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Objectives of the mission :
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Chad Country Office (CO) in N’Djamena seeks a dedicated, experienced and highly motivated Environment and Social (E&S) Specialist. He/she will be in charge of environmental and social/health and safety aspects of project preparation, implementation and operation. He/she will be responsible for analyzing donor E&S guidelines, reviewing national legislation and supporting the CO in meeting these requirements. Since Chad is highly vulnerable to climate hazards including droughts and flooding, he/she will also assess and adapt rehabilitation/construction plans whenever required, with the aim to reinforce the capacity of communities to withstand climate change induced shocks.
Under the supervision of the Deputy Representative, the Environment and Social Specialist will carry out his/her tasks in close cooperation with the sections and the Construction and Supply unit in particular, and the Bol and Mongo field offices. He/she will also work closely with relevant local authorities, contractors and representatives of host communities.
The main responsibilities of the Environment and Social Specialist will include :
Familiarization with procedures, routines and documentation :
- At the start of the assignment, the Environment and Social Specialist will familiarize her/himself with the Chadian context in the related field ;
- During project preparation, develop/amend routines and processes for the CO, in line with, but not limited to, the UNICEF E&S risk screening tool, environmental and social risk assessment, and environmental and social impact assessment in accordance with Chad’s national regulations and standards including improved medical waste management.
Develop E&S management procedures : The Environment and Social Specialist will, based on a review of available documentation and existing procedures and routines develop a robust and concise process for the identification, assessment and management of environmental and social risks and impacts for UNICEF interventions. As part of this task, an Environment and Social Management Plan (ESMP) Package will be developed, including Annexes, adapted to the context of UNICEF interventions and Chad.
During the project preparation phase :
- Apply the UNICEF E&S risk screening tool ;
- Conduct environmental and social site risk assessments, in order to inform E&S risk screening and in order to inform the development of the site specific ESMPs or simplified ESMPs (Environmental and Social Commitment Plans/ESCOP). Ensure that potential adverse impacts and risks are assessed and avoided, or where avoidance is not possible, minimized, mitigated and managed. ESMP is to be developed in close consultation with all stakeholders ;
- Identify any requirements from national environmental, social, occupational health and safety and labor legislation, and integrate these accordingly into environmental and social management plans ;
- Prepare site specific ESMPs and make sure that these would be integrated into the bidding documents/contracts with construction contractors ;
- Engage and consult early with local communities (see below).
During the project implementation phase :
- Review and approve the contractor’s Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan (to be developed by the Contractor based on the site specific ESMP) ;
- Ensure that the contractor shall not commence any works prior to the ESO’s approval and satisfaction that appropriate measures are in place to address environmental and social risks and impacts, including occupational health and safety and public health and safety ;
- During construction period, monitor the contractor’s E&S performance for compliance with the Construction ESMP and require and track corrective actions as appropriate; This includes oversight of implementation and monitoring both health and safety standards and labour and working conditions during construction ;
- Ensure that the contractor provides trainings to workers to assure that they understand their respective responsibilities, that subcontractors and suppliers (in particular those for major supply items) are familiar with the ESMP requirements and guidelines valid on site and that the contractor complies with the Code of Conduct ;
- Ensure that appropriate trainings are provided to workers in community-based labor projects and that all workers (contractor’s staff and community workers) are equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) ;
- Ensure that all workers are informed about their obligation to attend training sessions (induction training and technical training) and that the training sessions are adequately organized and conducted within the agreed intervals and are effective ;
- Participate in the management of complaints as per project level complaints management process ;
- Develop and maintain a monitoring database ;
- Undertake immediate reporting on any serious environmental and social incidents and accidents ;
- Develop a training and capacity development plan for the team involved in ESM to build their capacity to establish and review ESMP ;
- Document and reflect experiences and lessons learnt from application of the ESMP ;
- Establish back to office reports after site visits and discuss results of visits and assessments with the respective UNICEF field team in order to agree on any necessary follow up action.
Stakeholder Engagement and Community Participation, all project phases :
- Establish cooperative relationships with and facilitate communication between local government officials, municipalities, community members and contractors in order to facilitate community involvement in the construction works, mitigate conflicts and to ensure an efficient and effective implementation of project activities ;
- Organize awareness-raising and training activities relating to environmental and social safeguards and the corresponding measures (with a focus on the site specific ESMP) ;
- Monitor working conditions on construction sites, ensuring adherence to labour laws and Decent Work principles ;
- Establish stakeholders Grievance and Response Mechanism ;
- Any other relevant tasks which may be identified during the assignment by the ESO, by other UNICEF team members or other project partners/consultants, will be considered and integrated as appropriate into the tasks and responsibilities of the EO.
Qualifications et expériences requises :
Education : Advanced university degree in environmental or social sciences, engineering or other related field. A first University Degree with relevant work experience of 10 years may be accepted in lieu of Advanced University Degree.
Work Experience :
- Minimum of five years of work experience in relevant field, preferably from construction with a focus on environmental, social, health and safety issues ;
- Focus of professional and practical experience in the area of environmental and social management, occupational health and safety, construction supervision, community engagement ;
- Experience with community engagement and/or community development is considered an asset ;
- Previous experience and familiarity with the communities in the project locations is considered an advantage ;
- Excellent organizational and analytical skills, with close attention to detail ;
- International and national work experience required ;
- Background/familiarity with emergency situations would be an asset.
Language Proficiency : Fluency in English and French. Knowledge of the local working language is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
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UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
Remarks :
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.