Consultancy- Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) Specialist-(MENA) 82 views1 applications

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Solicitation Number: CSLT SAHA**‐**FY25‐01

CONSULTANCY OPPORTUNITIES (MENA)

Issued on: July 28, 2025

Deadline: August 15, 2025

Executive Summary

This document presents the Terms of Reference for a series of consultancy positions supporting the development of Pathfinder International’s Funding Proposal to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for the SAHA Programme. These consultancies will provide expertise across critical thematic areas – ranging from environmental and social safeguards to financial structuring – to ensure the programme is technically robust, gender-responsive, and implementation-ready. The SAHA programme aims to enhance the climate resilience of healthcare systems across Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq by addressing climate-health risks, strengthening institutional capacity, and promoting inclusive, sustainable approaches.

Position Title:

Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) Specialist

Level of Effort (days):

Deliverable-based

Period of Performance:

7 months

Country(ies) of Performance:

Multiple Countries in the MENA

Supervisor:

Pathfinder Project Lead

Activity:

Sustainable Adaptation for Healthcare Advancement in the MENA Region (SAHA)

Background

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is one of the most climate-vulnerable areas globally. The region has experienced a warming trend of 1-2°C in the last century and is projected to witness more frequent and severe extreme weather events as a result of anticipated shifts in the region’s climatic patterns. The health burden of climate change is significantly understudied across the MENA region. However, changing temperature and precipitation patterns related to climate change have broad effects on these countries, threatening agriculture, food and water security, and overall human health and well-being.

To answer these challenges, Pathfinder is working with a range of stakeholders to develop a comprehensive programme aimed at reducing the impact of climate change on the health sector in five target countries: Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq.

The Sustainable Adaptation for Healthcare Advancement in the MENA Region (SAHA) programme will address the root causes and barriers that contribute to and exacerbate climate and health challenges in the region, including 1) insufficient information on climate change’s impact on disease burden and health, 2) strained administrative capacity, 3) limited capacity of healthcare workers, 4) limited private sector investment and financial resources, 5) barriers to healthcare access, and 6) gender inequity. The programme proposal will be submitted to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) under the Project Specific Assessment Approach (PSAA) mechanism.

The overarching aim of the SAHA programme is to enhance the climate resilience of healthcare systems and health-related community practices in 200 health facilities and their catchment areas across 14 districts/regions in the target countries.

The SAHA programme will use a gender-responsive, community-based approach to integrate cross-sectoral issues that contribute to adverse climate-health outcomes, including climate-health information and warnings, agriculture, food and water security, and energy access. By doing so, SAHA increases the potential for substantial and sustained climate change mitigation and adaptation action in the health sector.

The programme goal has four outcomes:

1. Climate-Informed Health Early Warning Systems are widely available and used to monitor and address the health impacts of climate hazards locally and regionally.
2. Health facility staff are able to anticipate and respond to climate risks to healthand have increased adaptive capacity to maintain climate-resilient health facilities.
3. Health facilities and infrastructure are more resilient, sustainable, and prepared for climate risks.
4. Multisectoral community initiatives improve climate-sensitive health outcomes and inspire agents of change.

GCF Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS)

With the aim of effectively and equitably manage environmental and social risks and impacts and improve outcomes of all GCF-financed activities, GCF has established a set of management processes and procedures allowing it to identify, analyze, avoid, minimize, and mitigate any potential adverse environmental and social impacts of its activities, to maximize environmental and social benefits, and to improve the environmental and social performance of the GCF and its activities consistently over time. For reference (non-exhaustive), please see:

• Revised environmental and social policy | Green Climate Fund (Link)
• Environmental and social safeguards | Green Climate Fund (Link)
• Indigenous Peoples | Green Climate Fund (Link)

Primary Objectives of the Consultancy

Pathfinder requires the services of an Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) Specialist to provide technical assistance to SAHA’s feasibility study team to 1) lead the ESS screening process, 2) support the developing of a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and a Grievance Redress Mechanism, and 3) support the overall design of the Funding Proposal to GCF. The ESS Specialist will be responsible for ensuring the development of appropriate ESS policies and assessments specific to the SAHA programme and to provide recommendations for improving implementation of safeguards, in line with GCF guidelines in Choose an item.

Working closely with the Gender Assessment Specialist/s, the selected consultants will also conduct a targeted assessment on Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH) risks. The findings of which will be incorporated into the Gender Assessment and used to inform the Gender Action Plan and the overall project design.

In line with GCF’s Sustainability Guidance Note and PPF Guidelines, the consultant will support the development of a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) that aligns with GCF ESS requirements, reflects environmental and social risks, incorporates community feedback, and informs the design of a programme-level Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) consistent with ADA and GCF procedures for addressing and resolving stakeholder concerns.

Throughout the duration of the assignment, the selected consultant will work closely with Pathfinder’s project team and relevant stakeholders in the countries of interest. The consultant will be required to coordinate and interface closely with consultants leading other specialistic studies, notably with those leading the Feasibility Study, the Gender Study and the Project Design, to provide inputs from its deliverables and to ensure coherence of approach, alignment, and avoidance of duplication across activities. The consultant will also be required to interface with external stakeholders as required by the client.

