Description:

African Parks Zambia is seeking the services of a qualified consultant to conduct an Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) due diligence assessment that will form the basis of an action plan for AP Zambia to formalise and codify a robust ESS system. This consultancy is vital to ensure that the project aligns with African Parks’ environmental and social safeguards SOP requirements and adheres to international best practice.

The primary objectives of this consultancy are to a) conduct a comprehensive due diligence process for AP Zambia’s ESS system and b) work with AP Zambia’s Park Management Units to plug identified gaps as part of the due diligence assessment. The consultant will work closely with AP Zambia’s team to ensure the due diligence process is rigorous, thorough, and in accordance with relevant policies and guidelines.

Requirements:

Scope of Work:
The scope of work for the consultant will be structured in two phases as follows:

A.      Conduct a due diligence assessment of AP Zambia’s ESS
i.            Project Documentation Review: Thoroughly review all project documentation, including project plans, any environmental and social impact assessments, and related reports.
ii.            Gap Analysis: Conduct a gap analysis to identify any missing or incomplete environmental and social safeguards information in the Park documents.
iii.            Risk Assessment: Assess potential environmental and social risks associated with the project and evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of proposed mitigation measures.
iv.            Compliance Evaluation: Ensure that the project aligns with AP’s Safeguards SOP as well as international best practice.
v.            Stakeholder Engagement Assessment: Review stakeholder engagement plans and assess their appropriateness and effectiveness; and provide recommendations for enhancing stakeholder engagement processes.
vi.            Reporting: Prepare a comprehensive report outlining the findings of the due diligence assessment, including identified gaps, risks, and recommended actions; and present the findings and recommendations to the African Parks team.

B.      Work with AP Zambia team to plug gaps identified as part of the ESS due diligence assessment
i.            Action Plan Development: Develop comprehensive action plans, detailing specific steps and timelines for addressing identified gaps.
ii.            Monitoring and Reporting: Establish a monitoring and reporting framework to track the progress of gap-filling activities, and provide regular progress reports to AP.
iii.            Capability Building: Provide training and capacity-building support for the project teams to ensure that they have the appropriate guidance on best practices and approaches for environmental and social safeguards compliance.
iv.            Reporting: Prepare a final report detailing the activities undertaken, the status of the gap-filling measures as well as challenges encountered and recommendations for ongoing monitoring and compliance maintenance.

2.       Qualifications
The consultant should possess the following qualifications:
·       A minimum of 5 years of experience in conducting environmental and social safeguards due diligence for development projects.
·       In-depth knowledge of international environmental and social safeguards standards and guidelines.
·       Solid project management skills, including the ability to work with and lead geographically-dispersed teams.
·       Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
·       Excellent written and oral communication skills.
·       Experience working with conservation organizations is advantageous.

3.       Duration
The consultancy is expected to be completed within 12 months.

4.       Deliverables
The consultant will deliver the following:
·       A gap analysis report.
·       An environmental and social risk assessment report.
·       Recommendations for mitigation measures and improvements to ensure compliance.
·       A comprehensive final report summarizing the dry-run findings.