Background

1. Project Description

Across the world, plastics make up 85% of marine litter. It takes 10 to 1000 years to degradate.  In Dili alone, plastic accounts for 18% of human waste generated daily, most of which are used only once before being discarded, often ending up polluting the ocean. Thus, the Government of Timor-Leste through the Secretary of State for Environment is launching a Zero Plastic Policy to eliminate single use-plastic. Thus, the main objective of this consultancy is to provide technical assistance to the Government of Timor-Leste in the development of the policy/regulatory framework.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Scope of Work

The task of the Technical Advisor is to provide technical assistance and advisory support for the development of policies/regulatory framework to regulate import and use of single-use plastic by performing the following task including but not limited to:

• Assessment (s) of existing Legislative and Policy Framework (policies, plans, regulations, standards and measures), its implementation, and import/export tracking and monitoring ability as relates to the sustainable management and disposal of single use plastics/plastics packaging.

• Conduct a desk review with supportive interviews, on the Capacity of Government, Private Sector and critical partnering entities, including research/academia, educational and training institutions, private and NGO/CBO entities and organizations (both at local and national level), that have responsibilities pertaining to the sustainable management of single use plastic/plastic packaging (this should include a close look at how plastic bags are used (even secondarily) for garbage, and how this affects efficient use and longevity of landfills, can prevent composting efforts, etc).

• With input from the technical expertise and Financial expert, put forward nationally appropriate potential elements for policy/regulatory framework controlling production/import and use of non-critical plastic/plastic packaging, including elements to enhance innovation as well as uptake and use of import and use of alternatives.
• In consultation with the Financial/ Economic Experts, government and stakeholders, draft elements that might be included to develop a regulatory framework to share accountability and responsibility for plastic waste management across private and public stakeholders.

• Taking input from the aforementioned technical expertise in government/private sector/NGO/academia, as well as the Finance Expert, review and draft the framework for revision (as necessary) of  legislation to better address plastic packaging; and identify elements that can be targeted for improving regulations that will enhance tracking and (re)capture of all plastic packaging which may include looking at  Container Deposit Legislation (CDL), Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), taxation/levies for non-critical use of plastic; and policy/legislation that fosters innovative alternative technologies and growth of such sectors.) 

1. Expected Outputs/Key Deliverables and Timeframe

The successful individual consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs/key deliverables:

Competencies

1. Institutional Arrangements

In coordination with the Director General of Environment and Director for Population Control and Environmental Impact, and UNDP Programme Manager for Environment and Sustainable Development, the consultant will work with the project team to ensure implementation and quality of delivery.  All deliverables must be reviewed and validated by UNDP, Government partners and stakeholders.

All deliverables must be approved by UNDP Country Director and the Secretary of State for Environment.

The contractor will produce monthly progress reports regarding the pertinent activities and the deliverables/outputs.

1. Duration of Work

The successful individual consultant is expected to perform the above-mentioned outputs/key deliverables within 4 months (45 working days) of the assignment. He/she is expected to start mid-November 2018 and all outputs have to be delivered by the January/February 2019.

1. Duty Station

The main duty station will be in Dili, Timor-Leste.  The consultant must be available for regular meetings with the UNDP and the Secretary of State of Environment and other meeting with the partners and stakeholders when required for consultation and validation.

Required Skills and Experience

1. Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor

1. Academic Qualifications: Must have minimum tertiary qualification on a relevant field such as environmental governance/management, environmental law/policy studies or relevant fields.

1. Years of experience:

• Must have more than 6 years professional work experience in the field of waste/chemical management policy development.
• Substantive experience in developing policy/regulatory framework for sustainable plastic waste management in developing countries/small island countries.
• Thorough knowledge of international conventions related management of chemical substances and/or hazardous waste will be an added advantage.
• Understanding of and practical exposure to the institutional framework governing chemical and waste management in middle to low income countries, countries with economies in transition and Small Island Developing States would be an advantage;
• Experience working in leadership and management position and good knowledge of capacity need assessment methodology as well as community development investment study and stakeholder consultation process.

1. Language requirements

• For this consultancy, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Fluency in Tetun or Indonesian language is an advantage

1. Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Lump Sum Contract

The Financial Proposal must be expressed in the form of an all-inclusive[1] Lump Sum Amount, linked to the Expected Outputs and Deliverables, supported by a breakdown of costs as per the template provided by UNDP. Under the lump sum approach, the contract price is fixed, regardless of changes in the cost components or duration of the assignment.

Travel;

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel.  In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Schedule of payments

1. 20% of payment upon delivery of the following:
   • Inception report and individual mission reports (including concrete reviews/assessment of current legislative and policy framework, import/export capacity, consultation with government and partners, etc). (Reviewed and approved by government partners and stakeholders)

1. 20% of payment upon completion and delivery of draft policy/regulatory framework ready for review and validation by the Government, Stakeholders, and relevant partners.
   • Reviews/assessments report of existing Legislative and Policy Framework (policies, plans, regulations, standards and measures), its implementation, and import/export tracking and monitoring ability, as well as current management/disposal of single-use plastics/plastics packaging. (Reviewed and approved by government partners and stakeholders)
   • Taking input from assigned Financial expert and technical expert and in consultation with government and stakeholders, draft nationally appropriate potential elements for policy/regulatory framework controlling production/import and use of non-critical single-use plastic/plastic packaging including elements to enhance national level innovation for uptake and use of import and use of alternatives. (Reviewed and approved by government partners and stakeholders)

1. 20% of payment upon completion and delivery of revised/updated version of the draft policy/regulatory framework completed with changes/input from government and partners.

• Taking input from the technical expertise in government/private sector/NGO/academia, as well as the Finance Expert, draft the framework/legislation to better address single-use plastic/packaging; and identify elements that can be targeted for improving regulations that will enhance tracking and (re)capture of all plastic packaging. (Reviewed and approved by government partners and stakeholders)
• With input from Financial/ Economic Experts and in consultation with government and stakeholders, draft nationally appropriate potential elements that might be included to develop a regulatory framework to share accountability and responsibility for plastic waste management across private and public stakeholders. (Reviewed and approved by government partners and stakeholders)

1. 40% of payment upon delivery of final draft policy/regulatory framework cleared by the government.

• Final draft policy/regulatory framework with all nationally appropriate elements necessary to (i) control production/import and use of single-use plastic/plastic packaging, (ii) enhance national level innovation for uptake and use of import and use of alternatives, (iii) enhance tracking and (re)capture of all plastic packaging, (iv) share accountability and responsibility for plastic waste management across private and public stakeholders. (Reviewed and validated by government partners and stakeholders, and approved by UNDP and the Secretary of State for Environment)

J. Recommended Presentation of Offer

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Dully accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP (to be downloaded from the procurement notice link http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=51518 );
2. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
3. A brief methodology and step by step timeline on how he/she will approach and complete the assignment, and
4. Financial Proposal in the template provided by UNDP (to be downloaded from the procurement notice link http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=51518 ).

K. Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

L. Approval

[1] The term “All inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal