GEDSI and Safeguards Officer - Weather Ready Pacific Programme

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Job Description

The Secretariat of the Pacific Region Environment Programme (SPREP) is the regional organisation established by the Governments and Administrations of the Pacific charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources of the Pacific. The head office is based in Apia, Samoa with other SPREP offices in Fiji, the Republic of the Marshalls Islands, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. SPREP has around 160 staff and has an annual budget of approximately USD51 million in 2026. The establishment of SPREP in 1993 sends a clear signal to the global community of the deep commitment of Pacific Island Governments and Administrations for better management of the environment within the context of sustainable development. The strategic direction for SPREP is clearly set out in the 2017-2026 SPREP Strategic Plan. The Plan outlines the mandate, vision and programmes for the organisation, and places strong emphasis on effective delivery of services to SPREP Member countries and territories.

Lead and coordinate the integration of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and Environmental and Social Safeguards across WRP programme activities, investments and implementation of the GEDSI Strategy 2025–2033.

Outcomes

Organisational Stakeholders
1. GEDSI Strategy Implementation and Coordination
Lead, coordinate, and support implementation of the WRP GEDSI Strategy and Action Plan across all WRP programme areas, activities, countries, and partnerships to ensure effective delivery of GEDSI priorities, objectives, commitments, and outcomes. Mainstream Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) considerations across WRP policies, governance arrangements, operational systems, programme planning, workplans, budgets, monitoring frameworks, infrastructure investments, communications, early warning systems, capacity-building activities, stakeholder engagement processes, and community preparedness initiatives. Promote inclusive, equitable, disability-inclusive, gender-responsive, and culturally appropriate approaches across programme implementation to ensure “leave no one behind” principles are integrated into WRP activities and services. Coordinate GEDSI implementation and collaboration with NMHSs, NDMOs, governments, vulnerable groups and organisations, development and implementing partners, regional agencies, and other stakeholders to strengthen Pacific-led and inclusive programme delivery. Provide strategic and technical advice to PMU, programme teams, partners, and stakeholders on gender equality, disability and social inclusion, inclusive communications, safeguarding, and inclusive participation approaches. Review program activities, policies, plans, reports, communications, and operational processes to ensure effective integration of GEDSI principles, commitments, and good practice standards. Support development and implementation of inclusive policies, guidance materials, tools, procedures, and operational approaches to strengthen institutional integration of GEDSI within WRP. Monitor implementation of GEDSI commitments, indicators, targets, and action plans, including supporting collection and analysis of sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated data to inform reporting, decision-making, and program improvement. Prepare and contribute to GEDSI reports, donor reports, progress updates, evaluations, lessons learned documentation, steering committee papers, and other programme reporting requirements. Deliver GEDSI awareness, training, capacity-building, and technical support activities for WRP staff, implementing partners, contractors, and stakeholders to strengthen understanding and application of GEDSI principles and practices. Identify GEDSI gaps, risks, barriers, and improvement opportunities, and support continuous improvement, innovation, sustainability, and institutional strengthening of GEDSI systems and approaches across WRP. Support alignment of WRP activities with SPREP GEDSI frameworks, donor requirements, international inclusion commitments, and regional good practice standards
2. Environment and Social Safeguarding
Mainstream Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) considerations across all WRP activities, systems, operations, policies, procedures, governance arrangements, workplans, procurement processes, infrastructure investments, partner agreements, and decision-making processes to ensure safeguards are fully integrated into programme implementation. Support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of SPREPs safeguard frameworks, operational procedures, guidance materials, and safeguard-by-design approaches to strengthen environmentally and socially responsible programme delivery. Identify, assess, manage, monitor, and report environmental, social, operational, and reputational risks associated with WRP activities, including conducting environmental and social risk screening and supporting development and implementation of Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), mitigation measures, corrective action plans, and risk management processes. Monitor implementation of safeguard mitigation measures and manage safeguard risks related to