INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page.

GENERAL INFORMATION

GGGI seeks the services of an individual consultant to support the Vang Vieng District Urban Development Administrative Authority (UDAA) to develop policy recommendations on the management of organic waste. The consultant will assess the various options for the management of organic waste using a systems and value chain approach. Some of the aspects to assess include prevention, generation, minimization, source separation, collection, handling, transportation, recovery, valorization and treatment. The policy recommendations shall provide a baseline for transforming the solid waste management system in Vang Vieng including regulation, enforcement and public engagement. The recommendations will also seek to unlock circular economy opportunities for large- and small-scale investors, informal workers, women and youths while addressing the environmental pollution and public health risks.

The assignment will assess and highlight how the sustainable management of organic waste can improve the attractiveness of the city and catalyse tourist opportunities for the hotel, guesthouses, restaurants and tourist hosting communities in Vang Vieng District.

OBJECTIVES / PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The following are the main objectives of this assignment:

1. To develop a baseline and situation analysis report on the organic waste management system and practices in Vang Vieng District and establish the link between organic waste management and attractiveness of the city to tourists.
2. To assess the various organic waste valorisation options and develop costs and benefit scenarios for improving organic waste management and tourism promotion in Vang Vieng District.
3. To develop a comprehensive set of policy recommendations on the management of organic waste and improving the attractiveness of Vang Vieng District as a tourist destination addressing the institutional, regulatory, legal mechanisms and fostering stakeholder involvement, engagement and communication.

ACTIVITIES

a) Develop the situation analysis and status report on organic waste management in Vang Vieng District.

i) Conduct a rapid waste characterisation: The consultant is expected to collect data on the current state of organic waste management in Vang Vieng. This will include a characterisation of the various organic waste types, waste collection and disposal systems and capacity; recycling initiatives; composting initiatives, and any other related activities such as the link between organic waste and agriculture. The consultant will identify and analyse the environment, social, economic, geographic and political factors, issues and stakeholders involved, influencing and/or affecting organic waste management system in Vang Vieng District.

ii) Closely linked to the above output, the consultant will specifically develop/highlight the value chain, material flows and actors involved in the organic waste management within the tourist sector in Vang Vieng District. The consultant will assess their power dynamics and generate a stakeholder management, engagement and communication plan.

iii) Review all relevant literature on the best practices, success factors and opportunities for valorisation of organic waste: the consultant is expected to review relevant literature and propose the most feasible and innovative approaches to management of organic waste, improvement of waste management in tourist destinations and the actions that municipalities/districts are undertaking to manage the two sectors. This activity is expected to highlight some best practices and where they have been applied with the resultant implications on policies, systems and roles of actors. Examples from ASEAN Member States (AMS) will be most preferred and applicable.

iv) Review and assess the institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks: The consultant will undertake a review of all relevant legal and regulatory frameworks governing tourism and the waste management sector. He/she will identify and analyse any relevant policies or regulations in place at local, city, district, provincial and national level that govern organic waste management and the tourism sector. This may involve reviewing waste management policies, environmental regulations, standards (including ISO 14000 standard, ASEAN tourism and waste management standards or any other standards), and incentives or penalties that encourage sustainable waste management practices as well as the regulatory framework for sustainable tourism in the country. The consultant will also assess the institutional set up for management of organic waste at local, city, district ad provincial level identifies its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). This will also involve exploration of synergies between Vang Vieng UDAA and other the public agencies, the private sector, informal sector and non-governmental players.

b) Develop n draft organic waste management and tourism enhancement options assessment report

i) Identify stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities: the consultant shall identify key and influential stakeholders in the organic waste management value chain and the tourism sector and detail the role of each identified stakeholder. He/she shall assess their power dynamics and influence on the sector and propose actions to engage, involve, manage and/or regulate them. Some of the key stakeholder to be engaged include the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and the Project Steering Committee (PSC), the tourist business entities including Hotel, Guest Houses and Restaurants; owners and operators of publicly accessible facilities such as temples, schools, markets and public parks.

ii) Engage stakeholders: based on the stakeholder management, engagement and communication plan, the consultant is expected to conduct a set of engagement activities such as online surveys, physical interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and consultation meetings with the key stakeholders to ascertain their perspectives, challenges and recommendation on how tourism, and the attractiveness of the city/district can be improved through the sustainable management of organic waste. The consultant shall engage actors in the waste management business including waste collection companies, recyclers, informal waste pickers, women, landfill operators, non-profit organizations, potential investors and development partners. The consultant shall undertake at least four formal consultative workshops with the stakeholders.

iii) Identify bottlenecks, opportunities and valorisation options: the consultant shall undertake various technical analyses utilizing approaches such as the cost benefit analysis; options analysis, systems analysis, SWOT analysis to identify the challenges, bottlenecks and opportunities for improving tourism and organic waste management and propose the most optimal approaches premised on the circular economy principles and the sustainable waste management hierarchy.

