Job Description
Job Family
Social Development
Sector
Social Development
Term Duration
4 years 0 months
Recruitment Type
International Recruitment
Required Language(s)
English, French
Preferred Language(s)
Portuguese
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank consists of two entities - the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). It is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, the World Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, and coordinates responses to regional and global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region
We need the best and brightest talent focused on Sub-Saharan African countries in order to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Africa is a continent on the move, with a young population and a growing market of nearly 1.2bn people. We are committed to making the Africa regional teams into leading innovation hubs.
Yet, these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, which have Africa only reaching forty percent of its estimated potential. Moreover, conflict, food insecurity, population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change threaten to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been made over the past decades.
In West and Central Africa, the World Bank is a leading partner with a growing portfolio of 387 projects totaling more than $44.1 billion in areas such as agriculture, trade and transport, energy, education, health, water and sanitation- all to support job creation, gender equality, poverty reduction, and better lives. Across the continent, the World Bank’s program has nearly doubled over the last 10 years. By 2030, about 87% of the world’s extreme poor are projected to live in Sub-Saharan Africa, so this is where our mission to end extreme poverty and to promote shared prosperity will be achieved.
Are you ready to make an impact? We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help countries build back better after COVID.
Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa
The Sustainable Development Practice Group helps countries tackle their most complex challenges in the areas of Agriculture and Food; Climate Change; Environmental and Social Framework (ESF); Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy; Social Sustainability and Inclusion; Urban, Resilience and Land Development; and Water.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND INCLUSION GLOBAL PRACTICE
The SSI Global Practice (GP) helps countries tackle 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 GP engages with citizens, communities, and governments to deepen resilience, build inclusion, and empower vulnerable and marginalized groups to have influence and voice. The SSI GP prioritizes participatory, multi-sectoral 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 Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) and strengthen inclusive development. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/socialsustainability
POSITION
The Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice (SSI GP) has a growing work program in West and Central Africa, encompassing project loans and grants, advisory and analytical programs and active partnerships supporting a wide range of engagements focusing on fragility, conflict and violence (FCV); social cohesion and resilience; women empowerment and gender equality, social inclusion, citizen engagement and social accountability; and social risk management.
SAWS4, one of the two SSI GP units in West and Central Africa, is looking to recruit a Senior Social Development Specialist to: (i) lead our engagement on SEAH/GBV including on mitigating risks related to gender based violence and sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (GBV/SEAH) in the pipeline and portfolio, as well as analytical and operational engagement related to SEAH/GBV; and (ii) broader social risk management as part of the unit’s responsibilities for implementing the Environmental and Social Framework and social safeguards. While the initial allocation of time to each of these areas will probably be 80% for GBV/SEAH and 20% for ESF/safeguards, the manager and staff member will work together to refine this over time, based on need.
The selected candidate will be based in Washington D.C and will report directly to SAWS4 Practice Manager. S/he will be expected to work closely with Regional Standards/Safeguards Coordinator, the SSI Country Coordinators (one per CMU), and the Regional and Bank-wide GBV focal points. The specialist will work closely with country units and task teams across the region, and work collaboratively and develop good relations with the corporate safeguards team, the broader SSI team and other GP teams, including relevant Global Solutions Groups (GSGs).
Duties and Accountabilities
The Senior Social Development Specialist will have the following responsibilities:
With respect to SEAH/GBV:
- Serve as focal point for the unit to support the screening of investments operations for risks related to sexual exploitation and abuse and other forms of GBV (SEAH/GBV) as well as the development and implementation of mitigation measures and interventions to address these risks;
- Support the rollout of the new Good Practice Note on GBV for HD operations in the sub-region;
- Lead unit capacity building efforts on (SEAH/GBV) for Bank staff and clients and contribute to global initiatives;
- Lead the preparation of country portfolio reviews or assessments regarding SEAH/GBV and contribute to increasing the knowledge base on GBV;
- Provide technical assistance and guidance to operations to expand the integration of GBV prevention and response in operations in the sub-region;
- Support Task Teams to effectively respond and report incidents of SEA/SH per the ESIRT guidelines;
- Provide leadership and technical inputs for analytical work related to GBV and other gender issues;
- Coordinate with operational teams to develop cross-sectoral knowledge products to help operational teams apply good practice and translate research and evidence into clear policy messages; Play an active role to promote policy update of evidence-based recommendations;
- Participate in cross-practice teams responsible for the preparation of policy notes, Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Partnership Frameworks, sector studies, and research and policy development activities;
- As needed, draft briefing notes and talking points for the WBG Sr. Management for internal and external engagements;
- Provide support for oversight and quality assurance for SEA/SH ESF instruments; and
- Coordinate with other regional (SEAH/GBV) specialists.
