Background

Healthcare Waste Management Specialist

Project Title: Learning from China's Experience to Improve the Ability of Response to COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific Region

Project Description

With the continuing spread of COVID-19 globally, impact on human health and the economy intensifies. Confirmed COVID-19 cases, as well as probable and suspected cases, continue to increase in most of the regions in the Philippines, with a high concentration in Metro Manila. Proper management of the significant medical, household, and other hazardous waste being generated is an urgent and essential intervention as it could pose additional risks to health and the environment. The ADB has estimated that in Metro Manila, around 280 tons per day of additional medical wastes will be generated, or 16,800 tons for 60 days. There are currently more than 11,000 metric tons of health care waste issued with special permit to transport by the DENR since the March lockdown.

Health care facilities follow stringent guidelines in waste management issued by the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). However, with the increasing volume of medical and hazardous wastes, including infected face masks, gloves, gowns, coveralls, and other protective equipment, the capacities of hospitals, especially those catering to COVID-19 patients and probable and suspected cases, may soon be not enough. Treatment, storage and disposal facilities and personnel in the country are also limited, mostly located in the National Capital Region. There have been reports that hospital wastes are also being refused by waste management actors due to fear that they might also get infected.

In this context, this regional COVID response project (the “Project”), funded by China’s South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund (SSCAF), aims to effectively improve the response to COVID-19 in the areas of medical waste management and preparedness in the Philippines, with special focus on following strategic areas: 1) improving the medical waste management capacity technically and operationally to prevent the further containment of COVID-19 and to respond the increasing medical waste and enhancing the technical capacities of health care workers and service providers to treat medical waste; 2) provision of capacity development (provision of technical training materials and training courses) on general health precautionary measures to health care professionals, local government staff and others that carry out essential services (transportation, energy, water, waste, food delivery); 3) sharing good practices and experiences at the regional and global level for future responses and preparedness for related pandemics.

This assignment will build on and add value to China’s and UNDP CO’s ongoing efforts to support the Philippines to reduce the risks and impacts of COVID-19.The Healthcare Waste Management (HCWM) Specialist will provide technical support to UNDP on project implementation to ensure conformity of results with the Project Document and UNDP-CIDCA rules and regulations..

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives and Scope of Work

The HCWM Specialist shall provide technical support and quality assurance on project activities, including procurement of devices, equipment, and consumables, provision of technical materials and training courses, development of long-term resilience plan and digital waste registry, conduct of medical waste study, and communication and visibility, while UNDP will recruit other consultants and contract one firm/NGO/CSO on implementing these activities. The HCWM Specialist shall also coordinate with DOH, DENR, device recipient hospitals/ facilities and other stakeholders on project-related activities.

The HCWM Specialist shall report to the focal Programme Officer and work in close collaboration with the Climate Action Programme Team (CAPT). Specific tasks are as follows:

Provide technical advices to the focal Programme Officer on ensuring appropriate delivery of project activities in healthcare waste management, through guidance on activity implementation and providing written technical reviews:

• Provide technical advices to UNDP on provision of mobile medical waste treatment devices, equipment, PPEs and consumables, and facilitate achievement of the following results:
  • Procured mobile medical waste treatment devices, equipment, PPEs and consumables match the needs of recipients and comply with the Philippine laws and regulations
  • Procured devices are delivered and properly installed by the supplier.
  • Device operation training sessions are properly conducted by the supplier and operators are well trained.
  • Recipient hospitals/ facilities have an appropriate plan on device operation and supplement utilization.
• Carry out specs of equipment, PPEs and consumables and support UNDP’s procurement process.
• Assist the hospitals in developing operations and maintenance plan, and management and sustainability plan for the HCW facility.
• Provide technical advices to UNDP on provision of technical materials and training courses, and facilitate achievement of the following results:
  • Developed technical materials and training courses match the needs of beneficiaries and complies with the Philippine laws and regulations.
  • Developed technical materials and training courses are capable to enhance the capacity of beneficiaries.
  • Developed technical materials and training courses are free from scientific errors and controversial conclusion.
  • China’s successful experiences and technical materials provided by Chinese counterparts are properly localized and integrated to developed technical materials and training courses.
  • Activity modality is determined in consideration of health risks. On-site activities follow DOH’s COVID-19 protocols.
• Provide technical advices to UNDP on conducting national workshops, developing and pilot deploying digital medical waste registry and conducting medical waste characterization and management study, and facilitate achievement of the following results:
  • National workshops are conducted successfully for knowledge sharing. Long-term resilience plan on HCWM is capable to identify gaps and provide a feasible solution for DOH.
  • The proposed digital medical waste registry is properly developed and capable to trace each bag of medical waste at hospital level. During pilot deployment, the registry is actively updated to match the situation on the ground and fix bugs.
  • Medical waste characterization and management study is capable to characterize the situation, identify gaps and provide a feasible improvement plan.
• Provide technical advices to UNDP on communication and visibility activities so that they are appropriately conducted.

