Tender Advertisement #1551360

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(INDIVIDUAL CONSULTING SERVICES)

Country: Fiji
Name of Project: Pacific Strengthening Correspondent Banking Relationships (CBR) Project
Project No: P502591
Grant Number: E367-4P
Assignment Title: Research and Communication Officer
Reference No.: FJ-PIFS-498206-CS-INDV
Eligibility: Fiji Nationals Only

1. The Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and eight pacific island member countries (Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) have received financing (grants and credits) from the World Bank (WB) Group’s International Development Association (IDA) towards the “Pacific Strengthening Correspondent Banking Relationships Project” (the Project) and will apply part of these proceeds to the contract below for Consulting Services. The PIFS is the Implementing Agency for the regional project.

2. The Research and Communications Officer will support the PMU and participating countries by developing high-quality communications products and synthesizing research and data to inform policy, advocacy, and strategic engagement. The Officer will work closely with the Project Coordinator and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist to ensure that project impact is communicated clearly to stakeholders.

3. PIFS now invites eligible individual consultants (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services. The shortlisting criteria are:

Mandatory:
• A bachelor’s degree in international development, public policy, economics, political science, or a related field.
• At least three (3) years of relevant professional experience in research, policy analysis, programme coordination, or development project implementation, preferably in a regional or multilateral context.
• Demonstrated experience in preparing high-quality research briefs, analytical reports, or policy documents for internal or external stakeholders.

Desirable:
• Experience working with regional organisations, multilateral development banks, or donor-funded projects in the Pacific.
• Familiarity with financial sector development, cross-border payments, or financial inclusion is an asset.
• Strong coordination and liaison skills, with the ability to work across teams and manage inputs from multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills, with the ability to synthesise complex information into clear, actionable outputs.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools; experience with data visualisation or document design tools (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, Canva) is an advantage.
• Knowledge of Pacific regional contexts and fluency in English; knowledge of Pacific languages is an asset.

4. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” (6th Edition) February 2025 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

5. The Terms of Reference can be found at: https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/procurement-detail/OP00372367

6. Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (by e-mail) by August 22, 2025, at 16:00 hours Fiji Time.

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
Attn: Project Coordinator
Private Mail Bag, Suva
PO Box 856, Suva, Fiji.
Tel: 679-3312600
E-mail: paulk@forumsec.org/timaimaq@forumsec.org