Presenting a Framework to Professionalize Health Supply Chain Management

Many countries have an insufficient supply of adequately skilled supply chain workers to manage health commodities, and no global standards in education or experience exist for the supply chain management (SCM) workforce managing health products. We present a professionalization framework for the health SCM workforce that provides a systematic process that countries can use to standardize and elevate the health SCM profession.

In 2019, semistructured interviews were conducted with individuals from 10 leading organizations supporting in-country public health supply chains to explore approaches for an SCM professionalization framework. Interview data were analyzed using direct thematic analysis. Findings were then validated through a validation workshop with 11 individuals from 8 leading SCM organizations.

Four associated components of this framework were developed: (1) The Library of Competencies and Designations contains management competencies grouped in 7 domains and supply chain technical competencies assigned to 5 professional designations; (2) The Collection of Roles and Job Descriptions contains 96 sample job descriptions; (3) The Mapping of Education displays the education offerings relevant to each competency across the 5 professional designations; and (4) The Implementation Approach for Health Supply Chains leads project teams to systematically apply these 3 tools in the supply chain context of a country.

The SCM Professionalisation Framework provides a valuable tool to increase the supply of and demand for health SCM workers, increasing the recognition and use of SCM professionals within national health systems. Its utilization is a critical step in addressing the current workforce gap, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and ensuring that the health SCM workforce possesses the right competencies, skills, and qualifications to fulfill its roles. The comprehensive framework can be used by governments, employers, and education institutions to define and align SCM professional standards, competencies, and curricula with job requirements.