Guidance Note: Municipal Solid Waste Management in Crisis and Post-Crisis Settings

GUIDANCE NOTE Empowered lives.
Resilient nations.
municipal solid waste management

in crisis and post-crisis settings
Bureau for Policy and Programme Support
United Nations Development Programme

GUIDANCE NOTE
municipal solid waste
management in crisis
and post-crisis settings
This Guidance Note forms part of a series of UNDP’s

signature products which are aimed to respond
to support Early Recovery in immediate crisis and
post-crisis contexts. The main objective is to provide
practical advice and guidance to UNDP Country
Offices on how to plan, design and implement a
project that offers immediate support for managing
municipal solid waste.
Bureau for Policy and Programme Support

Contents
OVERVIEW 1
1. THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 4

1.1 What constitutes municipal solid waste? 4
1.2 UNDP support in MSWM 5
1.3 MSWM guiding principles 9
2. THE PLANNING PHASE: DEVELOPING THE PROJECT DOCUMENT 19

2.1. Situation analysis (including needs assessment) 21
2.2. Programme strategy 22
2.3 Identifying and mitigating risks 26
2.4 Management arrangements and required expertise 26
2.5 Operational support 27
2.6 Partnerships 27
2.7 Monitoring and evaluation 29
2.8 Communications strategy 29
2.9 Resource mobilization 30
3. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION 31
3.1 Ways to accelerate project implementation 31
3.2 Ensure community-driven and guided implementation 32
3.3 Coordination, information management and effective communications 32
3.4 Maintaining quality relationships with national and local counterparts 33
3.5 Partnerships with the private sector 33
3.6 Women’s participation and empowerment 33
3.7 Health and safety for workers 34
4. KEY LESSONS LEARNED 36
annexes 40
Annex 1. Acronyms and abbreviations 40
Annex 2. Resources and further reading 41
Annex 3. Glossary 44
Annex 4: Waste needs assessment – early recovery phase 48
Annex 5. Planning, designing and implementing a livelihoods and recovery MSWM project 56
Annex 6. Reference guidelines for non-MSW streams 65
M u n i c i p a l S o l i d W a s t e M a n a g e m e n t in crisis and post-crisis set tings | UNDP GUIDANCE NOTE

boxes
Box 1: UNDP MSWM project videos 6
Box 2: Understanding social norms related to waste management 12
Box 3: Waste generated by humanitarian activities 13
Box 4: Burundi: Waste management as part of reintegration
and community recovery (2012–2013) 13
Box 5: Indonesia: Tsunami Recovery Waste Management Programme (TRWMP) (2005–2012) 14
Box 6: Timor-Leste: One bottle at a time (2013–2014) 16
Box 7: Gaza: Improvement of solid waste services in the Gaza Strip (2010–2014) 17
Box 8: Nepal: Public–Private Partnerships for Urban Environment —
municipal waste management and composting (2009–2012) 18
Box 9: Philippines: Moving from debris clearance (early recovery)
to MSWM programmes (2013–present) 18
tables
Table 1: Content overview 3
Table 2: Examples of MSWM activities related to Track A, B and C 7
Table 3: Steps in developing a MSWM programme 19
Table 4: Example MSWM project outputs, indicators and activity results 23
Table 5. Key MSWM partners 27
Table 6. Resource mobilization opportunities 30
Table 7. Tools and approaches for engaging quickly in crisis and post-crisis settings 31
UNDP GUIDANCE NOTE | M u n i c i p a l S o l i d W a s t e M a n a g e m e n t in crisis and post-crisis set tings

UNDP livelihoods recovery programme at work in Al Mintar, Syria. Photo: UNDP SYRIA/Diane Arnouk
OVERVIEW
This guidance note aims to support Government counterparts and strengthen UNDP Country Offices’ and implemen-
ting partners’ capacities to plan, design and implement projects for municipal solid waste management (MSWM)
in crisis or post-crisis settings, as part of UNDP’s early recovery response. The Guidance Note focusses in particular on
livelihoods recovery and local government service delivery. It is assumed that readers do not have extensive experience
in the area of MSWM. The guidance note is intended to inform UNDP COs and implementing partners on the type of
programmes UNDP could support in the area of MSWM in an early recovery setting, and provide information on how to
plan, design and implement such projects.
MSWM projects are intended to contribute to livelihoods stabilization through the creation of temporary employment
opportunities as well as environmentally and economically sustainable livelihoods opportunities for crisis-affected men
and women. This is not just a livelihood intervention; it also strengthens the service delivery of the local governments
and works towards fostering the relationship between the State and society. This document complements the series of
UNDP Guidance Notes on Livelihoods Recovery and Local Governance — i.e. ‘Emergency Employment and Enterprise
Recovery’, ‘Community Infrastructure Rehabilitation’, ‘Debris Management’ (2013), ‘Aid Management’, ‘National Recovery
Planning and Coordination’ and ‘Restoration of Local Governance’ (2014). This note has been developed following
requests from COs for specific guidance on MSWM projects, as a specific sub-area under solid waste management,
municipal solid waste management in crisis AND post-crisis set tings | UNDP GUIDANCE NOTE | 1
alongside debris. This guidance note should therefore be considered as specific additional guidance to the existing
UNDP ‘Guidance Note on Debris Management’.1
This document, like other recovery guidance

Outcome 6: Early recovery and rapid return to notes, is aligned with the UNDP ‘Strategic Plan
sustainable development pathways are achieved (2014–2017)’,2 in particular Outcome 6, which
in post-conflict and post-disaster settings specifies UNDP’s focus on livelihoods, economic
revitalization and governance as part of its inte-
Indicator 6.1.1: Number of women and men
grated early recovery response in crisis and
benefiting from emergency jobs and other diversified
post-crisis contexts. Specifically, UNDP will
livelihoods opportunities within 6 to 18 months after support early recovery to “ensure the achieve-
a crisis, disaggregated by vulnerability groups ment of rapid return to sustainable develop-
U N D P St r ategic P l an ( 2014 – 2017 )
ment pathways in post-conflict and
post-disaster settings” by “ensuring that growth
and development are inclusive and sustainable,
incorporating productive capacities that create employment and livelihoods for the poor and excluded” and that
“national and subnational institutions are able to lead and coordinate the early recovery”. In addition, important
linkages are suggested for Outcome 1, supporting the transition towards growth and development and ensuring that it
is inclusive and sustainable by developing productive capacities that create employment and livelihoods for poor and
excluded people.
In urban areas, municipal solid waste (MSW) generally comprises materials discarded by households, commercial esta-
blishments, institutions and street cleaning/sweeping. This guidance note does not address the management of other
types of (hazardous) wastes, such as hospital waste, asbestos and industrial hazardous wastes, but refers readers to
specific guidance and support in those areas.
In most countries, local authorities are responsible by law for delivering public services related to solid waste collec-
tion and disposal to safeguard public health and ensure the protection of the environment. A crisis or disaster has a
severe impact on these authorities, which are faced with significantly higher volumes of waste (for instance, as a result
of displacement or disaster/conflict debris), often combined with an overall lack of capacity, both technically as well as
in terms of resources, often due to a loss of staff and equipment, lack of financial resources etc. Also, the MSWM sector
may have already been underfunded and under resourced prior to the crisis.
Because of weakened capacity of the local authorities, the accumulation of municipal waste in (post-)crisis contexts
poses particular challenges, as national authorities and municipalities are often unable to provide adequate MSWM
services, while a crisis or disaster can also have led to a substantial influx and/or movement of population groups (i.e.
internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees etc.), as well as foreign aid and relief into particular areas, leading to much
higher waste generation rates (or accumulation in specific areas) and additional types of waste disposed.
The accumulation of municipal waste can hinder efforts towards fast recovery and development, and significantly
increase public health risks in communities that are already particularly vulnerable. Solid waste thrown out by house-
holds, businesses and markets at random sites without regular collection and disposal can lead to outbreaks of water-
borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, diarrhea and malaria. Waste piles become breeding sites for insects and
other harmful animals that can be vectors of diseases, increasing the likelihood of disease transmission.
1 UNDP, Guidance Note: Debris Management, UNDP, New York, 2013, available at http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/
crisis%20prevention/SignatureProductGuidanceNoteDebrisManagement11012013v1.pdf.
2 UNDP, Strategic Plan 2014–2017, UNDP, New York, 2013, available at http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/
UNDP_strategic-plan_14-17_v9_web.pdf.
2 | UNDP GUIDANCE NOTE | municipal solid waste management in crisis AND post-crisis set tings
Solid waste that is inadequately disposed of can also block water and sewerage canals and drainage systems and cause
flooding. Also, it may result in water and soil contamination, air pollution (if waste is burned) and the formation of
greenhouse gases as a result of decomposing wastes.
Whereas uncontrolled accumulation of waste poses many health risks to communities, improving services related to
the collection, recycling and disposal of MSW can present a multitude of livelihoods opportunities and local economic
recovery and also provide avenues for social cohesion and reconciliation. As an MSWM system is generally a good
and highly visible indication of the capacity of a municipality, (re-)establishing a MSWM system might also restore
community confidence in public service provision by municipality and local government structures.
This guidance note is based on the experiences of UNDP and its implementing partners in post-crisis contexts,
including Burundi, Indonesia, Nepal, occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), Philippines and Timor-Leste. It provides lessons
learned and good practices, as well as checklists, sample outputs and activity results as a menu of options for a
Resources Results Framework (RRF), assessment questionnaires and other practical tools that might be helpful for
project design and implementation in this area.
The document does not provide detailed technical information on how to undertake MSWM activities themselves,
which is extensively covered in comprehensive publications by partner agencies such as UN-Habitat, UNEP, World Bank,
WHO, UNICEF etc. (please see the reference list in Annex 2).
Table 1 provides an overview of the content in this guidance note:
Table 1: Content overview

Describes waste categories and proposed waste management approaches for various
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
waste streams
This section presents the main considerations when planning an MSWM intervention,
PLANNING
following a structure that closely resembles the standard UNDP project document template
Presents the main issues and challenges that arise, as well as some of the approaches and
techniques for implementation of an MSWM project. This section also provides suggested
IMPLEMENTATION
components for a Resources Results Framework, as a menu of options as a basis to adapt to
each specific context
LESSONS LEARNED Highlights the key lessons learned from recent UNDP engagement in MSWM programming
List of acronyms and abbreviations; resources and further reading; glossary of key terms;
and referral to guidelines for dealing with hazardous waste streams. Also included are a
ANNEXES
template for a Waste Needs Assessment and a checklist for the design and development of
an MSWM project
1. THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
1.1 What constitutes municipal solid waste?
Effective programming of an MSWM project requires a clear understanding of MSW. Although the definition and classi-
fication of various waste streams differs to a great degree among organizations and across countries, for the purpose of
this UNDP guidance note, the following descriptions will be used:
MSW refers to “waste generated by households, non-hazardous solid waste from industrial, commercial and
institutional establishments (including hospitals), market waste, yard waste, street sweepings and gully
emptying wastes.3
By material, MSW can be divided into organic waste, paper, glass, metal, plastic, household hazardous waste,
textiles, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and other. The composition of MSW varies widely
within and across countries, but in most cases organic waste takes up a majority of waste streams.4
For the purposes of these guidelines, MSW does not include materials that are discarded in gaseous form to the atmos-
phere, to a pit latrine or via a pipe or channel. However, it might include
gases and liquids in containers, as well as sometimes human excreta. A resident makes a payment to a waste collector
in Managua, Nicaragua. Photo: NGO WASTE
In a post-disaster/post-conflict setting, MSW is most often generated
from different sources:
by non-affected people or people who temporarily left their

homes but returned to their dwelling soon after they were able to;
by refugees and IDPs (e.g. IDP/refugee camps); and
by the relief efforts (e.g. packaging of water, food and health

care-related items as well as an influx of relief workers who also
generate waste).
This guidance note only focuses on MSWM. However, there are many
other types of waste streams that are related to MSWM activities in
a post-crisis/post-disaster setting but which are not addressed in
this document. Some of these are debris/disaster waste, infectious
health care waste and hazardous waste. In Annex 6 a summary of
such waste streams is provided, as well as reference to the appro-
priate guidelines on how to deal with them. For in-depth guidance
on disaster waste management and its various waste streams, see
the UNEP/OCHA ‘Disaster Waste Management Guidelines’ (2011)5 and
e-learning module.6 Door-to-door collection in Nepal. Photo: UNDP Nepal
3 Definition adapted from UNDP/UNCHS (Habitat)/World Bank/SDC, Conceptual Framework for Municipal Solid Waste
Management in Low-Income Countries, UNDP/UNCHS (Habitat)/World Bank/SDC, Nairobi, 1996, available at:
http://www.worldbank.org/urban/solid_wm/erm/CWG%20folder/conceptualframework.pdf.
4 Ibid.
5 OCHA/UNEP/MSB, Disaster Waste Management Guidelines, OCHA/UNEP/MSB, Geneva, January 2011, available at: https://www.msb.se/
Upload/English/news/Disaster_Waste_Management.pdf.
6 http://eecentre.org/DisasterWasteManagementGuidelines.aspx.
1.2 UNDP support in MSWM
UNDP has extensive experience in supporting governments in MSWM programmes, both in non-conflict/non-disaster
settings as well as in post-conflict/disaster settings.
UNDP support in the area of MSWM has included in the past:
emergency employment creation through cash-for-work (CfW) schemes that provide temporary employment
opportunities to people to collect and dispose of waste (including street sweeping);
development of small-scale business opportunities (e.g. turning waste into assets, such as the production of
compost, charcoal briquettes etc.) through training/capacity-building and by providing equipment;
(re-)establishing markets for recovered waste streams and waste-derived products — for example, the collec-
tion and sale of scrap metal re-establishes itself generally quite quickly, but collectors of other waste streams, such
as plastics and carton, might need more support to (re)gain access to buyers’ markets either at national or interna-
tional level;
technical capacity-building of local governance delivery and management structures in (re-)establishing

capacity for MSWM, sometimes through public–private partnerships (PPPs) or directly;
procurement of equipment/technologies for local government entities (e.g. personal protection gear (PPG), waste
collection trucks, waste-related technologies (sorting, shredding, compacting, turning waste into products etc.);
removal of illegal dumpsites created as a result of discontinued services, as well as rehabilitation of damaged/
dilapidated dumpsites and landfills (fencing, capping, lining etc.) and access roads;
construction of permanent but small-scale infrastructure that supports the overall MSWM process (e.g. engi-
neered landfills, waste transfer points, capture of methane gas from landfills);
establishment of waste-separation and recycling plants (plastics, compost etc.);
support to the informal sector/waste pickers, by improving their access to markets by providing transport/baling
equipment and engaging them in CfW activities in waste collection or on dumpsites;
developing/enhancing national policy and regulatory frameworks pertaining to MSWM; and
creating awareness on good MSWM practices and their health and environmental benefits, through education,
training and community outreach to incentivize people to dispose of waste legally and contribute financially.
Some examples of UNDP-supported MSWM-related programmes that have been implemented in a post-crisis/post-
disaster setting are covered in the videos highlighted in Box 1,7 while other examples are highlighted in a number of
case studies presented throughout this document.
UNDP support to MSWM activities in post-conflict/disaster contexts

Increasingly, UNDP is requested by governments to provide assistance in the area of MSWM in the immediate aftermath
of a disaster or conflict. Frequently, communities identify solid waste collection and disposal as one of their main priori-
ties during a post-crisis/post-disaster assessment. Local governments may be unable to resume public MSWM services
following a crisis, posing human health risks and hampering recovery efforts.
7 Full URLs to the videos can be found in Annex 2.
In post-conflict/disaster contexts, UNDP-supported MSWM programmes can be part of a broader livelihoods and
economic recovery programme, which aims to quickly create jobs and livelihood opportunities for crisis-affected men
and women, as one of the ways to support economic revitalization.8 Such programmes can also play a significant role in
building social cohesion and supporting the reintegration of displaced population groups, including returning refugees,
IDPs and former combatants. It is also sometimes carried out as part of a local governance and service delivery project.
The most successful programmes bring these two elements together under one socio-economic recovery programme
which focuses on both livelihoods and municipal service delivery under a social cohesion framework.
CfW schemes can be used for part of MSWM projects, such as the collection of waste or, for instance, the construction
or rehabilitation of composting and recycling facilities. However, different implementation modalities are applied for
different type of MSWM activities, and this can vary by country (see also Section 2.5, Management arrangements).
There are many external partners that can play a part in

Box 1: UNDP MSWM project videos UNDP-supported waste management projects. Private-
Burundi: Reintegration of female ex-combatants through sector companies can be contracted to clear and close
Municipal Waste Management and composting illegal dumping sites and to rehabilitate disposal sites and
Nicaragua: Establishment of pro-poor PPPs for household landfills. The private sector can be engaged to collect
solid waste collection in Managua waste using garbage trucks, but rudimentary vehicles such
Philippines: Waste left by Yolanda as big as 10 football fields as wheelbarrows and donkey carts have also been
Ethiopia: Addis Ababa Repi Landfill Gas Clean employed. Community-based organizations (CBOs) are
Development Mechanism (CDM) Project engaged to help with collecting fees and to support moni-
toring of the quality of the waste services provided.
CfW programmes and UNDP’s livelihoods stabilization support have contributed to livelihoods and local economic recovery
as well as social cohesion. It is critical, however, to also ensure that public MSWM services continue to function after CfW
projects are finished and that a certain number of people remain employed in the sector. This is often the role of the munici-
pality; therefore, involving it from the outset and strengthening its capacity— rather than setting up parallel systems — is key.
Projects should ensure that their sustainability is addressed from the start, including, for instance, private-sector
involvement and assessments identifying broader market opportunities in the sector. This includes also, for example,
strengthening the capacity of municipalities, training communities and waste collectors on the production and sale
of waste-derived products, (re-)establishing a tariff and fee collection system, connecting collectors of recyclables to
national or international waste buyers’ markets etc.
The continuity and sustainability of MSWM projects is also in line with the UN ‘Policy for Post-Conflict Employment
Creation, Income Generation and Reintegration’ and as adopted in the UNDP ‘Guide on Livelihoods & Economic Recovery
in Crisis Situations’,9 which provides the framework to design and implement employment and livelihoods programmes
as critical peacebuilding and recovery tools. The approach defines three tracks, which should be pursued concurrently
but with different intensities and should be initiated at an early stage:
Track A: immediate livelihoods stabilization of the affected populations
Track B: local economic recovery and community development
Track C: sustainable employment creation and decent work.
Examples of MSWM-related activities and interventions that could be supported as part of these three different tracks are
presented in Table 2.
8 UNDP, Strategic Plan 2014–2017, UNDP, New York, 2013: Outcome 6.

9 UNDP, Guide on Livelihoods & Economic Recovery in Crisis Situations, UNDP, New York, 2013, available at: http://www.undp.org/
content/undp/en/home/librarypage/crisis-prevention-and-recovery/guide--livelihoods---economic-recovery-in-crisis-situations/.
10 11
Table 2: Examples of MSWM activities related to Track A, B and C

Track A Track B Track C
Immediate livelihoods stabilization Local economic recovery Sustainable employment
of the affected populations and community creation and decent work
development
Emergency employment creation Access to finance, business skills • Enhancing the skills and
and technical training for the capacity of the city planning
ca s h - fo r - w o r k s c h e m e s production of waste-derived and management staff
• Rehabilitation of any damaged official landfills/dumpsites products and recycling, such as: • Re-establishing responsibili-
• Waste collection, sorting, proces- ties as well as a budget for solid
• Rehabilitation or construction of communal waste within the municipality
waste collection points sing (and resale to larger local
or city-based waste traders) • Instituting a fee/tariff system/cost-
• Granting access, ensuring waste is only dumped in containers, recovery system to ensure long-term
calling for waste pickup when containers are full etc. • Provision of compacting, baling
and shredding equipment to employment and job security (e.g.
• Clearing waste from agricultural lands reduce transport costs to through direct waste bills or the
reach markets utility company, sometimes com-
• Removal/collection and sorting of MSW plemented by revenues collected
• Provision of transportation through property taxes, municipal
• Illegal dump site cleaning
equipment (carts, bicycle incomes taxes or national transfers)
• Street cleaning/sweeping carts etc.) to gain access to
markets located elsewhere • Developing/enhancing the
• Shredding/compacting waste at the communal collection point policy and regulatory framework
• Valourization of organic waste pertaining to MSWM
• Production of locally produced waste bins/containers (i.e. from animal, agricultural and
for household use11 or communal use, preferably made kitchen waste) for composting • Creating transparency in knowing,
of locally available materials and of the type used or production of animal feed controlling and reporting on all
under normal circumstances (if applicable) (training is required to ensure the costs related to MSWM
• Construction of fenced waste transfer points (but compost is of high quality to • Developing a PPP regulatory
only when they will be regularly serviced. If not, ensure it will obtain a market) framework supporting public
they will turn into open dumps); agree on the • Fabrication of charcoal/eco service delivery in MSWM (which
location of transfer points with the municipality briquettes from organic waste could also support other types
for fuel (e.g. from camp waste) of service than just MSWM)
• Construction of appropriately fenced refuse
pits, bins, area pits at public places etc. as part • Supporting small-scale low-tech • Improving the working conditions
of market infrastructure rehabilitation businesses in reuse and recycling of the informal recycling sector (for
example, by financing equipment
• Construction of composting sites • Processing of coconut husks or paying for health insurance)
• Ditch/drainage/gutter cleaning to provide baled coconut
fibre for industrial use • Reducing illegal child labour
• Cleaning of parks, beaches, riverbeds etc. (but ensure to find ways for families to
• Generation of biogas compensate for lost income as a result
Ta r geted l i v e l i h ood s and from animal waste of children going to school instead)
s e l f - e m p loym ent s ta r t - up g r ant s
• Production of handicrafts • Providing institutional support
Support for individuals, small enterprises, CBOs, community from waste materials to informal, micro- and small entrepre-
groups etc. in the area of developing waste-derived products and neurs (e.g. permits to waste pickers or
• Production of detergent
recycling activities, through training as well as start-up grants (in waste collectors, fee collectors etc.)
from rice straw
the form of tools or packages necessary to support such activities):
• Establishment of incentive schemes
• Manufacturing of oil
• Valourization of organic waste for targeted towards the private sector
lamps from metal cans
animal feed or for composting and NGOs that provide grant finance
• Mushroom farming using for projects/activities in MSWM
• Fabrication of charcoal/eco briquettes from agricultural waste (rice straw) (e.g. similar to the Malawi Inno-
organic waste for fuel (e.g. from camp waste) as a growing medium vation Challenge Fund)
• Making building blocks from plastic and styrofoam. • Furniture making from • Brokering collector and buyer
• Supporting small-scale low-tech tsunami waste wood linkages for recovered waste
businesses in reuse and recycling streams (e.g. recyclables such as
• Production of products plastics, paper, glass, compost etc.)
• Business skills training as well as technical training in MSWM from waste tyres and waste-derived products
10 For further information on developing inclusive markets and private-sector connections, please refer to the Inclusive Market Development
books: UNDP, Inclusive Market Development Handbook, UNDP, New York, 2010, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/
librarypage/poverty-reduction/private_sector/imd-handbook/; UNDP, Guide to Partnership Building, UNDP, New York, 2010, available at:
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/private_sector/guide-to-partnership-building/; UNDP, Brokering
Inclusive Business Models, UNDP, New York, 2010, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/
private_sector/brokering-partnerships/; UNDP, Assessing Markets, UNDP, New York, 2010, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/
home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/private_sector/assessing-markets/.
11 Traditional baskets, 200-litre drums cut in half, etc.
Understanding UNDP’s role
There are many stakeholders that have an interest in, are involved in or support MSWM. These include municipalities
and other local authorities as well as a range of partners (e.g. UNHCR, UNEP, OCHA, UNICEF and NGOs such as OXFAM,
CARE, ACTED, DRC etc.), local CBOs and service providers (informal waste collectors and waste pickers, private-sector
companies that might be engaged through PPPs, waste recycling companies), as well as the beneficiaries of MSWM
services (e.g. households, CBOs, community leaders etc.). UNDP’s comparative advantage is building the capacity of
local governments and municipalities on MSWM and its support to basic service delivery. This includes MSWM projects
that immediately stabilize livelihoods and simultaneously build sustainable employment opportunities (see Table 2)
by, for instance, supporting the overall MSW value chain. UNDP’s value added in post-crisis contexts is to ensure that
early recovery is included as part of the overall humanitarian response, bringing development principles into the
relief stage and seizing opportunities to go beyond saving lives and start restoring national capacity, livelihoods and
peaceful conditions for sustainable human development. Through a resilience-based development approach, UNDP
takes a longer-term perspective from the outset, focusing on strengthening the capacity of communities and local
governments to better cope with the crisis.
In situations of displacement, UNDP plays an important role in supporting MSWM activities in host communities, where
waste volumes can significantly increase because of the presence of nearby IDP camps or displaced groups residing
outside camps in local communities. UNDP played a critical role, for instance, in waste management in host commu-
nities in response to the Syrian crisis in Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon. Often, local municipality and local dump sites are
not used to dealing with the increased volumes or types of wastes and might need tailored support to increase their
Unofficial garbage collectors, locally known as ‘Zabalin’, collect trash in Cairo and bring it to the suburbs where they live —
in this case, al-Muqattem — to sort through for recycling to sell back to factories. Photo: IRIN/Emmanuel Dunseath
capacity in this area. UNDP thereby often complements specialized agencies such as UNEP, which may support broader
policy development for waste management, or UNHCR, which may, for instance, be involved in the waste collection
inside refugee camps. UNDP is normally not engaged in MSWM inside IDP/refugee camps; this role is taken on by
agencies that support the management of such camps such as IOM, UNHCR or UNICEF, among others.
Generally, UNDP starts its engagement in MSWM inter-

ventions following requests from national and local
governments. In the immediate aftermath of a disaster
or crisis, the early recovery cluster (also ‘gap’ cluster) is
the most relevant entry point for UNDP’s engagement
in MSWM. An early recovery cluster is commonly led
by UNDP and addresses critical aspects not covered by
other humanitarian clusters. It often takes the name of
the issues covered — for instance, ‘Community Security
and Livelihoods Recovery’, as activated in the Central
African Republic in 2013, or ‘Sustainable Livelihoods
and Social Cohesion’, as established in Iraq in 2014.12
Based on experiences from other UNDP programmes,

most often UNDP is involved in post-crisis/post- The municipal company has not been able to collect trash from this
disaster contexts in the following six areas: western Karachi neighbourhood for some time. Photo: IRIN/Ashraf Khan
emergency employment creation through, for instance, CfW schemes;
development of small-scale business opportunities in the collection, recycling and valourization of waste;
(re)construction of markets for recovered waste streams and waste-derived products;
technical capacity-building and training of local government entities, service providers, NGOs, CBOs and waste
handlers in all aspects of MSWM;
removal of illegal accumulated dumpsites as well as rehabilitation of damaged/dilapidated dumpsites and landfills; and
construction of permanent MSWM-related infrastructure with local government entities (e.g. landfills, transfer
stations, waste recovery plants etc.).
1.3 MSWM guiding principles

The most effective and sustainable projects exhibit a strong adherence to the following key concepts, which are
referred to in more detail throughout the guidance note:
Solid waste management is the responsibility of the local government: In most countries, local authorities are res-
ponsible by law for delivering public services related to solid waste collection and disposal to safeguard public health
and ensure the protection of the environment. A UNDP-supported MSWM programme should work with the munici-
pality, involving local authorities at all stages of the project’s design and implementation, and ensure that the MSWM
capacity of the local governance structure is improved as part of the programme so that it can continue providing
services after the programme comes to an end.
12 More information is available in: Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Implementing Early Recovery, Global Cluster on Early
Recovery, http://www.earlyrecovery.info/.
Build on existing strengths — do not fix what is not broken: There is only one sure winning strategy for MSWM,
and that is to understand and build on existing strengths — to identify, capitalize on, nurture and improve the indige-
nous processes that are already working well. Waste management solutions do not always have to involve cutting-edge
modern technologies. In the early stages of improving MSWM systems, it is important to identify simple, appropriate
and affordable solutions that can be implemented progressively, giving constituents the best system they can afford
(UN-Habitat, 2010).
Community involvement: Any MSWM system needs to be aligned with community expectations and needs. Consult
users such as community leaders, households, small businesses etc., as ultimately these are the people who would
have to start paying for collection services to make them sustainable in the long run. Community associations and civil
society should be encouraged to participate in planning and decision-making processes through local committees
or regular consultations, but also should have opportunities to learn the benefits of a good MSWM system through
education and awareness-related activities.
Partnering with the formal and informal sectors: Waste collection service providers can be public or private,
informal or formal, large or small, local or international. In certain countries, the informal sector is responsible for 50 to
100 percent of all ongoing waste activities. Promoting partnerships with the informal sector in waste collection and
recycling can lower the spending of the municipality on waste management significantly, but establishing collaboration
with the informal sector in MSWM is quite difficult for governments (and UNDP). However, excluding the informal sector
will result in people losing their livelihoods and increasing the costs of MSWM for a city.
Understanding attitudes of the target groups towards waste: An MSWM programme, despite its good intention
of stabilizing the livelihoods of vulnerable groups and local economic recovery, may not translate into a successful
Women and children search waste for sellable items in Dili, Timor-Leste. Photo: UN Photo/Martine Perret
outcome if it neglects local practices and norms regarding waste collection and fails to fully grasp the attitude of clients
and service providers towards waste. Box 2 provides some examples of where UNDP programmes faced challenges in
this respect, in particular when CfW programmes anticipated engaging certain population groups that did not want to
be affiliated with waste.
Empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality: This can be achieved by increasing the participa-
tion of women through consultation, prioritization and in the training, employment and planning aspects of MSWM:
However, project planners should consider whether the project could increase particular risks for women and ensure to
mitigate those early on (see also Section 3.5, Women’s participation and empowerment).
Ensuring financial sustainability: Often livelihoods and recovery

programmes, in particular if they are executed using CfW modali-
ties, face challenges in ensuring that livelihoods and jobs are
maintained beyond the duration of the programme. It is, therefore,
important to start introducing sustainable solutions for cost
recovery during the early stages of MSWM interventions (e.g. by
(re-)introducing a fee/tariff structure for the collection of
municipal waste or (re-)establishing/brokering markets for recy-
clables and waste-derived products). Such cost recovery systems
should be developed based on an analysis of users’ ability to pay
and willingness to pay, to decide on the preferred tariff and
payment mode and, vicariously, the most likely to be actually
collected. This is an important step in making the MSWM system
sustainable and allowing the municipality to continue providing
MSWM services when the programme comes to an end.
Recycling: Recycling mostly happens for two economic reasons:

the value of the material becomes attractive enough or it is a
policy-driven activity to reduce the cost of waste disposal. In many
cities (in particular, in developing countries) people earn their
livelihoods in waste recovery, valourization and recycling. Often,
more people are employed in these sectors than through public
waste collection systems. When developing MSWM programmes,
understanding revenues and the values of different types of materials to be recycled is important. Also, MSWM pro-
grammes should integrate waste recyclers to avoid preventing them from accessing waste streams.
Disposal: Every effort should be made to identify official, controlled solid waste disposal sites and transfer locations.
Coordination with the local authorities and other aid agencies will be essential to ensure that such facilities/locations
are accessible and appropriately managed. If an existing disposal site is available, it should be rapidly assessed for
environmental compliance before use. The site may have been used before the emergency by the local authority, and
assistance may be required to get the system operational again. Where no existing disposal site is available, a temporary
disposal site or engineered dumpsite should be identified and established. But waste dumping in any location should
only take place when an (written) agreement is reached with the municipality/local government.
.
“The recycled products found to provide the highest return to the operators
are PET plastics, cardboard and ferrous and non-ferrous metals.”
U N D P indone s ia
Box 2: Understanding social norms related to waste management
An MSWM programme, despite its good intentions of stabili- Another UNDP programme initially aimed to engage commu-
zing the livelihoods of vulnerable groups and local economic nities hosting IDPs through a MSWM programme. However, it
recovery, could fail to meet its intended outcome if it neglects turned out they were unwilling to be involved in such activi-
local practices and norms regarding waste collection and does ties, but immigrants gladly accepted such job opportunities.
not fully grasp the attitude of clients and service providers Although MSWM programmes can play a role in widening
towards waste. acceptance that waste management could also be assumed by
During an initial assessment it is, therefore, important to ask other social groups, attention has to be paid to not taking away
questions such as: job opportunities from a certain population group, and to be
aware of the resistance to waste handling in other groups.
• Who is socially accepted to handle waste?
Therefore, when developing waste management and sanita-
• Who would never handle waste? tion programmes, it is important to undertake an assessment
• Who normally handles waste in the household? of skills and, in particular, willingness to work in the sector, as
well as ensuring that project beneficiaries represent a popula-
Many MSWM-related programmes face challenges down the tion mix so that no particular group feels singled out.
line if they neglect to consider such aspects. This happens MSWM programmes should also keep an open mind and be
when programmes anticipate engaging a certain group, and able to change initially intended beneficiary target groups if it
later on it turns out this particular group does not want to turns out that that particular group is not interested, and shift
engage in any waste-related activities. focus to equally deserving but willing beneficiaries. When
Two UNDP Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration CfW and livelihood creation programmes in the MSWM sector
(DDR) programmes, which engaged former combatants are successful and demonstrate potential for making a living,
as waste collectors and waste pickers, experienced such groups that were previously not interested might quickly start
challenges. As waste collection was a job formerly done by to show an interest.
street children, ex-combatants felt stigmatized or that they It is important to consider sensitization campaigns and
were targeted for this work specifically due to their demobi- communication on the benefits of waste management from
lized status. economic, environmental and health perspectives.
Residents of the densely populated Pétionville Club, the Port-au-Prince former golf resort where 50,000 displaced Haitians
had set up camp after the 2010 earthquake, organize themselves to collect the camp’s trash. Photo: UN Photo/Pasqual Gorriz
Box 3: Waste generated by humanitarian activities
In particular, plastic wastes can be chal-
lenging to deal with, as they have a low
density and a high volume, and thus take
up a lot of space in communal waste
containers, so these fill up faster and tend
to quickly overflow. Because plastic waste
is light, it can be easily picked up by wind
if it is not well contained or inadequately
disposed of, it can cause flooding and
block sewerage and latrine systems.
Often communities receiving relief goods
have not dealt with these types of plastics
on this scale, so no reuse or recycling
practices are in place to deal with these
waste streams. It is, therefore, important
that when relief organizations are purcha-
sing relief goods, they consider products
Internally displaced persons camp in post-earthquake Haiti, 2010. with minimal packaging or reusable
Photo: UNEP disasters and conflict packaging (e.g. re-sealable cans).
Poor MSWM is often a problem that worsens in post-disaster/ Finally, UN agencies and relief organizations should also
post-crisis situations as more resources and people are made ensure that the waste generated by their own activities is
available during relief and recovery efforts. This results in an disposed of properly and that waste disposal is monitored
increase in the amount of waste from heavily packaged goods to avoid such waste ending up in waterways or at
and an increase in waste streams such as plastics and metals. illegal dumpsites.
Box 4: Burundi: Waste management as part of

reintegration and community recovery (2012–2013)
Since 2006, Burundi has been experiencing a massive repa- The project beneficiaries collected waste from households
triation of refugee groups who were living in Tanzania and and public spaces, which was sorted by hand at the disposal
Democratic Republic of Congo as a result of decades of site. Organic material was separated from plastics and scrap
cyclical insecurity and conflict. Many returnees such as IDPs and then turned into compost.
and refugees find themselves as if in a foreign land without The project had two main sources of income: the monthly
land or social status. UNDP supports conflict-affected commu- payments of 50 cents made by the households from which
nities and displaced population groups in a number of ways, waste was collected, and the sale of compost. The project
including livelihoods recovery and economic revitalization. beneficiaries received US$2 per day, of which $0.50 was saved
This support includes provision of employment opportunities and $0.20 set aside for social contributions; this allowed them
through waste collection, transportation to official dumpsites to farm, trade and support their families.
and composting.
To watch a video on the reintegration of female ex-comba-
In 2012, to support the implementation of the National tants through MSWM and composting in Burundi, click here.
Strategy for Reintegration, four women’s associations were
selected to clean up the urban centres of Cibitoke and
Bubanza provinces, using a PPP approach. The project
(overseen by the Association for the Integrated Develop-
ment of Burundi (ADIB) at a cost of US$83,000) aimed to
empower women, identified as an economically vulnerable
group, and to reintegrate them into socio-economic activi-
ties to promote social cohesion.
In consultation with municipal authorities, 60 beneficiaries Women in Cibitoke, Burundi, recycle waste as
were selected (including ex-combatants and returnees), 80 part of a programme to reintegrate returnees and
percent of whom were women, half of whom were widows. ex-combatants into society. Photo: UNDP Burundi
Box 5: Indonesia: Tsunami Recovery Waste
Management Programme (TRWMP) (2005–2012)
Above: UNDP tsunami recovery waste management programme cleans up Pocut Baren
(before and after). PhotoS: UNDP indonesia/Faisal Ridwan
Left: Recycled Tsunami Wood Furniture Project, Bandah Aceh. Photo: UNDP indonesia
The TRWMP was the first major infras- environmental concerns associated
tructure project undertaken by UNDP with clearing tsunami/earthquake
in Indonesia. It was the largest and debris and MSWM. NGO support was
most extensive solid waste infrastruc- mobilized to stimulate the creation
ture project that has ever been directly of livelihoods from the recovery of
managed and implemented by a UN materials from municipal waste.
Early Recovery Results body. It is an excellent example of a • Phase II: Rehabilitation (2007–
2005-2007 programme that started as a disaster 2009): Transitional project activities
waste management project using CfW focused on enhancing the local
Tsunami waste cleared 1,318,809 m3 modalities and finished with the esta- government capacity to coordi-
blishment of sustainable MSWM systems, nate the reconstruction process.
Number of interim infrastructure and small and medium- Further support was provided to
15
landfills sized enterprises (SMEs) and long-term promote sustainable livelihoods
job and livelihood creation. through waste management.
Constructed 5
The TRWMP was launched in March • Phase III: Reconstruction (2009–
2005. Funded almost entirely by the 2012): Project activities shifted
Rehabilitated/
upgraded
10 Multi-Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias from a focus on disaster recovery
(MDF) with US$41 million, it allocated to improving and strengthening
Number of cash for
approximately US$8 million to debris essential services for the longer-term
work participants clearance and management, while development of the waste manage-
1,451/ day US$33 million was allocated to MSWM ment infrastructure and operations;
Women 32%
interventions. The project was carried capacity-building of local government
Men 68%
out by a specialist project team based in sanitation departments; creation of
Banda Aceh, with field offices elsewhere sustainable livelihoods in MSWM;
Roads rehabilitated to assist up to 13 tsunami-affected
100 km and safeguarding the environment.
with recycled material
districts.
Throughout its seven-year project life
Buildings demolished 550 The project had three phases during its
cycle, four constituent ‘components’ ran
seven-year lifetime:
as common themes during each phase.
Tsunami timber • Phase I: Recovery (2005–2007):
17,442 m3 Each component was designed to
recovered and reused
Providing a coordinated, pragmatic provide communities, individuals and
response to the public sanitation and district administrations with financial
Furniture constructed
3,990 units
from tsunami timber
Box 5: Indonesia: Tsunami Recovery Waste Management Programme (TRWMP) (2005–2012), continued from page 14
and technical support to achieve collection services, skills training creation by establishing waste
demonstrable changes to the in carpentry and furniture making) recycling projects and businesses
pre-tsunami situation: • Component 2: The rehabilitation • Component 4: Effective and
• Component 1: Resumption of of existing district dumpsites, efficient management, monito-
MSW collection, disposal and including the provision of new ring and oversight of the project
clearance, including recycling interim and engineered landfills and its activities on behalf of
for enhanced, safer waste disposal the MDF donor partners.
tsunami-derived waste by imple-
menting tsunami waste recovery • Component 3: Interim livelihood For more information on this
facilities (land clearance, building restoration and longer-term project, see the results listed in
removal, drainage clearance, MSW waste management livelihood the reference list.
Output One Results Output Two Results Output Three Results

Municipal waste Sanitary landfills SMEs supported 164
1,310,096m3 3
collected/ disposed constructed
NGOs supported 12
Volume of waste Detailed enginee-
recycled over volume ring designs drafted CSOs supported 10
22% 10
of waste disposed and handed over to
or in landfills Government Individuals collectors
36
supported
1,673 (of Environmental assess-
Government 9
which 9,5% ments conducted School garbage banks
officials trained 8
women) established
Topographic mapping
Increase in government 14 Cooperatives supported 3
conducted
sanitation budgets 678%
between 2004-2012 Landfill operations and Percentage of SMEs
73%
maintenance plans operating after three years
Percentage of 16
drafted and handed over
households paying for 33% to district Government Metric tonnes recycled 72,121
waste collection
36,629 Metric tonnes of recycled
36,629 Students trained in 3Rs material sold in the open 67,048
Students trained in 3Rs (of which
(of which (reduce, reuse, recycle) market
(reduce, reuse, recycle) 56% girls)
56% girls)
23
Community members 4,387 (of Above left: TRWMP helped restore Approximated gross turn
million
trained in good which 53% solid waste systems in Banda Aceh and over (4yrs)
USD
waste practices women) build systems in 12 other districts.
Agricultural 1,254 Centre: KM23 Landfill under construction Average number of direct
in Pidie. 2,400
land cleared hectares beneficiaries
Right: Shredded plastic dries in Lhoksewmawe.
Households benefit- Percentage of women
1,946 Photos: UNDP indonesia 30-35%
ting from clearance employed
Box 6: Timor-Leste: One bottle at a time (2013–2014)
Timor-Leste has a considerable municipal waste problem. Funding of US$96,000 from the South Korean govern-
It has no formal waste removal system or environmental ment was granted to the NGO as part of UNDP’s Social
legislation, as its state institutions were established only Business Project to help get the project off the ground, build
10 years ago following the restoration of independence in awareness, purchase equipment and enter into partnerships
2002. As the water is not potable, plastic water bottles can with potential recyclers.
be found everywhere.
Every Saturday the Hopeseller team buys plastic bottles from
The Timor-Leste Hopeseller Leadership Center (HTLSF), a the public. Youth are employed to clean and cut the bottles,
youth-created and -managed NGO, developed a business after which the plastic is sold to recyclers. Although initially
proposal for a recycling activity that would enable it to buy the project’s target was to collect 100,000 plastic bottles
PET plastic bottles from the public, clean and cut them and within six months of its start, in March 2014 a record number
sell shredded plastics to recyclers. Any profits would be rein- of 300,000 bottles were collected in one week. To date the
vested in the business to be able to expand activities beyond project has collected over 3 million bottles, and it is expected
the capital, Dili, and its environs. that over the project’s duration between 4 and 6 million
bottles will be collected. The revenue from plastic bottle sales
The goals of the project are to clean the environment and
will enable the team to sustain its collection activities and
promote inclusive growth and profitable businesses with par-
develop a complete business cycle to continue delivery of its
ticipation from youth and the public, while changing people’s
mission to clean up the city.
behaviour through education and by raising awareness on
the importance of the country’s environment. As youth unem- On average the project has employed 127 youth on a monthly
ployment remains a potential driver for conflicts in communi- basis, earning an average income of US$14.68/week. A total of
ties across the country, the focus on youth as beneficiaries of 987 people have benefited from the project by selling empty
the project is an important consideration. bottles to the Hopeseller team.
Plastic and metal trash is routinely disposed of in the streets of Dili, Timor-Leste. Photo: UN Photo/martine perret
Box 7: Gaza: Improvement of solid waste services in the Gaza Strip (2010–2014)
• improving landfill operations that extended

the lifetime and capacity of official dumping
sites to accommodate the massive amounts of
waste accumulated because of the crisis;
• carrying out a feasibility study for the impro-
vement of the MSWM system;
• preparing an investment plan for short-and
long-term investment; and
• constructing a pilot project for solid
waste recycling and composting.
UNDP partnered with NGOs for the construction of compos-

ting facilities and or managing the CfW programmes. Pri-
vate-sector companies were contracted under UNDP’s direct
implementation modality to clear 12 illegal dumpsites and to
extend the capacities of the Gaza City landfill. International
Waste segregation plant in Rafah. Photo: UNDP PAPP consultants were recruited to formulate long-term invest-
ment plans.
Palestinian people’s livelihoods in the Gaza Strip and their
access to essential services were severely impacted as a result In the south of the Gaza Strip (Rafah), with the support of the
of the Israeli bombardment and military operations during Government of Japan (US$1 million), a waste sorting plant
December 2008 and January 2009. A total of 600,000 tons of was built. Municipal vehicles and donkey carts collect waste
rubble were generated, and more than 250,000 tons of MSW from houses and transfer them to the sorting plant’s collection
accumulated at random dumpsites close to residential areas, station. Waste first undergoes automatic sorting to separate
posing serious threats to the public health. out materials such as metal, aluminum, glass etc., which is
followed by manual sorting. Organic waste is segregated and
In response to these challenges, UNDP launched an sent for composting; while other wastes such as cardboard are
emergency MSWM project as part of its early recovery also recovered.
programme. The project aimed to improve solid waste
Although the project has been successful, it has also encoun-
services, reduce health impacts and create employment by
tered many challenges, some of which are due to the
increasing solid waste collection rates and extending the blockade on the Gaza Strip, which complicated and delayed
capacity of the Gaza City landfill. Project activities included: importation of equipment (municipal waste collection
• clearing 12 informal dumping site;. vehicles and sorting equipment) and which prohibits the
exportation of recovered recyclables (glass, cardboard and
• employing CfW to support primary collection plastic) for which no markets exist in the Gaza Strip.
of MSW (over 400,000 working days generated
Another major challenge has been the collection of fees, even
for the residents of the affected areas);
though these are minimal. Because of the high unemploy-
• providing solid waste trucks to enhance the ment rates, fee collection rates have dropped significantly
municipality’s secondary collection fleet; from almost 90 percent in 2000 to only 20–30 percent.
Bombardment and military operations generated 600,000 tons of rubble

and more than 250,000 tons of municipal solid waste that accumulated at random
dumpsites close to residential areas, posing serious threats to the public health.
Box 8: Nepal: Public–Private Partnerships for Urban Environment —
municipal waste management and composting (2009–2012)
services. The project supported the establishment of 90 PPP
projects, of which 22 were addressed MSWM.
MSWM activities included a combination of public services
(provision of waste bins to households, waste collection and
disposal, fee collection etc.) in combination with two types
of waste valourization: first, the recovery of organic waste,
its composting and commercialization, and, second, the
recovery, transport and marketing of valuable recyclables.
The project provided capacity development and institutio-
nal strengthening for municipalities to manage PPPs, but
also supported community-level discussions and conducted
Compost production from biodegradable training on community-based waste management systems.
waste in Nepal. Photo: UNDP Nepal
Scrap dealer committees were formed, discussions for the
Ten years of political unrest led to high unemployment establishment of a central recycling yard were started, and
rates, as most private industries ended up closing down pilot recycling activities were launched.
and the private sector became reluctant to make long-term
The implementation of the 90 PPP projects led to the employ-
investments because of political uncertainty. At the same
ment of 1099 people. Of these, 294 were employed as part
time, municipalities, severely impacted by the crisis, lacked
of MSWM projects. Ninety percent of waste collectors were
sufficient human and financial resources to provide public
from socially excluded groups, a mandatory consideration and
services, in particular to poorer households.
condition of the PPP contracts. The project also collaborated
To increase access to basic public services, boost private- with 65 Tole Lane Organizations (TLO), a type of neighbou-
sector growth and create employment, UNDP launched the rhood organization. TLOs monitored the quality of the services
Public–Private Partnerships for Urban Environment (PPPUE) provided by the private sector and, for a commission, also
project by promoting partnerships between the public and engaged in fee collection on behalf of the service providers.
private sectors for the sustainable provision of basic urban TLO members were all youth, and 75 percent were female.
Box 9: Philippines: Moving from debris clearance (early recovery)

to MSWM programmes (2013–present)
Typhoon Haiyan flattened villages, town and cities. Over 1 waste collection services were unable to resume their work,
million houses, government administrative and social service much of the household waste was piling up in the streets.
facilities were totally or partially destroyed, creating massive Therefore, one month after the disaster, at the request of
amounts of debris, with over 1 million m3 in one of the largest Tacloban City Hall, UNDP began assisting in the coordina-
cities, Tacloban, alone. That sheer volume of debris has had a tion of waste collection, managing the Tacloban municipal
major impact on social service delivery and on the economy dumpsite, as well as assisting the city in the collection of MSW
of the region. A lack of human resources, lost/damaged and health care waste.
equipment and destroyed infrastructure (dumpsites, sludge The short-term aim of clearing bulk debris was largely met
treatment facilities, workshops, vehicles etc.) created a signifi- after three months. Priorities then shifted to supporting local
cant demand in terms of the large volumes of typhoon waste government units (LGUs) in waste management initiatives
that needed to be cleared and disposed of. to help them transition from early recovery to recovery. With
During the early recovery phase UNDP worked with the funding provided by UNICEF (US$3 million), UNDP began
government, army and private contractors on the clearance addressing public health concerns and environmental impacts
of debris using heavy equipment while making use of CfW associated with the recovery/disposal of typhoon and other
modalities totaling approximately US$2.5 million in the first wastes during the early recovery phase through:
three months. This was primarily done with the municipalities • debris clearance and disposal through CfW
strengthening their capacity to address this crisis and improve programmes and heavy equipment;
their waste collection systems in the future. To date, this UNDP
waste management component of the Typhoon Recovery and • strengthening the capacity of LGUs in waste management;
Resilience in the Visayas (TTRV) project has already supported • interim/emergency rehabilitation of critical
the clearance of over 500,000 m3 of debris. waste management infrastructure; and
Growing piles of MSW became a public health threat. Since • supporting local enterprises in the creation of liveli-
residents had no options for disposing of MSW, as municipal hood opportunities by recovering/recycling waste.
2. THE PLANNING PHASE: DEVELOPING
THE PROJECT DOCUMENT
This section focuses on a number of key issues to consider when developing a project document for MSWM. The related
stages of the UNDP project management cycle, as detailed in the UNDP ‘Programme and Operations Policies and Pro-
cedures’ (POPP) are ‘Justifying a project’ and ‘Defining a project’. The main subsections fall under the familiar titles of: 1)
Situation Analysis (including Needs Assessment); 2) Programme Strategy; 3) Results Framework; 4) Risk Assessment; 5)
Management Arrangements; 6) Operational Support; 7) Partnerships; 8) Monitoring and Evaluation; 9) Resource Mobili-
zation; and 10) Communications Strategy. A quick checklist for the planning phase concludes the section.
Table 3 provides a synopsis of the various steps in designing an MSWM project in a post-crisis/post-disaster setting and
developing the project document. In Annex 5 these steps are worked out in more detail and constitute an easy-to-use
checklist, which could be a useful tool for developing an MSWM programme.
It should be noted that limited time should be spent on developing an MSWM programme or related documenta-
tion, as MSWM experts are needed in the field. In the case of the Indonesia TRWMP and Philippines TRRV, for example,
project documents were not prepared at all, as time was of the essence.13
Table 3: Steps in developing a MSWM programme

1 CONDUCT AN EARLY RECOVERY NEEDS ASSESSMENT13
(focusing on livelihoods and local government service delivery)
1.1 Understand the context of the crisis
Assess the early recovery livelihoods and local government service delivery needs of the affected communities including
1.2
IDPs and their host communities
1.3 Conduct a rapid assessment of infrastructure damage
Consult affected communities on issues relating to all services but specifically public health, waste,
1.4
livelihoods and the environment
2 INITIATE DIALOGUE AND ANALYSE STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR CAPACITIES

Initiate dialogue with the municipality/local governance structure and assess its capacity for participatory process
2.1
(prior and after)
2.2 Find out who does what in the MSWM sectors
2.3 Institute dialogue with all stakeholders — create a MSWM platform or working group
2.4 Conduct a quick capacity assessment of potential partners

Undertake a market survey to determine local suppliers, local service providers and local contractors of MSWM-related
2.5
equipment, services etc.
3 CONDUCT A WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT

3.1 Review any waste needs assessments that might already have been conducted by UNDP or partners
Continued on page 20
13 This should be the same step for all early recovery (livelihood and local governance) programmes. When a need and opportunity related to MSWM
are identified, proceed to Step 2. Please also see UNDP, Guide on Livelihoods & Economic Recovery in Crisis Situations, UNDP, New York, 2013,
available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/crisis-prevention-and-recovery/guide--livelihoods---economic-recovery-
in-crisis-situations/, as well as the guidance on how to conduct a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment and Post-Conflict Needs Assessment
Box 5: Indonesia: Tsunami Recovery Waste Management Programme (TRWMP) (2005–2012), continued from page 19
3.2 Conduct a waste assessment (using Annex 4) and take pictures/videos

3.3 Identify potential hazards/risks related to MSWM
3.4 Consult the informal sector (e.g. collectors, waste pickers, recyclers etc.)
3.5 Consult user/client groups that are likely not to have been part of more official/higher-level consultations
3.6 Understand the attitude of clients and service providers towards waste
3.7 Screen existing policies in one of the steps, to identify critical gaps to address at policy level for programmes
4 PROJECT DESIGN: IMPLEMENTATION MODALITIES AND DESIGN INTERVENTIONS

Reach agreement on the role of municipal, local and national governments (this intervention can be done as part of a
4.1
wider programme that includes other livelihood and service delivery initiatives)
Reach agreement on an implementation and payment modalities (CfW, PPP, private-sector partnerships (PSPs), informal
4.2
service providers, NGO/UN execution etc.) with the municipality/local governance (this can be multiple modalities)
4.3 Determine the areas/zones/wards of intervention

4.4 Agree on the type of interventions/activities (see Tables 2 and 4)
Work with the municipality and/or local authorities on identifying and assessing locations for waste collection points,
4.5
waste transfer locations, disposal sites and waste separation and recycling sites
4.6 Identify procurement needs
4.7 Ensure alignment with the country’s standards and legal requirements governing waste management
4.8 Decide on the introduction of fees/tariffs (when and how much?)
Write the project document, obtain donor/trust fund funding and get the document signed to be able to start
4.9
implementation
4.10 Develop a good resources results framework, in line with the UNDP ‘Strategic Plan 2014–2017’ (see Table 4 for sample indicators)
5 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
5.1 Establish a steering committee for the project
Continue to organize coordination meetings with partners/stakeholders involved in MSWM, building on the MSWM
5.2
platform created as part of 2.3
5.3 Launch required procurement procedures
5.4 Undertake training/capacity-building activities
5.5 Start implementation of the activities and interventions as agreed/designed under step 4
Undertake awareness-raising and sensitization campaigns on the benefits of proper waste management, including
5.6
economic, environmental, social and health perspectives
Develop a user feedback system (this can be part of a wider social accountability framework on all services and local
5.7
economic development)
5.8 Develop and/or enhance the policy and regulatory framework pertaining to MSWM
5.9 Monitoring and evaluation
6 EXIT STRATEGY
Develop a project closure plan, including a phased rundown of activities based on a list of actions and their timing.
The project closure plan should also contain a description of project completion requirements and assigned responsibili-
6.1
ties, and include a description of the project’s transition to government in place. This is made easier if the government is
an essential part of the planning and implementation stage
Develop a plan for the recording and dissemination of institutional knowledge products as well as awareness-raising
6.2
materials and lessons learned so that these remain available and can be applied to future projects
2.1. SITUATION ANALYSIS (INCLUDING NEEDS ASSESSMENT)
The first step in formulating an MSWM project is to undertake a situation analysis. The situation analysis scopes out
the general political, institutional, economic and social context within the post-crisis/post-disaster context. It is very
important to map the activities and ongoing work by other partners in this area and analyse opportunities for par-
tnerships. The situation analysis identifies the most urgent recovery needs, which the project will seek to address.
The rationale for UNDP assistance in the area of MSWM is set out alongside its comparative advantages and fits within
a more comprehensive early recovery and development framework. One section should be dedicated to the strategic
business case for engagement of UNDP under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, as a member
of the UNCT and/or as coordinator of the Cluster Working Group for Early Recovery at the country level. The situation
analysis may be informed by a review of primary and secondary data, reports of trusted third-party organizations,
government statistics or other relevant local survey information.
Undertaking the needs and waste assessments

More often than not, full information on the MSWM situation past and present may not be available. One of the key
challenges is to involve communities and enable them to add their own perspectives, insights and local wisdom. This
key principle of participatory and inclusive local-level planning is further explained in the ‘Guidance Note on Local
Governance in Post-Disaster Situations’, which is part of this series.
To determine the appropriate implementation strategy for MSWM, a rapid assessment should take place, which
considers a range of core issues. Annex 4 contains a sample waste needs assessment, which could be adapted and used
during an early recovery phase.14
Based on the assessment results,

the appropriate scope and com-
ponents of the MSWM strategy
can be determined. UNDP should
work closely with the national
government and local authorities
to compare and discuss priorities
for MSWM and cultivate buy-in
and leadership at an early stage.
Consultations and engagement of
the affected communities can take
time but are crucial, as they are
the key to explaining their needs,
and, as they are the ultimate
beneficiaries as well as clients of a
functioning MSWM system, their
involvement is crucial.
January 2014: Garbage piles up above the Acra 2 camp in Port-au-Prince’s
hilly Pétion-Ville commune. Photo: IRIN/Nick Loomis
14 Waste Needs Assessment Annex adapted from OCHA/UNEP/MSB, Disaster Waste Management Guidelines, January 2011, available at:
http://www.preventionweb.net/files/18062_disasterwastemanagementguidelinesfi.pdf.
2.2. PROGRAMME STRATEGY
The programme strategy should outline briefly the main objectives
of the MSWM project, including its purpose within the early recovery
framework. It should attempt to summarize the project’s overarching
outcomes and effects and how each of its outputs will contribute to
the outcomes. For example, it should be clear how the project will
work with and help build sustainable national and local capacities
and how the project will be integrated in national development plans Funds collected by the community can pay for vehicle
maintenance and operational costs. This will increase
and priorities. It should refer to other UN and UNDP projects: how it customer satisfaction with municipal waste collection.
seeks to complement them and incorporate cross-cutting issues. Photo: UNDP Indonesia
MSWM projects also link directly to UNDP’s portfolios for strengthened governance capacity, environmental sustaina-
bility and poverty reduction outcomes. Thus it is critical that all UNDP CO programme units are engaged in the deve-
lopment of the project and how it contributes to the work of the early recovery sector/cluster. The empowerment of
women, community participation and a focus on poor people are core features of the UNDP approach and need to be
prominently reflected throughout the planning phase.
Both programmatically and operationally, UNDP’s support to MSWM and recycling is usually part of a wider recovery
framework that most likely goes well beyond MSWM and recycling.
The approach should favour a labour-intensive and community-driven MSWM process that provides short- and
long-term employment to the local crisis-affected population — in particular, to the poorest households.
Sample resources results framework

Table 4 proposes a menu of options and sample indicators that could form the basis for an MSWM project. Local cir-
cumstances should determine whether these outcomes, outputs or activities are appropriate or whether alternatives
need to be developed to better suit the situation and context. Indicators are ideally formulated in line with the UNDP
‘Strategic Plan 2014–2017’, in particular Outcome 6 and, where relevant, Outcome 1.
UNDP Syria facilitates procurement of garbage bins. Photo: UNDP Syria/Ali Kayali
15 16
Table 4: Example MSWM project outputs, indicators and activity results 15

