Development in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) began to increase in the last two decades. The Region has seen vast infrastructure expansion of roads, bridges, telecommunications and public utility services. At the same time, rural to urban migration has resulted in large population centers with vastly different consumption demands than before.

Prior to the recent boom, infrastructure and economic development in the KRI has been hampered. As such, waste management practices – regulation, collection, and disposal – are also undeveloped. Often unregulated, personal, industrial, chemical, and hospital waste is collected by private entities and disposed in undesignated spaces close to population centers, and without accounting for public safety.[1]

The KRI lacks modern and efficient infrastructure for collection and disposal.[2] It is common to see heaps of garbage both in urban and rural areas set on fire or polluting water sources. Ultimately, these risky practices are a result of insufficient services and regulation, as well as an uninformed citizenry.

These shortfalls in services represent an opportunity for improvement, investment and economic growth. Reducing landfill waste is an environmental and public health necessity, but also an opportunity to provide jobs in reprocessing some of the materials for industrial use.

Since the economic downturn and large-scale displacement in Iraq, competition for employment in the struggling KRI economy has been a major challenge for IDPs and Syrian refugees. Sustainable employment in sustainable industries is needed for growth and stability of the local economy.

The solid waste management sector is one that will operate and provide income opportunities regardless of the economic situation. An assessment that identifies market linkages, as well as market gaps, is needed for improvement of the system of waste collection and disposal, and to provide opportunities for the recovery of the local economy at the same time.

Currently, solid waste collection and disposal is a strain on the environment and human health, as well as the economy. While the KRI has seen rapid economic growth over the past decade, it has stagnated, or even declined in some sectors since the instability caused by the emergence of IS in 2014 and fall in oil prices. As part of the effort to boost economic growth taking advantage of existing resources, an assessment is needed to evaluate the industrial potential of solid waste management in the KRI.

There is a need to map out the value chains and potential for increased efficiency in this sector. Beyond the regulated establishment of safe landfills, collection of waste, and safe disposal of different kinds of waste (industrial, hospital, etc.), information is needed on the potential for employment and private sector opportunities to recycle and reuse the waste. Stability in this industry could provide short term or long-term livelihoods for displaced and host communities.

Objective of the study:

The aim of the study is to examine the existing solid waste management cycle and potential related value chains in the KRI and identify entry points to create additional livelihoods and self- employment opportunities through the processing of waste (e.g. recycling, reusing, and marketing and sales of recycled or raw materials to be recycled, to potential markets inside or outside of Iraq), as well as find economically and environmentally sound solutions to the KRI’s waste crisis.

1. The primary objective is to assess the current solid waste management (SWM) cycle and value chain systems, various stakeholders, and potential private sector actors.
2. Identify opportunities and constraints for SWM related products and processing opportunities that have a high potential for employment creation.
3. Provide recommendations on specific entry points for civil society organizations, the private sector and public authorities to support livelihoods initiatives in the solid waste value chain in the urban, peri-urban and rural areas of all three governorates in the KRI (including camps/off-camp settlement areas).

[1] Ainajjar, Ashraf. Solid Waste Management in Iraq. 13 October 2016. http://www.ecomena.org/swm-iraq/

[2] Ainajjar, Ashraf. Solid Waste Management in Iraq. 13 October 2016. http://www.ecomena.org/swm-iraq/

Development in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) began to increase in the last two decades. The Region has seen vast infrastructure expansion of roads, bridges, telecommunications and public utility services. At the same time, rural to urban migration has resulted in large population centers with vastly different consumption demands than before.

Prior to the recent boom, infrastructure and economic development in the KRI has been hampered. As such, waste management practices – regulation, collection, and disposal – are also undeveloped. Often unregulated, personal, industrial, chemical, and hospital waste is collected by private entities and disposed in undesignated spaces close to population centers, and without accounting for public safety.[1]

The KRI lacks modern and efficient infrastructure for collection and disposal.[2] It is common to see heaps of garbage both in urban and rural areas set on fire or polluting water sources. Ultimately, these risky practices are a result of insufficient services and regulation, as well as an uninformed citizenry.

