Terms of reference
Position:
International Consultant on economic analysis
Number and Project name:
Kazakhstan/UNDP/UNEP Partnership Initiative for the Integration
of Sound Management of Chemicals Considerations in
Development Planning and Processes, Project № 84005
Contract type:
Individual Contract
Duty Station:
Home based
Contract Duration:
May – July 2013 (15 days)
Introduction:
The project ‘Kazakhstan/UNDP/UNEP Partnership Initiative for the Integration of Sound
Management of Chemicals in Development Planning and Processes’ aims at improving crosssectoral governance for the Strategic Management of Chemicals (SMC) at the national and
local levels and establish stronger SMC links with national development planning priorities,
processes and plans. The project is intended to review the existing actions in the area of
chemicals management in order to advance the sound management of chemicals by
identifying the gaps and proposing concrete projects and priorities to incorporate chemical
safety issues into the development agenda of Kazakhstan. The expected outputs of the project
are a National Situation Report describing governmental, institutional and political contexts
and the SMC situation, an economic analysis of at least one priority SMC issue, a Road Map for
mainstreaming priority chemicals management issues and a National Plan for strengthening
the SMC regime.
To implement and complete all project components, detailed experts support and overall
advices are required taking into account the documents elaborated by national experts in the
project framework.
Background:
Chemicals are an integral part of daily life in today’s world. There is hardly any industry
where chemicals are not used and there is no single economic sector where chemicals do not
play an important role. Millions of people throughout the world lead richer, more productive
and more comfortable lives because of the thousands of chemicals on the market today. These
chemicals are used in a wide variety of products and processes and while they are major
contributors to national and world economies, their sound management throughout their
lifecycle is essential in order to avoid significant and increasingly complex risks to human
health and ecosystems and substantial costs to national economies. Industries that produce
and use chemicals have a significant impact on employment, trade and economic growth
worldwide, but chemicals can have adverse effects on human health and the environment.
The proposed development and implementation programmes are needed to provide safety
of production and use of chemicals both at national level (high rate of production and use) as
well as at an international one (safety of exported chemical products). The Republic of
Kazakhstan is committed to sound chemicals management through the implementation of
SAICM.
The financial cost of chemical exposure on national economies and the public are often
unrecognized and substantial. Sound chemicals management can yield significant benefits in
terms of economic development, poverty reduction, human health and environmental quality.
Conversely, the absence of sound chemicals management can impose large economic costs.
Preventive approaches to chemical risk management can also create additional benefits
beyond ‘avoided costs’ in the form of improved production and resource efficiencies, trade and
investment, innovation and employment impacts. Poor management of chemicals across their
lifecycles comes with a price paid for by individuals, important economic sectors and public
budgets, including through poor health and degraded ecosystem health and productivity.
One of the main challenges associated with mainstreaming sound management of
chemicals issues into national development plans is making the case for mainstreaming in an
“economic language” that finance and development planning agencies can understand. Very
little of this “economic rationale” work has been done to date to serve as examples to
developing countries regarding how to apply similar methodologies to other important SMC
issues within the country.
The project “Kazakhstan/UNDP/UNEP Partnership Initiative for the Integration of Sound
Management of Chemicals Considerations in Development Planning and Processes” is
proposed as a part of a partnership initiative being advanced by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
to assist developing countries to take up the second and third strategic priorities of the
Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) Quick Start Programme
(QSP)
Scope of work:
The International Consultant’s on economic analysis (IC) duties include:
- Review on the international experience of the economic costs / benefits of specific measures
for the management of chemical substances (legal, institutional, raising awareness, etc.). This
analysis may include both legal and technical aspects of information and measures, etc. For
example, the analysis may consider the cost / benefit for the implementation and launch of
REACH, GHS in Europe, evaluation of cost / benefits of risk assessment and other. The analysis
must be concise, clear and focused on the recent experience of the law in other countries and
in those subjects where Kazakhstan can get the most benefit from the relatively rapid / simple
control measures.
- Carrying-out economic analysis of the effect of air pollution on the health of population of
Almaty (jointly with national expert and Chief Technical Adviser),:

Economic approaches, methods, models determination.

Cost of inaction of Almaty contaminated air impact on health of population

Development of recommendations and economical design on air contamination
prevention (from Thermal Power Plant emissions and car exhausts).

Providing technical oversight and review of data collection, project reports, economic
analysis to ensure high-quality international analytical standards.

Participation in Workshop on Economic analysis demonstration.
Special Marks:
Under the overall guidance of the Project Coordinator, the IC will work closely with the
national experts and Chief Technical Adviser. The IC will report to the Project Coordinator.
The IC will be expected to undertake scope of work indicated in the TOR during 15 days in
2013.
The IC will be expected to work distantly. Necessary information on Kazakhstan will be
provided upon the request and according to the possibility of its search. The IC should search
independently by himself other information on countries of far and near abroad.
No. of consulting days: 15 (including one 3 day missions to the country)
No. of missions: 1 (one) 3 day mission in June 2013 year
Expected results and payments:
No.
Results
Time
Report on the international review of 01.05
key SMC aspects economic tools (not
less than 10 pages, font 14 Times New
Roman) is prepared
Economic
analysis
on
Almaty 01.06
contaminated air impact on health of
population is prepared (not less than 10
pages, font 14 Times New Roman).
1
2
Payment
Presentations on international review
of economic tools, conclusions on 20.06
Economic Analysis of the most priority
SMC issue at the Workshop (on SMCstrengthening Action Plan, National
Profile and Economic Analylisis) are
held
Progress Report is completed
01.07
3
4
Responsibility:


Reporting to Project Coordinator
Providing consulting support via e-mail or teleconference.

Provides timely and quality execution of the terms of reference

Provides unconditional fulfillment of the requirements of the contract
40%
40%
20%
Qualification requirements:
 Advanced university degree in the field of economics, policy, public policy or
administration, natural sciences, or other relevant field;
 At least five years relevant work experience in ecological/environmental economics and
valuation, or closely related topic (especially from the chemicals point of view) would be an
asset;
 Excellent knowledge of macro- and microeconomics, economic valuation
methodologies of development policies and projects as well as ecosystem services, socioeconomics of sustainable development and natural resource management required;
 Strong track record with producing high quality research and strong quantitative skills
in econometrics, cost-benefit analyses and simulation/ scenario modeling, knowledge of
spatial economics is an advantage;
 Knowledge of SMC and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) on chemicals
will be preferable;
 An understanding of multilateral and bilateral development agencies in environmental
assessment and capacity-building, including an understanding of how international
organizations work in terms of program and project planning, implementation and
reporting;
 Experience in cooperation with government officials at the highest political level,
including sphere of environment, health, industry, Planning Commission and Ministry of
Finance
 Knowledge of computer and office technique (MS Word, Excel, etc)
 Knowledge of the CIS and / or Central Asia - an advantage
 Fluency in English, working knowledge of the Russian language - an advantage