National Consultant - To review SOPs for laboratory Waste Management

Organizational Settings

FAO supports USAID’s Global Health Security investments through zoonotic disease preparedness and response, strengthening national laboratory systems, improving biosafety and biosecurity, scaling up workforce development, and reducing antimicrobial resistance. In Tanzania, the GHSA has been implemented since 2016 with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding with significant milestones along with the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) ladder in accordance with International Health Regulations (IHR) and requirements for World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). GHSA is implemented through FAO’s Emergency Centre for the Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD). In addition, aims at developing capacity for preventing, detecting, and responding to Priority Zoonotic Diseases (PZDs) threats. This is directed towards strengthening the capacities of partner countries to reduce the risk and impact of epidemic-prone infectious disease threats and outbreaks. Within the action package Biosafety and Biosecurity, a formal structure for waste management is paramount, thus improving safe and secure waste management. Therefore, FAO will support the National veterinary laboratory service to review SOPs for waste management produced in a laboratory.

Reporting Lines

The National Consultant will work under the overall supervision of Senior Animal Health Officer, Head, and Global Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), the functional and administrative oversight of the FAO Representative in Tanzania, direct technical supervision of the ECTAD Country Team Leader and the National Laboratory Expert.

Technical Focus

As part of the activities of the FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (FAO-ECTAD), the consultant will work closely with the Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA), FAO ECTAD Country Team Leader, National Laboratory Expert to support the country to review the document for the strengthening the management of the laboratory waste. The national consultant will undertake the following tasks and responsibilities;

Tasks and responsibilities:

• Review the existing SOP and identify the gaps and address all in order to adopt and use innovative and affordable solutions for waste management;
• Analyse existing national and international procedures used to manage waste in all existing biosafety and biosecurity levels according to Laboratory Waste Management Plan;
• Identify institutional, technical and operational challenges that are faced by the labs on the disposal of different types of waste originated from different laboratory procedures;
• Identify and analyse all existing documents, various local, regional and international initiatives in the field of waste management based on the OIE/FAO/WHO recommended protocols and protocols used/recommended by international reference labs;
• Prepared reviewed SOPs should be compliance with current legislation in the transportation, handling and disposal of waste according to ISO/IEC 17025:2017;
• The reviewed SOP should clearly describe on how the Biohazardous waste for segregation from other types of waste prior to its disposal.
• The reviewed SOPs should clearly describe the proper handling, treatment, and disposal of infectious waste materials
• Advice on the methodology on which the laboratory can disposal their waste without polluting the environment as per ISO/IEC 17025:2017;
• Facilitate validation workshop based on the national guidelines with all relevant stakeholders
• Prepare and submit the Final documents incorporating all the recommendations on draft final.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Hold a master’s degree in veterinary medicine or related disciplines, or degree in public health, Laboratory Management, and Molecular biology.
• Have a minimum of five (5) years professional experience in the implementation of animal health and human health emergency programs; strengthening of health systems support, technical and or institutional and organizational support for laboratory management;
• Candidates should be Tanzanian or resident in the country with a regular work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Have experience in laboratory management, emergency response, and good knowledge of government working system
• Have experience in co-operation with the Public Administration (Veterinary Services, Public Health Services,
• Have technical, institutional and organizational capacity in the area of diseases detection and diagnostics and laboratory management;
• Have experience on supporting process to develop or review governance manual, SOPs, legal frameworks or guideline;
• Be able to draft reports clearly, concisely, and good oral and written communication skills.
• Be able to work in English and Kiswahili
• Excellent computer skills