Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) Consultant

Job Description

We are looking for a practical and committed professional who can support remotely the Universal Energy Facility (UEF) / Results-based Financing (RBF) team working for up to a total of 20 days, over the period 15/09/2022-14/07/2023.

The ESMS Consultant will support with advocacy, communications and outreach to promote the transition to results-based approaches to providing energy access under the RBF programme, as well as support with development and implementation of ESMS under the UEF programme.

The successful candidate will be an experienced professional with at least 10 years of experience in social and environmental safeguards in mini-grids and stand-alone solar sector, including 5 years of experience in managing similar assignments. He/she should have excellent project management skills as well as research and analysis skills.

Closing date for submitting applications is September 6, 2022 at 23:59 CET.

Duties and Accountabilities

The main duties of the role include, but are not limited to:

• Developing an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and supporting the implementation of ESMS during the UEF application stage for both mini-grids and Stand-Alone Solar for Productive Uses (SSPU). The ESMS shall provide a systematic procedure to assess projects for potential adverse environmental and social impacts and to assure that negative impacts are avoided or minimized to the extent possible while promoting positive impacts. It shall include:
  

  > Development of screening and assessment criteria and methodology for projects, that will allow an environmental/social risk classification and the identification of appropriate safeguards instruments.

  > Development of procedures for managing and monitoring the projects’ environmental risks and social concerns.

• Review and refine the UEF ESMS. SEforALL will provide any available documentation that is currently used. The consultant in addition to the documentation provided is expected to explore any relevant external literature to inform the ESMS.
• Screen projects applications on environmental and social impacts, define risk categories, identify necessary impact studies, and safeguard tools/plans.
• Appraise the quality of final ESIA reports and environmental and social management plans (ESMP) and other safeguard tools.
• Conduct a final compliance check and prepare ESMS clearance of projects.
• ESMS support during project implementation, responsible for ensuring that ESMS procedures, standards, and principles are applied
• Support in monitoring safeguard tools and reporting progress on implementation and compliance with all ESMS requirements.
• Compile a summary of key domestic legislative, regulatory, and administrative regimes, within the countries where the UEF Programme will operate, with a focus on requirements that will apply to the planning, approval, and implementation of projects; Summarize the in-country disclosure and approval requirements.
• Contribute to the enhancement of UEF RBF processes to increase the effectiveness of ESMS application.
• Generate lessons on the ESMS application identifying good practices and synthesizing these practices for dissemination.
• Perform other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

The ideal candidate would have:

• Master’s Degree with relevant experience, in fields such as Natural or Social Sciences, Environmental Management, Policies or Law, Sociology, Anthropology, or a related discipline. A Bachelors degree in the same fields with additional related experience will be accepted in lieu of a Master degree.
• Minimum 10 years of demonstrable experience related to social and environmental safeguards and/or impact assessment in an international development context.
• Demonstrated experience in Project Management, having managed similar assignments with increasing responsibility for at least 5 years, or relevant equivalent experience considered.
• Experience in the energy access sector, preferably mini-grids and stand-alone solar and/or experience in climate and environment is considered a strong advantage.
• Prior experience working within the UN system, international organizations, and with broad partnerships is highly desirable as is experience working with energy sector stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience in translating highly complex issues across multiple systems into straightforward and actionable plans to complete a task.
• Other qualifications/skills required:

  > Advanced research and analysis skills to organize data and information

  > Experiences in operating across multiple time zones and with distributed teams.

  > Complete fluency in English with strong written and verbal communication skills are required. Knowledge and the ability to work in French is an asset.

