|
Regional Gender, Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist
|
BACKGROUND
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A LOCALLY RECRUITED POSITION
BACKGROUND:
IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organisations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,300 Member organisations and the input of more than 16,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. The IUCN Secretariat has offices located all around the world and is headquartered in Gland, Switzerland.
Every four years, the IUCN membership adopts a quadrennial Programme that guides the work of the Union, especially that of the IUCN Secretariat. The Secretariat implements the IUCN Programme through a growing portfolio of over 400 projects across the world that are designed to respond to country, donor, and IUCN priorities. IUCN has put in place an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) in order to provide a systematic procedure to check IUCN projects for potential adverse environmental and social impacts and to assure that negative impacts are avoided or minimised to the extent possible while promoting positive impacts. In practice, projects have alongside their implementation schedule, the Gender and Youth Action Plan (GAP) and the Environmental and Social Safeguards Management Plan (ESMP) that are developed and implemented on annual basis to ensure the project proactively involves its beneficiary landscapes, communities and beneficiary in sound climate actions while and safeguarding them from maladaptation practices.
The ESMS procedures and policies are explained in the ESMS Manual and in the ESMS standards available at www.iucn.org/esms. And are interconnected with the IUCN Gender Equality and Women Empowerment policy also available at https://iucn.org/our-work/topic/gender-equality. Currently the application of the ESMS procedures is assumed by the global ESMS Coordinator, but delegation of some of this work is intended in order to increase the ESMS’ performance, timely delivery and operational efficiency and to ensure the review is geographically closer to the projects and its stakeholder.
To achieve these enhancements, IUCN is hiring a Gender, Environmental and Social Safeguards (GESS) Specialist for the Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa, ESARO. He/she will be responsible for the application of the IUCN ESMS and Gender policies on the regional project portfolio. This position will contribute to the region’s leadership in safeguard quality assurance and will play a key role in improving IUCN’s ESMS practices and culture. It will require safeguard subject-matter expertise and experience as well as aptitude in advising and training on the need and benefits of safeguard application.
BACKGROUND:
IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organisations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,300 Member organisations and the input of more than 16,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. The IUCN Secretariat has offices located all around the world and is headquartered in Gland, Switzerland.
Every four years, the IUCN membership adopts a quadrennial Programme that guides the work of the Union, especially that of the IUCN Secretariat. The Secretariat implements the IUCN Programme through a growing portfolio of over 400 projects across the world that are designed to respond to country, donor, and IUCN priorities. IUCN has put in place an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) in order to provide a systematic procedure to check IUCN projects for potential adverse environmental and social impacts and to assure that negative impacts are avoided or minimised to the extent possible while promoting positive impacts. In practice, projects have alongside their implementation schedule, the Gender and Youth Action Plan (GAP) and the Environmental and Social Safeguards Management Plan (ESMP) that are developed and implemented on annual basis to ensure the project proactively involves its beneficiary landscapes, communities and beneficiary in sound climate actions while and safeguarding them from maladaptation practices.
The ESMS procedures and policies are explained in the ESMS Manual and in the ESMS standards available at www.iucn.org/esms. And are interconnected with the IUCN Gender Equality and Women Empowerment policy also available at https://iucn.org/our-work/topic/gender-equality. Currently the application of the ESMS procedures is assumed by the global ESMS Coordinator, but delegation of some of this work is intended in order to increase the ESMS’ performance, timely delivery and operational efficiency and to ensure the review is geographically closer to the projects and its stakeholder.
To achieve these enhancements, IUCN is hiring a Gender, Environmental and Social Safeguards (GESS) Specialist for the Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa, ESARO. He/she will be responsible for the application of the IUCN ESMS and Gender policies on the regional project portfolio. This position will contribute to the region’s leadership in safeguard quality assurance and will play a key role in improving IUCN’s ESMS practices and culture. It will require safeguard subject-matter expertise and experience as well as aptitude in advising and training on the need and benefits of safeguard application.
