Environmental, Social Assessment and Information System Safeguards Specialist

Organizational Setting

FAO's Subregional Office for West Africa is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional agri-food systems and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including Regional Economic Integration Organizations such as ECOWAS, CILSS, UEMOA and Mano River Union. It assists the FAO Representations (FAORs) in the subregion with addressing subregional food security, agriculture and rural development issues at country level. The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO’s Regional Office for Africa. As a pillar of FAO's strategic framework 2022-31, which focuses on the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind, The objective of Better environment is to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and combat climate change (reduce, reuse, recycle, residual management) through more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems. At the sub regional level, the Priority is the sustainable management of the environment and natural resources in order to transform climate and agri-food systems; Bioeconomy; Biodiversity and ecosystems. The project “Institutional and technical support for REDD readiness in West Africa,” is a multi-country Green Climate Fund (GCF) project implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to support five countries (Benin, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone).

The project objective is to overcome the challenges and address the barriers to enable conditions for the implementation of policy approaches for REDD activities through the strengthening of the institutional and technical capacities of participating countries in order to develop the REDD Warsaw framework’s four pillars. The project expected results include: • The national coordination structure for REDD and the MRV unit will be established and strengthened. A national approach to safeguards will be developed, Relevant national stakeholders will be identified and involved in the REDD National committee to be established and strengthened. To permit non -state stakeholders to access on decision-making process, Networks of civil society • organization (CSOs) and indigenous people/Local communities’ (IP/LCs) and domestic private sector organizations will be structured and strengthened, • A REDD Roadmap, a REDD national strategy and Forest Reference Emission Level will be developed, • A regional Concept Note will be developed to address remaining gaps identified by this Readiness proposal, • Best practices related to the national REDD process will be shared among participating countries.

Reporting Lines

The Environmental, social Assessment and Information System Safeguards Specialist will be under the overall supervision of the Sub Regional Coordinator SFW, the direct supervision of the Senior Policy Officer at SFW, and the technical supervisor of the project regional coordinator and the SFW Forestry expert/officer in consultation with NFO officer-MRV.

Technical Focus

The Environmental, social Assessment and Information System Safeguards Specialist will provide a technical support the REDD National Coordination, the safeguards Officers and the Safeguards Technical Working Group for all activities related to environmental and social assessment and safeguards. He/she will also provide guidelines for the development of the Safeguards Information System.

Tasks and responsibilities

The incumbent will work in tandem with the national Safeguards Technical Assistants, the national Safeguards Information System (SIS) Experts and national Environmental and social Assessment Experts at the country level to: • Support the activity 1.1.4.5 (develop guidelines for the development of a SIS) for Benin and Guinea, • Conduct the assessment of REDD strategic options in order to increase environmental and social performance of the REDD national strategy under the activity 2.2.2.3 (Assess REDD strategic options to increase environmental and social performance of the REDD national strategy) for Benin, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone • Support the activity 2.2.2.6 (Develop the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for the national REDD strategy) and the activity 2.2.2.7 (Conduct a national workshop to validate the REDD national strategy and the ESMF) for Benin, Guinea, Sierra Leone, • Assume all other tasks within his/her area of expertise, at the request of the Supervisor or the Regional Coordinator

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree) in political sciences, environmental sciences, social sciences or related field that is relevant for the assignment. • 5 years of relevant experience in environmental and social assessment and safeguards. • For consultants: working knowledge (level C) of English and French. For PSAs: working knowledge (level C) of English.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work. • Experience on country approach to safeguards and on the development of SIS. • Strong knowledge on environmental and social issues in West Africa. • Experience in conducting public consultation and in working with Government, CSOs and Local communities. • Experience on Strategic environmental and Social Assessment. • Strong experience on capacity training related to the assignment. • Ability to work independently and in harmony with other project staff for an effective delivery of projects objectives and expected results, and within the limits of the budget of the project.