Short-Term Consultant (STC) (m/f)

Description

• MozAzul Program: Marine Litter and Pollution Reduction and Management [Pillar 2]
• For Mozambique, promoting a sustainable blue economy is vital. The Indian Ocean Country is exceptionally rich in marine biodiversity, while it depends heavily on the ocean that makes trade and economic activity viable. The fisheries sector makes a substantial direct and indirect contribution to people’s livelihood and economic prosperity in Mozambique. Mozambique’s fisheries sector represents 2% of its GDP, with about 340,210 tons of fish caught and about 14,853 tons exported, resulting in about US$ 90 million in foreign exchange. Over 200,000 people are considered small-scale fishers, who depend on fishing as a key source of their livelihood. The industrial and semi-industrial sectors employ more than 3,500 people. More than 400,000 people are employed in fishing activities and other complementary activities, such as shipbuilding, fish marketing, manufacture and repair of fishing nets, among others. Furthermore, in accordance with the IFC’s Economic Fitness methodology, fishing is among of the most promising sectors for development in Mozambique based on the diversification and complexity of the country’s competitive exports. And yet, the sector still faces important threats
• With 2,470 km of coastline and over 60% of its population living in coastal communities, mismanaged plastic waste in Mozambique has strong potential to eventually enter the ocean (wind, tides, rivers, wastewater, floods, etc.), threatening the diverse marine life, fisheries, tourism and marine transport in the Southwest Indian Ocean. For instance, the Limpopo River which originates in South Africa and flows through Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique is among the top 20 polluting rivers due to mismanaged plastic waste generated by populations residing in the catchment area. With the absence of used gear collection points at ports or beaches, discarded fishing gear has become a significant source of plastic waste
• One such challenge for the Government of Mozambique is marine pollution. Its President, Filipe Nyusi, announced a national plan for combating marine waste, including measures against dumping of plastic waste in the sea. The Ministry of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries (MIMAIP) is laying the foundation for a broader approach to sustainable blue economy development in Mozambique with expanded role in other blue economy sectors. There is significant potential to reduce plastic leakage from Mozambique if the right information and tools are available, and actions taken across various sectors of society. However, there is still little known about the extent of the problem and public awareness is low
• The Mozambique Problue (MozAzul) Program Pillar 2 seeks to address the key gaps in knowledge and data about the plastic pollution problem in Mozambique, and to create an enabling environment for innovation around marine litter in Mozambique. The goal is to construct a holistic understanding of the problem and contribute to the creation of an environment that supports innovative initiatives, while enhancing citizen engagement on the issue
• The WBG Environment, Natural Resources, and Blue Economy Global Practice jointly with the Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation (FCI) Global Practice seek to hire an individual consultant to work on Mozambique’s ProBlue Program Pillar 2 activities, which include:
• Activity 1: Strengthening the analytical base on marine litter in Mozambique
• a) National marine litter and plastic footprint analysis
• b) Policy gap assessment and stakeholder analysis
• c) Assessing the opportunities for transition to a circular economy, through value chain development
• Activity 2: Creating an enabling environment for innovation around litter in Mozambique: a Plastics Social Innovation Incubator Process

Objective

• The main objective of this consultancy is to provide technical and organizational local support to the Mozambique ProBlue Program’s (MozAzul) Pillar II activities. Specifically, the consultant will: (i) contribute to the Pillar 2 stakeholder map regarding Mozambique’s potential transition to a circular economy; (ii) interview and collect relevant data from aforementioned local stakeholders; (iii) contribute to a study on value chain opportunities around plastic waste; and (iv) provide strategic inputs to the Plastic Social Innovation Process and Competition in Mozambique, as it relates to circularity

