Technical Advisor: Municipal Solid Waste Management - Interview

Hi @raphael,

Welcome to the community, and well done on preparing for this interview. That sounds like an important and impactful Technical Advisor role.

My first thought is that the panel will be looking for three key things:

1. Your ability to support municipalities practically, not just theoretically

2. Your understanding of waste services, revenue collection, and performance improvement

3. Your ability to advise, influence, and work with senior stakeholders

I’d be very happy to give you more targeted guidance, but it would really help to know a bit more first.

• Is this a local government, NGO, or donor-funded programme role?

• Will the interview be competency-based, technical, or scenario-focused?

• Do you have the job description or key competencies they listed?

Reply with those details and I’ll help you prepare step by step.

Richard

Hi Richard

Thanks for the warm welcome and prompt feedback, much appreciated. Herein below some details as requested.

1. It is a donor funded programme. The programme is called Metro Trading Services Programme( MTSP). The aim is to address significant challenges in managing municipal solid waste. To address this challenges National Treasury (NT) is supporting metros to improve waste service performance. The technical advisor will provide strategic technical advisory to the MTSP component team (NT and World Bank), metros and sector departments.

2. The interview will be online and will focus all three areas

3. The advisory support will cover the following key results areas:

• Support city in preparation and review of Trading Sector Reform Strategies, institutional and Governance Reform Road Map, Business and Investment Plans, Performance Improvement Action Plans
• Provide specialist technical assistance to metros to support implementation of trading services reforms with focus on Minimum Commitments
• Develop or provide input into terms of reference for technical assistance to metros to support implementation of trading services reforms with focus on Minimum Commitments
• Provide specialist technical assistance to and/or support engagements with national departments on policy priorities and reform as related to the metro trading services reform

Hope the above will assist.

Thank you

Hi @raphael,

Thank you for coming back with those details, that’s really helpful. As this is a senior, high-impact advisory role, I have a good idea of what the interview structure will be, which I will do my best to explain below. 

Because this is a donor-funded programme involving National Treasury and the World Bank, it's likely the panel will be assessing you across three lenses at the same time...

First, your technical credibility in municipal solid waste management and trading services. They need confidence that you understand waste service delivery, cost recovery, revenue collection, performance targets, and institutional reform, not just at policy level but in how it works on the ground in metros.

Second, your advisory and influencing capability. This is not an implementation role. You will be advising metros, national departments, and donor stakeholders. Expect questions that test how you:

• Challenge constructively

• Influence without authority

• Balance political, financial, and operational realities

• Support reform without owning delivery

Third, your strategic thinking and structure. When they ask scenario or technical questions, they will be listening closely to how you structure your thinking. Clear, logical, step-by-step answers are critical.

At a high level, I recommend you prepare 5 to 6 strong examples using the STAR method that demonstrate:

• Supporting a municipality or public institution to improve service performance

• Developing or reviewing strategies, business plans, or reform roadmaps

• Advising senior leadership or cross-government stakeholders

• Working with donors, national departments, or multi-agency programmes

• Translating policy or reform objectives into practical actions

Please watch my guide here on the STAR Method for management roles.

You should also be ready for scenario-style questions, for example:

• A metro struggling with waste service cost recovery and poor performance

• Resistance from municipal leadership to institutional reform

• Misalignment between national policy priorities and metro realities

• Weak accountability or data quality affecting performance improvement plans

Again, here is my guide on high-level scenario-style management questions.

In your answers, always link back to:

• Sustainability

• Accountability

• Performance improvement

• Institutional capability

Have they mentioned a presentation, case study, or written exercise?

If you want me to help look over any of your answers, I am more than happy to do so, just put them here. Also, what do you see as your strongest technical area (policy, operations, finance, governance, performance management)?

I hope that helps!

Richard

Greetings @ Richard.

Thanks so much, this is really helpful. 

Warm regards

Dear Richard,

I hope you are doing well.

I am having the upcoming interview for the Technical SAP Basis/ S/4HANA administration in the Goverment space. 

Could you please assist mw urgently with the prep questions please.

Kind regards,

Andries

Hi @andries-lekute, thanks for your message and good luck with the interview.

I can definitely help, but to tailor the prep questions properly can you tell me:

• Is it mainly SAP Basis or more S/4HANA admin (HANA, SLT, upgrades, migrations)?

• Which government area is it for (local authority, NHS, central government etc.)?

• Is the interview a technical panel, or a recruiter screening call?

If you paste the job advert (or the key responsibilities) and let me know your experience level, I’ll send you the most likely questions to prepare for and what they’re looking for in strong answers.

Richard