JOB DESCRIPTION
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES;
As the regional specialist for the application of the ESMS, this position is responsible for ensuring that ESMS procedures, standards and principles are applied on the regional project portfolio. This includes preparing ESMS screening reports for projects, advising proponents on safeguard-related improvements of project design, support the preparation of ESIAs and safeguard documents and preparing ESMS clearance. It further involves providing supervision during project implementation to guarantee that ESMS requirements are complied. Where safeguard related grievance is raised, he/she will be instrumental in solving the matter proactively. More specifically, the GESS specialist will lead the sustainability framework for the active projects, responsible for implementing the crucial cross cutting functions of the project ensuring that all activities of the project are socially and environmentally sustainable and comply with the multilateral funds and IUCN Policies and Standards related to Gender, Environmental and Social Safeguards, and Indigenous People Frameworks.
He/she will also build ESMS capacity in the region to enhance ESMS compliant and Gender transformative project design and ensure effective implementation of the risk management strategies. This involves coaching and training of regional staff, project proponents and project managers (including external to IUCN) as well as supporting recruitment, onboarding and training of project environmental and social safeguards and inclusion officers.
This position will also monitor the application of safeguard tools in the region, distil lessons learned and support the global ESMS Coordinator in system development and refinements to increase the system’s efficiency.
The GEES specialist will provide programmatic and technical support to the project team (technical and MEL), partner organizations partners, private sector entities, and other stakeholders on effective integration of cross cutting (women, youth and environment) considerations beyond compliance, by identifying opportunities to add value to the system changes, transformation and paradigm shifts that lead to long term impact and sustainability of the Eastern Province’s landscapes and communities.
This position will report to the Regional Programme Delivery Manager, Multilateral Finance but will be guided technically by the Regional Programme Coordinator and Global ESMS Coordinator.
SPECIFIC DUTIES;
Regional portfolio ESMS application;
Application of ESMS procedures on the regional project portfolio, specifically:
Environmental and social due diligence at project design stage
Screen projects on environmental and social impacts, define risk category, identify necessary impact studies and safeguard tools/plans;
Advise proponents on stakeholder engagement during project design and implementation phase;
Support proponents in contracting experts for environmental and social assessments;
Appraise the quality of final ESIA reports and environmental and social management plans (ESMP) and other safeguard tools;
Ensure appropriate budgeting for ESMS activities;
Conduct final compliance check and prepare ESMS clearance of projects.
ESMS support during project implementation;
Provide ESMS training for executing agency (EA) and relevant partners at project inception;
Appraise any ESMS deliverables that are due in the inception phase;
Support the EA in monitoring safeguard tools and reporting progress on implementation and compliance with all ESMS requirements;
Contribute to annual project implementation reviews/ supervision missions and to the development of the ESMS specific aspects of the mid-term review and terminal review;
Manage ESMS project data including entries to the Project Portal to assure maintenance of ESMS records.
Grievance management and serious incident reporting;
Support the EA in setting-up a project-level grievance mechanism;
Register and report incoming grievances, monitor progress solving grievances and, where applicable, work with EA to solve grievances;
Ensure timely reporting of serious incidents and implementation of corrective actions.
Build ESMS and Gender capacity in the region;
To enhance ESMS-compliant and Gender-sensitive project design and ensure effective implementation of the risk management strategies, it is essential to strengthen regional capacity in those crosscutting functions. This involves:
Train and coach regional staff and project proponents on ESMS and gender related procedures, principles and standards to ensure not only consistent application but also pro-active integration of ESMS and gender principles into project design;
Support the global ESMS Coordinator and gender specialists in the development of training materials and delivery of training sessions for ESMS and Gender;
Build the capacity of projects staff, implementing partner organizations, and other stakeholders to effectively integrate GAP into their workplans. Contribute to the recruitment, hiring and on-boarding of new project ESMS and gender officers in the region.
ESMS development, refinement and learning;
Supporting the global ESMS Coordinator in system development, refinements and learning. This involves:
Monitor ESMS implementation in the region to capture lessons learned and feed-back from the EA and project stakeholders.
Contribute to enhancement of the system (including development of tools, templates, guidance notes etc) to increase effectiveness of ESMS application;
Generate lessons on the ESMS application identifying good practices and synthesising these practices for dissemination.
