Environmental and Social Performance Specialist – 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 (HSS), strengthening of the business environment and Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture (MDIH), 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.
Position Objective
The Environmental and Social Performance (ESP) Specialist will have principal responsibility for providing technical support and strategic guidance to staff and partners on all issues related to ESP and the IFC performance standards, and Lesotho environmental and occupational health and safety laws, including related legal and policy requirements. The ESP Specialist will be responsible for project planning and management, including contract management; assuring the technical quality of design and implementation; working with other MCA-Lesotho staff, pertinent government agencies responsible for implementation, and other partners to address implementation challenges and opportunities; and coordinating with external stakeholders. The ESP Specialist will also assist in monitoring and evaluating, programmatic oversight, and reporting. The ESP Specialist will report to the ESP Director.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical advice and counsel during Compact projects design and implementation on environmental, social (including climate change), health and safety issues related to the design of potential Compact-funded projects and activities to ensure compliance with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards and Lesotho’s environmental requirements as well as MCA-Lesotho II Policies.
- Oversee the monitoring of Compact projects and activity consultants and contractor progress to ensure consistency and coherency across interventions as well as compliance with GOL, MCA-Lesotho, and MCC policy and guidelines related to environmental and social performance.
- Drive the development, updating, implementation, monitoring and review of the Compact-wide Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS) including associated instruments to ensure continuous improvement of MCA-Lesotho II’s environmental, social, health and safety performance.
- Support the ESP Director in overseeing and managing the work of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Consultant and Environmental and Social Oversight Consultant, in particular the support for preparation of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), ESMS, Health and Safety Plans, Stakeholder Engagement Framework and Plans, and other overarching Compact tasks.
- Participate in the management of all ESP components of the Compact projects, including timelines, budgets, reporting, facilitation of payments and other related projects management tasks.
- Contribute to the design and implementation of Compact projects and activities, including the development and tracking of monitoring indicators as well as any evaluation activities.
- Coordinate, collaborate and partner closely with other MCA-Lesotho staff and pertinent stakeholders, government counterparts, local authorities, non-governmental organization involved in the Compact.
- Coordinate with the ESP Director, Project Directors, and Activity Managers to develop and manage relationships with partnering stakeholders to advance the Compact projects related to environmental and social performance objectives and activities.
- Work closely with the Compact staff to provide information and updates on relevant activity agendas and cross-cutting issues to relevant Specialists, Managers and Directors.
- Build ESP management capacity within the activity teams, contractors, consultants pertinent government counterparts and other key stakeholders, as needed.
- Produce required status updates, routine monitoring reports and timely communications to the ESP Director, highlighting key implementation issues and opportunities.
- Prepare communications materials that highlight the Compact projects and activities, successes, and lessons learned.
- Assist in the preparation of the progress reports for the MCA Management and the Boards, as well as MCC and the Government of Lesotho.
- Perform other tasks and responsibilities related to environmental, social, health and safety issues as requested by the Director ESP.
Qualifications and Experience
- An undergraduate degree in environmental science, agronomy, engineering, management or relevant discipline.
- A minimum six (6) years of progressively increasing technical responsibility designing and/or implementing water and/or irrigation sector programs.
- Experience designing and implementing community-based approaches.
Skills and Competencies
- Ability to provide technical direction to projects, ensure high quality outputs, set realistic priorities, and guide successful implementation of irrigation project activities.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate in a collaborative and respectful manner cross-culturally, using verbal (in-person and virtual) and written form.
- Knowledge of and experience with Federation Internationale des Ingenieurs-Conseil/International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Conditions of Contract is desirable.
- Proficiency in English and Sesotho (writing and speaking) is desirable.
- Proficiency in use of Microsoft Office is required.
- Ability to travel throughout Lesotho.
- Must have Code B driver’s license or equivalent.
How to apply
Complete applications must be submitted online, on or before Friday March 29th, 2024.
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);
- A completed online application form (can be accessed from https://lesotho-jobs.tenderwell.app – CV Template MCA Lesotho II)
Only applications that are submitted on or before the deadline will be considered.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Submit your application online via: https://lesotho-jobs.tenderwell.app – Hard copy applications will not be considered.