Short Term Consultant: Quality Assurance/ Quality Control Guidelines

1BACKGROUND

The Recycling in Jordan Activity is a multi-year Activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Activity is partnering with the Ministry of Environment (MOENV), the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), and private sector recycling companies to increase the commercial sector’s utilization of recycling services in Amman.

Through a market-based approach, the USAID Recycling in Jordan Activity seeks to improve and expand private-sector recycling markets, increase demand for and use of recycling services within Amman’s commercial sector, and improve business enabling environment for recycling services and markets.

Jordan has a fairly developed plastic recycling value chain recycling including all forms of plastic, for a range of domestic and export products; except for PET which is mostly exported. With close to 614 companies working in the plastic industrial sector, employing around 13,000 workers, and valued at around $1.5bn in 2020, the plastic sector stands for around 5% of the total industrial output in Jordan.

The market system analysis (MSA) of the recycling sector in Amman identified a set of main constraints that negatively affect the quality and quantity of the recyclable materials in the value chains and cause an inconsistent supply of recyclables across the value chains. The findings showed that the lack of quality control standards, poor sorting and handling practices increased material contamination which often reduces the quality, price, and utility of different inputs, rendering secondary and tertiary processing necessary, which increases the cost of inputs, reduces margins, and undermines sector competitiveness. This quality factor is causing issues concerning market access, manufacturers’ demand for recyclable feedstock, and monopolistic price settings and behaviors. Indeed, the lack of differentiated quality standards and grading practices is particularly evident in the processing of recycled plastic. As a result, the lack of quality materials and practices is inhibiting the sector’s growth and performance in a range of different ways. Thus, the lack of value-adding practices delimits access to domestic and global markets and causes price volatility and lower profitability. The range of low-quality recycled products could undermine the extent of manufacturing and use.

The recycling market in Jordan does not have clear quality control standards in terms of process and material and particularly for the plastic waste. The lack of quality control standards stems from the lack of knowledge of good sorting and handling practices. Contamination often reduces the quality, price, and utility of different inputs, rendering secondary and tertiary processing necessary, which increases the cost of inputs, reduces margins, and undermines sector competitiveness. This is causing issues concerning manufacturers’ demand for recyclable feedstock, and monopolistic price settings and behaviors.

Improving the quality standards or guidelines for recycled plastic materials and handling practices across the plastic recycling value chain will increase the recyclable quantities that end-market industries will use as a raw material in producing new products and improve their competitiveness with virgin materials. The wide use of recycled inputs as raw materials in the industry will strengthen the recyclables local market, hence grow demands and boost the collection and processing chains in the supply side of the market.

Certified higher-quality grades would enable manufacturers to increase the proportion of domestically recycled materials against imported virgin grades. This would increase demand. It will also offer significant price opportunities to processors and/or manufacturers, thus reducing price-setting monopolistic behavior. However, there is a real problem in obtaining access to quality materials at source (specially for the post-consumer material). Therefore, waste valorization and segregation at source are fundamental steps to increase the value of post-consumer plastics, as well as to improve material grading and quality of recycled products.

To further investigate the quality constraints found in the market systems analysis previously mentioned; The USAID Recycling in Jordan Activity conducted several meetings with different service providers (SPs) across the plastic recycling value chain to have a better understanding of the forward and backward end user’s perception in the areas of product quality, customer service, and employees’ knowledge. Though several recycling service providers confirmed that they faced quality constraints in supplying the recyclable materials (especially the post-consumer material), which incurred in further costs and lower prices in the market.

2OBJECTIVES

The Activity designed this intervention for the purpose of improving the service providers’ understanding of quality standards and practices across the plastic recycling value chain. This intervention will target different types of market actors across the plastic recycling value chain in Amman with special focus on the end-market industries. This quality improvement will result to an increase in the volumes, values, and inclusion in the recycling sector in Amman.

The specific objective of this consultancy is to deliver “Quality Assurance and Quality Control” guidelines to create/enrich the knowledge of the differentiated quality standard and grading practices among recycling actors in the local market. While developing the guidelines, the consultant shall design and develop the guidelines from the perspective of Quality Assurance and Quality Control (Material/Process), in the same context focusing on creating user-friendly-readable content considering marketing/business perspectives because it will be used as a tool by plastic recycling actors to increase their understanding of quality standards and practices. The approved guidelines will be disseminated across the local recycling market and training sessions will be conducted for several types of service providers across the value chains such as collectors, transporters, sorters, aggregators, processors, manufacturers, and end markets.

