Housing and Urban Development Projects Support Consultant
JOB DETAIL
Post of duty: Belize
The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.
Established in 1959, the Inter-American Development Bank (“IDB” or “Bank”) is the main source of financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. It provides loans, grants, guarantees, policy advice and technical assistance to the public and private sectors of its borrowing countries.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Country Office in Belize (CID/CBL) (i) supports the design, implementation and administration of development projects and programs (loans and grants); (ii) leads and maintains the dialogue with the Government of Belize (GOB), its key public sector institutions (Ministries), representatives of the private sector and civil society members; (iii) monitors the country’s macroeconomic, political and social environment; (iv) coordinates the preparation of economic sector work relevant for the country and the region and (v) monitors the evolution of the business climate in the country and identifies potential private sector development opportunities.
The Housing and Urban Development División (CSD/HUD) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) strives to help Latin American and Caribbean cities address the New Urban Agenda (Habitat III), aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. Our work includes an urban portfolio and a knowledge program focused on sustainability and climate change mainstreaming.
Beyond cross-cutting themes such as climate change, resilience, and gender equality, operations in the IDB’s Housing and Urban Development Division are structured around four action areas: (i) urban infrastructure and services, including neighborhood upgrading; (ii) housing; (iii) habitat, public landscape, and heritage; (iv) institutions, governance, and management.
Context. The IDB is currently supporting the Government of Belize (GoB) in several actions aimed at improving urban sustainability of municipalities, seeking to improve access to selected urban services, to support local economic growth, to facilitate the social and economic integration of vulnerable populations, and to strengthen local capabilities.
For instance, the Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Development Program (BL-L1046) identified interventions, such as neighborhood upgrading projects and improvements to public spaces and facilities, which will be complemented with activities to strengthen municipal and national capabilities for guiding sustainable urban development. In addition, the Bank approved the TC “Support to the Inclusive Urban Development Program” (BL-T1168) aiming to support the implementation of the Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Development Program (BL-L1046 & BL-J0007) by elaborating pre-investment studies for its eligible projects and developing coordination activities for its implementation.
Previously, the TC “Support for Ambergris Caye Sustainable Development” (BL-T1150) was implemented from 2022 to 2024, resulting in key outputs including: (i) a Strategic Plan for Ambergris Caye[1] that promotes an integrated territorial development, urban spaces upgrading, and the adaptation to climate risks, reducing current disparities, and generating an attractive, resilient, sustainable territory with a high quality of life; (ii) a communication strategy, to implement two pilot projects (Future Development & Disaster Risk Reduction), testing messages, narratives, perceptions and barriers resulting in lessons learned and recommendations to inform the Strategic Plan on how to effectively communicate future policies and to positively engage communities in the process; and (iii) the identification of opportunities for public-private dialogue to improve the development of the region’s businesses, with a focus on the tourism sector.
This comprehensive initiative not only commits to implementation but also allows for the potential scaling of similar activities in other municipalities in alignment with the Government’s priorities regarding the Belize’s mid-term development Plan 2022-2026. “Transforming Belize to a more inclusive and Sustainable country” in the topics of poverty reduction, and protection of the environment and natural resources. Also, with the 2022-2025 Country Strategy for Belize aiming to support the reactivation of critical economic sectors through the continued provision of services, improving their resilience to natural hazards and climate change.
In this respect, the Housing and Urban Development Division is looking for an individual consultant to support the ongoing programs and new initiatives in the country derived from the support of the Bank.
The ideal candidate should have previous experience working in strategical planning or urban development activities. Previous experience working for Multilateral Organizations, national or local governments, or the Government of Belize is highly desirable.
About this position:
The objective of the consultancy is to provide support, coordination and guidance on all matters pertaining to the Housing and Urban Development sector in the country.
We are looking for a committed, dynamic and passionate professional to support the Housing and Urban Development projects in Belize. As Consultant you will support the implementation of ongoing programs and new initiatives, collaborate on the development of procurement processes and project management tools implementation and monitoring, coordination activities with stakeholders, preparation of reports and presentations for different purposes.
