Result of Service

The ultimate result of the service is a strengthened and operational environmental and social safeguards framework for the Comoros Ecosystem-based Adaptation project, enabling planned project activities to proceed in compliance with UNEP/GEF safeguards requirements. Specifically, the assignment will result in strengthened project and site-specific safeguards screening, operationalisation of the approved Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), identification and preparation and/or review of the required site-specific safeguard instruments, strengthened Terms of Reference for priority technical studies and ESIAs, and enhanced capacity of the project safeguards specialist to implement, monitor and report on ESS requirements. These outputs will support informed decision-making, reduce environmental and social risks, and facilitate the timely and safeguards-compliant implementation of higher-risk activities, particularly under Component 2.

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

2.5 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose The purpose of this assignment is to provide specialised international environmental and social safeguards (ESS) expertise to the GEF/LDCF-financed Comoros Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) project. The consultant will strengthen the project’s ESS risk screening, support the operationalisation of the approved Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), including through additional site-specific safeguards screening and the preparation and/or review of required ESIAs, ESMPs and other management instruments, support the review and completion of Terms of Reference for required feasibility studies and ESIAs, and build the capacity of the project’s safeguards specialist. The assignment will help ensure that planned project interventions, particularly higher-risk activities under Component 2 (2.1.1 and 2.1.2), are implemented in accordance with UNEP/GEF environmental and social safeguard requirements and can proceed to procurement and implementation. Background The project "Strengthening the Climate Resilience of Coastal Areas of the Comoros through Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA)" is a full-size project of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), funded by the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and implemented by UNEP in partnership with the Direction Générale de l'Environnement et des Forêts (DGEF) of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) of the Union of the Comoros. The Project Management Unit, located within DGEF, is comprises of a National Project coordinator, a Financial and Administrative Officer, a Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, a Gender and Environmental and Social Safeguard Officer and Communication Expert. The project (GEF ID 11111) operates across four coastal sites on three islands of the archipelago — Grande Comore (Site 1: Iconi/M'bachile), Mohéli (Site 2: Hoani/Mbatsé) and Anjouan (Site 3: Mutsamudu/Ouani; Site 4: Bimbini) — over a five-year period (2025–2029). It directly benefits approximately 141,541 people (49.1% women). The project is organised around four components:

