A specific project has been set up to implement the new Social and Environmental...
A specific project has been set up to implement the new Social and Environmental (SE) safeguards framework, with the objective to establish the necessary management tools, expertise and capabilities to roll-out an effective framework of SE safeguards in UNOPS projects, using a risk-based approach. Some details of this project are given below;
The project covers the following safeguard areas:
1) stakeholders engagement and information disclosure
2) biodiversity, habitats and management of natural resources
3) pollution prevention and waste management
4) labour and working conditions
5) community and workers health and safety
6) grievance mechanisms
And will work within the following areas;:
- Establish key management tools, guidance and processes in the six selected safeguard areas
- Establish temporary support for safeguarding capacity development for projects
- Enhance SSC/HSSE capacity to develop guidance, provide advice, and support implementation of safeguards
- Establish the guidance and the basic processes for an independent corporate accountability function handling safeguards grievances
- Perform an initial assessment (done by: Legal Group - LG and Infrastructure and Procurement Group - IPMG) on preliminary legal work, and on the needs for PMM alignment, guidance, requirements, templates etc. On the basis of the finding of the initial assessment, additional resources might be required for a second phase, but are not included in this proposal
The following activity areas are necessary for the success of the safeguarding initiative but are not included in the project, but will require comprehensive stakeholder engagement, writing of requirements and collaboration:
- Creating an ICT safeguards monitoring tool/module is necessary for rollout but is planned for a second phase, outside this current project
- Awareness, training and capacity building for relevant personnel in UNOPS is essential but is not included in this project, and will become the object of further activities
The expectation is that at the end of the project, UNOPS will have the technical tools and guidance for implementing basic safeguarding requirements in the 6 identified priority areas.