Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges.  For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

Eastern and Southern Africa (E AFRegion

Home to about 700 million of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. Children under 18 make up almost half of the total population. The subregion boasts of some of the world’s richest human and natural resources and, apart from South Africa, the countries are predominantly raw material exporters.

The subregion harbors some of Africa’s protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continues to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade. But it also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future. 

The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region, comprised of approximately 1,207 staff, mostly based in 26 country offices, has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on the following priorities:

(creating Jobs and Transforming Economies,

(ibuilding up the Digital Economy,

(iimaking institutions more Efficient and Accountable,

(iinvesting in People,

(supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption: 

(vaddressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence;

(viBuilding Partnerships and Working across the African Continent.

Eastern and Southern Africa (E AFRegion: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/easternandsouthernafrica

The Planet Department

The Planet Department helps E AFR countries tackle their most complex challenges in the areas of Agriculture and Food, Climate Change, Environment, Natural Resources & Blue Economy, Environmental and Social Framework, Resilience & Land, Social Sustainability and Inclusion, and Water.

Social Development Group

Social Development Group (SDwithin the Planet Department helps countries address deep rooted social problems stemming from fragility, climate change, exclusion, and the digital age with people centered solutions that build on local values and institutions. The SDG engages with citizens, communities and governments to deepen resilience, build inclusion, and empower vulnerable and marginalized groups to have influence and voice.  The SDG prioritizes participatory, multisectoral approaches that build on norms and informal institutions to address social challenges and to build more inclusive, empowered communities.  It also works across the Bank’s portfolio to implement the Environment and Social Framework (ESstandards and strengthen inclusive development.  

The E AFE region has two SDG units (SAES2 and SAES3). SAES3, the hiring unit, covers three Country Management Units (CM, which in turn cover the following countries:  Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius; Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Angola, Sao Tome & Principe; and South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini.

SDG in Madagascar

The SDG Group is placing a priority on engagement in southern region of Madagascar, which is the poorest and among the most climate vulnerable part of the country and is an increasing focus of World Bank financed Projects to address poverty alleviation. Comprising the three administrative regions of Anosy, Androy, and AtsimoAndrefana, southern Madagascar has the highest concentration of poverty with an estimated 90 percent of the population living below the poverty line. Femaleheaded households and families with more children are associated with even higher poverty levels and higher levels of vulnerability to climate shocks and stressors. There is heavy dependence on lowyield subsistence agriculture and climatesensitive crops, which is exacerbated by the environmental degradation. The fragile social and political context with increasing levels of insecurity, lack of public investment, gender inequality, and impacts from climate change and variability driving food insecurity and water scarcity are the main reasons for the persistence of high levels of poverty in these southern regions.

Partnering with the Government of Madagascar to break the cycle of poverty in the South, The World Bank portfolio in southern Madagascar comprises financing for eleven projects, totaling more than $1billion of investment. Key sectors of investment include energy, water, agriculture, social safety nets, public health, education, environmental protection, support to decentralization, climate resilience and road improvement.

The Support for Resilient Livelihoods in Southern Madagascar Project (P171056; $ 188 millio(MIONJO Projec is managed by a SDG Task team and is the backbone of this investment. The Project is led by the Ministry of Decentralization and Territorial Management. A key aim of the Project is to support local government functioning in the South and to enable local officials and community leaders to better plan, manage and strengthen multisectoral development. By strengthening local government systems, the Project aims to create a platform through which climateresilient development can be better organized and sustained.

Coordination is a key part of the effective delivery of the World Bank portfolio in the South, in order to maximize results for the poorest and to see lasting change in the poverty profile of the region. There are four axes where improved coordination is needed: (with Government regional counterparts, ensuring that World Bank investment is aligned with regional development plans and priorities; (iwithin the Mionjo Project, enabling synergies between different sectors so that activities build upon and complement each other for stronger impact; (iiacross the portfolio of the World Bank, so that the 11 Projects operating in the South are better targeted to ensure holistic development investments and so that the Government and World Bank can continue to define a development strategy for the South; and (ibetween the World Bank financed portfolio and other aid and development Projects in the South, ensuring that the World Bank financing builds upon existing good practice and capacity for the South and also targets sustainability gaps in donor financing.