To be more specific, the market-driven QA/QC guidelines shall provide full information and answers on the following aspects:

1. Level of knowledge about existing quality standards: What levels of quality requirements for recycled plastic waste are exist in the plastic recycling market?

1. Relevance of quality standards in the secondary raw material market: How important the quality standards are in the secondary raw material market?

1. Consideration of qualities in customer or supply contracts: Are any customer or supply contracts in practice requires certain quality standards?

1. Criteria to be considered in recycling: What quality criteria determine whether further processing must take place at the same product level, or whether downcycling must take place?

1. Recyclability at the same product level: What quality standards could lead to higher recyclability at the same product level in the secondary raw material market?

1. Need for an international standard: Are any customer or supply contracts in practice that require certain international quality standards?

1. Suggestions to the secondary raw material market: what are the key recommendations regarding quality standards in the secondary raw material market?

3DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES

3.1Overview

The Consultant shall apply an exploratory approach which will entail conducting a series of focus groups/key informant interviews with plastic recycling actors across the existing value chains (backward and forward linkages) in the local market. The Consultant shall also employ a downstream approach to define quality needs and requirements in terms of business linkages, market requirements, and price differentials (with a focus on the end-market industries). Based on the findings and results; The Consultant shall develop informative guidelines to improve quality standards and best practices of recyclable materials that will eventually be input supplies or raw materials for the end market. The guidelines shall be designed and developed from the perspective of Quality Assurance and Quality Control (material/processes). Once developed the Recycling in Jordan Activity will disseminate the guidelines and the Consultant shall conduct training sessions for the service providers across the plastic recycling value chain on how to use and maintain these guidelines to improve their recycling practices and the quality of materials collected and supplied to the end-market industries.

3.2Targeted groups

USAID Recycling in Jordan Activity envisioning the consultant to deliver this consultancy to the plastic recyclers with their different function across the recycled plastic value chain as follows:

1. Plastic Waste Sector: which includes sub-value chains in the recycling market in Amman and Zarqa for the following recyclable plastic materials but not limited to HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PP, PS, PET, etc.…

Minimum 12 service providers (SPs) in plastic recycling sector should be targeted and make sure to cover the entire functions across the selected value chains in the recycling market. The QA/QC guidelines shall target all market actors across plastic recycling value chain.

3.3Tasks

For USAID Recycling in Jordan Activity to achieve its objectives, the Consultant shall use his education, considerable experience, and resources to design and deliver the “Quality Assurance and Quality Control” guidelines. The Consultant should keep very close coordination with the Activity in performing the following tasks:

Deliverable 1: Identification of the Service Providers (SPs) to be targeted in the Assignment, design the collection data tools to be used and conduct focus groups (FGs) discussions and/or Key Informant Interviews (KIIs)

The consultant will perform the following tasks:

1. Conduct a market mapping exercise to identify the different groups of active SPs in the plastic recycling value chain within the recycling market in Jordan and develop short lists including but not limited to contact information and responsible representative. The consultant will employ a downstream approach to define quality needs and start with the end-market industries. The consultant can use the stakeholder mapping conducted by the Activity as well as, consult the respective public organizations such as the Jordan Chamber of Industry and Jordan Chamber of Commerce. All the lists shall be approved by the Activity prior to conduct the focus groups and/or key informant interviews.
2. Design and conduct focus groups discussions targeting selected value chains and market actors. The Consultant shall apply an exploratory approach which will entail conducting a series of focus groups/key informant interviews with the recycling actors across the value chains (backward and forward linkages). The consultant shall also employ a downstream approach to define quality needs and requirements in terms of business linkages, market requirements, and price differentials.

Minimum two focus group meetings and/or 12 key informant interviews shall be conducted as follows:

1. Provide the Activity with weekly reporting on the progress and organize the time and dates of the proposed focus group discussions and/or Key informant Interviews. Further to the delivery of the training sessions, the consultant shall be responsible for collecting the feedback from the audience about the guidelines and potential improvements.
2. The consultant will perform the data collection and analysis in these focus groups discussions and/or Key informant Interviews and will produce needs assessment report for improvement covering the plastic recycling value chain in the recycling market.