Development, refinement and learning of Gender-in-conservation concepts and applications;
Support the Regional Programme Delivery Manager to ensure that principles of gender equality and youth engagement in nature and natural resources conservation are integrated into all aspects of project cycle management, including in concept/system development, refinements and learning. This involves:
Monitor Gender Action Plan implementation in the region’s project portfolio, and support the MEL Officers to track, analyse and report against Gender and Youth disaggregated data appropriately within each project output in quarterly, semestrial and annual reports, as well as to capture lessons learned and feed-back from the EA and project stakeholders;
Develop and propose evidence-based policy and programmatic interventions to reduce gender disparities, particularly focusing on enhancing women’s agency in nature and natural resource conservation efforts,
Contribute to enhancement of the system (including development of tools, templates, guidance notes etc) to increase effectiveness of application of gender principles;
Generate lessons on the ESMS application identifying good practices and synthesising these practices for dissemination.
As the regional specialist for the application of the ESMS, this position is responsible for ensuring that ESMS procedures, standards and principles are applied on the regional project portfolio. This includes preparing ESMS screening reports for projects, advising proponents on safeguard-related improvements of project design, support the preparation of ESIAs and safeguard documents and preparing ESMS clearance. It further involves providing supervision during project implementation to guarantee that ESMS requirements are complied. Where safeguard related grievance is raised, he/she will be instrumental in solving the matter proactively. More specifically, the GESS specialist will lead the sustainability framework for the active projects, responsible for implementing the crucial cross cutting functions of the project ensuring that all activities of the project are socially and environmentally sustainable and comply with the multilateral funds and IUCN Policies and Standards related to Gender, Environmental and Social Safeguards, and Indigenous People Frameworks.
He/she will also build ESMS capacity in the region to enhance ESMS compliant and Gender transformative project design and ensure effective implementation of the risk management strategies. This involves coaching and training of regional staff, project proponents and project managers (including external to IUCN) as well as supporting recruitment, onboarding and training of project environmental and social safeguards and inclusion officers.
This position will also monitor the application of safeguard tools in the region, distil lessons learned and support the global ESMS Coordinator in system development and refinements to increase the system’s efficiency.
The GEES specialist will provide programmatic and technical support to the project team (technical and MEL), partner organizations partners, private sector entities, and other stakeholders on effective integration of cross cutting (women, youth and environment) considerations beyond compliance, by identifying opportunities to add value to the system changes, transformation and paradigm shifts that lead to long term impact and sustainability of the Eastern Province’s landscapes and communities.
This position will report to the Regional Programme Delivery Manager, Multilateral Finance but will be guided technically by the Regional Programme Coordinator and Global ESMS Coordinator.
SPECIFIC DUTIES;
Regional portfolio ESMS application;
Application of ESMS procedures on the regional project portfolio, specifically:
Environmental and social due diligence at project design stage
Screen projects on environmental and social impacts, define risk category, identify necessary impact studies and safeguard tools/plans;
Advise proponents on stakeholder engagement during project design and implementation phase;
Support proponents in contracting experts for environmental and social assessments;
Appraise the quality of final ESIA reports and environmental and social management plans (ESMP) and other safeguard tools;
Ensure appropriate budgeting for ESMS activities;
Conduct final compliance check and prepare ESMS clearance of projects.
ESMS support during project implementation;
Provide ESMS training for executing agency (EA) and relevant partners at project inception;
Appraise any ESMS deliverables that are due in the inception phase;
Support the EA in monitoring safeguard tools and reporting progress on implementation and compliance with all ESMS requirements;
Contribute to annual project implementation reviews/ supervision missions and to the development of the ESMS specific aspects of the mid-term review and terminal review;
Manage ESMS project data including entries to the Project Portal to assure maintenance of ESMS records.
Grievance management and serious incident reporting;
Support the EA in setting-up a project-level grievance mechanism;
Register and report incoming grievances, monitor progress solving grievances and, where applicable, work with EA to solve grievances;
Ensure timely reporting of serious incidents and implementation of corrective actions.
