Technical Assistance to Fishing Port Development Committee: project management system

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT

Development of a Port Project Management System

• Background

The development agenda of Seychelles is now firmly viewed through the lens of a blue economy, focused on the growth of ocean-based economies that are environmentally and socially sustainable. Reorientation of tourism and fisheries development, the two main pillars of the economy, is a key strategy for meeting the goal of a blue economy. In the fisheries sector, considerable focus is placed on improved opportunities in the post-harvesting and service sectors, aimed at increasing employment and returns from the enhancement of value chains and full utilisation of the catch. Important challenges stem from the need to integrate development of these sectors and to ensure that they align with sustainable levels of fish production.

Major port infrastructure has been developed in recent years, comprising private and public sector investments in infrastructure, services and processing facilities for the fishing industry. Ports for artisanal, semi-industrial and industrial fisheries have undergone significant expansion and upgrading, including the installation of quays, the development of processing facilities for commercial lease, and the provision of gear store, bunkering and ice-making services. The modernisation of ports and fishing sector development requires oversight by a broad range of stakeholders and agencies.

The Fisheries and Port Development Committee (FPDC) is an inter-ministerial institution that provides for oversight and decision-making in relation to fishing port development, notably for newly created port facilities at Ile du Port (Zone 14), Providence and Belombre. As well as key ministries involved in port development, the FPDC comprises important line agencies tasked with project appraisal and monitoring and evaluation of port development projects.

To strengthen the operational modalities of the FPDC, the Department of Blue Economy of the Office of the Vice-President is recruiting a consultant to develop a robust system for land-use planning in relation to port development and to develop an effective project management system for investments in fisheries and port-related activities. Though land at Ile du Port, Providence and Belombre has largely been allocated to projects, the land-use planning system will serve future extensions or redevelopments at those ports, or new port facilities. Important outcomes expected of these systems is improved guidance for future investment, improved monitoring and evaluation of project implementation, and planned integration of fish processing and port service sectors.

• Objective of the assignment

The key objective of the consultancy is to support the Government of Seychelles, through the Fishing Port Development Committee (FPDC), in developing planning and project management systems for fishing port development. The consultancy will focus on key elements of the land-use planning and project management cycle, namely:

• Clearly defined criteria and procedures for land-use planning that aim to integrate development of fish processing and service sectors;

• Improved efficiency in decision-making processes for project appraisal and approval;

• Robust monitoring and evaluation of project implementation to enable rapid identification of constraints and barriers to effective delivery and operations.

• Scope of work

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Make recommendations for improvement of governance arrangements for port development and management, based on a review of current processes and procedures for land-use planning and for the appraisal and monitoring of port development projects;

• Meet with project developers and other stakeholders to identify key constraints and barriers to efficient land-use planning, project appraisal, and monitoring of project implementation and performance;

• Propose a system for land-use planning that meets the following minimum set of requirements:

• Reviews the key institutions and their roles and responsibilities in planning fishing port development, including a capacity-building and training needs assessment;

• Identifies priorities for land-use based on projected land availability and sector needs;

• Sets out guidance on objectives for integration of fish processing and service sectors, including critical public infrastructure and utility services such as sewerage;

• Defines criteria and procedures for allocating land for integrated port development.

• Propose a system for project appraisal that meets the following minimum set of requirements:

• Identifies agency departments and institutions for project appraisal, detailing their roles and responsibilities and aiming to minimise the number of agencies involved;

• Has clearly defined criteria for assessing projects and ensures that they align with land-use plans as well as sectorial development policies and management;

• Ensures that procedures, processes and criteria for assessing projects are well defined;

• Defines the maximum response times for each stage of the process and for the process as a whole, ensuring that the proposed system is efficient and timely.

• Propose a system for monitoring and evaluation of project implementation that meets the following minimum set of requirements:

• Monitors project implementation and performance from the point of approval until the project has been in full operation for 5-years;

• Defines the agency(ies) for project monitoring and evaluation, detailing roles and responsibilities;

• Identifies mechanisms and indicators for monitoring and evaluation, including performance-related criteria, and for reporting to the FPDC;

• Introduces project oversight procedures to allow for rapid identification of barriers or constraints to implementation.

• The project management system should also include tools (e.g. spreadsheets, databases) for monitoring the project appraisal and implementation and for reporting to the FPDC

• Develop a plan and timeline for the introduction of the new systems

• Provide a training materials and a workshop for key agencies and institutions, including the FPDC Secretariat

• Develop a communication strategy to inform the public and private sector of the new systems

• Key deliverables

• An inception report detailing the work plan, methodologies, including a meeting schedule that links to planned meeting of the FPDC

• A final technical report (50 pages maximum excluding annexes) detailing the current context of land-use planning, project appraisal and monitoring and evaluation, and proposals for new systems, as well as:

• Spreadsheets or other software-driven tools for use in monitoring the project appraisal process and project implementation;

• A plan and timeline for implementing the new systems and the provision of training materials;

• A communication strategy to raise awareness of the new project appraisal and monitoring and evaluation system;

• Conduct training workshop

• Duration

The consultant will be recruited by the Department of Blue Economy for a period of 30 days maximum allocated over a period of 4 months.