Supply Chain Technical Approach

The initiative focuses on building on existing efforts in countries and proven best practices, incorporating veterinary commodities into existing supply chain programs as feasible. IDDS will implement tailored approaches specific to country needs, focusing on five key areas: commodity standardization and selection, supply planning, distribution, service delivery point storage, and inventory control and management. Commodity standardization and selection involve standardizing and selecting commodities where permitted by national procurement regulations. IDDS will work with governments to create new national commodity policies, inclusive of priority pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. These policies will standardize the selection of commodities that meet key criteria, such as quality, sources of production, shelf-life, and storage requirements. IDDS will also explore using established tools, such as the USAID-supported Assessment Tool for Laboratory Services, to determine whether national policies already exist and to update and revise them as necessary. Supply planning involves working with governments to accurately quantify and forecast diagnostic commodities for priority pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. IDDS will use established tools, such as the open-source tool ForLab, to collect and analyze data to accurately forecast commodity needs. IDDS will also explore using electronic systems, including mobile health applications, to perform long- and short-term forecasts. Distribution involves ensuring that priority pathogen commodities are delivered to the primary or secondary tier diagnostic sites. IDDS will work with stakeholders to optimize routes, ensure proper handling and commodity integrity, and convene working groups to assess alternative options, such as private sector capacity and the use of third-party logistics providers. Service delivery point storage involves optimizing current storage space and design flow to ensure that commodities are stored in separate areas that are organized and ventilated and maintain commodity integrity. IDDS will provide guidance to countries in the selection of quality commodities that do not have specific cold-chain requirements, making for easier and more cost-effective storage throughout the distribution and use context. Inventory control and management involve keeping track of when to request a commodity, how much to request, and how to maintain ideal stock levels to prevent stockouts and surpluses. IDDS assistance will build on partner tools to develop inventory control management systems for the first tier in the diagnostic network. Depending on the country context, the inventory management system can take various forms, such as a manual system, a spreadsheet, or an electronic system that automates some of the tasks. The IDDS initiative will focus on five countries (Ethiopia, Liberia, Mali, Liberia, and Mali) in the first year, with plans to expand to other countries in subsequent years. IDDS will work with governments, stakeholders, and partners to implement the technical approach and ensure that diagnostic commodities are available when and where needed.