Solid Waste Management Consultant-Short Term

SOW Title: Assist Districts Municipalities Develop a Monitoring System Through Breaking Sectors into Zones and Identifying Appropriate Resources for Each       

Estimated LOE: 100 working days for each consultant

Job Classification: 2 Local STTAs          

Reporting to: Service Improvement Lead

Estimated Start Date: 1 June 2024

Estimated End Date: 30 Sept 2024

Duty Station: The STTA Position is in Basrah with total LOE of 70 days.

Project Background:

The USAID Iraq Together/Ma’an (معاً) activity (Ma’an hereafter), supports select Iraqi government entities at the national, regional, provincial, and district levels to improve service delivery performance using technology and process standardization while increasing the availability of and access to information, particularly related to public services. Ma’an also fosters improved and inclusive relationships and engagement between the Government and the communities they serve. Ma’an’s goal is more equitable, efficient, and sustainable public services.

Ma’an’s objectives are:

1- Targeted Iraqi government entities improve and are more inclusive in-service delivery. The government improves service delivery through responsiveness to citizen needs, consultation with citizens, improved transparency, and use of green practices technology.

2- Strengthened democratic and participatory governance of targeted Iraqi service delivery institutions. Citizen perception of government changes through increased participation in governance, improved access to government information, and stronger role of Iraqi NGOs in advocating for communities as well as increased public education regarding citizen roles and responsibilities.

3- Response to windows of opportunity for change. Gaps in expertise and information required to improve government service delivery and increase citizen participation are addressed.

Ma’an utilizes an Accountability ecosystem approach grounded in inclusion and localization to improve service delivery and build trust. The approach mobilizes Iraqi government entities, civil society organizations, emerging civic movements, issue-based groups, media, and the private sector to co-create interventions. This approach allows diverse local partners to exercise their rights and responsibilities, learn by doing, analyze performance data, and scale what works.

A. Purpose

It was clear from the stakeholders’ workshop that municipalities divide each district into sectors and scatter resources without real analysis of how much each sector requires in terms of resources (human and machinery). Additionally, there is a gap in the coverage area due to the expansion of neighborhoods and commercial areas under the municipalities’ area of responsibility (AOR).

To address these issues, the Solid Waste Management (SWM) consultant, and Ma’an field team in collaboration with the municipalities Geographical Information System (GIS) units, shall map citizen needs and identify coverage gaps through breaking sectors into manageable zones and analyzing the needs of each zone in terms of human resources and machinery. The consultant shall use scientific methods including mapping transportation routes, service indicators, and solid waste generated per capita (kg/person/day). In addition, the consultant and Ma’an field team shall encourage incorporating neighborhood representatives such as the Mukhtar and community leaders. The engagement of Mukhtars will provide the municipality with a clearer understanding neighborhood trash collection status and accurate demographic information, aiding in more effective resource allocation planning. This intervention will not only promote proper resource management but also enable municipalities and governors to enhance resource monitoring through direct observation and feedback from Mukhtars and citizens. Ma’an will work with the 8 municipalities in 8 districts in 4 provinces .to implement the intervention.

The SWM consultant shall support the selected municipalities in updating their database to gather essential information, including citizen numbers, household units, government entities such as schools and clinics, trade market data, street lengths, and all pertinent solid waste information necessary for future planning.  With this data, municipalities will be able to reallocate resources, engage the private sector or procure new equipment to bridge the gaps and improve the trash collection services. Upon the completion of the intervention, the trash collection coverage area should be increased, and directorates’ ability to monitor their workforce will be improved.  Ma’an field team with the consultant shall assist the municipalities in expanding the zoning model to additional sectors and other municipalities throughout the duration of the activity.

B. Objectives:

The main objectives of the consultancy are:

1. Support the municipality to introduce radical changes by dividing the sectors into the zones to improving the services in the zones which leak to the waste collecting services to achieve significant improvements in the efficiency and time.
2. Use international standards to redistribute the resources and calculate the necessary manpower and equipment to bridge the gap in the target zone.
3. Conduct capacity building, mentoring, and technical assistance for the decentralized municipality’s staff to implement the system by following:

• Support the municipality to identify the gap in the coverage and properly allocate resources.
• Enable municipalities and the governors provide sufficient resource monitoring, in addition to proper resources management,

Monitoring will give clear vision either to engage the private sector or to request new equipment to bridge the gaps and improve the trash collection effectively at the municipality through dividing sectors into zones.

