February 6, 2025 – Castries, Saint Lucia – The World Bank (WB) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) recently conducted a Joint Country Portfolio Performance Review (CPPR) in Saint Lucia from January 27-30, 2025. The review focused on enhancing project implementation, addressing challenges, and ensuring alignment with Saint Lucia’s development objectives.
The four-day review engaged high-level officials, including Permanent Secretaries, Project Implementation Staff, and Senior Public Officers, in discussions, project evaluations, and site visits to ongoing initiatives. This collaboration sought to strengthen coordination, improve efficiency, and drive positive development outcomes.
Lennox O’Reilly Lewis, Acting Director of Projects at the CDB, emphasized the importance of Saint Lucia as a key client for the institution and the need to enhance project execution.
“The bank is one of the biggest financiers of development projects in Saint Lucia, and the country is among our top five clients. Our role is critical in financing initiatives that improve the lives of Saint Lucians. This mission allowed us to analyze project performance, identify bottlenecks, and collaborate on solutions to improve implementation.”
Gail Richardson, World Bank Operations Manager for the Caribbean, highlighted the need for tailored approaches in project management, particularly in small island nations like Saint Lucia.
“We recognize that applying the same procurement procedures across countries—large or small—can be a challenge. One of our key efforts in Saint Lucia was to simplify national competitive bidding procurement documents, which are now under government review. Steps like these will help streamline our processes and improve overall efficiency.”
Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre participated in a high-level dialogue with representatives from both financial institutions. He underscored the importance of streamlining processes to ensure timely and effective project execution that directly benefits the people of Saint Lucia. Director of Finance, Imran Williams, also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to accountability and efficiency in project delivery.
“With significant government investment in these projects, it is essential that those responsible for implementation are held accountable. These discussions provide a platform to assess progress, address challenges, and develop solutions collaboratively with our international partners.”
Key areas of focus during the review included improving collaboration between ministries, strengthening institutional frameworks for project management, and expanding training and capacity-building initiatives for implementation staff. Additionally, discussions addressed concerns related to contract and consultant performance, supply chain disruptions, cost escalation, and the availability of skilled labor.
As part of the CPPR, CDB and World Bank officials conducted site visits to assess ongoing projects and engage directly with key stakeholders.
The Joint Country Portfolio Performance Review marks a crucial step in reinforcing partnerships, optimizing project implementation, and driving sustainable development outcomes for Saint Lucia.
