ThaiNGO

 Terms of Reference (TOR)

1. General Information

Supervisor:  Eknarin Ariyavongvivat

Period: 1 October 2026 – 1 March 2027

Location of work: Required field visits to Surat Thani City Municipality, Surat Thani Province.

2. Purpose and Background:

The Surat Thani City Municipality has a long-standing history of initiating and supporting local informal waste picker ("Saleng") groups. Our engagement in this area commenced during the implementation of the Plastic Smart Cities–TVA Project. During the project’s endline evaluation, the team identified untapped potential and a critical opportunity to significantly elevate local waste management by working in close integration with the municipality.

This realization led to the scale-up and continuation of our efforts into the current initiative: the Enhancing Plastic Waste Management and Integrating the Informal Waste Sector (Plastic Smart Cities–TCCF) project. The intervention in this current phase is not starting from scratch; rather, it builds upon previous successes to strengthen existing frameworks. Crucially, it steps in to bridge operational gaps and overcome limitations inherent to the mandates and jurisdictional authority of local government mechanisms. The municipality shares the vision that addressing these missing components is vital. Together, the primary focus has been on systematizing, structuring, and standardizing the Saleng groups to deliver empirical impacts and maximize the efficiency of waste segregation at the source. Beyond just operational efficiency, this standardization must actively translate into tangible livelihood improvements and income security for these frontline workers.

Through these ongoing interventions over the past years, the project has successfully united informal waste pickers, established concrete partnerships with local Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), and designed foundational operational systems and value chain linkages. However, proving the model's absolute viability for a National Platform requires an independent validation of our "downstream management" solutions, specifically regarding how effectively sorted waste, particularly Low-Value Plastics (LVPs), is channeled into recycling streams. This channeling must be accomplished in a way that provides fair economic returns to the informal sector.

To finalize this phase and ensure the utmost operational rigor, the project is seeking an Operational, Value Chain and Livelihood Consultant. The consultant will evaluate and validate the interconnected working ecosystem established by the project. By conducting a final on-the-ground operational audit, troubleshooting any remaining bottlenecks, and fine-tuning the system, the consultant will provide the verified empirical data and evidence base necessary to formulate policy recommendations and successfully transition the model to central agencies for long-term sustainability.

3. Project Objectives:

Ecosystem Integration Validation: Validate and assess the functional linkages already established by the project that connect multiple sectors, specifically informal waste pickers (Saleng), MRFs, and downstream off-takers. Ensure the robustness of the physical movement of recyclables and Low-Value Plastics (LVPs) through this integrated network.

1. Reverse Logistics Verification & Optimization: Review and stress-test the project's reverse logistics arrangements, including temporary storage and transportation models. Recommend final adjustments to minimize operational costs and maximize economic incentives.
2. Livelihood & Economic Impact Validation: Evaluate the direct socio-economic benefits derived from the integrated value chain, ensuring that optimized operations translate into fair pricing, increased income stability, and improved working conditions for informal waste workers.
3. Operational Data Verification & Evidence Consolidation: Verify on-the-ground operational flows and extract finalized quantitative results from the project's field operations. This role focuses on validating empirical data to hand over to the project's strategic working group, equipping them with the verified evidence base to scale the overall management model.

4. Scope of Work / Product or Service Specifications: 

The consultant will engage directly with field operations to understand, connect, and optimize the local waste management ecosystem. The scope includes:

• Operational Assessment & Validation: Conduct an expert review of the project's established operational landscape and the implemented systems. Diagnose any remaining on-the-ground bottlenecks preventing sorted waste (especially LVPs) from effectively entering the downstream system.
• Value Chain System Fine-tuning: Verify the business matching and coordination frameworks set up by the project. Provide expert negotiation support to finalize material standards, volumes, and purchasing conditions, ensuring the cohesive system enables local players to reliably meet these criteria.
• Reverse Logistics Review: Evaluate the project's practical guidelines for sorting and handling materials. Recommend final optimizations for the most cost-effective transportation options to move materials out of the local area to their final downstream destinations.
• Livelihood Impact Assessment: Analyze how the established operational flows and business matchings practically affect the daily lives of the Saleng. Identify socio-economic improvements and recommend adjustments to protect their economic interests within the formalized supply chain.
• Operational Data Verification: Audit the recorded real-world operational costs and documented on-site obstacles. Consolidate these verified field-level insights into structured data to support the design of local Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms and national policy recommendations.