Additional duties may include:
- As appropriate, build and maintain partnerships with key international institutions helping to drive the GBV agenda (e.g., other multilateral and bilateral donor institutions, research groups, and civil society organizations).
- Lead or participate in analytical studies, support other analytical work on different social sustainability and inclusion development topics, and stay abreast of developments in social development globally and on cross-cutting issues.
- Contribute to knowledge sharing, dissemination and awareness raising activities with both Bank staff and clients.
- Identify resources from Trust funds and other resources to advance the SEAH/GBV agenda in the sub-region.
- Support and actively participate to the Bank-wide professional community of staff engaged in social development by participating in thematic groups, exchanging best practices, and drafting technical notes.
With Respect to ESF and Social Risk Management.
- Work with the CMU Social Risk/Safeguard Coordinators, the Regional Standards/Safeguard Coordinator and other social risk management specialists to provide high quality technical support for the implementation of the OPs/ESF. This includes participating in project related missions and meetings and comprehensive portfolio/project reviews as needed;
- Build solid relationship with corporate oversight including the RSA, LEGEN and OPCS regarding compliance with the OPs/ESF especially regarding involuntary resettlement, citizen engagement, security risks and SEAH;
- In collaboration with the PM and RSC and CMU Coordinators, undertake policy dialogue with clients regarding social sustainability and social risk management and advise counterparts on technical options for social development, particularly involuntary resettlement, labor, SEA/H, country systems and other ways to improve social outcomes for Bank financed projects;
- Actively participate in cross-practice teams and provide timely and high-quality inputs for the preparation of policy notes, Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Partnership Frameworks, sector studies, and research and policy development activities on the full range of social development topics;
- Engage in the Bank-wide professional community of staff in social development and social standards/safeguards by participating in thematic groups, exchanging best practices, peer review and drafting technical notes.
Note: The specialist may be expected to take other assignments as and when required by the Practice Manager.
Selection Criteria
- Master’s degree or PhD in relevant social science (e.g., Sociology, Gender studies, Social Anthropology, Social Development, Public Health, Political Science, Conflict and Violence Prevention) or related fields.
- Minimum of 8 years of professional experience in social development topics, including social risk management, social inclusion, social accountability, community-driven development, fragility and conflict, gender, youth, etc.
- Minimum of 8 years of professional experience in prevention and response to GBV.
- Experience with social safeguards/social risk management including working on complex social risk management issues at the operational level and in developing capacity of government clients and other stakeholders.
- Extensive experience leading analytical work related to social sustainability and inclusion topics; e xperience in collecting and analyzing data related to gender/GBV/violence prevention and internationally recognized methods for comparing GBV data across countries; Good knowledge of national standards, procedures for prevention and response to GBV and of key standards and resources.
- Proven knowledge of and experience with WB financing instruments and operational procedures related to SEAH a strong asset.
- Experience working on fragility, conflict, and violence issues desirable.
- Experience working on SEAH/GBV an asset.
- Operational experience with social development programs including Community Driven Development, decentralization, gender, and social inclusion desirable.
- Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, and team skills, and ability to think innovatively and strategically to find balanced solutions to complex development problems, with a strong client focus.
- Excellent oral and written communications skills in English and French essential. Strong oral and written communications skills in Portuguese desired.
- Capacity to travel extensively is vital and willingness to work under challenging circumstances.
Competencies
The successful candidate is expected to exhibit the following core competencies:
- Social Development Implications on Policy, Institutions, and Operations: Solid understanding of the implications of social development on policy, institutions, and operations.
- Analytical Tools for Social Sustainability: Robust experience conducting social development analyses, producing meaningful results, and applying the tools in operations.
- Participation and Consultation: Solid experience conducting social development consultative and participatory approaches, and applying the approaches in operations;
- Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena: Understands policy making process; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for clients.
- Policy Dialogue Skills: Identifies and assesses policy issues and plays an active role in the dialogue with the government and/or other stakeholders.
- Deliver Results for Clients: Proactively addresses client’s stated and unstated needs.
- Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries: Collaborates across boundaries, gives own perspective and willingly received diverse perspectives.
- Lead and Innovate: Develops innovative solutions.
- Create, Apply and Share Knowledge: Applies knowledge across WBG to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients.
- Make Smart Decisions: Interprets a wide range of information and pushes to move forward.
Deadline: 28 October 2022
