Request for Expressions of interest(REOI), Social and Environment Safeguards specialist

COUNTRY:                 Federal Republic of Somalia (FGS)

NAME OF PROJECT:  Somalia Recurrent Cost & Reform Financing Project (RCRFP) – Phase III

PROJECT ID:               P173731                       Grant No.:        TF-A0534

Assignment Title:          Social and Environment Safeguards specialist

Reference No.:              SO-MOF-PL-403162-CS-INDV

Place of assignment:       Puntland State of Somalia

1. Background  

The Project Development Objective is to support the Federal Government of Somalia and Eligible Federal Member States to strengthen resource management systems, the inter-governmental fiscal framework, and service delivery systems in health and education

RCRF 1 focused on Banadir, Galmudug and Puntland States. RCRF 2 expanded to the rest of Somalia, and is planning to currently funding 3,000 female health workers and 3,380 teachers as well as supporting training and supervision. RCRF 3 will expand the number of health workers in all States and in education will transition from direct teacher payroll financing to performance-based grants to schools, which is likely to increase the number of teachers covered. The project will also continue to fund other civil service cadres in a range of sectors including Ministry of Defence as well as Judiciary, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development in both FGS and some States.   RCRF 2 will run concurrently with RCRF 3, although will continue to work under OPs, while RCRF 3 is under the World Bank’s new Environmental and social framework, however where the government agrees, RCRF 2 will also adopt the RCRF 3 safeguards requirements to avoid confusion. An assessment of safeguards implementation under phase 1 and 2 will be carried out as part of the ESMF development

RCRF 3 would also seek to provide support to set up Citizen Engagement and Feedback Platform. This support will build on the pilot Citizen Engagement platform within the Ministry of Finance to develop a government wide platform and integrating other line ministries such as health and education, as well as potentially engaging FMS. The citizen engagement platform will start in pilot and gradually expand. The project will seek to integrate project stakeholder engagement and GRM into this wider platform, where possible.

The project is run out of the Ministry of Finance which will provide strategic direction with respect to policy and financing and will pay dedicated staff to cover project coordination and management, administration, M&E, FM, procurement, social and environmental safeguards and communications. It will be implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Education who will have dedicated social and environmental specialists funded under other World Bank Projects with E&S focal persons within participating FMS.

To support E&S capacity a senior social safeguards specialist and a GBV specialist will be recruited under RCRF 3 for FGS and social specialists identified in each FMS PIU.  There will be close coordination with the Ministries of Health, Education who will also have social and environmental safeguards specialists at FGS level and focal points at FMS level

2. Scope of Work and Responsibilities:

The Social Safeguards Specialist will be the main focal point for social risk management for RCRF at FMS level and will provide technical expertise and capacity building support to social focal points in the FMS Ministries of education and Health for the RCRF project.  They will work with technical guidance from the FGS senior social specialist in the FGS PIU.

The Social Safeguards Specialist will oversee the implementation of the Environmental and Social Management Framework, a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Labour Management Procedures. They will build the capacity on social risk management of others in the PIU at FMS level as well in the health and education PIUs involved in implementing the RCRF project and promote coherence in the implementation of social risk management across World Bank projects.  They will collaborate and promote coordinated approaches and efficient working with other Ministries and non state actors. The Social Safeguards Specialist will be responsible for ensuring inclusive and genuine stakeholder engagement and a functional and accessible grievance redress mechanism that is accessible to all communities and stakeholders and lead on the component on citizen engagement and feedback.

More generally, the social safeguards specialist will be responsible to ensure that all social risks and impacts are monitored and the social safeguards instruments and the ESCP are implemented on time at FMS level.

1. DELIVERABLES

1. Ensure that all social risks are adequately identified and managed at FMS level including the timely implementation of the safeguard’s instruments and ESCP.
2. Build the capacity of social focal points for RCRF at FMS level in the Ministries of Health and Education.
3. Promote inclusivity, transparency and gender equity throughout the project.
4. Develop and manage a functioning of a grievance redress mechanism for the project that it accessible to all stakeholders including community members served by the projects especially vulnerable and marginalised groups.
5. Oversee sub-component 4.2 and 4.3 including develop extensive stakeholder engagement and feedback mechanisms including integration of ICTs (with due regulatory compliance and management of data privacy and personal safety).
6. Ensure sub-component 4.1 is inclusive and accessible to all vulnerable and marginalised groups and promotes genuine public participation and feedback and confidentiality and security of participants.
7. Provide quarterly reports to the FMS PIU coordinator and the FGS senior social specialist and the WB social safeguards specialist on the implementation of all safeguards instruments and functioning of the GRM.
8. Provide strategic direction to capacity building on social risk management within FMS.

In conjunction with the environmental specialist at the MoH provide support to and monitor implementation of the projects Medical Waste Management Plan (MWMP) including reporting on assessment of medical waste management and PPE adequacy and usage by health workers.

S/he will undertake all other specific tasks detailed in the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment that can be found at the following website https://mof.pl.so/ or can be provided upon submission of application in person or by e-mail. The e-mail address is provided below.

3. Selection Criteria:

Selection shall be based on qualification and experience of the candidate and followed by an interview. The minimum qualification, experience and skills should include:

• A Diploma in Sociology, Anthropology or Community Development, or Gender.
• At minimum, three (3) years community development experience in the FMS, including promoting inclusion of gender and vulnerable and marginalised groups inclusion, conflict mitigation, participatory approaches and feedback mechanisms;
• Excellent Somali written and verbal skills.
• Excellent understanding and commitment to social inclusion, conflict mitigation, labour management, gender and GBV, stakeholder engagement and participatory development.

4. Duration:

The duration for the assignment is 12 months, renewable based on satisfactory performance.

5. The Ministry of Finance now invites eligible Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in providing these services. Interested Individual Consultants must submit their Curriculum Vitae (CV) and cover letter indicating that they are qualified to perform the services. The detailed TOR will be forwarded to the applicant upon submission of application in person or by e-mail to the address below.
6. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraphs 3.14, 3.16 and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers: Procurement in Investment Financing Goods, Works, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services dated July 2016 and revised in November 2017 and August 2018, (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
7. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultants Selection method set out in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations.

8. Mode of submission of Applications and deadline:

Interested Consultants may obtain further information including a detailed Terms of Reference at the email address given below from 8:30 to 3.30pm Garowe time (Excluding public holidays).

Expressions of interest (EOI) and CV must be delivered by email in a written form to the email address below by March 6 2025 at 20:00 Hours (Garowe Time) – marked clearly as “Application for Social and Environment Safeguards specialist”

RCRF Project Implementation unit, Ministry of Finance Headquarters,

Garowe, Puntland, Federal Republic of Somalia.