Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and Minoring & Evaluation (M&E) Coordinator

Job Description

Title: Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and Minoring & Evaluation (M&E) Coordinator

Company Name: Wildlife Conservation Society-Bangladesh

Vacancy: 01

Age: Na

Job Location: Dhaka

Salary: Negotiable

Experience:

• At least 3 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• At least 3 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• At least 3 years of experience in ESMS, GRM and M&E, preferably with World Bank and USAID projects.

• Documented experience implementing gender-mainstreaming strategies in Bangladesh.

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal in Bangla and English, e-communication and the use of MS Office Tools.

• High level of integrity, honesty, and responsibility.

• Proven ability to work with a constructive attitude as a team player, with a strong sense of responsibility and the ability to perform effectively under time pressure.

• Experience with frequent domestic travel, working and living in remote locations, and the ability to deal with basic living conditions and engaging with stakeholders respectfully.

Organization Background:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity.

With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed the biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the quality of life of poor rural people whose livelihoods depend on the direct utilization of natural resources.

Our MISSION is to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education and inspiring people to value nature. Our VISION is a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. Our GOAL is to conserve the world’s largest wild places in 16 priority regions, home to more than 50% of the world’s biodiversity. Our VALUES are Respect, Accountability and Transparency, Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion, Collaboration, Integrity.

Program Overview:

The WCS Bangladesh program envisions a healthy ocean that supports healthy wildlife and human communities. We work to halt the decline of and support the recovery of marine wildlife and fisheries through the establishment of science-based, equitably managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) and to contribute to the benefits received by coastal communities.

• The project “Sustho Sagor (Healthy Ocean) - Sharing responsibilities and benefits from well managed MPAs for a healthy ocean and thriving communities in Bangladesh”, funded by the Blue Action Fund, aims to strengthen the network of ecologically representative MPAs or OECMs across priority habitats in Bangladesh’s seascape. Major objectives of this project are to:
• Improve the management of the Swatch of No-Ground and Nijhum Dwip MPAs, expand the SoNG MPA area coverage, and develop a new Blue Belt OECM linking these two MPAs.
• Establish frameworks for MPA governance and build capacity within the Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) and the Department of Fisheries (DoF) to manage these areas in collaboration with each other and other relevant government agencies.
• Empower fishers and their communities as key stakeholders in effective MPAs to have their rights respected and voices heard in MPA/OECM decision making processes, and to benefit from compliant, sustainable fishing practices and improved access to financial and social support services.
• Build livelihood diversification capacity among men and women living in MPA-impacted coastal fishing communities.

Job Summary:

The WCS Bangladesh require the development of an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) comprised of several safeguards, which are aligned with World Bank’s Environmental and Social safeguards. In addition, there is also the need to follow-up with activity implementation, continuously updating the indicators’ progress. In this context, WCS Bangladesh seeks a full-time Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Coordinator.

Under the supervision of the Sustho Sagor Project Manager, the ESMS and M&E Coordinator is responsible for the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of all ESMS activities, and for the M&E of the project. The ESMS and M&E Coordinator must guarantee compliance with the ESMS, updating these as per project agreement requirements and whenever needed. Monthly reporting on project indicators progress and communication with field staff, including from partners, and collaborators are required, in addition to regular interaction with the Project Manager, the WCS Bangladesh Marine Program Manager and team and Country Director, and relevant WCS advisors (e.g., ESMS experts from WCS Global Rights and Communities), to share progress on the compliance with project indicators and take the necessary actions to address any shortcomings. This position will be based in Dhaka and will require frequent travelling to Khulna and project sites.

Major Responsibilities:

The coordination and implementation of the ESMS and M&E for the project “Sustho Sagor (Healthy Ocean) - Sharing responsibilities and benefits from well managed MPAs for a healthy ocean and thriving communities in Bangladesh” includes-

Prepare an ESMS Plan with all necessary documentation and baseline information, with support from international consultants and WCS experts following Blue Action Fund requirements and timelines.

Prepare annual workplan for ESMS activities and reporting and M&E activities in collaboration with the Project Manager and WCS Bangladesh Marine Conservation Program Manager.

