Land Specialist

Brunel Papua New Guinea are recruiting for a Land Specialist to work with one of the largest energy companies in the world, who have assets in Oil & Gas, LNG and Renewable energy. This opportunity is based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

Successful candidate will be reporting into the Land Access & Societal Studies Advisor. The Land Specialist is responsible to secure the lands required by our client for their operations in compliance with our clients regulations, standards, IFC PS and PNG regulations.

The position is based in Port Moresby with operations in Central Province and potentially other Provinces within PNG. The position manages a team of professional Land Access team members.

Activities of the role:

Social Mapping and Landowner Identification (SMLI) and associated activities

• Manage the contract for the SMLI to ensure that activities are completed within time and budget whilst complying with national law
• Supervise the delivery any SMLI reports and findings to the Department of Petroleum and Energy (DPE) and oversee the process of having the Landowners officially recognised under the Oil and Gas Act
• In any cases where a State Lease or customary land acquisition is required, supervise the delivery of Land Investigation reports, cadastral surveys and any other requirements, and ensure its validation by the Department of Land and Physical Planning
• Keeps records of all events/issues/documents aiming at claiming ownerships over the proposed project footprint (ILGs registration, claims of ownership) to ensure an audit trail and to ensure that the rights of those landowners identified are protected

Land Access, Compensation, Resettlement and Livelihood Restoration

• Provide assistance to project development teams to design projects in such a way to avoid the physical displacement of communities
• Manage and lead our clients land acquisition and resettlement activities in Papua New Guinea including overseeing the development of Land Access and Livelihood Plans and Resettlement Action Plans as required
• Engage relevant project departments and staff in the successful creation and implementation of plans to the address permanent and temporary land acquisition & compensation issues
• When the avoidance of physical displacement is not possible, engage with relevant key governmental stakeholders on agreeing Resettlement Policy Framework and action plans; including involving them and keeping them informed of progress and seeking solution for problems or issues putting the Project schedule or activities at risk
• Ensure the proper implementation of procedures and processes for permanent and temporary land acquisition, compensation, and livelihood restoration
• Manage the data needed to ensure that any project’s economic displacement is compliant with international standards and that affected households and communities are not negatively impacted
• Support the development of other relevant management plans that supports land access, compensation, resettlement or livelihood restoration. Ensure that the plans accurately reflect local conditions and are fair for the impacted communities
• Coordinate the implementation of relevant studies including land and asset inventory, market surveys to develop fair compensation rates
• Coordinates internal and external working groups for land acquisition and resettlement with support from management.
• Support the design of appropriate livelihood restoration programs and their implementation.
• Ensure compliance of land management processes with affiliate compliance standards, local laws & regulations, IFC standards and Company Codes of Conduct.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and implement a stakeholder engagement plan for each project related to land access and resettlement
• Develop and maintain an updated landowners and land users mapping system
• Propose a communication strategy for land subjects in coordination with the community relations and public affairs teams and supervise the production and distribution of appropriate communication tools about the projects and its activities, adapting methods to communicate effectively with different stakeholder groups
• Work closely with consultants on their field level community engagement related to land access and resettlement and if necessary, participate in stakeholder engagement activities
• Engage with provincial and local government to identify their roles in the land acquisition and compensation process, engage them and keep them informed, integrate their guidance and ensure their support
• Vulnerable stakeholders: (i) identify stakeholders who are particularly vulnerable in the land access and resettlement process; (ii) design appropriate and adapted engagement methods for these stakeholders; (iii) ensure that measures are taken that vulnerable stakeholders are protected during land access and resettlement processes
• Mediate conflict resolution and contribute to managing and resolving community grievances related to land acquisition, resettlement and livelihoods

Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Ensure compliance of all documents and activities with Papua New Guinea legislation, group rules and standards and IFC Performance Standards
• Ensure the implementation of the company management system and the proper documentation of the processes and procedures to ensure an audit trail
• When necessary, develop relevant procedures and policies for integration within the Company Management System
• Annually review the company management processes and procedures to ensure that the procedures are being implemented as described and where changes are required that these changes are evidence based and that the correct procedure is followed to make the necessary changes
• Prepare an annual work plan for land access and resettlement activities that is consistent with the projects being development and the associated company management plans
• Develop and maintain log frames for each land access and resettlement project
• Oversees record keeping and data management at the clan/household level to ensure appropriate tracking of all activities including grievances
• Ensure the database of engagement results/outcomes are up to date and regularly analyzed and utilized in land access and resettlement planning
• Regularly monitor the implementation of the land access and resettlement plans against timelines and final project footprints
• Support the Monitoring and Evaluation team during internal evaluations and audits and implement continuous improvement processes
• Monitor any potential land use issues and their relevance for project implementation. Identify risks and solutions for land access and resettlement related issues that could put the project schedule or activities at risk
• Provide ad hoc, weekly and monthly reports to ensure land access implementation is done timely and according to the standards

Management

• Supervise and when necessary, recruit staff with appropriate experience and competencies to deliver land access and resettlement
• Build capacity and understanding within the team of the relevant standards required for land access, compensation and resettlement and the key elements of the process that may impact on activities
• Ensure staff development needs are met either through training or mentoring programs developed in house or externally according to project needs
• Annually review and manage the land access, compensation and resettlement budget

• Degree in territorial planning or related subject or a post graduate degree in social sciences such as demography, sociology, socio-cultural studies, etc
• At least 10 years’ experience working in land acquisition and resettlement
• Extensive knowledge of the PNG legislation related to land issues (Oil and Gas Act, Land registration act, Land evaluation act, Land survey act, and Land planning act)
• Experience of collaboration / involvement in the Department of Land And Physical Planning strongly recommended
• Experience in customary land evaluation and acquisition
• Experience in Land dispute resolution
• Strong negotiation skills
• High integrity, capacity to listen, to dialogue essential, superior negotiation and communications skills
• Mediation and conflict resolution skills
• Able to dialog, disclose information, negotiate with a range of stakeholders
• Awareness, knowledge and understanding and experience in working in a diverse and challenging environment
• Working in Papua New Guinea or developing countries would be considered favorable
• Strong attention to detail and excellent organizational skills