Duties and Responsibilities
Background The main mandate of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is to promote sustainable development of human settlements and policies conducive to adequate housing for all. Within this framework, UN-Habitat supports central and state governments, as well as local authorities and other partners for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the 2030 Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. UN-Habitat helps the urban poor by transforming cities into safer, more inclusive, compact, integrated, resilient and connected places with better opportunities where everyone can live with dignity. It works with organizations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society, and the private sector to help build, manage, plan, and finance sustainable urban development. The Regional Office for Latin American and the Caribbean – ROLAC – is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Agency puts emphasis in developing and managing activities in the host country. Indeed, for the past years, UN-Habitat has expanded its portfolio in Brazil by working with the three tiers of government to support the formulation and implementation of more effective, sustainable, participative, and socially fairer urban economic, social, and environmental policies. UN-Habitat has initiated a project with the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro (GERJ) aimed at strengthening urban resilience in the State of Rio de Janeiro based on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the principles of the New Urban Agenda. The Inclusive and Sustainable Rio project supports the State in achieving urban prosperity while implementing global agendas for sustainable urban development. In particular, the proposal focuses on increasing urban resilience through the engagement of civil society to promote inclusion within the climate agenda of the State of Rio de Janeiro. The revision of the State Solid Waste Plan of Rio de Janeiro (PERS-RJ) is part of the scope of this project and constitutes a strategic instrument for strengthening the state policy on solid waste, in alignment with national guidelines and international sustainable development agendas. The process involves the preparation of an updated diagnosis, the development of scenarios, and the definition of strategies, actions, targets, and implementation instruments, considering the territorial, institutional, and socio-environmental diversity of the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro State. It adopts an integrated approach with the participation of state agencies, municipalities, public consortia, the productive sector, waste picker cooperatives, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders. To properly implement the above-mentioned project, a Senior Consultant on Non-Urban Solid Waste Streams is required to contribute to the review of the State Solid Waste Plan of Rio de Janeiro (PERS-RJ), covering the solid waste streams defined under Federal Law No. 12.305/2010 that do not fall under urban solid waste, with a diagnostic, strategic and territorial approach. The consultancy will provide specialized technical inputs for the consolidated diagnostic and subsequent planning stages, including, but not limited to: a) industrial waste; b) healthcare waste; c) construction and demolition waste; d) agricultural and forestry waste; e) transport-related waste; f) mining waste; and g) commercial and service waste not classified as household-equivalent waste. Report to UN-Habitat Manager The Senior Consultant on Non-Urban Solid Waste Streams reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her. Responsibilities The Senior Consultant on Non-Urban Solid Waste Streams will support the implementation of the project and its activities with the following responsibilities: a) Develop and implement the Technical Work Plan for the consultancy, aligned with the overall project timeline. b) Contribute to the preparation of the Technical Diagnostic of the PERS-RJ, within the scope of the waste streams defined under the National Solid Waste Policy (Federal Law No. 12.305/2010) that do not fall under urban solid waste, including, but not limited to, industrial waste, healthcare waste, construction and demolition waste, agricultural and forestry waste, transport-related waste and mining waste, considering technical, territorial, institutional and operational dimensions. c) Conduct diagnostic analyses of non-urban waste streams, including construction and demolition waste (CDW), healthcare waste (HCW), bulky waste and other relevant streams, considering generation, characterization, flows, treatment and final disposal, as well as institutional arrangements and responsibilities. d) Identify and characterize environmental liabilities and critical situations associated with different waste streams, including areas of irregular disposal and environmental risks related to their specific characteristics. e) Produce technical inputs related to the sustainability of management systems for different waste streams, considering operational, institutional and territorial aspects. f) Provide technical support to social participation processes related to the waste streams under analysis, contributing to the assessment and incorporation of relevant inputs within the scope of the consultancy. g) Work in an integrated manner with other project workstreams, respecting the division of thematic responsibilities defined by the coordination and ensuring methodological and territorial coherence, contributing to the development of an integrated diagnostic of solid waste management systems at the state level. h) Develop strategic diagnostic analyses related to different waste streams, including the identification of relevant environmental impacts and associated sectoral dynamics. i) Participate, if required and in accordance with project planning, in selected in-person activities related to the diagnostic phase, including seminars, public hearings and regional workshops, providing technical contributions to their design and structuring within the scope of the