Job Description

Background:The Government of Ghana led by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), in collaboration with the World Bank and USAID is currently preparing the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP). The project is being approached in two phases, the Project Preparation phase for which advance funding has already been received and contracts for preparatory activities of the project either ongoing or in the procurement process; and the main project phase which has recently been negotiated and likely to be effective in the course of the year. This consultancy service covers activities in both phases.

The proposed project will improve the investment climate for agri-business and establish inclusive PPPs aimed at increasing on-farm productivity and value addition in selected value chains. The project will have four components: (i) strengthening investment promotion infrastructure and facilitating secure access to land; (ii) securing PPPs and small-holder linkages in the area under the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA); and (iv) Project Management and Monitoring & Evaluation.

The broad activities under each Component are confirmed as the following:

Component 1: Strengthening investment promotion infrastructure, facilitating secure access to land. This component will promote a secure investment climate that clarifies and strengthens the rights and obligations of investors, government and affected communities, and support an improved mechanism for facilitating access to land by reducing the search costs to potential investors through an expansion of a database of land suitable and available for investors and by building on nascent mechanisms for actively matching potential investors with suitable land owners.

Component 2: Securing Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and smallholder linkages in the Accra Plains. This component will involve the identification and realization of private investments in the agricultural value chain through irrigation-based PPPs in the Accra Plains. This component will support the first transaction of Ghana's PPP agenda (which extends beyond agriculture) and will draw on support to the MoFEP's PPP Unit. It will support all necessary tasks of 'taking the PPP to market' including the provision of any viability gap financing. It will also strengthen community benefit sharing farming arrangements as well as other improved arrangements to benefit sharing through corporate social responsibility and revenue management at the local level.

Component 3: Securing PPPs and smallholder linkages in the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) region. This component will involve the identification and realization of private investments in the agricultural value chain through PPPs. Investors could be local or international and strengthen community benefit sharing mechanisms by directly supporting smallholder linkages through out-grower schemes and contract farming arrangements as well as other improved arrangements for benefit sharing through corporate social responsibility and revenue management at the local level.

Component 4: Project Management and Monitoring & Evaluation. This component would finance the operational costs of project management including monitoring and evaluation activities. It would also include necessary training and capacity building for the staff.

Objectives of the Assignment:
This assignment is designed to support and advise the GCAP of MOFA and Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure that sub-projects under Components 2 and 3 are properly prepared and implemented in compliance with the World Bank's environmental and social safeguards policies and Environmental Protection Agency regulations and procedures. More specifically, the primary responsibility of the specialist will include:

• Providing oversight on the compliance of environmental and social safeguards policies in project preparation and implementation;
• To periodically review and assess the effectiveness of the activities implemented and their outcomes and impacts as well as compliance with national and international standards and environmental and social safeguards instruments, and
• Providing recommendations, advice and guidance to the MOFA/GCAP and MDAs on measures to enhance the effectiveness of the project implementation and achievement of the project development objectives through appropriately addressing the social and environmental issues of the project.

Scope of Services:The scope of the work for this assignment will primarily include, but not limited to, the following:

• Preparing internal environmental and social guidelines for the preparation, implementation, monitoring and reporting of environmental and social documents required by various safeguards instruments;
• Reviewing of ESIAs/ESMPs and other environmental and social safeguards documents prepared by consultants in collaboration with the EPA and GCAP team to ensure compliance with relevant safeguards policies of the government of Ghana and the World Bank;
• Ensure that all safeguards reports like ESIAs, EMPs are reviewed and cleared by appropriate institutions like the World Bank and the EPA;
• Facilitating the consultations and disclosure of ESIAs/ESMPs and RAPs/ARAPs in-country;
• Work with GCAP and the MOFA entities responsible for safeguards to ensure that environmental and social safeguard issues are incorporated into bid and specification documents for all sub project type;
• Coordination with GCAP team in monitoring of the contractors and works
• Providing  recommendations to GCAP/MOFA and MDAs accordingly and make necessary changes prior to submission of relevant safeguard instruments to the World Bank - ensure consistency in the level of proficiency and presentation of the documentation;
• Supporting GCAP/MOFA and MDAs in the review of documentation pertaining to environmental and social compliance (including bidding documents, reviews on-site, reports from contractors etc) during project implementation;
• Conducting audits in matters pertaining to timely payments, provision of temporary measures to affected persons;
• Contribute to project progress reports pertaining to overall implementation of environmental and social requirements of the project;
• Coordinating and facilitating the work of consultant's engaged to carry out environmental and social impact assessments and resettlement planning and monitoring of safeguards instruments implementation;
• Organising the technical aspects of workshops and meetings as required, as outlined in the ESMF/RPF training and capacity building section;
• Preparing training materials, and conducting technical training workshops to GCAP/MOFA and MDA staff and project implementation agencies on environmental and social safeguards requirements;
• Undertaking field visits to ascertain if the grievance redress mechanisms established for the project are functioning appropriately and the individual projects are implemented in an environmentally and social sustainable manner;
• Collation of appropriate performance and monitoring indicators to input into the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework of the project;
• Quarterly/Annual Environment and Social Monitoring and Evaluation reports
• He/she shall be the main contact person with overall responsibility for action and reporting on Safeguards for the project and liaise with the WB safeguards team;
• Sub-project inspections, monitoring and giving technical advice to GCAP team and; Perform any other environmental safeguards duty assigned by the PMU.

Performance Criteria:The Safeguards Specialist will operate at GCAP within MOFA in Accra.

The Safeguards Specialist will report to the Project Coordinator GCAP and will support and to ensure the Safeguards requirements GCAP are developed and implemented efficiently and effectively. Annual work plans will be prepared and approved by the Steering Committee and quarterly progess reports on assignment outputs as well as an end-of assignment report that is to be signed off by the Project Coordinator.

The Safeguards Specialist will work closely with relevant MDAs providing advice and guidance to PIU on Safeguard requirements/options relating to the different activities of the projects. The Safeguard Specialist will also coordinate with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and establish close and cooperative working relationships with the World Bank Safeguards team based in the Ghana Country Office in Accra. This will facilitate regular and ongoing notification of any changes in Safeguard procedures and, by permitting upstream advice from the Bank team, the preparation of quality safeguard documentation and correspondence to minimize Bank clearance times.

Common Considerations:

• Remuneration: Competitive Salary
• Terms of Payment: Payments will be made in equal end-of-month payments of agreed amount subject to completion of core reporting responsibilities as laid out in the Assignment Work plan
• Location: Accra (but with country-wide scope)
• Duration: Two (2) years (renewable yearly based on satisfactory performance)

Required Skills or Experience

• Master Degree in Environmental Assessment/Management, Environmental/Civil Engineering, Economics, Social Sciences or other relevant field;
• At least 10 years of work experience in the preparation of ESIAs/ESMF and RPF/RAP and/or instruments for donor funded projects;
• Preparation of environmental and social impact assessment reports, resettlement action plans, management plans, and monitoring;
• Proven experience in formulating, assessing, and reviewing environmental and social safeguards compliance documents;
• Knowledge of institutional, environmental and social issues in Ghana and Ghanaian national and regional legislations related to environment, land tenure, labour adjustment issues and other relevant acts;
• Knowledge of Ghanaian national and regional legislations related to environment, & social issues in Agriculture and water sectors
• Experience in carrying out stakeholder consultations and organizing environmental and social safeguards training workshops/seminars will be considerable asset;
• Familiarity with Ghana EPA's regulations and procedures and World Bank Safeguards Policies;
• Working relationship with the Ghana EPA will be an advantage;
• Proven track record in working effectively with multidisciplinary teams;
• Evidence of being able to work effectively in high-pressure environment and to tight delivery deadlines;
• Literacy in geographical System (GIS) is recommended;
• Candidate must be computer literate and should have good verbal and written English language skills