Kiribati - Project Country Coordinator — Pacific Strengthening Correspondent Banking Relationships Project

Project Name Pacific Strengthening Correspondent Banking Relationships Project Project Number P502591 https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P502591 Activity and Reference Number (STEP) Project Country Co-ordinator - Kiribati FJ-PIFS-567204-CS-INDV Implementing Agency Names Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Country FIJI The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and seven Pacific Island member countries (Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) have received financing (grants and credits) from the World Bank Group’s International Development Association (IDA) towards the Pacific Strengthening Correspondent Banking Relationships Project (the Project) and will apply part of these proceeds to the contract below for Consulting Services. PIFS is seeking a qualified and experienced Project Country Coordinator (CC) to provide incountry coordination support for the implementation of the Project in Kiribati. The Coordinator will assist with the management and delivery of countryspecific project activities, working closely with the Ministry of Finance’s designated Country Focal Point (CFP), the Project Management Unit (PMU) in Suva, and other stakeholders. This is a parttime individual consultant assignment for up to 144 days per year (maximum 20 days per month), initially contracted for two years with performancebased extensions every two years thereafter until 2030. Scope of Services Under the overall direction of the PMU Project Coordinator, the Country Coordinator shall undertake the following activities: Liaise with the Ministry of Finance’s CFP and the Central Bank of Kiribati on project activities, including followup on Project Steering Committee (PSC) meetings and preparation of minutes. Support the CFP in developing annual countryspecific work plans and budgets for submission to PIFS/PMU. Monitor procurement, financial management, and reporting activities to ensure timely delivery and compliance with World Bank procedures. Identify and resolve implementation issues in coordination with the CFP and PMU. Review consultant outputs, prepare documentation for payments, and support reporting obligations. Prepare annual reports on countryspecific activities for submission to the Ministry of Finance and PIFS. Attend scheduled virtual meetings with the PMU and provide weekly reports on work done. Undertake any other tasks requested by the CFP or PMU Project Coordinator. Mandatory Criteria Education A bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, management, business administration, or a related field. Experience Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant work experience in international development, financial sector, and/or project management, including previous experience working with projects funded by multilateral development banks. Evaluation Criteria Applicants passing the mandatory criteria requirements will be assigned points on the following evaluated criteria: Criteria Points Strong background or experience in the financial/banking sector in either the public or private sector 30 Demonstrable experience in organizational and administrative duties in liaising with highlevel stakeholders 30 Experience working in Pacific Island Countries or small island developing countries 20 High degree of computer literacy, and intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Internet 20 Language Requirement: Excellent command of both spoken and written English is required. PIFS, on behalf of the participating member countries, now invites eligible individuals (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services (attach curriculum vitae and a cover letter with description of experience in similar assignments, similar conditions, etc.). Firms’ staff may express interest through the employing firm for the assignment and, under such situation, only the experience and qualifications of individuals shall be considered in the selection process. The attention of interested Consultants (including firms) is drawn to paragraph 3.14, 3.16 and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, dated February 2025 (“the Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the individual consultant selection method set out in the World Bank Consultant Guidelines The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment is attached below and provides details of the scope of the services required along with specific deliverables expected. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 09.00 to 17.00 hrs Fiji Time. Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) no later than Monday, September 21, 2026, 17:00 hrs (Fiji Time) Address for Enquiries and Submission of EOIs Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Attn: Ajay Jagannath, Project Coordinator Private Mail Bag, Suva PO Box 856, Suva, Fiji. Tel: 679-3312600 E-mail: cbrprocurement@forumsec.org ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TERMS OF REFERENCE CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION PROJECT COUNTRY COORDINATOR KIRIBATI Project Overview Project Overview Project Name PACIFIC STRENGTHENING CORRESPONDENT BANKING RELATIONSHIPS PROJECT Activity Reference Number (STEP) FJ-PIFS-567204-CS-INDV Position Title PROJECT COUNTRY CO-ORDINATOR (CC) KIRIBATI Location of role The position will be based in his/her home country. Eligibility Must