These shortfalls in services represent an opportunity for improvement, investment and economic growth. Reducing landfill waste is an environmental and public health necessity, but also an opportunity to provide jobs in reprocessing some of the materials for industrial use.

Since the economic downturn and large-scale displacement in Iraq, competition for employment in the struggling KRI economy has been a major challenge for IDPs and Syrian refugees. Sustainable employment in sustainable industries is needed for growth and stability of the local economy.

The solid waste management sector is one that will operate and provide income opportunities regardless of the economic situation. An assessment that identifies market linkages, as well as market gaps, is needed for improvement of the system of waste collection and disposal, and to provide opportunities for the recovery of the local economy at the same time.

Currently, solid waste collection and disposal is a strain on the environment and human health, as well as the economy. While the KRI has seen rapid economic growth over the past decade, it has stagnated, or even declined in some sectors since the instability caused by the emergence of IS in 2014 and fall in oil prices. As part of the effort to boost economic growth taking advantage of existing resources, an assessment is needed to evaluate the industrial potential of solid waste management in the KRI.

There is a need to map out the value chains and potential for increased efficiency in this sector. Beyond the regulated establishment of safe landfills, collection of waste, and safe disposal of different kinds of waste (industrial, hospital, etc.), information is needed on the potential for employment and private sector opportunities to recycle and reuse the waste. Stability in this industry could provide short term or long-term livelihoods for displaced and host communities.

Objective of the study:

The aim of the study is to examine the existing solid waste management cycle and potential related value chains in the KRI and identify entry points to create additional livelihoods and self- employment opportunities through the processing of waste (e.g. recycling, reusing, and marketing and sales of recycled or raw materials to be recycled, to potential markets inside or outside of Iraq), as well as find economically and environmentally sound solutions to the KRI’s waste crisis.

1. The primary objective is to assess the current solid waste management (SWM) cycle and value chain systems, various stakeholders, and potential private sector actors.
2. Identify opportunities and constraints for SWM related products and processing opportunities that have a high potential for employment creation.
3. Provide recommendations on specific entry points for civil society organizations, the private sector and public authorities to support livelihoods initiatives in the solid waste value chain in the urban, peri-urban and rural areas of all three governorates in the KRI (including camps/off-camp settlement areas).

[1] Ainajjar, Ashraf. Solid Waste Management in Iraq. 13 October 2016. http://www.ecomena.org/swm-iraq/

[2] Ainajjar, Ashraf. Solid Waste Management in Iraq. 13 October 2016. http://www.ecomena.org/swm-iraq/

cope of Work:

• A review of available literature;
• Interviews with key players of governmental, non-governmental, and private entities:
  • Governmental: Municipalities of differing sizes, Ministries of Trade and Industry, Planning, Agriculture and Water Resources, Municipalities and Tourism, Health and Finance and the Economy, governorate offices
  • Non-governmental entities: NGOs and UN Agencies, especially those with a mandate or current or past projects dealing with sanitation and solid waste management, composting, recycling initiatives, etc.
  • Private sector actors and other stakeholders: Companies working in waste collection and disposal, with an interest in working in this sector, green industries, etc.

• Locating major markets of waste related products, including industries involved with but not limited to: fertilizer for agriculture products, paper production (waste paper), glass manufacture (glass cullet), plastic product production (waste plastic), steel making (scrap ferrous metals), aluminum product production (used cans), and glue manufacture (bones); interviews with Industries, local middle men (Agents) and waste Importers as well as waste pickers.
• Field visits on sites with high potential of waste production, including urban areas and their surroundings, formal and informal dumpsites, long-term displacement camps in urban and rural areas, formal and informal recycling operations and work-sites where waste is collected, sorted and dumped.

