Pacific Strengthening Correspondent Banking Relationships Project ( - Тендер #70822353)

NOTICE AT-A-GLANCE

• Project ID

P502591

• Project Title

Pacific Strengthening Correspondent Banking Relationships Project

• Country

Pacific 1

• Notice No

OP00424309

• Notice Type

Request for Expression of Interest

• Notice Status

Published

• Borrower Bid Reference

FJ-PIFS-528784-CS-INDV

• Procurement Method

Individual Consultant Selection

• Language of Notice

English

• Submission Deadline Date/Time

Mar 02, 2026 17:00

• Published Date

Feb 17, 2026

• CONTACT INFORMATION
• Organization/Department

Pacific Island Forum Secretariat

• Name

Ajay Jagannath

• Address

Ratu Sukuna Road, Suva, Fiji.

• City

• Province/State

Pacific 1

• Postal Code

• Country

Pacific 1

• Phone

679-3312600

• Email

ajayj@forumsec.org

• Website

www.forumsec.org

TERMS OF REFERENCE

CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION

DEPUTY PROJECT COORDINATOR

• Project Overview

• Project Background

The Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) has received financing from the World Bank (WB) Group’s International Development Association (IDA)and will act as the Implementing Agency for the regional “Pacific Strengthening Correspondent Banking Relationships Project” (the Project), which will enable continuous access to correspondent banking services in Pacific Island Countries (PICs). The PICs covered by the regional project (Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) include diverse island economies facing similar correspondent banking relationship (CBR) 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. Commercial Bbanks, both domestically owned and multinational, 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 low 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 unsustainably low levels that put the whole Pacific financial system at risk.

In order to mitigate the issues identified mentioned above, the WB World Bank is providing funding to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) to implement the “Pacific Strengthening Correspondent Banking Relationships Project”.

The project has two components: (1) Temporary correspondent banking services, and (2) Enabling environment and regulatory harmonization. The 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 be responsible for the oversight of project activities and the approval of work plans through the PSC.

Comprising of Secretaries of Finance or other officials from the participating PICs finance ministries and the PIFS Director, 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 official responsible for project coordination at the national level, who will be designated as the point of contact with the PMU and the World Bank team. The competent government official in each PIC will be complemented by a country-based PMU focal point recruited through the PMU and responsible for the coordination of service delivery at the individual country-level.

The PIFS is seeking a qualified and experienced national/international consultant to be the Deputy coordinator of the PMU to be based in Suva, Fiji. Selection of the position will be undertaken by PIFS in accordance with the World Bank’s ‘Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers’ (Procurement Regulations), February 2025 edition

3. Objective of the Position

The primary objective of the Deputy Project Coordinator (DPC) is to support the Project Coordinator (PC) in the overall management and coordination of project activities. The DPC will have day-to-day operational responsibility for country-level implementation, including direct oversight and coordination of Country Coordinators, and will ensure effective alignment between the Project Management Unit (PMU), national focal points, and participating countries.

The DPC will report directly to the Project Coordinator. For country-level implementation matters, Country Coordinators will report to the DPC, with the DPC responsible for their operational supervision, coordination, and performance monitoring, while strategic direction and final accountability remain with the Project Coordinator.

The role is designed to strengthen implementation coherence, ensure timely delivery of project outputs, and provide continuity in project leadership. Given the expectation that the DPC may deputize for the Project Coordinator when required, the position will also support selected PMU-wide and PIFS-level activities as delegated by the Project Coordinator.

The selected DPC will support the coordination of day-to-day project implementation, including but not limited to the following responsibilities:

I. Act as the primary operational liaison between the PMU and Country Coordinators, ensuring consistent communication, guidance, and reporting.

II. Provide direct operational supervision and coordination of Country Coordinators, including monitoring progress against work plans and supporting performance management at the country level.

III. Coordinate, review, and monitor country-level work plans and activities to ensure alignment with overall project objectives, approved Annual Work Plans, and implementation timelines.

IV. Provide technical and operational guidance to Country Coordinators on project implementation, compliance with World Bank policies and procedures, and reporting requirements.

V. Consolidate country-level progress reports and inputs into the PMU’s monthly, quarterly, and annual project reports.

VI. Identify implementation challenges, risks, and bottlenecks at the country level and propose corrective actions to the Project Coordinator.

VII. Support capacity building of Country Coordinators and national focal points, including on operational, financial, and reporting requirements.

VIII. Assist the Project Coordinator in organizing Project Steering Committee (PSC) and Technical Advisory Committee meetings, ensuring that country-level perspectives and inputs are adequately reflected.

IX. Maintain and regularly update a country coordination dashboard to track implementation progress, risks, and key deliverables across participating countries.

X. Support the Project Coordinator, as delegated, on selected PMU-wide and PIFS-level activities, including major procurements, stakeholder engagement, and coordination with development partners.

XI. Deputize for the Project Coordinator, as required, to ensure continuity of project management and representation.

4. Specific Contract Deliverables

The Deputy Project Co-Ordinator will be on probation for the first six months of the assignment. A performance evaluation will be undertaken per the relevant deliverables listed below. Note that other deliverables may be discussed and agreed with the Project Coordinator

5. Reporting Obligations

DPC will report to the Project Coordinator and will work closely with other PIFS staff as relevant

This is a full-time work assignment at PMU housed within the PIF office in Suva. In line with the project timeline, the engagement will initially be for two years with an extension of a further twoyears (based on consultant’s performance evaluations and project needs). The DPC’s services shall be subject to annual performance evaluation based on performance indicators specified below. 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 will be provided.

6. Performance Indicators

The following performance indicators shall be used for performance assessment:

• Effective coordination and supervision of Country Coordinators, ensuring timely delivery of country-level activities.
• Compliance with World Bank processes and procedures in all country-level activities, in line with the Project Operations Manual (POM).
• Maintain strong engagement and communication with Country Coordinators and national focal points.
• Ensure consolidated country-level budgets and financial reports are accurate and aligned with the Financing Agreement.
• Timely collection and consolidation of data from Country Coordinators for project progress tracking.
• Adherence to reporting timelines for monthly, quarterly, and annual submissions to the PMU.
• Support the development of annual work plans and consolidated country budgets.
• Positive evaluation of performance by the Project Coordinator and PIFS,.
• Effective identification and resolution of country-level implementation and financial risks.
• Support capacity building for Country Coordinators and ensure knowledge transfer on

compliance and reporting requirements.

• Effective support to the Project Coordinator on PMU-wide and PIFS-level activities, including major procurements, partner coordination, and preparation for PSC and Technical Advisory Committee meetings, as delegated.
• Demonstrated ability to deputize for the Project Coordinator, including representing the PMU in internal and external engagements and ensuring continuity of project management during periods of absence.

7. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

The DPC 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 DPC 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 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.

8. 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.

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 claimed the experience. Supporting documentation should be provided where necessary.

9. Selection Process

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.

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