African Development Bank (AfDB) Recruits Principal Social Development Officer

African Development Bank (AfDB) established to strengthen dialogue between the Bank and the Government is recruiting to fill the below position:

Job Title: Principal Social Development Officer

Grade: PL-4
Position N°: 50084167
Reference: ADB/13/096

Objectives
The African development Bank is a leading development institution on the continent, focused on promoting economic development and poverty reduction. It engages with the full range and complexity of development challenges in Africa. The Bank has integrated operations, lending directly the public and private sectors through a variety of instruments. It also provides advisory services and has an increasing country presence through a growing network of 26 field offices. The Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department (ONEC) will assist Country Programs/ Departments to manage Bank Group energy operations in Regional Member Countries (RMCs). Climate change and environmental issues are addressed by incorporating them into Bank Group supported operations and giving them the visibility required. ONEC includes two energy divisions and a third division which is responsible for environment and climate change issues (ONEC.3). ONEC.3 is also responsible for implementing the Bank’s environmental/social policies procedures, and guidelines, including review/monitoring of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) documents, requesting validation of project’s environmental and social categorization and submission of ESIA, ESMP and RAP summaries for clearance by the Bank’s Environmental and Social Safeguards and Compliance unit (ORQR.3).

Duties and responsibilities

Mainstreaming of social development concerns:

• Advise the Bank’s country teams engaged in the identification, preparation and appraisal of operations with potential social repercussions to ensure adherence to Bank policies on involuntary resettlement and social safeguards;
• Develop and organize training sessions for Bank staff and their counterparts in RMCs in the assessment and analysis of social impacts of infrastructure development projects and programs including the understanding of stakeholder identification and participation framework; formulation of participatory strategies; institutional and social organization issues; and social impact monitoring and evaluation of outcomes;
• Represent the Bank at social safeguards and impact assessment and related cross cutting issues such as gender, safety and climate change conferences;
• Address social development issues in various Bank operations during the identification, preparation, appraisal, and supervision stages;
• Conduct studies, review reports and analysis in line with Bank Group lending programs to RMCs;
• Lead Bank teams on joint missions with other development partners on issues of social impacts and safeguards compliance;
• Prepare and review environmental and social scoping memoranda (ESSM) for project categorization; ESIA/RAP and ESMP Summaries before submitting to ORQR.3 and posting on Bank’s website;
• Provide support to the Bank’s private sector operations (e.g. industries, services, infrastructure, financial institutions); provide support to public sector operations in the energy, water and sanitation, transport, and Information and Communication Technology, sectors as required;
• Mainstream relevant and cross-cutting environmental and social issues into Bank operations, particularly issues related to gender, the social implications of climate change, and involuntary resettlement;
• Develop recommendations to enhance social benefits and corrective measures to mitigate social risks in Bank operations;
• Design and/or ameliorate project components contributing to reducing poverty, addressing vulnerability/ marginalization, and encouraging greater inclusion/ participation.

Compliance with environmental and social requirements:

• Provide policy and operational guidance to Task Managers on social development issues as a means of strengthening the environmental and social performance of Bank operations;
• Review TORs for feasibility studies (ESIA and RAP) to ensure adequate coverage of all pertinent issues required by the Bank’s environmental and social assessment procedures (ESAP);
• Ensure compliance of operations with the Bank’s environmental and social safeguards and when approved the Integrated Safeguard System (ISS);
• Provide technical guidance to clients on the preparation of necessary documentation, including but not limited to Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, Resettlement Action Plans, Environmental and Social Management Plans, and Social and Environmental Management Systems.

In addition to these core duties/responsibilities, the incumbent will also carry out the following tasks:

Knowledge Development:

• Contribute to the development of Bank policies and strategies by highlighting timely social development issues in close collaboration with other Bank experts;
• Review and contribute to the mainstreaming of appropriate social development issues into projects and/or initiatives developed by Bank experts in departments outside of OIVP.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• At least a Master's Degree in Social Development, Sociology, economics or in equivalent social/environment related discipline
• Minimum of six (6) years of experience in the areas of Social Development/Social Policy and Socio-economics/relevant Social Sciences /or in equivalent socio-environment-related discipline
• Experience in the areas Social Development/Social Policy and Socio-economics/relevant Social Science or in equivalent environment-related discipline
• Knowledge and experience in preparing of Resettlement Actions Plans (RAPs) , Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), and Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMSs) including social aspects of development projects (e.g. health and safety, compensation/resettlement and gender components), operations monitoring and evaluation in respect of compliance assessment
• Some knowledge of the operational policies, procedures and practices of major bilateral and multilateral partner development agencies in regional member countries, particularly with respect to infrastructure projects.
• Practitioner experience in Africa, with skills in multi-criteria assessment, stakeholder engagement and consultation, community participation, with analytical skills in assessing institutional capacities and designing/reviewing practical implementation arrangements for complex projects.
• Understanding of critical issues in sustainable development, international environment and development policy, emerging climate change, green growth and sustainability concerns, also social development and results-based management agendas.
• Ability to handle stress due to multiple, simultaneous and shifting demands and assignments, priorities and deadlines
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; teamwork skills
• Fluency in standard MS office applications (Word, Excel, Power point).
• Excellent written and verbal communications in English and/or French with a working knowledge of the other.

Application Closing Date
22nd August, 2013

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online