USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program: Strengthening the Philippines Public Health Supply Chain: Lessons Learned

The DOH has established a PSCM team as a reform measure to improve PSCM functions, including last-mile health commodity delivery to healthcare facilities, and a more integrated supply chain management system addressing PSCM in a comprehensive manner. The PSCM roadmap recognizes DOH's PSCM strategic objectives, which include a more streamlined, unified, and cost-effective PSCM system, expanded leverage of private-sector capability, more competent, professional, and accountable human resources for PSCM, strong stewardship and functional oversight of PSCM, and a unified information system. The Philippines Republic Act No. 11223, also known as Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, devolved the national health system and placed more responsibility in terms of financial responsibility and supply chain authority on hundreds of individual Local Government Units (LGUs). Determining the LGUs' maturity is anchored on administrative order (AO) 2020-0037, which sets the standards at LGUs in terms of guidelines on the implementation of local health systems maturity levels (LHS ML), including supply chain. This provides the general framework for the monitoring and evaluation of the progress of LGUs. The MTaPS Program has been working with the DOH to develop effective PSCM systems with the necessary processes, practices, models, and methodologies for centrally integrated technical leadership and decentralized implementation of PSCM functions under the devolved health system. The program has been providing technical assistance to the DOH to strengthen the PSCM systems in the Philippines, including training and capacity building for PSCM personnel, development of PSCM tools and guidelines, and support for the implementation of PSCM reforms. The MTaPS Program has also been working with the DOH to develop a Local Technical Assistance Provider Scheme (LTAPS) to provide technical assistance to LGUs in the Philippines. The LTAPS aims to provide technical assistance to LGUs to strengthen their PSCM systems, including training and capacity building for PSCM personnel, development of PSCM tools and guidelines, and support for the implementation of PSCM reforms. The LTAPS has been implemented in several LGUs in the Philippines, with positive results in terms of improved PSCM systems and increased access to health commodities. The MTaPS Program has also been working with the DOH to develop a toolkit for LTAPS, which includes guidelines and tools for providing technical assistance to LGUs. The toolkit includes a framework for assessing the PSCM capacity of LGUs, a guide for developing PSCM plans, and a set of tools for monitoring and evaluating PSCM performance. The toolkit has been developed in consultation with stakeholders, including LGUs, DOH, and other development partners. The MTaPS Program has also been working with the DOH to develop a set of terms of reference (TOR) for contracted service providers to build the capacity and conformance to the Warehouse Operations Management Standards. The TOR outlines the scope of work, deliverables, and timelines for the contracted service providers. The TOR has been developed in consultation with stakeholders, including LGUs, DOH, and other development partners. The MTaPS Program has also been working with the DOH to develop a set of TOR for contracted Electronic Logistics Management Information System (eLMIS) implementation support service providers. The TOR outlines the scope of work, deliverables, and timelines for the contracted service providers. The TOR has been developed in consultation with stakeholders, including LGUs, DOH, and other development partners. The MTaPS Program has made significant progress in strengthening the PSCM systems in the Philippines, including the development of effective PSCM systems, training and capacity building for PSCM personnel, development of PSCM tools and guidelines, and support for the implementation of PSCM reforms. The program has also developed a LTAPS to provide technical assistance to LGUs in the Philippines, a toolkit for LTAPS, and a set of TOR for contracted service providers to build the capacity and conformance to the Warehouse Operations Management Standards and eLMIS implementation support service providers.