infrastructure activities, occupational health and safety (OHS), community health and safety, SEA/SH, environmental impacts, waste management, stakeholder exclusion, contractor performance, land and community issues, and other environmental and social safeguard concerns. Ensure WRP activities comply with SPREP policies, donor safeguard frameworks, national regulations, international environmental and social standards, and agreed safeguard commitments through monitoring, compliance reviews, site visits, audits, and engagement with implementing partners and contractors. Provide agreed support to the Environment Governance Programme to oversee and implement SPREP’s ESMS policy. Support inclusive, culturally appropriate, and safeguard-compliant stakeholder engagement processes, including ensuring vulnerable groups are consulted and included, safeguard information is effectively communicated, and community concerns and social risks are appropriately managed. Establish, support, and monitor safeguard incident management and grievance mechanisms, including timely reporting, tracking, investigation, response, corrective actions, and resolution of safeguard-related complaints, grievances, SEA/SH matters, and serious incidents in accordance with safeguarding protocols and confidentiality requirements.  Develop and maintain safeguard monitoring, reporting, and documentation systems, including tracking safeguard indicators, compliance obligations, mitigation measures, incidents, grievances, and corrective actions to support accountability, transparency, audit readiness, and evidence-based decision-making. Prepare and contribute to safeguards reports, donor reports, risk reports, compliance updates, evaluations, lessons learned documentation, steering committee papers, and other programme reporting requirements. Deliver ESS and GEDSI awareness, training, guidance, and capacity-building activities for WRP staff, implementing partners, contractors, and stakeholders to strengthen safeguard implementation, accountability, compliance, and risk management capacity. Provide strategic advice and technical support to management and project teams on safeguard risks, compliance obligations, inclusion considerations, governance approaches, sustainability issues, and risk-informed programme implementation.
3. Partnerships, Stakeholder Engagement and Grievance mechanisms
Support and monitor stakeholder engagement processes across programme activities to ensure meaningful, inclusive, culturally appropriate, and safeguard-compliant participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, outer island communities, vulnerable groups, traditional leaders, landowners, and other stakeholders. Mainstream Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles and ESS requirements into stakeholder engagement, consultation, partnership, and communication activities to ensure programme implementation reflects “leave no one behind” principles. Provide guidance and support to country teams, implementing partners, contractors, and stakeholders on culturally appropriate consultation, participation, consent, and community engagement processes in line with SPREP policies, donor requirements, and international best practice. Develop, implement, maintain, and monitor Stakeholder Engagement Plans (SEPs), consultation records, and stakeholder engagement documentation to support transparency, accountability, and audit readiness. Support accessible communication and participation approaches, including the use of appropriate languages, formats, and engagement methods to ensure communities and vulnerable groups can effectively participate in programme activities and understand programme risks, benefits, rights, and safeguard commitments. Coordinate and strengthen partnerships and collaboration with governments, communities, civil society organisations, regional agencies, development partners, contractors, and other stakeholders to support effective, inclusive, and Pacific-led programme implementation. Facilitate communication and coordination between programme teams, technical partners, communities, and stakeholders to support effective engagement, collaboration, and relationship management. Provide agreed support to SPREP Environmental Governance Programme to manage and oversee the Pacific Network for Environment Assessment (PNEA), including activities. Establish, maintain, and monitor grievance redress mechanisms (GRMs) for programme-supported activities, ensuring grievance processes are accessible, confidential, transparent, culturally appropriate, and responsive. Receive, register, track, monitor, and support resolution of grievances, complaints, stakeholder concerns, and safeguard-related issues, including monitoring corrective actions and response timelines. Support management and reporting of sensitive complaints and incidents, including SEA/SH matters and community safety concerns, in accordance with safeguarding policies, referral pathways, confidentiality requirements, and incident response procedures. Monitor stakeholder feedback, social risks, community concerns, and partnership issues, and support identification and mitigation of risks that may affect programme delivery, stakeholder relationships, inclusion outcomes, or programme reputation. Prepare and contribute to stakeholder engagement, partnership, grievance, GEDSI, and safeguards reporting requirements, including progress reports, donor reports, monitoring reports, and lessons learned documentation.
