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Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC)

Terms of reference

Environmental SPECIALIST

 

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 (GoSLU) 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. Objective

 

The Environmental Specialist is responsible for overall environmental aspects of the project and for coordinating, implementing actions, monitoring and reporting on the projects’ compliance with the environmental and social standards and commitments, including those set forth in the ESMF, SEP, LMP, RPF and ESCP.

 

1. Tasks and responsibilities

 

The environmental Specialist will be responsible for ensuring that the Project’s environmental outcomes are achieved, and that any adverse impacts are effectively avoided and/or mitigated in a timely manner. duties/responsibilities of the Environmental Specialist include, but are not limited to:

 

General

• Coordinate the implementation, monitoring and reporting of E&S compliance with the Social Specialist;
• Ensure implementation of the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) of Saint Lucia as well as associated E&S instruments ESMF, SEP, LMP, RPF and GRM (in coordination with the social specialist);
• In coordination with the Social Specialist, update of E&S instruments (ESMF, SEP, LMP,) as needed;
• Monitor the implementation of the ESCP, ESMF, SEP, LMP, and the ESMPs to be developed under the UBEC project;
• Review, and ensure that relevant aspects of the ESCP and ESS instruments are duly incorporated into the procurement documents. Support with monitoring to ensure that the consultants and contractors comply with the ESHS specifications of their respective contracts;
• Provide contributions to the regular semi-annual and annual progress reports on projects’ implementation as required by the Government of Saint Lucia and the World Bank; and
• Perform other duties in line with the scope of the project leading to compliance with environmental and social aspects and related instruments.

 

Site specific actions for subprojects to be financed under UBEC

• For site-specific subprojects, carry out screening by applying the exclusion list to the potential sub-projects in line with the procedures in the ESMF;
• Determine the scope of environmental work i.e., identify the magnitude, sensitivity and risk category of the sub-projects;
• Lead the preparation, consultation, adoption, disclosure of site- specific environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs) and Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) in coordination with other PIU staff and relevant stakeholders;
• Ensure bidding and contracting documents include environmental aspects;
• Work with the PIU procurement staff to ensure that environmental aspects are incorporated as appropriate in contracts for goods and services and that suppliers and contractors are fully aware of their responsibilities in this regard;
• Ensure that the necessary environmental authorizations and permits are obtained where needed;
• During implementation of the approved subprojects, undertake regular environmental monitoring to verify whether and how provisions of the ESMF and associated ESMPs as well as SEP and LMP are followed by all relevant stakeholders (designers, contractors, beneficiaries, etc.);
• Ensure that subcontractors follow the ESMPs and other appropriate measures during construction, rehabilitation, and other small scale civil works; and
• Report regularly to the Project Manager in writing on the results of monitoring visits, promptly identify any environmental and/or social issues or cases of non-compliance and make recommendations for dealing with those issues.

 

Technical Assistance

• Provide guidance such that all terms of reference (ToR) for studies, capacity building, training and any technical assistance activities carried out under the Project duly incorporate and take into consideration, the requirements (as applicable) of the E&S Standards of the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) of the Bank.

 

Responsibilities related to LMP

In coordination with the Social Specialist

• Ensure the implementation of the labor management procedures set forth in the LMP;
• Ensure that all project workers, including those of the PIU, sign a Code of Conduct as part of their contracts, including provisions on sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and violence against children; and
• Support the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the GRM of the LMP.

 

Stakeholder Engagement

In coordination with the Social Specialist

• Ensure the implementation of the stakeholder process set forth in the SEP;
• Share Project information and support consultations with the relevant Project affected parties and other interested parties to ensure that issues are addressed in a timely manner and that project beneficiaries are kept abreast of developments, in line with the stakeholder engagement process identified in the SEP;
• Ensure that stakeholders’ feedback is integrated into ESMPs and other site-specific documents, as needed; and
• Support the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the GRM of the SEP.

 

Outputs/deliverables

• Monthly reports;
• Biannual reports that consolidate the E&S performance of the Project and as inputs to the project’s biannual report. The environmental inputs for the biannual report will include but not limited to, the implementation of the ESCP, ESMF, SEP, LMP, and the ESMPs to be developed under the UBEC project, as well as stakeholder engagement activities.

 

1. Duration, location, coordination and reporting arrangements

 

• Duration. The Environmental specialist 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 and may involve travel to other communities.
• The Environmental Specialist 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. He/she will also be required to visit subproject work sites to monitor Environmental compliance.

 

• The Environmental specialist will frequently and adequately coordinate with the Social Specialist and other PIU staff, as relevant.

 

• Reporting arrangements. The Environmental Specialist will report directly to the Project Manager.

 

1. Qualifications

 

1. Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences, environmental health and safety, civil engineering or other related field from a recognized university;
• At least five (5) years’ experience as an Environmental Specialist/Officer in a project setting;
• Demonstrated understanding of environmental issues of development projects;
• Knowledge and capacity in outreach and awareness/capacity building programs for governmental organizations, NGOs and/or local communities;
• Knowledge of Saint Lucia’s country policies and legislation related to environmental issues;
• Ability to communicate fluently in English, verbally and in writing;
• Ability to speak and understand creole is desired;
• Sound Information Technology (IT) skills, in particular experience with the Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint);
• Ability to uphold ethical standards; and
• Experience working in development projects that have applied World Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank or other institution’s E&S policies, will be considered a plus.

 

1. Favorable attributes

• Capacity to work simultaneously on a variety of issues and tasks, independently adjusting to priorities and achieving agreed objectives and deadlines;
• Ability to be flexible and proactive with work assignments;
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team;
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills;
• Ability to foresee potential environmental issues associated with project work; and
• Commitment and passion for environmental issues.

 

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
2. 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.