Job Description
The GCAP, financed by the World Bank and USAID, is Ghana's flagship agricultural project.The project is currently being restructured including the following revised Project Development Objective:
To improve agricultural productivity of both smallholder and nucleus farms in selected project intervention areas through increased access to reliable water, land, finance, agricultural inputs, and output markets.
The restructured GCAP will consist of the following seven components:
(i) Strengthening investment promotion infrastructure and facilitating secure access to land;
(ii) Securing PPPs and smallholder linkages in the Accra Plains; (Hi) Securing PPPs and small-holder linkages in the SADA Zone;
(iv) Project Management including M&E and impact analysis;
(v) Investments in physical rehabilitation and modernization of existing public irrigation and drainage infrastructure;
(vi) Support to the restructuring of irrigation and drainage institutions of the Government of Ghana; and
(vii) Support for the development of Water Users' Associations and new scheme management institutions.
Organizational Reporting: Reports to the Operations Manager, GCAP.
GCAP is looking for a dynamic and energetic Environmental Safeguards Specialists (located in Tamale) with knowledge and hands-on experience in the use of environmental assessment, environmental impact analysis, and application of environmental safeguards for ensuring the adequate incorporation of environmental considerations in all GCAP activities
General:
The Environmental Safeguards Specfalists (ESS) will be responsible to ensure that environmpntal safeguards screening is taking place as per agreed environmental and social management framework (ESMF) and in full compliance with World Bank environmental safeguards policies and the Government of Ghana's Environmental Protection Agency regulations and procedures. The ESS will provide recommendations, advice and guidance on measures to enhance the effectiveness of project implementation and achievement of the project development objectives through appropriately addressing the social and environmental issues of the project. The ESS will report to the Project Coordinator.
Specific:
Specific responsibilities would include but not limited to;
- Preparing internal environmental and social guidelines for the preparation, and social documents implementation, monitoring and reporting of environmental 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 provide qualityoversight to ensure speedy clearance by designated institutions like the World Bank and the EPA.
- Facilitate consultations and in-country disclosure of ESIAs/ESMPs and RAPs/ARAPs.
- Work with GCAP team to ensure that environmental screening is carried out in a timely manner and ensure that follow up action is undertaken.
- Ensure that environmental safeguards issues are incorporated into bid and specificationdocuments for all sub project documents.
- Coordinate with other members of the PIU in monitoring of contractors and works fo ensure environmental safeguards compliance.
- Provide 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 etc. to affected persons.
- Contribute to project progress reports pertaining to overall implementation of environmental and social requirements of the project.
- Coordinate and facilitate the work of consultants engaged to carry out environmental and social impact assessments and monitoring of environmental safeguards instruments implementation.
- Organize technical aspects of workshops and meetings as required as outlined in section on training and capacity building in the ESMF/RPF
- Prepare training materials, and conduct technical training workshops to the PIU Government staff and project implementation agencies on environmental safeguard requirements.
- Undertake held visits to ascertain if the grievance redress mechanism established for the project is functioning appropriately and the individual projects are implemented in an environmentally sustainable manner.
- Collate appropriate performance and monitoring indicators as input into the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework of the project
- Prepare quarterly/annual Environment Monitoring and Evaluation reports
- Establish close relationship and liase on a regular basis with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and WB safeguards team,
- Perform regular sub-project inspections and monitoring, and provide technical advice to other members of the PIU.
- Perform any other environmental safeguards duties assigned by the Operations Manager or Project Coordinator.