SAINT LUCIA
OECS SKILLS AND INNOVATION PROJECT
Credit No. IDA-74830
Project ID No. P179210
Assignment Title: Procurement Officer for the Grants Management Unit
Reference No.: OECSSK/022/2026-CS/IC/16
The World Bank's Board has approved a loan of US$36 million to Grenada, Saint Lucia and the OECS Commission from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group to finance the OECS Skills and Innovation Project (SKIP). Each participating country will receive funding in the amount of US$15 million credit while the OECS Commission will receive an IDA grant in the amount of US$6 million.
The OECS Skills and Innovation Project will provide for investments in post-secondary education to promote transversal and advanced technical skills among youth while strengthening regional cooperation in post-secondary education. Over the next six years, the project will benefit 40,000 youth (18 to 34 years of age) who are currently enrolled or will enroll in post-secondary institutions in the OECS region, and who will benefit from regional interventions to foster collaboration in the post-secondary education space. In addition, youth will benefit from the project's provision of new tools to assess priority skills and support teachers, as well as 120 entrepreneurs and firms that would participate in collaborative innovation projects. The project will also foster collaborative innovation within Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Member states.
Under Component 2.3, the project will foster collaborative innovation within Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Member states. In Saint Lucia, the Innovation Division (ID) which forms part of the Department of Education and Digital Transformation (DOE) is a key stakeholder in the management of the Skills and Innovation Competitive Matching Grants Program (SKIMGP) given its technical mandate and authority in innovation facilitation.
The SKIMGP aims to stimulate innovation-led growth by providing competitive matching grants to collaborative innovation projects involving students, entrepreneurs, faculty, and private company partners. Through the OECS SKIP Saint Lucia, a Grants Management Unit (GMU) is being established to support the Innovation Division in the management of the SKIMGP executed under this project. Under the SKIMGP, fifty-five (55) individual grants and six (6) consortia grants are to be issued in Saint Lucia, over a three-year period. The GMU is tasked with managing the technical and programmatic aspects of the program, including outreach, proposal solicitation, evaluation, contracting, monitoring, and learning.
The GOSL intends to apply part of the proceeds of the financing for consulting services for a qualified individual consultant to serve as Procurement Officer for the Grants Management Unit. The Procurement Officer will be responsible for overseeing all procurement processes and activities related to the procurement of goods and services under the SKIMGP, ensure the expeditious procurement and delivery of inputs for individual and consortia projects as well as the disbursement of grant funds assigned for innovation inputs for the effective implementation of each innovation project under the SKIMGP. The Procurement Officer shall ensure compliance with national procurement regulations and World Bank guidelines.
The Department of Education and Digital Transformation, the Project Executing Agency, now invites interested eligible individuals to submit Expressions of Interest for the position of Procurement Officer for the Grants Management Unit. The Expressions of Interest should include the Consultant's updated curriculum vitae including: (i) technical skills, (ii) experience in working with similar projects in developing countries, and (iii) the names of at least three (3) professional references with contact information (e-mail address and telephone).
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 and Digital Transformation reserves the right to accept or reject late applications or to cancel the present invitation partially or in its entirety. The Department of Education and Digital Transformation 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.
The duration of the assignment will be for twelve (12) months and subject to renewal based on job performance. The Project comes to a close on 08 January 2030.
The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following website: www.govt.lc/consultancies or www.finance.gov.lc or can be obtained at the following email address: tenders.oecsskip@learning.edu.lc
The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank's "Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers" July 2016, revised September 2023 ("Procurement Regulations"), setting forth the World Bank's policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultants Selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations.
Expressions of Interest for "Procurement Officer for the Grants Management Unit" are to be addressed to the attention of:
Further information including details of the project may be obtained by contacting 468-3257/8966 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. local time, Monday to Friday, or by emailing tenders.oecsskip@learning.edu.lc