Social and Environmental Risk Management Specialist

Social and Environmental Risk Management Specialist

UNOPS – United Nations Office for Project Services

Bujumbura, Burundi

Background Information – Job-specific

Project Information:

Biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management and enhanced water security in Lake Tanganyika basin project is a project aimed at strengthening the collaborative partnerships between the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) and the contracting States (Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia). Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) was established by the contracting States on 12 June 2003 when the contracting States adopted what they call “Convention on the Sustainable Management of Lake Tanganyika.”

Job Specific Information:

Based in Bujumbura, Burundi, the Social and Environmental Risk Management Specialist reports to the Senior Project Manager who provides broad supervision and guidance. The role is responsible for supporting the Senior Project Manager with the social and environmental inputs and activities towards delivering the project on time and within budget. The successful candidate must be able to perform their roles with a high degree of autonomy, establish strong collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders and may be required to supervise, coordinate, or guide the work of other team members.

Functional Responsibilities

The incumbent will be responsible for the following functions:

• Plan and prepare any necessary social and environmental assessments and instruments (Project-level or site-specific or infrastructure-specific, as relevant).
• Facilitate consultations with stakeholders, especially local community groups, in the process of preparing the ESMP (Environmental and Social Management Plan) for the project.
• Monitor progress in the development and implementation of the project ESMP, ensuring that the GEF E&S (Environmental & Social) policies are complied with, and the reporting requirements are fulfilled.
• Review the Social Risk Identification Form (SRIF) and update and revise the corresponding risk log and mitigation/ management plans, as necessary.
• Ensure that all environmental and social risks are identified, avoided, mitigated, and managed throughout project implementation.
• Prepare, adopt and implement all other E&S – related plans such as an Indigenous People’s Plan (IPP), Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Contingency and Emergency Response Plan, etc.
• Help organize and undertake due diligence for obtaining Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from all benefiting communities in the project target areas.
• Ensure full disclosure with concerned stakeholders and ensure full engagement of local beneficiaries.
• Work with the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist to ensure reporting, monitoring and evaluation fully address the E&S issues of the project.
• Provide well-documented, evidence-based compliance reports to be incorporated into the project annual performance reports.
• Ensure project-related grievances are managed effectively and transparently through the grievance redress mechanism and support the establishment of grievance redress mechanism groups at local levels.
• Ensure ongoing training and awareness-raising of Project Coordination Unit (PCU) staff, the responsible partner institutions, contractors, workers and communities in environmental and social risk management.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• Masters degree in Environmental or Social Science or related area is required.
• A Bachelors degree in Environmental or Social Science or related area in combination with additional two (2) years relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s degree.

Experience:

• At least 5 years experience in the management of environmental and social risks for donor-funded development projects in Central, Eastern or Southern Africa is required.
• Working experience of UN agency safeguards policies and social and environmental risk management measures will be an asset.
• Local knowledge of working with rural communities in the project-targeted areas within Lake Tanganyika basin will be a distinct advantage.
• Experience with resettlement issues will be an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Full working knowledge of English and French is required.
• Proficiency in Swahili is highly desirable.

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