consultancy. j) Liaise with teams responsible for data analysis and georeferencing to ensure the technical, territorial and methodological consistency of information and cartographic outputs related to the analyzed waste streams. k) Ensure technical quality, methodological consistency and alignment with UN-Habitat standards across all deliverables. l) Maintain an organized system of files, data, and information produced within the scope of the consultancy. m) Present partial results, technical notes, spreadsheets, databases and other intermediate outputs whenever requested by the Project Coordination. n) Participate in periodic technical meetings, preferably virtually and, if required, in person, as requested by the Project Coordination. o) Participate in project-related missions, if required. The consultant will be responsible for completing all courses and training activities that are indicated to him/her by his/her supervisor. The security course BSAFE, from UNDSS, is required to be accredited during the first month of employment. The consultant will be responsible for his/her own security, so the person should get familiarized with United Nations security mechanisms and comply with them according to the Framework of Accountability for the United Nations Security Management System. Outputs/Work Assignment The Senior Consultant on Non-Urban Solid Waste Streams will support the implementation of the project, in accordance with the stated responsibilities and the delivery of the following products: Product 1 – Technical Work Plan Description: Product 1 shall include: (i) a methodological approach for the development of the diagnostic of solid waste streams that do not fall under urban solid waste, including technical criteria, definition of the waste streams to be analyzed, data sources, analytical strategies and methodological limitations; (ii) the structure and scope of the technical deliverables to be developed, including detailed analytical content related to the different waste streams defined under Federal Law No. 12.305/2010, such as industrial waste, healthcare waste, construction and demolition waste, agricultural and forestry waste, transport-related waste and mining waste, covering aspects of generation, characterization, flows, treatment and final disposal; (iii) a work schedule for the implementation of activities, including definition of phases, delivery milestones and articulation with the overall project timeline; (iv) a strategy for technical coordination with other consultants and project workstreams, including integration with urban solid waste analyses, reverse logistics, economic and financial assessments, geoprocessing and social participation, ensuring methodological coherence and complementarity across analyses, including alignment with urban solid waste diagnostics and other waste streams addressed under the Plan. The Technical Work Plan may be adjusted throughout implementation, subject to validation by the Project Coordination, without altering the contractual scope. Delivery date: 30 days after contract signature. Product 2 – Preliminary Diagnostic Technical Report on Non-Urban Solid Waste Streams Description: Product 2 shall include: (i) preliminary characterization of generation, typologies and dynamics of non-urban waste streams in the State, including industrial, healthcare, construction and demolition, agricultural and forestry, transport-related and mining waste, considering territorial differences and regional patterns; (ii) preliminary diagnostic of management systems associated with different waste streams, including, where applicable, collection, transport, treatment and final disposal, as well as characterization of infrastructure, operators, institutional arrangements and associated responsibilities; (iii) preliminary mapping of environmental liabilities and identification of critical situations, including irregular disposal and environmental risks associated with different waste streams; (iv) systematization of relevant information on the operational, institutional and territorial sustainability of these management systems, to support other analytical components of the Plan; (v) preliminary identification of gaps, bottlenecks and technical, institutional and territorial challenges associated with the management of different waste streams; (vi) initial diagnostic analyses of associated environmental impacts, including diffuse pollution, irregular disposal and other relevant externalities; (vii) articulation with preliminary urban solid waste analyses and other project components, ensuring consistency and complementarity within the overall diagnostic framework. This deliverable shall present the preliminary diagnostic assessment of non-urban solid waste streams in the State of Rio de Janeiro, based on secondary data, institutional information, territorial analyses and technical inputs produced within the project. Delivery date: 120 days after contract signature. Product 3 – In-Depth Diagnostic Technical Report of Non-Urban Solid Waste Streams Description: Product 3 shall include: (i) in-depth analysis of generation, typologies and dynamics of non-urban waste streams at the state level, including trends, territorial patterns and key flows; (ii) detailed analysis of management systems associated with different waste streams, including infrastructure, operational arrangements, institutional responsibilities and regional articulations; (iii) critical assessment of environmental liabilities and key risks associated with the management of these waste streams, including irregular disposal and structural deficiencies; (iv) evaluation of the sustainability of management systems, considering operational, institutional and territorial aspects, identifying weaknesses and potentialities; (v) systematization and analysis of key technical, regulatory, institutional and territorial bottlenecks, aimed at supporting the formulation of strategies within the PERS-RJ; (vi) strategic thematic analyses related to waste streams, including their interface with relevant environmental impacts and their articulation with regional planning instruments; (vii) integration