Land Administration Specialist

Vanuatu Affordable and Resilient Settlements Project (VARS) REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (REOI) Individual Selection of Consultant Country: Government of Vanuatu Name of the Project: Vanuatu Affordable and Resilient Settlements Project (VARS) Consulting Service: Land Administration Specialist Individual/Firm: Individual Consultant (CS-INDV) Date of Publication 08th May 2026 Deadline for submission: 22nd May 2026 Reference Number: VU-MLNR-539667-CS-INDV 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 file