5. Roles and Responsibilities:

System Auditing and Bottleneck Resolution: Conduct an expert review of the established operational landscape, diagnosing and troubleshooting any on-the-ground bottlenecks that prevent sorted waste (especially LVPs) from entering the downstream system.

• Business Matching and Negotiation: Provide expert negotiation support to finalize material standards, volumes, and purchasing conditions, verifying the coordination frameworks to ensure local players meet the required criteria.
• Logistics Optimization: Evaluate practical guidelines for material sorting and handling, and recommend the most cost-effective transportation and reverse logistics options. 
• Socio-Economic Assessment: Analyze the practical effects of operational flows on the Saleng's daily lives, identifying areas for livelihood improvement and recommending adjustments to safeguard their economic interests.
• Data Consolidation and Strategic Support: Audit real-world operational costs and on-site obstacles, structuring this verified field data to support the strategic working group in designing local EPR mechanisms and national policy recommendations.

6. Deliverables / Expected Outputs

To ensure seamless integration with the project's overarching strategic direction, the deliverables are designed to feed directly into broader policy goals across 3 milestones:

1. Deliverable 1: Inception and Verification Plan (October 2026)

Details: An assessment strategy that validates the existing players across the local supply chain, outlines the practical approach to review the system's integration, and details the methodology for evaluating livelihood impacts.

2. Deliverable 2: Interim Data Verification Briefing (December 2026)

Details: No formal narrative report is required for this phase. The consultant will submit a validated dataset covering baseline empirical data (actual operational costs, on-site obstacles, downstream purchasing conditions, and preliminary livelihood indicators) and provide a brief presentation to the strategic working group.

3. Deliverable 3: Final Operational Report & Finalized SOPs (February 2027)

Details: A final verification summary detailing the volume of materials successfully diverted back into the recycling system, an analysis of livelihood improvements for the informal sector, and the finalized and fine-tuned manual of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for on-the-ground sorting, handling, and logistics management.

7. Timeline:

• Duration of Assignment: 1 October 2026 – 1 March 2027
• Delivery schedule:
  • Deliverable 1: Upon Contract Signing (in October 2026)
  • Deliverable 2: Expected in December 2026
  • Deliverable 3: February 2027

8. Payment Terms:

Travel and Accommodation: The consultancy fee excludes airfare and accommodation expenses for on-site fieldwork. The project will directly cover and arrange these travel-related costs. Payment will be disbursed in three payments:

• 50% upon contract signing,
• 30% upon submission fieldwork Completion & Raw Dataset,
• 20% upon approval of the final Operational Report & finalized SOPs and supporting documents.

9. Qualifications and Experience:

Proven experience working collaboratively with government agencies and managing supply chains, coupled with strong skills and experience in conducting on-the-ground fieldwork and effectively engaging with local communities (such as informal waste pickers/Saleng or local entrepreneurs).

1. Minimum of 5 years of proven experience in solid waste management, circular economy, material recovery, or reverse logistics.
2. Demonstrated experience in socio-economic assessments, livelihood improvement programs, or evaluating the social impact of supply chain interventions.
3. Experience in auditing, evaluating, or optimizing operational systems is highly preferred.
4. Exceptional coordination and negotiation skills, with a strong ability to facilitate cross-sectoral business matching and partnership building.
5. Demonstrated capability in hands-on problem solving under time and operational constraints.
6. Strong proficiency in analyzing operational data and producing structured reports that effectively translate field-level insights into strategic or policy-level inputs.

10. Submission Requirements : 

Interested candidates must submit the following documents:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV): Detailing relevant education and professional experience.
• Financial Proposal / Quotation: Outlining the costs for the assignment.
• Copy of ID Card: (Certified true copy)
• Relevant experience and references: Examples of past work or portfolio related to the scope of work.
• Other relevant documents: (If applicable)

11. WWF Support :

Duration: The consultancy shall commence upon contract signing and must be completed by 1 March 2027.

• Submission Deadline: 30 September 2026
• Contact Information: Please submit all application documents (Proposals should be submitted in Thai or English language) by email to: eknarina@wwf.or.th
• Inquiries: Questions regarding the assignment can be addressed to Mr. Eknarin Ariyavongvivat, WWF Thailand, under the same email.