have the legal right to live and work in Kiribati Implementing Agency on behalf of participating countries Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) https://forumsec.org/ Duration of Assignment This is a part-time work assignment, in line with the project timeline; A contract (part-time with a total of 144 days in and year and a maximum of 20 days per month) will initially be signed for two years with a performance based extension every two years thereafter, until 2030 . The CC’s services shall be subject to an annual performance evaluation based on performance indicators specified in the Terms of Reference below. Performance evaluation shall be the basis for the extension or termination of the services. The selected CC is expected to work in his/her home country and will be supported by the PMU based in Suva, Fiji. Agency Description The Pacific Islands Forum was established to bring together the region to address pressing issues and challenges, and foster collaboration and cooperation in the pursuit of shared goals. PIF’s mandate is to strengthen cooperation and integration in the Pacific region through the pooling of regional governance, resources and the alignment of policies, furthering Forum members shared goals of economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and security. Founded in 1971, it comprises 18 members: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The PIFS is a vital platform for Leaders to convene, engage in discussions and agree on policies that will benefit the people of the region. Participating Countries The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) participating in the regional project comprise Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu Overall Project Objective The Project development Objective is to enable continuous access to correspondent banking services in the participating Pacific Island Countries Project Length August 2024 to September 30 2030 2. Project Background The Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) is expecting to receive financing from the World Bank (WB) Group’s International Development Association (IDA) for a proposed project to enable continuous access to correspondent banking services in Pacific Island Countries (PICs). The PICs covered by the proposed regional project (Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) include diverse island economies facing similar correspondent banking relationship challenges. PICs range in size and topography – from small island states such as Samoa, with two principal inhabited volcanic islands, to large archipelagos such as the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), with 29 atolls spread over 2 million km2 of ocean. Population sizes vary from 11,300 people in Tuvalu to 930,000 people in Fiji. The economic landscape of PICs is equally diverse, marked by different growth drivers, poverty rates, and growth trajectories. The average GDP growth across PICs decelerated to 3.5 percent in 2023 after a historically high of 7.9 percent in 2022, in a rebound from the COVID-19 crisis. However, medium-term growth prospects have worsened, with output growth expected to be significantly below the pre-pandemic trend of 4.7 percent between 2014 & 2019. Given low growth and limited employment opportunities in the island economies, labor migration to neighboring countries and the resulting remittances are critical drivers of living standards. The United States, New Zealand, and Australia account for 94 percent of the Pacific diaspora. Trade and tourism are vital for many PICs, providing revenue and employment opportunities. Remittances, equivalent to more than 40 percent of GDP in some PICs, are a buffer against income shocks and an important source of finance for essential household consumption and human capital investment. Financial systems in PICs are characterized by low levels of financial access and an uneven development of national payment systems. Both domestically owned and multinational commercial banks dominate the financial sector in all PICs. In several PICs, much of the population lacks access to basic transaction accounts, limiting households and businesses’ ability to send and receive payments, save, invest, and respond to climatic and economic shocks. The financial market infrastructure is underdeveloped, in part due to limited competition and the lack of economies of scale. The level of national payment system development is uneven across PICs, and regional efforts to improve the efficiency of cross-border payments are limited in scale and scope. PICs are uniquely vulnerable to the withdrawal of the correspondent banking relationships (CBR) that underpin international trade, tourism, remittances, and humanitarian financial flows. Correspondent banking is an arrangement under which one bank (correspondent) holds deposits owned by other banks (respondents) and provides payment and other services to those respondent banks. CBRs are an essential feature of the global payment system – they enable individuals, businesses, and governments to make and receive cross-border payment services related to remittances, e-commerce, trade, and official sector flows. The cross-border transactions enabled in PICs are in various currencies, primarily the US dollar, Euro, and Australian dollar. The withdrawal of CBRs, a well-documented global phenomenon affecting many emerging markets and developing economies, has adverse consequences and negative externalities for Pacific