In order to analyze the solid waste cycle and value chains in the KRI and identify entry points for employment creation, the following five basic tasks/steps should be carried out:

1. Solid waste value chain mapping:  to identify existing business operations and functions around solid waste; chain operators and their linkages, as well as the chain supporters within the value chain. 

Solid waste cycle and value chain maps need to be developed as the core of analysis taking various areas as examples within KRI such as IDP camps, refugee camps, off-camp areas, host-community areas, rural versus urban areas – each to be analyzed separately according to their specificities.

Key steps:

1. Visualize (map) the below three elements, presenting the micro and macro level of the cycle and value chain: 

• The sequence of production to marketing functions related to solid waste currently performed;
• The solid waste value chain key actors implementing these functions; and
• The vertical business links between operators.
• Market conditions (legal, prices, social…)

1. Broad assessment quantifying and describing solid waste volumes. It will be important to attach numbers to the basic chain map-e.g. numbers of actors, identify the volume of waste produced and the market shares of particular segments in the solid waste chain in order to make the map for decision making and planning. 

Such an assessment will be important to help identify specific opportunities for employment creation for specific groups, such as women and youth within areas of selection, recycling, reusing and composting waste.

The political, institutional and legal framework conditions around solid waste enabling or hindering chain development, at governorate and municipalities level, should be addressed in this part of the analysis.

Key steps:

1. To complement the value chain map with quantitative information and analysis in various areas within KRI such as IDP camps, refugee camps, off-camp areas, host-community areas, rural versus urban areas – each to be analyzed separately according to their specificities. The following should be included:

• Number of existing and potential operators (differentiating size of enterprises) in collecting, dumping, recycling and marketing of waste materials;
• Market share and number of potential employees for each category of operators
• A map of pricing at each level for different products;
• Shares of product flow of the different sub-chains/distribution channels of solid waste;

• Zoom in on the basic value chain map to generate thematic chain maps on recycling; reuse and composting.
• Special value chain studies on the stakeholder groups specific for the IDP’s, refugees and host communities (including informal waste pickers) as well as women and youth.
  1. Economic analysis of solid waste value chains to assess value chain performance in terms of economic efficiency. This includes determining the value added along the stages of the value chain, the cost of production and, to the extent possible, the income of operators. In addition to that, this part of the analysis should look into the transaction costs, such as the cost of doing business related to solid waste, collecting information and enforcing contracts. The economic performance of a value chain should be benchmarked-i.e. the value of important parameters to be those of competing chains in other countries in the region.

1. Market research on solid waste related goods and services: This part of the assessment should look into the growth potential on goods and services around solid waste, identify market opportunities, and formulate an action plan on how to market and sell solid waste from KRI to either abroad or inside the country. This section should also identify potential buyers from abroad (including contact details) and the specific requirements for those market linkages to take place.

Key steps:

1. Demand analysis of solid waste value chain in the KRI:
   • Demand of final consumers of waste products
   • Demand of industrial customers and exporters
2. Demand trend analysis:
   • Recent trend demand over time (in terms of value, volume, variety)
3. Growth potential:
   • Positive/potential growth trend of solid waste value chain and unmet market demand;
   • Scope for expanding productions and value-addition through processing or product improvement of solid waste;
   • Competitive advantage of the solid waste value chain (unique product/local specialty, low cost of production);
   • Share of poor people, women and youth that can be employed in the solid waste value chain;
   • Low entry barriers for small-scale and poor entrepreneurs (low start-up cost, not requiring major capital investment, using low-tech skills);
   • Significance for the rural economy.
4. The conditions of market access:
   • Existing distribution channels (e.g. industry, export or end-consumer markets;
   • Power of market participants (e.g. monopolies);
   • Infrastructure of roads and market places (e.g. storage facilities);
   • Product standards (e.g. laws/regulations on product safety);
   • Tax and tariff regimes (e.g. customs tariffs on inputs);
   • Service offers facilitating market access (e.g. financial and information services).
5. Profiles of products from solid waste-e.g. recycled/reused products:
   • Availability in the market (domestic and/or imported);
   • Processed by the local industry for the domestic and/or export market;
   • Possible new products having a market potential in the KRI. 
6. Market access requirement:
   • Types of products around solid waste in demand;
   • Market size and trends (e.g. volumes traded, consumption of different consumer groups);
   • Product prices (e.g. maximum and minimum prices, price trends, fluctuations, price range);
   • Requirements of buyers in terms of quality, price, volume and reliability.
   • List of potential buyers in the region and around the world as well as the type of products they would be interested in
7. The competitors and performance: 
   • Competing producers and value chains (e.g. imports, supplies from other regions);
   • Performance of competing market participants (e.g. quality, price)
   • Competitive advantages of competitors (e.g. market distance)
   • Competing products (e.g. products currently used);
8. SWOT analysis on the solid waste market regime in the KRI, including, amongst others, and provide:
   • Processing capacities and technology;
   • Physical infrastructure;
   • Logistics/transport/recycling and compositing facilities in processing and trade;
   • Technical barriers to process solid waste products;
   • Marketing services;
   • Policy and regulatory impediments, administrative requirements.

