Technical Advisor - Medical Waste Management

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The UNOPS Bangladesh Office implements projects in close coordination with the Government and national authorities. The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS. UNOPS is committed to achieving a fully diverse workforce.

Under the Climate Change Project funded by the Global Fund, UNOPS as a project partner, assists the MoHF&W to review and update the Medical Waste Management and Processing Rules 2008 and relevant guidelines. In that context, UNOPS is currently looking for a consultant who will contribute to review the existing rules and regulations associated with the medical waste management system in Bangladesh.

Functional Responsibilities

The Technical Advisor will report directly to the Country Manager and work in full coordination with the stakeholders and other support team from the Bangladesh office. The incumbent will be primarily responsible for assisting the project team with project implementation, which mainly includes procurement of goods/services, recruitment services, and grant management services, etc. He/she will be required to lead and assist with the following tasks as well:

Scope of Work

• Under the overall supervision of the Country Manager, the Technical Advisor will work with the Project Manager, Project Management Support - Senior Analyst, and Engineering team in reviewing the existing policy and guidelines related to the medical waste management and compare it with the WHO’s safe management of wastes from the healthcare facilities to assess the gaps in the existing rules and regulations.

• In-depth interview and meetings with the relevant stakeholders including MoH&FW, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, City Corporations and Municipalities and also visit hospital sites to understand the challenges and discrepancy in the implementation of the existing policy and regulation. 

• Facilitates the workshops to disseminate the findings and recommendations among the Government  Officials, in-country technical experts, partners and relevant stakeholders.

• Assist the project team in completing the endorsement of the modified medical waste management policy and guidelines from the DGHS and MoH&FW.

• Provide support to the GOB decision makers through conducting training and workshops for the proper implementation of the policy and guidelines. 

Expected Deliverables

Activity 1: Hold induction meeting with DGHS to understand and clarify:

• Consultancy scope, deliverables, timelines and roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders engaged in the process

• Details plan and timeline to complete the tasks

Deliverables: Inception Report - methodology, workplan and timeline for the assignment

Timeline: 15 Days after signing the contract

Activity 2: Review of the existing medical waste management guidelines and policies

• Visit selected sites to understand the level of implementation of the current guidelines in the facility level and in-country context 

• Meet national technical experts to understand the relation and impact of the current policy with other policies and guidelines related to health, environment and national adaptation plan

• In-depth analysis of the policy and compare with the WHO’s guideline to identify the policy gap

• Identifying issues, gathering data, assessing potential impacts, and providing recommendations

Deliverables: 

• Assessment Report: findings from the review of existing guidelines and gap analysis

• Stakeholder Consultation Report: Documentation of Stakeholder inputs and recommendations

Timeline: Assessment Report - 45 days after signing contract, Stakeholder Consultation Report - 60 days after signing contract

Activity 3:

• Incorporate recommendations by the national technical experts and stakeholders into the draft policy

• Review the draft policy document with the relevant ministries and GOB Stakeholders to ensure that it is aligned with the other policies and guidelines

Deliverables: 

• Workshop report: Facilitate the workshop to finalize the proposed draft policy from the GOB stakeholders

• Draft Updated Guidelines: Comprehensive draft of revised medical waste management guidelines

Timeline: Workshop report - 2.5 months after signing contract

Draft Updated Guidelines - 3 months after signing contract

Activity 4: 

• Capacity enhancement of the selected technical experts by the MOHFW for the proper implementation of the policy

• Capacity building of the hospitals selected for the implementation of the integrated medical waste management system by the GOB

Deliverables: 

• Implementation Framework: Detailed framework for operationalizing the updated guidelines

• Organize trainings for the hospital management for the proper implementation of the guidelines

Timeline: 4 months after signing contract

Activity 5: 

• Fine tune preliminary technical and financial tasks and SOPs within the roadmap with lessons learned from the interaction with the training participants during the capacity building activities 

• Hold exit meetings with the relevant partners and stakeholders

Deliverables: 

• Final Guidelines Document: Validated and finalized version of the updated guidelines

• Executive Summary: Brief overview of key changes and improvements in the guidelines

• Presentation Materials: For dissemination to various stakeholder groups

Timeline: Final Guidelines - 10 December 2025, Executive summary and presentation materials - 20 December 2025

Impact of Results
The effective and successful achievement of key results by the Project Manager directly affects the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the relevant business unit/project, impacting the timely and effective implementation of the respective services and deliverables. This enhances UNOPS’ competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services in the country/region served.

a. Education 

• Master's degree in a related area, preferably in public health, hospital management, biomedical engineering, business administration, statistics, environmental science, or related field.

• A Bachelor's Degree with a combination of 2 additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the master's degree. 

• Minimum 07 years of experience in healthcare waste management
• Demonstrated expertise in developing guidelines, policies, or standards related to waste management
• Familiarity with the Bangladesh healthcare system and regulatory environment is desirable
• Knowledge of global best practices in medical waste management and climate change considerations is highly desirable
• Experience working with government agencies, international organizations, and multiple stakeholders is required
• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills is required
• Previous experience in similar assignments is highly desirable

c. Certifications

• Project Management certification is desirable (for example PRINCE2® Foundation)

d. Language requirements

• Full working knowledge of English is required. Knowledge of the local languages is desirable but not mandatory.