1. BACKGROUND

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 deploying 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 material markets. As the recycling sector becomes more competitive, the Activity will capitalize on opportunities to boost the commercial sector’s demand for recycling services provided by the private sector.

The private recycling sector in Amman embrace a wide range of actors and players with different roles and mandates in the absence of a public system for solid waste segregation, given the subsidized waste collection services that GAM provides. A strong business case for recycling has not yet been made in Jordan due to the lack of recycling and treatment infrastructure, management ownership, and the perceived importance of recycling services and benefits. Significant weaknesses are reported in the business planning, business development and supply chain management. These limitations are prohibiting business growth and reducing capacity to handle more clients/WGs.

The Activity will continue to implement activities initiated in FY2023 and introduce new ones going forward, with a focus on commercializing and scaling the recycling pilots and expanding recycling business models for different actors across the value chain.

The Activity will continue to deliver its Firm-Level Technical Assistance Program to help the recycling service providers improve their technical knowledge and upgrade their capacity. The Activity developed and launched the “Waste Management and Recycling Acceleration Training Program for Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) in the Recycling Sector in Amman”. The training aims to improve the businesses’ performance and profitability for SGBs in the recycling sector in Amman to effectively meet market needs by offering business recycling solutions to the commercial generators. This will be achieved by improving the knowledge and skills needed to enhance and promote the businesses’ competitiveness and to determine their growth and expansion plans. The training program consists of business/managerial and technical areas/topics. By now, the Activity with its partners hosted three training cohorts, and 95 firms took part in the training sessions.  

As part of the training program, The Activity also developed a simplified template for a firm-level growth plan and supported participants on how to complete these growth plans easily during the training sessions and use them to define their visions and areas of improvement. 29 companies have submitted their draft growth plans so far.

The SGBs training program and the development of business growth plans have demonstrated a clear need for firm-level technical assistance and support. Although several service providers have developed a suitable plan for potential business growth, most providers have not implemented the plans due to limited managerial and financial capacities, industry-wide diversity in terms of business models, practices/applications, and types of firms, and unfair competition from the informal sector.

2. OBJECTIVES

USAID Recycling in Jordan Activity is looking for engaging an individual consultant in the provision of supplying assessment service of selected Growth Plan developed by recycling service providers in the Governorates of Amman and Zarqa.

The objective of this consultancy is to provide technical assistance for selected recycling service providers in the sector to further support them in developing their growth plans and connecting the areas of growth with their visions and interventions for improvement and expansion. This support shall consider the function across the value chain and improve the backward and forward linkages in the market.

3. DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES

3.1 Targeted groups

The USAID Recycling in Jordan Activity define “Recycling Service providers” in the market as individuals, businesses, and/or civil society organizations in the formal or informal sector who provide services to waste generators that contribute to reduce, reuse, and recycle. This includes advisory services with the objective of improving solid waste management practices (reusing, repurposing, or selling). These services include any services provided by any actor across the value chain - including but not limited to - separation at source, aggregation, collection, sorting, aggregating, processing, and transportation of the recyclables.

3.2 Tasks

For USAID Recycling in Jordan Activity to achieve its objectives, the Consultant shall use their education, considerable experience, and resources to perform the below tasks. The consultant will be assigned up to (5) five growth plans, where s/he should keep very close coordination with The Activity in performing the following tasks: 

Task 1: Assess the progress of recycling service providers

1. Review the developed Growth Plans by the recycling service providers and figure out the connection between the potential areas of growth and their visions and interventions for improvement and expansion. The Activity will assess and provide the consultants with up to five Growth Plans for this assignment.
2. Based on the above review, the consultant will revise, develop, and agree on a simplified template for Growth Plans that are easy to follow and complete by the service providers across the recycling value chain.
3. Prepare agendas and arrange field visits, appointments and meetings for the assessment report and write minutes from the different meetings/interviews.
4. Conduct a dedicated on-site assessment session(s) with every single recycling service provider to discuss the progress update, assess potential areas of Growth and how recycling service providers perceive Technical Assistance they need to foster their growth, valuate Growth Potential for each single recycling service provider,

Task 2: Support the development of Growth Action Plans for recycling service providers

1. Suggest an effective, measurable, and operational plan to follow up the development and execution of the developed growth plans i.e., Growth Action Plan (GAP). The Growth Action plan must answer some basic questions (what, how, where, when) for every element of the objectives and actions. The Activity will provide the consultant with an indicative template for the GAP.
2. Develop Growth Action Plan per each single recycling service provider (the beneficiary) that illustrate recycling service provider needs for Technical Assistance and Financial Support/investment (i.e., The required actions and resources needed for achieving targeted growth - increase revenues, reduced cost, new jobs, and more recyclables quantities). The consultant must further define all the needed actions proposed in the Action Plan. Moreover, all actions, sub-actions or measurements MUST be in consent with the company (i.e., recycling service provider). The company must believe in the suggested actions and be ready to perform them.

4. LEVEL OF EFFORT/PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The total Level of Effort (LOE) contemplated for this assignment is a period of up to 15 working days per five beneficiaries (recycling service providers). The consultant shall submit the deliverables described above in accordance with the following deliverables schedule:

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

5. LOCATION OF ASSIGNMENT

The Consultant shall conduct this assignment physically in Amman and Zarqa Governorates.

6. Reporting

The Consultant shall report directly to the Technical Assistance Specialist and the Recycling Sector Lead.

7. Consultant’s QUALIFICATIONS

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

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree or equivalent in business development or advisory, Marketing, Finance, or other related fields. 
• Proven experience in the field of Firm level technical assistance or firm level diagnostics, business planning and business development for the small and growing business.
• Relevant knowledge in the waste management and recycling sector would be an advantage.
• Substantive knowledge of issues related to inclusive growth and socio-economic development.
• Excellent data gathering and interpretation skills.
• Strong analytical skills, including ability to quickly assess a diverse range of information with a discerning sense for quality of data.
• Available to travel and conduct required analysis within the agreed timelines; and
• Advanced/excellent reporting and communication skills in English and Arabic.