Pacific Resilience Project Phase II for the Republic of the Marshall Islands

RMI will be responsible for implementing activities under each component of the Project. The institutional framework will include the National Steering Committee (NSC), headed by a Chairperson, which will comprise the National Disaster Committee (NDC) and representatives from the National Climate Change Committee (NC3). The NSC will also have representatives from Kwajalein atoll. The NSC will govern the Project at the national level and will provide the oversight and guidance for the project implementation. The Chief Secretary Office (CSO) will act as the secretariat to the NSC. The NDC and CSO will be responsible for ensuring strategic coordination between the key implementing agencies.

Ministry of Finance (MoF) will be responsible for the overall coordination of project activities, along with the implementation of activities under Components 1, 3 and 4. Ministry of Public Work (MPW) will be responsible for implementing activities under Component 2. Both MoF and MPW will liaise closely with the Chief Secretary Office. Other key line agencies include the National Disaster Management Office (which is part of the CSO), the National Weather Service, the Environmental Protection Authority, the Kwajalein Local Government, and the Kwajalein Atoll Development Agency, with potential for others to be added in the future.

A Project Implementation Unit (PIU) will be established within MoF/Division of International Development Assistance (DIDA) and include a Project Manager, a Safeguards Advisor, a Project Accountant and a PIU Liaison Officer who will be based in Ebeye. The Project Manager will assist the MoF project coordination and manage the day-to-day implementation of the PREP activities for RMI, including procurement activities for Component 1, 3, and 4 with support from the Regional Program Support (PSU) in SPC. The Environmental and Social Safeguards Advisor will oversee and independently audit implementation of the ESMF and RPF. Technical staff will be recruited, as necessary, to support implementation of Components 1 and 2. In particular, a specialized Coastal Engineering Design and Supervision (D&S) Firm, will be recruited by MPW for Component 2. The D&S Firm will work closely with the both the PIU (particularly the PIU Liaison Officer) and MPW, and will be responsible for planning, capacity building, design, environmental and social impact assessment, land access due diligence and documentation, procurement, contract management and supervision of coastal protection works and investments (including the implementation of the Environmental and Social Management Plan).