Post of duty: Bahamas

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.

About this position

Established in 1959, the Inter-American Development Bank (“IDB” or “Bank”) is the primary 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 its borrowing countries’ public and private sectors.

The IDB supports the Bahamas’ coastal climate resilience and sustainable development agenda. For example, the IDB implemented technical cooperation projects for a feasibility study for climate risk resilient integrated coastal zone management between 2013 and 2015 (i.e., BH-T1029 and BH-T1031). These projects have already been completed, and developed the following products:

· Support existing initiatives that contribute to the national ICZM policy framework.

· Build basic capacity for the development and implementation of ICZM investment programs.

· Provide design and feasibility analysis for investment program financing considerations.

Based on these products, the government of the Bahamas (GoBH) requested a loan project from the IDB in 2016: the Climate Resilient Coastal Management and Infrastructure (BH-L1043). This project aims to build resilience to coastal risks (including those related to climate change) through sustainable coastal protection infrastructure, including natural infrastructure and integrated coastal zone management. Specifically, the project will contribute to science-based shoreline stabilization and coastal climate-hazard control at Nassau/Junkanoo Beach in New Providence, East Grand Bahama (EGB), and Central Long Island. In addition, the project will support nature-based solutions for climate resilience by restoring coastal natural habitats (e.g., mangroves, reefs) in Andros, as well as institutional strengthening of the integrated coastal zone management public policy/governance.

The IDB approved the loan project in 2017, and a contract was signed by both parties in 2018. The executing agency for the project is the Bahamas Ministry of Public Works and Utilities (MOPU). The project amount is US$35M. With activities starting in 2019, the project continues through challenges such as Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and COVID-19 in 2020 and beyond. At this stage, the project is valid until June 2024.

Most significant studies (baseline and detailed structural designs required before infrastructure work) required for the loan project have been contracted and under implementation. However, construction of the planned infrastructure has not yet begun. In addition, there are several vacancies in the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), which is responsible for managing the implementation of the project within MOPU. There are also delays in recruiting personnel for the Coastal Protection Unit (CPU), the new technical unit that will be created within MOPU due to this project. In short, the project is generally behind schedule.

The consultant’s mission is to contribute to coastal climate resilience and sustainable development in the Bahamas through the implementation of the project BH-L1043, in coordination with the responsible division of the Bank (CSD/RND).

What you’ll do

· Support the IDB team leader/members of the project BH-L1043 from a strategic stance, i.e., to monitor, report, coordinate and improve the project portfolio.

· Actively participate in strategic discussions and meetings with executing agencies (MOPU/PIU) and other relevant national stakeholders. Contribute to increasing coordination and harmonization on the Bahamas ICZM public policy implementation in collaboration with the Team Leader and the IDB Bahamas Country Office.

· With supervision from the IDB Team Leader and in coordination with the MOPU/PIU, exchange views and provide supervisory support and technical and managerial advice to consultants and firms responsible for the implementation of the BH-L1043 specific activities.

· Participate in and conduct site visits when necessary.

· Conduct technical quality control reviews of planning documents, including annual operating plans, procurement plans, and financial plans.

· Review, monitor and update monitoring tools such as result matrix and semi-annual reports, under the direction of the team leader/members to ensure accuracy, clarity, and consistency.

· Review TOR and other consultant documents related to the project, provide technical support, facilitate communication with stakeholders, and review any relevant proposals, reports and publications.

· Support other activities related to integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) and climate risk resilient in the Bahamas as required by the CSD/RND division as appropriate.

· Ongoing dialogue with the executing agencies, relevant stakeholders, CSD/RND and other IDB divisions. Support the Country Representative in matters related to the sector.