Environmental and Social (E&S) Officer

Benghazi, the second-largest city in Libya, faces significant challenges in providing adequate water services to its population of approximately 850,000 residents. These challenges are exacerbated by rapid urban expansion, aging infrastructure, water scarcity, poor water and sanitation management performance and climate change.Against this backdrop, our client jointly with the African Development Bank (AfDB), are supporting the Municipality of Benghazi to develop a comprehensive water infrastructure master plan for Benghazi City. To ensure alignment with the Benghazi Metropolitan Area Master plan1currently under finalization (as of October 2025), the water infrastructure masterplan will have 2050 as the final planning horizon year. The goal of this masterplan is to provide a strategic framework for addressing these challenges, ensuring sustainable water management, 

Component A: Inclusive and resilient urban water masterplan for Benghazi

The development of the masterplan will include, amongst others, the following activities: infrastructure assessment, assessment of existing institutional frameworks, field data collection and analysis, identification of infrastructure needs, analysis of the water tariff system, development of long-term goals, identification of stakeholders and their roles, and identification of potential financing mechanisms. The Consultancy Firm selected to deliver this project will also refer to the recently developed sanitation masterplan2 launched in October 2024 between the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund, ensuring coherence and between this and the water masterplan being developed. With respect to the water tariff system, in Libya, the price of water depends on its source of withdrawal. According to the AfDB, the charge for the use of water from the Man-made River Project (MMRP)3 is defined in Decree No.218/1994 and is dependent on its use. For domestic use, the General Company of Water and Wastewater (GCWW) pays a tariff to the MMRP. For desalinated water delivered by the General Desalination Company of Libya (GDCOL) for domestic use, there is a charge applied for this supply to the GCWW. Finally, the domestic water tariff paid by users for the water supply service delivered by the GCWW is volumetric and has a fixed tariff4.

The water masterplan will cover all of Benghazi municipality, including peri-urban areas and new areas which are not connected to any water supply system (and informed by population growth projections and city expansion), and integrate climate change adaptation measures and best practices, such as circular economy concepts, when possible. It will be a strategic document, providing a vision for the sustainable development and operation of water supply facilities with 2050 as the final planning horizon year, and from the technical, institutional, financial and environmental perspectives. Accordingly, the technical and investment forecasts will be defined for the following horizons:

· Short term (intermediate) 2030

· Long term 2050

Each horizon and interval between them will be the subject of a priority analysis of the projects and works to be carried out for the achievement of the objectives fixed at the final horizon according to the criteria of urbanization, existing infrastructure, and environmental and socio-economic impacts.

Component B: Preparation of Water and Sanitation Investment Plan Projects

An investment plan will be developed by the Consultancy Firm appointed to develop the Benghazi water masterplan and cleared by the competent authorities. The investment plan will include a project prioritization table, following a multi-criteria analysis, established in collaboration with the main stakeholders. The Consultancy Firm will then prepare the preliminary design, full design, and tender documents (including Bills of Quantities) for the top three (3) prioritized investment projects and initial budget estimates. The full / detailed design will be developed for the top three prioritized investment projects, for which at least EUR 100 million (in words: one hundred million) will be expected to be mobilized for infrastructure development.

• Component C: Governance and capacity building of relevant national stakeholders and Project management

This component will strengthen the project's ownership and relevance by involving the relevant national stakeholders of the sector. Specifically, the Consultancy Firm will develop a Capacity Building Plan (aligned to the time horizons as articulated under Component A) to train local authorities, particularly the Municipality of Benghazi, Libya Reconstruction and Development Fund, the GCWW and the GMRA, on the operation and management of the systems proposed in the masterplan.

Under Component B above, the focus will be on the preparation of water investment projects with a relevant Investment Plan. For these future investment projects, E&S aspects will need to be properly addressed including identifying the E&S risks and potential impacts, such as those related to land acquisition, physical and economic displacement and compensation, etc., and necessary measures to mitigate the identified E&S risks and associated impacts.