1. Entry points of intervention to facilitate upgrading of solid waste value chain targeting IDP’s, refugees and host communities in particular, based on the information of the value chain analysis.  In particular, on recycling it is crucial to understand how to enhance the level of recycling and resource recovery based on local market demand for recyclables, the factors affecting local market demand, and the availability of competitive materials (including imported recyclables from industrialized countries); how to enable key agencies to better understand how to upgrade the status, income, productivity, and working conditions of waste pickers and others involved in recycling on the picker-to-buyer-to-end-user network and the factors affecting pricing and profits in recycling;  and how to enable key agencies to develop policies, institutional changes, and financial incentives which would support improved and increased recovery of recyclables, and improved and increased market demand for recyclables.

Key steps and questions:

1. Analyze opportunities and constraints to solid waste chain upgrading;
2. Identify actors implementing the solid waste value chain upgrading strategy;
3. Formulate potential matrix on prioritized interventions, using market for poor approach. 

In order to conduct the above tasks, the scope of work will include: 

• A review of available literature;
• Interviews with key players of governmental, non-governmental, and private entities:

Governmental: Municipalities of differing sizes, Ministries of Trade and Industry, Planning, Agriculture and Water Resources, Municipalities and Tourism, Health and Finance and the Economy, governorate offices

Non-governmental entities: NGOs and UN Agencies, especially those with a mandate or current or past projects dealing with sanitation and solid waste management, composting, recycling initiatives, etc.

Private sector actors and other stakeholders: Companies working in waste collection and disposal, with an interest in working in this sector, green industries, etc.

• Locating major markets of waste related products, including industries involved with but not limited to: fertilizer for agriculture products, paper production (waste paper), glass manufacture (glass cullet), plastic product production (waste plastic), steel making (scrap ferrous metals), aluminum product production (used cans), and glue manufacture (bones); interviews with Industries, local middle men (Agents) and waste Importers as well as waste pickers.
• Field visits on sites with high potential of waste production, including urban areas and their surroundings, formal and informal dumpsites, long-term displacement camps in urban and rural areas, formal and informal recycling operations and work-sites where waste is collected, sorted and dumped.

Expected Outputs, Deliverables and Timelines:

• Solid waste value chain analysis, including value chain maps, assessment of waste types and volumes, economic analysis of solid waste value chains, and market research as explained in Scope of Work section above, focusing on Erbil, Duhok, and Suleymaniyah in the KRI
• Identification of main livelihoods/employment opportunities (direct and indirect) as well as market linkages within the SWM value chain for IDPs, refugees and host communities
• Baseline for current Solid Waste Management systems in each of the three governorates in the KRI
• Identification of institutional and legal framework which may constitute opportunities or threats to the value chain
• Identification of critical gaps and priority entry points for UNDP support
• Develop and recommend a community-based, waste management system which can be adopted by small towns, municipalities, and other small-scale stakeholders
• Develop the enabling tools for policy development, from which a model can evolve to guide replication of SWM in other settings
• Potential action plan and timelines on prioritized onsite and off-site interventions
• Present the results in a workshop to be organized (by UNDP) at the end of the assignment.

