Anunțuri de Angajare

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

SOCIAL SPECIALIST

National Consultant

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Strengthening Moldova’s Disaster Risk Management and Climate Resilience Project

Project ID No. P504278

Reference No.: MD-OEAPM-498562-CS-INDV

The Republic of Moldova has received financing from the World Bank Group toward the cost of the Strengthening Moldova’s Disaster Risk Management and Climate Resilience Project, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for contracting a Social Specialist.

Social Specialist will lead, manage, monitor and report on social development, social risk management, social inclusion and stakeholder engagement aspects of Project, in accordance with national laws, Project’s financial agreement and the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework, and good international industry practice.

This is a full-time activity that will begin in July 2025. The contract will be concluded for an initial period of twelve (12) months, with the possibility of extension subject to satisfactory performance of the Social Specialist and agreement of the Parties and Bank’s no objection until the project closing date, on September 30, 2029.

For more information, please see the Terms of References attached below.

The PI Office for External Assistance Programs Management, as PIU of the Project, now invites eligible individuals (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services.

Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

The Consultant should meet the following minimum qualifications requirements:

• University degree in e.g., Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, Gender, Law, Development Studies, and Political Science or related fields.  
• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in social risk management and applied social development on issues such as social inclusion, gender, ethnic minorities and stakeholder/citizen engagement
• Knowledge and experience in addressing issues covered by the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) and social safeguards policies, particularly social assessment, social risk management, labor and working conditions, community health and safety, gender-based violence, stakeholder engagement and information disclosure and/or similar policies in other international finance institutions.  Experience with grievance redress mechanisms;
• Expert understanding of Moldovan legislation on environmental and social assessment, social protection, labor law, access to information, public consultation, grievances, labor law and human rights;
• Strong experience in planning and conducting stakeholder engagement (consultations, focus group discussions, public hearings), with government partners, state institutions, local communities and civil society;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Romanian, including the ability to draft memos, letters and internal regulations, and reports;
• Computer literacy.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers - PROCUREMENT IN INVESTMENT PROJECT FINANCING Goods, Works, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services, dated September 2023 (hereinafter referred to as “the Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant (IC) method set out in the World Bank Procurement Framework.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 08:30 to 17:30 local time.

The applications should include letter of Expression of Interest, CV, and related recommendation letters. 

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by e­mail) by July 23, 2025, 17:00 o’clock, Moldova local time.

PI Office for External Assistance Programs Management,

attn: Raisa Cantemir, Director

57/1 Mitropolit Banulescu Bodoni str., office 304, MD-2005.

Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

Tel: 373 22 23 29 63, 23 82 48

E-mail:ogpae@ogpae.gov.md

Terms of Reference for the Project Social Specialist (SS)

1. Project Background       

The Strengthening Moldova’s Disaster Risk Management and Climate Resilience Project (SMORE) aims to enhance Moldova’s preparedness and response to natural hazards and climate-related shocks, and in case of an eligible crisis or emergency, respond promptly and effectively to it.

The Strengthening Moldova’s Disaster Risk Management and Climate Resilience Project comprises the following 5 components:

Component 1: Investments and Institutional Strengthening for Emergency Preparedness and Response;

Component 2: Improving Hydrometeorological Services;

Component 3: Policy and Regulatory Support for Risk Reduction of Critical Infrastructure and Fiscal Resilience;

Component 4: Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC);

Component 5: Project Management.

The Public Institution “Office of External Assistance Programs Management” (OEAPM) under the Ministry of Finance will have the role of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU). The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) together with the General Inspectorate for Emergency Services (GIES), Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development and Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment together with State Hydrometeorological Services (SHS) will be the Project Implementing Agencies (IAs) bearing the overall responsibility for the Project implementation.

2.  Objectives of the Assignment

Social Specialist will lead, manage, monitor and report on social development, social risk management, social inclusion and stakeholder engagement aspects of SMORE, in accordance with national laws, SMORE’s financial agreement and the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework, and good international industry practice.

3. Scope of Work

To achieve the assignment’s objectives, the Social Specialist e shall perform the following tasks:

 Social Risk Management and Compliance with ESF:

• Supporting the IAs and Project beneficiaries during Project implementation in terms of compliance with the ESF standards of the World Bank;
• Providing support and coordinate with the Environmental, Communicational and M&E experts in analysis and management of the social impacts related to the Project;
• Conduct field visits to Project activities and works to identify and monitor social risks and impacts of the Project including selective visits with social risks assessment of construction sites participating in the Project;
• Providing support in avoiding, managing and mitigating social risks and impacts during the Project implementation, including but not limited to, the proper and timely stakeholder engagement process, social inclusion of the vulnerable groups defined in the Project’s Stakeholders Engagement Plan (SEP) or identified during the Project implementation, prevention of the forced and child labor, other mitigation measures to prevent risks related to Gender Based Violence /Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Sexual Harassment, provided in the prepared ESF documents;

• Providing operational support on social risk management including undertaking regular site visits, to assist task teams to review ESF documentation and implementation, to ensure that social issues have been adequately addressed and that the Project is in compliance with ESMF;
• Prepare or contribute to the development of the social aspects in the Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs)/ESMPs check lists in accordance with the Project’s ESMF, as well as the World Bank’s ESF standards;

• Ensuring that all subprojects and activities are properly screened and categorized on social risk according to the Project’s Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF);
• Ensure in collaboration with the Environmental Specialist that Labor Management Procedures (LMP) of the Project are duly implemented and guide the Project staff/workers in the LMP implementation;

