Position: Environmental, Social-Safeguard, and Quality Assurance Manager, WWF-Laos.
Location: Office with 50% travel to provinces and occasionally to neighboring countries.
Open for: Only for Local National.
The Environmental, Social-Safeguard (ESS), and Quality Assurance Manager will play a lead role at WWF-Laos Country Office in projects and programme design and implementation as well as other departments regarding social policies, principles, and safeguards screening and capacity building. The Manager will work with a range of stakeholders across three main priority landscapes (Mekong Plains, Annamites, and Nampoui) and the relevant priority sites (Xesap NPA, Nampoui NPA, Xepien, Xebanghieng, and Siphandone) to:
- Improve WWF-Laos’s understanding of the perspectives of local communities and potential ESS issues in the priority landscapes and sites, including in relation to the rights of communities as concern land, access to resources, human rights, indigenous people’s rights amongst others and how these are linked to conservation and Natural Resource Management.
- Facilitate greater ownership and effective participation of relevant rural communities, particularly vulnerable groups, in Natural Resource Management, through equitable and locally appropriate governance structures based on mutual respect and equitable collaboration with WWF-Laos; and,
- Co-create jointly with communities, initiatives that will enhance coexistence between people and wildlife and contribute to improved well-being of communities.
Key Responsibilities:
Environment Social-Safeguarding Framework:
- Assist in the review of the current WWF Environmental and Social Safeguards framework’s guidelines and lead the implementation process in all projects and programmes implemented by WWF-Laos.
- Advise and support landscape leads, site coordinators, and project teams in carrying out essential initial steps of the ESSF, such as stakeholder analysis and context analysis, providing quality assurance for these products.
- Lead and advise the landscape leads, site coordinators, and project teams in the design and implementation of FPIC and GRM.
- Undertake an ESS risk analysis and lead the development of associated mitigation plans together with the project teams and when appropriate, the affected stakeholders.
- Provide technical support from a safeguarding perspective during funding proposal development, design, appraisal and resource mobilization plans.
- Lead on assisting and delivering capacity building for staff at the country office as well as field teams and partners to build knowledge and skills on ESS and minimize the likelihood of risks arising.
- Prepare reports (monthly, quarterly, bi-annual, field monitoring) on the ESS risks with appropriate actions to be taken for all sub-projects and follow up to help ensure that timely actions are taken.
- Supervise consultancy works and review and assess products/services provided by consultants and expert counterparts and notify/advise the Project Manager on quality, and recommend appropriate actions to be taken for improvement as per ESS principles and guidelines.
Risk and Quality Assurance:
- Act as the primary focal point for the coordination of the Quality Assurance process within the office as well as for projects escalated for Regional Quality Assurance (RQA) and to the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC).
- Develop, implement and coordinate the WWF-Laos Quality Assurance process.
- Support project developers to apply the office Quality Assurance process for all outgoing projects, including ensuring project plans are well documented, appropriate standards and escalations are identified and necessary approvals are in place.
- Work with the Regional and Country Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning leads to ensure programmatic quality is monitored throughout the project lifecycle.
- Oversee the implementation of the WWF country risk assessment and registration, and monitor and report to CMT and WWF Asia Pacific Risk Management Team
Required Qualifications:
- A University Degree in the field of Social Sciences or Development Studies ideally includes modules regarding Natural Resource Management (A relevant Master’s Degree is an added advantage).
- At least 7 years of active engagement and experience working with communities on social development.
- Previous experience in working with communities on social safeguarding.
- Previous experience working with communities on environmental and social safeguarding in a conservation setting is an advantage.
Additional Preferred Skills:
- Experience in and/or demonstrable understanding of environmental and social safeguarding issues;
- Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and diverse setting.
- Experience in dealing with power differentials and inequalities within and across communities is desirable.
- Ability to build good relationships and work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders in a respectful, participatory manner.
WWF-Laos can offer you: Contract duration: an initial 1 year with possible extension. Please note the compensation package will be aligned with local salary and benefits conditions, in line with our reward policy.
How to Apply:
Please email your application form which you can download it from this link https://www.wwf.org.la/about/work_with_us/, cover letter, and CV in English to jobs.laos@wwf.org.la citing in the subject line of the position that you applied for.
Deadline for applications: 1 March 2023
WWF does not charge or accept a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. We are an equal opportunity employer and committed to having a diverse workforce.
