Private Sector Development Consultant in Guyana
The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.
About this position
The IDB Group Country Office in Guyana is responsible for the programming, evaluation, oversight and monitoring of the IDB Groupโs public and private sector portfolio in the country. IDB Lab is the innovation laboratory of the IDB Group, and its purpose is to drive innovation for inclusion in the Latin American and Caribbean region, by mobilizing financing, knowledge, and connections to co-create innovative solutions capable of transforming the lives of vulnerable populations affected by economic, social, or environmental factors.
Another program through which the IDB provides private sector-oriented support is Compete Caribbean, which provides technical assistance grants and investment funding to support productive development policies, business climate reforms, clustering initiatives, and small and medium-sized enterprises in the Caribbean region.
The selected candidate will perform activities primarily related to the origination, client-relations, and monitoring of IDB Lab and Compete Caribbean operations in Guyana, including the existing portfolio and pipeline, in coordination with the IDB Lab Specialist based in Trinidad and Tobago, IDB Lab colleagues based in Headquarters (Washington, D.C.), the Compete Caribbean Team based in Barbados, team members of Guyana Country Office, and other colleagues in the IDB Country Department in Headquarters, all as requested by Guyana Country Representative.. The selected candidate will also have continuous dialogue and serve as a liaison with the local formal business networks of the private sector in Guyana.
The team: IDB Lab-funded projects in Guyana are supervised by the IDB Lab Specialist based in Trinidad and Tobago with the origination, client-relations, and monitoring support of a Consultant based in Guyana Country Office. Compete Caribbean-funded projects in Guyana are supervised by a Team based in Barbados with the origination, client-relations, and monitoring support of a Consultant based in Guyana Country Office (the โPrivate Sector Consultantโ).
What youโll do: The Private Sector Consultant shall perform the following activities:
- Origination and Client Relations:
o Lead identification of new business opportunities for IDB Lab in Guyana that align with the organizationโs area of focus and IDB Country Strategy
o Assist the Compete Caribbean Team with project identification, origination, and development in Guyana, leading those tasks, as required.
o Lead initial discussions and draft project pitches for new business opportunities.
o Gather and evaluate information of prospective projects and make recommendations for the design and approval of operations.
o Lead local research and due diligence in support of project identification, design, and approval.
o Support the IDB Lab, Compete Caribbean and the IDB Country Office in promotions and communications on private sector support and financing opportunities.
o Assist, acting as a key team member, with the design and development of IDB Lab and Compete Caribbean projects already identified and in various stages of preparation towards approval.
o Lead the development and maintenance of identified clients for IDB Lab and Compete Caribbean in Guyana, including the dissemination of IDB Lab and Compete Caribbean products and services.
o Support initiatives promoted by the Country Office in Guyana, particularly those with respect to the innovation ecosystem in the country. This involves an active participation and exploration of synergies with the main ecosystem players, including impactful startups, early-stage accelerators, venture capital funds, corporates, key foundations, government, and academia.
- Monitoring:
o Oversee the implementation of IDB Labโs project portfolio in Guyana. Provide oversight and technical advice so that portfolio operations achieve their developmental objectives (impact, innovation) while also generating expected financial returns when appropriate.
o Prepare monitoring reports to help monitor project risks, targets, and impacts.
o Update commitment schedules, bringing anomalies to the attention of the IDB Lab Specialist or the Compete Caribbean Team.
o Participate in project inspection visits to review documentation, document discussions, enter the inspection information in the relevant system, and follow-up on agreed actions.
o Participate in project workshops and meetings to document discussions and follow-up on agreed actions.
o Establish and maintain contact with executing agencies, authorities, and other counterparts to properly implement, carry out and monitor IDB Lab and Compete Caribbean projects.
o Manage existing IDB Lab and Compete Caribbean projects, including reporting requirements and processing disbursements.
- Dialogue:
o Build and maintain relationships with the local formal business networks.
o Deal with enquiries from the local formal business networks
o Provide potential clients with information about IDB lab and Compete Caribbean opportunities and initiatives.
o Attend events organized by local formal business networks.
- Consultant Clauses:
o Review documentation to ensure fulfillment of consultant conditions prior to first disbursement (in particular for technical cooperations), based on criteria set forth in the relevant agreements.
o Prepare correspondence for actions or notifications for the IDB Lab Specialistโs or Compete Caribbean Teamโs review and approval, and for distribution internally and externally, utilizing the templates available.
o Follow-up with the IDB Lab Specialist or Compete Caribbean Team, and the executing agencies or other counterparts of upcoming consultant clauses due dates.
- Procurement:
o Verify documentation for contracting individual consultants, ensuring compliance with Bankโs or where applicable Executing Agencyโs established procedures.
o Under the IDB Lab Specialistโs or Compete Caribbean Teamโs guidance, review procurement proposals for goods and services and consultant reports verifying compliance with the products and/or activitiesโ terms of references to support the decision-making process.
o Verify that expenses are included in the procurement plans and annual operations plans (AOP).
o Review terms of reference to verify that activities are consistent with procurement plans and AOPs.
o Once final decision has been made with respect to a procurement activity, prepare responses to the stakeholders and clients.
- Disbursements:
o Review all disbursement requests to ensure completeness of documentation submitted and verify that expenses are consistent with established conditions and agreement specifications.
o Communicate with the executing agencies or other counterparts on the status of disbursements.
o Use administrative tools to monitor projects in execution, notifying the IDB Lab Specialist or the Compete Caribbean Team of any deviations, including past due dates, from the portfolio action plan.
o Prepare project and/or portfolio updates and briefings as requested by the country office.
What youโll need:
- Education: Masterโs degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, or similar studies. Certification in Project Management would be an asset.
- Experience: At least 5 years of relevant professional experience within the private sector, some of which would preferably have been in the areas of Project Management, Business Operations Management, or Banking Operations. Experience in management of projects financed by multilateral development institutions or other external donors would be an asset. Evidence of private sector network in Guyana would be an asset.
- Languages: Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are required. Working knowledge of Spanish is an asset.
Key skills:
- Disbursements:
- Procurement:
- Consultant Clauses:
- Dialogue:
- Monitoring: