REoI- Social, Resettlement, and Livelihood Restoration Specialist (PoE)

The WEST AFRICAN POWER POOL (WAPP) has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the REGIONAL EMERGENCY SOLAR POWER INTERVENTION PROJECT (RESPITE) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services to be provided by two Panels of Experts (PoEs): (i) Dam Safety Technical Panel and; (ii) Social-Environmental Panel for Hydropower projects funded by the World Bank under the WAPP Regional Integration and Technical Assistance (RITA

The projects are essentially focused on activities in Liberia to support pre-investment studies for the optimization of the existing hydro generation at Mount Coffee on the St. Paul River, including the possible development of upstream storage capacity (Via reservoir) and additional hydropower capacity.

Scope of Services

The primary objectives of the two Panels are respectively, for the Dam Safety Panel, to provide an independent and high-level engineering evaluation of Projects as it relates to dam safety; and for the Social-Environmental Panel, to provide an independent and high-level Environmental and social evaluation of Projects relevant to Environmental and Social issues.

Members of the PoEs (individual experts) are requested to provide advisory services and make evaluations and recommendations with the overall purpose of achieving adequacy, efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness of the Project(s) as well as sustainability (including mitigation or compensation for negative environmental, social and health and safety impacts). The WAPP contracts directly each member of the Panel on an individual basis.

The consulting services (“the Services”) financed by RESPITE require, inter alia,  the expertise of a Social, Resettlement, and Livelihood Restoration Specialist  to advise the Client on all aspects of the Project(s) relevant to Environmental and Social issues, including the Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), the Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs), Livelihood Restoration Plans for Project Affected Populations (PAPs), Environmental Flows, need for an Artificial Flood, Water Resources Management Options and impacts of Climate Change on water availability, etc. The Social Specialist will join the existing Social-Environmental Panel.

The Panels shall meet as frequently as deemed necessary by WAPP Project Director to assist in formulating scopes of works, at inception stages and at the issuance of key deliverables from various Consultants. Except for emergency and ad-hoc desk expertise, work plan and mobilization will be agreed in principle on a rolling 6-month period between the WAPP Projects Coordinator and Chairmen of the Panels

Request for Expression of Interest

The WEST AFRICAN POWER POOL now invites eligible individual (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services as Social, Resettlement and Livelihood Restoration Specialist. The interested Consultants are asked to provide (i) a signed cover letter of interest demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services; and (ii) a signed, detailed and updated CV.

A contract will be negotiated between the WAPP and the best candidate. The expected date for the commencement of the Services is June 1,2024.

Qualifications, skills and experience

The key requirements for this position are summarized below.

1. The Social, resettlement and livelihood restoration specialist is expected to have a minimum of master’s degree in social sciences or a related discipline and at least 20 years of international experience in the assessment, preparation, and implementation of Resettlement Action Plans and monitoring of sensitive and projects with institutional, socioeconomic issues
2. Experience in Africa on 2 similar projects
3. Hands-on experience in compensation, relocation, and livelihood restoration of populations affected by similar projects.
4. Excellent communication skills (oral and written) in English.
5. Working knowledge of WB ESF (especially ESS 5 on Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement, ESS 8, and ESS 10), rules and guidelines as well as local and international standards for relocating people

The detailed Terms of Reference for the assignment  can be downloaded HERE

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the selection method for individual consultant set out in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers (Edition –September 2023)

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Consultant Guidelines above setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.     

Further information can be obtained via mail addressed to:

  andorere@ecowapp.org copy to  msdiedhiou@ecowapp.org and shouessou@ecowapp.org
 
Interested candidates are invited to apply strictly online sending their applications to the following address: procurement@ecowapp.org  with copy to : andorere@ecowapp.org and msdiedhiou@ecowapp.org

 Deadline for receipt of applications is 15 April 2024, 23h00 Benin time.