World Bank
1818 H St NW
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 473-1000
Background / General description:
Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 5 year renewable term appointment.
Staff should be aware that under Staff Rule 5.01, the minimum time in assignment shall be for two years for staff in positions at grades GA-GE, three years for staff in positions at grades GF-GG and four years for staff in positions at grades GH or higher in regional vice-presidential units, unless otherwise agreed with the staff member's manager.
REGIONAL BACKGROUND
The World Bank Group serves 30 client countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LCR). Clients range from large sophisticated middle income clients to IDA countries to small Caribbean states to one fragile state. Despite immense resources, dynamic societies, and an average annual per capita income of about $4,000, deep inequalities persist in most LCR countries, with nearly a third of the Region's people living in poverty. The Bank's strategy in LCR is focused on four pillars: a) stimulating growth and improving competitiveness; b) reducing poverty and inequality; c) making governments and institutions work for people; and d) providing a platform for tackling global issues (climate change, trade, disease, migration).
The LCR Regional structure includes six Country Management Units (CMUs), three Sector Management Units (SMUs), an Operations Support Unit (OSU), and several regional units (Chief Economist's Office, Resource Management, and External Relations). CMUs are accountable for overall country programs, consistent with objectives articulated in the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS). Based on work program agreements with the CMU, sector staff and teams in the SMUs are accountable for delivering and managing the portfolio of lending and non-lending products. OSU brings together core services including quality assurance, procurement and financial management to enhance operational standards and to enable the Region to meet its fiduciary responsibilities.
Sector Focus and Organization
The Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Unit (LCSPR) of the Latin America and
Caribbean Region (LCR) is seeking an experienced Senior Economist to work with the Poverty, Gender and Equity Unit located at its headquarters in Washington D.C.
The overall mission of LCSPR is to assist LAC countries in developing and implementing strategies to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development through lending, advice and analytical work. LCSPR is divided into three sector groups: Poverty, Gender and Equity; Economic Policy; and Public Sector, each led by a Sector Manager (SM) who reports to the LSCPR Sector Director.
The Poverty, Gender and Equity Unit (LCSPP) helps countries to reduce poverty, accelerate shared prosperity and promote gender equity. In particular, LCSPP provides knowledge, financial and convening products in three broad areas:
Equity and Shared Prosperity. The team helps national and subnational clients to : (1) analyze and identify policies to accelerate equity outcomes covering equality of opportunity, mobility and vulnerability, freedom from absolute poverty and agency/process freedom; and (2) identify policy drivers to strengthen the links between growth and equity through fiscal policy, service delivery, markets (especially labor) and risk management strategies. Finally, the team also supports regional management on corporate issues related to shared prosperity, including the design of Country Program Strategies with a shared prosperity 'line of sight.'
Poverty and Evidence Based Decision Making. The team helps national and subnational clients to: (1) improve the quality and frequency of poverty and labor force survey data and poverty measurement techniques (using the latest technologies and methods as appropriate), (2) strengthen credible and transparent institutions and processes for poverty measurement, (3) develop national, subnational or sectoral monitoring and evaluation strategies and institutions with a strong equity focus, and (4) support strategic impact evaluations, including the management of the regional LAC Gender Impact Evaluation Initiative. This line of work also includes the leadership of the LAC Team for Statistical Development, including the management of the LAC Equity LAB and the harmonized poverty and labor force survey database - all of which aim to improve the information base for and visibility of poverty and equity focused decision making in the region both externally and internally.
Gender Equity. The unit also leads the LAC gender team providing overall leadership on how to design policies and programs to promote gender equity in close collaboration with the other three sector departments.
Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 5 year term appointment.
Duties and Accountabilities:
- Participate and lead teams to provide knowledge advisory services (analytical work, technical assistance, capacity building) and best practice guidance to our clients in Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen evidence based decision making in at least one of the following areas:
- Strengthen monitoring and evaluation capacity at national and sub national levels to support evidence-based decision-making to improve equity and the poverty focus of service delivery.
- Support the design and the implementation of innovative M&E systems and managerial approaches that can promote equitable and efficient resource allocation mechanisms and enhance the social accountability of public policies and services.
- Support National (and sub-national) Statistical Offices with diagnostics and technical assistance to enhance their institutional and technological capacities to provide and disseminate up-to-date innovative data on poverty reduction, equity and other critical social indicators (includes open-data initiatives).
- Advise country and sectoral teams on how to strengthen monitoring and evaluation initiatives in country assistance strategies, policy loans, operations, advisory services to client countries, and other country and regional analytic products.
- Support the development of regional public goods in statistical development, monitoring and evaluation, and including the provision of support to the LAC Network on Monitoring and Evaluation and the LAC Equity LAB.
- Provide guidance through peer reviews of Poverty Assessments, Opportunity and Equity Assessments, Country Economic Memorandum, Country Assistance Strategies (CASs), key policy operations, and other major analytic products.
- Understand clients' needs and development challenges and be able to identify and deliver products that meet their needs and helps to generate demand for the Bank's engagement in the above mentioned areas and others (including reimbursable advisory services).
Selection Criteria:
COMPETENCIES
- General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills - Possesses Cross-country knowledge in statistical capacity building, poverty measurement and M&E systems and demonstrates ability to link the macro, institutional, and micro-level behaviors; able to support findings/policy recommendations with credible analysis and tools.
- Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level.
- Policy Dialogue Skills - Anticipates needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners.
- Integrative Skills - Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations.
- Technical and Quantitative Skills as an Applied Development M&E specialist with a focus on statistical capacity building and poverty measurement. Able to lead/participate in projects related to poverty and inequality reduction, poverty and welfare measurement, national development strategies, monitoring, information and evaluation systems, impact evaluation, and related areas.
- Written and Verbal Communication - Demonstrates the ability to influence and persuade others to accept ideas and suggestions (such as counterparts in government, international partner organizations, academia, and Bank colleagues, senior staff and managers)
- Client Orientation - Maintains client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge.
- Drive for Results - Identifies the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and finds solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables.
- Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Shows leadership in ensuring the team stays organized and focused, and actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches.
- Knowledge, Learning and Communication - Leads in the sharing of best practice, trends, knowledge and lessons learned across units and with clients and partners, articulating ideas verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling way across audiences of varied levels.
- Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Gathers inputs, assesses risk, considers impact and articulates benefits of decisions for internal and external stakeholders over the long term.
OTHER SELECTION CRITERIA
- A personal commitment to development and to fighting poverty, promoting equity and to reducing gender inequality;
- PhD and a minimum of 8 years relevant operational/practitioner experience in monitoring and evaluation and statistical capacity development.
- Excellent quantitative and analytical background in monitoring and evaluation and statistical development with a record of high quality analytical work in the areas outline above,
- Ability to deliver high-quality policy relevant analytic and advisory products within tight deadlines and budgets;
- Experience with operational programs for evidence-based decision-making, including information/statistical capacity building, monitoring and evaluation; analytical work and capacity building efforts.
- Superb interpersonal skills; ability to collaborate effectively with multi-disciplinary teams, governments, listen and integrate ideas from varied sources, NGOs and donors, while being diplomatic and sensitive to cultural, political and gender issues; respectful of views of others;
- Ability to work with staff from all levels and to mentor, coach and motivate more junior staff.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Fluency in Spanish in addition to English is required. Portuguese and French are desirable.
- The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
http://unjobs.org/vacancies/1367785687400