Consultant - Directorate for Cooperation & Resource Mobilisation

1. CONTEXT

The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) is a regional intergovernmental organisation that was established by virtue of the Convention establishing the Association of Caribbean States done in Cartagena de Indias in July 1994. Article III of the Convention defines the organisation as one of “consultation, cooperation and concerted action” whose purpose is “to identify and promote the implementation of policies and programmes”.  The organization’s work is focussed on: Cooperation, Disaster Risk Reduction, Sustainable Tourism, Trade, Transport and External Economic Relations, and the protection of the Caribbean Sea.  The ACS has 25 Member States, 10 Associate Members, 6 Founding Observers and 29 Observer States.ACS engages external consultants to provide technical services in order to fulfil its mandate vis-à-vis its Member States and Associate Member States. Accordingly, the ACS seeks to hire a Consultant to support the Directorate for Cooperation and Resource Mobilization (DCRM) in accordance with the functions referred to herein. 
 

2. OBJECTIVE

 To recruit a suitably qualified candidate to:

• provide comprehensive engagement to the Association of Caribbean States, directly supporting and leading the Directorate for Cooperation and Resource Mobilisation.

• provide a leadership role in the daily management of the workload related to the work carried out within the Directorate and towards the 9th Conference of Cooperation to be held in Colombia in May 2025 and all documentation related to the closing process of the same. 

3. SCOPE OF WORK 

The Consultant will report to the Secretary General, in the absence of same, or any other Senior Official the Secretary General so designates.Under the direction of the Secretary General, coordinate with other Staff as necessary to lead the International Cooperation Conference, Cooperation and Resource Mobilization efforts of the ACS and related meetings. 
 

4. DELIVERABLES

 • Assist the Secretary General and other Directorates in the development, rationalization, coordination and evaluation of ACS policies, programmes and projects which contribute effectively to the development process in the Greater Caribbean;

• Assist the Secretary General with presentations to the Executive Board and the Ministerial Council;

• Assist in decision-making with respect to the adoption, implementation and management of programmes and projects in alignment with the Plan of Action and mandates issued by the ACS Summits of Heads of State and/or Government and the Ministerial Council;

• Ensure that the work documents for meetings of the ACS bodies and working groups under his/her responsibility, as well as the results of such meetings are prepared for circulation, in compliance with Agreements 13/10 and 9/17;

• Assist the Secretary General in safeguarding the legal and political integrity of Co-operation Agreements, programmes and projects entrusted to the Secretariat, taking into consideration all relevant regional and international Agreements such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development amongst others;

• Collaborate in the development of draft agendas and participate in meetings of the Special Committee for Cooperation and Resource Mobilization, the Special Committees for Trade Development and External Economic Affairs, Transport, Sustainable Tourism, Disaster Risk Reduction and the Caribbean Sea Commission as well as all other meetings, conferences and activities which he/she has been assigned by the Secretary General relating to the smooth running of the Association and the realisation of its aims and objectives; 

• Prepare and present the Financial and Administrative Report of the Special Fund as well as other reports at regular intervals on projects being managed, including reports to be submitted after workshops/missions in accordance with Agreements 13/10 and 9/17;

• Analyse, make projections and recommend actions to be taken in order to achieve the objectives and functions of the Directorate;

• Assist in managing the financial, technical and logistical areas of the projects undertaken by the Directorate;

• Conceptualize project profiles and prepare proposals for submission to donors;

• Act as a resource person on issues in accordance with the policies, programmes and projects of the Directorate;

• Assist the Secretary General in coordinating all aspects of working meetings including interfacing with focal points as designated;

• Evaluate submissions received from Consultants in response to ‘Calls for Proposals’ in conjunction with the Legal Advisor and other ACS Officials;

• Assist the Secretary General in organising, executing, monitoring and following up on activities of the Directorate and those stemming from the mandates received from the Special Committees as well as those received from the higher bodies of the ACS.

• Prepare reports on activities, programmes and projects undertaken by the Directorate in accordance with established guidelines;

• Assist in the submission of working documents for meetings of the ACS bodies and working groups as well as ensuring that the outcomes of such meetings are prepared for circulation in compliance with Agreements 13/10 and 9/17;

• Draft and review reports, research papers, verbal notes, circular notes, emails or any other documents, in the official languages of the ACS - English, Spanish and French relevant to the aforementioned meetings;

• Render logistical assistance including the preparation of research, documents and the Reports for the aforementioned meetings;

• Coordinate meetings with key stakeholders, panellists and presenters for meetings;

• Assist with the preparation of dossiers in respect of the aforementioned meetings, coordinating with other Directorates and Officials as necessary;

• Review of all projects with the objective of prioritizing those requiring resource mobilisation and immediate implementation;

• Assist the Secretary General in identifying funds to undertake pre-feasibility studies and obtaining international funding for projects emanating from the Plan of Action, verifying that ACS cooperation projects are in line with relevant international frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development amongst others;

• Assist with the design of the methodology and tools, and where necessary, update existing procedures for the conceptualisation, presentation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of cooperation projects of the ACS;

• In collaboration with the Secretary General and the other Directorates, work with the Council of National Representatives of the Special Fund, the Special Committees and the Caribbean Sea Commission, in the design, planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects consistent with international standards and requirements;

• On an as needed basis - Undertake an evaluation of projects, in order to submit reports on the progress of all projects to the Secretary General;

• In alignment with the Plan of Action and mandates of the ACS Summit of Heads of State and/or Government and the Ministerial Council, taking into account national development plans, and regional and international commitments such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development amongst others, create a “Project Bank” with the capacity to obtain support and technical assistance from donors;

• Assist the Secretary General in working with Member States in the management and resource mobilisation for the ACS from regional and international organisations such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the European Union (EU), the World Bank (WB), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the CAF Development Bank of Latin America, amongst others;

• Participate in meetings of regional and international funding agencies such as the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), CAF Development Bank of Latin America, and the Inter Regional Cooperation Programme (INTERREG in its French acronym) amongst others, in order to articulate the financing needs of projects;

• Assist the Secretary General in following up on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development relevant to the areas of focus of the Plan of Action. STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS 

• Maintain contacts and interface with ACS liaison officers within the Member States, Associate Members and Observers, as well as third countries, government institutions, international organisations and agencies related to his/her ACS responsibilities.

5. DURATION

 The Consultant would be contracted for a six (6) month period. 

6. REMUNERATION

The consultant shall be paid monthly the sum of Five Thousand Dollars United States currency (US $5,000.00) tax free. 

7. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

• A Graduate Degree (Master’s or Post Graduate) 

• A first-level university degree (Bachelor's) in fields related to International Relations, Political Science or other relevant areas;

• Minimum of ten (10) years in areas such as mobilisation of funds for international projects and management of projects, drafting reports and providing administrative support services;

• Experience working in an international or regional organisation will be considered an asset. 

8. COMPETENCIES:

 • Excellent oral and written communication skills in two (2) of the official languages of the ACS;

• Strong Interpersonal skills;

• Strong leadership, teamwork, decision-making, management and negotiation skills;

• Ability to work under pressure in a multicultural environment;

9. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OFFICIAL TRAVEL

 The incumbent is expected to travel in the course of his/her duties.

10. SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS 

Eligible Consultant(s) should submit in electronic format to hrcontact@acs-aec.org the following:

I. Cover letter stating relevant experience;

II. Supporting documents such as curriculum vitae, stating nationality and foreign language proficiency (i.e. basic/intermediate/fluent).