Project objectives: Emergency employment and sustainable livelihoods opportunities created in the MSWM
sector; improvement of MSWM service provision by local government partners; and increased recycling rates and
creation of markets for recyclables and waste-derived products to support diversified livelihoods opportunities
Outcome 1: Sustainable MSWM plan has been developed and adopted by local partners based on assessments
Activity results
• Project team has been set up
• Quick capacity assessment of the current and
past MSWM situation carried out
• MSWM partners and potential partnerships identified and partners
engaged (e.g. municipality/local government, NGOs, private sector,
international and bilateral aid and donor entities, among others)
• Potential hazards/risks related to MSWM identified
• Monitoring mechanisms, including emergency employment
Outputs
database (if applicable) and a user feedback system set up
• Agreement is reached with national and
• MSWM platform for national-level coordination and
local government partners as well as
communication created if not yet existent
MSWM key stakeholders on the recovery
and development of the MSWM sector • Agreement found on the type of interventions/activities
Indicators • Areas/zones/wards of intervention identified with local government
• Number of MSWM plans developed based on partici- • Market survey undertaken to determine local
patory methodology and local development plans16 suppliers, local service providers and local contrac-
tors of MSWM-related equipment/services
• Locations identified for waste collection points, waste transfer
locations, disposal sites and waste separation and recycling sites
• Required procurement procedures (including prepa-
ration of Requests for Proposals) undertaken
• Guidelines developed for waste collection, sorting, recycling and
disposal (including health and safety standards for workers)
• Value chain assessments started on market oppor-
tunities for waste-derived products
15 Note: This table summarizes various potential project outcomes, outputs and activities and only serves as an example. It goes without
saying that each project needs to identify which aspects are important for a particular setting, and in doing so can draw from the
various examples included in the table.
16 A participatory planning process usually includes: i) working with selected district councils and sub-district stakeholders to carry out
participatory and prioritized basic service needs assessments in priority (host) communities, ensuring participation of women, youth,
IDPs and minorities); ii) assisting the governorate to deliver basic services, which includes infrastructure and MSWM; iii) and working
with the sub-district and district levels of the local governorates to develop their capacity in governance systems (grievance, e-gov-
ernance etc.). Participatory assessment tools and methodologies are important to ensure that communities themselves are able to
highlight the main threats to their safety and barriers to development and help shape the responses required. The intention is that the
plans will be implemented primarily using government resources in the long term. This underlines the importance of ensuring that the
project is effectively integrated with formal planning processes.
Table 4: Example MSWM project outputs, indicators and activity results, continued from page 23
Outcome 2: Increased public awareness on the benefits of waste collection at domestic and community levels
Activity results
Outputs • Communications strategy launched to inform the public
about waste collection schedules and waste practices
• Communities are willing to pay service delivery fees
• Training/capacity-building activities undertaken
• Communities understand the importance of
disposing of their waste in designated waste contai- • Awareness-raising and sensitization campaigns carried
ners/areas and keeping waste out of water sources out about the economic, environmental, social and
health benefits of proper waste management
Indicators
• Media campaigns started (involving community leaders and
• Percentage of community members that recognize
CBOs) on the introduction of a fee system, collection days and
the importance of a functioning MSWM system
frequency as well as good household MSWM practices
• Percentage increase in knowledge/
• Willingness to pay and ability to pay levels for service delivery
awareness on MSWM and recycling
fees and for payment options identified through partici-
patory techniques, focus groups and/or workshops
Outcome 3: Emergency employment and diversified livelihoods opportunities are created in the MSWM sector
Activity results
Outputs • Emergency employment schemes are initiated
• Jobs and livelihoods have been created in waste • Project beneficiaries received life skills, business skills
collection, disposal and recovery of valuable and technical training on waste collection, recycling,
waste streams (recyclables), the production resale and production of waste-derived products
of waste-derived products and the construc- • Project beneficiaries have been provided with start-up grants
tion of permanent MSWM infrastructure or tools (e.g. transportation, shredders etc.) for the produc-
Indicators tion of waste-derived products or recycling activities
• Number of CfW workdays created (data • Incentive schemes, which provide grant financing for
segregated by men and women)17 projects/activities in MSWM to promote job creation (e.g.
similar to the Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund), targeting
• Number of men and women who benefit the private sector and NGOs, have been established
from MSWM-related CfW projects (data
segregated by men and women) • Collector and buyer linkages for recovered waste streams
and waste-derived products have been established
• Number of men and women (or households)
who indirectly benefit from the MSWM employ- • Informal sector, waste recyclers etc. are
ment schemes (i.e. through improved access connected to potential markets
to services, cleaner communities etc.) • Door-to-door fee collection system launched
• Monetary value of in-kind benefits provided to men by CBOs or municipality staff
and women under the programme 18 (i.e. provision of • Private-sector enterprises, NGOs and CBOs
tools, training, start-up packages for small businesses) trained to submit for PPP bids
• Number of men and women who benefit from self- or • Training provided to individuals, NGOs, CBOs and private-sec-
wage employment as a result of the MSWM project tor enterprises on aspects of MSWM (waste and fee collec-
• Number of men and women trained in tion, transport, segregation, valourization, disposal etc.).
waste management, enterprise mana- • Value chains for recyclables and waste-derived products developed
gement and waste valourization
• Partnerships/contracts are explored and supported between waste
• Number of new micro- and small enter- pickers, collectors and recyclers (at national or international level)
prises created in the removal, recycling
and valourization of municipal waste • Support has been provided to informal, micro- and
small entrepreneurs (e.g. permits to waste pickers
or waste collectors, fee collectors etc.)
17 See also SP Output indicator 6.1.1.

18 See also SCRES 1325 indicator 18 and SP Outcome indicator 6.4.
Table 4: Example MSWM project outputs, indicators and activity results, continued from page 24
Outcome 4: Capacity-building for local government structures/municipalities on managing sound MSWM systems
Outputs
• Public services related to waste collection
have improved for the general public
Activity results
• Effective, efficient and well-regulated collection and
transportation system for solid waste established • Training provided to government entities on developing
MSWM plans/strategies/budgets and monitoring systems
• Local government entities have the capacity
to manage and monitor PPPs in MSWM • Training provided to government entities on the deve-
lopment, contracting and monitoring of MSWM PPPs
• Local government entities have the capacity
to budget and plan for MSWM and dispose • Heavy equipment/waste carts (hand-pulled/-pus-
of an independent MSWM budget hed, bicycle carts etc.) procured for waste haulage
Indicators • Community and household bins distributed
• Number of tariff systems for MSW introduced • Fee/tariff system has been established
• Number of communities covered by MSWM services • Support provided on the re-establishment of responsibili-
ties as well as a budget for MSWM within the municipality
• Percentage increase in MSWM fee collection
• Support national government and local government agencies
• Number of MSWM committees established in advocating for a separate and clearly defined MSWM
• Number of local government budget and build capacity for managing this budget (in terms
personnel trained on MSWM of resource management, cost recovery, planning etc.)
• Percentage increase in local budgets for MSWM
• Number of MSWM PPPs established
Outcome 5: MSWM regulatory and policy framework strengthened
Outputs
Activity results
• Local legislation on MSWM developed, adopted
and implemented (e.g. tariff structure, fee • Policy and regulatory framework pertaining to MSWM
collection) with the municipality or LGU; reviewed and intervention for improvement proposed
• Regulatory framework for PPPs • Local degrees/by-laws etc. drafted

drafted, reviewed and adopted • Development and/or enhancement of the policy and regu-
Indicators latory framework pertaining to MSWM supported
• Number of MSWM guidelines, regu- • PPP regulatory framework developed supporting
lations and policies developed public service delivery in MSWM (which could also
support other types of service than just MSWM)
• Number of PPP regulatory frameworks available
17 18
Local circumstances should determine

whether these outcomes, outputs or activities are
appropriate or whether alternatives need to be
developed to better suit the situation and context.
Workers sort trash as part of the UNDP tsunami recovery waste management programme in Indonesia. PhotoS: UNDP indonesia/Faisal Ridwan
2.3 IDENTIFYING AND MITIGATING RISKS
Risk, as defined in UNDP policy, is the possibility that an event might occur and affect the achievement of outputs.
As such, it can represent a threat or a missed opportunity. Risk is a major factor to be considered in designing any
project: detailed guidance is available in the ‘Enterprise Risk Management’ section of the UNDP ‘Programme and
Operations Policies and Procedures’ (POPP), which should be reviewed thoroughly.
The CO should work systematically

through the risks — and strategies
to mitigate against them — before
embarking on a project. This can be
achieved by triangulating identified
risks with the stakeholder analysis,
and assessing the latter’s relevance
to the project and ability to influence
it, including mitigating or aggravating
threats throughout the project cycle.
Table 4 in the UNDP ‘Guidance Note

on Debris Management’19 outlines
some of the common risks that might
be expected in the course of a waste
management project as well as some
Trash picker looks for salvageable items in the Philippines. Photo: GEF Secretariat/Anil Sookdeo measures aimed at their mitigation.
2.4 MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS AND REQUIRED EXPERTISE

The oversight of MSWM projects requires skills that are not always available within a UNDP CO unless there is
already a project in operation directly supporting public works and institutional capacity-building of national
and municipal authorities. Short-term capacity support to bolster expertise in the area of MSWM can be provided
through the UNDP Crisis Response Unit and the UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, which are
designed to provide an injection of temporary but experienced capacity to start the process.
If short-term support is mobilized through the SURGE mechanism, the CO would need to simultaneously make
strenuous recruitment efforts to ensure that the temporary SURGE Advisor will be succeeded by a permanent
Project Manager, if the removal, recycling and management of waste is likely to be a prolonged undertaking.
The World Bank offers very useful web page20 with over 20 types of terms of reference related to waste
management for planning, siting, design, impact assessment, capacity development and private-sector
participation, among others.
19 UNDP, Guidance Note: Debris Management, UNDP, New York, 2013, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/
librarypage/crisis-prevention-and-recovery/signature-product--guidance-note-on-debris-management/ .
20 World Bank, Urban Solid Waste Management, Terms of Reference, available at: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/
EXTURBANDEVELOPMENT/EXTUSWM/0,,contentMDK:21686126%7EmenuPK:4799451%7EpagePK:210058%7EpiPK:210062%7EtheSit
ePK:463841,00.html.
2.5 OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
Operational support encompasses finance, human resources, procurement, security, IT/database and administrative
aspects. In a post-disaster/post-crisis setting, the most commonly reported operational challenges relate to issues
of physical access, procurement and transport. Dedicated fast-track procedures can be sought in a post-crisis envi-
ronment. These serve to increase the operational and financial agility of Cos and enable rapid staffing and procure-
ment of essential goods and services. To access information on the UNDP fast-track procedures,21 click here.
In addition to organizational measures

to accelerate and simplify administrative
processes, UNDP COs will need to prime
local committees for the review and
approval of bidding documents, as there
will be considerable pressure placed on
the procurement and contracting teams.
Fast-track procedures do not erase res-

ponsibilities and accountabilities for proper
utilization, oversight, monitoring and
reporting. The CO will need to ensure suf-
ficient procurement, human resources and
administrative capacity to cope in the crisis,
as it may also be affected by the crisis.
2.6 PARTNERSHIPS
The following agencies are among UNDP’s UNDP Indonesia produced an awareness-raising poster
potential partners in MSWM projects: to promote segregating waste and composting.
Table 5. Key MSWM partners

COUNTRY WHERE
PROSPECTIVE AREA OF PARTNERSHIP PARTNERSHIP
PARNER AGENCY WAS UTILIZED
Expertise in disposal of environmentally hazardous disaster waste such as
UNEP Pakistan
health care waste or asbestos.
The WASH Cluster is traditionally in charge of SWM activities within

IDP/refugee camps; similarly, local WASH committees/cells at camp level
WASH
are often in charge of waste management activities (awareness, training,
collection etc.)
Camp Management and Coordination Cluster can be in charge of SWM

Camp Management
activities in IDP/refugee camps7
WHO Health care waste management, corpses, latrines
21 UNDP, Guidance Note on Emergency Employment and Enterprise Recovery, UNDP, New York, 2013, available at: http://www.undp.org/
content/undp/en/home/librarypage/crisis-prevention-and-recovery/signature-product--guidance-note-on-emergency-employment-/.
Table 5: Key MSWM partners, continued from page 27
UNICEF Grey water, sludge latrines, medical waste Philippines
Land issues, participatory enumeration and urban community planning,

UN-Habitat Indonesia, Haiti
with links to shelter provision
Expertise in labour market analysis, skills development training and enter-

ILO prise development. In Haiti, for instance, ILO has been a key partner in Haiti
debris recycling and setting up the value chain for waste recycling
IOM Haiti
May be able to provide additional services to large-scale operations.

In Argentina UNOPS has been engaged by UNDP to facilitate the Haiti, Pakistan,
UNOPS
construction of landfills and purchasing in the rehabilitation of community Argentina
infrastructure projects
In (post-)conflict areas it is not uncommon for unexploded ordnance (UXO)

UN Mine Action to be present among debris or located close to municipal waste piles or
oPt
Service (UNMAS) landfill/dumpsite access roads. The involvement of UNMAS to identify risks
and help with clearance when recessary is, therefore, important
World Food May be engaged in areas where emergency employment schemes are
Haiti
Programme (WFP) linked to cash/food for work in the immediate aftermath of a crisis
Food and Agriculture Involvement in waste management in agricultural land and related
Haiti, oPt
Organization (FAO) economic recovery opportunities in the immediate aftermath of a crisis
Pakistan, Haiti (IOM

Office of the UN High assumed this role in
UNHCR has worked with UNDP on protection issues during and after rubble
Commissioner for Haiti because of the
and waste removal
Refugees (UNHCR) internal aspect of
the crisis)
Peacekeeping For some countries, peacekeeping forces will have technical expertise for
oPt
missions evaluations and engineering services for construction management
US Army Corps of For some countries, USACE is present with extensive experience in waste
Haiti, Pakistan
Engineers (USACE) assessment and management.
The Swedish Civil Contingency Agency can be a good partner with a proven Haiti, Pakistan, oPt,
MSB
track record in waste management Philippines
World Bank, EBRD, Asian Development Bank etc. are often involved in feasi-
bility studies and the provision of substantial loans and grants for large
IFIs
MSWM projects (e.g. landfills, composting plants, landfill gas capture, heavy
equipment etc.)
Private-sector companies can be contracted to clear and close illegal

dumping sites, rehabilitate disposal sites and landfills, provide transpor-
tation vehicles or be engaged in the collection of waste (either directly or
Private Sector
through PPPs). Companies, large or small, also play an important role in
waste separation, recycling, value addition/production of waste-derived
products and resale
A number of international NGOs with which UNDP has worked closely in

the implementation of MSWM-related programmes in post-conflict/disaster
Other NGOs Haiti, oPt
settings include Netherlands-based OXFAM, CARE International, NGO
WASTE (Netherlands) and UK-based NGO Disaster Waste Recovery
2.7 MONITORING AND EVALUATION
A monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework and system must be established during the design of any project and be
in operation from the time that implementation begins, to provide a basis for effective management and reporting of
progress against planned results. Guidance is available in Section 2.9 of the ‘Project Design – Defining a Project’ section
of the UNDP POPP22 and the UNDP ‘Handbook on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluating for Development Results’.23 The
project budget should include provision for adequate human and financial resources for M&E.
UNDP will need to monitor the effects of each project with particular vigilance, paying special attention to its impact on
getting the community back to work, skills training and employing and paying local people in waste removal, collec-
tion, disposal, recycling, reconstruction or repair activities. Formal structures and processes will need to be in place for
the systematic monitoring of the performance of implementing partners. The rush to contract and visibly implement
the project can create conditions for fraud, cronyism and corruption.
Monitoring that focuses on critical points in the procurement, implementation and payment processes can help to
minimize this risk. Establishing a hotline for complaints through SMS or email is also advisable. Monitoring can be
bolstered by recruiting independent agencies. Specialized NGOs, private-sector companies or academic institutions can
also be used. The distinction between implementers and monitors is important to maintain integrity, combat corruption
and avoid low-quality reconstruction. Community oversight also has a key role to play.
It is essential that an accurate baseline is established to provide a proper understanding of M&E data. UNDP MSWM
M&E systems have included narrative monthly reports, weekly work plans, weekly quantitative reports and monthly
trackers (demolition tracker, workdays tracker and rubble removal tracker). The success of M&E rests on partnership
among UNDP, the communities and the implementing partner(s). For some specific monitoring tools, please refer to the
UNDP ‘Guidance Note on Debris Management’.
2.8 COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY

A communications strategy for an MSWM project is a vital part of the project and should specifically target the
following audiences:
beneficiaries/participants, to inform them of short-term employment and training opportunities, waste collection
schedules (why, when etc. service fees are to be paid/will be collected etc., how the fee system will be rolled out and
why fee collection is so important), to explain the importance of waste management for health and environmen-
tal considerations, what households can do themselves (e.g. compositing for homestead gardening), and how to
deal with hazardous wastes that cannot be disposed of along with household waste. This should be done with the
service provider, usually the LGU;
government and local authorities, which need to be kept abreast of progress to promote their leadership and
engagement in the formulation and coordination of the implementation of the MSWM project; and
media, donors, and the general public, which need to be kept informed of progress. Organizing site visits with
relevant stakeholders can also help gather and disseminate accurate information.
The communications strategy should include a strong public information component that clearly articulates the areas
of responsibilities between UNDP, the government and other stakeholders. This serves the dual purpose of mitigating
the risks to the organization, and instilling a sense of ownership of the programme. The strategy should be backed
22 Available at: https://info.undp.org/global/popp/Pages/default.aspx.