Duties

Circular economy opportunities

• To increase the analytical base on circular economy opportunities for marine plastic litter in Mozambique and increase private sector engagement around the marine litter problem, a small team will conduct an indepth assessment studying the downstream value chain development of plastic and plastic waste. This assessment will be conducted using a combination of desk research, qualitative interviews with relevant stakeholders, and by leveraging data produced by potential knowledge partners
• The consultant will be asked to:
• Contribute to the methodology for evaluating Mozambique’s real and potential transition to a circular economy
• Map national and municipal stakeholders in Mozambique’s specific to circular economy of plastics
• Organize and lead structured interviews/meetings with stakeholders currently or potentially participating in Mozambique’s transition to a circular economy
• Contribute to the draft report assessing the circular value chain opportunities that exist around plastic waste in Mozambique, and specific hotspots/cities in the country
• Contribute to the Plastic Social Innovation Process and Competition in Mozambique, as it relates to upcycling/remanufacturing. (The Plastics Social Innovation Process seeks to create an enabling environment for innovation around marine litter in Mozambique by supporting the development of new, innovative business models. It will involve a series of meet ups aimed at promoting discussions around marine litter issues and innovative solutions, culminating in the Plastics Innovation Competition 2020. This approach is meant also to crowd-source innovations, and importantly, to raise awareness among the broader public on the problem and the potential for home-grown solutions)
• The consultant will collaborate closely with the MozAzul team, especially with the circular economy senior expert leading this project component
• The assessment will begin with a mapping of the national and municipal stakeholders who already have or may eventually play a potential role in Mozambique’s circular economy of plastics. Based on good practice experiences around the world, the mapping will include the following five categories. This mapping exercise will be conducted in parallel to a broader Blue Economy stakeholder mapping activity part of MozAzul program. As such, this task should leverage findings coming out of the broader Blue Economy sector mapping and specifically focus on circular economy. The preliminary list of stakeholders and eventual interviewees will include:
• Plastic product manufacturers
• Fishing industry stakeholders
• Recycling firms and NGOs
• Entrepreneurs and NGOs involved with material innovations
• Relevant government bodies and development agencies
• The interviews aim to inform:
• Best practice and applicable circular economy examples from Mozambique, particularly in plastics
• Legal, economic and social levers and/or barriers regarding Mozambique’s potential transition to a closed-loop system (i.e. in waste management, coordination among actors, etc.)

Specific tasks include

• Provide written insights to the list of relevant stakeholders to be interviewed
• Provide written feedback on the discussion points/questions to be posed to each
• Organize and conduct interviews/meetings with appropriate representatives from each firm/organization. Visits around Maputo and travel throughout the country as required
• Take detailed written notes from each meeting, and disseminate a clean copy of each with the wider MozAzul team on a weekly basis
• Read and provide expert written guidance on the circular economy value chain analysis conducted by the MozAzul team
• Provide technical/strategic guidance and support to the MozAzul team tasked with designing the Plastic Social Innovation Process and Competition
• Deliverables/Outputs: Outputs are defined in the aforementioned “specific tasks” section

Requisites

• The consultant performing this work must have:
• A Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Economics, or a related field
• At least four years of experience working on issues related to plastic waste management, product innovation; he/she must also be familiar with the circular economy approach. Has the technical depth and breadth, and ability to apply technical knowledge practically
• Proven ability to critically analyze issues and to review and write documents in a strategic and professional manner to a high standard
• High motivation, flexibility, reliability and a proactive approach to working collaboratively with World Bank Group teams and with external consultants and partners, ability to work independently, commitment to delivering results; while seeking feedback regularly and with persistence to ensure that deliverables meet the needs of the Task Team
• Proven capacity and strong interpersonal skills to interact with and interview multiple stakeholders, including government entities, civil society organizations, academia, development partners and the private sector in a professional manner
• Fluency in Portuguese and professional proficiency in English

Notes

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted
• Interested candidates should submit a CV and statement of interest
• The position is for 40 days from January 17, 2020 to June 30, 2020. Travel within Mozambique is expected. Travel and meeting or coordination costs, if needed, will be covered by the World Bank Group. An increase in the number of days and duration of contract is possible and will be negotiated with the Team Leads