Plastic Waste Management & Behavior Change

Overriding Principle

SGP is calling for proposals based on a new grant-making modality to be administered at the global level. This is in addition to similar ‘Call for Proposals’ (CFP) which are undertaken by national level SGP country programmes. The principles under which this CFP will work are based on the interest of fairness, transparency, and integrity. This modality is recommended as the most appropriate solicitation method for announcing available grant support under the competitive selection method. The selection will be undertaken by a committee whose decisions will be final. The eligible entities who may wish to pursue further information related to their bids may follow the UNOPS advisory related to this call for proposals. 

Background of GEF SGP 

The GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) is a corporate programme of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 1992. SGP grant-making in over 125 countries promotes community-based innovation, capacity development, and empowerment through sustainable development projects of communities’ local civil society organizations with special consideration for indigenous peoples, women, and youth. SGP projects support biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, prevention of land degradation, protection of international waters, and reduction of the impact of chemicals, within a sustainable development framework that promotes sustainable livelihoods and citizen empowerment.

Under the 7th Operational Phase of SGP, one of the key strategic initiatives is on Chemical and Waste Management as well as promoting Sustainable Urban Solutions, including plastics management. SGP is working closely with the concerned GEF Secretariat team, UNDP Plastic Offer, and other partners on the issue. Plastics have become an integral part of our daily life: the packaging industry has the most intensive use of plastics, but also agriculture, textiles, transportation, and consumer products have a supply chain that is filled with plastic. If we do not reimagine and reset our current consumption patterns and waste management practices, by 2050 there will be about 12 billion tons of plastic litter in landfills and the natural environment. It takes whole-of-society to address one of the most prominent environmental and health crises of our time. 

Unsustainable practices and behaviors in the production, use, and disposal of plastics are fundamental drivers of the plastic pollution crisis we are facing. Responding to those practices and behaviors can transform the system towards sustainability. Behaviors are difficult to change. Informed by academic and research on behavior change, there are six strategic levers to shift behaviors: 1) material incentives; 2) rules and regulations; 3) information; 4) context in which choices are made; 5) emotional appeals; 6) social influence. 

Objective

SGP is looking for a civil society, non-UN, non-governmental and non-profit partner, including a university or research institute to collaborate in providing global technical guidance and support in the development and implementation of behavior change activities in plastics and waste management. The selected partner organization should have a track record of behavior change research and application. There is a need to transfer global cutting-edge knowledge in this area into national and local actions, and support the experimentation, monitoring and further refining of tools, methodologies and processes of behavior change initiatives. The selected organization’s proposal is expected to have a global implementation, with particular emphasis in the Global South.

SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES TO BE FUNDED (and must be included in the proposal):

The project proposal should include a global implementation plan, with particular emphasis in the Global South, and should cover the key areas of work described below, as they relate to plastic, waste management and behavior change.  The specific activities to be carried out within project proposals should be clearly presented in the proposal.  These activities can be further elaborated during the project’s planning and inception workshops. 

Development of a Global Framework Strategy and Plan on Plastics and Behavior Change

• Develop a global framework Strategy and Plan on plastics and behavior change, including 1) why behavior change is important to addressing plastic pollution crisis; 2) what methodologies and process will be undertaken; 3) how to conduct trainings and capacity development; 4) a work plan to carry out the capacity building and application of theories and methodologies.

• Support national teams in reviewing project proposals and ensure the design of projects is sound and scientifically valid to achieve maximum impact in behavior change.

Technical Guidance Notes, Tools, Trainings and Capacity Development

• Develop technical guidance notes, tools and materials to enhance national and local capacity in developing and implementing behavior change projects, with a special focus on plastic and waste management.

• Develop questionnaires/surveys to identify behavior patterns, measure change overtime, and identify trends, with attribution to project activities in order to identify key drivers of behavior change.

• Organize global and regional trainings/workshops to train national teams in behavior change theory and practices.

Knowledge Management, Learning and Networking 

• Establish a global network of universities, research institutes, and civil society organizations (to be selected by SGP at the national level) and ensure learning and sharing in this network.

• Work with national universities/research institutes to produce a global report on the community-based application of behavior change

• Host visiting fellows and researchers from developing countries

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• The entity will undertake participatory monitoring and evaluation of the project activities, on the basis of agreed schedules in the memorandum of agreement between it and the grantee. It is expected that the organization/entity will have a built-in real-time monitoring process (i.e. quarterly) as best designed by them on the basis of the capacity of in-country partners they will be working with and be ready to provide information as requested in an ad hoc basis.

• The entity will maintain regular consultation and contact with SGP Technical Advisor regarding the implementation of the project, provide acceptable project and programme level progress (financial and narrative) reports on quarterly basis and prepare a final evaluation report (s) for the period of the agreement.  The entity will have a mandatory annual progress reporting to SGP based on an agreed format. The report will reach the SGP global office by end of November.

Budget and Duration

Grant funding available for the activity is up to a maximum of US$ 150,000, with an expected duration of 18-24 months. The full grant amount will be awarded to one organization/proposal.

*For further information and details, including how to submit your proposal, please refer to the attached CFP document and application template. While an application in English will be most appreciated, there are templates available in Spanish or French in case it is necessary for a particular proposal.