Afghanistan: Environmental Specialist (Local Recruitment)

May 16, 2020 | World Bank
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The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

The Environment and Natural Resources and Blue Economy Global Practice (ENB GP): Sustainable environment and natural resources (ENR) management, including support to the blue economy, is at the heart of the World Bank Group (WBG) poverty agenda. Natural resources and biodiversity often constitute the social safety net of the poor, representing a food bank and often their only source of livelihood. The world Bank promotes green, clean, and resilient development where natural resources–from forests to fisheries, freshwater, oceans, coastal zones and ecosystems–are managed to support livelihoods, strong economies, and a world better prepared for shocks and global challenges. The ENB GP has been established to deliver on the opportunities, benefits and outcomes offered by enhanced management of the environment and natural resources. One specific ENB GP responsibility is to support effective environmental risk management, and to ensure good environmental management across the Bank’s work in part through the implementation of the Bank’s environmental policies and its Environmental and Social Framework (ESF).

The ENB GP team is also leading analytical work, policy dialogue, and lending operations in a range of areas such as pollution and waste management, air quality improvement, integrated coastal zone management, forest and fisheries management.

The ENB GP’s unit in South Asia is looking to further enhance its field-based capacity of environmental specialist in the Kabul Office to support the growing environmental work on ongoing and new operations and activities of the Kabul program by recruiting a dynamic local Extended Term Consultant (ETC) based in Kabul with scope for further career evolution, reporting directly to the ENB GP Practice Manager and working as part of the World Bank Afghanistan Country Unit. 

Duties and Accountabilities:

This is for a locally recruited ETC position to work in the following areas:

• Provide technical support for the screening of Bank projects for environmental risks (especially for projects with moderate, substantial and high-risk ratings), impacts, and vulnerabilities and identify risk management opportunities/strategies, including in Occupational and Community Health and Safety and climate change adaptation and mitigation in Bank operations. Understanding and familiarity with existing WBG instruments and procedures is a plus.
• In accordance with the Bank’s ESF, contribute to the determination of the appropriate E&S risk classification of projects (including projects involving financial intermediaries) taking into account all relevant information such as the type, location, sensitivity and scale of the project, the nature and magnitude of the potential E&S impacts, the capacity and commitment of the Borrower (and any other entities responsible for project implementation) to manage risks and impacts in a manner consistent with the ESSs.  In determining and managing E&S risk, use the ESSs, related guidance and good practice notes, as well as internationally accepted good industry practice for informed decision making.
• Work in Bank operations to ensure that environmental issues are properly addressed through project-specific environmental analyses and systemwide capacity building; which may include issues related to environmental and social impact assessments; community health and safety; workplace safety; resources efficiency including water and energy efficiency; prevention of pollution; management chemicals and wastes including hazardous wastes; ecosystem services; biodiversity and forest resources, cultural properties and stakeholders engagement on all project-specific relevant environmental issues.
• Monitor compliance of all project-financed activities, including those relating to associated facilities with the ESSs and the Bank’s Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines, as well as GIIP (Good International Industry Practice).
• Use the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) as a key tool to work with borrowers / recipients to effectively assess environmental and social risks, evaluate all relevant information, and recommend solutions to comply with the Bank’s ESF.
• For projects being supported by the Bank’s ESF, using the ESCP as benchmarking tool, monitor compliance with the ESSs including on OHS guidelines, sector specific guidelines, other relevant policies, and contract specific conditions; flag issues of non-compliance to borrower and Bank management and advise and support the borrower in developing and implementing remedies.
• Contribute to developing and supervising ENB projects and in policy dialogue in the country.
• Contribute to analyzing and disseminating lessons learned and best practices from specific Bank projects for research, knowledge and learning purposes.
• Provide guidance on open and transparent engagement (through consultations, information disclosure and grievance redress mechanism) with relevant project stakeholders throughout the project cycle.
• Contribute to developing methodologies and training materials for task teams and borrowers / recipients on the calculation of gross GHG emissions (as required by ESS3); participate in knowledge sharing, capacity building and training activities to improve systematic GHG accounting in WBG financed projects.
• Contribute to the further development of ESS related guidance and technical support materials, such as guidelines, knowledge materials as applicable.
• Collaborate with World Bank GPs and IFC/MIGA colleagues on joint projects as well as other colleagues from multilateral development institutions when supporting same projects, understanding and implementing a common approach.

Selection Criteria

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in environmental science, natural resources management, environmental or civil engineering, or other relevant disciplines (e.g. applied natural sciences).
• 5+ years of proven, relevant experience (work or applied scientific research) as environmental assessment and management professional.
• Strong analytical skills, ability to think strategically, analyze and synthesize diverse qualitative and quantitative environmentally-related data and information.
• Ability to follow up multiple work-streams simultaneously.
• International experience is an advantage; experience in developing countries / emerging economies is a strong advantage. Ability and willingness to travel frequently, including to developing countries and possibly remote, fragile and conflict affected areas, is required.
• Familiarity with World Bank’s safeguards policies, ESF and/or IFC’s Performance Standards /MIGA Environmental and Social policies or similar standards would be an advantage.
• Ability to work well with a range of stakeholders, including project-affected parties, government officials, non-governmental organizations / civil society, as well as project investors and their staff.
• Sound knowledge of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change GHG accounting methodologies, or similar standards, is an advantage.
• Ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, articulate issues and recommend solutions.
• Excellent verbal and written English language skills are essential; French or Spanish or Arabic language proficiency is highly desirable. Knowledge of other languages will be an advantage.
• Good team player who can work as a member of a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team, motivate and lead group efforts and network effectively across boundaries.

The five WBG Core Competencies for all staff

• Lead and Innovate - Develops innovative solutions.
• Deliver Results for Clients - Proactively addresses clients’ stated and unstated needs.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries - Collaborates across boundaries, gives own perspective and willingly receives diverse perspectives.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge - Applies knowledge across WBG to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients.
• Make Smart Decisions - Interprets a wide range of information and pushes to move forward.

Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable for an additional one year, at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET Appointment of two years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their second-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.