Stakeholder Engagement and Public Consultations:

• Provide support to IAs for improving and implementing citizen engagement mechanisms.
• Work closely with the Communication Specialist to foster links between stakeholder’s engagement in internationally financed projects and other efforts being made to facilitate dialogue between state and civil society actors.
• Support implementation of Stakeholder Engagement Plan (together with Communication Specialist) through organization of public consultations with stakeholders in the framework of Project implementation and ensuring the access of citizens and local communities to results of public consultations, obtaining of feedback from local communities’ representatives (as applicable);
• Develop a systematic approach to cooperation with the relevant project stakeholders for the effective engagement and communication;
• Develop and implement stakeholder engagement and social inclusion strategies for all stakeholders including vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, elderly, low-Income Communities, rural communities, Roma communities and other minorities, women-
• Support IAs to obtain feedback from stakeholders and local communities’ representatives on Project implementation, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable groups or individuals;
• Plan, organize, and document stakeholder engagement activities and consultations with Project affected persons and other stakeholders, including local communities and Project beneficiaries, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable groups with barriers to accessing benefits or stakeholder engagement mechanisms. 
• Contribute in preparation guidance, training materials and organization of trainings/workshops for Project beneficiaries.

Implementation of the LMP:

• Ensuring that the provisions on labor conditions are in compliance for the personnel/employees of the Project including contracted workers.
• Coordinate with the Environmental Specialist responsible for ensuring OHS aspects of the LMP are implemented
• Monitor requirements for fair treatment and arrangements for addressing worker grievances.
• Monitor the compliances on the construction sites with the measures to prevent Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH)

Project-level Beneficiary Feedback and Grievance Redress Mechanism

• Contribute into the design of grievance redress mechanism (GRM) including dedicated channels for handling sensitive complaints such as complaints related to SEA/SH
• Operationalize Project level GRM and serve as focal point for feedback/grievance handling and reporting under the Project, maintaining the GRM log;
• Organize grievance management trainings with responsible persons from implementing agencies and/or local communities;  
• Identify and engage stakeholders and local communities on social risks and impacts and barriers to accessing Project benefits, in communication with local communities through the implementation of grievance redress mechanism, stakeholder engagement and beneficiary surveys, and assistance with the preparation of responses to feedback, complaints and grievances;
• Ensure registration of all grievances and documentation regarding the resolution of issues raised are addressed;
• Contribute to development of beneficiary/user surveys, and support preparation of draft Terms of Reference, evaluation reports, and/or performance monitoring with methodological requirements of beneficiary feedback/survey reports;
• Advisory support to PIU in the establishment and operationalizing of an e effective and accessible grievance redress mechanism in the implementation of the Project.

Reporting

• Preparation of social part of semi-annual reports for PIU and World Bank on compliance with ESF standards including measures taken and submitting to the Bank updated GRM log;
• Contribute to semi-annual Project reports, midterm and final Project completion reports required according to the Loan Agreement for the Project as well as other Project reports as required by PIU.
• Report to the Project Manager on these activities.

Supporting ESF implementation with Contractors

• Review procurement documents to ensure that relevant social aspects of the Project’s ESF instruments are properly included. 
• Organize or contribute to trainings for Contractors’ environmental and social management specialists (and local communities’ representatives, if needed) on ESF standards and requirements applicable to the Project;
• Oversee the preparation of the Contractors’ environmental and social management plans (ESMPs)/C-ESMPs checklists in order to monitor Contractors’ consideration of ESF standards;
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor of Contractors’ ESMPs/C-ESMPs checklists and implementation of ESF instruments.

Other

Fulfilling other tasks and contributing to the Project activities and objectives as required by PIU.

4. Qualifications

The Social Specialist is expected to demonstrate the following main requirements on qualifications and experience:

Mandatory Qualifications:

The Social Specialist should meet the following mandatory Qualifications:

• University degree in e.g., Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, Gender, Law, Development Studies, and Political Science or related fields.  
• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in social risk management and applied social development on issues such as social inclusion, gender, ethnic minorities and stakeholder/citizen engagement
• Knowledge and experience in addressing issues covered by the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) and social safeguards policies, particularly social assessment, social risk management, labor and working conditions, community health and safety, gender-based violence, stakeholder engagement and information disclosure and/or similar policies in other international finance institutions.  Experience with grievance redress mechanisms;
• Expert understanding of Moldovan legislation on environmental and social assessment, social protection, labor law, access to information, public consultation, grievances, labor law and human rights;
• Strong experience in planning and conducting stakeholder engagement (consultations, focus group discussions, public hearings), with government partners, state institutions, local communities and civil society;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Romanian, including the ability to draft memos, letters and internal regulations, and reports;
• Computer literacy.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in capacity building, training and developing awareness materials for projects or institutions;
• Experience of working with large, multi-sources, international project budgets;
• Proven track record of supporting, advising, and collaborating with Government entities;
• Proved experience in constructing and implementing stakeholder engagement programs with a range of stakeholders and the preparation of beneficiary surveys.

5. Duration

This assignment is scheduled for the period from July 2025 to September 2029. The contract will be concluded for an initial period of twelve (12) months, with the possibility of extension subject to satisfactory performance of the Social Specialist, agreement of the Parties and Bank’s no objection.

6. Client Input for the Specialist:

• Provision of working space and related utilities at the PIU/OEAPM office;
• Access to office equipment and communication facilities;
• Transportation required for the execution of the assignment;

Any other necessary means and support to assist the Specialist in carrying out the