Specialist, Resettlement – 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), 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.
MARKET-DRIVEN IRRIGATED HORTICULTURE (MDIH) PROJECT
The MDIH Project objective is to increase rural incomes related to commercial agriculture, including for women, youth, and the rural poor, and establish a sustainable and inclusive model of irrigation, water resource, and land management. The project provides extensive technical assistance and investments in institutional reforms and capacity building of both the GOL and beneficiaries of the project’s investment in irrigation infrastructure to develop a successful and sustainable horticulture industry. The budget for this project is $118 million.
Objective of this position
The Resettlement Specialist, reporting to the ESP Director, Program Management Office of the Millennium Challenge Account-Lesotho II (MCA-Lesotho II) provides substantive expertise to the ESP Team and MCA-Lesotho II Project Directors, implementing partners and project stakeholders to conform with MCA-Lesotho II/MCC frameworks for land acquisition, resettlement and livelihood development across all projects and ensures the integrity of MCC environmental Guidelines, IFC Performance Standards and Lesotho legislation across all program functions are met.
Primary responsibilities
- Oversee the preparation and implementation of the Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) and Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) and manage the monitoring and evaluation of project-specific RAPs.
- Collaborate and coordinate with MCA-Lesotho II Project Directors and Managers, Environmental and Social Oversight Consultant (ESOC), RAP developers, RAP implementers, Land & Gender Consultant, Horticulture, Training, Gender and Social Development Consultant, irrigation design consultants, construction companies, construction supervision engineers, implementing entities, relevant local, regional and national authorities and other relevant entities to ensure compliance of the Compact with MCC Environmental Guidelines, IFC Performance Standards and Lesotho legislation.
- Support Project Team and Contract Management Specialist to develop and implement contract management strategies, policies, and procedures to facilitate smooth contract administration.
- As the organizational structure dictates, serve as contract manager effectively and efficiently tracking workplans, deliverables, expiration of contract, 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.
- Ensure that RAPs are prepared in a way that:
- Demonstrate the measures taken to reduce involuntary resettlement in line with the objectives of IFC Performance Standard (PS) 5;
- Demonstrate the completeness of the documents in response to the requirements of IFC PS 5;
- Highlight a complaints procedure consistent with the MCA-Lesotho II stakeholder input mechanism included in the MCA Lesotho II Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS);
- Address the restoration of livelihoods and vulnerable people affected by the project;
- Ensure that designs and bid contracts incorporate relocation, compensation, and livelihood restoration issues and provide appropriate access to site information through regular collaboration with MCA-Lesotho II Project Directors and consultants.
- Coordinate with competent authorities to plan and obtain RAP approvals from all designated authorities.
- Oversee the implementation of the RAPs and ensure that implementation modalities and operations are consistent with the approved project-specific RAPs.
- Collaborate with the Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) Director to ensure that gender and social vulnerability issues are integrated into the development and implementation of RAPs, and ensure that all GSI-related provisions in the RAP consultants’ scopes of work are well-implemented.
- Work closely with all sector directors responsible for the implementation of projects that may involve resettlement issues.
- Contribute to the stakeholder engagement plan and coordinate with those responsible to ensure that the impacts and rights of those affected by resettlement are taken into account.
- Coordinate with the Director of Finance, Fiduciary Agent or equivalent function during the development and implementation of the RAP to determine and agree on payment methods for cash compensation, documentation necessary for the approval of compensation payments, preparation of payment lists and all related activities.
- Coordinate as required with the Procurement Director and Contracting Officer as well as with all relevant Government entities, construction contractors, construction supervision engineers or separate contractors or consultants.
- Ensure the integrity of the database associated with the development and implementation of RAPs and manage their consolidation into a Compact database in coordination with the ESP and GIS specialists.
- Develop a Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC) program and monitoring systems to monitor the progress of resettlement and displacement and assist in the preparation of progress reports to MCC and the Government using contributions provided by relevant project implementers.
- Develop and implement procedures to manage and supervise new resettlement cases that may occur during construction.
- Develop procedures and tenders for any specialized resettlement-related studies that may become necessary, such as the restoration of livelihoods, vulnerable persons or the acquisition of land that may result in expropriation.
- Coordinate with the ESP Director to manage the ESOC to conduct frequent visits and inspections in areas where resettlement takes place and participate in meetings (according to schedule) with all relevant consultants and contractors; and
- Perform other relocation-related duties and responsibilities as required.
Required Competencies
Minimum Requirements:
- Minimum of eight (8) years or more of professional experience in a relevant sector in sub-Saharan Africa, which must include at least five (5) years of experience in the field of resettlement and three (3) years of experience with IFC, World Bank or other donor resettlement policies and standards.
- Proven knowledge of Lesotho’s land and real estate and environmental and social assessment legislation.
- Experience in managing the development and/or implementation of resettlement action plans in accordance with World Bank OP 4.12, IFC PS 5 or other resettlement procedures of multilateral or bilateral donors.
- Experience in conducting public consultations and stakeholder engagement processes for resettlement activities.
- Experience working in the field and on sites, e.g. including field visits and interacting with different stakeholders.
- Demonstrated experience developing and implementing livelihood restoration programs.
- Demonstrated understanding and experience working with gender and social exclusion issues in the context of resettlement and land issues.
- Demonstrated professionalism, good judgment and flexibility to work as required outside of normal working hours to meet the deadlines and needs of the position.
- Ability to work with multidisciplinary teams and institutions.
- Technical contract or grant management experience preferred.
- Demonstrated work experience in Southern Africa (previous work experience in Lesotho is preferred)
- Proficiency in English (including excellent written and verbal communication skills) is required. Proficiency in Sesotho (writing and speaking) is preferred.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Must be able to effectively use Google and MS Office applications and learn any specific applications related to work.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted on-line, on or before the application deadline 29 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 come in before or on the application 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