REGIONAL DISEASE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS ENHANCEMENT (REDISSE) PROJECT
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE ENGAGEMENT OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARD OFFICER
CLOSING DATE: 11TH MAY, 2019
1.0 Background Information
The World Bank is providing funding to all West African countries through the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement (REDISSE) project to strengthen the weak Human Health, Animal Health, and Disaster Response Systems, improve the preparedness of the region to handle future epidemics and thereby minimize the national, regional, and potential global effects of such disease outbreaks.
a. Project overview
The board of the World Bank (IBRD-IDA) approved REDISSE II project on March 1, 2017 and the project duration is 2017 to 2023. The project is targeted at supporting initiatives in five thematic areas across the human and animal health services.
These areas include: - (1) Surveillance and information systems; (2) Laboratory strengthening; (3) Preparedness and emergency response (Includes a “zero dollar” emergency response component); (4) Human resource management (public health workforce); (5) Institutional Capacity Building, Project Management, Coordination and Advocacy.
b.Project Development Objective
The project’s development objective (PDO) is to strengthen cross-sectoral and regional capacity for collaborative disease surveillance and response in West Africa
c.Project location
REDISSE will be implemented in five counties: Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. The engagement of the environmental safeguards officer covers Nigeria only.
d.Project Components
The REDISSE Project has five components as follows:
Component 1: Surveillance and Information Systems:
•Support the enhancement of national surveillance and reporting systems and their interoperability at the different tiers of the health systems.
•Support national and regional efforts in the surveillance of priority diseases (including emerging, re-emerging and endemic diseases) and the timely reporting of human public health and animal health emergencies in line with the IHR (2005) and the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health code.
Component 2: Strengthening Laboratory Capacity:
•establish networks of efficient, high quality, accessible public health, veterinary and private laboratories for the diagnosis of infectious human and animal diseases, and
•Establish a regional networking platform to improve collaboration for laboratory investigation.
•Address critical laboratory system weakness systems weaknesses across countries, fostering cross-country and cross-sectoral (at national and regional levels) collaboration.
Component 3: Preparedness and Emergency Response:
•Support national and regional efforts to enhance infectious disease outbreak preparedness and response capacity.
•Support (i) updating and/or development of cross-sectoral emergency preparedness and
•response plans (national and regional) for priority diseases, and ensuring their integration into the broader national all-hazards disaster risk management framework; (ii) regular testing, assessment, and improvements of plans; (iii) expansion of the health system surge capacity including the allocation and utilization of existing pre-identified structures and resources (at the national and regional level) for emergency response, infection prevention and control.
Component 4: Human resource management for effective disease surveillance and epidemic preparedness:
•Cross-cutting given that animal and human health workers form the backbone of Disease Surveillance (Component 1), Laboratories (Component 2) and Preparedness and Response (Component 3) ensure effective human resource management aims at bringing the right people with the right skills to the right place at the right time.
e.Environmental Safeguards Aspects
The REDISSE project is categorized as B as no cumulative, unprecedented and large scale adverse impacts are envisaged to result from the activities that will be financed under this project. The proposed project activities, which includes, essentially the rehabilitation of existing building structures and laboratory investigations, the project triggers two World Bank safeguards policies dealing with Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) and Pest management (OP/BP 4.09) respectively. Three safeguards instruments have been prepared and disclosed: (i) Health Care waste Management Plan (HCWMP); (ii) Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPMP); and (iii) Environment and Social Management Framework (ESMF)
f. Implementation arrangements
In order to achieve this, through a novel, collaborative arrangement, the Federal Ministry of Health (represented by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)) will be working with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture (represented by the Department of Veterinary services) alongside the Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv) to deliver on the targets of the project.
The Project Coordination Unit (PCU) comprising of qualified staff with demonstrable experience is being constituted.
In addition to qualified staff selected and deployed to the PCU, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control will recruit and engage the services of additional Program Specialists with suitable qualifications and experience for the following 12-months full time consultancy positions.
2.0 a. General Objectives of the Assignment
The objective of recruiting the Program Specialists is to support the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) and strengthen capacity of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the areas of Surveillance, Data Management, Monitoring and Evaluation; Emergency Response and Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) operations; Capacity building and Human Workforce; Laboratory System Management and Training; and, Social and Environmental Safeguards. In view of the above, the NCDC will require the services of the following Program Specialists with adequate qualifications and experience for the assignment:
b.Specific Objectives
The specific objective of the consultancy is to engage an environmental safeguards officer to support the PCU.
3.0Tasks and Responsibilities
The Environmental Safeguards Officer will oversee the implementation of the prepared safeguards instruments (ESMF, IPMP, HCWMP) as well as ensure compliance with World Bank Safeguard Policies throughout the project cycle. Specifically, the Environmental Officer’s responsibilities shall include but not limited to:
•Review the Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet (ISDS) (Concept and Appraisal Stage), Project Information Document (PID), Healthcare Waste Management Plan (HCWMP), an Integrated Pest and Vector Management Plan (IPVMP), and an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF).
•Periodically review and assess the effectiveness of the activities implemented and their outcomes and impacts as well as compliance with national and international standards and the environmental safeguards instruments; HCWMP, IPVMP, ESMF and Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMPs).
•Ensure that the planned project activities and related Environment and Social (E&S) assessment and management instruments and processes will be in compliance with the national legislation of Nigeria as well as the Bank’s operational safeguards policies, and are duly and diligently implemented in a logical sequence with the environmentally and socially relevant project activities.