23 UNDP, Handbook on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluating for Results, UNDP, New York, 2011, available at:
http://web.undp.org/evaluation/guidance.shtml#handbook.
up by a dedicated project budget line that can be used to finance a range of key tools and activities (e.g. videos, radio
messages, flyers, website etc.).
For further guidance on communications, COs and UNDP staff can refer to the UNDP Communications Toolkit24
‘Communicating for Results’, which provides guidance and resources regarding communications inside and outside
UNDP and during crisis situations.
2.9 RESOURCE MOBILIZATION

The UNDP Crisis Response website provides guidance to COs on accessing common internal and external sources of
funding in crisis and post-crisis settings, including emergency grants, seed funding for UNDP Early Recovery interventions,
and non-UNDP administered funding options. Table 6 provides some guidance on entry points for resource mobilization.
Table 6. Resource mobilization opportunities

ENTRY POINT DESCRIPTION
When starting an MSWM project, UNDP COs should look at the possibility of restructuring their
Portfolio programme portfolio based on the needs of crisis-affected communities. UNDP can involve donors in the
restructuring portfolio review and request a reallocation of funds for recovery programmes. TRAC resources could be
used flexibly to respond quickly to the emergency.
Strategic response plans (SRPs) are required for any humanitarian crisis requiring the support of more
than one agency, and are prepared by humanitarian country teams (HCTs) based on a humanitarian
needs overview. In addition, however, they can be used to communicate the scope of the response to an
Consolidated emergency to donors and the public, and thus serve a secondary purpose for resource mobilization. SRPs
appeal process build on humanitarian needs overviews, which provide the evidence base and analysis of the magnitude
(CAP) of the crisis and identify the most pressing humanitarian needs to inform the strategic objectives in the
SRP. The various cluster plans follow from these strategic objectives, including, for instance, the set-up of
an early recovery cluster under UNDP’s lead, covering areas not addressed in other clusters often focusing
on sustainable livelihoods, social cohesion or local service delivery. This may include MSWM.
An un-earmarked pooled funding mechanism which funds priority needs and is managed by OCHA on
behalf of the Humanitarian Coordinator, an ERF is an in-country funding mechanism which is accessible
Emergency
by NGOs and UN agencies. An ERF finances projects addressing immediate needs with positive spin-offs
Response Fund
for the wider community. In the past, emergency employment projects linked to debris and MSW removal
(ERF) have been funded through ERFs. More information about ERFs can be found on the Humanitarian
Financing page of the UN OCHA website.
The CERF has funded priority debris management projects in the past. The fund is managed by the
Central
Emergency Relief Coordinator/OCHA and provides rapid initial funding for life-saving assistance at the
Emergency
onset of humanitarian crises, and critical support for poorly funded, essential humanitarian response ope-
Response Fund rations. The CERF grant component has two windows: one for rapid response and one for underfunded
(CERF) emergencies. More information is available on the OCHA CERF website.
The immediate response facility and the peacebuilding recovery facility — the two windows of the PBF —
Peacebuilding both offer funding opportunities for MSWM projects in crisis situations. All proposals for funding from the
Fund (PBF) PBF must be submitted through the office of the Senior UN Representative in country. All PBF funding is
disbursed to recipient UN organizations.
A fast and flexible corporate funding mechanism that can be made available for amongst other crisis
UNDP BPPS
response and early recovery in line with UNDP Strategic Plan priorities under Outcome 6, including
Thematic Trust
MSWM. The TTF can be used as a fast way of channelling resources to COs. A signed project document is
Fund necessary at the stage of disbursement. Guidance will be made available on the UNDP POPP.
Donors Financing for UNDP MSWM projects has come from a diverse range of donors.
24 Available at: https://intranet.undp.org/unit/pb/communicate/communicationstoolkit/Pages/default.aspx.
3. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
This section looks at the implementation challenges that
will need to be addressed if UNDP is to turn the objectives
outlined in the previous two sections into practical actions
as quickly as possible.
3.1 WAYS TO ACCELERATE

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
To operate effectively in the immediate aftermath of a
crisis, it is important to engage quickly. Table 7 outlines
a series of actions that can help accelerate project
implementation. Plastic waste recycling in Syria. Photo: undp syria
Table 7. Tools and approaches for engaging quickly

in crisis and post-crisis settings
ENTRY POINT DESCRIPTION
The fastest way to commence a project is through contracting or agreement with responsible parties.
Pre-position The CO can prepare draft standard agreements with government counterparts, UN agencies and CBO
potential partners partners based on their roles, responsibilities and comparative advantages. In high-risk countries such
contingency planning is definitely prudent and recommended.
Support local NGOs or CBOs that are potential partners. This is important when working with community
groups and when there is a capacity-building component to the project. Develop a simple manual of
Provide guidance
how the project will work, including a format for subproject submissions, registration and criteria for
and support to
the selection of subprojects, beneficiaries and including monitoring and reporting arrangements. An
potential project
example can be accessed on the UNDP Signature Products space on the corporate intranet. UNDP should
partners
also keep an updated list of private-sector companies that can be contracted in the implementation of
early recovery projects.
Channel resources through one fund, where possible. UNDP CPR TTF has country windows and very
One funding
simple donor contribution formats. Involving UNDP headquarters in all administrative steps of signing
mechanism
donor agreements, with harmonized reporting cycles, can save the CO a lot of time in the midst of a crisis.
Request a temporary boost of capacity support through the UNDP SURGE or ExpRes (consultants) deploy-
Capacity injection ment mechanisms. The SURGE and ExpRes rosters contain experienced staff and consultants with a range
of profiles who are available for instant deployment to UNDP COs.
UNDP Fast Track Submit a request for application of UNDP Fast Track Policies and Procedures. For more information, see:
procedures https://info.undp.org/global/popp/ft/Pages/Fast-Track.aspx.
Standard Templates and examples on the UNDP intranet/SharePoint site for Signature Products can save precious
templates time in project design. Speed up the recruitment by using the pre-classified project job descriptions etc.
As early as possible, establish an effective coordination structure with other organizations operating in
Coordination the same area — for example, within or as a subcomponent of the Early Recovery Cluster and/or within
government — to ensure leadership and coherence of interventions.
Procurement and Prepare a procurement plan. The selection of a financial intermediary for cash payments or via the ‘better
financial transfers than cash alliance’ has to happen at the design stage of the project.
Cash-flow In parallel, a quick cash-flow plan is needed to determine when payments are to be made and how much
planning is available during the implementation stage.
Community outreach in Mafraq, Jordan. Photo: UNDP Jordan
3.2 ENSURE COMMUNITY-DRIVEN AND GUIDED IMPLEMENTATION

It is essential to ensure that within the initial assessment phase and throughout implementation of the MSWM project
its direction is guided by the participation and insights of project beneficiaries and communities themselves. The
training and employment benefits and the social cohesion and community solidarity that full participation generates
are important intangible benefits arising from the project. Community empowerment is an incremental, evolving and
perpetual process, but a critical window of opportunity is provided through the planning processes to build community
capacity and ownership of the MSWM project. The implementation of a community approach, although more complex
and time-consuming, greatly enriches the process and contributes to the wider aims of the project. Such endeavours
are very worthwhile to ensure that communities remain at the heart of MSWM, and lead into longer-term economic and
social recovery activities.
3.3 COORDINATION, INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
Coordination, information management and communications are relevant in any project setting, but their importance
for successful implementation of the project is heightened in a disaster response situation. Because communities them-
selves often lack coordination and communications capacity, the onus is placed on the assessment and implementation
teams to initiate and sustain regular coordination meetings as well as clear and systematic communication activities. It
is vitally important to ensure that sufficient professional and financial resources are assigned to these functions. A well-
coordinated and communicated project ensures that the project is viewed in a good light and well represented. On the
other hand, a project that fails to coordinate or communicate its activities can often struggle to recover once it acquires
a tainted image. A measured communications campaign can help disseminate important information at the various
stages of the project, help secure a favourable local appeal and acknowledge key milestones in the project’s progress.
3.4 MAINTAINING QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS
WITH NATIONAL AND LOCAL COUNTERPARTS
Maintaining high-quality relationships for the duration of the project with national and local government counter-
parts remains a vital function of the UNDP CO leadership as well as of the MSWM Project Manager and team. Periodical
bilateral meetings should be scheduled, possibly before quarterly Board meetings to provide briefings at the Minister/
Deputy Minister level. This will help ensure ownership, leadership and an open channel for strategic consultation
between UNDP and the host government. Ideally, national and local focal points will be appointed to support day-
to-day operations and information exchange and ensure that projects are implemented both through and with the
full endorsement of the host authorities and that capacity-building and institutional strengthening is systematically
pursued and reviewed at key stages.
In addition, the focal point is also required to ensure that the waste management project is fully integrated with the
national policy and strategy context. For example, there should be a good fit between the waste management project
and the government’s National MSWM Strategy. While the selection of the national focal point might be outside the
scope of UNDP’s role and reside with the government, considerable efforts will need to be made to ensure an open
and professional relationship at all times. The periodical hosting of strategic consultations with national partners and
the principal donors, alongside Board meetings, to ensure the smooth running of the project should be a feature of the
project implementation plan.
3.5 PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR

For private-sector partnerships (see also Section 2.6) it is important to note that each company with which UNDP col-
laborates needs to go through the UNDP due diligence process. For further information please refer to the UNDP POPP
and UNDP’s Teamworks space on UNDP’s due diligence and risk assessment process for private-sector partners.25
3.6 WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION

AND EMPOWERMENT
Requirements in relation to MSWM will be different for
men, women, young people, children and those with
special needs and disabilities. When consulting with the
community (essentially the programme’s clients), it is
important to consult both men and women and identify
their needs and requirements. For example, women are
often largely responsible for managing the household
and family waste, as well as children, while men may be
involved (paid or unpaid) as waste loaders or in waste col- Public MSWM awareness creation in Gaza. Photo: UNDP PAPP
lection roles.
UNDP-supported livelihoods and economic recovery programmes and local governance programmes aim to increase
the involvement of women and promote their economic empowerment and active participation in setting priorities
in their local areas. In Nepal, for example, PPP contracts related to service delivery in MSWM stipulated the minimum
number of women that needed to be engaged by the contract holder. But, of course, much more can be done to ensure
that women are able to participate in MSWM activities. In Haiti daycare centres were established to allow mothers to go
25 Available at: https://undp.unteamworks.org/node/442750.
to work; targeting women’s groups for waste sorting/recycling or the production of waste-derived products (fuel
briquettes, compost) might be another.
Like any other recovery and development initiatives, MSWM programmes should ensure that no particular group is
singled out in the participation and benefits received. However, project planners should consider if the project would
increase particular risks for women. Waste collection can expose women to additional security threats (i.e. risks of sexual
or gender-based violence or harassment), as it may involve working in unsafe areas (e.g. non-residential areas, small
alleyways or late at night should be avoided).
Getting involved in MSWM might also result in cultural stigma or physical constraints for women. The weight and height
of waste containers, for example, needs to be considered, and appropriate clothing and equipment need to be made
available for women who are actively involved in the implementation and delivery of waste management services. That
said, certain MSWM programmes have resulted in women and men becoming involved in activities they had never
done before (e.g. women pushing waste handcarts and loading trucks, and men doing road sweeping).
Women recycle packaging waste into new marketable products in Meulaboh, Indonesia. Photo: UNDP Indonesia
3.7 HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR WORKERS
The project should ensure that it does not increase the participants’ health
risks when handling waste. During the assessment phase before implementing
an MSWM scheme, risks of disease or accidents should be reviewed. Based on
findings, the project should plan for adequate training and provide the partici-
pants with appropriate protective equipment for waste collection and disposal:
To minimize health and safety risks, MSWM projects/programmes should:
follow local health and safety regulations; if non-existent, the health and Street sweeper in Biratnagar, Nepal.
safety guidelines of the International Finance Cooperation (IFC) can be Photo: UNDP Nepal
used as a reference;
provide protective clothing, including at minimum gloves but ideally overalls, high-visibility jackets, boots
(reinforced toes), hard hats (depending on the type of waste) and protective masks (when there is dust, e.g.
street sweeping);
when vaccines are available, vaccinate workers against tetanus and Hepatitis B; if stray dogs or other scavengers are
common, rabies vaccination could be recommended too;
make first aid kits available on site, ensure that workers/employees are trained in their use and that a sufficient
number of workers have received first aid training; consider including an HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) kit if
health care waste handling is routine or there is a high risk of health care waste contamination of MSW, or of sexual
and gender-based violence.
make water and soap available for workers to wash their hands and face with; people working with waste
should have access to proper and clean changing and washing facilities for use during and after waste handling
and processing;
provide group health insurance;
ensure that women are safe from security risks (e.g. risks of sexual or gender-based violence or harassment), by
involving them in MSWM-related activities that are not taking place in secluded areas; and
provide Operational Health and Safety (OH&S) training which includes (but is not limited to): first aid; lifting; use of
PPE; sexual and gender-based violence; and hazardous waste identification and disposal procedures.
Note: Although MSWM programmes focus primarily on municipal/household waste management, it is not uncommon
that waste collectors/handlers, will come into contact with wastes that are too dangerous to handle and require par-
ticular procedures and different disposal practices (e.g. asbestos, infectious health care wastes etc.). Therefore, it is
important to ensure that they are trained in personal protection and safety and are informed on what to do and who to
contact when coming into contact with hazardous/infectious waste.
Partnerships with specialized agencies, experts and private-sector companies are essential for handling hazardous
materials. For example, UNEP has experts in dealing with hazardous materials such as asbestos; the Mines Advisory
Group and other NGOs have specialized knowledge in UXO removal; and WHO and UNICEF have specialized knowledge
on handling health care waste, corpses and grey water (e.g. waste from latrines). See also Annex 6 and Section 2.7.
4. KEY LESSONS LEARNED
Based on UNDP’s experience in a large number of post-conflict/disaster recovery situations, the following key lessons
should be considered before engaging in any MSWM project.
1. Continuity beyond CfW programmes: In post-conflict/disaster contexts, UNDP-supported MSWM programmes

often start off as livelihoods and economic recovery programmes and aim for the rapid creation of jobs and live-
lihood opportunities for crisis-affected communities, frequently in the form of CfW schemes.26 Although CfW
programmes and UNDP’s quick response on the ground support the immediate creation of workdays, it is also
important to ensure that when the CfW programme is financially exhausted, public MSWM services continue to
function and a certain number of people remain employed in the sector. UNDP programmes, therefore, have to
build in continuity from the project’s start — for example, by improving the capacity of municipalities, training
communities and waste collectors on the production and sale of waste-derived products, (re-)establishing a tariff
and fee collection system, connecting collectors of recyclables to national or international waste buyers’ markets
etc. Good examples of such programmes are the Indonesia TRWMP and the Philippines TRRV.
2. Finding markets for recyclables and waste-derived products: Reiterated by many UNDP COs with experience in
MSWM, but also by UNDP’s partners, is the role which UNDP and its COs can play in helping to (re-)establish buyers’
markets for recyclables and waste-derived products. Without an existing market or buyers for compost, recovered
PET plastic and charcoal briquettes, for example, it will be very challenging to make recycling efforts economically
sustainable. Although the municipality will save financial resources and landfill space because of reduced haulage,
it is important to find markets for recyclables, which especially in a post-crisis setting is not always easy, as these
markets are much more vulnerable than, for example, scrap metal. To determine whether waste-derived products
are viable or a potential market exist, it is worthwhile entering into agreements with NGOs that develop business
cases for each potential business opportunity, and based on its outcomes, determine which ones can receive
start-up funds.
Women clean Al Naora Park as part of the UNDP Syria livelihoods UNDP Syria livelihoods recovery programme workers sort and
recovery programme. Photo: UNDP Syria analyse waste. Photo: UNDP Syria/Hakam Kajouj
26 It should be mentioned that in certain settings Output-Based Labour Payments (OBLP) or Cash for Production (CfP) seemed to work
better (e.g. in Haiti and Banda Aceh). Lessons learned from Haiti debris removal projects can be found in UNDP, The Haitian Experience
2010–2012: Technical Guide for Debris Management, UNDP, New York, 2013, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/
home/librarypage/crisis-prevention-and-recovery/haiti-technical-guide-for-debris-management/.
3. Widespread outbreaks of disease can be averted because of early intervention and attention placed on
MSWM: The role of MSWM in preventing disease is mostly linked to preventing breeding sites for vectors (e.g. mos-
quitoes, rats) and segregating hazardous waste. While reducing the risk of disease is often not the main objective of
UNDP MSWM programmes, sanitary removal of waste, whether generated by households, local businesses or insti-
tutions such as hospitals and clinics, limits the likelihood of diseases spreading. Large waste recovery programmes,
in particular those implemented after a disaster, often include the removal of medical waste (e.g. Indonesia and the
Philippines). When MSWM programmes support the clean-up, rehabilitation or (re)construction of landfills, areas
surrounding those sites are also protected against disease and illness because of environmental safeguards put in
place. Effective landfill operations and adequate facilities built under UNDP MSWM programme or planned for by
the project will have a future impact of preventing disease and illness due to environmental contamination.
4. Ensuring cost recovery and financial sustainability: It is important to start introducing sustainable solutions for
cost recovery during the early stages of MSWM interventions (e.g. by (re-)introducing a fee/tariff structure for the
collection of municipal waste, or (re-)establishing/brokering markets for recyclables and waste-derived products).
This is an important step in making an MSWM system sustainable, allowing the municipality to continue providing
such services in the future and sustaining newly created livelihood opportunities. There are a number of very
relevant cost-recovery lessons learned that emerged from the Indonesia TRWMP:
5. Support from local government translates into strong scheme implementation: There should be a strong
will and involvement from high levels of local government (mayors and Members of Parliament) in making MSWM
policy and legalizing by-laws that set the fees.
6. Collecting money must be a smooth and seamless process that gives the consumer confidence in the
system: All parties must agree on a mechanism to collect the funds, but the most effective option has been for
sanitation department staff to visit communities and go door to door. A fee collection team also becomes the com-
munity-level face of the MSWM programme and can mitigate any problems on the spot. The teams can gain the
trust of clients by personally handing them a receipt for the funds collected.
7. Getting the public on board is vital to the success of the cost-recovery scheme: Public awareness campaigns
are vital to the success of an effective cost-recovery system. Communities need to understand what is being asked
of them and what they receive in return. The role of village and community leaders is critical, as they can suggest
the best ways in which a cost-recovery scheme can be implemented well.
8. The services must be worth the price: If the services are good, the community is more willing to pay for waste
collection. When services slip, the community begins to pull out of the agreement. Sanitation departments need to
maintain a high level of services to the best of their ability.
9. Recovered funds need to be fed back into the MSWM system: If the funds are provided by the community for
a certain level of service, the government must ensure those funds are fed back into the system, either by district
funding mechanisms or ensuring that funds are earmarked for sanitation services. Instituting a separate budget for
MSWM at municipality/local government level will be equally important to allow agencies to track expenditures
and cost-recovery mechanisms, management resources and ensure adequate planning, etc.
10. Collaboration outside the project should be encouraged to maximize efforts and reduce unnecessary
expenditures: Collaboration with UN agencies, International Finance Institutions (IFIs), bilateral, NGO and private-
sector partners should be encouraged, particularly in situations where there are many actors and agencies working
in a small target area. In a post-disaster setting it is not uncommon for projects to overlap, with some communities
receiving an abundance of support, while other areas receive nothing or very little.
Improperly discarded medical waste at in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Potentially infectious medical waste poses a high and direct risk
to human health and the environment, contaminating soil, air and water supply. Photo: Photo: UNEP disasters and conflict
11. Partnerships to deal with hazardous materials: When implementing MSWM programmes, it is very likely that
the project will come across waste components that cannot be handled by the workers (without proper training
and specialist equipment). Therefore, partnerships with specialized agencies and experts are essential for handling
hazardous materials. For example, UNEP has experts in dealing with hazardous materials such as asbestos; the
Mines Advisory Group and other NGOs have specialized knowledge in UXO removal; and WHO and UNICEF have
specialized knowledge on handling health care and human waste, corpses and grey water (e.g. waste from latrines).
See also Annex 6 and Section 2.7.
12. Implementation modalities: Implementation modalities should be tailored and designed based on the specific
needs on the ground and the type of MSWM activities the programme aims to undertake. For example, UNDP
partners with NGOs specialized in managing CfW programmes and the construction of composting and recycling
facilities. Private-sector companies are contracted to clear up illegal dumping sites and to rehabilitate disposal sites
and landfills. Private-sector companies owning trucks can be engaged to collect waste, but it also happens that
projects pay owners of wheelbarrows and donkey-carts for the amount of waste they collect. CBOs can be engaged
to help with awareness-raising and fee collection as well as to monitor the quality of the waste services provided
etc. When a UNDP project supports the establishment of PPPs, it is the municipality that enters into agreements
with waste collectors, which can be private, NGOs or CBOs, or through PPPs for CfW components.
13. Waste created by the relief and recovery efforts: Poor MSWM is often a problem that worsens in post-disas-
ter/post-crisis situations, as more resources and people are made available during relief and recovery efforts. This
results in an increase in the amounts of heavily packaged goods and waste streams such as plastics and metals.
Often communities receiving relief goods have not dealt with these types of plastics on this scale, so no reuse or
recycling practices are in place to deal with them. UN agencies and relief organizations should make efforts to
procure relief goods that are biodegradable, use smarter packaging and can be reused or recycled easily. Agencies
should also ensure that the waste generated by their own activities is disposed of properly and that waste disposal
is monitored to avoid such wastes ending up in waterways or being burned in the open or at illegal dumpsites.
14. Waste management is a highly specialized field and requires technical expertise: This is particularly true
for large MSWM programmes in post-disaster settings. Waste management is a complicated process that requires
highly professional and experienced staff. Hiring professional experts may seem costly at first but is a worthwhile
investment, especially since poor planning and implementation of waste management has long-term environ-
mental and socio-economic consequences. Experts must be brought on site during the early recovery process to
capture the momentum.
In particular after a disaster, staff mobilization is a rushed process and staffing roles are broadly defined. Technical
advisers are not only tasked with assessments, planning and collaboration but also have to act as communications
focal points. While activities such as site visits, media tours and coordination with other actors are vital for early
programming, key focal points other than technical advisers need to be brought on board to ease the burden
during this time. Roles need to be defined and filled by appropriate staff as early as possible. UNDP procurement
staff would be better positioned on site rather than far from the impact zone. Often project delays result from slow
procurement in the project’s late phases. This is due in part to a lack of clear understanding of the project’s needs.
Procurement staff should be on hand to mitigate any delays or confusion that comes with distance.
15. Knowledge management, M&E and communications are vital areas that need to begin as soon as possible
in the project: Analysis of performance, availability of information and human-interest stories, and potential
knowledge products are important to final documentation. There is often a ‘rush to the finish line’ when projects
face closure deadlines, and it is at this time that the information gaps become pronounced. It is recommended to
place a strong emphasis on the human side of story-telling that further demonstrates project achievements. It can
be beneficial to have a monitoring and reporting person within the project team to ensure regular reporting and
supply of data to the donors. This also requires sound data that are monitored and evaluated by senior staff at all
times throughout the project’s lifespan.
16. Local leadership and wisdom must be harnessed and integrated into project activities: Successful MSWM
programmes encounter many champions and leaders that can guide project implementation. Natural leaders will
rise to the challenges presented and can be instrumental in improving sanitation practices and livelihoods.
17. Gender mainstreaming must be a priority in waste management projects: Often MSWM programmes include
fair recruitment practices between male and female candidates and encourage women to identify and join project
activities that are appropriate to them. However, the sanitation sector is often a male-dominated sector, particu-
larly within government entities. On the other hand, livelihoods projects and public awareness activities can have
a more balanced gender equation. It is recommended that a rigorous gender mainstreaming strategy is in place
before project implementation, to encourage more participation by women and help communities understand the
role women play in waste disposal. It is critical that such a strategy is based on women’s interests.
Annex 1. Acronyms and abbreviations
BPPS Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (UNDP)
CBO Community-based organization
CfW Cash-for-work
CO Country Office
CSO Civil society organization
HTLSF Timor-Leste Hopeseller Leadership Center
IDP Internally displaced person
ILO International Labour Organization
LGU Local Government Unit
M&E Monitoring and evaluation
MSB Swedish Civil Contingency Agency
MSE Micro- and small enterprise
MSW Municipal solid waste
MSWM Municipal solid waste management
OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
oPt Occupied Palestinian territory
PAPP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People
POPP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures
PPG Personal protection gear
PPP Public–private partnership
PPPUE Public–private partnerships for the urban environment
PSP Private-sector partnership
SME Small and medium-sized enterprise
TLO Tole Lane Organization
TRWMP Tsunami Recovery Waste Management Project
TRRV Typhoon Recovery and Resilience in the Visayas
UN United Nations
UNCT United Nations Country Team
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
UN-Habitat United Nations Human Settlement Programme
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF United Nations International Children’s Fund
UNMAS United Nations Mine Action Service
UNOPS United Nations Office for Project Services
UXO Unexploded ordnance
USACE US Army Corps of Engineers
WHO World Health Organization
Annex 2. Resources
and further reading
International Environmental Technology Centre, Guidelines for the development, review and updating of
National Waste Management Strategies, International Environmental Technology Centre, Nairobi, 2013, available
at: http://www.unep.org/ietc/InformationResources/Events/GuidelinesfortheDevelopmentofNationalWasteM/
tabid/104470/Default.aspx.
ISWA, Guidance for Landfilling Waste in Economically Developing Countries, ISWA, Research Triangle Park, NC, 1998,
available at: http://www.eecentre.org/Modules/DWMG/docs/8/Guidance_for_Landfilling_Waste_in.pdf.
Kinnaman, Thomas C., ‘The Economics of Municipal Solid Waste Management’, Waste Management, October 2009,
Vol. 29 (10): 2615–2617, available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X09002694.
Medina, M., Waste Management Plan for Makeni City, Sierra Leone, July 2013, available through the Sierra Leone UNDP
Country Office.
OCHA/UNEP/MSB, Disaster Waste Management Guidelines, OCHA/UNEP/MSB, Geneva, January 2011, available at:
https://www.msb.se/Upload/English/news/Disaster_Waste_Management.pdf.
OCHA/UNEP/MSB, Online Edition of the OCHA/UNEP Disaster Waste Management Guidelines, available at:
http://eecentre.org/DisasterWasteManagementGuidelines.aspx.
Oxfam, Domestic and Refugee Camp Waste Management Collection & Disposal, TBN15, V1, Oxfam, Oxford, 21 May 2008,
available at: http://www.eecentre.org/Modules/DWMG/docs/8/Domestic_refugee_waste.pdf.
Practical Action, Best Practices on Solid Waste Management of Nepalese Cities, Practical Action Nepal, Kathmandu,
November 2008, available at: http://practicalaction.org/media/preview/7018.
UNDP, Guidance Note: Debris Management, UNDP, New York, 2013, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/
undp/library/crisis%20prevention/SignatureProductGuidanceNoteDebrisManagement11012013v1.pdf.
UNDP, Guide on Livelihoods and Economic Recovery in Crisis and Post-Crisis Situations, UNDP, New York, 2013, available
at: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/crisis%20prevention/20130215_UNDP%20LER_guide.pdf.
UNDP, Guidance Note on Emergency Employment and Enterprise Recovery, UNDP, New York, 2013,
available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/crisis-prevention-and-recovery/
signature-product--guidance-note-on-emergency-employment-/
UNDP, Knowledge, Innovation and Capacity, Partnerships for Effective Municipal Service Delivery in Thromde, Bhutan,
UNDP, New York, 2012, available at: http://www.solutionexchange-un.net/repository/af/mun/cr3-res1-eng.pdf.
UNDP, Waste Management Fast Facts, UNDP, New York, October 2011, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/
undp/library/corporate/fast-facts/english/FF-Waste-Management.pdf.
UNDP, Green Jobs for Women and Youth – What can Local Government Do? April 2013. Available at: http://www.undp.
org/content/dam/undp/library/Poverty%20Reduction/Participatory%20Local%20Development/GreenJobs_web.pdf
UNDP, Inclusive Market Development Handbook, UNDP, New York, 2010, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/
undp/en/home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/private_sector/imd-handbook/.
UNDP, Guide to Partnership Building, UNDP, New York, 2010, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/
home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/private_sector/guide-to-partnership-building/.
UNDP, Brokering Inclusive Business Models, UNDP, New York, 2010, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/
home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/private_sector/brokering-partnerships/.
UNDP, Assessing Markets, UNDP, New York, 2010, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/
librarypage/poverty-reduction/private_sector/assessing-markets/.
UNDP Bhutan, PPP-ISWM Initiative, UNDP, Thimphu, Bhutan. May 2010, available at:
http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/capacity-development/English/
Stories%20from%20the%20Field/Stories%20from%20the%20Field_Bhutan.pdf
UNDP Burundi, Women bring solutions to waste management in Burundi,