Deliverable 2: Development of the Quality Assurance and Quality Control guidelines for different functions across the plastic recycling value chain

The consultant will perform the following tasks:

1. Based on the findings and results; the consultant shall develop guidelines to improve quality standards and best practices of recyclable plastic materials that will eventually be input supplies or raw materials for the end market. The guidelines shall be designed and developed in the perspective of Quality Assurance and Quality Control to cover the quality market requirements for different functions (collection, sorting, processing, aggregating, and producing) or customize existing ones (if any).
2. Prepare template to be used for the QA/QC guidelines. The content of the guidelines shall be market-driven and cover the following topics but not limited to:

• Waste quality criteria and its implications for the Plastic Recycling:
• Procedure for Acceptance of Input Materials
• Monitoring Procedure of Processes effectiveness.
• Monitoring Procedure for Material / Product Quality (including Sampling and Analysis)
• Producers for Actively Soliciting Customers Feedback.
• Record Keeping of Main Quality Control Parameters.
• Measures for Review and Improvement of the Quality Management System
• Procedure for Staff Training.
• Procedure for Management Review.

1. The drafting of this informative guidelines should be from a marketing and business prospective and be in a format and level that suits the different market actors. The context and terms also shall be localized in accordance with the business environment in Jordan.
2. The consultant shall organize with the respective Activity’s team during all the stages of the formulation of the guidelines and provide drafts for the review and approval in a timely manner. The consultant shall draft the materials in Arabic and no objection to use the English terminology or refer to global technical specifications/mandatory documents to reflect the international best practices and technologies as required.

Deliverable 3: Training sessions to be conducted for selected actors on using and adopting the new QA/QC guidelines to their operations

1. Once the guidelines developed and approved, The Activity will disseminate the QA/QC guidelines and the consultant shall conduct training sessions for the service providers across the value chain. The objective of the training is the material dissemination and learn the audience on how to use and maintain these guidelines. The training sessions shall be conducted considering the different functions that the service providers have across the value chain. The consultant will draft the training materials to be approved by the Activity prior the delivery and organize with the audience appropriate date and time for the delivery. The planning and agenda of the training to be approved by the Activity prior the delivery.
2. Draft the training completion report in English including the following content: the training objective and approach, implementation arrangements, agenda, schedule and location (physical/virtual), modules covered, topics and sub-topics presented, list of participants attended, summary of expectation from the participants, summary of end of workshops/sessions evaluation, workshops discussions, challenges, attendance record keeping, participants evaluation summary, suggested next steps and recommendations if any, and list of records, log of sessions, documentary record including photography as annexes.

4DELIVERABLES AND EFFORT/PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The total Level of Effort (LOE) contemplated for this assignment is a period of up to 24 working days. The consultant shall submit the deliverables described above in accordance with the following deliverables Schedule:

The consultant team who assigned for the delivery of this assignment must submit a time sheet indicating the actual days done, list of deliverables completed and a breakdown of the achieved activities. Time sheets are subjected for the technical review and approval of the respective team lead in the activity prior to proceed with the invoicing process.

5LOCATION OF ASSIGNMENT

The Consultant shall conduct this assignment physically in Amman and Zarqa Governorates considering the exact locations and boundaries of the value chains and in the local recycling market in Jordan. The Consultant shall be responsible for conducting meetings and interviews with various market representatives across the plastic recycling sector and value chain and any other potential stakeholders in the recycling sector in Jordan required to perform this consultancy.

6READING MATERIALS

The Consultant shall read, but is not limited to, the following materials related to fully understand the work specified under this consultancy:

• The Market System Approach MSA study 2021;
• Quality of Recycling: Towards an Operational Definition;
• Postconsumer Resin Quality Assurance and Testing Protocol;
• Quality Standards of Secondary Raw Materials for the Recycling Market with Special Consideration of Used Plastics;
• The Association of Plastic Recyclers – Design Guidelines;
• Design for Recycling Guidelines
• ISO 15270 Plastics: Guidelines for the Recovery and Recycling of Plastics Waste;
• Qualitative Barrier Analysis in Recycling in Jordan;
• Gender Analysis, and
• GESI Strategy and Action Plan

7REPORTING

The Consultant shall directly report to the Recycling Sector Lead, Service Provider Specialist and Value Chain Specialist.

8CONSULTANT’S QUALIFICATIONS

The consultants shall have the following minimum qualifications to be considered for this consultancy:

• Minimum of bachelor’s Engineering Degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Chemical engineering
• At least, (10) ten years of proven experience in the industrial process operations or process reengineering or industrial QA/QC.
• Familiarity with the working environment and conditions of international and regional recycling sector and municipal waste management.
• Familiarity with the industrial sector in Jordan.
• Prior experience in similar assignments is preferable.
• Excellent data gathering, analysis and interpretation skills.
• Advanced/excellent reporting and communication skills in Arabic and English.

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