4. Capacity Building, Systems Strengthening and Regional Best Practice
Lead and coordinate capacity-building, workforce development, and learning activities across WRP countries, partners, and programme areas to strengthen technical, operational, institutional, and leadership capability across Pacific National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and partner organisations. Support development and implementation of WRP capacity-building plans, training programmes, mentoring initiatives, workshops, learning exchanges, guidance materials, operational tools, and technical resources aligned with programme priorities and country needs. Identify and assess capacity gaps, institutional strengthening needs, operational challenges, and workforce development priorities across WRP countries and partners, and support development of targeted strengthening and sustainability approaches. Support strengthening and improvement of institutional, operational, governance, coordination, monitoring, reporting, and technical systems across WRP and Pacific Meteorological Services to improve programme delivery, operational readiness, sustainability, and regional coordination. Promote integration, harmonization, standardization, and interoperability of regional systems, operational approaches, technical processes, and programme activities where appropriate to strengthen regional collaboration and efficiency. Support implementation and adoption of technical, operational, and institutional improvements, including new systems, tools, technologies, procedures, and regional approaches across WRP countries and partners. Promote regional cooperation, peer learning, technical exchange, innovation, and sharing of lessons learned, success stories, and regional best practices across Pacific Meteorological Services, regional organisations, training institutions, technical agencies, and programme partners. Coordinate and strengthen collaboration with NMHSs, regional organisations, donors, technical agencies, training institutions, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to support Pacific-led approaches, regional alignment, and coordinated programme implementation. Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of capacity-building, institutional strengthening, and systems improvement activities, including tracking outcomes, indicators, lessons learned, and improvement opportunities to support evidence-based programme planning and continuous improvement. Support long-term sustainability, resilience, and institutional strengthening of Pacific Meteorological Services and WRP systems, including promoting workforce retention, succession planning, institutional ownership, operational sustainability, and lifecycle planning approaches. Provide strategic and technical advice to management, partners, and stakeholders on capacity development, institutional strengthening, operational improvement, regional cooperation, sustainability, and emerging capability or operational risks. Support alignment of WRP strengthening activities with PMC priorities, regional frameworks, donor requirements, international standards, and Pacific regional best practice approaches.
5. GEDSI & Environment and Social Safeguards Compliance, Monitoring, Reporting, and Risk Management
Monitor implementation of Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS), GEDSI, occupational health and safety (OHS), community safety, and contractor compliance to ensure adherence to SPREP policies, donor requirements, international standards, and approved safeguard measures. Support the identification, assessment, mitigation, monitoring, and reporting of environmental, social, operational, and reputational risks that may affect programme delivery or stakeholder wellbeing. Conduct safeguards monitoring visits, compliance reviews, and audits, and provide recommendations and corrective actions to address identified gaps and non-compliance issues. Monitor implementation of safeguard mitigation measures, inclusion actions, corrective action plans, and agreed risk management measures across programme activities. Support inclusive stakeholder engagement processes, community consultations, and grievance redress mechanisms, ensuring participation of vulnerable and marginalized groups. Monitor and report on GEDSI indicators, inclusion targets, and safeguards performance, including collection and analysis of sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated data where required. Support incident management and reporting processes, including timely documentation, escalation, follow-up of serious incidents, grievances, SEA/SH matters, OHS incidents, and other safeguard-related issues. Maintain safeguards, GEDSI, consultation, compliance, and monitoring documentation to ensure transparency, accountability, and audit readiness. Prepare and contribute to progress reports, donor reports, safeguards reports, risk reports, annual reports, steering committee papers, and other programme reporting requirements. Track programme performance, analyse safeguards and GEDSI data, and support evaluations, lessons learned processes, and continuous improvement initiatives

