Ministry of Mines: Community Liaison Officer

Description

Tina River Hydro Power Development Project

VACANCY NOTICE –COMMUNITY LIAISON OFFICER

(GENDER FOCAL POINT)

The Tina River Hydropower Development Project (TRHDP) is a15-megawatt hydropower scheme located in Malango, ward 20 of Guadalcanal Province, 30 km southeast of Honiara, Solomon Islands.

The project is managed by a dedicated Project Office (PO) operating under the Solomon Islands Government’s Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE).

The Project is designed to help the Solomon Islands develop its hydropower potential.

Solomon Power (as the Off-taker) signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) on 6 December 2018 with Tina Hydropower Limited (THL), owned by Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) and Hyundai Engineering Company Limited (HEC).

THL will build and operate the hydropower plant for 30 years as a Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) model of operation.

The Solomon Islands Government (SIG) and THL have also executed an Implementation Agreement (IA) and Government Guarantee Agreement (GGA)establishing rights and responsibilities between SIG and THL.

The project reached financial close on 12 December 2019, on which date the PPA, IA and GGA became fully effective.

The PO will be overseeing THL’s and SIEA’s implementation of the construction program for their respective Components of the Project, ensure that all requirements of the project financiers are fulfilled, and the project achieves the anticipated commercial operation date.

The PO is responsible for regularly reporting to SIG through the project steering committee and the project financiers on the implementation progress.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Liaise and promotes Implement SIG components of the projects gender action plan [GAP] to the communities the safeguard components of SIG’s and the THL contract with the ESS Manager and CLO
Promotes and coordinates between THL/HEC and local communities, the press and NGOs and prepares awareness on the social monitoring contractor to assist the communities in the implementation of the social monitoring baseline survey
Liaise with the project implementing entities THL and HEC to monitor and support their implementation of gender initiatives across the projects and safeguard documents
Lead establishment of GAP steering community and facilitate quarterly GAP steering community meetings
Conduct quarterly women’s community consultation program and establish a women’s consultative forum (see LALRP entitlements matrixes and GAP).
Track and disaggregate records and meeting attendance by gender
Assist the consultant in preparing the social impacts monitoring plan to design an annual survey of tribal cooperative members (women) in accordance with GAP requirements and manage the implementation of the survey by the data collection and analysis consultant
Support and facilitate annual meetings of the core land tribes cooperative societies matrilineal membership committee
Prepare quarterly GAP progress report for inclusion in projects safeguards reporting
Set up and work with community reference groups(e.g. men’s, women’s , youths, and leaders etc).
Disseminate project information to affected or interested communities
Assist the environmental and social safeguard monitoring officer in monitoring THL’s implementation of the project’s environmental and social management plans
Assist and support consultants conducting studies in the communities (household survey, women survey)
Support the implementation of the Japanese social development fund (JSDF)/community benefits share project (CBSP) through working closely with the community benefits share coordinator and assistant coordinator

REPORTING

Review the Community Engagement work plan for the construction stage of the Project
Prepare a quarterly report in deliverables to ESS Manager
Review THL’s quarterly safeguard report
Convene regular or as needed community awareness with stakeholders quarterly to provide updates and discuss joint approaches to arising issues
Maintain an up-to-date contact list of Community Awareness Minutes

QUALIFICATIONS,SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

University degree in Arts, Social development, management, social sciences, social law or similar, with a minimum of 8 years post qualifications experience
Experience preparing or reviewing safeguard documentation including Environmental and Social Impact Assessments or environment and social management plans
Experience implementing or monitoring compliance with environmental or social safeguard documentation, with experience in infrastructure and/or hydro projects preferred
Ability to build strong stakeholder relationships, and proven tenacity to influence developers or private stakeholders to achieve safeguard outcomes
Ability to manage a complex project , work to deadlines and establish procedures for monitoring and reporting
Ability to manage a team, build professional skills, and set and monitor tasks and sub-projects
Strong interpersonal and communication skills including a culturally diverse or multi-disciplinary environment
Ability to recruit, engage and mange external contractors
Willingness to learn new skills and take on novel challenges, and a passion for development project delivery
Willingness to learn new skills and take on novel challenges, and a passion for development project delivery
Ability to review and mange contracts and advise on corporate governance obligations
Familiarity with Solomon Islands’ environment and land laws and environmental consents beneficial

This is a full time Position based in Honiara, Solomon Islands for an initial period of 2 years with expected opportunity to renew up to a period of 3 years subject to performance.

There will be an initial probation period of 3 months.

Full Curriculum Vitae and and detailing suitability for the position to:

The Permanent Secretary

Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification

P.O Box G37

HONIARA

SOLOMON ISLANDS

Email: CVehe@mmere.gov.sb

Also copy to the Project office

Deputy Project Manager

Tina Hydro Project Office

Level 1 Anthony Saru Building