The workshop will have maximum 50 organizations in attendance, for a half-day (no lunch)

Competencies:

• Knowledgeable of the local economic and political context, and able to identify and connect with relevant stakeholders
• Ability to produce clear, well-written reports for a diverse audience of development entities, government authorities, private sector actors, etc., presenting the required information in English

Institutional Arrangements:

Project Authority:  The work under this TOR will be supervised by the ICRRP Livelihoods Component Lead; approval and payment to be authorized by the ICRRP Livelihood Component Lead and Programme Manager.

The consultant/s will be expected to independently liaise, contact and coordinate with all relevant stakeholders, including but not limited to those listed in the Scope of Work section. UNDP Project authority will be able to assist in providing contact details when possible or as needed.

Duration of the Work:

The study, including desk and field research, should be conducted within 50 working days from contract signature. The final consultancy report is also due within 50 working days and subject to approval by UNDP Project Authority.

Duty Station:

The consultant is expected to organize their own travel as needed around the KRI – Erbil, Duhok and Suleymaniyah – to conduct field research and interview relevant stakeholders (including but not limited to those listed in the Scope of Work section.

Inputs:

The consultant is responsible for providing a suitable workstation, transportation, materials and equipment needed for the implementation of the study, and should be included in the financial proposal.

The technical and financial proposal should include any team members the contractor deems necessary to carry out the study.

Reports can be submitted by e-mail to the Project Authority. In person meetings may be required at the discretion of the Project Authority in Erbil.

Academic Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in environmental or ecological engineering, or discipline relating to waste management

 Years of experience:

• Minimum of three years’ experience in conducting similar assessments and projects
• Specialized expertise in strategic planning of environmental and livelihoods/ development initiative

  Special skills requirements

  Language: Experience in the local context and ability to speak local language

• There is no requirement for the number of team members; the team should be able to conduct a comprehensive study, as discussed in the Scope of Work and Expected Outputs, in the specified duration. The team’s combined competencies and qualifications will be evaluated as per the Evaluation Criteria

• PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:

• Daily Fee – The contractor shall propose a daily fee, which should be inclusive of his professional fee, local communication cost and insurance (inclusive of medical health insurance and evacuation).
• The contractor shall propose a Living allowance at the Erbil applicable rate of USD 73 per night for his/her stay at the duty station.
• Travel & Visa – The contractor shall propose an estimated lump-sum for home-Erbil-home travel (economy most direct route) and Iraq entry visa expenses. The total professional fee, shall be converted into a lump-sum contract and payments under the contract shall be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables under the contract in accordance with the schedule of payment linked with deliverables.

The whole of the fee will be divided into three installments corresponding to the approval of three reports submitted.

1. First Interim report: within 20 working days
2. Second interim report: within 40 working days
3. Final Draft Report:  within 50 working days

1. 40 % after completion, submission and approval of first interim report
2. 30 % after completion, submission and approval of second interim report

30% after completion, submission and approval of final consultancy report

EVALUATION METHOD AND CRITERIA

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria: weight 70%

* Financial Criteria weight 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

Technical Criteria – Maximum 70 points

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria 70 points

Technical Proposal (30 marks)

• Technical Approach & Methodology (20 marks) – Explain the understanding of the objectives of the assignment, approach to the services, methodology for carrying out the activities and obtaining the expected output, and the degree of detail of such output. The Applicant should also explain the methodologies proposed to adopt and highlight the compatibility of those methodologies with the proposed approach.
• Work Plan (10 marks) – The Applicant should propose the main activities of the assignment, their content and duration, phasing and interrelations, milestones (including interim approvals by the Client), and delivery dates. The proposed work plan should be consistent with the technical approach and methodology, showing understanding of the TOR and ability to translate them into a feasible working plan.