C. Responsibilities and Key Tasks of the Consultant:

Under this Scope of Work, the SWM consultant shall perform the following tasks:

The consultant will work with the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) team and the 8 district’s municipalities to identify marginalized groups including women-headed households, persons with disability (PWD) (ethnic minorities, and IDPs), Ma’an will provide technical support to build in GESI analysis and GESI data collection so the municipality can embed this in its monitoring system to understand differentiated impacts between genders and marginalized groups. In addition, Ma’an will provide training to municipality counterparts on GESI-sensitive analysis of GESI data. Accordingly, the monitoring system will be more gender-inclusive and account for gender inequalities.

– Task 1:  Establishment of the Specialized Team Representing Relevant Entities.

The consultant will work with Ma’an team to prepare selection criteria to be used by stakeholders to form a specialized team from the following:  

1. Head of the municipality.
2. Planning GIS unite.
3. Environment and solid waste department.
4. Machinery and equipment department.
5. Finance department.
6. City Organization department.
7. Al Mukhtar and Citizen complaints unite.

Representatives from the GO as necessary.

– Task 2:  Work with the Specialized Team in 8 Municipalities to Develop an Assessment Tool.

The consultant will coordinate with Ma’an field team and the specialized team to schedule the meetings in 8 districts, the consultant should develop the meeting agenda, and prepare the required documents.

The consultant will hold meetings with the specialized team in 8 Municipalities (4 provinces) to develop the assessment tool that can assist the municipalities in identifying the resources for each sector.

– Task 3: Conduct a Two-Day Workshop to Identify the Zones Under Each Sector.

The SWM consultant will conduct a two-day workshop to:

1. Present the real data for each sector and zone and what are the problems which prevent the municipality from achieving their goals.
2. Develop solutions to mitigate the gaps.
3. Discuss the role of the private sector to bridge the gaps.
4. Discuss rearranging the internal resources and distributing the equipment according to the size and capacity.
5. Prepare the necessary documents for the workshop like presentations participants list, material, post and pre post assessment.

– Task 4: Identify Municipality Resources and Calculate Required Resources for Each Zone to Reduce the Gaps and Improve Service. 

In coordination with Ma’an field team, the consultant will Coordinate with the municipality to identify available municipal resources.

Work with community representatives, and Mukhtars to gather demographic information and citizens’ feedback on the provision/coverage and quality of services in each targeted zone:

This will require the following actions: 

1- Design the appropriate forms and questions to obtain input.

2- Coordinate with objective 2 to conduct the required assessment.

3- Analyze collected data.

4- Identify service gaps according to analyzed data.

– Task 5: Conducted Workshop to Identify Solutions to Abridge Service Gaps.

The consultant with Ma’an field team will conduct a two-day workshop to review service gaps and identify the appropriate solutions to reduce the gaps and improve services.

The consultant will discuss the sustainability plans and present all the data for each sector and zone and propose the necessary actions to bridge the gaps and improve the services. The main product of the workshop is an adopted resources management plan. The SWM consultant with Ma’an field team will prepare action plan to follow up to get the adoption letter from the entities regarding the suggestions of improving the zones status and the implementation plan of the recommendations and the achieving results.

– Task 6: The Final Report

The SWM consultant shall prepare a final report totaling no more than 25 pages for each municipality which includes a detailed description of the status before and after the intervention. Also, include a detailed lesson-learned section that captures the successes and challenges of the activity.

D. Deliverables

1. The SWM consultant will prepare weekly reports with updates on progress towards the scope of work required tasks and success stories to show results and impacts of the intervention when applicable. The consultant will also submit a final progress report.
2. Ma’an field team shall obtain an adoption letter from entities either from GO or municipalities. The letter should include information about increasing the coverage area, number of beneficiaries, engaging the private sector and cost reduction related to SWM.
3. Final Report should be developed in English about 25 pages highlighting the achievements accomplished and the recommended next steps.

Required Qualifications:

• Good experience in Organizational Development or related field and service delivery context.
• Knowledge of the Iraqi government (both national and sub-national levels) development.
• Strong analytical and research skills, including data analysis.
• Knowledge in result-based management, gender equality, and capacity building are also required.
• Strong ability to submit reports in Arabic and English.
• Five years’ experience in SWM and trash collection management system.

Duty Station:

The local STTA Solid Waste Management Consultants will be based in Basrah with travel to various locations. Under this SoW, Ma’an will cover all other indirect implementation costs, including air and ground transportation, and phone communications.  This position is open to Iraqi national residing in Iraq.

Application Instructions:

To apply please fill out this form: Iraq Together Job Application Form (smartsheet.com)

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.  

Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Position closes upon candidate selection. Early submissions encouraged for best consideration.