Staff Vacancy: PROGRAMME MANAGER, COMMUNITY RELATIONS – DIRECTORATE OF FOREIGN AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS (CARICOM Secretariat)

Applications are invited from interested and suitably qualified nationals of Caribbean Community  (CARICOM) Member States and Associate Members of the Caribbean Community to fill the  above-mentioned position within the Caribbean Community Secretariat, with assigned duty station in  Guyana.  

2. FUNCTIONS OF THE POST 

The Foreign and Community Relations Directorate is charged with facilitating the coordination  of CARICOM Member States’ foreign policies and promoting harmonious relations within the  Community. In so doing, the Directorate manages the Secretariat’s interventions by providing  strategic advice to the Secretary-General and CARICOM Member States to articulate, defend  and secure the region’s foreign policy interests and strengthen the Community. 

Under the direction of the Director, Foreign and Community Relations, the incumbent is  responsible for facilitating the strengthening of relations among Member States and Associate  Members of the Community. In so doing, the incumbent is required to support the development  and maintenance of systems to monitor and analyze political and socio-economic developments  within Member States and Associate Members of the Community, as well as relations between  them, ensuring that regular contact aimed at joint/coordinated actions is maintained. 

To achieve this objective, the Programme Manager, Community Relations is also required to  develop the programme of activities and projects for the effective delivery on the Community  relations mandates as articulated in the Secretariat’s Strategic Plan. The incumbent is required  to supervise the technical and administrative staff assigned to the in the conduct of research  and analysis of international, hemispheric, regional and national political and socio-economic  developments which could have an impact on the Community.  

The incumbent is also required to consult and maintain contact with relevant stakeholders in  Member States and Associate Members, including overseas missions, the Diaspora,  Non-Governmental Organisations and technical and academic institutions.  

He/she will be responsible for ensuring a multisectoral approach to Community Relations  through consultation and coordination with all the Directorates of the CARICOM Secretariat. 

The Programme Manager, Community Relations will be responsible for developing a structured  programme of activities and overseeing the Directorate’s outreach on matters and events  related to Community Relations. 

In addition, the incumbent will be responsible for supporting the Community’s efforts aimed at  enhancing confidence in the democratic systems of government and governance in the  Caribbean. He/she will also be expected to prioritize initiatives that foster strengthened  relations with the Caribbean Diaspora.

The training of personnel for the efficient conduct of the Community’s relations with all  stakeholders, including governmental and non-governmental organizations, private sector  organisations and other organisations, is also a responsibility of the Programme Manager,  Community Relations.  

The incumbent must determine on an annual basis the “Major Job Objectives” for each Work  Programme and identify and discuss with staff of the Directorate the “Key Result Areas” to be  used as determinants to their performance results on a quarterly basis. 

3. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

Candidates must possess a Master’s Degree in International Relations/Public  Administration/Economics/Political Science plus at least ten (10) years of relevant and  equivalent level experience working in one of the following institutions: 

□ Regional civil society organisation 

□ Governmental organization 

□ International organisation  

□ Non-Governmental organisation 

In addition, candidates must possess specialised training and good working knowledge in: 

□ Diplomacy 

□ Negotiations 

□ Regional Integration 

□ Written and Oral Communication  

4. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Key Result 1: Programme Implementation and Coordination 

Activities 

1.1 MONITORS and COORDINATES the implementation of the Community Relations  Programme, analysing developments and preparing analytical briefs, papers, and  statements for the attention of Member States, the Secretary-General, and the  Executive Management Committee (EMC); 

1.2 COLLABORATES closely with other directorates to ensure seamless integration of  activities. 

1.3 COMPLETES job performance of staff supervised; 

1.4 UNDERTAKES, with the support of programme staff, documented surveys on Member  States and Associate Members to support the development and maintenance of a  system of economic, social and political relations among Member States and Associate  Members of the Community;

1.5 PREPARES, with the support of Programme staff, analytical reports on political  developments in the priority areas identified within the Community; 

1.6 CONSULTS with the relevant Ministries of Member States and Associate Members,  overseas missions, the diaspora, and non-governmental organizations and technical and  academic institutions as part of the evaluation and analytical process; and 

1.7 PREPARES and COORDINATES technical inputs for the Working Document of meetings  of the COFCOR and other Organs of the Community. 

Key Result 2: Area of Specific Responsibility: Haiti 

Activities 

2.1 MONITORS and ADVISES on developments within Haiti; 

2.2 SUPPORTS the good office role of the Secretary-General/Community; 

2.3 PROVIDES the necessary support to the Secretariat Special Adviser on Haiti and the  Eminent Persons Group; and 

2.4 MAINTAINS Roster of Trained Mediators. 

Key Result 3: Area of Specific Responsibility: Associate Members 

Activities 

3.1 ENGAGES Associate Members to strengthen relations among CARICOM states; 

3.2 CONDUCTS continuous consultations with Associate Members, examining their  relationship with CARICOM bodies and preparing briefing documents for Heads of  Government; and  

3.3 WORKS with the Office of the General Council to facilitate the admission of new  Associate Members to the Community. 

Key Result 4: Area of Specific Responsibility: CARICOM Election Observation Missions  (CEOMs) 

Activities 

4.1 MAINTAINS Roster of Regional Electoral Observers; 

4.2 LEADS in facilitating the fielding of CARICOM Observation Missions;

4.3 CONSULTS with relevant Election Officials in Member States to strengthen and improve  CARICOM Elections Observation Missions; 

4.4 ENGAGES with the UN’s Election Assistance Division to explore opportunities for  training through Bridge Workshops; and 

4.5 ENGAGES with the Commonwealth Secretariat Electoral Division and the  Commonwealth Elections Professional Initiative on electoral training.  

Key Result 5: Area of Specific Responsibility: Civil Society 

Activities 

5.1 LEADS efforts to facilitate the direct participation of CARICOM Civil Society in regional  integration; 

5.2 SCHEDULES additional days dedicated to meeting with various Civil Society groups,  including opposition parliamentarians, media representatives, youth, national NGO  coalition representatives, and Private Sector Coalition representatives; and 

5.3 FACILITATES joint meetings of Council delegates with Civil Society representatives to  sensitize them to the activities of the Councils of the Community. 

Key Result 6: Association of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians 

Activities 

6.1 PROVIDES an initial impetus to reinvigorate the Association of Caribbean Community  Parliamentarians (ACCP); 

6.2 STRENGTHENS regional governance and democratic practices by encouraging greater  civil society participation in integration issues through the re-invigoration of the ACCP;  and 

6.3 FACILITATES knowledge exchange among parliamentarians and SENSITIZES them to the parliamentary cultures of CARICOM Member States. 

Key Result 7: Diplomatic Training Seminar 

Activities 

7.1 OVERSEES the delivery of Diplomatic Training Seminars aimed at enhancing the  capacity of CARICOM national and regional officials in foreign policy conduct and  administration; and

7.2 COLLABORATES with national and regional entities to complement existing diplomatic  training programs, as well as with hemispheric and international partners e.g. Chile,  Mexico, India, Austria, Germany, Netherlands. 

In addition to the Activities outlined above, the incumbent is expected to perform other  related duties as assigned. 

5. EMOLUMENTS AND BENEFITS 

This is an S4 post. The salary range for this position is EC$12,562.00 to EC$17,947.00 per month. 6. EDUCATION GRANT 

The Officer shall be eligible for the payment of an education grant in respect of children  (including step-children and legally-adopted children) who require reasonable education  facilities that are not available at the assigned duty station or whose education the Officer would  not want to disrupt in relocating to take up this appointment. 

The grant shall apply to children under the age of twenty-three (23) years and shall not exceed  seventy-five per cent (75%) of the cost of tuition (including textbooks), room and board up to a  maximum total of EC$16,200.00 per year per child for a maximum of two (2) children at any one  time. The grant is payable for a maximum of five (5) years. 

7. SETTLEMENT GRANT 

On assumption of duty in Guyana, the Officer shall be paid a settlement grant in respect of the  staff member, his or her spouse and each eligible child or other approved dependent. The  number of dependents eligible for Settlement Grant shall not exceed six (6) persons. 

8. RECRUITMENT AND APPOINTMENT 

Appointment may be on permanent establishment or on secondment from a Public Service or a  statutory body of a Member State or approved regional organisation. It will be subject to such  staff rules and policies, rules, regulations, orders and instructions as exist and as may be  introduced from time to time with respect to service with the Caribbean Community Secretariat. 

An Officer recruited from outside the assigned duty station, on first appointment, will be  provided economy class air passages by the most direct route for the Officer, spouse and  children (provided they are below the age of eighteen (18) years, unmarried and dependent on  the Officer) and for such other dependents not exceeding two as may be approved by the  Secretary-General, provided that the number of children and other dependents does not exceed  six (6) in all. 

In addition to passages, the Officer will be granted the following transportation allowances: 

(i) ocean freight charges, including insurance, for shipping personal and household effects  to Guyana, not exceeding 45.3 cubic meters, plus a motor car (if the Officer already owns  one);

(ii) the cost of transporting baggage, personal and household effects from the home of the  Officer to the place of embarkation and from the port of disembarkation to the place of  residence in Guyana; and 

(iii) the cost of packing and crating personal and household effects. 

9. LEAVE 

The officer will be eligible for the grant of vacation leave at the rate of twenty (20) working days  a year and a leave grant after every twelve (12) months of service in respect of the officer,  spouse and up to two (2) dependent children.  

10. PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES 

The officer will be granted the privileges and immunities extended to officials of the Caribbean Community in accordance with Article 8 of the Community’s Headquarters Agreement with the  Government of Guyana. 

11. GROUP HEALTH AND LIFE AND ACCIDENT INSURANCE 

Subject to your acceptance by the Secretariat’s insurance carrier, the Officer will be required to  participate in the Secretariat’s group health, life and accident insurance schemes. With respect  to the health insurance, the Officer will contribute fifty per cent (50%) of the premium. The life  and accident insurance scheme is non-contributory. 

12. SUPERANNUATION 

An Officer appointed to this post will be required to participate in the Secretariat’s Defined  Contribution Pension Plan and contribute 7 per cent of basic salary per month, while the  Secretariat will contribute 13 percent of the Officer’s basic salary to the pension plan. Where  the appointment is on secondment, the Secretariat will pay to the Officer’s substantive  employer, over the period of secondment, a contribution not exceeding twenty-five per cent  (25%) of the pensionable salary normally payable to the Officer by that employer so as to  maintain the pensionable status of the Officer in the substantive employment. 

13. APPLICATIONS 

Applications in English Language with full curriculum vitae details, including the email addresses  of three (3) referees (at least two of whom must be familiar with the applicant’s work), should  be addressed to:

Adviser 

Human Resource Management 

Caribbean Community Secretariat  

Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana 

and sent via email to assistance@caricom.org – The title of the vacancy should be clearly  identified in the subject line of the email.  

14. The deadline for the submission of applications is 12 April 2024.

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