Islanders, including seasonal laborers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and vulnerable populations. Based on publicly available data, the number of active correspondents for Pacific banks has declined significantly since 2011 to levels that put the Pacific financial system overall at risk. In order to mitigate the issues identified above, the WB will provide funding to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) to implement the proposed “Pacific Strengthening Correspondent Banking Relationships Project”. The Pacific Islands Forum was established to bring together the region to address pressing issues and challenges and foster collaboration and cooperation in pursuing shared goals. PIF’s mandate is to strengthen cooperation and integration in the Pacific region through the pooling of regional governance, resources, and the alignment of policies, furthering Forum members' shared goals of economic growth, sustainable development, good governance, and security. Founded in 1971, it comprises 18 members: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The PIFS is a vital platform for Leaders to convene, engage in discussions, and agree on policies that will benefit the people of the region. The project will have two components: (1) Temporary correspondent banking services and (2) Enabling environment and regulatory harmonization. The proposed project will be implemented by a Project Management Unit (PMU) within the PIFS with strategic project oversight provided by a Project Steering Committee (PSC) comprised of representatives of participating Pacific Finance Ministers. While the PMU will be responsible for day-to-day project activities, it will need to ensure close collaboration and coordination with participating Ministries of Finance, which will oversee project activities and approve work plans through the PSC. Comprising of Secretaries of Finance or other officials from the participating PICs finance ministries and the PIFS Director (Programs and Initiative), the PSC will meet on a quarterly basis and be responsible for the approval of key project activities as needed. The PSC will report to Pacific Finance Ministers annually at the Forum Economic Minister Meeting (FEMM) to ensure that strategic guidance and orientation are provided over the project activities. At the technical level, each participating PIC will be required to nominate a competent government official as a Country Focal Point (CFP) responsible for project coordination at the national level, who will be designated as the point of contact with the PMU and the WB team. The competent government official in each PIC will be complemented by a country coordinator (CC) based in-country , recruited through the PMU, and responsible for coordinating service delivery at the individual country level. The PIFS is now seeking qualified and competent national consultants from each member country to be the country coordinator (CC) for the PMU and based in the respective participating Pacific Island countries (PICs). The required positions are expected to be selected by the PIFS in accordance with the WB’s ‘Procurement Regulations for Investment Project Financing (IPF) Borrowers’ (Procurement Regulations), Seventh edition, September 2025, and as amended over time. 3. Objective of the Position The main objective of the CC would be to provide on the ground support to the PMU in managing and coordinating the full range of project, country specific activities. The CC will be funded by the project (through the PMU) and report to the PIFS/ PMU Coordinator. In addition, he/she will work closely with the specific Country Focal Point (CFP), a government official appointed by the MOF of that particular PIC. 4. Scope of Services The CC will be required to adopt a flexible approach to coordinate and facilitate the required country specific project activities and report on tangible outcomes in terms of project implementation progress. The CC will be required to work in a pro-active manner, and to help ensure effective implementation of activities and delivery of outputs in a timely manner. The selected CC will undertake the following services: Liaising with PICs Ministry of Finance’s CFP and Central Bank on country specific project related activities, including follow up on the Project Steering Committee (PSC) meetings and preparing meeting minutes as required; Work in close coordination with the CFP in developing the annual country specific activities, budgets to be submitted to the PIFS/PMU; Follow up closely on all country specific procurement activities to ensure that there are no delays in the selection process; In coordination with the CFP, identifying problems/impediments promptly as they arise during project implementation and take timely remedial actions; Monitoring, with assistance of the PMU M&E specialist, the progress of the country specific project activities and its results indicators; Follow up closely on all country specific financial management activities to ensure that there are no delays in the payment process; Follow up closely on the country specific activities and report to the CFP and the PMU Project Coordinator; Work closely with the CFP and review reports/outputs prepared by selected consultants and provide inputs to the CFP as required; Prepare the required documentation for the payment of outputs prepared by the selected consultants, obtain CFP approval and submit documents to the PMU for payment; Work closely with the CFP in preparing annual reports on country specific activities to be submitted to the MOF and PIFS; and Any other activities as requested by the CFP or the PMU Project Coordinator. 