Scope of Work

The SAHA programme is classified as GCF ESS Category B: medium risk. The ESS Specialist will be responsible for the following required assessments, plans, and frameworks (the “Deliverables”):

1. Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
2. Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF)
3. Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP)
4. Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH) Risk Assessment
5. Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework (IPPF)[1] (if needed)
6. Summary of Consultations and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP)
7. Grievance and Redress Mechanism (GRM)

The ESS Expert will:

• review the existing environmental and social documentation as well as the existing stakeholder engagement documents (i.e. the “Baseline”)
• identify the gaps between the Baseline and the Deliverables and devise and implement a series of actions to address those gaps and produce the Deliverables

Deliverables as of points 1-4 will have to identify the type and scale of potential environmental and social impacts and risks, appraise alternative options, design appropriate mitigation, management and monitoring measures, and support integration of safeguard-related recommendations into overall project design and monitoring systems.

Detailed Tasks

Guided by an existing project concept note, available technical feasibility studies and assessments, stakeholder engagement material and consultations with Pathfinder staff and consultants on other specific studies. The selected consultant is expected to complete the following tasks:

• Review the Baseline documents
• Participate to the Inception and Project Design Phases
• ESS Workplan: Leading the development of the ESS workplan with key milestones and deliverables, aligned with the overall PPF timeline and coordinated with equivalent ESS workstreams in other participating countries. Conducting ESS Assessments in line with GCF, and other national and international standards as appropriate, including:
  1. Desk review, stakeholder engagement, and site assessments.
  2. Interim progress report upon completion of literature review, stakeholder engagement, and any site assessments.
• Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF): The ESMF should describe, among others, the process for screening, assessing, addressing and managing safeguard issues for site-specific programme/project activities and subprojects that will be identified during programme/project implementation. The ESMF should cover all programme/project components including any capacity building as well as any small-scale works that may be undertaken related to the subprojects.
• ESIA and ESMP: Developing of ESIA and ESMP reports in line with GCF, and other national and international standards as appropriate, including:
  1. Review of relevant literature and policy
  2. Assessment of the country context and E&S regulatory framework
  3. Indigenous’ Peoples Planning Framework (if needed)
  4. Assessment of impacts and mitigation actions
• SEAH Risk Assessment: in producing the SEAH assessment, the consultant will include:
  • description of the context of SEAH in the proposed project area, including in the sector of intervention, and contextual risk factors as well as project risk factors
  • Identification and assessment of SEAH risks or potential adverse impacts on women, men, girls, and boys related to project activities.
  • Incorporation of the risks into the environmental and social impact assessment.
  • outline of measures to prevent/ mitigate SEAH that respond to SEAH risks related to the project
  • integration of SEAH measures in the environmental and social management plan and the gender action plan.
  • outline of measures that will be taken to respond to SEAH related incidents, ensure information disclosure and stakeholder engagement, as well as devise a grievance and redress mechanism that is survivor-centered and gender-responsive for SEAH-specific complaints
  • outline how the AE will monitor progress and performance reported to GCF and stakeholders throughout implementation
  • utilizing the GCF screening tool as a reference throughout its assignment.
• Summary of Consultations and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP):
  • Reviewing and contributing to stakeholder mapping and analysis, with emphasis on vulnerable and marginalized groups. Advising on inclusive, culturally sensitive engagement approaches.
  • Reviewing consultation documentation and integration of stakeholder feedback into mitigation measures.
  • Producing a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) in alignment with GCF’s Sustainability Guidance Note, PSAA requirements, and ESS principles.
  • Integrating a Communication Plan.
• Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM): Support the project team to develop and appropriate grievance redress mechanism for the project, ensuring alignment of the GRM with the ESMP, SEP, and overall monitoring and evaluation framework.
• Provide ad-hoc support to the Client from on the sector of expertise throughout the development of the programme.

Deliverables & Outputs

1. ESS Workplan
2. ESIA and ESMP report
3. FP ANNEX 6 – Environmental and Social Management Framework
4. SEAH Risk Assessment
5. Indigenous People Planning Framework (IPPF), if required
6. FP ANNEX 7 – Summary of Consultations and Stakeholder Engagement Plan
7. Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) document

Required Skills, Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in environmental and social safeguards (ESS), including due diligence, risk assessment, implementation, and monitoring of environmental and social impacts in development programmes.
• Strong track record in producing clear, accurate, and actionable reports, including assessments, due diligence reviews, and performance evaluations. Previous experience in assessing or producing E&S documentation for development banks and/or climate funds is a distinct advantage.
• Experience conducting ESS assessments in the MENA region.
• Skilled in formulating and communicating practical recommendations tailored to programme objectives, institutional contexts, and local conditions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, proficiency in Arabic is a distinct advantage/
• In-depth understanding of the GCF ESS, SEAH and Indigenous Peoples policy and processes or familiarity with international development banks E&S standards (e.g. Equator Principles etc.), policies and processes is a distinct advantage.
• Experience with ESS assessments, reporting, and monitoring for programmes specifically related to strengthening the climate resilience of health facility infrastructure is a distinct advantage.

[1] In this framework, Indigenous People will be individuated on the basis of: (1) the modern understanding of the term as outlined in [https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/5session_factsheet1.pdf] (2) criteria outlined in Section IV of the GCF Indigenous Peoples Policy (3) Section II and III of the Operational guidelines if the Indigenous Peoples Policy (scope of application and screening guidance). Should any Indigenous People be identified (such as nomadic pastoralists), then an IPPF will be produced in accordance with GCF Indigenous People Policy, communities will be involved as early as possible and results of consultations will be duly documented (list of participants, communities represented, inputs received and how they are integrated, etc.).