Qualification and Experience (40 marks) [evaluation of CV]:

• General Qualification (20 marks);
• Experience relevant to the assignment (20 marks);

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document

Annex

OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP

CONFIRMING INTEREST AND AVAILABILITY

FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR (IC) ASSIGNMENT

Date                                        

Mr. Mounir Tabet

United Nations Development Programme

Erbil, Iraq

Dear Sir/Madam:

I hereby declare that:

1. I have read, understood and hereby accept the Terms of Reference describing the duties and responsibilities of [ indicate title of assignment]  under the [state project title];

1. I have also read, understood and hereby accept UNDP’s General Conditions of Contract for the Services of the Individual Contractors;

1. I hereby propose my services and I confirm my interest in performing the  assignment through the submission of my CV or Personal History Form (P11) which I have duly signed and attached hereto as Annex 1;

1. In compliance with the requirements of the Terms of Reference, I  hereby confirm that I am available for the entire duration of the assignment, and I shall perform the services in the manner described in my proposed approach/methodology which I have attached hereto as Annex 3 [delete this item if the TOR does not require submission of this document];

1. I hereby propose to complete the services based on the following payment rate : [pls. check the box corresponding to the preferred option]:

1. An all-inclusive daily fee of [state amount in words and in numbers indicating currency]
2. A total lump sum of [state amount in words and in numbers, indicating exact currency], payable in the manner described in the Terms of Reference.

1. For your evaluation, the breakdown of the abovementioned all-inclusive amount is attached hereto as Annex 2;

1. I recognize that the payment of the abovementioned amounts due to me shall be based on my delivery of outputs within the timeframe specified in the TOR, which shall be subject to UNDP's review, acceptance and payment certification procedures;

1. This offer shall remain valid for a total period of ___________ days [minimum of 90 days] after the submission deadline;

1. I confirm that I have no first degree relative (mother, father, son, daughter, spouse/partner, brother or sister) currently employed with any UN agency or office [disclose the name of the relative, the UN office employing the relative, and the relationship if, any such relationship exists];

1. If I am selected for this assignment, I shall [pls. check the appropriate box]:

1. Sign an Individual Contract with UNDP;
2. Request my employer [state name of company/organization/institution] to sign with UNDP a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), for and on my behalf.  The contact person and details of my employer for this purpose are as follows:

1. I hereby confirm that [check all that applies]:

1. At the time of this submission, I have no active Individual Contract or any form of engagement with any Business Unit of UNDP;
2. I am currently engaged with UNDP and/or other entities for the following work  :

1. I am also anticipating conclusion of the following work from UNDP and/or other entities for which I have submitted a proposal :

• I fully understand and recognize that UNDP is not bound to accept this proposal, and I also understand and accept that I shall bear all costs associated with its preparation and submission and that UNDP will in no case be responsible or liable for those costs, regardless of the conduct or outcome of the selection process.

1. If you are a former staff member of the United Nations recently separated, pls. add this section to your letter:   I hereby confirm that I have complied with the minimum break in service required before I can be eligible for an Individual Contract. 

• I also fully understand that, if I am engaged as an Individual Contractor, I have no expectations nor entitlements whatsoever to be re-instated or re-employed as a staff member. 

• I hereby confirm that I am in good health and able to travel to undertake the present assignment

Full Name and Signature:                                                          Date Signed:

Annexes [pls. check all that applies]:

1. CV or Duly signed P11 Form
2. Breakdown of Costs Supporting the Final All-Inclusive Price as per Template
3. Brief Description of Approach to Work (if required by the TOR)

BREAKDOWN OF COSTS

SUPPORTING THE ALL-INCLUSIVE FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

1. Breakdown of Cost by Components:

1. Breakdown of Cost by Deliverables* as per the Schedule of Payment indicated in the ToR

*Basis for payment tranches. More rows can be added if required as per the ToR.