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Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC)

Terms of reference 

Administrative assisstant

1. Background

The Blue Economy is defined as an approach to promote sustainable and integrated use of marine resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and job generation while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems.  It covers a range of interdependent sectors, including fisheries, coastal tourism, and waste management.  Fisheries, for example, provide the hospitality industry with quality and affordable seafood, while the tourism sector supports fisher livelihoods and generates employment. Waste management, meanwhile, is crucial to the health of fisheries and other marine resources and ecosystems which are, in turn, critical for the beaches and other natural assets that attract holiday makers. Going forward, anticipating and adapting to the impacts of climate change will be an essential component of the blue economy, ensuring that low-carbon and climate-resilient measures are incorporated across sectors to ensure sustainability of marine resources and continued generation of their benefits.

The Government of Saint Lucia recognizes that the sustainable management and protection of its extensive ocean space and associated marine and coastal resources, particularly in the face of increasing climate change, are crucial to economic growth, job creation, and diversification. On its pathway towards blue growth, Saint Lucia has embarked on several projects and strategic plans that helped advance protection of its blue space and grow the island’s blue economy.

1. Project Description

The Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC) will be implemented as a Series of Projects (SOP) in three distinct five-year phases over a fifteen-year period (each project will have a life cycle of five years) involving multi-sectoral blue economy investments to support Caribbean countries to strengthen their climate resilience and accelerate economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. Phase 1 of UBEC, to be implemented between fiscal years 2022 and 2028, involves Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the OECS Commission and focuses on three interrelated blue economy sectors: tourism, fisheries, and waste management.

The project development objective of the SOP and Phase I is to strengthen the enabling environment for the blue economy, economic recovery, and resilience of selected coastal assets in participating countries and provide immediate and effective response to an eligible emergency. Phase I of the SOP is designed to foster economic recovery and support marine and coastal resilience in Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines by strengthening the sustainability and competitiveness of two critical, interconnected sectors – tourism and fisheries – and one underlying enabling infrastructure service, waste management. The SOP will achieve its objectives by: 1) strengthening regional and national policies and institutional frameworks to bring back business and attract new investments, (2) scaling up innovative financing mechanisms aimed at enhancing employment and productivity in the tourism, fisheries, and waste management value chains through establishment of a regional MSME matching grant program  and a regional climate-risk fisheries insurance scheme, (3) supporting investment in coastal infrastructure to reduce risk and leverage private investment in blue economy activities and strengthen climate resilience, and (4) adopting a contingency emergency response mechanism to respond to future extreme weather events. 

The SOP consists of four components: (i) Strengthening Governance, Policies, and Capacity Building; (ii) Scale Up Access to Finance and Infrastructure Investment; (iii) Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC); and (iv) Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation, and Communication.

1. The Project Implementation Unit

The Government of Saint Lucia (GoSL) is establishing a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in the Department of Finance at the Ministry of Finance (MoF) responsible for implementing the UBEC project national-level activities and coordinating with relevant ministries, including but not limited to Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Enterprise Development, and Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority. The PIU will have the following positions: Project Manager, Financial Management Specialist, Procurement Officer, Environment Safeguards Specialist, Social Safeguards Specialist, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, and Communications Specialist.

The PIU will be a fully integrated part of the MoF structure, relying on UBEC resources to deliver UBEC Project activities, including project planning, financial management, procurement, monitoring and evaluation, environmental and social safeguards, and reporting in accordance with both Government and World Bank requirements.

1. Key tasks and responsibilities

The Administrative Assistant will act as the secretary of the PIU and will be responsible for undertaking processes and procedures necessary to ensure the smooth operation of the PIU to undertake the UBEC project and will be directly supervised by the Project Manager. He/ she will:

1. Prepare and process all incoming and outgoing correspondences directed to the PIU, while also following up directly on any request by stakeholders and/ or with consultation with other staff of the PIU;
2. Ensure that the office is fully functional and is equipped with the adequate stationery that supports the work of the PIU;
3. Undertake administrative duties, including but not limited to drafting of letters, memoranda; Electronic mail, preparing reports and presentations and other duties as directed by the project manager;
4. Manage the recording of correspondences and files in accordance with standard World Bank (WB) practices;
5. Plans and organizes meetings, both face-face and virtual appointments of the staff of the PIU;
6. Reaching out to relevant agencies for the booking of venues, contacting participants and ordering refreshments when necessary and assisting with other logistical arrangements on behalf of the PIU;
7. Receives, screens and direct callers/ visitors using proper office etiquette, promptly attend to inquiries and ensuring the proper recording and conveying of messages to support the UBEC project; and
8. Maintains a record management for organizing and storing computer/ paper-based information through the use of established WB procedures/ method to facilitate timely retrieval of information.

1. Knowledge, Skills, abilities

1. Expert knowledge on the use of standard office equipment (scanners, photocopiers, binders etc.);
2. Advance typing, recording and transcription skills with the ability to type a minimum of 80 words per minute;
3. Ability to effectively manage time, multi-task and meet stipulated deadlines as directed by the Project Manager;
4. Expert computer literacy skills with the ability to use standard office software applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook;
5. Advanced interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with diverse individuals (race, culture, profession, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion etc.) ;
6. Advance numeracy and research skills and the ability to conduct basic inferences from raw data and be able to decipher significant facts from raw data; and
7. Advanced oral and written communication skills and the ability to draft routine correspondence and prepare reports independently.

1. Duration, location, coordination and reporting arrangements

• Duration. The Administrative Assistant is a full-time position required for five (5) years, renewable annually based on performance and availability of funds.
• The contract is subject to a probationary period of six (6) months and may be subject to satisfactory achievement of key deliverables.
• Performance will initially be reviewed after six (6) months, and thereafter subject to annual reviews.
• This is a full-time position based in Castries, Saint Lucia.
• The Administrative Assistant will work from the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the UBEC project where he/she will be assigned a workstation and will participate in face-to-face or virtual meetings, as is the case.

• The Administrative Assistant will frequently and adequately coordinate with all PIU staff, as relevant.

• Reporting arrangements. The Administrative Assistant will report directly to the Project Manager.

1. Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Secretarial Studies, Business Management or related field plus one (1) year of post degree experience

OR

Diploma in Secretarial Studies, Business Management or related field plus five (5) years’ post- diploma experience in an office setting

OR

Five General Certificates of Education (GCE)/ Caribbean Secondary Education Certificates (CSEC) plus three (3) years’ experience in a secretarial position.

1. Applying for this post

Applications for the post should be made to:

Permanent Secretary

Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and the Youth Economy

4^th Floor Finance Administrative Center

Pointe Seraphine

Castries

Saint Lucia

Tel: 1 (758) 468- 5503

Email: olivia.alfred@govt.lc

Applications must include the following format and content:

1. A brief covering letter introducing yourself, and explaining why you are interested in this post (maximum 1 page); and

1. A resume (CV) showing personal details, work experience, and education, along with the names of three work related references (maximum 3 pages).

Note: unsuitable candidates will not be acknowledged. Applicants whose minimum qualifications and experience conform to the Terms of Reference will be short-listed and invited attend and interview for further consideration.