•Prepare TORs for a range of Environmental safeguards instruments (ESMP, HCWMP) etc and conduct consultations;
•Prepare internal environmental and social guidelines for the preparation, implementation, monitoring and reporting of environmental and social impacts required by various safeguards instruments;
•Review environmental safeguards documents prepared by consultants to ensure compliance with relevant safeguards policies of the Nigerian Government and the World Bank;
•Develop a timetable for field visits and undertake supervision visits to sub-project sites and ascertain if sub-projects are implemented in an environmentally and social sustainable manner;
•Ensure that environmental and social management clauses are inserted into bidding/binding contract documents to ensure compliance
•Support PCU and MDAs in the review of documentation pertaining to environmental compliance (including bidding documents, reviews on-site, reports from contractors etc.) during project implementation;
•Monitor and document the potential negative impacts of the project relating to the rehabilitation/upgrading of medical and other facilities (waste management and occupational health and safety issues), use of pesticides (indiscriminate and inaccurate usage and poor disposal practices) and medical and animal waste management (haphazard disposal resulting in risk to public health and to the environment).
•Identify on the sub-project sites, immediate environmental safeguard issues and recommend action plans to implement appropriate safeguard measures especially issues that require urgent attention to mitigate adverse environmental and social impacts. Facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of interventions developed to mitigate adverse environmental risks identified.
•Participate in the design and use of the environmental and social screening checklist of sub-projects for inclusion into the overall state project design
•Ensure that consultation is carried out for each sub project with key stakeholders before the appraisal of each sub project and arrange for disclosure activities
•Conduct screening of proposed project activities to identify the potential environmental impacts and specific management and actions for mitigating the negative environmental impacts of proposed civil works.
•Assist with training of all relevant stakeholders in the implementation of environmental development issues on the Project
•Conduct necessary capacity building for project staff, government agencies, contractors and other stakeholders on project-related WB requirements for environment safeguards
•Prepare training materials and conduct technical training workshops to PCU and MDAs’ staff and project implementation agencies on environment safeguards requirements; Submit timely and regular weekly, monthly and annual progress reports indicating status of the implementation of environmental Safeguards instruments and their compliance;
•Facilitate the clearance of the prepared environmental and social safeguard instruments with the Federal Ministry of Environment and the World Bank; and then disclosure in country and at the environment safeguards World Bank InfoShop.
•Maintain an updated library of relevant environmental and social safeguards documents.
•Collaborate with the Social Safeguards Officer of the project to ensure that the Environmental and Social Safeguards unit is functional, collaborative and effective.
4.0Qualifications and experience
Applicants must have-
•A Master’s Degree, in environmental engineering, natural resources management, environmental management/sciences, or related field,
•Have had at least 10 years of post-qualification practical experience in environment and natural resource management of which five (5) years should have been on a donor funded project in a similar position. Have experience with the implementation of WB environment safeguards policies.
•Conversant with environmental laws and covenants in Nigeria.
•Familiar with environmental institutions and their roles in environmental governance at the National, State, LG and Community levels in Nigeria.
•Computer literacy and competence in the use of standard software applications for statistical analysis, and spread sheets will necessary.
•Experience in the use and application of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) as a minimum.
•Excellent command of written and spoken English Ability to communicate and write effectively in English
5.0 Expected Output and Schedule of Deliverables
The Consultant(s) will produce the following reports: -
i.An Inception Report
The inception report is to outline the work plan of the consultant, completed in agreement with the project coordinator, define tasks and the planned implementation periods and schedules, identify target submission dates of reports, on each task.
Particular attention will be given towards the planned coordination within the relevant departmental teams and preparation of a detailed schedule of tasks in chart form. The inception report once approved and issued in its final form, will serve as the consultancy’s baseline for the management and monitoring of the tasks.
ii.A monthly progress report of the activities carried out within the month
The Consultant shall prepare consolidated Monthly Progress Reports covering progress towards achieving the objectives in this ToR as well as identified areas of weaknesses and strategies for improvement of procurement activities.
The reports shall provide a brief but comprehensive end-of-month progress assessment. Tabulated and graphical representations of physical and financial progress compared with the work program and cash flow forecasts, relevant photographs and details of impediment to the works and proposals for overcoming them. These reports shall be submitted within the first week of the succeeding month. The report will be assessed and appraised by the Project Coordinator.
iii.Quarterly Progress Reports
These reports shall make use of the information previously reported monthly, but suitably modified to include, summarize, and draw conclusions on all pertinent issues concerning the assignment.
In addition, the Quarterly Progress Reports shall summarize the Consultant’s activities, with solutions adopted, financial statements with the Consultancy Agreement and any other relevant information considered necessary in respect of the services delivery. Bottleneck and risks should be reported, with clear recommendations for mitigation.
Each of these reports shall be submitted not later than the 7th day of the first month of the following quarter.
iv.A draft final report within the first week of the last month of the assignment.
v.A final report within the last week of the assignment.
All Reports Shall be written in English and Presented in Hard and Soft Copies
6.0 Reporting Arrangement
The Environment safeguards officer will operate within the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) and will report directly to the project coordinator and work closely with other staff at the PCU to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the project.
7.0 Duration.
The services shall be full time for an initial period of one year. Renewal will be subject to satisfactory performance of the consultant and the requirements of the project.
8.0Termination of Appointment
The appointment of the Environmental Safeguards Officer can be terminated at any point with one-month notice if the incumbent is found to be incompetent or if s/he carries out other activities that are found deleterious to the progress of the Project.
9.0 Payment
Payment will be in accordance with the payment schedule earmarked for such officer in the project.
Interested applicants should send their application to redisse@ncdc.gov.ng on or before 11th May, 2019.
