Name of Client:
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Country:
Timor Leste
Length of Consultancy Assignment:
Start Date: February 2022
Completion Date: 31 December 2022
Detailed Narrative Description of Project:
The main objective of the assignment is to support the preparation of the Agriculture Improvement and Water Harvesting Project in Timor-Leste Project (AIWHP) through the conduct of due diligence and preparation of project documents and other supplementary documents. The AIWHP covers the three central municipalities of Dili, Manatuto, and Manufahi, and the enclave of Oecussi, which are among the poor and most vulnerable to the effects of flood and droughts. The AIWHP, aims to improve water management that is targeted to mitigate drought impacts on people, property, businesses, and food security. The project is envisioned to benefit the following: (i) the general population within target areas; and (ii) agriculture market chains.
PRIMEX fielded a Social Safeguards Specialist, who will assess the extent of the impacts of the project on Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities and land. Specifically he will conduct the following tasks: (i) review the national laws and regulations on involuntary resettlement (IR) and IPs to determine gaps on procedures and applicability/eligibility with ADB's SPS on IR and IP principles; (ii) hold consultation meetings between the executing agency (EA), each implementing agency (IA) and the ADB social safeguard focal/resource person to ensure that the (a) scope, (b) approach, (c) IR/IP planning procedures and criteria, and (d) entitlements for the impacts, including assistance for vulnerable affected households, and IP development measures are agreed in advance in writing by all parties; (iii) prepare a plan for IR/IP surveys and prepare the social safeguards documents including (a) social impact assessment for IR and IP; (b) survey for identification of affected land and assets and affected persons; (c) database of affected individuals, households, enterprises, and public assets, including IPs/IP communities (d) collection and overlaying of the maps to identify the project affected area; (e) public consultation plan; and (f) rapid replacement cost study; (iv) prepare and finalize the forms for inventory of loses, socioeconomic survey of affected households and IPs, information leaflet for public consultation, rapid replacement cost study, and others; (v) collate and integrate project designs from the engineering design teams, using georeferenced maps; (vi) lead and prepare terms of reference for the resettlement surveys, survey on IPs, public consultation, rapid replacement cost study, and other activities; (vii) brief and train subcontractor field staff and supervise the piloting of digital surveys, video and digital maps of the impact assessments; (viii) oversee the resettlement surveys and the survey on IPs; (ix) prepare the resettlement plans (RP) for the relevant municipalities; (x) prepare a detailed stepwise manual to guide the EA/IAs in updating, implementing and monitoring the RPs/IPPs; (xi) work closely with relevant project preparation team specialists to ensure IR and IP impacts, mitigation measures and required resources are reflected in the overall project design, cost estimates, and other relevant project documents; (xii) develop a project-specific grievance redress mechanism to handle complaints in an effective and culturally-appropriate manner; and (xiii) prepare IR and IP related sections for loan documentation including the ADB Report and Recommendations of the President (RRP), Project Administration Manual (PAM), and ensure that comments received are appropriately.