Environmental and Social Safeguard (ESS) Expert

Job description

Overview of position

• Somalia, part of the drought & conflict affected Horn of Africa, faces acute water shortages & weak WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) infrastructure. As of 2022, 6.4 million people needed improved WASH services. Displacement driven by conflict & climate shocks continues to strain limited resources, particularly in Qardho, Doolow & South Galkayo. These towns lack proper waste & faecal sludge management, leading to environmental & health risks. Women & girls are especially affected due to their role in water collection. WASH services in households, schools & health facilities remain inadequate.
• The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), still dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 & frequent disease outbreaks, is working with partners to strengthen climate resilience through national development programs. To address these challenges, Somalia has sought funding from the African water facility for a project titled “building resilience to climate change through WASH” in Qardho, Dollow & South Galkayo. The project will deliver immediate interventions, assess climate risks & support long term adaptation through improved watershed & WASH management for both host & displaced communities.
• Integrating Environmental & Social Safeguards (ESS) into all construction activities as reffered in AfDB & our clients guidelines, is a core requirement to ensure that water & sanitation infrastructure projects are sustainable, inclusive & do not cause unintended harm to people or the environment. It is essential that contractors strictly adhere to ESS guidelines throughout the project lifecycle, from planning & design to implementation & decommissioning. This includes managing environmental risks, ensuring community health & safety, addressing gender & protection concerns & maintaining proper waste disposal practices. Given the fragile context of Somalia & the vulnerability of host & displaced populations, strong ESS compliance not only protects communities & ecosystems but also enhances project quality, accountability & long term resilience.
• Our client requires a senior expert to lead & oversee the integration of Environmental & Social Safeguards (ESS) throughout project implementation. This expert will be responsible for ensuring that appropriate mitigation measures are in place, recommending context specific corrective actions as needed & monitoring the implementation of Environmental & Social Management Plans (ESMPs) across construction sites in Qardho, Dollow & South Galkayo. Their role will be critical in ensuring compliance, minimizing risks & promoting responsible & inclusive project delivery.

Role objectives

The primary objective of this assignment is to ensure the effective integration & implementation of Environmental & Social Safeguards (ESS) across all WASH related construction activities under the “building resilience to climate change through WASH” project in Qardho, Doolow & South Galkayo. The assignment aims to strengthen compliance with AfDB & our clients ESS guidelines by providing technical oversight, monitoring the application of Environmental & Social Management Plans (ESMPs) & ensuring that mitigation measures & corrective actions are timely, context appropriate & responsive to the needs of vulnerable communities. The expert will play a key role in safeguarding community well being, reducing environmental risks & enhancing the sustainability, inclusivity & resilience of WASH infrastructure interventions in Somalia’s fragile & high risk operating environment. The Environmental & Social Safeguards (ESS) Consultant will provide technical leadership, guidance & oversight to ensure full integration of ESS principles across all stages of WASH infrastructure development under the “building resilience to climate change through WASH” project in Qardho, Dollow & south Galkayo. The consultant will work closely with our client, implementing partners & contractors to ensure compliance with AfDB & our clients ESS standards. The consultant’s responsibilities will include, but not limited to, as follows:

Inception report:

• Develop & submit an inception report within the first two weeks, detailing the consultant’s approach, methodology, work plan, deliverables schedule & coordination mechanisms with our clients team & stakeholders.

Review & validation of ESMPs:

• Review & revise Environmental & Social Management Plans (ESMPs) to ensure alignment with project specific risks & safeguard standards.
• Provide clear recommendations for any required updates or additions based on current project designs & site specific contexts.

Technical oversight & guidance:

• Provide continuous technical advice & support to our client & their implementing partners on the application of ESS safeguards across construction activities.
• Ensure environmental screening, stakeholder engagement & gender and protection concerns are appropriately addressed.

Field monitoring & reporting:

• Conduct at least three site visits to assess on ground ESS implementation & contractor compliance.
• Produce compliance monitoring reports summarizing findings, highlighting risks or gaps & outlining recommended mitigation or corrective actions.

Capacity building:

• Design & facilitate at least one capacity building session including on site sessions, for contractors, implementing partners & our clients staff to strengthen their understanding & practical application of ESS requirements.
• Provide supporting materials & post training evaluations.

Grievance redress & risk tracking:

• Review existing Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRMs) & provide recommendations to strengthen community feedback & complaint handling processes.
• Track & document any grievances, community concerns or incidents & assess how they are addressed by contractors or partners.

