Social & Environment Specialist at Niger River Basin Authority

Location: Niamey, Niger

Missions

• In general, under the supervision of the Regional Coordinator, you are responsible for providing the necessary technical assistance to the Niger Basin Authority to ensure that, as a recipient of financial resources allocated by the World Bank for the projects identified (PDREGDE APL1, PDREGDE APL2A and PGBFN), and satisfactorily dealing with the environmental and social aspects of these projects.
• You coordinate the various activities in these areas in relation with other UGCP experts, the Executive Secretariat of the NBA, and if necessary NBAs National Focal Structures and the National Implementing Agencies of the DREGDE APL1 Project.
• You contribute to the improvement of the general interest missions of the NBA in terms of environment knowledge and management, in particular the Niger Basin Observatory and the quality of technical studies.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• Review the analysis of the potential impacts of the projects on the natural and human environment, with the aim of ensuring that all these impacts have been identified, and subsequent measures proposed. 
• Define the environmental and social approach that will meet World Bank safeguards and standards for impact assessment.
• Oversee environmental and social impact assessments carried out in the project area in collaboration with Project Experts, National Focal Structures and National Implementing Agencies as appropriate, so that technical information on the project and its components, on the one hand, and the environmental and social data on the environment, on the other, circulate easily between the different specialists.
• In the case of a call for tenders with consulting firms with an environmental and social dimension, analyze in detail the methodology of the environmental and social impact assessment presented in the service offers prepared by the consulting firms to improve, where necessary, the proposed approach, and to ensure that the proposed improvements are reflected in the minutes of negotiations and annexed to the consulting firm contract.
• Ensure the preparation of the required Resettlement Action Plans and Environmental and Social Management Plans and monitor the implementation of these plans in in collaboration with monitoring and evaluation specialists and project promoters.
• Participate in assessing the quality of these plans.
• Participate in the design and physical and financial programming of environmental and social safeguard activities and the preparation of annual work plans for the Project to ensure that environmental studies are carried out and social requirements for each activity are planned.
• Participate in the execution, monitoring, control and evaluation of project activities.
• Participate in the operational planning of project activities.
• In investments funded or studied under the project, ensure that the environmental and social assessment boundaries are determined, including spatial and temporal boundaries, biophysical and social elements to be included or excluded, legal and institutional aspects based on a review of each country’s legal and institutional framework and in line with World Bank Policy 4.12.
• Ensure the integration of important environmental and social concerns from the first preparations studies and ensure the definition of significant effects and factors to be considered in the conduct of environmental and social impact assessments of projects.
• Assist the Executive Secretariat and the agencies responsible for monitoring the implementation and quality of studies related to the Fomi Dam in Guinea and other cross-border works in Niger where appropriate.
• Participate in the mobilization of the NBA Dam Expert Panel.
• Prepare the preparation of quarterly and annual reports covering the environmental and social compliance component of the Projects.
• Analyze the technical files (terms of reference, study reports, bidding documents) coming from the National Implementing Agencies in order to take into account the environmental and social aspects.
• Prepare terms of reference for the consideration of environmental and social aspects in project activities, particularly those meant to actors capacity building.
• Ensure the implementation of environmental and social safeguards for projects, and take all necessary steps to alert in advance of any non-compliance issues.
• Propose or refer to Bank Specialists to propose immediate corrective action on nonconformities.
• Capitalize on the experiences of the impact assessment process and the implementation of environmental and social safeguards.
• Contribute to the establishment of the environmental and social governance system of the NBA in view and to the operationalization of the Niger Basin Observatory.
• Conduct training sessions when needed.
• Report to the Project Coordinator on the overall activities described above and work closely with the UGCP, the NBA Executive Secretariat and beyond.

Profile of the Role

• 5-year higher education graduate in the following fields: Forestry, Rural Engineering; Geography; Sociology or any other equally recognized field.
• You have at least ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in the field of environmental and social assessment, including at least three years in environmental and social studies of dam projects, or the implementation of mitigation measures of the environmental and social impacts of dam projects.
• You also have a good knowledge of the World Banks environmental and social safeguard policies.
• You are able to express yourself clearly on complex issues (for example, environmental and social issues of dams) and have the ability to analyze technical documents.
• Able to identify the needs for capacity building in environmental and social assessment of other national experts and lead training sessions, you have perfect oral and written expression in French and are able to read and understand technical English and exchange orally in that language.

Conditions

• The initial term of the contract will be (2) years renewable following a satisfactory assessment of performance and the favorable opinion of the World Bank.
• The first six (6) months will serve as a probationary period to confirm or not the continuation of the contract.