Build ESMS and Gender capacity in the region;
To enhance ESMS-compliant and Gender-sensitive project design and ensure effective implementation of the risk management strategies, it is essential to strengthen regional capacity in those crosscutting functions. This involves:
Train and coach regional staff and project proponents on ESMS and gender related procedures, principles and standards to ensure not only consistent application but also pro-active integration of ESMS and gender principles into project design;
Support the global ESMS Coordinator and gender specialists in the development of training materials and delivery of training sessions for ESMS and Gender;
Build the capacity of projects staff, implementing partner organizations, and other stakeholders to effectively integrate GAP into their workplans. Contribute to the recruitment, hiring and on-boarding of new project ESMS and gender officers in the region.
ESMS development, refinement and learning;
Supporting the global ESMS Coordinator in system development, refinements and learning. This involves:
Monitor ESMS implementation in the region to capture lessons learned and feed-back from the EA and project stakeholders.
Contribute to enhancement of the system (including development of tools, templates, guidance notes etc) to increase effectiveness of ESMS application;
Generate lessons on the ESMS application identifying good practices and synthesising these practices for dissemination.
Development, refinement and learning of Gender-in-conservation concepts and applications;
Support the Regional Programme Delivery Manager to ensure that principles of gender equality and youth engagement in nature and natural resources conservation are integrated into all aspects of project cycle management, including in concept/system development, refinements and learning. This involves:
Monitor Gender Action Plan implementation in the region’s project portfolio, and support the MEL Officers to track, analyse and report against Gender and Youth disaggregated data appropriately within each project output in quarterly, semestrial and annual reports, as well as to capture lessons learned and feed-back from the EA and project stakeholders;
Develop and propose evidence-based policy and programmatic interventions to reduce gender disparities, particularly focusing on enhancing women’s agency in nature and natural resource conservation efforts,
Contribute to enhancement of the system (including development of tools, templates, guidance notes etc) to increase effectiveness of application of gender principles;
Generate lessons on the ESMS application identifying good practices and synthesising these practices for dissemination.
REQUIREMENTS
|
• POSITION REQUIREMENTS; Education; Master’s degree in natural or social sciences, environmental management, policies or law, sociology, anthropology, indigenous people’s studies or comparable qualification. Professional or post graduate certification in Environmental or Social safeguards is an added advantage. Work Experience; Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in the context of conservation or natural resource management projects, desirably in the region, promoting rights-based approaches, improving socio-economic benefits and addressing and managing environmental and, in particular, social risks or gender matters. Technical Knowledge; Expert knowledge and practical experience in the application of safeguards/performance standards (e.g. World Bank, UNEP, FAO etc) including carrying out environmental and social assessments and designing safeguard tools; familiarity with GEF and GCF and national safeguards requirements in the region; Practical experience in engaging with indigenous peoples, marginalized, vulnerable or minority groups and local communities, conducting FPIC and addressing gender risks desired; familiarity with addressing risks related to environmental law enforcement is an advantage. Language requirements Fluency in English, both written and verbal is a must. Working knowledge of French or Portuguese is an added advantage. Core Competencies; Transparency: Able to build trust and contribute to informed and responsible decision making by carrying out the work of IUCN in a transparent manner; provides clear guidance to ensure that objectives and desired measurable results are understood by members of the team. Inclusiveness: Understands and accepts cultural diversity, and provide a tolerant, positive, and supportive working environment that fosters respect for diversity, demonstrates ability to work in a multicultural, multiethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. Professionalism: Promote the organization’s interests, objectives, and values in a diligent and professional manner. Accountability: Takes responsibility of individual and collective actions, promotes the IUCN One Programme approach. Function Competencies; Adheres to IUCN ESARO core values of Transparency, Inclusiveness, Professionalism and Accountability. Excellent interpersonal skills to support building networks and partnerships. Must be a strong team player with proven diplomacy skills and ability to work effectively with multicultural and multidisciplinary teams displaying sensitivity and respect for diversity. Must possess excellent interpersonal skills. Demonstrated ability to work with limited supervision to prioritize tasking and manage workflow in a high-pressure environment. Hands-on, highly motivated, results driven and resourceful individual. Demonstrated ability to work under pressure managing competing demands and complex situations and deliver satisfactory and timely results. Must be a proactive individual who is able to energize and motivate teams. Committed to continuous learning and proactive and mature attitude towards self-development. Willing to travel frequently within the region. |
APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
www.iucn.org
https://twitter.com/IUCN