Director, Environment and Social Performance – Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Lesotho II
About MCA
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. government corporation focused on assisting countries dedicated to good governance, economic freedom, and investing in people. In May 2022, MCC signed a five-year agreement (“compact”) with the government of Lesotho (GoL) aimed at poverty reduction through inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the country.
The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA- Lesotho II), is an entity established by the Government to act as the accountable entity to implement the Compact, with the authority to bind the Government with regard to all Program activities.
Lesotho Compact
The Lesotho Health and Horticulture Compact aims to benefit 2.5 million people by growing, strengthening, and organizing the private sector in Lesotho and improving the government’s coordination to deliver critical services necessary to support private sector development.
It will achieve this goal through investments in Health System Strengthening, strengthening of the business environment and Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture, providing sustainable income for smallholders and increasing climate resilience by replacing rain-fed subsistence farming with irrigated commercial horticulture in select locations.
The GoL is committed to passing several key reforms that will help make this compact successful, including reforms that address gender equality, working conditions and worker safety, as well as land and water rights. All of the compact’s projects focus on overcoming barriers to the economic inclusion of women, youth, and the rural poor.
Objective of this position
The Environmental Social Performance (ESP) Director, reporting to the Deputy CEO, Program Management Office of the Millennium Challenge Account-Lesotho (MCA-Lesotho) provides substantive expertise to the MCA-Lesotho II Project Directors, implementing partners and project stakeholders to conform with MCA-Lesotho II /MCC frameworks for environmental and social performance of all Compact-funded activities. The ESP Director will ensure compliance of program activities with relevant national environmental and social laws and regulations, MCC environmental guidelines and International Finance Corporation (IFC) performance standards for environmental and social sustainability. The ESP Director will provide substantive representation, and support MCA-Lesotho II leadership, to effectively engage relevant government ministries and bodies, international donors and their implementing partners in areas that impact the short and long terms success of the Compact.
Primary responsibilities
- Determine strategy and work plan for ensuring Environmental, Social, Resettlement, and Health and Safety performance considerations are effectively integrated in accordance with MCC policies and procedures across all stages of program development and implementation.
- Oversee the development and/or review of Environmental and Social Performance (ESP) documents, including but not limited to the Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), Environmental and Social Impact Assessments and Management Plans (ESIAs/ESMPs), Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs), Stakeholder Engagement Plans (SEPs), Health and Safety Management Plans (HSMPs), etc., and ensure the dissemination, implementation and compliance with these tools to improve the environmental and social performance of Compact activities.
- Lead the ESP team through staff recruitment, training, development, and performance management to ensure an ability to achieve project objectives.
- Oversee the work of the Environmental and Social Oversight Consultant (ESOC) to ensure adequate oversight of the implementation of all ESP-related activities funded by the Compact.
- Work with the Contract Management Specialist to develop structure and processes for efficient and effective contract management.
- Serve as an effective contract manager or provide oversight of contract management processes, including tracking work plans, deliverables, expiration of contracts, financials, identifying ways to work effectively to resolve risks or issues, responding to contract questions, providing technical feedback where relevant, facilitating coordination with other contractors or MCA-Lesotho II staff, and providing reports to senior management as required.
- Develop and manage constructive, collaborative working relationships or partnerships with key stakeholders and donors, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Environment, and other national and subnational government agencies, implementers such as GIZ; liaise with civil society, the private sector, and project-affected populations and MCC.
- Advise Project Managers and specialists on project-specific ESP/ health and safety (H&S) issues, approaches, and overall ESP/H&S strategy, ensuring coherence, coordination, and alignment of ESP/H&S approaches across projects towards a common standard for the whole of MCA-Lesotho II.
- Oversee compilation of program data on ESP/H&S related to compact implementation, ensuring up-to-date information on program metrics such as environmental, social, and health and safety performance.
- Coordinate closely with the Gender and Social Inclusion Director to ensure that gender analyses are fully integrated into social mitigation activities and that gender issues are mainstreamed into all activities and contracts in accordance with MCC Gender Policy.
- Establish and implement a quality control framework to monitor and strategically manage the environmental and social performance of each Project Manager and their projects, including addressing any milestones, gaps, or challenges.
- Monitor for non-conformances in ESP/H&S performance to ensure remedial measures and corrective actions are being identified and implemented on time. Support implementation of corrective actions when requested.
- Conduct site visits to project locations to ensure compliance and implementation of environmental, social, and health and safety standards.
Requirements
- University degree in natural or social sciences, environmental planning, engineering, or a similar discipline.
- A minimum of ten (10) years of professional experience in the Environmental and Social Performance (ESP) sector and in environmental and social impact assessment, and in leading efforts to integrate environmental and social considerations into the design and implementation of infrastructure or similar projects.
- In-depth knowledge and demonstrable experience in the application of:
- International best practices in environmental planning, including the International Finance Corporation’s environmental and social performance standards; the World Bank’s operational policies; or other environmental and social safeguard procedures of multilateral or bilateral donors.
- Lesotho’s environmental laws and regulations, in particular, those relating to the water, irrigation sector, public health and safety, consultation, land acquisition and involuntary resettlement.
- Proven experience in managing contracts as they relate to environmental and social performance aspects of large infrastructure projects, including monitoring working hours, budgets, quality control, and compliance with contractual terms of reference.
- Dynamic and experienced leader with proven experience in effective team management, ethical and results-oriented leadership with regards to all aspects of project delivery.
- Ability to support, motivate, and build trust with teams, including coaching and development opportunities to maximize production, quality of work, and achieve goals.
- Ability to work with multi-disciplinary teams and to represent environmental and social issues while making decisions across sectors and disciplines.
- Technical contract or grant management experience preferred.
- Proficiency in English (writing and speaking) is required.
- Proficiency in Sesotho (writing and speaking) is preferred
How to apply
Complete applications must be submitted on-line, on or before 8th September 2023.
Applications should be accompanied by the following documents:
- Curriculum vitae containing detailed work experience;
- Cover letter confirming interest and availability;
- Soft copies of higher education and professional certificates (if available);
Only applications that are submitted on or before the deadline will be considered.
We thank all applicants. However, note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Submit your application online via: https://lesotho-jobs.tenderwell.app. Hard copy applications will not be considered.