Social and Environmental Safeguards Analyst

Energy poverty affects the quality of lives of women and men differently in varying degrees and impacts their health, employment, and many basic services. Currently, the demand for energy in the country far exceeds its supply, the transmission and distribution grid are unreliable, and load shedding and outages of electricity supply are common.  Many provinces are not connected to the grid and are therefore largely served through local diesel generating units that increase the costs of supply. Thus, lack of access is linked to affordable energy and impedes economic, social, and educational opportunities for the poor and rural residents.

The Federal Republic of Germany has made available funds to the project “Sustainable energy services for education and health in Afghanistan (SESEHA)” of UNDP through KfW, Germany’s State-owned Investment and Development Bank.   The key objective of the project SESEHA is adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in public facilities (primarily in health and education sectors) for sustained delivery of essential services for basic human needs in Afghanistan. This proposed project will contribute to better energy access and enables improvements in basic energy supply services in the stated sectors. 

The project is aligned with UNDP’s signature solution on Energy and is further conceptualized in the priority area of sustained essential services of the UN’s Strategic Framework for Afghanistan 2023-2025 that directly contributes to the two outcomes: Outcome 1: By the end of 2025, more people in Afghanistan, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized, including women and girls have their basic human needs progressively met through the sustained delivery of essential services. Outcome 2: By the end of 2025, people in Afghanistan, especially women, youth, and other marginalized groups, and those at risk of being left behind benefit from a more equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient employment-rich economy and shared economic opportunities with enhanced productive capacities for improved livelihoods and decent work. 

The Social and Environmental Safeguards Analyst he/she will undertake the following tasks to ensure the success of the project: 

• Coordinate with experts for finalization of environmental social management framework (ESMF)/ environmental social management plan (ESMP), Grievance redressal mechanism GRM, stakeholder engagement plan (SEP) 
• Review and follow up with vendors for ESMP implementation.
• Monitor the overall SES compliance 
• Report on new risks.

Coordinate with experts for finalization of ESMF/ESMP, GRM, SEP:

• Assist and coordinate with technical working group meetings with different stakeholders including donors and relevant actors working in SESEHA. 
• Assist and support the financial team as the ESMP will be part of the bidding documents. The bids will be required to allocate financial resources towards mitigation measures/ compliance with the ESMF.
• Provide the assistant to support in undertaking desk based and onsite environment and social screening of the identified project location and provide individual (site specific) report based on risk assessment and mitigation measures as part of site specific ESMP.
• Verify the effectiveness of grievance mechanisms and that all grievances and responses are tracked. 
• Provide technical assistance to the consulting firms related to SEP/ GRM so that they can organize national/regional training workshops and run other capacity-development-related events.
• Conduct spot checks and field visits to project location sites.

Review and follow up with vendors for ESMP implementation:

• Assist the organization of meetings, seminars, and other events on social and environmental standards issues.
• Review the technical support inputs and follow up with quality assurance measures, including spot-checking and screenings of ESMP implementation.
• Participates in international, regional or national meetings related to social and environmental standards in humanitarian contexts.
• Review tailored ESMF operational tools and checklists as needed.

Monitor the overall ESS compliance:

• Assist in monitoring and ensure that the ESMP would be customized during implementation based on site specific conditions identified during feasibility analysis prior to its installation, commissioning and operation and maintenance arrangements.
• Review the monitoring plan for ESMF as per the Social and Environment Standard (SES).
• Support improved sub-project monitoring, recording, and reporting, including tracking of incidents and response measures.
• Work with Third Party Monitoring (TPM) agent to ensure ESMF implementation is considered in monitoring activities.
• Review TPM reports to ensure findings and lessons related to ESMF implementation.

Report on new risks

• Assist in providing specialized environmental and social safeguards related inputs to feed into UNDP knowledge and learning systems.
• Review the risks and impacts of Climate Change and Disaster Risks.
• Follow all the project activities in field site to ensure that adequate measures would be undertaken at every stage of site identification, selection.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

2030 Agenda

• Engagement & Effectiveness - Effectiveness: Social and Environmental Standards
• Planet, Nature, Climate and Energy - Environment: Environmental and social impact assessments and safeguards
• Prosperity - Inclusive Growth: Social Inclusion.

Partnership management

• Relationship management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust, and mutual understanding.

Business Management 

• Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Business Direction and Strategy 

• Business Acumen: Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome. Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks. 

• At least 2 years with Master or 4 years with Bachelor's degree of relevant experience implementing environmental and social safeguards.
• Hand on experience on experience implementing environmental and social safeguards, including occupational health and safety is required
• Practical experience in the field of monitoring.
• Relevant experience in producing various related reports, including environmental and social screenings, assessments, and management plans. 
• Good capacity to communicate with people from different backgrounds and positions, as well as with local and national stakeholders and authorities
• Experience in project planning, evaluation and oversight of environmental compliance is desirable.
• Experience of coordination of environmental management within the UN System and representation in interagency network is highly desirable
• Knowledge of Geographical Information System (GIS) and other mapping software 
• Knowledge of project management software such as Microsoft Project is desirable

Language:

• Proficiency in oral and written English
• Fluency in Pashtu or Dari is required

Professional Certificate:

• Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health will be an asset