Solid Waste Policy Reform Specialist Volunteer Expert

Save to Favorites

Solid Waste Policy Reform Specialist Volunteer Expert

**Posted on behalf of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA)**

Location of Assignment: Mbeya, Morogoro, Iringa, and Zanzibar (Unguya and Pemba)

Proposed Level of Effort: 6 weeks

Anticipated Start Date: 24 June 2017

Number of Openings: 5

Background

The Tanzania Enabling Growth through Investment and Enterprise Program (ENGINE) is a four-year USAID-funded Feed the Future Tanzania activity awarded through the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA) contractual mechanism that aims to streamline and enhance many of the regulatory, informational and financial channels that encourage domestic and foreign investment in the southern mainland agricultural regions of Mbeya, Morogoro, and Iringa, and in Zanzibar.

ENGINE works at the district Local Government Authority (LGA) level, using a broad-based approach to engage with district councils, private sector associations, business development service providers, financial institutions and small and medium enterprises. The program’s activities are divided into three main components:

1. Implement policies for growth. Build the capacity of the private sector to effectively dialogue with the government to set the policy agenda and improve the capacity of the public sector to implement policies.

1. Equip businesses for growth. Strengthen SME capacity and foster the growth and capacity of a sustainable market for business development services (BDS) in Tanzania.

1. 3. Access to finance for growth. Broaden access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in all sectors, especially women and youth entrepreneurs and those working within agricultural value chains (excluding primary producers), to facilitate increased business viability, growth, and investment.

Background:

In Tanzania, Decentralization by Devolution (D by D) is a key national Government development initiative, and acknowledges that well-functioning Local Government Authorities (LGAs), with a clear mandate to facilitate broad-based growth and to improve service delivery to all communities, must be created. However, this D by D process is incomplete, and LGAs often lack the resources or technical tools to implement D by D to have a positive impact on the business sector.

Local Government Authorities are responsible for the collection and disposal of solid and liquid waste. They frequently charge fees or taxes to provide these services, and often use commercial vendors as sub-contractors to assist with service delivery. As in many countries, the issue of solid waste collection and disposal is one of extreme interest to community members and therefore local governments, as poor performance in this area can have adverse effects on sanitation, disease control, public health, hazardous materials, environmental quality of life issues such as odor, appearance, animal control, and more. These factors, in turn, can have adverse impacts on the business environment (viability, profit, etc.) and the investment climate.

Local Government Authorities (LGAs) in Tanzania often lack resources to effectively collect and dispose of solid and liquid waste, including trash, food waste, vegetation (green waste), and hazardous materials, and to recycle waste, and business customers receiving solid waste removal services report significant problems. Existing waste management/ disposal and recycling policies, by-laws and existing regulations require review and reform.

The main objective of this assignment is to assist Local Government Authorities to evaluate their solid and liquid waste collection and disposal, recycling, policies, bylaws and regulations, and resources, draft service improvement plans, propose funding mechanisms to improve the delivery of solid and liquid waste collection and disposal, as well as the recycling of the same and to recommend follow-on volunteer assignments in these areas.

Tasks

The Expert Volunteer will complete the following tasks:

1. Attend an orientation meeting with ENGINE Program staff;
2. Accompanied by relevant ENGINE staff, attend an introductory meeting with the Local Government Authority’s leadership and technical staff to discuss the Expert Volunteer assignment and to review its objectives;
3. Facilitate a consultation workshop with a solid and liquid waste, and recycling technical working group (comprised of public and private sector individuals) to elicit their input/feedback on prioritization of tasks to achieve rapid results in evaluating relevant policies, bylaws and regulations, and to propose improvements to create a strengthened business-enabling environment;
4. Assist the assigned solid and liquid waste, and recycling, technical working group with the following:
   1. Review solid and liquid waste, and recycling policies and practices and propose reforms to the same.
   2. Engage private sector stakeholders and business development service providers (BDSP) in a public private dialogue (PPD) to explore options for improving private sector participation in solid and liquid waste, and recycling operations and management.
   3. Prepare a Solid and Liquid Waste, and Recycling Service Improvement Plan that implements the specific goals of strengthening the business enabling environment through improved waste and recycling management and by increasing the capacity of public and/or private sector solid waste managers/operations;
   4. Analyze LGA solid and liquid waste, and recycling revenues versus LGA expenditures, and make specific bylaw, regulatory and fee level recommendations related to budget changes and funding sources to implement the above-mentioned Service Improvement Plan;
   5. Use the PRPT tool to prioritize the reform of LGA solid and liquid waste, and recycling policies.
   6. Write a Final Report summarizing findings, conclusions and recommendations related to the assignment and including the impact on women and youth, as well as a discussion of the LGA’s solid and liquid waste, and recycling-related organizational development challenges and proposed solutions;
   7. Provide exit debriefings to LGA and private sector leadership (including the local technical working group), ENGINE, USAID and other relevant anchor institutions/key stakeholders (e.g., PO-RALG, TCCIA; Business Council(s)) that provide an overview of the assignment and the LGA’s organizational development challenges and proposed solutions including future staffing and additional support.
   8. Minutes/notes of the meetings/training/workshops described in Tasks B, C, and D above and other project meetings.
   9. Documents developed with the technical working group (Task D above):
      1. Written description of LGA solid and liquid waste and recycling services, procedures, systems and fee structures;
      2. Minutes and participant lists for PPDs regarding solid and liquid waste and recycling;
      3. Solid and Liquid Waste and Recycling Service Improvement Plan;
      4. Solid and Liquid Waste and Recycling Budget Evaluation and Recommendations (Revenue and Expenses);
      5. List of solid and liquid waste and recycling policies needing reform (output of the PRPT process).

1. Minutes/notes of the meetings/training/workshops described in Tasks B, C, and D above and other project meetings.
2. Documents developed with the technical working group (Task D above):
   1. Written description of LGA solid and liquid waste and recycling services, procedures, systems and fee structures;
   2. Minutes and participant lists for PPDs regarding solid and liquid waste and recycling;
   3. Solid and Liquid Waste and Recycling Service Improvement Plan;
   4. Solid and Liquid Waste and Recycling Budget Evaluation and Recommendations (Revenue and Expenses);
   5. List of solid and liquid waste and recycling policies needing reform (output of the PRPT process).

• 5+ years of experience working within local government, preferably with a role in drafting, reviewing/reforming, and implementing policies;
• Experience with public policies related to solid waste management;
• University degree in public administration, public policy, or another relevant field;
• A proven track record of organizational development;
• Experience in stakeholder engagement, consultation, and facilitation;
• Training skills, including participatory training in group settings. Training and consultation experience utilizing a translator or interpreter is an added plus;
• Self-motivated, proactive, detail-oriented, mature, professional team player, who is a strong people person and communicator, with good inter-personal skills;
• Ability to address issues, challenges, questions, and concerns in a professional, respectful, logical, and timely manner;
• Works well in a multi-cultural setting;
• Well-developed writing skills in English and the ability to express one’s self clearly and concisely;
• Good computer skills in MS Office.