Assessment of Waste Management Practices in Health Facilities

Contract

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Background

COVID-19 has taught us that ignoring environmental risks has direct consequences for socio-economic systems, as it also contributes to climate change. One of the most pressing issues that the country is facing, as it responds to the pandemic, is the management of COVID-19 vaccination centres when it comes to reliable power supply and waste management. The disposal of used masks, testing kits and reagents require a management system that will prevent littering and re-infections while generating income.

In line with outcome 4 of the UN Cooperation Framework in Eswatini, UNDP is committed to supporting the Kingdom of Eswatini in implementing its Covid-19 economic recovery strategies and achieving development goals. UNDP is developing low carbon investments related to sustainable energy and waste management for public health centers in Eswatini. These investments will not only contribute to the economic recovery but also to greenhouse gases emissions reduction, mitigating the primary cause of climate change. Furthermore, inadequate and inappropriate handling of health-care waste can have serious public health consequences and a significant impact on the environment. Hospitals generate millions of tons of waste each year. Unfortunately, health-care waste management is still poorly funded and implemented.

The combined toxic and infectious properties of medical waste represent an underestimated environmental and public health threat. A recent literature review came to the conclusion that over half the world’s population is at risk from the health impacts of health-care waste. Burning of medical waste generates a number of hazardous gases and compounds, including hydrochloric acid, dioxins and furans, and the toxic metals lead, cadmium, and mercury. The disposal of solid waste produces greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, a greenhouse gas twenty-one times more potent than carbon dioxide. When properly managed, health-care waste should not cause any adverse impacts on human health or the environment. Medical waste management is complex and its success is in large part dependent on changing the habits of hospital staff. A variety of non-burn technologies are available that can safely disinfect, neutralize or contain the wastes for landfill disposal.

Eswatini has rolled out COVID-19 vaccination in mid-March 2021. Vaccination related waste in addition to disposable masks is expected to generate significant amount of hazardous waste in the near future. In line with UNDP Green COVID response and recovery offer, Eswatini Country Office in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF is exploring options for making vaccination safer and green through deployment of renewable energy powered digital solutions and management of waste.

Purpose and Scope of the Assignment:

The primary scope of this assignment is to assess waste management practices in prioritised public health centres in Eswatini. The outcomes of this consultancy shall inform low carbon investments in the selected public health centres. This assignment will contribute to providing safe vaccines and primary health care services through improv electricity access; and operationally prevent the further containment of COVID-19 and to respond to the increasing medical waste and enhancing the technical capacities of health care workers and service providers to treat medical waste.

Duties and Responsibilities

Assessment of waste management practices

• Assess current solid waste management practices in the 22 health-care facilities that are being used as COVID-19 vaccination centers
• Classify and quantify the amount of waste produced in these health facilities using WHO guidelines for health-care waste management and the local legal and policy framework
• Identify the existing waste stream between the different categories of waste identified
• Assess possibilities of improvement aimed at promoting waste minimization, waste segregation and sustainable waste management practices in the health facilities
• Prepare and submit a detailed solid waste management plan with recommendations for waste minimization, waste segregation and sustainable solid waste management practices in the health facilities
• The solid waste management plan shall clearly identify proposed solutions for waste minimization, a strategy to be implemented for waste segregation and the optimal waste stream and final destination/recycling opportunities for the identified waste categories
• Define specifications for mobile autoclaves based on the assessment of needs and capacities of selected health facilities to facilitate procurement.

Deliverables:

• Inception report (5 days)
• Detailed solid waste management report with recommendations on waste minimisation, waste segregation and sustainable waste management (20 days)
• Specifications and tender document for Procurement of mobile autoclaves (5 days)

Duty Station, Travel and Institutional Arrangement:

• Duty station: Home based.
• The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• Travel within Eswatini may be requested;
• The Consultant will carry out his/her tasks under the overall guidance of the Eswatini Environment Authority (EEA) on all technical aspects of the assignment;
• The Consultant will report to the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative through the Team Leader Environment, Energy and Climate Change on all contractual obligations.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The Financial Proposal shall specify a total lump-sum amount all-inclusive; and payment shall be in instalments based on specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables specified in the TOR;

• Inception report 20%
• Detailed solid waste management report with recommendations on waste minimisation, waste segregation and sustainable waste management (60%
• Specifications and tender document for Procurement of mobile autoclaves (20%)

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrate commitment to UNDP's mission, vision and values.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Professional Competencies:

• Professionalism: Ability to conduct data analysis using various methods. Ability to plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively and demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with UN colleagues and partners to achieve deliverables for assessment.
• Planning& Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed work deliverables for the assignment; identifies priority activities and allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; uses time efficiently.
• Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules.

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrated written and oral communication skills;
• Experience in waste management;
• Knowledge of waste management systems in health centres.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• At least a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, or any related field

Experience:

• 3 years’ experience in waste management systems
• Demonstrated written and oral communication skills
• Experience in waste management
• Knowledge of waste management systems in health centres

Language:

• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Ability to communicate in Siswati is an addended advantage.

How to Apply:

Interested individuals must submit the following documents /information to demonstrate their qualification, experience and suitability to undertake the assignment. All supporting documents must be part of the detailed CV and uploaded as one document

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP: OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP
2. Personal CV or P11, indicating all experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references; P11 form link to use https://un.org.sz/p11/P11.docx
3. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment; and a methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment
4. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered. The short-listed candidates may be contacted, and the successful candidate will be notified. All applications must be made on-line.

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

The best evaluated offers will be based on a combined Scoring method –qualifications and methodology will be weighted a max. of 70% and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%.