Chief Social Safeguards Officer at African Development Bank (AfDB)

THE COMPLEX:

The Senior Vice-Presidency (SNVP) is responsible for supporting the President in the day-to-day management of the Bank Group to achieve its strategic objective and drive performance culture that will align all processes and systems to deliver high impact results. The SNVP provides effective leadership and exceptional coordination to ensure implementation and monitoring of key corporate decisions as well as the identification of necessary corrective measures and actions. The SNVP leads senior management discussions, decision-making processes and the implementation of key Board and Management decisions.

THE HIRING DEPARTMENT:

Located within the SNVP Complex, the Environmental and Social Safeguards and Compliance Department is responsible for mainstreaming environmental and social development considerations into Bank financed operations in the public and private sectors through the implementation of the Integrated Safeguard System (ISS). The Department will provide cross-sector E&S operational support to all operations in the regions in conducting the necessary E&S due diligence and implementation support across all stages of the project development cycle. The Department will also design and/or provide capacity-building support to ensure that not all of the Bank’s projects and programs are only compliant with the ISS but also enhance opportunities for the sustainability of Environment and Social development outcomes.

THE POSITION:

The Chief Social Safeguards Officer will work under the general supervision and guidance of the Safeguards and Compliance Director.

Duties and responsibilities

• Mainstreaming of social aspects in operations, including safeguards, gender and social inclusion. As task team member, he/she will provide support to Task Managers and
• Borrowers/Clients in identifying, mainstreaming and monitoring social development and safeguard aspects/concerns in Bank operations during the identification, preparation, appraisal, implementation, and completion stages (throughout project lifecycle) through the following:
• Assess the social risk associated to Bank-funded operations and prepare/contribute to the categorization memorandum;
• Assess and/or ameliorate the nature of the social analyses and socio-economic studies, prepared by Borrowers/Clients, to capture all relevant social development and safeguards concerns;
• Analyse and mainstream relevant and cross-cutting social issues into Bank-funded operations, particularly issues related to gender, social vulnerability, stakeholder engagement and the social implications of climate change;
• Document and recommend lessons learnt on social sustainability to integrate in the design and implementation modalities of new operations to enhance social benefits;
• Assist Borrowers/Clients for the finalization of the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the preparation of Environmental and Social Assessment (ESA) documentation (SESA, ESIA, ESMP, ESMF, ESMS, RAP, ES Audit, Hazard and Risk Assessment, etc.) to ensure compliance with the ISS.
• Review the ESA documentation submitted by the Borrowers/Clients as of the ISS and other Bank policies’ requirements;
• Draft the inputs for the technical sections on social impacts in Project Concept Notes (PCNs), Project Appraisal Reports (PARs), Project Completion Reports (PCRs) and any other project related report as required.
• Draft and/or ameliorate reporting templates for use in implementing and monitoring social aspects and components of projects and programs and prepare, where applicable, action plans to bring projects and programs in compliance with Bank’s environmental and social requirements.
• Liaise with co-financiers to ensure consistency in the mainstreaming of social safeguard concerns.
• Policy and Compliance with Social Requirements:
  • Participate in the formulation, review and/or revision of the Bank environmental and social safeguard policies, procedures and guidelines.
  • Provide policy guidance to Bank teams on social safeguard issues to enhance their awareness and the capacity of the projects and programmes to comply with the ISS.
• Capacity Building and Knowledge Management:
  • Contribute to the development and implementation of capacity building and training programs for staff within the Bank and in RMCs.
  • Participate in, contribute and represent the Bank in internal and external trainings and conferences on social safeguards and social development issues as well as other activities for advocacy, dissemination and knowledge building.
  • Develop and/or contribute to the development of innovative knowledge products on social sustainability, social safeguards and/or the E&S performance of Bank financed projects and programmes.
  • Undertake any other task as the Director of the Environment and Social Safeguards Department and/or the Regional Director General.

Selection Criteria

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• Hold at least Master’s degree in social sciences (sociology, anthropology, geography, law, economy) or related discipline.
• A minimum of seven (07) years of relevant professional experience in social development and safeguards, including the preparation and implementation of social safeguards risk management instruments, social assessment, community driven operations, land management etc. Experience with international organizations or Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) is an advantage.
• Demonstrable knowledge and practice of the operational safeguards policies, procedures and practices of major bilateral and multilateral partner development agencies in regional member countries, particularly with respect to infrastructure projects.
• Analytical Tools for Environmental Sustainability – Extensive experience conducting environmental assessments and development of effective tools; ability to coach others in the application of the tools.
• Mainstreaming Skills – demonstrated skills in mainstreaming environmental and social, as well climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in lending and non-lending operations.
• Achieving results and problem solving – (e.g. consistently seeks more effective and practical ways for the Departmental delivery of services, products, and processes, Proposes new ways to improve the quality and relevance of products and services).
• Strong inter-personal skill and ability to deal with sensitive issues in a multi-cultural environment and to build effective working relations with colleagues
• Communicate and write effectively in English and/or French.
• It would be desirable to have a working knowledge of the other language, or even communicate and write effectively both in French and English.
• Competence in the use of standard software applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, etc.)