To advise and assist counties and municipalities with effective integration and implementation of environmental and social safeguards across all KUSP2 activities, fostering sustainable infrastructure development that complies with national and international ESS standards. Through proactive risk management, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and grievance redress mechanisms, the ESS specialist will enhance the environmental and social performance of KUSP2 projects, minimize adverse impacts, and promote inclusive and resilient urban development.

About UN-Habitat The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. For close to forty years, UN- Habitat has been working in human settlements throughout the world, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes. The Urban Practices Branch (UPB) is the tools and methodology production center of the UN-Habitat that develops normative guidance and cutting-edge tools through communities of urban practices and is the operational level responsible to undertake technical cooperation projects, such as the construction of water and sanitation facilities, shelter and other work. The Planning, Finance & Economy Section (PFES) is responsible for supporting urban and territorial planning at all scales, including through the development of planning policy, norms and guidelines, urban design and public space design, urban finance (municipal finance and urban development/projects finance), and local economic development. Background UN-Habitat has been approached by the Government of Kenya and the World Bank to provide Technical Assistance for the Window for Host Communities and Refugees of the Second Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP2) through a Service Contract. The Window for Host Communities and Refugees (WHR) has been developed under KUSP2 to strengthen the capacities of urban institutions in refugee hosting areas. At the national level, the project aims to strengthen policy and legislative frameworks related to refugees and urbanization, including supporting the implementation of the Refugees Act of 2021, and related policies and legislation. At the local level, the project’s main goal is to establish and strengthen urban institutions and improve access to critical infrastructure and services in refugee and host community areas. The KUSP2 WHR framework, under the special municipalities of Kakuma (Turkana County) and Dadaab (Garissa County), can potentially become a platform for coordination of settlements planning and development interventions in these areas. The project will target both host and refugee communities as residents of the new municipalities, through working with the respective municipal boards. To deliver the required TA to KUSP2, UN-Habitat will design activities that will contribute towards building overall institutional capacity for integrated planning and municipal management, delivery of services, refugee-host integration and strengthened policies on urban planning and development. Overall, the scope of the technical assistance activities will fall within five areas of intervention, as follows: (a) Support to integrated development planning through advisory on planning processes; (b) Capacity assessments and training for skills development; (c) Review and advisory on design and delivery of infrastructure projects; (d) Technical advisory and support to institutional, policy and legislative development; (e) Knowledge management - production and dissemination of normative work. Reporting The Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) specialist will report directly to the Snr. Programme Management Officer/Project Manager within the Planning, Finance and Economy section. He/she will interact with colleagues from other sections within UN-Habitat and liaise with partners, government counterparts and other stakeholders outside UN-Habitat. Duties and Responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the Snr. Programme Management Officer/Project Manager, the ESS specialist will be responsible for the following duties: Environmental Safeguards 1. Support counties and municipalities to integrate the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA, 1999; amended 2015) in the county and municipal level integrated plans as well as the planning and design of UIG projects. 2. Assist municipalities to prepare environmental screening reports, Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), and Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP) for sub-projects and adherence to environmental risk management requirements as provided in the KUSP2 ESHSM manual. 3. Advise municipalities to incorporate environmental clauses in works contracts and ensure that contractors comply with environmental permit conditions. 4. Provide guidance to municipalities on waste management, occupational health and safety (OHS), pollution control, and biodiversity conservation. 5. Support municipalities with monitoring and compliance tracking of ESMP and implementation of Contractors’ ESMP (C-ESMP), ensuring strict adherence to environmental safeguard requirements. 6. Train and/or participate in training of county and municipal staff on environmental risk management and environmental audit processes. 7. Accompany municipal officials on field visits to sub-project locations to assess environmental compliance and provide recommendations on corrective action. 8. Support municipalities to maintain an updated database on environmental compliance status for all sub-projects. Social Safeguards 1. Provide technical support to municipalities in integrating social safeguards in project planning and implementation. 2. Support municipalities to prepare and effectively implement social screening, social risk assessments, and social management plans for all infrastructure sub-projects. 3. Guide municipalities in addressing social risks, including land acquisition, displacement, involuntary resettlement, gender considerations, and the inclusion of Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups (VMGs). 4. Support stakeholder engagement and public participation processes by municipalities, ensuring inclusion and compliance with Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) where required. 5. Support municipalities to monitor compliance with labor management procedures, gender-based violence (GBV) mitigation measures, and grievance handling mechanisms. 6. Assist municipalities to prepare social safeguards reports. 7. Support municipalities to conduct periodic social audits and field assessments to evaluate the impact of infrastructure sub-projects on local communities. 8. Train and/or participate in trainings for municipal social officers on social risk management, stakeholder engagement, and handling of grievances.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field is required. A first- level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. At least five (5) years of experience in environmental and social risk management, including at least two (2) similar assignments, with at least one (1) assignment in the last five (5) years is required. Experience in infrastructure investment projects and compliance with international environmental and social standards is required. Experience in environmental and social risk assessment, stakeholder engagement, grievance redress, and gender mainstreaming is desirable. One (1) year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable. Registration with a professional association is required. Strong knowledge of Kenya’s environmental and social regulatory frameworks. Familiarity with environmental risk assessment, ESIA, and ESMP implementation. Experience working in hardship environments is desirable. Proven ability to work in multi-agency settings and to engage with devolved government structures. Work experience within the United Nations System or similar organization is desirable.

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