http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/crisispreventionandrecovery/
successstories/women-bring-solutions-to-waste-management-in-burundi-/
UNDP Nepal, PPP makes a headway in solid waste management, http://www.undp.org/content/nepal/en/home/

ourwork/povertyreduction/successstories/ppp-makes-a-headway-in-solid-waste-management/
UNDP Indonesia, Tsunami Recovery Waste Management Programme, Independent Assessment and Evaluation
Project Completion (November 2012 – February 2013), UNDP Indonesia, Jakarta, 2013.
UNDP Indonesia, Final Report – March 2005 December 2012 – Prepared for the Multi Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias,
March 2013.
UNDP Indonesia (2012), Waste collection Cost Recovery Encouraging User buy-in to create healthier and happier
communities, Best Practice Series 2012
UNDP Indonesia (2009), TRWMP – January 2009 - Fact Sheet.
UNDP – PPPSD, Partnerships for Local Development, Newsletter, UNDP, New York, June 2012.
UNDP/SEPA, Governance Bottlenecks and Policy Options for Sustainable Materials Management,
Discussion Paper. ISBN 978-91-620-8688-6, UNDP/SEPA, Stockholm, August 2013, available at:
http://www.naturvardsverket.se/978-91-620-8688-6.
UNDP/UNCHS (Habitat)/World Bank/SDC, Conceptual Framework for Municipal Solid Waste Management
in Low-Income Countries, UNDP/UNCHS (Habitat)/World Bank/SDC, Nairobi, 1996, available at:
http://www.worldbank.org/urban/solid_wm/erm/CWG%20folder/conceptualframework.pdf.
UNDP/UN Habitat Indonesia, Training for Improved Municipal Solid Waste Management, 18 training modules for sustai-
nable solid waste management by districts and municipalities in Indonesia, UNDP/UNHABITAT Indonesia, Jakarta, 2012.
UNEP, Solid Waste Management, UNEP, Nairobi, December 2005, available at:
http://www.unep.org/ietc/informationresources/solidwastemanagementpublication/tabid/79356/default.aspx.
UN Habitat, Collection of Municipal Solid Waste in Developing Countries, UN Habitat, Nairobi, 2010, available at:
http://unhabitat.org/publications-listing/collection-of-municipal-solid-waste-in-developing-countries-2/.
UN Habitat, Collection of Municipal Solid Waste, Key Issues for Decision-Makers in Deve-
loping Countries, UN Habitat, Nairobi, 2011, available at: http://unhabitat.org/publications-listing/
collection-of-municipal-solid-waste-key-issues-for-decision-makers-in-developing-countries/.
UN Habitat, Solid Waste Management in the World’s Cities, Water and Sanitation in the World’s Cities, UN Habitat,
Nairobi, 2010, available at: http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=2918.
UNICEF, Minimum Standards in Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion, Chapter 6: Solid Waste Management, UNICEF,
New York, 2011, available at: http://www.eecentre.org/Modules/DWMG/docs/8/Solid_Waste_Management.pdf.
UN Statistical Division, Municipal Waste Treatment, http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environment/wastetreatment.htm.
WHO, Solid Waste Management in Emergencies, Technical Note, No. 5, WHO, Geneva, 2005, available at:
http://www.eecentre.org/Modules/DWMG/docs/8/Tabasco_DWM/WHO_Solid_Waste_Mgt_Emergencies_1.pdf.
WHO, Safe management of wastes from health-care activities, WHO, Geneva, 2013, available at:
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/85349/1/9789241548564_eng.pdf.
Zapata Campos, M.J. and Zapata, P., Switching Managua on! Connecting Informal Settlements to the Formal City
through Household Waste Collection, Environment & Urbanization, April 2013, Vol. 25 (1): 1–18.
Further guidance on health and safety in waste management

World Bank Group’s Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines: Waste Management Facilities, available at:
http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/1cd72a00488557cfbdf4ff6a6515bb18/Final+-+Waste+Management+Facilities.
pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
Sustainable Waste Management Portal, available at: www.wasteportal.net.
UNDP videos about waste management

Burundi: Re-integration of female ex-combatants through Municipal Waste Management and composting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvW8k0cGzMw&feature=youtu.be.
Ethiopia: Addis Ababa – Repi Landfill Gas Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Project:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid74508896001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAADraVCk~,_
iousidU67F4p_MQwYYMqwTlZK8h4hDh&bctid=2275899807001.
Haiti: Debris Removal and Recycling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJAL9qJ1rI8&feature=youtu.be.
India: Healthcare Waste Management in India: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_srhFLz17SU.
Nicaragua: Establishment of pro-poor Private Public Partnerships (PPPs) for household solid waste collection
in Managua: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB0fAvQh0Kg#t=292.
Philippines: Waste left by Yolanda as big as 10 football fields:

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/77205/video--waste-left-by-yolanda-as-big-as-10-football-fields.
Annex 3. Glossary 27
Other terms or
abbreviations used,
Term Working definition
or other things this
term can refer to
Typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown or digestion
Biogas Methane of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas originates from biogenic
material and is a type of biofuel
An international institutional mechanism that allows industrialized countries

that have targets under the Kyoto Protocol Mechanism (CDM) to invest in
Clean
Kyoto project financing emission reductions in non-Kyoto countries and count those reductions
development
towards their own legal commitments. A CDM project is issued with certified
emission reductions, which may then be traded
A physical or social subdivision of or within a city, it may be as small as a group

District, neighbourhood,
Community of neighbours or as large as a formal sub-municipal division that may or may
ward
not have its own governance functions
Characterization,
Quantitative description of the materials that are found within a particular
make-up of waste,
Composition waste stream in the form of a list of materials and their absolute quantities per
physical or chemical
day or per year or as a percentage of total materials
nature
Organic waste mana-

The decomposition of materials from living organisms under controlled condi-
Composting gement, aerobic
tions and in the presence of oxygen
decomposition
An engineered method of disposing of solid wastes on land, in which, at a

minimum, there is perimeter fencing, disposal site gate control and the waste
Controlled waste Controlled dumpsite, is covered every day. Some form of reporting is usual, often in the form of a
disposal site upgraded dumpsite weighbridge (scale house), and some form of tipping fee is usually charged.
A controlled waste disposal site differs from a sanitary landfill in that it is not
sealed from below and does not have a leachate collection system
The percentage of the total (household and commercial) waste-generating

Percentage service
Coverage points (households or businesses) that have regular waste collection or
availability
removal
Waste that is generated by the impact of a disaster, both as a direct effect

Disaster waste* of the disaster as well as in the post-disaster phase as a result of poor waste
management
Disposal of waste at a site different from one officially designated by the

Dumping, wild dumping, municipal authorities, especially where it is specifically prohibited; may also
Disposal – illegal
littering refer to disposal at the wrong time or in the wrong quantities, even if all other
aspects are correct
Disposal – legal Disposal of waste at a site designated by the municipal authorities
27 Unless noted, glossary terms have been taken from the UN Habitat, Solid Waste Management in the World’s Cities, Water and Sanitation
in the World’s Cities, UN Habitat, Nairobi, 2010, available at: http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=2918.
Terms identified with an asterisk (*) have been taken from the UNEP/OCHA Disaster Waste Management Guidelines, available at:
http://eecentre.org/DisasterWasteManagementGuidelines.aspx. Additional standalone sources are presented alongside definitions.
Annex 3: Glossary, continued from page 44
Disposal site* See dumpsite, engineered dumpsite, landfill and temporary disposal site
Dump, open dump, Uncontrolled disposal site for waste, where gas emissions, liquid leakage and
Dumpsite* uncontrolled waste solids contamination of the surrounding environment is not controlled or
disposal site managed. See also engineered dumpsite
Dumpsite where there is a degree of technical control such as fencing of the

site with a gate to control what wastes are disposed of, one or several bull-
Engineered
dozers or tractors are employed to move and compact the waste, ditches for
dumpsite*
leachate collection have been dug and where special arrangements are in
place for the disposal of infectious and/or hazardous waste. See also landfill
Encompasses all activities whose income is reported to the government and

Official, government, that are included within a country’s gross national product; such activities are
Formal sector
municipal normally taxed and follow requisite rules and regulations with regards to moni-
toring and reportinga
Solid waste system,

Solid waste management activities planned, sponsored, financed, carried out
Formal waste solid waste authorities,
or regulated and/or recognized by the formal local authorities or their agents,
sector government, materials
usually through contracts, licences or concessions
recovery facility
Waste that has physical, chemical or biological characteristics such that it requires
special handling and disposal procedures to avoid risk to health, adverse environ-
mental effects or both. ‘Hazardous’ relates to the situation and circumstances as
well as the properties of waste materials. Typical characteristics include: oxidizing,
Hazardous waste* Toxic waste
explosive, flammable, irritant, corrosive, toxic, ecotoxic, carcinogenic, infectious,
toxic for reproduction and/or mutagenic. It is noted that toxic wastes may produce
toxic gases when in contact with water, air or acid, which can subsequently
produce hazardous substances after disposal
Term often used for clinical waste or hospital waste. The WHO uses 10 catego-
ries of health care waste, presented in Appendix C. The risky part of health care
Health care waste is normally a minor part of this waste stream. The other parts of health
Clinical waste
waste* care waste (e.g. food waste and packaging waste from wards and staff, ashes
and rubble etc.) can, if properly segregated, be managed similar to ordinary
household waste
Municipal solid waste,

Discarded materials from households that are generated in the normal process
Household waste domestic waste, MSW,
of living and dying
non-dangerous waste
Controlled process by which solid, liquid or gaseous combustible wastes are

Incineration Burning, combustion
burned and changed into gasesb
Individuals or businesses whose economic activities are not accounted in a

Waste pickers, rag
country’s gross national product; such activities are not taxed; exchange of goods
pickers, recyclers, junk
Informal sector or services is on a cash basis; the activities are not monitored by the government;
shops, street vendors,
and often the activities operate in violation of, or in competition with, formal
bicycle taxis etc.
authorities c, d
Individuals or enterprises involved in waste activities but not sponsored,

Informal waste Waste pickers, recyclers,
financed, recognized or allowed by the formal solid waste authorities, or who
sector junk shops
operate in violation of, or in competition with, formal authorities
Sources: a. Adapted from the International Labour Organization definition, adopted by the 15th Continued on page 46
International Conference of Labour Statisticians, January 1993; b. Adapted from Tchobanoglous et
al., 1993; c. Hart, 1973; d. Adapted from the International Labour Organization definition, adopted
by the 15th International Conference of Labour Statisticians, January 1993.
Integrated sus- A systems approach to waste management that recognizes three important
tainable waste dimensions of waste management: (1) stakeholders; (2) waste system
management elements; and (3) sustainability aspects
“An engineered method of disposing of solid wastes on land, in which, at a

Engineered landfill, engi- minimum, there is perimeter fencing, gate control and the waste is covered every
neered waste disposal day. Some form of reporting is usual, often in the form of a weighbridge (scale
Landfill
facility, controlled house), and some form of tipping fee is usually charged. A landfill differs from a
disposal facility sanitary landfill in that it is not necessarily sealed from below and does not necessa-
rily have a leachate collection system.”e
Micro- and small Micro-enterprise, junk

The smallest businesses, smaller than SMEs, usually with less than 10 workersf
enterprise shop, small recycler
Wastes generated by households, and wastes of a similar nature generated by

Municipal solid Household waste, commercial and industrial premises, by institutions such as schools, hospitals
waste (MSW) domestic waste care homes and prisons, and from public spaces such as streets, bus stops,
parks and gardens
Bio-waste, green waste,

wet waste, organics, The decomposable fraction of domestic and commercial wastes, including
Organic waste
food waste, putrescibles, kitchen and garden wastes and, sometimes, animal products
compostables
Manual or mechanical operations to preserve or reintroduce value added into

Processing Beneficiation, upgrading materials; usually involves densification, size reduction, sorting and packaging
or transport
Rate of recycling,
The percentage of the total amount of recoverable materials generated that
Recovery rate percentage recycled,
reaches recycling, composting or energy recovery
diversion rate
Recoverables, materials Materials contained in municipal solid waste which have an intrinsic value to
Recyclables
to be valourized the industrial value chain as represented by a price
Waste picker, MRF, junk

Recycler Entrepreneur involved in recycling
shop
Extraction, processing and transformation of waste materials and their transfer to

Valourization, materials the industrial value chain, where they are used for new manufacturing; in some
Recycling
recovery definitions, recycling is only considered to have occurred when materials have
been soldg
Use of waste materials or discarded products in the same form without significant
Reuse Second-hand use
transformation; may include a system developed to repair/refurbish itemsh
An engineered method of disposing of solid wastes on land in a manner that

Landfill, state-of-the-art protects human health and the environment. The waste is compacted and
Sanitary landfill
landfill covered every day. The landfill is sealed from below, leachate and gas are
collected, and there is a gate control and a weighbridge
Garbage, trash, waste, Materials that are discarded or rejected when their owner considers them to be
Solid waste
rubbish spent, useless, worthless or in excessi
Formal or semi-formal worker assigned by the city authority to remove litter

Street cleaner Street sweeper
from streets that cannot be attributed to any specific waste generator
Sources: e. Hart, 1973; f. Adapted from Arroyo et al., 1998; g. Adapted from Tchobanoglous Continued on page 47
et al., 1993; h. Adapted from Koeberlin, 2003; i. Adapted from Tchobanoglous et al., 1993.
Decontamination, pro-
Labour-based or mechanical methods to reduce the risk of exposure or to
cessing, incineration,
reduce the impacts on the environment of toxic or hazardous materials asso-
Treatment anaerobic digestion,
ciated with the waste stream; in some cases, can concurrently capture and
biogas production,
increase the economic value of specific waste stream components’ value added
pyrolisis, composting
Place where disaster waste is safely placed, stored and processed for a pre-
Temporary defined period after a disaster. The site would be selected following a rapid
disposal site* environmental assessment, and the emissions should be minimized in relation
to appropriate and available technology
Recycling, recovery, The entire process of extracting, storing, collecting or processing materials
Valourization conserving economic from the waste stream to extract and divert value and direct the material to a
value value-added stream
Households, institutio-
Waste generator The agent or point via which a purchased, collected or grown product is discardedj
nal, commercial wastes
Waste picker Recycler Woman, man, child or family who extracts recyclable materials from disposal sitesk
Total flow of waste material from generation (either domestic, industrial, construc-
Waste stream
tion etc.) through to treatment and/or final disposall
Sources: j. Adapted from Franklin Associates, 1992; k. Adapted from Koeberlin, 2003;
l. Adapted from the Business Dictionary and Environ-News.com.
Annex 4: Waste needs assessment –
early recovery phase
28
Suggestions
Ensure you review any waste assessment that has already been undertaken. There are many agencies and partners (e.g.
UNEP, OCHA, UNICEF, OXFAM, JICA, World Bank etc.) that are generally active in MSWM. It will save a lot of time and provide you
with valuable insights. If they exist, try to also review post-crisis/post-disaster environmental assessments conducted by UNEP, as
they might contain information related to waste.
Fill out the table below to the extent possible.
Take photos of:
• IDP camps and waste collection systems
• Regular waste collection systems (i.e. waste collectors, the type of waste they collect and the vehicles used)
• Temporary and permanent dumpsites (both informal and formal)
• Access roads to dump sites
• Health care waste management, if available
• Hazardous waste management, if available
• Damage of infrastructure
In your photos, remember to include a person, a car or something well known to give perspective of size. Mark all photos with
GPS coordinates and photographer/agency name.
Take GPS coordinates of (at least) waste management sites and damaged infrastructure or industrial facilities.
Section 1: General
Which area is being assessed? Please describe:
What is the total number of Please describe:

people in the affected area?
Section 2: City/Village Municipal Waste Management

If there are any IDP camps located in your waste assessment area,
fill out Section 3 separately for the camps.
Is the municipal solid waste

Yes If not, how are people disposing of their waste?
management (MSWM) system
No If yes, how is the MSWM system functioning?
functioning? For example, is
waste being picked up? Please describe:
28 Waste Needs Assessment Annex adapted from OCHA/UNEP/MSB, Disaster Waste Management Guidelines, OCHA/UNEP/MSB, Geneva,
January 2011, available at: https://www.msb.se/Upload/English/news/Disaster_Waste_Management.pdf.
Annex 4: Waste needs assessment — early recovery phase, continued from page 48
How is waste being collected?

