| Introduction : Country: Philippines
Philippines Country Office Call for Roster: National Environmental and Social Safeguards Consultants Location: Philippines Period of assignment/services: Initially one year, renewable for maximum up to three years Duty Station: Remote and on site Recruitment method: Individual Contract (IC) A. Background UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES) underpin UNDP’s commitment to mainstream social and environmental sustainability in our Programmes and Projects to support sustainable development. The objectives of the standards are to: • Strengthen the social and environmental outcomes of Programmes and Projects • Avoid adverse impacts to people and the environment • Minimize, mitigate, and manage adverse impacts where avoidance is not possible • Strengthen UNDP and partner capacities for managing social and environmental risks • Ensure full and effective stakeholder engagement, including through a mechanism to respond to complaints from project-affected people A key mechanism to ensure these standards are applied is through UNDP’s project-level Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP) which is a requirement for all proposed projects. The objectives of the SESP are to: (a) Integrate the SES Overarching Principles (human rights, gender equality and environmental sustainability); (b) Identify potential social and environmental risks and their significance; (c) Determine the Project's risk category (Low, Moderate, High); and (d) Determine the level of social and environmental assessment and management required to address potential risks and impacts. UNDP’s SES and SESP came into effect in January 2015 and updated in January 2021. All guidance on UNDPs Social and Environmental Safeguards can be found in the SES Toolkit. UNDP Philippines is establishing a roster of SES Specialists, available on-demand, to support its timely and quality compliance with UNDP 2021 SES Policy for pipeline and ongoing projects. The roster is a recruitment and deployment mechanism which maintains technically vetted Individual Consultants within two to three weeks of receiving a request to support the work of UNDP Country Offices/units and other UNDP partner agencies. B. Scope of work In general, the Individual Consultants in the roster will be engaged to carry-out project-level SESP using the SES Template. A specific Terms of Reference will be developed for each requirement. For each assignment, expected tasks and deliverables may include but not be limited to: · Complete the UNDP Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP) screening, and support the detailed assessment of all project-related social and environmental opportunities and risks and measures for all project components/outputs, throughout the project cycle; · Consult and verify screening results with stakeholders, including Indigenous Peoples/ethnic minorities within project landscapes, potentially affected by the project; · Develop required assessments based on the screening, such as but not limited to targeted assessments (e.g. hazard assessment, special studies), Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), and Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA); · Develop required management measures based on the screening, such as but not limited to Indigenous People’s Planning Framework (IPPF), Indigenous People’s Plan (IPP), Livelihood Action Plan, Resettlement Plan, Stakeholder Engagement Plan, Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), and Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP); · Identify an appropriate design of a grievance redress mechanism (GRM) for the project based on the existing government and UNDP mechanisms; · Revise SESP if certain circumstances arise, including but not limited to i) where new information becomes available such as through a social and environmental assessment; ii) where there are substantive changes to the project (e.g. changes in design, additional components); and iii) where changes in the project context might alter the Project’s risk profile; · Assess the status of implementation of the safeguards management plan developed during the project design stage; · Ensure that the M&E system of the project incorporates tracking of SES-related results/milestones; · Develop SES-related knowledge products; · Provide capacity-building activities for national and local stakeholders on strengthening implementation of safeguards management plans and Project GRM given the over-all Project design; · Facilitate participation of key National Government Agencies (NGAs), local governments, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), private sector and communities in SES-related Project implementation activities; and · Undertake Private Sector Due Diligence (PSDD) assessment, as needed The exact outputs, timelines, payment schedule, travel, and any other requirements for each engagement/call-off will be outlined in each assignment-specific TOR. C. Working arrangements Selection of candidates will be done by Philippines CO, Results and Quality Team (RQT) in close collaboration with relevant programme teams. Responsibility for management, contracting and payment of evaluators will be held by the respective programme at the Country Office level who commission individual evaluation assignments. D. Duration of the Work Successful candidates will be placed under the roster for minimum of one (1) year. The roster duration can be extended for up to another two years (maximum of three (3) years) if their performance evaluation is deemed satisfactory and if there is an ongoing requirement. Depending on specific requirements, the actual duration will be specified in the ICs Terms of Reference for each individual assignment. Payments will be made as specified in the actual contract upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner and as per specified due dates. E. Duty Station The Consultant’s duty station can be arranged with a mix of remote and onsite with visits to UNDP Philippines Country Office, Rockwell Business Center Sheridan, as required. The Consultant may not be required to report daily at the Country Office. On the other hand, s/he is expected to report on a mutually agreed schedule. The Individual Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e., laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, software, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection. F. Institutional Arrangements For the duration of the contract, the Consultant shall report to the concerned Programme Team Leader in the delivery of the terms of reference. Reporting is output-based, and all deliverables must be submitted to the concerned Programme Team Leader. Similarly, the final tranche output report should be formally accepted by the Programme Team Leader. Any deviations in this arrangement will be discussed and agreed upon with the Consultant. | 