  > Demonstrated experience in using MS PPT to convey complex information to a general

  > Strong IT skills including Outlook, Word, Excel (including reports/macros/graphs, advanced formulas, and pivot tables), and videoconferencing software (Zoom and MS Teams)

General Competencies for the Role

• Energy Policies: Understanding of best-in-class approaches to energy policy in the Global South, specifically energy access and off-grid/rural electrification, energy efficiency and energy productivity policy, and technology solutions. Understands the strategic and development context of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Energy Solutions: Understanding of energy planning processes, systems change, and the role of demand and supply side solutions both at macro and micro scale. Energy efficiency/productivity and on- and off-grid solutions for energy efficiency and energy access. Particular experience with renewables, energy efficiency, and energy productivity process and technology solutions as well as an understanding of different sectoral approaches and technology applications a plus.
• Stakeholder engagement: A track record of engaging with the public, private sector, and CSO partners in an international and country context.
• Knowledge Management and turning Knowledge to Value and Strategic Engagement: Ability to work with others to create, synthesize and/ or share relevant knowledge and to stimulate its use through concrete strategies for delivery.
• Planning and Organization: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments. Adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently and can work to deadlines and maintain effectiveness under pressure. Excellent organizational and task management skills, with appropriate attention to detail and the ability to prioritize work among multiple competing demands, and under tight deadlines. Ability to manage multiple workflows at the same time. A proactive approach to managing workflow, with a keen ability to multi-task and respond quickly and flexibly to a wide range of issues, some of which come up in ad hoc and unexpected ways.
• Writing and Research Skills: Excellent written, synthesis, and research skills, including drafting ability and extensive knowledge of word processing and application of software package as databases and PowerPoint Presentations;
• Communication: Excellent communication skills in speaking and writing; ability to develop contacts, foster collaboration with internal as well as external stakeholders, deliver presentations, advocate for viewpoints and participate actively in internal as well as external debates and negotiations. The ability to craft messages and communique, and copy edit work to produce flawlessly written communications is required.
• Analysis and Innovation: Demonstrated excellent numerical and analytical skills that can be applied to gather data and generate knowledge relevant to decision-making functions. Capability and easiness to work with numbers, calculate and analyze data as well as the ability to summarize and present key findings. Inspires and influences others to drive innovation. Inspires others to develop new solutions that have a development impact and advocates for changes and the application of new methods to enhance results.
• Teamwork: Works within the team as well as with colleagues across work units. Supports colleagues, establishes a team culture, encourages others to participate in teamwork, and shares responsibility for decision-making and results. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with a final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Demonstrated ability to work with teams representing a wide variety of staffing levels that also cut across agencies and partners, and work without direct authority to deliver timely and high-quality products. Strong team player capabilities.

Salary information

The successful candidate will be offered an all-in daily rate determined depending on the successful candidate’s qualification and experience, and applying the principle of internal equity.

About the Organization

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization working with leaders in government, the private sector and civil society to drive further, faster action toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, and the Paris Agreement, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate warming to below 2° Celsius.

Achieving these goals will require a radical rethink of the way we produce, distribute and consume energy. SEforALL is at the heart of this foundational shift to ensure no one is left behind. Drawing on data and evidence, we identify a critical path to success in achieving SDG7.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in 2011. Now an independent organization, we maintain close links with the UN, including through a relationship agreement, partnerships with UN agencies and with SEforALL's CEO acting as the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. These roles include advising the UN Secretary General and his staff on issues relating to sustainable energy and the implementation of SDG7 and supporting the coordination of sustainable energy issues in the United Nations system.

The ambitions of SDG7 are extraordinary. Aiming to achieve them in the context of the Paris Agreement on climate change involves transformation at a scale never undertaken before. Swift action must be taken by leaders in governments, private sector companies, institutions, financiers, development banks, unions, communities, entrepreneurs and civil society. As we enter the final decade to achieve SDG7, SEforALL has strategically chosen to strengthen global agenda-setting while expanding its activities to an engagement model that prioritizes data-driven decision-making, partnerships with high-impact countries and implementation on the ground. The new SEforALL three-year business plan outlines “results offers” that scope out our planned interventions and demonstrate to our funding partners the impact of their support. http://www.seforall.org