Coordinate with project implementation partners and stakeholders on ensuring appropriate delivery of project activities in healthcare waste management, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Coordinate and facilitate exploratory, consultation and technical meetings with DOH, DENR, WHO, partners, other stakeholders, and consultants on
  • Determining specs and related issues of  devices, equipment and consumables.
  • Developing and providing technical materials and training courses.
  • Conducting national workshops and developing long-term resilience plan on HCWM.
  • Conducting medical waste characterization and management study.
  • Developing and deploying digital medical waste registry.
• Coordinate and facilitate procurement, capacity building and advocacy activities with partners, stakeholders, and consultants.
• Project advocacy and visibility and coordination with relevant stakeholders.

Develop and maintain effective working relationships and coordination with key counterparts to ensure the strategic positioning of UNDP in COVID responses, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Build and maintain an effective relationship with key partners and stakeholders, and keep NGAs, selected LGUs and the UNDP CO focal persons informed as appropriate.
• Facilitate appropriate discussions and follow-ups on key activities with DOH, DENR, WHO, and selected hospitals/ facilities as well as other partners and stakeholders.
• Provide technical reviews on Memorandum of Agreements or other relevant legal instruments with relevant entities, such as thinks tanks and academic institutions.
• Promote coordination, dialogue, and good practice knowledge-sharing among stakeholders.
• Ensure effective collaboration with the UN and other development partners.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Institutional Arrangements

• The Consultant shall report to the Focal Programme Officer that is supervised by the Team Leader of the Climate Action Programme Team of the Philippine CO.

• UNDP will provide to the Consultant all relevant background documents. UNDP is not required to provide any physical facility for the work of the Consultant. However, depending on the availability of physical facilities (e.g. working space, computer, printer, telephone lines, internet connection, etc.) and at the discretion of the UNDP and relevant stakeholders, such facilities may be provided at the disposal of the Consultant. All logistical arrangements including professional fees, transportation within Metro Manila, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc. will be covered by the Consultant.

• All documents and data provided to the Consultant are confidential and cannot be used for any other purposes or shared with a third party without any written approval from UNDP.

• The outputs shall be delivered through a participatory approach, engagement with government, involving training sessions and focus group discussions with team members.

Duration of Work

• It is estimated that the work shall involve a total of 90 person days spread over 7 months, commencing June 2021 and ending on December 2021. The Focal Programme Officer shall review outputs/deliverables and determine whether to accept them within ten (10) working days after submission.

Duty Station

• The Project contains on-site activities in Metro Manila and the Consultant will be required to be based in Metro Manila. The Consultant should comply with COVID-19 protocols issued by the Philippine Government, and on-site activities might be cancelled or switched to online modality according to the Focal Programme Officer’s decision.

• Other engagements are home-based and for accessibility and availability to allow for discussions and reporting on progress of activities, regular online meetings shall be conducted. The Schedule of these meetings will be discussed post-award.

• The Consultant will not be required to report to office regularly, but status report on the outputs shall be expected from time to time or when per requirement basis.

Competencies

Required Skills and Experience

1. Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor

The successful Individual Contractor should meet the following minimum qualification

Education

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields such as Environmental Sciences or Engineering, Health Science, Medical or Chemical Engineering, or related fields

Experience

• Minimum five (5) years of previous work experience on healthcare waste treatment and management, solid waste treatment or related field.
• Minimum three (3) years of work experience in healthcare, waste treatment or management or minimization, environment protection, pollution control, epidemiology, laboratory, or related fields.
• Completed at least three (3) project, working on project coordination or project management

Language

• Good in spoken and written English and Filipino English and Filipino

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The financial proposals from possible candidates should be expressed in lump sum amount inclusive of all financial costs related to this engagement (i.e. professional fees X number of person-days, supplies & materials, reproduction, communications including internet, transportation for activities within Metro Manila).

Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the Contractor must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during contract duration

The contract price will be fixed output-based price. Any deviations from the output and timeline will be agreed upon between the Contractor and UNDP and will be implemented through issuance of contract amendment.

Payments will be done upon satisfactory completion of the delivery by target due dates. Outputs will be certified by the Team Leader of the Climate Action Programme Team of the Philippine CO prior to release of payments.

The Payment terms are as follows:

Recommended Presentation of Offer

• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability (UNDP template);
• Personal Curriculum Vitae, indicating all past experiences from similar projects as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the candidate and at least three (3) professional references with contact information;
• 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 submissions MAY result in disqualification.

Criteria for Selection of Best Offer

The combined scoring method where the qualifications will be weighted 70% and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30% shall be adopted.

Only applicants who will obtain 70 out of 100 obtainable points will be considered qualified and shortlisted.

Offerors must upload in one (1) file the aforementioned documents.

Templates for a) P11 Personal History Form and b)  Offeror's Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal (Annex 2) are available through the link below. UNDP General Terms and Conditions for Individual Contractors  are also available:

http://gofile.me/6xdJm/bE9TCw8fU

Incomplete submission of required documents may result in disqualification.

Please see the deadline of submissions above.

In view of the volume of applications, UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.