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Job announcement: Environmental and Social Safeguarding Coordinator’

WWF-DRC is recruiting an Environmental and Social Safeguarding Coordinator to be based in Kinshasa, DRC

The board of WWF International and the WWF Network Executive Team (NET) agreed to adopt the safeguards framework in June 2019 and to ensure consistent, comprehensive application of safeguards across the entire WWF Network. The framework will be reviewed and updated periodically in consultation with stakeholders across the WWF Network and with outside practitioners and civil society organizations (CSOs).
 
Safeguards were designed as a risk mitigation management system to be applied to development projects that may potentially generate negative social or environmental impacts. They have been progressively adopted by bilateral development agencies (e.g. KFW - the German development bank, and United States Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), international development organizations (e.g. World Bank, InterAmerican Development Bank, and other multilateral banks), United Nations development agencies, and environmental funds (e.g. Global Environment Facility). They are also being adopted by conservation-focused nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
 
Five out of the eight high priority/special consideration landscapes from a safeguards perspective are located in the Congo Basin region. Most of the country offices responsible for these landscapes have currently limited capacity to adequately deliver on safeguards and social policies commitments in WWF’s management response and subsequent action plan to the IPR.
 
Consequently, three additional E&S safeguard staffs are needed in the region to support WWF’s commitment to strengthen the social dimensions of its projects, programs and policy work and address the critical connections to peoples’ rights and wellbeing.
 
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the E&S officer will report to the Conservation director based in Kinshasa.
 

Office base: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

 
Duration of contract: two years with renewal possibility
 
 
 
  1. Mission
 
To maintain and oversee the safeguards framework by performing the following functions:
  • Safeguards Framework Management;
  • Help Desk and Training;
  • Quality Assurance and accreditation and
  • Data base.
 
  1. Major duties and responsibilities
 
  • Maintain and oversee the safeguards framework of the country programme;
  • Provide advisory support to project managers and landscape leads in rolling out the ESSF at the landscape level;
  • Promote adherence and implementation of WWF’s social policies at the national and landscape level with a strong emphasis on the human rights, gender and indigenous people’s policies in close collaboration with country indigenous people’s officers;
  • Work with the risk and compliance team to undertake compliance of ESS and Social Policies to ensure ESS policies are properly implemented at all levels in line with WWF guidelines;
  • Undertake an ESS risk analysis and lead on the development of associated mitigation plans together with the project teams and where appropriate, the concerned stakeholders;
  • Advise on and support monitoring of the implementation of mitigation plans and flag any issues or gaps with the landscape lead to ensure that proposed mitigation measures are implemented according to an agreed upon ESS mitigation implementation plan;
  • Strengthen E&S quality assurance of projects proposals including their sign-off;
  • Oversee monitoring and reporting of ESSF implementation across the landscapes covered;
  • Lead on capacity building for staff and partners to build knowledge and skills on ESS and minimize the likelihood of risks arising;
  • Maintain the database where all risk screenings, mitigation plans, reports, and reviews are stored, and provides public disclosure of safeguards actions;
  • Disseminate lessons learned and best practices from the implementation of ESSF in the landscapes covered;
  • Prepare regular reports on the ESS risks with appropriate actions to be taken for projects and follow up to help ensure that timely actions are taken; input on WWF DRC’s reporting for ESS;
  • Ensure and follow-up implementation of audit recommendations in the related fields;
  • Ensure relationships with other E&S officers in the Congo Basin region;
  • Performs other duties as requested by the Conservation Director.
  1. Profile:
 
Required qualifications
  • A Master or diploma in an appropriate field: human rights / law / conservation / environment;
  • A minimum of 5 years of experience in project/program management and multi-stakeholder management in the fields of rural development and/or conservation for international development organizations;
  • A track record of having worked directly with local communities in development, environmental or education projects
  • Experience in Central Africa is strongly desired;
 
Required skills and competencies
  • Knowledge of human rights, indigenous people’s rights, grievance mechanisms and social safeguards;
  • Good understanding of legal and policy requirements related to human rights, resource access, land rights, forest rights and wildlife protection;
  • Knowledge of challenges evolving at the nexus of conservation and natural resource use
  • Knowledge in rural development;
  • Experience in the preparation and implementation of work plans;
  • Good guidance and negotiation skills at all levels;
  • Good knowledge of Ms Office suite;  
  • Excellent skills in oral and written communication in French and English;
  • Demonstrating WWF behaviors: Strive for impact, listen deeply, collaborate openly and innovate fearlessly.
  • Sharing WWF values: Courage, Respect, Integrity and Collaboration.
 
  1. Working Relationships:
 
1. Internal: Conservation Director, Programme/project Managers within WWF DRC. Maintain a working relationship with Congo Basin ESSF team and the Regional Head of E&S Safeguards Central and West Africa.
 
2. External: Maintain a working relationship with local communities and stakeholders. Interact frequently with communities, government departments and other agencies, conservation officials in the country, development agencies, NGOs, INGOs and donors and other staff within WWF Network.
 
How to apply: Interested candidates should email a cover letter (with at least 3 references) and curriculum vitae to: [email protected] , with the mention: - ESS Coordinator by November, 03 2021.
 
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted
“WWF is an equal opportunity employer and committed to having a diverse workforce”. Female candidates are strongly encouraged.

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