Using bins

Using large metal containers

Collected in waste piles

Other. Please describe:
Note: please take photos
How is the waste being picked up? Check all that apply:

Handcarts

Ox-carts

Open trucks

Compactors

Who is operating these Check all that apply:

carts/trucks?
Informal waste collectors

Private waste collectors

Municipality

Is there a public–private
Yes Please describe:
partnership (PPP) operating
No
in the city?
Are waste management vehicles

intact/available?
No
Is there fuel available for waste

management vehicles?
No
Estimate the amount of waste Comments:

being generated per day
Tons/day
or
m3/day
How much of the total waste Comments:

generated is being collected?
%
Estimate the composition of Biodegradables %

the waste (in percentages)
Plastic %
Metal %
Glass %
Paper %
Inert %
Comments:
Recycling
Is any of the waste

Yes If so, please fill out the rows below
being recycled?
No Note: please take photos
Metal Describe the company that buys the metal waste, and describe who does the
collection, trade and processing:
Plastics Describe the company that buys the plastic waste, and describe who does the
Glass Describe the company that buys the glass waste, and describe who does the
Paper Describe the company that buys the paper waste, and describe who does the
Biodegradables Describe the company that buys the biodegradable waste, and describe who
does the collection, trade and processing:
Waste disposal
How is waste being treated?

Burned in the open

Burned in an incinerator

Taken to a waste dump

If it is taken to a waste dump, Check all that apply:

what type of waste dump?
Engineered landfill (landfill is fenced and lined, and leachate is treated)

Controlled landfill (landfill is fenced, waste is covered with dirt every
day, but landfill is not lined and leachate not treated)

Dumpsite (no controls)

Temporary dumpsite

Illegal dumpsite
Please describe what these landfills/dumps look like:
Note: please take photos and note GPS coordinates
Is (are) the dumpsite(s) intact?

Yes Has the crisis/disaster impacted existing dumpsite(s)? Do they need to be

No rehabilitated? Please describe:
Is the access road to the

Yes Can large/heavy trucks reach the dumpsite, or does the access road first
dumpsite(s) intact?
No need to be rehabilitated? Please describe:
Are there any temporary

Yes If so, where are the located?
dumpsites?
No
Note: please take photos and take down GPS coordinates
If waste is taken to an established Since when?

dumpsite/landfill, how much is
Tons/day
disposed of there per day?
If waste is taken to a temporary Since when?

Tons/day
If waste is taken to an unautho- Since when?

rized dumpsite/landfill, how much
Tons/day
is disposed of there per day?
Is there any composting/biogas

Yes If so, how many m3 are being treated per day?
production established?
No
Are there facilities for hazardous

Yes Describe if the hazardous waste is being collected separately,
waste disposal?
No and if it is being treated:

Describe what type of hazardous wastes are being collected (e.g. health care
waste, asbestos etc.):
Are there any other waste

Yes If yes, what type of treatment/recycling plants are these?
treatment plants in the area?
No
Section 3: IDP Camps

The NGOs and organizations undertaking water, sanitation and hygiene promotion in camps (e.g. Oxfam, UNHCR,
UNICEF, UNFPA, missions, IOM etc.) will often be tasked with managing solid waste. Only occasionally is UNDP
involved in MSWM practices in IDP camps. Before undertaking an MSWM assessment in an IDP camp, consider the
roles of other organizations and that of UNDP.
Are there any IDP camps?

Yes If so, how many?

No If no, skip this section.
Estimate the number of people

staying in the camps
%
Is the MSWM system functioning?

Yes If not, how are people disposing of their waste?
For example, is waste being
No If yes, how is the MSWM system functioning?
picked up?
Please describe:
How is waste being collected?

Using bins

Using large metal containers

Collected in waste piles

How is the waste being picked up? Check all that apply:

Handcarts

Ox-carts

Open trucks

Compactors

Who is operating these Check all that apply:

carts/trucks
Informal waste collectors

Private waste collectors

Municipality
Is there a PPP operating in the

city?
No
Are waste management vehicles

intact/available?
No
Is there fuel available for waste

management vehicles?
No
Estimate the amount of waste Comments:

being generated per day
Tons/day
or

m3/day
How much of the total waste % Comments:

generated is being collected?
Estimate the composition of Biodegradables %

the waste (in percentages)
Plastic %
Metal %
Glass %
Paper %
Inert %
Comments:
Recycling
Is any of the waste being

Yes If so, please fill out the rows below
recycled?
No Note: please take photos
Metal Describe the company that buys the metal waste, and describe who does the
Plastics Describe the company that buys the plastics waste, and describe who does
the collection, trade and processing:
Glass Describe the company that buys the glass waste, and describe who does the
Paper Describe the company that buys the paper waste, and describe who does the
Biodegradables Describe the company that buys the biodegradable waste, and describe who
does the collection, trade and processing:
Waste disposal
How is waste being treated?

Burned in the open

Burned in an incinerator

Taken to a waste dump

If it is taken to a waste dump, Check all that apply:

what type of waste dump?
Engineered landfill (landfill is fenced and lined, and leachate is treated)

Controlled landfill (landfill is fenced, waste is covered with dirt every
day, but landfill is not lined and leachate not treated)

Dumpsite (no controls)

Temporary dumpsite

Illegal dumpsite
Please describe what these landfills/dumps look like:
Is (are) the dumpsite(s) intact?

Yes Has the crisis/disaster impacted existing dumpsite(s)? Do they need to be

No rehabilitated? Please describe:
Is the access road to the

Yes Can large/heavy trucks reach the dumpsite, or does the access road first
dumpsite(s) intact?
No need to be rehabilitated? Please describe:
Are there any temporary

Yes If so, where are the located?
dumpsites?
No
If waste is taken to an established Since when?

Tons/day
If waste is taken to a temporary Since when?

Tons/day
If waste is taken to an unautho- Since when?

rized dumpsite/landfill, how much
Tons/day
is disposed of there per day?
Is there any composting/biogas
Yes If so, how many m3 are being treated per day?
production established?
No
Are there facilities for hazardous

Yes Describe if the hazardous waste is being collected separately, and if it is
waste disposal?
No being treated:
Describe what type of hazardous wastes are being collected (e.g. health care
waste, asbestos etc.):
Are there any other waste

Yes If yes, what type of treatment/recycling plants are these?
treatment plants in the area?
No
Annex 5. Planning, designing
and implementing a livelihoods
and recovery MSWM project
1 CONDUCT A GENERAL EARLY RECOVERY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Note: This should be the same step for all livelihoods and recovery programmes. When you identify a need and opportunity
related to solid waste management, proceed to step 2.
1.1 Understand the context of the crisis p

1.2 Assess the livelihoods and early recovery needs of the affected communities, including IDPs and their p
host communities
1.3 Conduct a rapid assessment of infrastructure damage p

1.4 Consult affected communities on issues relating to public health, waste, livelihoods and the environment p
When considering MSWM activities, it is important to verify local MSW practices with households. Though it is
often practice that assessments interact with the heads of households, it is often other family members (e.g.
women or children) who handle and dispose of the waste on a daily basis and can thus more clearly formulate
and identify their needs.
2 INITIATE DIALOGUE AND ANALYSE STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR CAPACITY

MSWM i s t h e r e s pon s ibi l it y of t h e cit y !
In most countries, local authorities are responsible by law for the ‘public good’ of safeguarding public health and
the protection of the environment related to solid waste. They are the main duty-bearers for delivering public
goods and services, and special care should be taken not to undermine their role. Keeping in mind sustainability,
they should be involved at all stages of the project’s assessment, design and implementation, as after the liveli-
hoods programme intervention they have to continue providing services on their own.
2.1 Initiate dialogue with the municipality/local governance structure and assess its capacity (before and after) p
Crises/disasters have an impact on the authorities that would normally be responsible for the collection and
disposal of solid waste. This may include loss of staff, being overstretched etc. Prior to the crisis/disaster they were
already likely to be underfunded and under resourced.
2.2 Find out who does what in MSWM (local, national government, international donors, NGOs, CBOs, relief p
organizations, informal sector, private sector etc.)
What are their roles and responsibilities? Have these changed as a result of the emergency situation?
2.3 Institute dialogue with all stakeholders, and create an MSWM platform p
Creating a platform for dialogue increases ownership and is a way to anchor institutional memory in MSWM.
It is important to use a waste platform and attend regular meetings to exchange ideas, experiences, lessons
learned, data, information etc. Liaising with other stakeholders that are also involved in MSWM will avoid
duplication and allow programmes to complement each other. If no such dialogue platform exists, support the
establishment of one.
2.4 Conduct a quick capacity assessment of potential partners p

There are many stakeholders that have an interest in or are involved in MSWM. It is important to assess their
capacity, as they might be involved in the implementation of an MSWM programme later on, either as an
implementing agency (NGO, UN agency), an executing agency (municipality, local government), a service
provider (informal waste collectors and waste pickers, private-sector companies that might be engaged
through PPPs, waste recycling companies) or as a client (e.g. households, CBOs, community leaders etc.).
Annex 5: Planning, designing and implementing a livelihoods and recovery MSWM project, continued from page 56
3 CONDUCT A WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT

A s s e s s exi s ting s ys te m s befo r e m a k ing p l an s !
It is critical to include a baseline that looks at the behaviour and relationships of providers and users, at strengths
and weaknesses of what is already occurring, and at opportunities for improvement that build on strengths and fix
weaknesses.
3.1 Review any waste needs assessment that might already have been conducted p
There are many organizations (e.g. UNEP, OCHA, UNICEF, OXFAM, JICA, World Bank etc.) active in MSWM. Ensure
you review any MSWM assessment they have already conducted. It will save a lot of time and provide valuable
insights. If they exist, also review environmental assessments conducted by UNEP, as they might contain informa-
tion related to waste.
3.2 Conduct a waste assessment (using Annex 4) p

The waste assessment will (in short) review the following:
• Was there a solid waste management system in place prior to
the crisis/disaster? How has it been affected?
• What are the current solutions in place? Are there any good practices that could be scaled up?
• Identify and map organizations of waste pickers and supportive NGOs and individuals.
• Determine the geographic presence of the waste and ease of access to waste through governmental
sources, Geographical Information System, aerophotogrammetry and satellite pictures, news, and information
gathered from local agencies. Where are the waste piles, concentrations of people in the target area (assess
the density of population and their level of poverty, which influences waste volumes), increases in numbers of
IDPs in certain parts of the target area (meaning more waste, presence of community/shelters in the area etc.)?
• Identify areas that are prone to uncontrolled and indiscriminate dumping of solid waste (take photos).
• Map waste. Use the above data to prepare a waste map of the affected area. The map will be a
valuable tool throughout the process and can be updated as information becomes available.
• What kind of waste is generated, and how much? Quantify the composition and quality of
waste streams and waste disposed of at dumps/landfills through site visits and waste sampling/
analysis. Take into account that waste generation may vary according to seasons and diets.
• Are there landfills/disposal sites? What is their condition after the conflict/
disaster? Do they need remediation? Can they be accessed? (take photos)
• Health and waste: The extent to which solid waste has an impact on people’s health should
be assessed. Is there evidence of increased morbidity linked to poor waste management
practices? Often MSWM programme should target the highest-risk areas as a priority.
• What is the degree of waste extraction/separation (e.g. paper, plastic, metal, organics etc.)?
• Storage/processing of recyclables: Are there particular areas/locations
where recyclables are being stored? Are they being processed?
3.3 Identify potential hazards/risk related to MSWM p

• Find out about the level of conflict in the target area to identify risk of explosive remnants
of war (e.g. in Palestine waste/debris was mixed with unexploded ordinance).
• Is there a likelihood that infectious health care waste is mixed with municipal waste? What
are the potential hazardous waste fractions (e.g. asbestos) that could be present?
3.4 Consult the informal sector (e.g. collectors, waste pickers, recyclers etc.) p
In cities such as Moshi, Quezon City, Delhi and Bengaluru, the informal sector is responsible for 50 to 100 percent
of all ongoing waste activities.
Models for sustainable, affordable waste management and recycling outside the developed world work best
when they are built around the integration of waste pickers and other informal recyclers and service providers
into modernizing MSWM systems. When this happens, the resulting systems are robust, socially responsible and
economically productive.
Establishing collaboration with the informal sector is quite difficult for governments (and UNDP), but excluding
them will result in people losing their livelihoods.
3.5 Consults user/client groups that are likely not to have been part of more ‘official/high-level’ consultations21 p
A good service is one that people will use and be willing to pay for — something that is more likely if they have been
involved in its design and have had something to say about the planning.
• Consult both men and women: The MSWM requirements of men, women, young people,
children, and those with special needs and disabilities will be different. When consulting with the
community it is important to consult both men and women and to identify their needs and requi-
rements. For example, women will largely be responsible for household and family waste manage-
ment, while men may be involved (paid or unpaid) as waste loaders or in waste collection roles.
• Consult users such as community leaders, households, small businesses etc. to ensure
alignment with community expectations and needs. Ultimately these are the people who
would have to start paying for collection services to make it sustainable in the long run.
• Encourage community associations and civil societies to participate in planning and
decision-making processes through local committees or regular consultations.
3.6 Understand the attitudes of clients and service providers towards waste p
Note: In some countries stigma is attached to waste handling, and it is expected that only certain groups, such
as sweepers, will handle the waste (e.g. Pakistan earthquake, Sudan collection of PET bottles by former military
personnel). The population groups that would be willing to be involved in MSWM will influence the targets
groups that the livelihoods programme focuses on (e.g. in Syria only immigrants were willing to work in MSWM,
which is why the initial target group (host communities) could not be involved in such activities).
4
PROJECT DESIGN: IMPLEMENTATION MODALITIES
AND DESIGN INTERVENTIONS
4.1 Agree on the role of municipal, local and national governments p
• Agree on the roles and responsibilities of the municipality/local government during the planning
phase, and discuss the role and responsibilities after the programme comes to an end.
• Confirm the equipment, facilities and human and financial resources that can be provided by the municipality.
4.2 Agree on an implementation and payment modality (CfW, PPP, PSP, informal service providers, p
NGO/UN execution etc.) with the municipality/local governance
Ensuring that a PPP approach never causes loss of livelihoods when applied to urban service delivery systems!
Ensure that the livelihoods programme creates and maintains equity of access to livelihoods and economic
niches. People and enterprises that were or are already working in MSWM cannot suddenly be excluded or denied
access to certain wastes.
In many cities, at least as many — if not considerably more — people earn their livelihoods in recovery, valouriza-
tion and recycling as are employed in the public services of waste collection and street sweeping.
Note: Keep in mind that after the livelihoods programmes comes to an end the municipality will have to take full
responsibility for running a waste collection service. The implementation modality must, therefore, be aligned
with what the local governance structure could handle, in terms of capacity wise as well as financially.
4.3 Determine the areas/zones of intervention p

E n s u r e a l ign m ent w it h co m m unit y expectation s and need s !
Note: Different approaches can be developed/designed for different zones/neighbourhoods. Waste collection in
camps and informal settlements requires very different interventions from administrative and business districts or
middle-income neighbourhoods.
4.4 Agree on the type of interventions p

B ui l d on w h at i s a l r eady functioning o r wa s functioning p r io r to t h e c r i s i s / di s a s te r !
In many cities, at least as many — if not considerably more — people earn their livelihoods in recovery,
valourization and recycling as are employed in the public services of waste collection and street sweeping!
Reach agreement with stakeholders on the type of activities to be supported through the livelihoods and
economic recovery programme — for example:
Track A: Emergency employment creation through CfW schemes
• Engage community members through neighbourhood waste assessments (e.g. identify where
camp waste is piling up, the sources and reasons why waste is being disposed of there)
• Engage community members through CfW in managing communal waste collection points; granting access,
ensuring waste is dumped in containers — not next to them, calling the waste pick-up when containers are
overflowing etc.); could also include shredding/compacting waste at the communal collection points
• Rehabilitation of the official landfill/dumpsite, which might have been damaged as a result of the crisis/disaster
• Construction of fenced waste transfer points (but only when they will be
regularly serviced; if not they will turn into open dumps)
• Construction of appropriately fenced refuse pits, bins, area pits at public
places etc. as part of market infrastructure rehabilitation
• Construction of composting sites
• Removal/collection of MSW
• Street cleaning/sweeping
• Illegal dump cleaning
• Ditch/drainage/gutter cleaning
• Clean parks and beaches, riverbeds etc.
• Production of locally produced waste bins/containers for household use (traditio-
nal baskets, 200-litre drums cut in half etc.) or communal use preferably made of locally
available materials and of the type used under normal circumstances (if applicable)
• Clearing of agricultural lands (necessary after a flood)
• Instituting system of 3x6 for CfW programme
Track A: Targeted livelihoods and self-employment start-up grants
• Support for individuals, small enterprises, CBOs, community groups etc. in the area of
developing waste-derived products and recycling activities, through training as well as
start-up grants (in the form of cash or tools necessary to support such activities):
• Valourization of organic waste for animal feed
• Valourization of organic waste for composting
• Fabrication of charcoal/eco briquettes from organic waste for fuel (e.g. from camp waste)
• Making building blocks from plastic and styrofoam
• Supporting small-scale low-tech businesses in reuse and recycling
Track B: Local economic recovery and community development

