Operations Associate

• Strong, accountable and evidence-led institutions for accelerated achievement of the SDGs.
• Enhanced economic opportunities and social protection to reduce inequality, with a focus on the marginalized.
• Climate-smart solutions, sustainable ecosystems and resilient development for reduced vulnerability.

South-South cooperation, gender equality and social inclusion are promoted across the pillars. The programme is supported by a framework of renewed partnerships and blended finance solutions, strategic innovation and accelerator labs, and data and digital architecture.

Office/Unit/Project Description

UNDP is currently working in various areas concerning sustainable development, from systems and institutional strengthening to inclusive growth and sustainable livelihoods, and sustainable energy, environment and resilience. The Action for Climate and Environment (ACE) Unit at UNDP is organized around the thematic areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation; disaster management and resilience; and access to clean and efficient energy.

This initiative is designed to minimize negative impacts and risks to environment and to human health in India, by enhancing sustainable Plastic Waste Management practices, through a socio-technical model (segregation/collection/ recycling) while ensuring compliance with regulations, to improve use of resources and in line with Swachh Bharat Mission in India; in this project the waste pickers (Safai Mitras) will be institutionalized with respective governance mechanisms and attain improved social conditions. Project’s targets at the end of period are, to better manage an amount more than 85,000 MT/year of plastic waste and to improve socio-economic conditions of 30,000 plus Safai Mitras.

To achieve the project objective and outcomes, the project is structured in 4 components:

Component 1 aims to develop support and implement an economically sustainable model (ESM) for packaging plastic waste management. This component focuses on developing and implementing the model at 50 selected cities in different States. It also entails support and active involvement of key stakeholders relevant to plastic waste management in urban areas in India for a holistic approach in convergence with the existing mechanisms and resources. This will also include an analysis of present regulatory mechanisms and practices followed, subject to relevance to ‘plastic waste’ in specific and current resources and technologies available as well as for creating an enabling environment and covering under their umbrella the various kinds of plastic waste, including plastic bottles.

Component 2 focuses on design and implementation of Pilots in City Units (Swachhta Kendras) for improved plastic waste management, in the administrative wards of selected 50 cities. Socio-technical approach is to be applied to combine improved technological development in handling, with the social aspects of waste collection and segregation. This component represents the core development of the project, from its results; projections will be developed towards implementation in the entire country.

Component 3 is directed mainly to design, sustain, and provide elements to institutionalize Swachhta Kendra in governance bodies and to obtain improved socio-economic conditions for waste pickers. This is to be achieved by incorporating the plastic waste management model, and its main stakeholder’s presence and importance, into urban local bodies at city, state, and national levels; by obtaining Safai Mitras’ activities recognition as a service to society, with the corresponding starting up of their mainstreaming; and by fostering and strengthening self-help groups for Safai Mitra living improvements of their way of life.

Component 4 is aimed at developing knowledge management, monitoring, and communication mechanisms, which will be based on an in-built adaptive feedback system from project results at various stages throughout the entire duration. Adequate governance mechanisms will be established to ensure the right development of the project and target fulfillment.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the Project Analyst and Plastic Waste Management Programme towards implementation of the project, including using the ERP system for annual budget inputs, expenditure tracking, and making timely payments.
• Facilitate coordination with various operations units such as Finance, Procurement, HR, Administration, and Security to meet the project’s operational requirements and ensure compliance with UNDP regulations (PoPP).
• Coordinate the implementation of procurement strategy in consultation with the project management unit as per the annual work plans. Support tendering processes (advertisement of RFP/RFQ) and facilitate evaluation, contracting, and other requirements pertaining to the contracting of vendors in accordance with the corporate standards.
• Support towards tracking of deliverables and payment disbursements for the vendors contracted under the project for different activities/services/goods.
• Facilitate the recruitment processes of consultants and other experts as per the requirement of the projects in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. Ensure appropriate use of different contractual modalities and contract management.
• Assist in the analysis and identification of project-level operational and financial challenges, alert the Project Manager and the programme team and provide necessary/required administrative support to resolve them.
• Assist in Project Audits and Reviews as per UNDP and donor requirements, including Quality Assurance Assessment during the implementation of the various project activities
• Responsible for providing all logistics support towards the organizing of workshops and training programmes.
• Facilitate and support towards travel of Plastic Waste Management Programme colleagues
• Any other responsibility related to the project assigned by the Supervisor(s).

• Fluency in English and Hindi is required.