COVAX Independent Allocation of Vaccines Group

Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO) (collectively, the “COVAX Partners”) are seeking experts to serve as members on the COVAX Independent Allocation of Vaccines Group (IAVG). This “Call for experts” provides information about the group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.

Background

COVAX is the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, and it is co-led by Gavi, the CEPI and WHO.  One of the principal objectives of COVAX is to promote the fair and equitable allocation of COVID-19 vaccines that are procured or distributed through the COVAX Facility (the “vaccines”) to countries and economies participating in such Facility (“COVAX participants”).

More information about this global endeavour and the principles guiding it can be found at:

• The ACT-Accelerator: www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator
• The COVAX Facility and the COVAX AMC: www.gavi.org/covax-facility and www.gavi.org/gavi-covax-amc
• The WHO Fair and Equitable Allocation Framework: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/fair-allocation-mechanism-for-covid-19-vaccines-through-the-covax-facility

To achieve such objective, the mechanism thorough which Vaccines are allocated must be transparent and independent.

In this context, the COVAX Partners wish to establish an Independent Allocation Validation Group (IAVG).  The IAVG is expected to play a pivotal role in the allocation of vaccines under COVAX and to ensure the independence of, and provide transparency into, the vaccine allocation decision-making under COVAX.

The main purpose of the IAVG is to validate proposals for Vaccine Allocation Decisions (“VAD proposals”), which outline the volumes of vaccines that should be allocated to each participant of the COVAX Facility within a given time frame. The IAVG will be supported by the Joint Allocation Taskforce (JAT), which will prepare and submit VAD proposals based on the output of the Allocation model, for the IAVG’s consideration.

Functions of the Independent Allocation of Vaccines Group

The IAVG will have the following functions:

• To review the VAD proposals submitted by the JAT and to request clarifications from the JAT when necessary;
• To discuss with the JAT any adjustments to the VAD proposals considered necessary on the basis of IAVG’s critical assessment; 
• To make validation assessments of the VAD proposals, ensuring they are technically informed and based on the latest available data and evidence;
• For each VAD proposal that is validated by the IAVG (hereinafter a “VAD”), to document and justify the validation of such VAD, including any adjustments made to the original VAD proposal submitted to the IAVG by the JAT;
• To deliver the VADs to the WHO Deputy-Director General for further implementation by the JAT.   
• To regularly report on each VAD to the participants in the COVAX Facility, via the Facility governance (1) bodies to ensure transparency of decision-making.

Operations of the Independent Allocation of Vaccines Group

It is expected that the IAVG will meet virtually, as frequently as required based on how often allocation rounds occur (2) (but this is not expected to be more than every two (2) weeks). The IAVG shall normally make decisions by consensus and shall make every effort to reach consensus. The working language of the group will be English.

Who can express interest?

The Independent Allocation Validation Group will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to global vaccine allocation. Due consideration will be given to the principles of equitable geographical representation and gender balance.

Twelve (12) members may be selected.

The COVAX Partners welcome expressions of interest from scientists, health professionals, academics and specialists with expertise in the following areas:

• Global immunization and/or infectious disease epidemiology;
• Emergency public health response;
• Access to medicines and health products and its related issues in international settings and lower income countries, including relevant regulatory and legal processes;
• Immunization programs, vaccine program implementation and service delivery;
• International health diplomacy, law and policy.

Submitting your expression of interest

To register your interest in being considered for the Independent Allocation of Vaccines Group, please submit the following documents by 24:00h (midnight) CET on 11 January 2021 to IAVGnominations@gavi.org using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Independent Allocation of Vaccines Group”:

• A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore, do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer. Maximum length: 400 words;
• Your curriculum vitae; and
• A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.

If possible, please submit the cover letter and curriculum vitae as a single PDF document. The language to be used for this submission is English.

After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO, Gavi and CEPI. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.

Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment

Members of the Independent Allocation of Vaccines Group (IAVG) must be free of any real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to an evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).

All IAVG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). IAVG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.

At any point during the selection process, virtual interviews may be scheduled with applicants to enable the COVAX Partners to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the IAVG.

The selection of members of the IAVG will be made by the COVAX Partners, considering the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise as listed above; experience in international and country policy work in the areas as listed above; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of IAVG members will ensure relevant expertise, as well as geographic representation and gender balance.

IAVG members shall be appointed by WHO (the “Appointing Organization”) in accordance with its internal rules, regulations, and procedures. Proposed members will receive an invitation letter, a Confidentiality Undertaking and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of the IAVG will be subject to the proposed member returning the countersigned copy of these three documents to WHO.

The COVAX Partners reserve the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to cancel the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for the COVAX Partners’ action. The COVAX Partners may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the IAVG or modify the functions of the IAVG.

The COVAX Partners shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing an applicant.

The COVAX Partners may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on their websites.

IAVG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the IAVG or otherwise.

IAVG members shall be appointed to serve for a period of 1 year and shall be eligible for reappointment.

If you have any questions about this “Call for experts” please write to IAVGnominations@gavi.org well before the applicable deadline.