5. Reporting Obligations The CC will attend scheduled virtual meetings with the PMU and provide weekly reports on work done. 6. Institutional Arrangements This is a part-time work assignment, with the Consultant expected to be based in in their home country. The Consultant will be supported by the PIFS PMU based in Suva, Fiji but will work closely with and report to the country focal person in the first instance. The CC is expected to show flexibility in working arrangements as time inputs will fluctuate based on country requirements. The work will be part-time, averaging approximately 12 days per month (with a total of 144 days in and year and a maximum of 20 days per month) for the next six years. A contract will initially be signed for two years with a performance-based extension every two years thereafter. Performance evaluation shall be the basis for the extension or termination of the services. Facilities such as office space, intercom telephone facilities, personal computers, printing facilities, Internet access and stationery shall be the responsibility of the Country Coordinator. 7. Performance Indicators The following performance indicators shall be used for performance assessment: Positive progress and good performance of the entrusted project activities, as per the TOR; Ensuring that WB processes and procedures are complied with in all activities and in accordance with the POM; Provide and maintain strategic engagement, networking and collaboration with key stakeholders; Ensure the utilization and management of project funds are in compliance with the Financing Agreement; Ensure the collection of all data required to track project progress; Ensure the project monitoring and reporting timeline is adhered to; Prepare and compile periodic semi-annual and annual reports on project activities Compile proposed annual workplan for the following year with budget and procurement plan; Positive evaluation of performance by the PIFS and the WB team; Effective management of other experts engaged by the PMU; and Support in implementing any capacity building agendas related to the Project as required. 8. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest The CC undertakes to comply with PIF’s and WB’s policies and rules with regard to anti-corruption and prevention of fraudulent practices, conflict of interest and confidentiality. The CC shall maintain confidentiality on all sensitive information obtained during the assignment and shall not publish wholly or in part the findings or such information, without prior written consent by the PIF. Any draft reports and other documents produced by the consultant will be discussed and cleared with the PIF and the WB before their final issue. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) will be signed between the PIFS and the selected candidate to be attached to the contract. 9. Evaluation Requirements This section details the basis upon which selection of the successful candidate will be based. Mandatory Criteria – These criteria must be met in order to be considered for this contract. Mandatory Criteria Description Evaluation Education A bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, management, business administration, or a related field Pass or Fail Experience A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant work experience in international development, financial sector, and/or project management, including previous experience working with projects funded by multilateral development banks. Pass or Fail Scoring Criteria – These criteria are requirements or qualities that are not mandatory but would be considered beneficial if they are met and will be assigned scores during evaluation. Applicants must detail, in (their) CVs previous positions which support the criteria requirement on experience. Supporting documentation should be provided where necessary. Criteria Evaluated Criteria Points 1 A strong background or experience in the financial/banking sector in either the public or private sector would be desirable; 30 2 Demonstrable experience in organizational and administrative duties in liaising with high level stakeholders 30 3 Experience working in Pacific Islands Countries or small island developing countries would be an advantage; 20 4 High degree of computer literacy, and intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Package (Excel, Word, and Power Point) and Internet; and 20 Language: Excellent command of both spoken and written English is required 10. Selection Process Selection will follow the Selection of an Individual Consultant, World Bank Procurement Regulations Seventh Edition, September 2025. Applicants will be assessed on their Resume as submitted and any supporting documentation. Applicants who do not pass Mandatory criteria requirement will not be evaluated further. Applicants passing mandatory criteria requirements will be assigned points on presented scoring criteria . The Evaluation committee reserves the right to interview any candidates. A minimum of two professional references should be provided. The Project values individuality and celebrates difference with a strong commitment to diversity, equality, racial equity, gender, and disability inclusion and strongly encourages people from culturally and diverse communities to apply for this position.