Background

The objective of the project is to reduce the releases of unintentionally produced POPs and other globally harmful pollutants into the environment by promoting sound healthcare waste management in Kazakhstan, and to assist the country in implementing its relevant obligations under the Stockholm Convention. This will be accomplished through four (4) principal project’s components: Component 1: Stockholm Convention NIP update and improved institutional coordination on chemical MEAs (GEF finance - $375,000; co-finance - $6,528,275). Component 2: Overall mercury situation assessed and initial mercury reduction and containment plan formulated (GEF finance - US$200,000; co-finance - US$537,750). Component 3: Minimization of unintentional POPs and mercury releases in selected hospitals through demonstration of sound Health-care Waste Management approaches (GEF finance - US$2,500,000; co-finance - US$26,808,637). Component 4: Monitoring, learning, adaptive feedback, outreach, and evaluation. Across all components, the project will plan for information dissemination and awareness raising on key aspects of the project’s work.
The project duration is 4 years; an overall project budget is around of $38,412,758 and is financed through GEF, RK Ministry of Public health, RK Ministry of Environmental Protection, private sector and NGOs.
   
The project will collaborate with central authorities as well as waste treatment facilities, hospitals and smaller rural clinics within demonstration territories. The project will provide support for strengthening the implementation of international convention obligations and guidelines, and is expected to improved cross-sectoral governance for sound chemicals management at the national and local levels.
 
Under direct supervision from the Head of EE Unit at UNDP country office, the Project Manager (PM) will be responsible for daily management of all project activities at the national level. The PM will head the work of the Project Implementation Group, providing supervision of all consultants, contracted companies, and technical and administrative staff.  The PM will work under the general oversight of the National Project Director and the Project Board. All work conducted by the PM and the entire Project Implementation Group related to national policy will be coordinated with the RK Ministry of Environment Protection, which is the national implementing agency for the project from the RK Government side. While all works related to UNDP and GEF rules and procedures on project implementation, UNDP and GEF policies will be immediately coordinated by the Head of EE Unit at UNDP country office.

Duties and Responsibilities

Functions / Key Results Expected
Summary of Key Functions:
 
- Effective project planning and implementation, with participation of all interested parties, in accordance with the project document
- Technical support to the Ministry of Public health and to the Ministry of Environment Protection, regional departments and to local authorities on issues related to healthcare waste management
- Preparation, tracking, and implementation of annual work plans for the project,
- Proper management of funds consistent with UNDP requirements, and project budget planning and control
- Organization and management of the work of the Project Implementation Unit, supervision of project staff, consultants and oversight of sub-contractors
- Development of Terms of Reference and contracts for national and international consultants, responsible for the recruiting procedures within the project 
- Provision of effective interaction with relevant state agencies, scientific institutions, NGOs and other stakeholders
- Development of relations with other relevant state and international organization programs on healthcare waste management
- Dissemination of information of project activities and results to project partners and the general public (including the updating of UNDP web page)
- Supervision of internal processes for quality control, including creation of logs of risks, problems and quality indicators of project activity, monitoring and maintaining these logs, and making necessary changes.
- Provision of progress reports on project implementation in accordance with the project document, RoK and UNDP requirements
- Delivery of needed information to independent outside project evaluators
- Regular reporting and communication with the National Steering Committee and UNDP CO about project status, including problems
- Control of spending of project funds on intended purposes in accordance with the approved budget of each project outcome
- Monitoring and coordination of the delivery of co-financing as stipulated in the project document
- Provide regular input to UNDP corporate system ATLAS for financial and programme management on project progress, financial status and various logs
- Field visit undertaking to ensure quality of work if required
- Undertake any other activities that may be assigned by UNDP and the National Steering Committee
- Public engagement - full and continuous involvement of key stakeholders in all major decision-making processes, transparent information of the general public overall, and on specific issues related to healthcare waste management.
Impact of Results
The overall goal for the PM's work is the successful implementation of the project in accordance with the goals, work plan and budget set forth in the project document, including the following specific results:
 
 Introduction and promotion of sound healthcare waste management
- Assistance to country in implementing commitments under Stockholm convention
- Project results and lessons learnt widely distributed and replication activities successfully initiated
 
In addition, the Project Manager is expected to coordinate activities between ongoing initiatives of UNDP, national counterparts and international organizations, allowing for synergies between projects in various fields but with similar objectives (such as those on climate risk management, sustainable natural resources management, community-based development and others).

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:
 
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
- Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism
 
Functional Competencies:
 
Management and Leadership
- Builds strong relationships with stakeholders, focuses on impact and result and responds positively to feedback. 
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
- Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.
- Coordinates teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills.
- Schedules activities to ensure optimum use of time and resources; monitors performance against development and other objectives and corrects deviations from the course.
 
Coordination and communication skills
 
- Excellent coordination skills to facilitate regional and inter-agency collaboration.
- Ability to build and sustain effective partnerships with UN Agencies and main constituents, advocate effectively, communicate sensitively across different constituencies.
-  Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.
 
Professionalism
 
-  Is at the forefront of best practice in his/her functional area; has the ability to perform a broad range of specialized activities related to project and financial resources management, including formulating budgets, monitoring and reporting.
- Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments and achieving results.
- Provides on-going technical and programmatic advice on pollutants reduction and sound healthcare waste management to national and international project partners.
- Ensures gender perspective is mainstreamed in healthcare waste management.
 
Problem-solving
 
- Has the capacity to identify problem factors, to gather comprehensive information on complex problems or situations; evaluate it accurately and identify key issues required resolving problems.
- Analyzes and reviews the implementation of project activities and provides advice to ensure their quality and relevance to present and future country situation.
 
Knowledge Management and Learning
 
- Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in integrated medical waste management;
- Shares knowledge and experience and contributes to the achievement of the project development objectives.
- Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development and applies newly acquired skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
Minimum Bachelor’s degree in environmental protection, medicine, chemistry, public health, waste management, public administration, international development, or a disciple relevant to healthcare  or waste management as a part of development.
 
Experience:
- Five (5) year experience and technical ability to manage projects and a good technical knowledge in the field of healthcare  waste management; international management experience is highly preferable
- Demonstrated ability to manage project cycles; including project formulation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation – familiarity with donor-funded international development project is an asset
- Good capacities for strategic thinking, planning and management, ability to identify sustainable solutions to problems
- Good knowledge of institutional context with regard to public healthcare, waste management; understanding of role of sound healthcare waste management, NGOs and authorities
- Good computer skills; strong skills in oral and written presentations
 
 
Language Requirements:
- Fluent Russian, English is desirable
- Knowledge of Kazakh is considered an asset