Community Relations Supervisor SeaOwl Group

JOB TITLE: Community Relations Supervisor (CRS) – EACOP Uganda
POSITION IN THE ORGANISATION
Reports to: Community Relations Coordinator (CRC)
Staff managed (Supervised): 3-6

MISSIONS/JOB DIMENSIONS
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Project involves the construction and operation of a buried, cross-border pipeline to transport crude oil from the Lake Albert area in Uganda to the eastern coast of Tanzania for export to international markets. The pipeline will run from Kabaale in Hoima District, Uganda, to Chongoleani, Tanga Region, in Tanzania. The length of the pipeline is 1,443 kilometers (km) of which 296 km will be in Uganda. In Uganda the pipeline will traverse ten districts, comprising Hoima, Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Gomba, Sembabule, Lwengo, Rakai and Kyotera.

The Community Relations Supervisor (CRS) is in charge of EACOP stakeholder engagement in their area of responsibility (hub or spread). As such they are responsible to organize the deployment of the Community Relations team to build local stakeholder and project-affected community (PAC) understanding of project activities, organize their consultation, manage their grievances and report their concerns and expectations to EACOP. The role involves a balance of development and execution of a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) developed based upon careful analysis of local stakeholders (influence, information needs, frequency and medium of contact) as well as providing support to contractors engaged in land acquisition, early civil works, construction, commissioning and restitution. A properly developed and implemented SEP serves to proactively ensure trust-based relationships are built with key stakeholders and, as a critical risk management tool, allow problems to be avoided before they can negatively impact the project when combined with an effective grievance management procedure.

The CRS reports issues associated with construction contractor social risk and impact management performance to the Project Site Manager for awareness and agree non-conformances with the CRC and Social Head for the purposes agreeing mitigation strategies and corrective actions documented and communicated to the Contractor for implementation. The CRS provides inputs to construction contractor social plans and procedures; incorporating lessons learned and local knowledge and experience with PAC. The CRS educates and raises awareness of EACOP social performance commitments, expectations, and the importance of maintaining a positive relationship with PAC during site meetings, engagements with contractor counterparts, during TBT, site training and awareness raising opportunities.

ACTIVITIES
The Community Relations Supervisor is responsible to oversee the Community Relations team in their area of intervention.