You will work in the Housing and Urban Development Division part of the Climate Change and Sustainable Development department
What you’ll do:
Specific activities, among others, in coordination with the HUD specialist in charge of the supervision of this consultancy, will be:
Management of ongoing programs
- Review of initial, intermediate and final products, providing strategic recommendations and design principles to solve any challenges for the development of the projects (when applicable)
- Provide technical guidance and support to implementing units, addressing technical queries and facilitating problem-solving as necessary.
- Under the guidance of the HUD specialist, support IDB’s Country Office in Belize in preparing presentations, talking points and accompanying the Representative to relevant meetings and events related to the mission of the Unit, as needed.
- In coordination with the Bank and Government working groups, and representatives, carrying out of virtual meetings and in-place visits to consolidate information, get a first-hand impression of the projects’ areas.
- Collaborate in the development of procurement processes (develop and draft comprehensive terms of reference for consulting services, support selection processes -if necessary, monitor the hiring process and timely start of consultancies, among others).
- Support portfolio review meetings and monitoring and evaluation activities.
- In coordination with the Government working groups, identify key stakeholders for the development of the activities proposed in the different projects.
- Facilitate and coordinate meetings, workshops with key stakeholders, including government officials and community representatives, as well as to support the planning and execution of HUD in-country official missions.
- In coordination with other divisions and the private sector (IDB Invest and IDBLab), identify internal synergies and collaboration opportunities. Also, foster partnerships and synergies among external stakeholders to maximize the impact and sustainability of project results.
- Prepare detailed reports for meetings, visits, and project updates, ensuring clarity and precision.
New initiatives
- Conduct research and analysis to support new project initiatives and policy development
- Support the preparation of new project and technical cooperations documents, including annexes
What you’ll need:
- Education: bachelor’s degree in architecture, urbanism, civil engineering, economics or any related field and Master’s degree in urban development/planning, public administration, project management or other fields relevant to the responsibilities of the role.
- Experience: A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in the public and/or private sector. At least 4 years’ experience in the development of proposals, project execution, contract management and/or monitoring and evaluation of urban/infrastructure projects. Experience with multilateral development institutions or other external donors would be an asset.
- Languages: Proficiency in English. Working communication skills in Spanish (written and oral) is desirable.
- Areas of Expertise: Urban planning; project management; planning and monitoring; design and/or execution of urban development or infrastructure projects; understanding of funding sources, including grants, loans, and investments.
- Demonstrated capacity for document´s elaboration (including comprehensive reports, terms of reference, and technical documents)
- Strong project management skills, including planning, execution, and/or monitoring
- Excellent capability for coordinating different stakeholders
- Learn continuously
- Collaborate and share knowledge
- Focus on clients
- Communicate and influence.
- Innovate.
Requirements:
- Citizenship: You are either a citizen of Belize or a citizen of one of our 48-member countries with a valid residency or legal permit to work in Belize without the need for sponsorship by the IDB.
- Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.
Type of contract and duration:
- Type of contract: National Consultant Full-Time.
- Length of contract: Initial 6 months period.
- Work Location: Belize City. The consultant will be required to work at the Country Office. Additionally, travel to project sites may be necessary on an as-needed basis.
What we offer:
The IDB group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee’s life. These benefits include:
- A competitive compensation packages.
- A flexible way of working. You will be evaluated by deliverable.
Our culture:
At the IDB Group we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work, willing to try new approaches without fear, and where they are accountable and rewarded for their actions.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) are at the center of our organization. We celebrate all dimensions of diversity and encourage women, LGBTQ+ people, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job interview process. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at [email protected] to request reasonable accommodation to complete this application.
Our Human Resources Team reviews carefully every application.
About the IDB Group:
The IDB Group, composed of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), IDB Invest, and the IDB Lab offers flexible financing solutions to its member countries to finance economic and social development through lending and grants to public and private entities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
About IDB:
We work to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through financial and technical support for countries working to reduce poverty and inequality, we help improve health and education and advance infrastructure. Our aim is to achieve development in a sustainable, climate-friendly way. With a history dating back to 1959, today we are the leading source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean. We provide loans, grants, and technical assistance; and we conduct extensive research. We maintain a strong commitment to achieving measurable results and the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability.
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