Supervision and coordination of the ESMS Plan implementation, including regular updates to the project Environmental and Social Risk Management Tool, and verification of the compliance of the associated environmental and social safeguards, which include the following documents (see the link for details https://www.blueactionfund.org/documents-esms/).

• Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP)
• Grievance Mechanism
• Process Framework Guidance Note
• Environmental and Social Code of Practice (ESCOP)
• Chance Find Procedure
• Liaise with field staff, partners or subgrantees and potentially subcontractors regularly, overseeing the implementation of their activities according to the ESMS Plan.
• Regularly update and improve the ESMS Plan as per the project requirements.
• Conduct M&E on a regular intervals basis and update as per the project requirement.
• Engage and support relevant tasks assigned by the Project Manager.

Environmental Safeguards

• Assist the WCS and partner teams in ensuring that project activities are implemented in compliance with the approved ESMS Plan, providing support as required to avoid any sorts of adverse environmental impacts resulting from the project.
• Assist the Project Manager in liaising, as necessary, with BFD and DoF, as well as other government agencies.
• Monitor the effectiveness of the project’s environmental safeguards mechanisms as per the ESMS indicators of the ESMS Plan.
• Assist the WCS Bangladesh team, as well as community and government partners, in defining Environmental Safeguards indicators and incorporating Environmental Safeguards mechanisms in MPA/OECM management plans.

Social Safeguards

• Assist the Team in understanding and applying rights-based approaches to conservation planning and interventions, including a Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process as per the project’s ESMS safeguards.
• In collaboration with the Project Manager, Global Rights+ Communities Staff, and Regional Safeguards Lead (as relevant), develop and implement the project’s Preliminary Process Framework, to be updated per the approved ESMS, and develop the final Process Framework at the end of the project.
• Maintain a current list of stakeholder engagements for regular and timely submission to the donor.
• Assist WCS Bangladesh marine team and project partners in designing, implementing, analyzing and reporting on socio-economic surveys as per the project proposal and in compliance with Institutional Review Board processes.
• Monitor and adapt the effectiveness of the project’s social safeguards mechanisms according to the indicators provided ESMS Plan.
• Train WCS Bangladesh marine team and partner organization staff on rights-based approaches to conservation, and support the incorporation of these aspects in trainings provided by WCS and partners.

Grievance Redress Mechanism

• Oversee the development and implementation of a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) with support from the Global Rights + Communities Staff and adapt the GRM on the basis of lessons learned during the project implementation.
• Work closely with the Regional Social Safeguards Coordinator or Global Rights + Communities staff to identify and train GRM staff on GRM procedures, and delegate GRM responsibilities appropriately.
• Ensure extensive coordination with partners throughout the GRM implementation phase.
• Provide operational oversight (including workplan and quality control) of the field implementation team for the GRM.
• Ensure regular and timely reporting and coordination on the GRM with the Project Manager.
• Record and report lessons learned from the rollout of the GRM.
• Gender
• Support WCS Bangladesh and partners on the design of a gender strategy that incorporates gender-responsive approaches to the project.
• Ensure active participation and equal access of women, men, and third gender persons to project benefits and decision-making processes, including FPIC and the GRM.
• Help the project team mainstream gender equity throughout field staff and conduct gender analyses, if required.
• Work closely with the field staff and partners to ensure that a gender balance is incorporated into all community engagement and research activities.
• Advise the Project Manager on steps to be taken to incorporate appropriate gender-responsive and gender-sensitive approaches in all projects and programs.

ESMS Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• In collaboration with the Project Manager, the Marine Program Manager and field staff, ensure that ESMS activities are documented and monitored as per ESMS Plan, including through the establishing of ESMS monitoring databases.
• Maintain the documentation of the FPIC, GRM, and Internal Review Board (IRB) reviews.
• Collaborate with the Project Manager on the development of the project progress reports and develop annual reports with results from ESMS Plan implementation, documented also through images.
• Develop a questionnaire which can be used to measure the level of satisfaction by project beneficiaries and liaise regularly with them to determine their level of satisfaction.
• Communicate regularly with partners and the Project Manager to provide feedback on project progress.

• Mobile bill,Weekly 2 holidays,Insurance
• Salary Review: Yearly
• Festival Bonus: 1