Procurement Officer

GOVERNMENT OF SAINT LUCIA/ HUMAN CAPITAL RESILIENCE PROJECT

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST: PROCUREMENT OFFICER

The World Bank’s Board has approved US$20 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group to finance the Saint Lucia Human Capital Resilience Project (SLHCRP).The Project seeks to strengthen the resilience of Saint Lucia’s population by using a two-pronged approach to strengthen human capital.

The Project includes a component on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which focuses on the promotion of higher quality technical and socio-emotional skills and the transformation of the TVET sector from a supply-driven system to a demand-driven system that responds to a dynamic labour market.

The Social Protection (SP) component concentrates on strengthening SP Policy Frameworks and improving the implementation of flagship social programs with an emphasis on increasing the efficiency and coverage of the Public Assistance Program (PAP), Saint Lucia’s main cash transfer program.

The Project will be implemented through a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) that will carry out the activities in pursuit of accomplishing the objectives. The PIU will be headed by a Project Manager (PM) who reports to the Permanent Secretary (PS), Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations.

The Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations, the Project Executing Agency, now invites interested eligible individuals to submit Expressions of Interest for the position of Procurement Officer.

The Procurement Officer shall oversee the effective application of internal control mechanisms and shall be responsible for all procurement activities of the Project in accordance with the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations, and the procurement provisions outlined in the Financing Agreement and the Procurement Manual.

The duration of the assignment is expected to be for a period of sixty (60) months. Contracts will however be offered for one (1) year, and will be subject to renewal based on job performance.

Expressions of Interest will be evaluated based on the following: expertise, qualifications and experience in undertaking similar assignments. The Expressions of Interest should include the Consultant’s updated curriculum vitae including: (i) personal and technical skills, (ii) experience in working with similar projects in developing countries, and (iii) the names of at least three (3) references with contact information (e-mail address, telephone or fax numbers).

In the evaluation of submissions, consideration will be given to technical competence, qualifications and experience – as delineated in the attached Terms of Reference for this position,- local and regional experience on similar assignments, and existing commitments.

Following the assessment of submissions, the most technically capable and appropriately experienced applicants will be invited to an interview. The Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations reserves the right to accept or reject late applications or to cancel the present invitation partially or in its entirety. The Department will not be bound to assign any reason for not shortlisting any applicant, and will not defray any costs incurred by any applicant in the preparation and submission of Expressions of Interest.

Applications must be submitted in English to the address below and reach the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations no later than 4:30 pm local time on Friday, July 03, 2020.

Permanent Secretary

Policy & Administration Unit

Department of Education, Innovation & Gender Relations

4^th Floor, Francis Compton Building

Waterfront, Castries

SAINT LUCIA

Please note that the sealed envelope containing each submission should include the name and address of the applicant, and shall be clearly marked “Human Capital Resilience Project- Title of Position”.

Further information including details of the project may be obtained by contacting 468 5285/5259 between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm local time, Monday to Friday, or by emailing cpusecretary@education.gov.lc

Saint Lucia Human Capital Resilience Project –P170445

PROJECT MANAGEMENT DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES, SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Terms of Reference for Procurement Officer

Background

The World Bank’s Board has approved USD$20 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group to finance the Saint Lucia Human Capital Resilience Project (SLHCRP). The Project aims to strengthen the resilience of Saint Lucia’s population by using a two-pronged approach to strengthen human capital. The components for the Project are as follows:

1. Strengthening of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (“TVET”) through enhanced enabling environments and course offerings for TVET, which will focus on the promotion of more and higher quality technical and socio-emotional skills and the transformation of the TVET sector from a supply-driven system to a demand-driven system that responds to a dynamic labour market.

2. Strengthening the Social Protection (SP) System through the enhancement of SP Policy Frameworks and improving the implementation of flagship social programs with emphasis on increasing the efficiency and coverage of the main cash transfer program – Public Assistance Program (PAP).

1. Provision of technical assistance, capacity building, TVET equipment and furniture, and Project Management support.

The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development (MoE) and the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment (MoEQ) will work closely with the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) for the implementation of Project activities. The services of a Procurement Officer are hereby being sought.

Objective:

The Procurement Officer will be responsible for all procurement activities of the Project in accordance with the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations, as well as the procurement provisions outlined in the Financing Agreement and the Procurement Manual. This Officer will also oversee the effective application of internal control mechanisms.

Terms of Assignment

The Procurement Officer will report to the Project Manager. The salary assigned to this post will be consistent with the level of responsibility envisaged and within the scope of the Government of Saint Lucia’s salary scale. It must be noted that this post does not include relocation allowance.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Procurement Officer will be responsible for ensuring that procurement under the Project is conducted in accordance with the procedures and timelines agreed with the Bank. In so doing, he/she will:

• Draft and arrange the publication of General Procurement Notices, Requests for Expressions of Interest and Specific Procurement Notices in accordance with World Bank Procurement Regulation and specific requirements of the Loan Agreement;
• Attend relevant Departmental Tender Board or Central Tender Board meetings;
• In conjunction with the Project Implementation Unit, prepare advertisements, bidding documents, letters of invitation, draft contracts, evaluation reports, etc.;
• Submit advertisements, bidding documents, letters of invitation, evaluation reports, and contracts to the Bank for those items subject to prior review;
• Obtain timely World Bank No Objections for procurement documents;
• In conjunction with the PIU, organize and help manage bidder conferences, organize and support evaluation committees in due time for bid evaluations (as appropriate) and ensure proper documentation of committees’ deliberations and findings;
• Initiate and complete internal approvals and contract signatures;
• Verify invoices against procured goods, works and services as stipulated in contracts;
• Submit signed contracts, completion/delivery certificates, etc., to the finance staff for payments;
• Track progress of procurement activities against the plans set out in the POM;
• Highlight variations in progress, record reasons and identify remedial actions; 
• Maintain up‑to‑date and accurate project procurement records;
• Prepare and submit to the Project Manager, procurement information for project progress reports, and any additional procurement information as deemed necessary;
• Update the project procurement plan;
• Liaise with the relevant entities of the Implementing Agencies to share information and experiences on project procurement approaches and experiences under the Project with a view to transferring knowledge of procurement methods to the Ministries;
• Prepare procurement reports for inclusion in the PIU progress reports, and other reports as may be requested under the Project;
• Deliver presentations to the Steering Committee on the purpose, activities and performance of the Procurement Plan when requested;
• Record all procurement activities and relevant documentation in Systematic Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement (STEP); and
• Liaise with the World Bank Procurement staff.

Skills and Qualifications (Minimum Requirements):

Successful completion of a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Business Administration or relevant field from an accredited institution;

Certification in Procurement or experience in the systematic procurement of goods and services and in the use of the necessary forms and procedures;

At least five (5) years of general professional experience, with a minimum of three (3) years professional experience as a Procurement Officer;

Knowledge of inventory control and purchasing procedures;

Strong writing and management/organizational skills; and

Training in World Bank procurement procedures, and practical experience in the application of these rules and regulations would be an asset.

Selection Criteria:

1. Knowledge of Government’s project implementation process in Saint Lucia;
2. Experience in the implementation of World Bank projects in the Caribbean;
3. Training and experience in the management of public sector procurement activities;
4. Suitable academic qualifications; and
5. Should be eligible to work in Saint Lucia.

Duration

The Procurement Officer’s contract will be for a period of one year initially, and will be subject to renewal based on measurable performance in satisfying the objective of this position.