The Government of Saint Lucia (GOSL) has received financing from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for implementation of a Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) 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 GOSL and upon approval by the CDB, and will be subject in all respects to the terms and conditions of the Financing Agreement. The Financing Agreement prohibits withdrawal 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 the 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 GOSL shall derive any rights from the Financing Agreement or have any claim to the proceeds of the Financing.

The Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment, the Executing Agency, now wishes to procure consultancy services for the Development of Operations Manuals, Youth Reintegration Toolkit and Gender Equality Guidance Note for the Youth Recidivism Reduction and Out-of-School Suspension Programmes.

The main objective of the consultancy is to develop a Programme Operations Manual (POM) incorporating a Gender Equality Guidance Note (GEGN) and Reintegration Tool Kit (RI kits) for the Youth Recidivism Reduction (YRRP) and the Out of School Suspension Programmes (OSSP). The duration of the Youth Recidivism Reduction Programme consultancy is 60 person days over a three (03) month period and the Out of School Suspension Programme consultancy, forty (40) person days over a period of two (02) months.

The Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment, the Executing Agency, now invites interested eligible consulting firms to submit Expressions of Interest for the provision of these consultancy services.

Consultants shall be eligible to participate if:

(a) in the case of a body corporate, it is legally incorporated or otherwise organised in an eligible country, has its principal place of business in an eligible country and is more than

50 per cent beneficially owned by citizen(s) and/or bona fide resident(s) of eligible country(ies) or by a body(ies) corporate meeting these requirements;

(b) in the case of unincorporated firms, the persons are citizens or bona fide residents of an eligible country; and

(c) 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.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of CDB’s Guidelines for the Selection and Engagement of Consultants (2011), setting forth CDB’s policy on conflict of interest.

In the assessment of submissions, consideration will be given to technical competence, qualifications and experience, local and regional experience on similar assignments, financial capability and existing commitments. All information must be submitted in English. Further information including Draft Terms of Reference may be obtained from the first address below between 0830and 1600 hours Monday to Friday.

Five(5)hard copies of the Expressions of Interest must be received at the first address below no later than 1600 hours on December 05th, 2019 and one (1) hard copy must be sent simultaneously to CDB at the second address below. The sealed envelope containing each submission should include the name and address of the applicant and shall be clearly marked “Expression of Interest – Consultancy Services for Development of Operations Manuals, Youth Reintegration Toolkit and Gender Equality Guidance Note for the Youth Recidivism Reduction and Out-of- School Suspension Programmes – Youth Empowerment Project”.

Following the assessment of submissions, a short-list of not less than three and not more than six applicants will be provided with full terms of reference and invited to submit technical and financial proposals to undertake the assignment. GOSL 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 short-listing any applicant and will not defray any costs incurred by any applicant in the preparation and submission of Expressions of Interest.

1.0 BACKGROUND

1.01 The Government of Saint Lucia (GOSL) has requested assistance from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in financing a project which would respond to the challenges facing vulnerablegroups, particularly youth-at-risk in Castries, Saint Lucia. Castries is challenged by, inter alia, increasing crime, inadequate social infrastructure and limited access to social services. The Youth Empowerment Project (the Project) will seek to examine and address these challenges by supporting the expansion of, and access to, existing social services as well as the development and implementation of new services so as to reduce social exclusion among youth and families in target communities. In the main, the Project will provide services to address mal-adaptive behaviours, enhance employability skills, support community safety and security and improve inter-linkages and the sharing of good practices among participating agencies working in target communities. The Project is being implemented through the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment.

1.02 The goal of diversion programs is to reduce recidivism or the occurrence of problem behaviours without having to formally process youth in the justice system. One initiative under the Court Diversion programme is the Youth Recidivism Reduction Programme (YRRP). This programme will cater to young persons aged 12-18 years and will be executed by the Probation and Parole Services of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Justice and National Security. The programme primarily targets pre and post-court diversion youth who have been recommended to the programme or received non-custodial sentencing. Another initiative is the Out-of-School Suspension Programme (OSSP) which will cater for students who have been suspended from a secondary school and walk-ins" who hear about the programme and seek to be a part of it.

Stakeholder engagement is critical and therefore the involvement and active participation of key stakeholders such as the target schools, Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Justice and National Security, Ministry of Health and Wellness is vital to attaining project outcomes and sustaining the effective use of social services and infrastructure both during and after project implementation. Case management services for YRRP and OSSP that links with the social protection system and includes assessment of family needs and development of family plans to attain health, education and economic objectives is an important element of these programmes.

Given the multiplicity of activities and service providers involved in the programmes, some of which are still to be scheduled and properly defined - a consultancy is required to develop a Programme Operations Manual (POM) incorporating a Gender Equality Guidance Note (GEGN) and Reintegration Tool Kit (RI kits) for the YRRP and the OSSP.

2.01 The consultancy will assist the GOSL in improving social service delivery outcomes through mechanisms of community participation and the effective integration of gender equality (GE) considerations.

