EOI - Individual Environmental and/or Social Consultant (Pool 2024-2026) - SNSC at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Expressions of Interest: Individual Environmental and/or Social Consultant (Pool 2024-2026) - SNSC

Location: Home based
Job Type: Contract
Consultant Type: Individual Consultant
Duration of the Assignment: 3 years
Job Family: Other

Introduction

• The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group wishes to establish a pool of individual Environmental and social Consultants 2024-2026 to provide consultancy services on environmental and/or social safeguards services on projects through the identification, preparation, appraisal, approval, supervision, and completion of projects and programs.
• The Consultants shall be managed by the Environmental and Social Safeguard and Compliance Department (SNSC).
• The SNSC Department is responsible for ensuring that all Bank-funded operations, subject to E&S mainstreaming and safeguards, follow the quality and compliance due diligence as required by the Bank’s Integrated Safeguards System (ISS).
• It assigns E&S specialists as project team members and supervise their works. The Pool of consultants’ works fall under this context.

Duties

• The E&S Consultant will work under the oversight and guidance of the Director SNSC, and the direct supervision of the Bank’s E&S officer assigned to the project teams, he/she will work on.

In addition to act as the permanent technical E&S adviser/support to the task manager/investment officer, the E&S consultant’s core duties will include the following:
Project Preparation:

• Identify the E&S risk category in collaboration with the borrower/client, and then prepare the categorization memorandum (CM); (ii) advise the borrower/client on the required environmental and social (ESA) documents to prepare in accordance to national legislation and the Bank’s ISS requirements.
• Review and clear the ESA documents prepared by the borrower/client.
• Provide the inputs to the readiness reviews and any other quality assurance requirement.
• Draft and/or contribute to drafting relevant sections of other required risk notes, PEN, PCN, and Project appraisal reports.
• Prepare the ESCON
• Prepare response to any query related to the E&S aspects including early complaint filed through BCRM. At any stage of the preparation phase, the consultant shall make proposal of mainstreaming environmental sustainability in the project design, whenever feasible.

Project Implementation:

• Provide technical clearance on any condition precedent or document prior to commencement of related activity to allow the task manager/investment officer issuance of no-objection to borrower/client;
• Review bidding documents and contracts and provide clearance for commencement of works that are subject to E&S completion;
• Carry out field mission to support and monitor implementation of E&S measures by the project teams.
• Request and review the quarterly E&S implementation reports from borrower/client;
• Assist and ensure that borrower/client carries out the annual E&S performance audit of project, and then review and clear; (vi) carry out all the tasks required by a Mandated Lead Arranger (MLA) role, when the Bank is on that role;
• Participate in transaction meetings/conference calls involving external E&S advisors and E&S specialists from sponsors and other lenders
• prepare the management response to external players’ complaints or internal audits and spots checks carried out by internal stakeholders, related to projects he/she is assigned to.

Project Completion Report:

• Gather and analyse information on project E&S performance; (ii) provide inputs to the evaluation.
• Undertake any other duties as deemed necessary by SNSC Management.
• The consultant shall conduct his/her daily work in compliance with all the Bank policies and rules, and using the practical guidance and tools provided in the SNSC Business Standards.

Identified Deliverables

• Counting on strong analytical and writing skills, the Consultant shall be expected to make review/clearance, written contributions, advice and field visits. The deliverables are:
• Categorization memorandum.
• Timely review and clearance of ESA documents (as per the Bank's Business standards).
• Timely inputs draft documents and quality assurance review documents.
• Back-to-Office reports and/or aide-memoires
• Reports/templates prepared and shared with sponsors and co-financiers;
• Management responses to E&S complaints/audits/reviews Etc.

Selection Criteria

• At least a Master's Degree in Environmental Studies, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Policy, Earth / Geoscience, Project Management, Social Sciences, and Environment-related discipline.
• A minimum of five (05) years of relevant professional experience in the areas of environmental and/or social mainstreaming and safeguards, natural resource management, environmental and/social assessment, environmental monitoring and environmental and/or compliance.
• Proven Experience in preparing and managing the implementation of environmental and social assessment (ESA) documents.
• Knowledge and experience 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, especially in Africa;
• Well-rounded understanding of critical issues in sustainable development, international environment and development policy, climate change, gender, social enhancement measures, labor, youth employment, etc.
• Strong communication and writing skills in English and/or French, with preference for capabilities in both languages. Candidates with either Portuguese or Arabic in combination with both English or French are also encouraged to apply.

Remuneration and Duration

• This is a three (03) years availability commitment at Bank’s request, an annual renewable framework international contract paid on delivery basis. Each annual framework contract based on performance will be paid up to 132 days/year.

Application Closing Date
31st July, 2023 at 18:00 pm Abidjan time.