Technical advisory notes:

• Provide ad hoc written technical notes or briefings on emerging safeguard issues, risks or non compliance, with recommended actions.
• Share timely insights to inform decision making & operational adjustments during implementation.

Final ESS compliance & lessons learned report:

• Submit a final comprehensive report at the end of the assignment capturing all key activities, ESS implementation outcomes, challenges encountered, risk mitigation actions, lessons learned & strategic recommendations for future projects.

Ad hoc work:

• Any other ESS related tasks requested by our client or AfDB during the implementation phase & within the duration of the consultancy.

Deliverables:

Inception report (Due within 2 weeks of contract start):

• Desk review including all policies, projects & guidelines.
• Detailed consultant work plan outlining approach, methodology, timeline, coordination mechanisms & deliverable schedule.
• Initial review findings of project documents including ESMPs & key safeguard frameworks.
• Preliminary recommendations for ESS integration & capacity building needs.
• Annexes: Work schedule, list of key stakeholders consulted.

Quarterly reports (submitted every 3 months), each quarterly report will include:

• Updates on the review & validation of ESMPs, including any revisions or gaps addressed.
• Summary of technical advice & guidance provided to our client & their implementing partners.
• Compliance monitoring results from site visits & remote assessments, including findings & recommended corrective actions.
• Documentation of capacity building activities conducted, including training materials, participant lists & evaluations.
• Status & analysis of GRM's, complaints tracked & resolved.
• Technical advisory notes issued on emergent ESS issues or non compliance.
• Summary of challenges faced & solutions implemented.
• Annexes: Site visit reports, training materials, compliance checklists, grievance logs & timesheets showing days utilized.

Final ESS compliance & lessons learned report (due at end of consultancy):

• Comprehensive summary of all ESS related activities conducted during the consultancy period.
• Consolidated findings from ESMP reviews, monitoring visits, capacity building & grievance tracking.
• Assessment of overall compliance with AfDB & our clients ESS standards across project sites.
• Documented lessons learned, best practices & strategic recommendations for future WASH projects in Somalia’s context.
• Final reflections on challenges, risks mitigated & impact of ESS integration.
• Complete annexes including all supporting documentation, reports, advisories & final timesheet with total days utilized.

Project reporting

This role reports to the WASH Manager.

Skills and qualifications

Required background for this role: 

• Master’s degree or higher in environmental science, environmental engineering, civil engineering, social sciences, environmental policy & management, public health or a related discipline.
• Strong knowledge of safeguard policies, tools & methodologies, including Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), risk classification & mitigation planning.
• Understanding of GRMs, gender & protection considerations & community engagement processes in ESS.
• Excellent analytical, writing & reporting skills, ability to synthesize technical information into actionable recommendations.
• Familiarity with WASH infrastructure & service delivery models, particularly in displacement affected or drought prone areas.
• Ability to work independently & flexibly, with strong time management & coordination skills.
• Willingness & ability to travel to field locations in Qardho, Dollow & South Galkayo subject to security clearance from UN.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in the field of environmental & social safeguards, environmental risk management or related areas, preferably in the WASH or infrastructure sector.
• Proven experience in developing, reviewing & implementing Environmental & Social Management Plans (ESMPs), including stakeholder engagement & environmental screening.
• Familiarity with AfDB, UN or other international donor safeguard guidelines & frameworks.
• Experience conducting ESS monitoring, compliance reporting & risk assessments in fragile or humanitarian settings is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to design & deliver capacity building & training sessions for implementing partners, contractors & project teams.
• Experience working in fragile, conflict affected or low capacity settings (experience in Somalia or the Horn of Africa is a strong asset).
• Excellent communication skills in English (verbal & written) & knowledge of Somali is an asset.

Required competencies for this role:

Core values:

• Care.
• Respect.
• Integrity.
• Trust.
• Accountability.

Core competencies:

• Nurtures, leads & manages people.
• Demonstrates self awareness & ethical awareness.
• Works collaboratively with others.
• Builds & maintains partnerships.
• Innovates & embraces change.
• Thinks & acts strategically.
• Drive to achieve impactful results.
• Manages ambiguity & complexity.

Team management

This role has no team management responsibility.

How to apply

Further information

• Payments will be made based on deliverables & verified working days, following our clients payment policy.
• A detailed timesheet & progress report will be required for each payment.
• Our client is open to considering both national staff as well as international staff for this role whose experience match the advertisement TOR.
• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for this role.