2.02 Preparation of the Gender Equality Guidance Note will involve inter alia;

(a) consulting with key stakeholders to identify gender-specific issues or options to be addressed in the design and delivery of project activities;

(b) identifying mechanisms for further refinement of component activities to strengthen gender equality in the delivery of project activities;

(c) conducting a gender audit of the implementing and participating agencies and assessing their capabilities for gender equality monitoring and reporting;

(d) elaborating the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders for gender equality monitoring;

(e) providing recommendations to support the effective integration of Gender Equality in project activities; and

(f) identifying gender outcomes, through a harmonised approach with stakeholders and participating agencies.

2.03 The reintegration Toolkit will include:

a) a transition plan which documents entry into the system and can be updated throughout the process according to assessments of the youth's current strengths, challenges, and needs. This plan identifies required support services and follows the youth through each subsequent placement;

b) an educational programme that focuses on academics, social skills, independent living skills, vocational skills, so that youths are prepared for the challenges they will encounter on exiting the Youth Diversion Programme (YDP). In order to ensure that youths receive appropriate educational services and earn credit for the work they complete while in the system, facility staff must use a consistent method for transferring educational records to the youth's next educational placement, consisting of: (i) course titles, (ii) grades earned, (iii) effort made, (vi) contact hours, (v) course teachers, (vi) topics covered/ skills addressed, (vii) text/materials used, and (viii) teachers'/programme officers' comments.

c) a monitoring and evaluation plan identifying the needs of students and their progress (e.g., academic, social, behavioural, vocational) based on systematic evaluation. The monitoring and tracking process both informs and will be informed by the transition plan; and

d) a framework for long-term wrap around services after the Integrated Court Diversion Programmes, in which a transition specialist (ideally one representing multiple service providers) maintains contact with the youth and his or her family for at least six months after release to minimise the risk of recidivism.

2.04 The Operation Manual will include, inter alia:

a) the mission statement for the programme documentation and guidance on best practice required to implement both programmes;

b) policy and procedures for the programme, to include screening, training, confidentiality, and unacceptable behaviour;

c) the participant’s selection process;

d) a detailed description of the programme execution and coordination schemes;

e) a detailed description of Programme Administration and Management. The job description of all key staff should be outlined;

f) a budget to carry out the service;

g) responsibilities of each agency required to support the operations of the programme;

h) the frequency of meetings; approval authorities for disbursement of funds and related matters;

i) the specifications for the preparation of the monitoring and evaluation reports;

j) the levels of approval authority.

3.01 The consultant(s) shall undertake, inter alia, the following:

a) review all relevant project documentation, including appraisal reports, reports re: the preparation consultancy, drawings, etc.;

b) review relevant policy guidelines regarding procurement, as well as terms and conditions of the grant agreement related to project implementation;

c) consult with key stakeholders to detail the scope of both programmes;

d) conduct an analysis of the gender dimensions of crime and citizen security in the Project host communities and schools, identify critical issues relevant to the Project and develop strategies to inform implementation;

e) prepare a Gender Equality Guidance Note (GEGN), based on the analysis and proposed strategies, to inform Project Operations Manual (POM), Community Participation Plan (CPP) and the various project components and activities to be implemented by Participating Agencies.

f) review and incorporate information in the monitoring and reporting systems of the project;

g) assist in developing operational approaches for strengthening mechanisms of community participation in monitoring and implementation related to the Project;

h) assist in developing a network of support for community participation strategies within GOSL agencies, civil society groups, community residents and other stakeholders; and

i) prepare a POM (incorporating CPP and GEGN) to support the implementation of the

Project.

j) facilitate a workshop to present the POM, CPP, RI kit and GEGN to project staff and other relevant stakeholders. Submit an evaluation report on the workshop, including participants' evaluations, within two weeks of implementation of the workshop.

4.01 The consultant(s) must possess the following minimum qualifications:

a) a University Degree or other relevant qualification in the Social Sciences, Education Public Administration or other relevant discipline with post-graduate qualification in operations management or business administration, gender and development or international development. Professional qualification in project management is desirable;

b) a minimum of eight years’ relevant professional experience;

c) a minimum of five years' experience in gender programming or planning;

d) a sound understanding of issues related to community development;

e) knowledge of the preparation of project documentation related to project implementation, procurement or similar areas; and

f) strong spoken and written communication skills and fluency in the English language.

5.01 The YRRP consultancy is expected to last not more than sixty (60) days over a period of three (03) months. The OSSP consultancy is expected to last not more than forty (40) days over a period of two (02) months.

6.01 The Consultant shall report to the Project Coordinator (PC) in the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment. The Consultant(s) will furnish reports on the assignment as set out in the Scope of Services to GOSL and CDB both as bound documents and in electronic format. Three copies of the bound reports shall be provided to GOSL and one to CDB. An electronic copy of the complete report shall also be provided in Portable Document Format (PDF), or in other suitable electronic formats as may be agreed, either by email or on CD-ROM to GOSL and to CDB. Reports shall be submitted as indicated below:

(a) an Inception Report within two weeks of the signing of the contract;

(b) the Draft POM within eight weeks of the signing of the contract; incorporating the initial draft of the RI toolkit, CPP and GEGN;

(c) the Final Report on the POM, RI toolkit, CPP and GEGN within three weeks of receipt of comments from GOSL on the draft report; incorporating comments from GOSL;

(d) facilitate a workshop to present the POM, RI kit, CPP and GEGN to project staff and other relevant stakeholders. Submit an evaluation report on the workshop, including participants' evaluations, within two weeks of implementation of the workshop.