with urban solid waste diagnostics and other waste stream analyses, ensuring coherence and complementarity within the overall solid waste management framework of the State. This product shall present an in-depth technical analysis of non-urban solid waste streams in the State of Rio de Janeiro, consolidating preliminary findings, incorporating institutional and participatory contributions, and ensuring integration with other project components. Delivery date: 210 days after contract signature. Product 4 – Consolidated Technical Report on Non-Urban Solid Waste Streams and Strategic Inputs for PERS-RJ Description: Product 4 shall include: (i) consolidation of technical and institutional analyses, including systematization of key results, trends and patterns identified across different waste streams; (ii) integration of inputs produced throughout the project, including contributions from economic, territorial, participatory and institutional analyses, ensuring methodological and analytical coherence, as well as consistency with urban solid waste diagnostics and other waste stream analyses; (iii) consolidation of key bottlenecks and challenges associated with the management of different waste streams, considering technical, regulatory, operational and institutional aspects; (iv) synthesis of environmental liabilities and key risks associated with different waste streams; (v) systematization of interfaces with regional and state-level planning instruments, ensuring coherence across territorial scales and waste streams; (vi) organization of technical content in a structured format to support the development of scenarios, strategic definition and action planning within the PERS-RJ. This product consists of the final consolidation of the diagnostic of non-urban solid waste streams in the State of Rio de Janeiro, incorporating methodological refinements, contributions from participatory processes, institutional validations and integration with other technical components of the project. Delivery date: 270 days after contract signature.
Qualifications/special skills
Education Required: • Bachelor's degree in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering (with a focus on Sanitation), Geography, Environmental Management, Environmental Econom-ics, Urban and Regional Planning, or related fields is required. • Postgraduate degree (Lato Sensu or Stricto Sensu) in Sanitation, Solid Waste, Environmental Engineering, Territorial Planning, Public Policy, Circular Economy, or related fields is required, or additional five (5) years of relevant experience to the post, beyond the requirement. Work experience: • Minimum of eight (8) years of professional experience in the management of urban solid waste, diagnosis of urban cleaning systems, sectoral planning, regulation/institutional arrangements, or related technical consultancies in Brazil is required. • Proven experience in the preparation/review of waste management plans (municipal/regional/state) or data-driven territorial diagnostics is required. • Experience in institutional coordination (governments, consortia, service providers, environmental/regulatory agencies) and technical support to participatory processes is required. • Experience in the identification/evaluation of environmental liabilities related to urban solid waste is desirable. • Technical and/or scientific academic publications in the field are desirable. • Previous experience in the preparation or review of solid waste management plans or public policies related to the sector in Rio de Janeiro state is desirable. • Experience working with international organizations, UN agencies, or international cooperation projects is desirable. Skills: • Strong analytical and technical writing skills are required. • Organization, time management and ability to communicate with multidisciplinary teams is required. • Availability to participate remotely and, if required, in selected in-person technical activities in the State of Rio de Janeiro is required. • Ability to work with databases and territorial evidence, familiarity with GIS/georeferenced inputs is desirable. Competencies • Professionalism: Experience working in an inter-institutional environment, project management, monitoring-evaluation; approaches and strategies regarding good ur-ban governance and local and regional development. • Planning and organization: Professional approach to work, strong sense of responsi-bility, operate with minimal supervision; proven organizational skills and ability to manage a workload efficiently and within set deadlines. • Communication: Ability to write clearly and effectively; listen to others, interpret mes-sages correctly and respond appropriately; show openness in information sharing and keep everyone informed; solid abstract reasoning skills together with a proven capac-ity to write documents for diverse audiences. • Teamwork: Ability to work with teams, demonstrate leadership, conflict management and consensus facilitation skills; ability to work in a multicultural and multi-ethnic envi-ronment, and to respect diversity; sensitivity to the main streaming of vulnerability; willingness and ability to work in difficult environments. Knowledge Management • The person must know the processes, procedures, and norms of UN-Habitat, to guar-antee an adequate quality of the activities described above, following the standards of the organization. • The person will propose formats and procedures that allow the efficient implementa-tion of the activities related to the project development. • The person must know the file of the Office, work with it, and ensure its proper maintenance, accessibility for all staff, and due updating. • The person will prepare databases related to the project running. • The person will make sure that all relevant technical information will be adequately shared with the correspondent staff. • The person will ensure that all produced material will be fit-for-purpose and delivered, in an organized way, for posterior consultation and use of the Agency. • The person will only share the information produced with the team agency, assuring the privacy of the content.
