BELIZE CHAIRS CENPROMYPE SICA BOARD MEETING IN EL SALVADOR

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT SELECTION)

Belize Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project (CRESAP)

Loan No.: 9347-BE

Project ID No.: P172592

Assignment Title: Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

Reference No. (as per Procurement Plan): CS 13

The Government of Belize has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

The consulting services (“the Services”) is for a suitable qualified fulltime PROJECT STAFF- MONITORING AND EVALUATION SPECIALIST as part of the Project Implementation Unit of the CRESAP within the Belize Social Investment Fund. The Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will be part of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and will be in charge of the overall planning, monitoring and evaluation responsibility of the project during its execution, and will provide guidance and support to the PIU during the implementation phase so that the Project Development Objectives (PDO) and impacts are achieved in accordance with the Project Operation Manual (POM) and the Climate Smart Matching Grant Operation Manual (MGOM)

City of Belmopan, April 24, 2023. Belize, represented by Dr. Leroy Almendarez chaired an Extraordinary Board Meeting of the Regional MSME Promotion Center (CENPROMYPE) on the 18th & 19th of April, as President Pro-tempore (PPT). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss progress of the CENPROMYPE agenda by member countries.

Prior to the start of the meeting, there was a collaborative launch between CENPROMYPE and the Valley University of Guatemala.

This regional alliance should deepen the work undertaken by entities, focused on women entrepreneurship in Belize and Guatemala, under the support program funded by the Republic of China (Taiwan), which should contribute to the enhanced development of competitive MSMEs.

The agenda included presentations and discussions on:

• The Female Entrepreneurship Facility for SICA countries

• Proposed facility for women entrepreneurship for SICA countries and the design of an impact attraction project in the region the region

• Integration of the Value Chain in Fisheries and Aquaculture by the Central American Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector Organization (OSPESCA)

• Partnerships for development in the current MSME environment

• Meeting with SICA ambassador to advance the agenda of CENPROMYPE

• Selection of products and countries for the articulation of a Regional Value Chain in Agribusiness (AACID)

• The design of a project to attract high-impact investment in the SICA region

• Approval of the Sistema de Inteligencia Comercial (SINCO) sustainability model (trade information system)

Another feature was an update on the La Idea Incubator Project, made possible through support from the US Department of State, with the Intended goal to promote trade between Central America and the United States.

Belize assumed the Pro-tempore Presidency for SICA in January 2023. The PPT of SICA is a function exercised by the eight member states for a six-month period.