Duties and Accountabilities:

SAES3 seeks to hire a Regional Coordination Officer for the South, to be based in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar. The postholder will be a core member of the World Bank task team for the MIONJO Project but will work across all eleven World Bank financed Projects and further the building and strengthening of the platform for delivering multisector support, with particular attention to the most vulnerable populations.

Specialized Knowledge & Technical Skills:

• Act as a key resource for TTLs and project implementing agencies to promote coordination and complementarity in discussions with the Governors of the three regions of the South and other key local government representatives. Provide backing and assistance, as requested, to strengthen their development planning and coordination processes in line with the decentralization framework and institutions for the South. Identify opportunities for building capacity for coordination amongst local government actors and take steps to ensure that those opportunities are moved forward into practical results.

• Ability to work as a senior member of the MIONJO task team, taking a proactive role in working with Government counterparts in the Project to review and strengthen the targeting and beneficiary selection processes of the Project, ensuring greater complementarity between investments at commune level and across sectors. Work to promote the alignment of Project activities with community demands and needs. Participate in the task team field trips in the South. Work in support of local government processes, structures and frameworks focused on sectoral coordination such as PDLII and the SAC, promoting community participation within these structures. Ensure followup with sectoral teams for necessary changes in Project design and implementation to ensure greater coordination. Act as the World Bank frontline presence for the Project, helping to resolve implementation challenges, to address complaints and strengthen timely delivery. Play an active role in shaping stronger coordination in further Phases of the Project. Keep the wider task team informed of coordination opportunities and constraints occurring in the South.

• Ability to work in close coordination with the relevant Task Team Leaders and task teams, promote coordination across all World Bank Projects in the South. Lead and maintain coordination tools and information dashboards that enable World Bank Project teams and Government counterparts to be better aware of who is doing what where and when. Participate in World Bank field trips in the South. Identify opportunities for stronger linkages between World Bank financed Projects and take steps to ensure that those links are made in practical and workable ways. Be a field resource for all teams in understanding and addressing implementation challenges, finding solutions, and improving implementation responsiveness and quality.

• Ability to act as a key resource for the Country Management Unit of the World Bank in Madagascar in the definition of a strategic vision for the South of Madagascar. Collate information and data and keep updated a poverty, development and climate impact profile for the South. Track results across all Projects and provide a dashboard of results for the South, when called upon to do so. Represent the CMU at strategic policy meetings concerning the South.

• Act as a key resource for TTLs and project implementing agencies to promote coordination and complementarity in discussions with donors, private sector investors, humanitarian agencies, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society who seek greater complementarity with the World Bank. Respond to requests for information and connection. Identify opportunities for stronger linkages between World Bank financed Projects and other donorfinanced Projects and take steps to ensure that those links are made in practical and workable ways.

Selection Criteria

• Bachelor degree in in social sciences (e.g. Anthropology, Sociology, Political Sciences etc.), with very strong technical skills is required. 

• A minimum of 5 years of fulltime relevant professional experience in development or humanitarian aid

• Proven successful experience of working on humanitarian and/or development coordination

• Fluency in French is required (writing, speaking, listening and readin.
•  Fluency in Malagasy is required (writing, speaking, listening and readinand knowledge of English and relevant local dialects is desirable.

• Confirmed collaboration and successful experience working in support of Government counterparts
•  Confirmed collaboration and successful experience working with multidisciplinary teams.
• A strong sense of partnership and ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Experience working in different developing countries including fragile and conflict contexts.
• Willingness to travel extensively in country including to remote rural areas.

The following would be an advantage but not required:

• Experience working in Southern Madagascar, understanding the institutional and political context would be an advantage.

• Operational and analytical experience leading or coleading work in key SDG focus areas such as stakeholder and citizen engagement, gender and social inclusion, community and local development, social cohesion and conflictsensitive programming, social resilience, climate change, etc. is a highly desirable.

• Demonstrated project management / operational skills, would be an advantage.

This is a locally recruited position, not an internationally recruited position.  As a result, the conditions of employment will be in line with the employment market in the country where the position is located. 

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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