Vanuatu Affordable and Resilient Settlements Project (VARS)

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (REOI)

Individual Selection of Consultant

1). BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

The Government of Vanuatu, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), is implementing a comprehensive program of land sector reform guided by the Ministry’s Reform Masterplan and Corporate Plan. These frameworks set out a structured pathway toward strengthening institutional performance, improving service delivery, modernizing land administration systems, and enhancing governance of land resources.

Vanuatu’s land administration operates within a dual system, characterized by:

• The predominance of customary land ownership, and
• A formal system focused on the administration of leasehold land, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas.

This duality introduces complexity in land administration processes, particularly in relation to:

• Customary consent requirements and dispute risks
• Lease allocation, transfer, and subdivision processes
• Institutional coordination between traditional and formal systems

Under the Vanuatu Affordable and Resilient Settlements (VARS) Project, supported by the World Bank, substantial progress has been made in strengthening land administration systems and improving the delivery of serviced land. This includes the development of a Land Management Information System (LMIS) and improvements in planning, subdivision design, and land servicing.

However, key operational and institutional challenges remain, including:

• Significant backlogs in lease registration, transfers, and subdivision approvals
• A hybrid records environment, comprising paper-based files, scanned archives, and partially digitized LMIS records.
• Data quality and integrity issues, affecting the reliability of land records.
• Inefficient and inconsistent business processes, leading to long transaction times.
• Weak integration between systems, processes, and institutional roles
• Constraints in lease billing and revenue collection systems

These challenges reflect a need to move beyond system development toward practical operationalization, ensuring that systems, processes, and institutional capacity are aligned and functioning effectively.

In this context, the Government seeks to engage a Land Administration Specialist to provide targeted support in strengthening core land administration processes, improving data and records management, and supporting the operational use of LMIS.

The assignment will be implemented in close coordination with other technical specialists currently engaged under the VARS Project, including a Land Management Information System (LMIS) Specialist and a Revenue Management Specialist. These specialists are providing dedicated support in their respective domains and will actively contribute to, and support, the work of the Land Administration Specialist throughout the duration of the assignment. This arrangement is intended to ensure complementarity of expertise, avoid duplication of effort, and enable an integrated approach to strengthening land administration systems, processes, and revenue functions across MLNR.

The assignment will also provide strategic advisory input on the future development of the VARS Project, including identifying opportunities to advance beyond current objectives and informing the potential design of a second phase (VARS Phase 2).

2). OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The objective of this assignment is to:

Improve the operational performance, efficiency, and reliability of land administration services within MLNR by strengthening core processes, systems integration, and data management practices, in alignment with the Reform Masterplan and Corporate Plan.

This includes achieving measurable improvements in:

• Reduction in processing times for leases, transfers, and subdivisions
• Reduction in transaction backlogs
• Improved accuracy, completeness, and reliability of land records
• Improved efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness of lease revenue collection

3). QUALIFICATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS REQUIRED

Education

• Advanced degree in Land Administration, Geomatics, Urban Planning, Public Administration, or related field.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in land administration systems and institutional strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience in:
  • Business process improvement
  • Land information systems (LIS/LMIS)
  • Records and data management
  • Capacity development and training
• Experience working in:
  • Developing country contexts, preferably Small Island Developing States
  • World Bank or donor-funded projects

Skills

• Strong analytical and operational problem-solving skills
• Ability to translate reform objectives into practical implementation.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills
• Experience working within complex institutional environments.

4). REPORTING

The Specialist will report to:

• Project Manager, VARS PMU

With technical oversight from:

• Director General, MLNR
• Director of Lands

The Specialist will work closely with:

• LMIS implementation team
• Policy, Legal, and Marketing advisors
• Revenue and valuation units

5). DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT

• Duration: 24 months
• Level of Effort: 160 working days

6). SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• 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: Procurement in Investment Project Financing for Goods, Works, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services, Fourth Edition, November 2020 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

• A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant method set out in the World Bank Procurement Regulations. 

• Interested applicants may obtain further information including a detailed Terms of Reference from the Ministry in person or by e-mail to the address given below during office hours from 8.00 a.m.– 5.00 p.m. Monday to Friday.

• Deadline: Expressions of interest – Cover Letter and CV must be delivered to the address below by hand, mail, courier or email on or before 22nd May 2026 before 1400 Hours.

7.1: Address:

The Vanuatu Affordable and Resilient Settlements Project (VARS)

Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, (MoLNR)

George Pompidou Complex, Port Vila

Email Address: spo@vars.vu

Cc’d to: pm@vars.vu / cm@vars.vu / pmr@vars.vu

Click here to access TOR

Submit your application with the following as your subject: Land Administration Specialist Ref No.: VU-MLNR-539667-CS-INDV