Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
 | The TA cluster subproject 5 (Strengthening Project Development of the Water and Urban Development Sectors) will support capacity development, policy advice, project identification, and support of project preparation of 2025–2028 pipeline projects.3 It will directly support the country partnership strategy’s objectives to transition to a green and integrated economy, with focus on improving the overall capacity of Georgia’s large water state-owned enterprise; and foster a more resilient and inclusive society through investment projects aimed at enhancing the accessibility and livability of medium and small cities and rural area thus, uplifting these areas’ full economic potential. Output 2 of subproject 5 (Design of urban and water sector programs strengthened) will finance project identification and due diligence activities to help pivot ADB’s urban programs toward more climate action and gender responsiveness. These activities include, though not limited to, strategic assessments on procurement and safeguards, economic and financial sector assessments and/or analysis, and project concept notes. The output will contribute to project readiness of ensuing loans which are innovative in lending modality and technical content. |
Scope of Work
| The International Environment Specialist will coordinate the (i) preparation of the PSSA; and (ii) prepare/update the RBL program’s environmental and social management framework (ESMF) in line with requirements of ADB as defined in ADB Technical Staff Guidance for Results-Based Lending for Programs (November 2021) and SPS through desk reviews, consultations with the executing agency (EA) and other key stakeholders, and field visits as deemed necessary. The PSSA and ESMF updating exercises will involve document review, complemented by field visits [can be supported by local consultant or virtually] to verify the adequacy of the safeguard system pertinent to the RBL program and additional financing. It will particularly highlight the program’s inconsistency with the applicable SPS principles (if any), the significance of these gaps, and the executing and implementing agencies’ commitment to address critical gaps. The PSSA will describe the nature, scale, location and severity of adverse environment and social impacts caused by the RBL program additional financing, especially impacts on the poor, vulnerable groups and indigenous peoples’. It will present the detailed assessment of the programmatic, institutional and contextual risks of the RBL program additional financing. The PSSA shall pay adequate attention to operational issues relevant to the program; and clearly identify what consultation and disclosure arrangements are necessary during program implementation. The ESMF will include screening, categorization, assessment of potential environmental and social impacts of the additional financing, preparation of environmental management measures and a grievance redness mechanism, and other recommendations to meet the requirements of SPS. |
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
| The International Environment Specialist will: (i) Lead and coordinate environmental due diligence activities with the national environmental specialist and establish a good working relationship with the implementing agency, United Water Supply Company of Georgia (UWSCG) to ensure timely delivery of the outputs. (ii) Prepare the RBL program safeguard systems assessment (PSSA) including gap analysis of existing environment and social management system of UWSCG, assessment of the likely positive and negative environmental, involuntary resettlement, and indigenous peoples impacts and risks, and capacity assessment of MRDI and UWSCG staff to meet safeguard requirements of the RBL program. (iii) With the other TA specialists, assist the UWSCG in updating the EA/IA’s ESMS to meet ADB safeguard policies and applicable government legislations. (iv) Review the detailed designs of construction of water supply and sanitation non-networked infrastructure selected for advanced actions/construction under the RBL program to ensure compliance with RBL program’s requirements on environment safeguards. (v) Conduct a diagnostic assessment, outlining the methodology adopted to ensure that measures for avoiding or mitigation of the adverse impacts have been identified and assessed, including a review of the relevant national legislative and regulatory framework against ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS), 2009. (vi) Assess the existing good practices to be adopted by the RBL program that are consistent with the environment-related safeguard principles. (vii) Based on the PSSA and diagnostic assessment, develop a comprehensive safeguard management system for the program to address the gaps and recommend measures for using the national environmental regulations in accordance with the principles of ADB’s SPS. The safeguard management system will consist of a screening checklist for potential environmental impacts which may affect the program design and recommended necessary measures and actions for mitigation, with clear results and monitoring mechanisms. (viii) In the absence of EA/IA’s ESMS, prepare Environment Assessment Review Framework (EARF) for the RBL program. (ix) Prepare safeguard-related program actions to address significant gaps and identified weaknesses. Describe the key measures recommended to strengthen the safeguard systems, such as (i) specific mitigation measures to address particular impacts; (ii) institutional arrangement, cost estimates, budget, and time frame for implementing the actions; and (iii) measures for information disclosure, consultation, and grievance redress during implementation. (x) Prepare capacity building as a component of the RBL program or through technical assistance. (xi) Deliver trainings/workshops to UWSCG staff to present findings of the PSSA and diagnostic assessment and to ensure their understanding of the safeguard requirements for the RBL program and safeguard-related program actions. (xii) Perform tasks as needed to ensure high readiness and full compliance of the RBL program with requirements of ADB safeguard policies and applicable government legislation. (xiii) Support data gathering for the climate vulnerability and risk assessment, and based on the findings identify and assess the costs of adaptation options for water supply appropriate to program conditions and design objectives, including structural (e.g. materials, design) and non-structural (e.g. operation and maintenance) approaches and interventions. (xiv) In addition, the Consultant will be required to contribute to the drafting of ADB’s program documentation, specifically: the ADB report and recommendations of the President (RRP), Program Implementation Document, Integrated Risk Assessment and Mitigating Measures, and other documents as necessary as directed by the ADB Project Officer. |
Minimum Qualification Requirements
| The consultant shall have a university degree in environmental engineering or related discipline and at least 10 years of experience in environmental management and impact assessments, preferably experience with donor funded projects. The environmental specialist is expected to be well acquainted with ADB’s safeguards policies and RBL modality. Excellent communication skills and demonstrated experience of working or communicating with the government and local community; and good English writing skills. |
