Washington, USA, January 25, 2021

Aim Texas has signed a Contract with Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of World Bank for Preparation of a Project Performance Assessment Report (PPAR) of ARP II- Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) in Azerbaijan and the IEG (global) evaluation of the World Bank Group’s Support to Municipal Solid Waste Management, 2010-20. The focus of the present assignment will be on the PPAR. The ISWM project in Azerbaijan was chosen as part of the series of municipal solid waste management operations that are targeted for strategic interest to gather evaluative evidence for engagement in middle-income countries with legacy environmental issues and weak financial sustainability.

The scope of the project comprises of the following activities:

1. Virtual Mission Support to IEG Team, including:

1. identifying key stakeholders in the municipal solid waste sector in Azerbaijan; this includes government counterparts at the national and local government level, private sector, civil society groups, technical experts, academia, informal workers;
   1. developing questionnaires and initial evaluation questions, in line with IEG evaluation approach; conducting interviews; and
   1. carrying out a site visit to Balakhani landfill, if feasible in consideration of the Covid-19 restrictions and safety.

• Collection and analysis of SWM data, including:

1. updating data on the ISWM project-defined indicators to assess the sustainability of results, with explanation of factors behind the trends; and
   1. identifying data and benchmarks to establish the project’s contribution and attribution to what is happening in terms of transforming municipal solid waste management in Baku and Azerbaijan (including local and global impacts; environment; health; GHG).

• Technical and advisory work; It covered the main areas of World Bank’s influence in Azerbaijan in solid waste sector:

1. Policy/regulatory environment
   1. Institutional set-up
   1. Financial sustainability
   1. Service delivery
   1. The Balakhani landfill rehabilitation and closure of informal dumps
   1. Private sector participation, and
   1. Circular economy principles

These focused on the key results/impacts associated with the World Bank’s engagements in Azerbaijan over 2008 – 2020.

Deliverables under this assignment are:

• Report on Dimensions of municipal solid waste sector in Azerbaijan
• Report on Reform of the Greater Baku solid waste management
• Report on World Bank engagement in solid waste management in Azerbaijan since 2008: What work, What did not work, and Why.