Responsibilities - Critical Competencies

Competence	Description
Business
Risk Management	Analyse and manage risk.
Communication	Exchange information through verbal communication
Customer
Relationship Building	Build beneficial relationships with suppliers and stakeholders.
Organisational Values	Display the organisation's image and value standards.
Social and Cultural Awareness	Respond respectfully and effectively to people of different cultural and social backgrounds.
People
Problem Solving	Develop practical solutions to a situation.
Professional
Technical Strength	Demonstrate knowledge of a specialist discipline.
Compliance	Comply with relevant laws and the policies and procedures of the organisation.

Qualifications

Qualification	Discipline	Notes
Preferred
Bachelor Degree	Environmental Science, Social and Community Services, Social Science, International Development, Gender

Work Knowledge and Experience

1. Minimum qualifications of a Bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies, Environmental Science, International or Community Development, Human Rights, Sociology, Development Studies, Governance, Safeguards or relevant field. A higher qualification would be an advantage.
2. Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in GEDSI and environmental and social safeguards implementation, preferably in the Pacific Islands region or other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) contexts.
3. Extensive knowledge and demonstrated working experience in international and regional GEDSI and environmental and social safeguards frameworks including capacity building, training design and delivery, and institutional development related to environmental and social safeguards.
4. Proven experience in conducting environmental and social impact assessments, developing comprehensive safeguards instruments (ESMPs, RAPs, IPPs, SEPs), and monitoring safeguards compliance in diverse cultural and environmental contexts.
5. Strong experience in stakeholder engagement, community consultation, and grievance mechanism design and management, particularly in cross-cultural and multilingual environments.
6. Excellent understanding of Pacific Island environmental, social, cultural, and governance contexts, including traditional knowledge systems, customary land tenure, and indigenous rights frameworks.
7. Excellent written and verbal communication skills including high level presentation and interpersonal skills, collaboration donors and partners with sound experience in capacity building and maintaining effective relationships with a diverse group of people within a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team environment.
8. • GEDSI Integration and sensitisation • GEDSI policy application • Environmental and social impact assessment methodologies. • Safeguards policy interpretation and practical application. • Stakeholder engagement and participatory consultation techniques. • Grievance mechanism design, implementation, and management. • Cross-cultural communication and conflict resolution.
9. • Pacific Island cultural, social, and environmental contexts. • Gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) mainstreaming. • Training design, facilitation, and capacity building delivery. • Project management and safeguards monitoring systems. • Institutional development and policy analysis. • International development finance and donor coordination
10. • Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction approaches • Traditional ecological knowledge and indigenous rights frameworks • Results-based management and performance measurement • Information management systems and knowledge platforms • Legal and regulatory frameworks (national and international) • Weather and climate services (specific to WRP programme support)
11. • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and international development frameworks • Regional GEDSI and environmental governance and CROP agency coordination • Emerging GEDSI and environmental and social issues in SIDS contexts • Digital platforms and communication technologies for engagement

Requirements

Language Proficiency
Fluency in English (written and verbal)

Interactions

Interaction	Comments
Internal
WRPP Manager	Coordination and implementation
WRPP Project Team..	Strategic and technical assistance
CSI Management Unit	Collaboration and reporting
EG Program Team	Advice and support
Strategic Planning, Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation Department
Gender Adviser
SPREP Programme Staff..
Legal Services and Governing Bodies Department staff (Legal Officers, Advisers, Policy staff)
Communications and Knowledge Management Team
Information Services Department
External
PMC Members and Ministers	Coordination, implementation and risk management
Donors (DFAT, MFAT, etc.)..	Technical advice
Communities and Civil Societies	Consultations and engagement
Implementing partners..	Facilitation and collaboration
Professional / Scientific organisations..	Communication and relationship management
Regional / International organisations..
National GEDSI and Environmental Agencies.
Project-affected Communities across PICTs

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