008 this long term technical assistance project was finalized. Technical assistance and training has been provided in fields such as procurement, quantification, tender processes, Management Information Systems, and Monitoring & Evaluation. Several short term and one long term i+solutions consultant worked on this project for 18 months in collaboration with Health Research for Action (HERA) Consultancy from Belgium.

2. Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi, Switzerland, http://www.dndi.org )
i+solutions is responsible for procurement and training services to the DNDi clinical trial for Visceral Leishmaniasis treatment in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. Supplies range from trial medication, laboratory reagents, consumables and equipment. i+solutions consultants participated in the 2 project coordination meetings organized in Sudan and Ethiopia. Furthermore, i+solutions organized and accompanied an inspection of a trial medication manufacturer in India for the benefit of product registration at the Ugandan National Drug Registration Authority. This collaboration will further widen in 2009.

3. Procurement & Supply Management Toolbox (World Health Organization (WHO), Switzerland)
i+solutions has been a partner of AMDS/WHO from the start of this project. In 2008 the PSM Toolbox (http://www.psmtoolbox.org ) was translated into French; the website and the CD-Rom V2 contain the English and French databases of PSM tools. The number of tools in the PSM Toolbox was expanded from 89 English only to 117 English and 27 French tools. Two working group meetings were organized at the i+solutions office to evaluate the content and format of the toolbox. Subsequently, considerable changes were made and more improvements will take place in 2009. The project was promoted at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico and at the International Conference on AIDS and STIs (ICASA) in December in Senegal. The website is visited about 3,000 times a month. The total number of countries that these visitors originate from is 133.

4. Universal Access to Female Condoms (Oxfam/Novib, WPF, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.condoms4all.org )
i+solutions is part of the Universal Access to Female Condoms (UAFC) Joint Program. The goals of this program are to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and to reduce the incidence of new cases of STIs and HIV infection. There are three program components: research and development, large-scale programming at national level in three pilot countries and international advocacy, linking and learning. i+solutions is mainly involved in the first two components. R&D pertains to the development of a new affordable, high quality female condom. The large-scale female condom programming will take place in Nigeria and Cameroon and a third country to be selected. The Hewlett Foundation, DANIDA, NORAD and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs have granted funding to this program.

Short Term Consultancy Projects

1. Assessment of Government PSM System for HIV/AIDS & TB Ukraine (WHO Euro, Denmark)
Several i+solutions consultants were part of a multi-country team that did an assessment of the Ukrainian public sector procurement and supply management system for HIV/AIDS & TB products. Other team members were representatives of USAID and the European Commission. This assessment was required because the government is scheduled to take over antiretroviral treatment of 6,000 people. This treatment is currently provided by the Global Fund. The treatment program will proceed to scale up considerably over the next 5 years. The recommendations made in the assessment report serve to facilitate these processes.

2. Assessment of RMPC, Tajikistan (Pharmaciens Sans Frontières Comité International, France)
i+solutions was contracted by Pharmaciens Sans Frontières to undertake a 2-week mission to Tajikistan to contribute to the establishment of a transparent and efficient Republican Medicines and Medical Commodities Procurement Centre (RMPC). Specific objectives were to assess RMPC’s first year of activity, to develop a clear midterm marketing strategy and to elaborate recommendations regarding the process of RMPC prequalification of suppliers. The consultants concluded that the RMPC has moved forward considerably in a short time, but requires major restructuring and strengthening to develop towards an efficient and transparent medical stores. It is anticipated that this assessment will be followed by increased technical assistance and training at RMPC combined with donor investment in seed capital and infrastructure adaptation.

3. Technical support to Central Medical Stores and the AIDS control program (SCMS,USA)
i+solutions team conducted an assessment of CMS Harare storage and distribution capacity, evaluated the flow of goods and future requirements and made a detailed technical proposal and budget to upgrade the existing facilities. The proposal has been successfully submitted to the partners from CMS Zimbabwe and the proposed adaptations have found funding and await implementation in 2009. i+solutions has also participated in the review of the Logistics Systems for the National OI/ART Program later in 2009.

4. Technical Assistance for Global Fund Grants (Roll Back Malaria, Switzerland)
i+solutions consultants provided short term technical assistance to two countries that had received approval for their Round 7 Global Fund malaria grants. The assignments took place in Uganda and Yemen. The aim of the TA was to assist the Global Fund principal recipient in finalizing the PSM plan so that they could proceed to grant signature. Both Round 7 grant agreements were successfully signed in 2008.


For more information on our Consultancy Services, please feel free to contact us by e-mail or phone:

Ellen van den Berg
Manager Consulting & Training
Phone: + 31 348 489 633
E-mail: evdberg@iplussolutions.org