Job Description
E T Consultant
Job #:
req35580
Organization:
World Bank
Sector:
Safeguards
Grade:
EC2
Term Duration: 0 years 5 months
Recruitment Type:
Local Recruitment
Location:
Lusaka,Zambia
Required Language(s):
English
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date:
2/11/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. Please visit www.worldbank.org.
The World Bank’s East Africa Environmental and Social Framework supports countries to address social risks, strengthen inclusion, and ensure socially sustainable development outcomes. Under the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), the Bank works with clients to identify, assess, and manage social risks and impacts, particularly within high and substantial risk operations across sectors. The ETC will provide operational support to project teams and government counterparts, ensuring compliance with ESF requirements and enhancing social and environmental outcomes across the East Africa portfolio, with a focus on Zambia. In Zambia, the World Bank portfolio includes high-value infrastructure, health, energy, mining-adjacent, urban development, and climate resilience operations, many classified as Moderate to Substantial risk under the ESF. Social risks include land acquisition, involuntary resettlement, labour influx, SEA/SH, community health and safety, inclusion of vulnerable groups, and stakeholder engagement in politically and socially sensitive contexts.
Objectives of the Assignment
• Support Bank task teams and government counterparts in identifying, assessing, and managing social risks and impacts in Bank financed operations, ensuring timely, risk-appropriate, and high-quality ESF compliance.
• Strengthen client capacity to implement ESF requirements, improve social sustainability, and deliver effective stakeholder engagement .
• Provide high quality operational inputs in social risk management across the project cycle, ensuring timely preparation and supervision of social instruments.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Support and ESF Due Diligence:
• Prepare Environmental and Social Review Summaries (ESRS) and contribute to project due diligence.
• Support clients in preparing and implementing ESF instruments including ESCP, SEP, LMP, RAP, LRP, and social components of ESIA/ESMP.
• Provide technical review of social and environmental documents across sectors.
• Support identification and management of SEA/SH risks, including review of SEA/SH Action Plans and survivor-centred GRMs.
• Ensure integration of vulnerable and disadvantaged group considerations, including women, persons with disabilities, IDPs, and underserved communities.
• Advise on community health, safety, and security risk management, including coordination with security assessments where relevant.
• Support incident reporting, investigation follow-up, and corrective actions in line with ESIRT.
• Advise task teams on social, environmental, health and safety aspects and strengthen integration during the project design phase.
Project Preparation, Appraisal, and Supervision:
• Participate in project preparation, appraisal, and supervision missions.
• Monitor implementation of social, environmental, health and safety measures across projects.
• Track ESCP commitments, identify bottlenecks, and support resolution of non-compliance.
• Monitor implementation of effective grievance mechanisms.
• Provide inputs to Aide-Mémoires and ISRs.
Policy Dialogue and Portfolio Support:
• Proactively flag emerging social risks to the CMU ESF Focal Point and support preparation of management briefs, decision notes, and escalation memos where required.
• Contribute to engagements with government and stakeholders on ESF implementation.
• Participate in portfolio reviews and contribute to policy dialogue on the ESF, sustainability and risk management.
• Support preparation of country diagnostics, strategies, and policy notes.
• Support alignment of national systems with ESF principles, particularly in land administration and stakeholder engagement.
Capacity Building:
• Deliver ESF-related training to government counterparts and PIUs.
• Supervise consultants and ensure quality outputs.
Stakeholder and Country Engagement:
• Engage with government, civil society, and communities, identifying partnerships to support social and environmental development initiatives.
• Ensure timely reporting on ESF compliance, proactive engagement with the Country Management Unit (CMU) and preparation of relevant management briefs on social and environmental risks management in the portfolio.
Deliverables:
Deliverables are expected to be timely, technically robust, and aligned with World Bank quality standards, with outputs delivered throughout the assignment in line with project cycles and CMU priorities.
• ESRS and due diligence documentation.
• Technical reviews of ESF instruments.
• Inputs to mission documentation (Aide-Mémoires, ISRs).
• Issue-resolution action plans.
• Capacity-building materials and trainings.
• Contributions to portfolio reviews and country-level products.
Selection Criteria
• Master’s degree in social sciences (e.g. Development Studies, Social Anthropology, Sociology, International Development, Environmental Sciences, or related fields).
• Strong track record in resettlement, land acquisition, RAPs/LRPs, and ESIAs.
• Demonstrated experience with community consultation and SEPs
• Demonstrated competence in operationalizing global sustainability frameworks (World Bank ESF, IFC Performance Standards).
• Minimum 8 years’ experience in Eastern/Southern Africa or Sub‑Saharan Africa.
• Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in multicultural environments.
• Knowledge and familiarity with Zambia’s social, land tenure, and institutional context (local language skills) will be an advantage.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with ability to explain complex issues to diverse audiences.
• Willingness to travel frequently.
Reporting and Oversight
• Reports to the Practice Manager, SAEM2.
• Works under the guidance of the CMU ESF Coordinator (Zambia)
Note: This
internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only (including short-term
and extended term consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requested
not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not
be considered.
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
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