Social Development Specialist

Job #: req17692
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Social Development
Grade: GF
Term Duration: 3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Bogota,Colombia
Required Language(s): English, Spanish
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date: 6/10/2022 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. 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, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. 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

The Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice (GP) helps countries tackle their most complex challenges in the areas of Social Development, Resilience, Gender and Inclusion. This position will be based in Bogota, Colombia, linked to the Latin American and Caribbean team of the Social Sustainability and Inclusion GP.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND INCLUSION CONTEXT

The Social Sustainability and Inclusion theme addresses issues related to: (a) social inclusion of the poor, vulnerable, and the excluded; (b) promoting accountable institutions; (c) supporting socially cohesive communities and groups with a focus on prevention of conflict, crime and violence, as well as supporting post-conflict development; (d) using community driven development as a tool for developing local infrastructure and delivering services; and (e) addressing issues related to social risk management, including those covered by the World Bank’s social safeguard policies on Indigenous Peoples and Involuntary Resettlement, and by the Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs) in the new Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). The work on inclusion of vulnerable and excluded group covers issues related to Gender and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), LGBTI/SOGI, disability, ethnic minorities, Indigenous Peoples, and displaced populations.

The World Bank Group serves 30 client countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Region. Clients range from large rapidly growing sophisticated middle-income clients to IDA countries, to small Caribbean states, and to one fragile state. Despite immense resources, dynamic societies, and an average annual per capita income of about US$4,000, deep inequalities persist in most LAC countries, with nearly a quarter of the Region’s people living in poverty. The World Bank Group’s support to the LAC Region is focused on investing in human capital, strengthening the economic recovery, improving infrastructure, and protecting the poor.

The Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Unit in the Bank’s Latin America and the Caribbean Vice Presidency (LCRVP) is responsible for: (i) undertaking social analysis during project preparation and implementation, to mainstream social development and inclusion issues throughout the Bank’s work in the region; (ii) ensuring compliance with the Bank’s social safeguards policies on Involuntary Resettlement and Indigenous People and the implementation of the Environment and Social Framework (ESF); (iii) undertaking Advisory Services and Analytics; (iv) leading the preparation and supervision of operations that promotes inclusion of vulnerable groups including women and youth; and (v) facilitating partnerships and dialogue with civil society through outreach and engagement.

REGIONAL CONTEXT

The Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Unit in LCR is responsible for: (i) undertaking social analysis during project preparation and implementation, to mainstream social development and inclusion issues throughout the Bank’s work in the region; (ii) ensuring compliance with the Bank’s social safeguards policies on Involuntary Resettlement and Indigenous People and the implementation of the Environment and Social Framework (ESF); (iii) undertaking Advisory Services and Analytics; (iv) leading the preparation and supervision of operations that promotes inclusion of vulnerable groups including women and youth; and (v) facilitating partnerships and dialogue with civil society through outreach and engagement.

The LCR SSI Unit is seeking to recruit a local Social Development Specialist to be based in Colombia to support social development tasks, including the implementation of the Bank’s social safeguards and the ESF, as well as other activities related to the SSI agenda in Colombia and Mexico. The specialist will work under supervision of the SSI Practice Manager for LCR, in close coordination with the Social Safeguards and ESF Coordinator for LC1 (Mexico and Colombia) and the Regional Social Safeguards Coordinators.

DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

– Under the coordination of the Practice Manager, Regional Social Safeguards Coordinator [RSC] and CMU/Country Social Safeguards Focal Point(s), provide direct operational support to assigned World Bank-projects in Colombia and Mexico as part of multi-disciplinary teams and advise the Client, Task Teams, Management and other Bank stakeholders on Social Safeguards Policies/ESF-related matters and other SSI related areas and relevant for Colombia and Mexico. Critical areas include indigenous peoples, afro-descendants, migration in Mexico and social dimensions of climate change.

– Build client capacity on the implementation of the ESF, including on the monitoring and evaluation of social development activities and outcomes.

– Support the preparation of projects including throughdevelopment of project preparation documents such as the ESRS, review and advice on Borrower’s ESF instruments; the analysis and advice regarding application of ESF standards etc.

– Participate in missions as needed for the assigned projects.

– Play key role in the preparation of strategic documents, briefings for Management, etc.

– Contribute to capacity building for Bank staff and the Colombia and Mexican government.

– Participate in Social Safeguards/ESF Portfolio Reviews to take stock of Social Safeguards Performance and Social Risk Management across LC1 portfolio.

– Support the PM and the Social Development specialists based in Colombia and Mexico in the preparation of inputs for diverse operational products (e.g. Country Briefings, background reports, case studies, portfolio performance reviews, etc.).

– Support the PM and the Social Development specialists based in Colombia and Mexico in the preparation of analytical products on areas that are of key importance to SSI, for example, social inclusion of vulnerable populations, migration and social dimensions of climate change.

– Ensure timely preparation and submission of key deliverables of the unit.
Provide implementation support to operations within the Social Development Unit in LCR.

– Support the dialogue with the CMUs to ensure the inclusion of social development matters in Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Partnership Frameworks, Climate Change Development Reports, and other strategic discussions.

– Respond to ad hoc information requests from internal and external Clients.

Selection Criteria

The Social Development Specialist must be a team-oriented professional with a proven ability to carry out complex tasks as part of multi-disciplinary teams, work under pressure and meet strict deadlines.

* Master’s degree with 5 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience in a social science (e.g., Anthropology, Sociology, Economics, Political Science, etc.).

* Knowledge and operational experience in addressing issues covered by the Operational Safeguard Policies and the ESF. These include experience working with involuntary resettlement, Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable groups, labor and community health and safety, Gender-Based Violence issues, citizen engagement, and crime and violence, citizen security; analyzing social risks and impacts on different population groups

* Operational experience on the integration of relevant planning instruments (such as resettlement plans, and Indigenous Peoples plans) in project design and on the supervision of these instruments during project implementation.

* Experience working on Analytical products on social inclusion related issues.

* Knowledge and relevant operational experience with addressing critical social development issues in Colombia and Mexico (e.g., social inclusion, citizen engagement, gender-based violence, citizen security, migration, etc.)

* Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of social issues, including social assessment and consultation/participation methodologies, working with vulnerable groups, resettlement, Indigenous Peoples, and Afro-Descendants.

* Ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders, international organizations, development agencies, government counterparts, beneficiaries of Bank projects, indigenous peoples and afro-descendant organizations, and other civil society organizations.

* Enthusiasm for, and commitment to, poverty alleviation, social development, and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable.

* Ability to engage effectively with government counterparts, the private sector, project beneficiaries and civil society organizations.

* Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, and team skills, and ability to think innovatively and strategically to find solutions to development problems.

* Fluency and excellent oral and writing skills in both English and Spanish required.

* Willingness to travel regularly within Colombia and Mexico.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

– Social Development Implications on Policy, Institutions, and Operations – Familiarity with the implications of social development on policy, institutions, and operations.

– Analytical Tools for Social Sustainability – Solid experience conducting social development analyses, producing meaningful results, and applying the tools during an operation.

– Participation and Consultation – Solid experience conducting social development consultative and participatory approaches and their use in operations.

– Social Safeguards/ESF – Familiarity with and ability to apply the World Bank social safeguard/ESF standards or similar environmental and social policies of other institutions, particularly covering issues of involuntary resettlement, indigenous peoples, and stakeholder engagement, to a situation and identify issues and risks.

– Analytical and excellent writing skills.