• Providing access to microfinance and tools for the production of waste-deri-
ved products and recycling, in the following sectors (among else):
• Valourization of organic waste for animal feed.
• Valourization of organic waste for composting
• Fabrication of charcoal/eco briquettes from organic waste for fuel (e.g. from camp waste)
• Making building blocks from plastic and styrofoam
• Supporting small-scale low-tech businesses in reuse and recycling
Track C: Sustainable employment creation and decent work
• Enhancing the skills of the city planning and management staff
• Re-establishing responsibilities as well as a budget for MSWM within the municipality
• Instituting a fee/tariff/cost-recovery system to ensure long-term employment and job security
(e.g. through direct waste bills or the utility company, sometimes complemented with revenues
collected through property taxes, municipal incomes taxes or national transfers)
• Developing/enhancing the policy and regulatory framework pertaining to MSWM (see also 5.9)
• Creating transparency in knowing, controlling and reporting on all the costs related to MSWM
• Developing a regulatory framework for PPPs supporting public service delivery in MSWM
(which could also support other types of service than just MSWM) (see also 5.9)
• Improving the working conditions of the informal recycling sector (e.g.
by financing equipment or paying for health insurance)
• Reducing illegal child labour (but ensuring that families find ways to compen-
sate for lost income as a result of children going to school instead)
• Providing institutional support to informal, micro- and small enterpreneurs (e.g.
permits to waste pickers or waste collectors, fee collectors etc.)
4.5 Work with the municipality and/or local authorities on identifying and assessing locations for waste col- p
lection points, waste transfer locations, disposal sites and waste separation and recycling sites
Every effort should be made to identify official, controlled solid waste disposal sites, as well as transfer locations!
Coordination with the local authorities and other aid agencies will be essential in ensuring that such facilities/
locations are accessible and appropriately managed. If an existing disposal site is available, it should be rapidly
assessed for environmental compliance before use. The site may have been used before the emergency by the
local authority, and assistance may be required to get the system operational again.
Where no existing disposal site is available, a temporary disposal site or engineered dumpsite should be identified
and established.
Do not dump any waste anywhere if no written agreement is reached with the municipality/local
government.
4.6 Identify procurement needs p

• Identify procurement needs that can be met by hiring local services or private-sector par-
tnerships (hiring local flatbed trucks, animal carts, tractors with trailers etc.), rather than procuring
these through the project. First, maintenance and operating costs might prove to be a burden for the
municipality in the future; and, second, especially the procurement might delay the start of the project
and require capital investment on behalf of the project that could be used for paying salaries etc.
• Equipment needed for collection and transport (e.g. brooms, push
barrels, bins, wheelbarrows, waste containers, trucks etc.)
• Equipment needed for personal protection and staff welfare: All involved in the collec-
tion, transport, disposal and recycling of solid waste should be provided with:
Protective clothing, including — at minimum — gloves but ideally overalls, high-visibility jackets, boots (reinforced
toes), hard hats (depending on the type of waste) and protective masks (when there is dust, e.g. street sweeping)
When possible, vaccinate workers against tetanus and hepatitis B
Water and soap should be available for washing hands and faces with. People working
with waste should have access to proper and clean changing and washing facilities for use
during and after handling and processing waste (otherwise, they go home dirty to their
families and expose them to whatever they have been in contact with themselves)
Health insurance?
• Construction supplies and works needed for MSWM-related works — for example, fencing
and/or construction of transfer stations/disposal sites, construction works for the prepara-
tion of waste recycling/recipient sites, rehabilitation of the landfill/disposal site etc.
4.7 Ensure alignment with the country’s standards and legal requirements governing waste management p
It is important to consult with the local authorities to ensure these standards and legal requirements are
respected. If these do not yet exist, it will be important to develop guidelines, policies and national and local
action plans to ensure sustainability (see project implementation).
4.8 Undertake a market survey to determine local suppliers, local service providers and local contractors of p
MSWM-related equipment, services etc.
4.9 Decide on the introduction of fees/tariffs (when and how much?) p

Decide on the introduction of a fee structure for the collection of municipal waste, or start planning the re-esta-
blishment of the fee collection system that was in place prior to the disaster/crisis.
This is an important step in making the MSWM system sustainable and allowing the municipality to continue
providing such services when the livelihoods programme comes to an end. For example, in Afghanistan muni-
cipality taxes were slowly increased throughout the duration of the MSWM programme (initially only including
waste collection charges, but later on also property taxes etc.), providing the municipality with a budget to
continue providing public services.
If no fees have ever been charged, the project could support (during its design phase or during its implementa-
tion) an assessment on willingness to pay for MSWM, considering cross-subsidization schemes (e.g. where the
businesses pay more and households pay less, or according to income level).
Getting people to pay for primary collection, where they can see the benefit of keeping their neighbourhood
clean, may be a realistic first step. Expecting them to be equally willing to pay for secondary collection (collection
from the transfer points and transport to the landfill) and environmentally sound disposal (developing enginee-
red landfills) is optimistic, because they do not immediately experience the impacts of problems with the status
quo.
4.10 Write the project document (as a standalone project or as an integral component of a larger livelihoods p
and economic recovery programme), obtain donor funding and get the document signed to be able to
start implementation.
5 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
5.1 Establish a steering committee for the project p
A steering committee should comprise UNDP, municipality, relevant ministry (e.g. Ministry of Local Governance)
technical experts, concerned stakeholders, implementing partners and local authorities.
Agree on terms of reference for the steering committee, defining roles and responsibilities, setting up follow-up and
monitoring mechanisms.
5.2 Organize coordination meetings with partners/stakeholders involved in MSWM, building on the MSWM p
platform created as part of 2.3
5.3 Launch necessary procurement p

Whether procurement for goods or services, follow UNDP rules and regulations.
5.4 Undertake training activities p

Training of waste collection/street sweeping groups/individuals (e.g. personal protection and safety, what to do
when coming into contact with hazardous/infectious waste etc.)
Training of service providers (firms, MSEs, CBOs, informal family enterprises) so that they can meet all or most of
the requirements
Training of professional municipality staff on MSWM (depending on their capacity, needs etc., training inter-
ventions will focus on basic MSWM approaches and practices, but also on PPP, PSPs, contracting, fee collection,
accounting, management etc.)
5.5 Institute a permit system p

Providing waste pickers and collectors with an identify card will allow them to access the landfill/disposal/transfer
sites for waste-picking activities but can also facilitate their acceptance by the community and ensure less harass-
ment from police/security guards.
In certain countries, making informal waste picking and collection a ‘legal’ profession can lead to a reduction in child
labour in this area, which is an indirect positive impact of such interventions. However families rely on these children
collecting and recycling waste, and they need to be compensated somehow. For example, instead children need to go
to school, but who covers the loss in income?
5.6 Start implementation of the activities and interventions as agreed/designed under 4 p

5.7 Undertake awareness-raising campaigns p
Information campaigns could inform the population about when waste is being picked up and when particular
wards/neighbourhoods are being serviced (which days/times). Such campaigns can also inform households
about putting their waste in containers for regular collection.
Information campaigns can also be used to inform users about why, when etc. service fees are to be paid/will be
collected etc., how the fee system will be rolled out and why fee collection is so important.
Awareness-raising campaigns can also be used to explain the importance of waste management for health and
environmental considerations, what households can do themselves (e.g. composting for homestead gardening),
and how to deal with hazardous wastes that cannot be disposed of along with household waste.
5.8 Develop a user feedback system p

Create a feedback system and provide accurate and timely follow-up to the user. This can be done, for example, by
creating communal/stakeholder platforms which can provide feedback on the service provided, how these meet
the needs of the community, the tariffs and fees being charged etc.
Note: Most feedback that will be received will be related to waste not having been picked up at all, or at the time
expected, or overflowing waste bins and containers. It is important to ensure that if a feedback system is being
used, feedback provided by users is responded to quickly.
5.9 Track C: Develop and/or enhance the policy and regulatory framework pertaining to MSWM p
• Develop PPP regulatory frameworks supporting public service delivery in MSWM
(which could also support other types of service than just MSWM):
Develop transparent and competitive bidding procedures
Prepare standard contracts and clear guidelines
Develop guidelines/procedures for effectively monitoring and supervising private service providers
Develop sound contracting practices which define performance standards and
specifications, and how to communicate these to potential service providers
• Support the development of a national strategy on the management of solid waste
• Develop municipal laws and degrees — for example, refuse collection and disposal law as well as regula-
tions that prevent waste collection services from only taking care of the neighbourhoods and wastes that
are more profitable (only taking plastics, paper etc.), which will result in the public sector having to cover
the low-income areas, residual waste and city borders, where cost recovery is much more of a challenge)
• Support the development of a strategic MSWM plan and corresponding budget
• Prepare urban development plans (e.g. reserving space for land/space to manage
solid waste, such as landfills, composting plants or transfers stations)
• Assess potential market interventions, such as subsidies and financial incentives
5.10 Monitoring and evaluation p

Apply standard UNDP M&E rules for project implementation; however, also effectively monitor and supervise
private service providers:
• Ensure that employed contractors are not illegally dumping the waste,
which may be an easier and cheaper option for them
• Verify the service provided — for example, what is the quality of the service provided,
and does it match what is set out in the contracts? Solicit user feedback through the esta-
blished user feedback system but also through household/business visits
• Identify whether and how the project can be improved for better performance
• Collect and publish lessons learned
6 EXIT PLAN
Often livelihoods and recovery programmes, in particular if they are executed using CfW modalities, face p
challenges in ensuring that livelihoods and jobs are maintained beyond the duration of the programme.
Not only might people lose their jobs and incomes when such a programme comes to an end, but also the greater
public which is now relying on the public services provided under this programme suddenly finds that these
services deteriorate or disappear altogether, with disastrous consequences for human health and the environ-
ment, but also for the reputation of the municipality and UNDP.
For financial sustainability and continuation of the MSWM system, the most important is that, by the
end of the project, the local government/municipality should have the CAPACITY, AUTHORITY and the
necessary RESOURCES to carry out MSWM.
Anyone designing MSWM programmes should ensure that all three are being built up by selecting the
right interventions (a combination of Tracks A, B and C).
It is very likely that, even if fees/taxes are collected, additional resources would have to be allocated from a local
governance or a national budget (it is feasible to use collected fees to cover costs for waste collection from house-
holds/neighbourhoods; however, it is more challenging to also cover the costs of waste removal and disposal).
UNDP can play a critical role in ensuring that resources are available to continue the MSWM services, and advoca-
ting for national budget allocation for MSWM.
In many cities, at least as many — if not considerably more — people earn their livelihoods in recovery,
valourization and recycling as are employed in the public services of waste collection and street sweeping.
So even if the number of people employed in waste collection and disposal itself is not significant, a
functioning MSWM system can support many livelihoods and also keep costs for MSWM at a minimum (the
more that is recycled/reused, the less the city and its citizens have to spend on collection, transportation
and disposal).
Annex 6. Reference guidelines
for non-MSW streams
Debris
Debris refers to a mixture of building waste and rubble typically arising from damaged buildings and their demolition.29
Disaster waste refers to the waste generated by disasters and later during the response and recovery phases.30 Disaster
waste includes waste from damaged buildings and infrastructures including concrete, wood and steel, natural debris
such as clay, mud, trees, unexploded ordnance, industrial waste,
waste from relief operations etc. Debris or disaster waste often
contains hazardous materials such as asbestos from collapsed
structures, which increases health risks associated with inhalation.
UNDP has extensive experience in post-conflict/disaster debris and

disaster management. It has supported such programmes in oPt,
Lebanon, Haiti, Pakistan, Philippines etc.
Further guidance
The UNDP Guidance Note on Debris Management31 By early 2011, the UNDP Leogane debris manage-
ment project had temporarily employed more than
OCHA/UNEP Disaster Waste Management Guidelines (Sections 3 and 4) 1,600 workers to clear rubble and post-disaster
demolition project sites. Photo: UNDP/Mariana Nissen
Health care waste

The term ‘health care waste’ includes all the waste generated within health care facilities, research centres and laborato-
ries related to medical procedures. In addition, it includes the same types of waste originating from minor and scattered
sources, including waste produced in the course of health care undertaken in the home (e.g. home dialysis, self-admi-
nistration of insulin, recuperative care).
Between 75 percent and 90 percent of the waste produced by health care providers is comparable to domestic waste
and usually called ‘non-hazardous’ or ‘general health care waste’. It comes mostly from the administrative, kitchen and
housekeeping functions at health care facilities and may also include packaging waste and waste generated during
maintenance of health care buildings.
The remaining 10–25 percent of health care waste is regarded as ‘hazardous’ and may pose a variety of environmental
and health risks. Such waste includes sharps waste (needles, scalpels etc.), infectious waste, pathological waste, pharma-
ceutical waste, cytotoxic waste, chemical waste and radioactive waste.
UNDP has implemented health care waste management (HCWM) programmes in partnership with WHO
(www.gefmedwaste.org) in non-crisis/disaster settings but did incorporate HCWM activities after Typhoon Haiyan in the
Philippines, where local communities participating in CfW programmes started clearing rubble as well as medical waste.
29 OCHA/UNEP/MSB, Disaster Waste Management Guidelines, OCHA/UNEP/MSB, Geneva, January 2011, available at:
https://www.msb.se/Upload/English/news/Disaster_Waste_Management.pdf.
30 Ibid.
31 UNDP, Guidance Note: Debris Management, UNDP, New York, 2013, available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/
librarypage/crisis-prevention-and-recovery/signature-product--guidance-note-on-debris-management/.
HCWM approaches in a post-crisis/post-disaster
situation are different from HCWM approaches in a
non-crisis/disaster setting. When hazardous health
care waste is mixed with regular municipal waste,
in particular infected sharps, this poses a signifi-
cant danger to waste handlers and the community
at large.
Please refer to the following guidance for appro-

priate HCWM procedures: Mixed health care waste, including red bags indicating infectious
waste, disposed of openly in post-hurricane Turks and Caicos
WHO, Safe management of wastes from Island, 2008. Photo: MSB and Anttilator
health-care activities, WHO, Geneva, 2013:
Chapter 14
Online Edition of the OCHA/UNEP Disaster Waste Management Guidelines: Chapter 8 — HCW Resources
India: YouTube video: Healthcare Waste Management in India32
Hazardous waste
Hazardous waste includes any waste that requires special handling or treatment during or before disposal, because of
its reactive, toxic, corrosive, inflammable or explosive nature. Some items that may be found in household wastes are
hazardous, but the larger sources are industries and health care facilities.
In post-conflict/disaster settings hazardous wastes that are frequently encountered during UNDP debris and MSWM
activities include UXOs, asbestos (as part of building rubble), infectious health care waste (covered in the previous
section) and other hazardous wastes such as expired and obsolete hazardous pesticides, equipment containing poly-
chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and oils (e.g. electrical transformers) and other types of hazardous wastes.
UNDP has quite some experience in the removal of UXOs and hazardous materials (asbestos) as part of debris and solid
waste clearance activities (e.g. in PAPP in 2011, when asbestos materials were transported to the crushing site and sub-
sequently treated and stored to prevent any further hazards, and in Pakistan where, in partnership with UNIDO in 2005,
asbestos-contaminated rubble was removed). Hazardous waste removal in such cases follows guidelines set by UN-MAS
and UNEP. Technical teams from UNMAT and the Mines Advisory Group can conduct site visits to crisis-affected sites
during the project.
Please refer to the following guidance for appropriate procedures on hazardous waste management:
Online Edition of the OCHA/UNEP Disaster Waste Management Guidelines: Chapter 8 — Hazardous Waste
UNEP/OCHA, Emergency Waste Management Guidelines, UNEP/OCHA, Geneva,

http://postconflict.unep.ch/humanitarianaction/documents/02_03-04_03-10.pdf.
32 Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_srhFLz17SU.
Acknowledgements
Hilda van der Veen was the lead consultant for the development of the guidance note, under
the overall coordination of Leontine Specker and Charu Bist and supervision of Owen Shumba
(UNDP BPPS, Sustainable Development Cluster). We are very grateful for Hilda’s outstanding
expertise and endless commitment during the overall process. We would like to also thank
Amita Gill (UNDP BPPS Governance and Peacebuilding Cluster) for all her contributions to the
development of this document.
This guidance note is largely based on the experience from our UNDP country offices around
the world. Their innovative ideas and successful implementation of MSW programmes have
formed the basis of this document. We would like to thank in particular the following colleagues,
whose inputs and advice have been invaluable in this process as well as their overall peer review
of the document. Most of their inputs and good practice examples were developed on top of
their daily work in challenging contexts.
Lesley Wright (UNDP Philippines and Indonesia) Amran Elkharouby (UNDP PAPP)
Anton Sri Probiyantono (UNDP Indonesia) Nabina Shrestha (UNDP Nepal)
Rima Abumiddain (UNDP PAPP) Fatima Elsheikh (UNDP Timor Leste)
In addition to that, we would like to thank the following external experts for their peer review of
the guidance note and/or their availability for interviews during the development of the document:
Tim Walsh (EnviroSolutions & Consulting) Emilia Wahlstrom (UNEP-OCHA

Environment Unit, Disaster Waste)
Johan Kohler (MSB) Anne Scheinberg (WASTE)
Per Berg (MSB) Diana Brandes Dorrestein (ILRI)
Martin Bjerregaard (Disaster Waste) Maria Nyholm (Swedish Environmental
Protection Agency)
Rene Nijenhuis (UNEP-OCHA
Environment Unit, Disaster Waste)
We would also like to express our gratitude to the following UNDP HQ colleagues for
sharing their expertise as well as their input during the peer review of the guidance note:
Fabrizio Andreuzzi Ajiniyaz Reimov

Monica Gaba Tim Scott
Usman Iftikhar Casper Sonesson
Anne Fernquist Tiina Turunen
cover: TBD. photo: tbd graphic design: Suazion
For more information: www.undp.org

One United Nations Plaza • New York, NY 10017 USA

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GUIDANCE NOTE Empowered lives.

municipal solid waste management

Bureau for Policy and Programme Support

United Nations Development Programme

This Guidance Note forms part of a series of UNDP’s

Bureau for Policy and Programme Support

1. THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 4

2. THE PLANNING PHASE: DEVELOPING THE PROJECT DOCUMENT 19

4. KEY LESSONS LEARNED 36

M u n i c i p a l S o l i d W a s t e M a n a g e m e n t in crisis and post-crisis set tings | UNDP GUIDANCE NOTE

UNDP GUIDANCE NOTE | M u n i c i p a l S o l i d W a s t e M a n a g e m e n t in crisis and post-crisis set tings

This document, like other recovery guidance

Table 1 provides an overview of the content in this guidance note:

Table 1: Content overview

by non-affected people or people who temporarily left their

by refugees and IDPs (e.g. IDP/refugee camps); and

by the relief efforts (e.g. packaging of water, food and health

UNDP support in the area of MSWM has included in the past:

technical capacity-building of local governance delivery and management structures in (re-)establishing

establishment of waste-separation and recycling plants (plastics, compost etc.);

developing/enhancing national policy and regulatory frameworks pertaining to MSWM; and

UNDP support to MSWM activities in post-conflict/disaster contexts

7 Full URLs to the videos can be found in Annex 2.

There are many external partners that can play a part in

8 UNDP, Strategic Plan 2014–2017, UNDP, New York, 2013: Outcome 6.

Table 2: Examples of MSWM activities related to Track A, B and C

Generally, UNDP starts its engagement in MSWM inter-

Based on experiences from other UNDP programmes,

emergency employment creation through, for instance, CfW schemes;

(re)construction of markets for recovered waste streams and waste-derived products;

1.3 MSWM guiding principles

Ensuring financial sustainability: Often livelihoods and recovery

Recycling: Recycling mostly happens for two economic reasons:

Box 4: Burundi: Waste management as part of

Output One Results Output Two Results Output Three Results

• improving landfill operations that extended

UNDP partnered with NGOs for the construction of compos-

Bombardment and military operations generated 600,000 tons of rubble

Box 9: Philippines: Moving from debris clearance (early recovery)

Table 3: Steps in developing a MSWM programme

2 INITIATE DIALOGUE AND ANALYSE STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR CAPACITIES

2.4 Conduct a quick capacity assessment of potential partners

3 CONDUCT A WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT

3.2 Conduct a waste assessment (using Annex 4) and take pictures/videos

4 PROJECT DESIGN: IMPLEMENTATION MODALITIES AND DESIGN INTERVENTIONS

4.3 Determine the areas/zones/wards of intervention

Undertaking the needs and waste assessments

Based on the assessment results,

Sample resources results framework

Table 4: Example MSWM project outputs, indicators and activity results 15

Outputs • Emergency employment schemes are initiated

17 See also SP Output indicator 6.1.1.

Indicators • Community and household bins distributed

Outcome 5: MSWM regulatory and policy framework strengthened

• Regulatory framework for PPPs • Local degrees/by-laws etc. drafted

Local circumstances should determine

The CO should work systematically

Table 4 in the UNDP ‘Guidance Note

2.4 MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS AND REQUIRED EXPERTISE

Is the municipal solid waste

How is waste being collected?