Component 1: Integrated planning and capacity building for adaptation (Community Development Plans, Watershed Management Plans, vulnerability assessments).
Component 2: Implementation of EbA interventions and soft coastal engineering (mangrove restoration, ecological continuity, living breakwaters, agroecology, sustainable fisheries, stabilised earth bricks).
Component 3: Development of the blue economy and support to climate-resilient MSMEs.
Component 4: Knowledge management, communication and institutionalisation. Component 2 represents the largest share of the budget (USD 4.2 million, i.e. 47% of the GEF grant) and concentrates the activities with the highest ESS risk. It is in this context that the present ESS expert mission is situated. The project was approved at CEO Endorsement with three safeguard documents attached to the SRIF: an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF, Annex F/Appendix 5f), a Gender Action Plan and a Stakeholder Engagement Plan. No ESIA, site-specific ESMP, Indigenous Peoples Plan or Cultural Heritage Plan was prepared at that stage. The SRIF, cleared by UNEP in June 2024, rated the project Moderate risk overall. Five standards were rated moderate:
SS1 Biodiversity, ecosystems and sustainable natural resource management (impact 3, probability 2)
SS2 Climate change and disaster risks (3/2)
SS3 Pollution prevention and resource efficiency (3/3)
SS4 Community health, safety and security (3/3)
SS6 Displacement and involuntary resettlement (3/2) Cultural heritage, Indigenous Peoples and labour were rated low. The SRIF also required an ESMP and project-specific ESIAs once the interventions were defined. Duties and Responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the UNEP Task Manager and the direct supervision of the Chief Technical Adviser (CTA), in coordination with the Project Manager and the project Gender and Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist (GESS), the International Environmental and Social Safeguards Expert will provide specialized technical support to strengthen the environmental and social safeguards framework of the GEF/LDCF-financed Comoros Ecosystem-based Adaptation project. The consultant will undertake a detailed review of the project’s environmental and social risks, conduct field-based verification of priority intervention sites, strengthen project and site-specific safeguard screening, support the operationalization of the approved ESMF and the preparation and/or review of required site-specific safeguard instruments, support the preparation of safeguard-related requirements for key technical studies and ESIAs, and strengthen the operational capacity of the project team to implement and monitor environmental and social safeguards. Specific tasks and responsibilities 1. **Review project documentation and establish the safeguards methodology** * Review the approved Project Document, existing ESS screening and safeguard documentation, draft ESMP, relevant project budget and contractual-service information, ESIA screening documentation, and available field information. * Identify outstanding environmental and social safeguard issues, information gaps and areas requiring clarification. * Define the methodology and workplan for the assignment, including the approach for field verification, project re-screening, operationalization of the ESMF and preparation/review of required site-specific safeguard instruments. * Prepare an inception report setting out the principal ESS issues identified, clarification requirements and proposed methodology. 2. **Undertake field verification of priority project sites** * Conduct a field mission to priority sites in Grande Comore, including Iconi/Lac Kombé and M'bachile, and, subject to available resources and logistical feasibility, the Hoani/Mbatsé sites in Mohéli. * Assess environmental and social risks associated with the planned interventions, including ecological viability, coastal and hydrological conditions, land use, livelihoods, community health and safety, informal land tenure and potential maladaptation risks. * Consult relevant communities, fishers' associations, local authorities and technical services. * Collect the field information required to update the safeguards screening and inform the preparation and/or review of applicable site-specific safeguard instruments * Work alongside the project GESS specialist during the field mission to support practical knowledge transfer. 3. **Update and strengthen the project Environmental and Social Safeguards Risk Identification Form (SRIF)** * Re-screen project activities for environmental and social risks on the basis of the Project Document, consultations and field findings. * Re-screen relevant project activities against the four UNEP ESSF guiding principles and all eight Safeguard Standards, applying a clear methodology for determining the significance of identified risks and documenting the evidence and data sources supporting the risk rating. *Give particular attention to: (i) SS1 – Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Sustainable Natural Resource Management, particularly for mangrove restoration/ecological continuity under Output 2.1.1 and coastal restoration under Output 2.1.2; (ii) SS2 – Climate Change and Disaster Risk and the principle of sustainability and resilience, particularly the risks of sea-level rise, inundation, erosion and maladaptation at Iconi/Lac Kombé and Hoani/Mbatsé; (iii) SS3 – Pollution Prevention and Resource Efficiency in relation to road works, coastal infrastructure, construction materials and Output 2.1.5; (iv) SS4 – Community Health, Safety and Security for works under Outputs 2.1.1 and 2.1.2; and (v) SS6 – Displacement and Involuntary Resettlement, including potential land-tenure, access and livelihood impacts associated particularly with the Iconi/Lac Kombé intervention * Establish clear linkages between project activities and outputs and the environmental and social safeguard risks they trigger. * Identify the appropriate level of safeguard response for relevant activities, including activities requiring technical studies, ESIAs, specific ESMP mitigation measures or routine safeguard monitoring. * Incorporate relevant site-specific findings, including potential maladaptation and ecological viability concerns. * Submit the revised SRIF for review and formal validation by UNEP. 4. ** Operationalize the approved ESMF and support the preparation and review of site-specific safeguard instruments** * Review and operationalize the approved ESMF in light of the revised project-level and site-specific safeguard screening and available technical and field information. *Identify the site-specific safeguard instruments required for relevant project interventions, including ESIAs, ESMPs, OHS measures and other management plans, as applicable. *Support the preparation and/or review of the required site-specific safeguard instruments. * Ensure that the required safeguard instruments define appropriate mitigation measures, responsible parties, implementation timelines, monitoring requirements and indicative costs. *Ensure that the applicable safeguard instruments are submitted for the required review and clearance before the corresponding physical works commence. 5. **Review and complete safeguard-related Terms of Reference for priority technical studies and ESIAs** * Review and technically strengthen the draft Terms of Reference associated with Contract B19 for the feasibility study and ESIA related to restoration of ecological and hydraulic continuity at Iconi/Lac Kombé. * Ensure that the B19 ToR adequately addresses technical alternatives, environmental and social impacts, community consultation requirements, climate resilience and safeguards expertise requirements. * Ensure that the B19 ToR also includes, as foreseen in the Project Document, requirements for technical supervision of the associated works under Contract B33 and preparation of the corresponding progress and acceptance reports * Review and strengthen the draft Terms of Reference associated with Contract B21 for the hydro-morphological and technical feasibility study for Hoani/Mbatsé. * Review and strengthen the safeguards-related elements of the B21 ToR, ensuring that the technical study provides an adequate basis for environmental and social risk assessment, alternatives analysis, climate-risk and maladaptation assessment, stakeholder engagement, ESIA requirements and associated management measures, while the specialized hydro-morphological, coastal-engineering and technical design scope is defined and quality-assured through appropriate technical expertise. * Ensure that the B21 ToR includes requirements for the consulting firm to produce the technical design report and specifications for the works under Contract B34, provide technical supervision of those works, and produce the corresponding progress and acceptance reports * Review the proposed arrangements for Contract B22 covering the ESIAs for coastal works at Hoani and Mbatsé. * Provide a formal recommendation on whether the B22 ESIAs should remain a separate assignment or be integrated into the scope of B21, including justification for the recommended approach. * Where a standalone B22 assignment is recommended, advise on any necessary adjustment to the allocated budget; where integration of the ESIA scope into B21 is recommended, provide a justification note and proposed budget reallocation * Ensure that the final safeguard-related ToRs include appropriate technical qualifications, ESS requirements and deliverables and are suitable for procurement. 6. **Provide technical capacity building to the project GESS specialist** * Conduct practical working sessions with the Gender and Environment and Social Safeguards (GESS)specialist throughout the assignment: - Strengthen capacity to operationalise the approved ESMF and implement and monitor the applicable site-specific safeguard instruments - Provide guidance on implementation responsibilities, monitoring schedules and ESS data-collection tools. - Provide practical guidance on the completion and application of ESS screening forms for MSMEs supported under Component 3. - Strengthen capacity for the collection and reporting of sex-disaggregated ESS information. - Provide guidance on preparation of environmental and social safeguards sections for project progress reports, including quarterly reporting and the GEF Project Implementation Report (PIR). 7. **Provide final recommendations and follow-up guidance** * Consolidate the findings of the safeguards review, field mission, revised SRIF, ESMF operationalisation, site-specific safeguard work and technical ToR review: - Identify priority safeguard actions required before commencement of moderate- and high-risk project activities. - Provide recommendations on the sequencing of technical studies, ESIAs and related procurement processes. - Conduct a final debriefing with the CTA, Project Management Unit and UNEP Task Manager and provide a practical follow-up schedule for outstanding safeguard actions.