They are responsible to:
• Understand and continuously improve awareness of the socio-economic context, demography, and social, environmental, community health, safety and security risks and impacts of the Project activities and trending issues within the PAC to inform sound stakeholder engagement and social performance
• Understand the locations, boundaries, and social and community infrastructure including social and environmental receptors of the villages, trading centres, sub-counties and districts within the PAC and develops trusting, respectful and positive working relationships with the relevant community leadership to support Project activities
Understand where vulnerable and marginalized members of PAC are located and collaborates with CRC and where relevant Contractor Social resources to plan and facilitate Project-related engagement activities.
• Lead and facilitate hub-level stakeholder analysis and develop a quarterly SEP, which forms the basis for monthly and weekly work plans
• Deploy and assign Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) and Village Liaison Officers (VLOs) to implement these plans, adapting as required by the context in coordination with the CRC (planning, identification of activities, allocation of transport and associated resources)
Engage with local leaders, sub-county leaders and District officials, when required
• Ensure that compliance is maintained in all engagement with officials (keeping of records of payment – transmission to the LSOC Administration Officer for integration within e-register)
• Ensure stakeholder engagement activities cover all segments of the local society using different engagement methods (e.g. community meetings, focus group discussions with women, meetings with youth groups, face to face engagement with vulnerable PAPs)
• Ensure CSO’s/NGO’s have access to EACOP LSOC field activities and report their presence
• Ensure that CLOs are reporting on all of their activities in the Borealis stakeholder management information system and provide feedback on the quality of reporting as well as ensure that, where necessary, follow up actions are identified and other personnel from EACOP or contractors are tasked accordingly
• Organize daily meetings with team to gather field activity status, identify issues, update planning and ensure reporting into Borealis
• Review and follow-up issues logged into Borealis by CLO team
• Task CLO’s with timely reception of grievances in the hub grievance and ensure that these are properly logged into Borealis with adequate detail and support documents (e.g. photos) to allow proper treatment
• Ensure the grievance mechanism procedure within their hub is followed including dissemination of the process to the communities, delivery of grievance registration form to the complainant, keeping complainants updated, issuing of grievance acceptance and closure form and reporting to the Grievance Administrator and CRC
• Support the timely resolution of grievances
• Ensure that CRC and Project Site Manager is informed in a timely way about any issues or risks in the field that could jeopardize EACOP social license to operate
• Understand EACOP minimum requirements for construction contractor social performance as defined in the relevant EACOP Contractor Control Plans (CCP) and other relevant (social) performance guidance and expectations of contractors
• Understand the EACOP Project Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) requirements that govern processes for monitoring and reporting construction contractor social performance and confidently implements the elements of the ESMS relevant to the role.
• Review and provide inputs to Contractor Implementation Plans and Procedures (CIPP), incorporating lessons learned and good practice processes and procedures developed during contractor continuous improvement efforts
• Keep Project Site Manager informed on any PAC concerns, issues and grievances arising from construction contractor activities and the plans for issue resolution or remedy
• Implement routine and non-routine assurance of construction contractor implementation of their social CIPPs, documenting and issuing contractor non-conformances observed
• Issue and track to completion construction contractor implementation of corrective actions
• Issue all assurance outputs and supporting documentation of non-conformances, corrective actions, and tracking corrective action implementation to closure to the Social Head for consolidation and reporting.
• Introduces Cultural Heritage Specialist to Project Site Manager and Contractor Site Representatives to facilitate their cultural heritage management responsibilities on site.
• Introduce Project Industrial Relations Supervisors to contractor Human Resources and CLO to support assurance of labour management, industrial relations and working conditions assurance activities.
• Interface with EACOP RAP Implementation team and supporting contractors to assist construction contractor with temporary land requirements and rapid assessment of compensation for any damage caused to community agricultural fields and other assets
• Participate in quarterly Project Induced In-Migration (PIIM) Working Group events (where relevant) and complete PIIM monitoring locally as required.
• Interface with EACOP Security Coordinators, EACOP Environmental and Biodiversity Officers, EACOP Health and Safety, Project Road Safety team, Project National/Local Content team on roadshow and communication initiatives
• Interface with CRC and Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator for EACOP messaging and participation in District Consultative Committees (DCC’s) to support timely and accurate Project messaging and Project related inputs and updates and support sound Project social performance and continuous improvement efforts to reduce social risks and impacts during execution of the construction phase.
• Participate and ensure team participation in camp HSE toolbox meetings prior to field deployment
• Ensure Community Relations team’s (and drivers) implementation and knowledge of EACOP HSE plan

CONTEXT AND ENVIRONMENT
Will work under the management and supervision of the EACOP Uganda CRC and is required to demonstrate exemplary behavior with regard to compliance and HSE rules & requirements.
She/he shall be positioned in the field
Once established, the CRS and CLOs will be based in one of the main camp and pipe yards (MCPY) and will be working closely with the Project Site Manager and Contractor Site Representatives.

ACCOUNTABILITIES
• In their respective area, the Community Relations Supervisor s responsible for the good communication between local stakeholders and EACOP through a SEP
• Is responsible for the community relations team deployment
• Is responsible for systematic reporting in Borealis and quality assurance of the reporting of on community concerns, requests and engagements
• Is responsible for the implementation of the grievance mechanism

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
Professional Experience:
• 5 years of experience in stakeholder engagement in large scale projects in Uganda, including implementation of an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS).
Qualifications:
• Advanced degree in Social Science, Sociology, Social Anthropology, Stakeholder Engagement, Community Development, or relevant discipline
Technical Competencies:
• Excellent skills and considerable experience in use of MS Word and Excel, information management systems, and preparation of quantitative and qualitative documents and reports relating stakeholder engagement.
Behavioral Competencies:
• Detail oriented person, highly organised, systematic working, close attention to detail, strong team worker, ability to meet deadlines.
• High computer skills, quantitative, data management and analytical skills.
• Fluent in English (speaking, writing) and knowledge of either Luganda, Runyoro or Runyankole recommended.