Consultancy to Improve Institutional Capacity and Environmental Governance in Saint Kitts and Nevis

Description

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) invites specialized consulting firms to submit proposals to provide technical assistance in strengthening institutional readiness and environmental governance in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The primary objective of this consultancy is to support the Ministry of Environment, Climate Action, and Constituency Empowerment in operationalizing the National Conservation and Environmental Management Act (NCEMA) through the establishment of functional institutional systems, cross-sectoral coordination mechanisms, and operational tools.

1. Scope of Services & Key Objectives
Institutional Readiness Assessment: Conduct a baseline gap analysis of the Department of Environment and partner agencies (including the Nevis Island Administration) across legal authority, human resources, financial planning, data systems, and monitoring capacity.

National Environmental Council (NEC) Establishment: Design the central coordination framework, including the formal Charter, Terms of Reference (TORs), membership criteria, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the NEC.

Inter-Ministerial Policy Alignment: Facilitate high-level dialogues to harmonize environmental, fiscal, and national development goals, directly addressing cross-sectoral policy fragmentation.

2. Key Activities & Execution Components
Baseline Diagnostic & Roadmap: Deliver a costed "Institutional Readiness Roadmap" prioritizing necessary capacity building, resource allocation, and policy reforms required for NCEMA execution.

NEC SOPs & Validation: Draft operational manuals covering inter-agency data sharing, environmental monitoring and enforcement protocols, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reviews, and public consultation integration. Conduct high-level validation workshops for formal endorsement.

High-Level Policy Dialogues: Design background materials (concept notes, policy briefs, agendas) and facilitate two (2) inter-ministerial policy dialogues, culminating in a consolidated report and an agreed-upon action matrix.

3. Core Deliverables
Deliverable 1 — Institutional Readiness Package: Baseline assessment report and costed implementation roadmap for the Department of Environment and partner agencies.

Deliverable 2 — NEC Governance Framework: Endorsed NEC Charter, TORs, decision-making protocols, and comprehensive SOPs Manual for the Council and its technical sub-committees.

Deliverable 3 — Policy Dialogue Outcomes: Briefing documentation, execution of two high-level dialogues, and a final report detailing cross-sectoral commitments and the inter-ministerial action matrix.

Note: Interested companies must review the requirements in the BEO Bidders Portal.