National Consultant for Regional Research on COVID-19 Medical Waste Management

Myanmar National Only.
Services/Work Description: Coordinating in-country research activities and support for regional research on COVID-19 Medical Waste Management in 5 countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal and Philippines)
Project/Programme Title: Learning from China’s Experience to Improve the Ability of Response to COVID- 19 in Asia and the Pacific Region
Consultancy Title: National Consultant for Regional Research on COVID-19 Medical Waste Management (Myanmar)
Duty Station: Myanmar
Duration: January 20 ��������� May 31 2022 (in total 30 working days)
Expected start date: January 20 2022
BACKGROUND
COVID-19, with its highly contagious and transmissible nature, has led to the exponential increase of healthcare waste generated in healthcare and quarantine facilities, medical laboratories and biomedical research facilities. Additionally, the increase in the amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) used during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to normal circumstances, has further contributed towards thease in healthcare solid waste. For example, recent research estimated that every minute 3 million facial masks are thrown away globally1 and in some cities in the Asia and the Pacific the volume of medical waste has been increased by 500% on average compared with before COVID-19 figures.2
If not properly treated and managed, such large amount of waste will pose serious risks of disease transmission to waste pickers, waste workers, health workers, patients, and the community in general through exposure to infectious agents. In addition, unmanaged or poor-managed waste will also cause pollution and create new environmental risks.
COVID-19 has put significant additional burden on all phases of medical waste management systems, from segregation, collection, storage, transportation, treatment to final disposal. In light of the serious issue, international organizations such as WHO have developed a series of guidelines to support the countries manage healthcare waste resulting from the current pandemic. Many countries have also formulated policies, plans and SOPs on COVID-19 medical waste management at national and local levels. However, institutional and capacity gaps continue to persist, such as shortage of waste treatment equipment and
1 Elvis Genbo Xu, Zhiyong Jason Ren. Preventing masks from becoming the next plastic problem. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2021, 15(6): 125
2 ADB. Managing Infectious Medical Waste during the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020.facilities, lack of technologies for safe transportation and disposal, lack of professional workers and expertise for safe operations and the need for awareness-raising and behavioral changes towards better management of COVID medical waste etc.
UNDP, in partnership with the Government of China, is undertaking a regional project to support COVID- 19 medical waste management capacity building in 5 countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal and Philippines. Under the project, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Building Team at UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH), in collaboration with Country Offices in the project countries, aims to conduct a series of research to better understand the most pressing issues of medical waste management in 5 project countries through the systems approach, fostering changes in mindset, perceptions, behaviors and actions, towards more systematic and risk-informed medical waste management practices.
The research will take a phased approach, with baseline and benchmarking assessment as the initial step to map out the pinpoints that call for most attention and efforts of interventions, accompanied by a systems thinking workshop for each country to facilitate systems thinking and design among stakeholders supervising or working on multiple medical waste management stages. Based on the findings of baseline and benchmarking assessment, a research and experimentation will be conducted by applying behavioral insights (BI) to nudge for better changes in COVID medical waste management.
UNDP Myanmar is hiring a national consultant to support 1) an international consultant working on Health Care Waste (HCW) baseline and benchmarking assessment, and 2) an international consultant working on HCW behavioral insights, in terms of in-country data collection, stakeholder coordination and other research-related activities in close coordination with UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH).
SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED WORK
Under the overall guidance of Deputy Resident Representative and the supervision of Project Manager, UNDP Myanmar and in close coordination with international consultants and UNDP BRH, the Consultant is expected to undertake the below roles and responsibilities:
��������� Supporting the international consultant on baseline and benchmarking assessment to collect relevant data and statistics of Myanmar, including coordinating and organizing focus group discussions, stakeholder interviews, questionnaires and consultations etc. ; ��������� Supporting the international consultant on baseline and benchmarkingto organize 1 online systems thinking workshop with key stakeholders in Myanmar, such as professionals and practitioners of multiple HCW management stages to communicate the research results and facilitate system thinking on the causal dynamics and feedback loops within and between medical waste management stages for more coordinated, coherent and systematic future design and action; ��������� Supporting the international consultant on HCW behavioral insights to design and implement the behavioral experiment, including collecting relevant data and coordinating stakeholder meetings, experiment activities etc.; ��������� Supporting the communications of the research in the country, including preparing communications material and products (photos, videos, newsletters, tweets, blogs etc.) ��������� Any other tasks as assigned by Project Manager, UNDP Myanmar.
EXPECTED OUPUTS AND DELIVERABLES
Deliverables/OutputsDue Dates1. Support provided to the development of 1 baseline and benchmarking assessment report in terata collection, stakeholders coordination, organizing consultation meetings and other necessaryresearch activities;25 March 20222. Support provided to the organization of 1 systems thinking workshop inMyanmar;13 April 20223. Support provided to the design, implementation and results documentation of 1 behavioral insights experiment in Myanmar in terms of in-country data collection, stakeholders coordination, organizingbriefings and consultation meetings and other related activities;15 May 20224. Relevant communications materials and products.15 May 2022
INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTThe Consultant will report directly to the Project Manager under the overall guidance of Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Myanmar. He/She will also work closely with 2 international consultants and DRT, UNDP BRH.
DURATION OF THE WORKThis assignment will start on January 2022 and complete on 31 May 2022, for 30 working days.
DUTY STATIONIn MyanmarInternational travel is not required
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
Educational Qualifications
Bachelor���������s Degree or above in public administration, international relations, political science, development studies, medical science, environmental science, public health, medical waste management, or relevant.
Experience ��������� Minimum seven years of relevant work experience. ��������� Minimum five years of experience working with relevant public sectors, research institutions, medical waste management agencies or development partners. ��������� Proven experience and knowledge of medical waste management in the COVID-19 context. ��������� Proven experience and knowledge of existing medical waste management system and challenges in Myanmar.
Language
Fluency in English and Myanmar language.
Competencies
��������� Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability; ��������� Displays integrity and fairness – embodies UN values and promotes the well-being of all individuals regardless of gender, religion, race, nationality, or age; ��������� Results-driessure and to meet deadlines; ��������� Ability to work under minimum supervision; ��������� Highly motivated with a positive attitude and problem-solving approach; ��������� Good interpersonal and networking skills, supports and encourages o