FAO Iraq is implementing a range of initiatives aimed at enhancing the resilience and sustainability of agricultural livelihoods across various governorates, with a focus on climate-smart water management, climate-resilient agriculture, and enabling policy environments. These efforts include infrastructure upgrades, renewable energy installations, capacity building, and institutional strengthening.
To support these activities, FAO Iraq seeks to engage an Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) Specialist to lead the development and implementation of ESS tools and instruments, ensure alignment with FAO safeguard standards, and contribute to planning and oversight during the inception and implementation phases of relevant projects.
The objective of this assignment is to support the development, effective implementation and monitoring of Environmental and Social (ES) safeguards instruments developed for FAO Iraq’s projects and programmes. These instruments have been prepared in accordance with project-specific risk categorizations and the ES risks identified through the FAO Project Risk Screening Checklist (FPMIS) and other relevant assessments. The incumbent will ensure that safeguards are consistently applied across the portfolio and contribute to strengthening environmental and social risk management practices. Specifically, the assignment covers the operationalization and oversight of the following ES risk management instruments, wherever applicable, including but not limited to:
• Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF);
• Site-specific Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs);
• Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP);
• Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM);
• Gender Action Plan (GAP);
• Pest Management Plan (PMP);
• Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP).
The ESS Specialist will ensure that the mitigation measures, stakeholder engagement activities, and grievance redress procedures outlined in these instruments are implemented effectively and in compliance with FAO and its resource partners’ standards. This includes the collection and analysis of primary and secondary data to monitor ES risks, assess the effectiveness of mitigation measures, and recommend adjustments as needed.
The Specialist will also be responsible for ensuring that stakeholder engagement is inclusive, participatory, and gender-responsive, and that the GRM is accessible, functional, and responsive to community concerns. The assignment will contribute to the overall environmental and social sustainability of the FAOIQ projects and support adaptive management throughout the implementation phase.
Reporting Lines
The ESS Specialist will work under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Iraq and the direct supervision of the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, in close coordination with FAO ESM Unit, the Regional Office and relevant technical units.
Technical Focus
The International Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist will lead the design and execution of ESS tools and frameworks, ensure they comply with FAO safeguard standards, and support relevant projects planning and monitoring throughout both the inception and implementation stages.