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in environment, earth sciences, coastal engineering, natural resource management, or a related field is required. A Bachelor's degree combined with two additional years of qualifying work experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in environmental and social safeguards, environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA), environmental and social management planning (ESMP), or a closely related field, including at least 5 years of experience in coastal or marine environments is required Demonstrated experience applying UNEP/GEF or comparable international environmental and social safeguard standards in projects financed by multilateral or international development institutions is required Demonstrated experience preparing and/or reviewing ESIAs, ESMPs and related technical Terms of Reference for coastal, marine or hydraulic interventions, including experience with Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), or comparable nature-based/coastal resilience approaches is required Demonstrated experience providing technical advice, capacity building and/or knowledge transfer on environmental and social safeguards, including preparation of technical reports and other safeguards-related outputs is required Experience working in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), preferably in sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Ocean or comparable geographic contexts; knowledge of the Comorian institutional context would be an advantage Experience preparing or reviewing Terms of Reference for coastal hydro-morphological or similar technical feasibility studies is desirable

Languages

Fluency in French (primary working language of the PMU and project documents) is required

Working knowledge of written English is required for communication with UNEP and for documents submitted for UNEP review and validation is required
Knowledge of Shikomori (Comorien) or Swahili is an advantage.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

International Environmental and Social Safeguards Expert