Programme Policy Officer (Environmental and Social Safeguards) SSA9 at World Food Programme (WFP)

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

The Programme Officer will undertake the following:

Risk Assessment, Screening and Decision Support

• Coordinate environmental and social screening of programme activities and subprojects, and developing the appropriate E&S safeguards instruments, based on risk categorization.
• Lead the delivery of the environmental and social baseline and risk assessment for all Programme activities.

Consolidated Safeguards Instruments and Site Management

Lead preparation, updating and quality assurance of the Programme safeguards instrument package. The package comprises:

• Site-specific instruments including Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), ESIAs where legally required, and biodiversity management plans.
• Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) and Indigenous Peoples Engagement Plan (IPEP).
• Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM), including adequate treatment of GBVH-related complaints.
• Labour Management Procedures and Occupational Health and Safety Plans.
• Community Health and Safety Measures.
• Contractor Management Plan.
• Emergency Preparedness and Response Procedures (EPRP).
• Economic Displacement Process Framework.
• Biodiversity Risk Assessment and Management Procedures.
• Define the Statements of Work, commission and manage qualified specialist support where required including appropriately qualified IFC PS5, PS 6 and PS7 specialists.
• Ensure safeguards instruments are fit for purpose, internally consistent, compliant with applicable standards and translated into practical site-level controls, contract requirements and supervision tools.

Monitoring, Reporting, Capacity and Coordination

• Directly supervise, mentor and performance-manage the Programme's field-level ESS focal points, ensuring consistent technical standards across hub counties.
• Develop and deliver ESS training and awareness sessions for WFP staff, cooperating partners, contractors, and local stakeholders, per the E&S Risk Management Training Plan, including continuous technical coaching and advisory support to field teams.
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits, jointly with ESS focal points, to assess safeguards compliance.
• Support incident reporting and follow-up on environmental and social non-compliance issues.
• Maintain safeguards compliance tracking systems and documentation, including ESAP deliverable tracking against agreed milestones, and prepare monthly and quarterly compliance monitoring reports and donor reporting inputs in support of WFP's fiduciary reporting obligations as Development Impact Provider.
• Track and report progress on key Programme E&S deliverables and milestones, flagging risks to timely delivery to the HQ ESS Expert and Programme management.
• Develop practical safeguards tools, checklists, SOPs, and guidance materials.

Stakeholder Engagement and Accountability

• Lead inclusive community consultations and stakeholder engagement processes, including Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes ensure vulnerable and marginalized groups; including women, youth, persons with disabilities, refugees, and indigenous communities are meaningfully included.
• Maintain the Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Indigenous Peoples’ Engagement Plan, including external communications, consultation records, disclosure, feedback and follow-up commitments.
• Ensure the Indigenous Peoples’ Engagement Plan is maintained, updated and implemented in accordance with the IFC -PS7 and UNDRIP requirements, drawing on the Officer’s demonstrated FPIC and Indigenous People’s engagement expertise.
• Strengthen grievance redress and community feedback mechanisms and support resolution of complaints, including those related to GBVH.

Coordination and Liaison

• Liaise directly with the supporting DFI on E&S due diligence queries, , and category/threshold confirmations
• Liaise with government authorities, including NEMA and the Water Resources Authority regulatory agencies, UN agencies, and implementing partners on E&S safeguards matters.
• Prepare technical reports, monitoring updates, compliance assessments, and donor reporting inputs in support of WFP's fiduciary reporting obligations as Development Impact Provider.
• Support audits, evaluations, and review missions.
• Track and report progress on key Programme E&S deliverables and milestones, flagging risks to timely delivery to the HQ ESS Expert and Programme management.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT.

The Officer will be expected to deliver:

• Environmental and social screening reports.
• Project-level E&S Baseline and Updated Risk Assessment.
• ESMPs (programme-wide and select site-specific), SEP, IPEP, Contractor Management Plan, EPRP, Economic Displacement Process Framework, and Biodiversity Risk Assessment and Management Procedures.
• E&S-inclusive Monitoring & Evaluation framework.
• Monthly and quarterly compliance monitoring reports.
• Field monitoring mission reports.
• Incident and corrective action tracking reports.
• ESS training materials, capacity-building reports, and evidence of ESS focal point supervision/performance management.
• Stakeholder engagement, FPIC and IPEP documentation.
• Grievance mechanism / complaints feedback mechanism tracking reports.
• Safeguards reporting inputs, including responses to E&S due diligence questionnaires
• Final assignment report with recommendations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education:

• Advanced university degree in environmental science, environmental management, natural resource management, anthropology, social sciences, development studies, public policy, or a closely related field; a first-level degree with additional relevant experience will also be considered.

Essential Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in environmental and social safeguards, with demonstrated application of IFC Performance Standards and/or the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework on infrastructure, agriculture, water, or natural resource management programmes.
• Demonstrated technical competence to independently provide technical oversight, quality assurance and review of SEPS and IPEPs to IFC PS7/UNDRIP, Economic Displacement and Resettlement/Livelihood Restoration Instruments to IFC PS5 and Biodiversity Risk Assessment and Management Procedures (IFC PS6); including the ability to identify gaps against the requirements of the respective Standards.
• Demonstrated experience leading or coordinating preparation of E&S safeguards instruments including, but not limited to ESMPs, ESIAs, SEP/IPEPs, Grievance Redress Mechanisms to IFC PS/DFC ESPP standards.
• Experience in an environmental & social safeguards and/or risk management specialist role, ideally with accountability to DFIs/relevant frameworks such as IFC Performance Standards.
• Direct prior experience engaging with a Development Finance Institution's (IFC, MIGA, World Bank, or bilateral DFI) E&S due diligence process.
• Experience assessing and mitigating GBVH/PSEA risk in line with IFC PS1/PS4 or UN system standards.Experience with Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes and Indigenous Peoples engagement, in line with IFC PS7 and UNDRIP.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience, including managing, mentoring and performance-managing field-based teams.
• Registration as an EIA Lead/Associate Expert with Kenya's National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is an added advantage 

Desirable Experience:

• Experience working in ASAL/drylands or humanitarian–development nexus contexts.
• Experience with debt conversion, debt-for-nature/food swaps, or other innovative development finance mechanisms.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong knowledge of environmental and social safeguard policies, risk management, and compliance procedures, including Kenya's Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act (EMCA), EIA Regulations, and Water Act 2016.
• Ability to prepare technical reports, mitigation plans, and monitoring tools to donor-facing standard. Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and training skills. Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and data/reporting tools. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams and to supervise a distributed field team. Excellent writing, conceptual and analytical skills, including the ability to present complex processes and issues clearly to a heterogeneous audience and in an actionable manner.