iv) Prepare draft recommendations on the most optimal waste valorisation approach: The consultant shall produce a set of draft policy and investment recommendations considering gender, informal sector, SMEs and large-scale investments in organic waste management and demonstrate how these can improve the attractiveness of the city and spur growth in tourism. The recommendations should be realistic, innovative, implementable and impactful. The consultant will also assess and recommend the most feasible entry points for execution of these recommendations citing feasibilities for development of waste management strategies, regulations, bi-laws or ordinances and guidelines. Furthermore, the consultant will recommend the most appropriate system or operational model for the management of organic waste. This should include aspects such as the acceptable tariff regime and payment mechanisms as well as the financial and technical benefits for stakeholders engaged in the sustainable management of organic waste.

c) Develop a final organic waste management and tourism enhancement options assessment report Vang Vieng District

The consultant will draft the report that will be reviewed and approved by GGGI with consensus from PIU and relevant stakeholders. The policy recommendations report will consist of an action plan, stakeholder engagement plan, and communication plan. In addition, the report must contain a brief explanation of the importance of organic waste management, key findings and justifications for the recommended waste management actions/recommendations, their implementation strategies, entry points for execution, and a framework for monitoring and evaluating the impact. The report shall also highlight the potential benefits and long-term implications of adopting the policy recommendations.

DELIVERABLES

1. Inception report

1. Contains the Consultant’s understanding and interpretation of the ToRs.
2. The proposed methodology for the assignment and list of identified activities and stakeholders
3. The assignment workplan, timelines, anticipated challenges and resource requirements
4. A clarification on approvals and acceptability of reports/deliverable

2. Situation analysis report

1. Waste characterisation, waste typologies, value chain assessment, material flows
2. Stakeholder management, engagement and communication plan
3. Literature on best practices and lessons from ASEAN Member states
4. Review of institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks

3. First draft organic waste management and tourism enhancement options assessment report

1. Detailed stakeholder analysis and roles and responsibilities
2. Cost benefit analysis, SWOT analysis, Systems analysis of bottlenecks, opportunities and valorisation options
3. Technical analysis and ranking of organic waste valorisation options
4. A set of recommendations on the most optimal organic waste valorisation options
5. Entry points and approaches for implementation of the recommendations

4. Final report.

1. A revised version of deliverable 4 based on stakeholders and PIU/PSC validation and acceptance.
2. Final report includes review and signoff by Vang Vieng UDAA and GGGI Waste Units

DELIVERABLES PACKAGES, TIMEFRAME, AND PAYMENT

The outputs and payment shall be delivered in a phased manner as indicated below.

Reporting requirements

The selected consultant shall report to a head of unit, Waste Unit, GGGI Lao PDR.

The consultant’s work progress will be monitored primarily through periodic review meetings, the precise schedule of which is to be agreed upon during the kick-off meeting. The consultant is also expected to periodically produce, upon GGGI’s request, a formal progress report that includes: an overview of the project, a narrative description of project activities, detailed information on project objectives and milestones, actual achievements made against the timeline set, etc.

One soft copy of the final reports shall be sent to a head of unit, Waste Unit, GGGI Lao PDR. This will be accompanied by all other materials used and generated during the assignment such as questionnaires, interview guides, and raw data etc.

The consultant will be expected to generate activity reports/minutes of consultations/ workshops/ surveys/ interviews/ meetings. These are expected to be submitted within 5 days after completion of each activity. Reports of at least 4 consultative meetings shall be documented and submitted.

Other assignment details

• Costs for workshops

The consultant will need to fully support workshop preparation and documentation of all the assignment activities. The anticipated number of workshops is four; one for induction, two for consultation meetings and one for a validation workshop. Nevertheless, costs of the workshops (excluding the time expenses) will be covered by GGGI on an actual basis following GGGI’s cost norms for the relevant year (which will be shared at the start of the project). Workshops need to be pre-approved by GGGI based on a concept note, suggested participant list and accompanying budget.

• Costs for travel

The consultant should anticipate all trips to relevant activities in Vang Vieng as part of the assignment. For any workshops or other engagements, the consultant will be accompanied by GGGI staff. The consultant is expected to organize own transport, accommodation and other assignment related costs and should factor these in his or her rate. A detailed schedule will be discussed with the successful consultant at the kickoff meeting.

QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE/EXPERTISE

• Academic qualifications

University degree in environmental science, solid waste management, agriculture, biotechnology, forestry, industrial/chemical engineering, sustainability, business administration, economics, or a closely related discipline from a recognized university.

• Professional experience:

1. Minimum of seven years of relevant professional experience (Solid waste management background and experience, with particularly expertise in organic waste value chain analysis, systems analysis, waste processing procedure and standards and waste management policies, local economic development, strategic planning, or a closely related assignments).
2. Expertise in developing solid waste management policies and guidelines
3. Ability to conduct comprehensive research and data analysis.
4. Experience in working with international or national NGOs or with government authorities at national level and local desirable.
5. Knowledge of ISO 14000 (environmental management) standards, ASEAN tourism and waste management standards or any other standards in related to waste management would be an added advantage.
6. Fluency in English and Lao, verbal and written is required.
7. Excellent research, analytical, communication, presentation and report writing skills.
8. Recognition as an expert in the field and having contacts with counterparts predominantly at strategic/management level.