E T Consultant

Contract

This is a World Bank Group grade: EC2 contract. More about World Bank Group grade: EC2 contracts.

E T Consultant

Description

IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2022, IFC committed a record $32.8 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org

The Environmental & Social Policy and Risk Department (CES) is a relatively new department, created in July 2019, which reports directly to the IFC Managing Director and EVP, with about 30 professional staff. CES is responsible for:

• Policy: maintaining IFC’s E&S policies, procedures and systems; • Knowledge: developing knowledge products training and accreditation for IFC staff; • Risk: providing E&S policy and risk oversight of the high-risk projects in IFC’s investment and advisory pipeline, and high-risk and non-performing projects in IFC’s investment portfolio; and • Grievance Response: providing support and training to operational teams in responding to complaints associated with IFC’s clients as well as in responding to the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) – IFC’s independent accountability mechanism.

CES works in close collaboration with IFC’s investment departments and the Sustainability and Gender Solutions Department (CEG), which has 200 professionals and is housed in IFC Operations. CES provides an independent review of the management of E&S risk and the implementation of IFC’s E&S policies and procedures. IFC is unique among Development Finance Institutions in having this cadre of in-house environment, social and corporate governance experts. More details can be found at www.ifc.org/sustainability.

IFC is committed to increasing proactivity, problem-solving, and institutional responsiveness to stakeholder complaints and concerns related to the E&S impacts of IFC’s investments. The Stakeholder Grievance Response (SGR) team within CES has a central role to play in helping to shape IFC’s approach and deliver on the corporate mandate to promote more responsive and effective grievance resolution for project-affected communities.

Objectives/Purpose of Assignment IFC’s Environmental and Social Performance Standards (www.ifc.org/performancestandards) define IFC clients’ responsibilities for managing the E&S risks and impacts arising from their business activities. Where local communities are potentially impacted, they should have recourse to communicate their concerns to the client company through a project-level grievance mechanism, and, if necessary, to IFC directly. They also have access to the CAO (www.cao-ombudsman.org). The SGR function was created to facilitate this process and strengthen IFC’s approach to response and resolution of E&S complaints.

CES is looking for a highly motivated Associate E&S Specialist to join the SGR team as an Extended Term Consultant (ETC). As part of the SGR team, the successful candidate will work closely with CES policy, knowledge and risk officers, and operational teams to engage effectively with the CAO, IFC clients, CSOs, and project stakeholders to help facilitate timely response and resolution of E&S concerns and complaints, including CAO cases. SGR staff champion complaints responsiveness; contribute to relevant policy work and knowledge products; and develop and deliver staff training, lessons learned, and guidance relating to grievance response and CAO cases. The Associate E&S Specialist will report to the SGR Team Lead.

Duties and Accountabilities:

• Engage with IFC project teams and management to respond to E&S complaints received via CAO and by IFC directly. • Advise project teams in the preparation and clearance of IFC’s responses to CAO, based on E&S knowledge and awareness of broader CAO relationship and portfolio. Manage communications between IFC and CAO and ensure consistency and accuracy in messaging and information disclosed. Proactively identify and propose solutions to resolve challenges and procedural bottlenecks. • Proactively engage across departments and propose solutions to resolve E&S issues at the project and systemic levels. Review E&S complaints and liaise with project teams and E&S risk staff. Be responsible for following up on stated systemic and project-level commitments related to complaints response. • Contribute to mainstreaming of the grievance response function for IFC. • Identify and synthesize good-practice examples and disseminate lessons learned. • Contribute to the development of training and guidance materials, and awareness raising and capacity building activities on complaints response for the institution.

IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2022, IFC committed a record $32.8 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org

The Environmental & Social Policy and Risk Department (CES) is a relatively new department, created in July 2019, which reports directly to the IFC Managing Director and EVP, with about 30 professional staff. CES is responsible for:

• Policy: maintaining IFC’s E&S policies, procedures and systems; • Knowledge: developing knowledge products training and accreditation for IFC staff; • Risk: providing E&S policy and risk oversight of the high-risk projects in IFC’s investment and advisory pipeline, and high-risk and non-performing projects in IFC’s investment portfolio; and • Grievance Response: providing support and training to operational teams in responding to complaints associated with IFC’s clients as well as in responding to the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) – IFC’s independent accountability mechanism.