To support the implementation of this urban planning project, our client in Libya Country Office has established a Project Implementation Unit (PIU), with the E&S being a key member of the PIU team. Accordingly, our client  is seeking an E&S Officer to support all E&S aspects of the project. The our client recruited E&S Officer will work closely with the Consultancy Firm, to provide oversight and ensure all E&S requirements for the proposed investment projects are delivered by the Consultancy Firm. The Consultancy Firm will be recruited by our client  separately, and through a competitive tendering process

For proposed infrastructure development projects it is necessary that they have been assessed for potential negative E&S impacts that may result from the proposed development activity.  This needs to be done in compliance with our client  and AfDB E&S requirements for investment projects with a relevant Investment Plan.

Further, all tasks must be in line with the relevant national environmental, occupational health and safety, and social laws and regulations, as well as international law including conventions and treaties adopted by the host country and applicable to the respective Project(s) and Environmental and Social Safeguarding (ESS) conditionalities.

As such, under the direct supervision of tour client in Benghazi Field Office, and in close coordination with the WASH Manager, the E&S Officer will be responsible for supporting the design, management and monitoring of all E&S activities for the Benghazi urban planning and water infrastructure development project.

Oversight and Quality Assurance of Environmental and Social Assessment (ESA) Documents

a)Review and validate the legal framework, procedures, and methods for environmental and social screening and impact assessment developed by the Consultancy Firm.

b)Perform technical reviews of the baseline diagnostic and socio-economic information provided by the Firm to ensure accuracy and completeness.

c)Provide quality assurance and clearance for the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) and Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) drafted by the Firm.

d)Validate the proposed environmental and social management measures to ensure they serve as a reliable reference for future investment projects.

e)Supervise the Firm’s establishment of baseline information and provide technical guidance on the assessment methods for the project Environment and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs).

f) Monitor and audit the Firm’s field activities and site visits to ensure compliance with the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF).

g)Review and clear all guidance and instruments related to land acquisition, compensation, and access restrictions developed under Component B.

Guidance for the development of safeguard instruments and tools

a)Ensure the strict implementation of the E&S national legal framework and AfDB E&S safeguarding requirements across all project phases.

b)Directly oversee the E&S integration within the Urban Water Masterplan (Component A), specifically reviewing the E&S risk assessments and the identification of necessary E&S instruments.

c)Technical review and clearance of all safeguard instruments for the three (3) prioritized projects (Component B), including ESIAs, ESMPs, and Resettlement Action Plans (RAP). d)Deliver specialized capacity building and training sessions to national stakeholders, including the Municipality of Benghazi, GCWW, and GMRA, on E&S risk management. e)Screen and categorize the E&S risks for each future investment project to determine the required level of assessment.

f) Validate the ToRs prepared for ESIAs and ESMPs before they are used for local procurement.

In close coordination with the WASH Manager, and CSD Officer in Benghazi, the E&S Officer will be required to provide the following deliverables on an agreed date at the end of each month:

1.Monthly progress report - The monthly report will be provided in an agreed format, including, but not limited to:
a.Details of key activities carried out each month to support the Benghazi masterplan project, as agreed with the WASH Manager and CSD Officer; b.Details of any project milestones reached in relation to E&S project guidelines and requirements, as set out above;
c. Details of key challenges and bottlenecks identified during the month, and any actions/recommendations agreed to address them; and
d.Outline plan for the proceeding month.

Any other activities, as may be required and directed by the Supervisor.

1) Expert knowledge of at least one, and basic knowledge of at least two of the following components:

a)Experience in developing an action plan extracting information from ESMF to guide ESS implementation.

b)Experience in designing standards and instruments for safeguarding compliance and screening.

c)Experience in developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be used in auditing ESS internally, as well as by implementing partners to ensure standardization in reporting.

d)Experience in oversight and monitoring the implementation of environmental and risk management plans at the project level
e)Previous experience with the UN or AfDB and MDB-funded projects is desirable.

2) Expert knowledge of at least two of, and basic knowledge of the other two following components:

a)Programme/project management.
b)Capacity development.

c)Knowledge management.
d)Monitoring and evaluation.

3) Other key competencies

• Strong computer skills and familiarity with Microsoft Office applications

• Strong coordination, communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to work with government counterparts, our clinet technical teams and external

consultants.

Ability to manage deadlines, document decisions and ensure timely delivery of outputs.

This role requires no team management skills.

Our clinet is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.Our clinet has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and Our clinet, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. Our clinet also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.