Overview
The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (GOSVG) has received financing from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) through a line of credit from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) towards the cost of the Health Sector COVID-19 Response Project and the Safety Nets Project for Vulnerable Populations Affected by Coronavirus Project (the Projects) and intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this financing to eligible payments under a contract for which this invitation is issued. Payments by CDB will be made only at the request of GOSVG and upon approval by CDB and will be subjected in all respects to the terms and conditions of the Financing Agreements. The Financing Agreements prohibit withdrawals from the Financing Account for the purpose of any payment to persons or entities, or for any import of goods, if such payment or import, to the knowledge of CDB, is prohibited by a decision of the United Nations Security Council taken under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. No party other than GOSVG shall derive any rights from the Financing Agreements or have any claim to the proceeds of the Financing.
The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology (MOF) through the Public Sector Investment Programme Management Unit (PSIPMU), Economic Planning the Executing Agency, now wishes to procure consultancy services to improve psychosocial support for students, teachers and families.
The objective of the consultancy is to support the PSIPMU in the Economic Planning Division, MOF, in the implementation of the Projects to enhance institutional capacity within the Ministry of Education (MOE) to provide psychosocial support to teachers, students and families as a result of COVID-19 and or other hazards. The Consultant will report to the Senior Education Officer MOE. He/she will be responsible for liaising closely with the student support services unit, guidance counsellors, and other MOE officials. Specifically, the Consultant will design and implement a capacity development programme for guidance counsellors, identified teachers, and student support officers to enhance psychosocial support for students and families, develop communication material, and document referral processes and available psychosocial support services. The consultant will carry out his/her functions under the direct supervision of the Permanent Secretary of the MOE. The duration of the assignment is expected to be for a period of 20 days over three (3) months.
The MOF now invites eligible Individual Consultants to submit Expressions of Interest indicating the qualifications and experience required to provide these consultancy services.
Eligiblity
Individual Consultants shall be eligible to participate if:
- the person is a citizen or bona fide resident of an eligible country; and
- in all cases, the consultant has no arrangement and undertakes not to make any arrangements, whereby any substantial part of the net profits or other tangible benefits of the contract will accrue or be paid to a person, not a citizen or bona fide resident of an eligible country.
Eligible countries are member countries of CDB. Consultants are advised to review the eligibility criteria detailed in Section 4 and conflict of interest provisions in Section 5 of the Procurement Procedures for Projects Financed by CDB (January, 2021), as published on CDB’s website.
The Consultant is required to possess the following minimum qualifications and experience:
- A Master’s degree or equivalent, in Psychology, or a related field from an accredited institution.
- At least five years of experience relevant to the scope of services; direct experience working with teachers and guidance counsellors is an asset.
- Experience using online platforms for interactive training sessions.
- Strong interpersonal, excellent presentation, oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to establish good working relationships with stakeholders in a sensitive environment.
The Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be obtained at http://www.gov.vc/images/RequestForExpressionsofInterest/SVG_COVID_19_CS_INDV_Psychosocial_Support_Terms_of_Reference.pdf
In the assessment of submissions, consideration will be given to qualifications and experience on similar assignments.
Instructions
Expressions of interest must be submitted in English, electronically, by email, in pdf format, to both addresses below no later than 3:15 pm, local time on Friday, April 8, 2022. The email subject line should state “Expression of Interest - Consultancy Services to improve psychosocial support services for students, teachers and families” and the email body must state the name and address of the applicant. The burden of proving receipt of the e-mail will be on the applicant and will not be met solely by a read receipt or sent items report generated by the applicant’s computer.
Following the assessment of submissions, the most technically capable and appropriately experienced applicant will be invited to negotiate a contract to provide the consultancy services. GOSVG reserves the right to accept or reject late applications or to cancel the present invitation partially or in its entirety. It will not be bound to assign any reason for not engaging the services of any applicant and will not defray any costs incurred by any applicant in the preparation and submission of Expressions of Interest.
Further information may be obtained from the first address below between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm local time Monday to Friday.
CONTACT
Address 1
Attn: Mr. Recardo Frederick
Director of Economic Planning
Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, and Information Technology
1st Floor, Administrative Building
Kingstown
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Tel: 784-457-1746 / 784-457-2182
Email: cenplan@svgcpd.com
Address 2
Procurement Officer
Procurement Policy Unit
Caribbean Development Bank
P. O. Box 408, Wildey
St. Michael
Barbados
Tel: +246-539-1600
Email: procurement@caribank.org