CES works in close collaboration with IFC’s investment departments and the Sustainability and Gender Solutions Department (CEG), which has 200 professionals and is housed in IFC Operations. CES provides an independent review of the management of E&S risk and the implementation of IFC’s E&S policies and procedures. IFC is unique among Development Finance Institutions in having this cadre of in-house environment, social and corporate governance experts. More details can be found at www.ifc.org/sustainability.

IFC is committed to increasing proactivity, problem-solving, and institutional responsiveness to stakeholder complaints and concerns related to the E&S impacts of IFC’s investments. The Stakeholder Grievance Response (SGR) team within CES has a central role to play in helping to shape IFC’s approach and deliver on the corporate mandate to promote more responsive and effective grievance resolution for project-affected communities.

Objectives/Purpose of Assignment IFC’s Environmental and Social Performance Standards (www.ifc.org/performancestandards) define IFC clients’ responsibilities for managing the E&S risks and impacts arising from their business activities. Where local communities are potentially impacted, they should have recourse to communicate their concerns to the client company through a project-level grievance mechanism, and, if necessary, to IFC directly. They also have access to the CAO (www.cao-ombudsman.org). The SGR function was created to facilitate this process and strengthen IFC’s approach to response and resolution of E&S complaints.

CES is looking for a highly motivated Associate E&S Specialist to join the SGR team as an Extended Term Consultant (ETC). As part of the SGR team, the successful candidate will work closely with CES policy, knowledge and risk officers, and operational teams to engage effectively with the CAO, IFC clients, CSOs, and project stakeholders to help facilitate timely response and resolution of E&S concerns and complaints, including CAO cases. SGR staff champion complaints responsiveness; contribute to relevant policy work and knowledge products; and develop and deliver staff training, lessons learned, and guidance relating to grievance response and CAO cases. The Associate E&S Specialist will report to the SGR Team Lead.

Duties and Accountabilities:

• Engage with IFC project teams and management to respond to E&S complaints received via CAO and by IFC directly. • Advise project teams in the preparation and clearance of IFC’s responses to CAO, based on E&S knowledge and awareness of broader CAO relationship and portfolio. Manage communications between IFC and CAO and ensure consistency and accuracy in messaging and information disclosed. Proactively identify and propose solutions to resolve challenges and procedural bottlenecks. • Proactively engage across departments and propose solutions to resolve E&S issues at the project and systemic levels. Review E&S complaints and liaise with project teams and E&S risk staff. Be responsible for following up on stated systemic and project-level commitments related to complaints response. • Contribute to mainstreaming of the grievance response function for IFC. • Identify and synthesize good-practice examples and disseminate lessons learned. • Contribute to the development of training and guidance materials, and awareness raising and capacity building activities on complaints response for the institution.

Selection Criteria

• Graduate/advance degree in environmental or social sciences, international development, sustainable development, or other relevant discipline, plus a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience, including with community engagement, civil society, or grievance mechanisms. • Experience assessing and/or implementing projects applying the IFC Performance Standards or equivalent. • Exemplary project management skills and ability to manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines. Demonstrated ability to adapt to changing circumstances, organize and prioritize deliverables, and maintain attention to detail. • Pragmatic, solution-oriented, problem solver with a high degree of responsiveness and proactivity. • Ability to communicate effectively and concisely in spoken and written English is essential. Superior editing capabilities. Additional language skills a plus. • Experience in research and analysis. Ability to synthesize and analyze diverse E&S related data and information, craft clear and concise points or messages, and communicate on complex E&S issues in a manner that can be understood by non-experts. • Excellent interpersonal, listening and communication skills including the ability to relate well with a wide range of internal & external parties (including senior staff, management, CAO, clients, complainants and CSOs) and seek solutions in potentially tense or conflictual situations. • Ability to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team, work effectively in and influence a team. • Experience working with portfolio information and database management. Strong IT skills and familiarity with data tracking and management programs. • High personal integrity and emotional intelligence, with demonstrated ability to handle sensitive matters in a discreet and respectful manner.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable for an additional one year, at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET Appointment of two years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their second-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.