Organization:The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region
Background / General description:
Regional Context
The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region comprises of 30 extremely diverse countries, with a population
of nearly 500 million people. Four of our clients are IDA only and another 5 are IDA blend countries. The remaining 21 are IBRD eligible. Although 10 of our clients have joined the EU and 7 of these have graduated, most continue to remain active recipients of knowledge and/or lending services. Country Partnership Strategies (CPSs) reflect this strong diversity with substantial variation in lending prospects, but strong demand for Bank technical services is present across the board.
For the most part, countries in the ECA region have recovered to the GDP levels prevailing prior to the 2008/09 crisis, yet growth is slower than before the crisis. GDP growth in the region is estimated to have fallen to 3 percent in 2012, from 5.5 percent in 2011, and is projected to rebound only slightly to 3.6 percent in 2013. The crisis left ECA countries with historically high levels of unemployment, which are still worsening, particularly in the Balkans. Furthermore, the ongoing sovereign debt problems in Western Europe are posing challenges to the sustainability of the tepid recovery. The World Bank is helping its ECA clients by implementing a regional strategy that is focused on addressing three critical challenges to growth and development---improving competitiveness, reforming the social sectors to achieve inclusive growth, and making growth more sustainable through climate action. Governance and gender issues cut across these three strategic pillars.
The financial and economic crisis led to a substantial increase in Bank lending and knowledge activities in all ECA countries, including in several EU members states (e.g., Latvia, Romania, and Poland). The crisis helped serve as a powerful reminder of the relevance of the Bank both as an attractive source of funding and a reliable provider of timely and quality advice.
Sector Context
The mission of the Sustainable Development Department in ECA is to support the Bank's clients efforts in the region to achieve equitable, environmentally sustainable growth, and prosperity for all. ECSSD is responsible for:
(i) advising ECA Management on long-term development issues in the sectors of ECSSD expertise, and delivering a broad range of high-quality operational and analytical products, in response to demand from country clients and Country Management Units (CMUs);
(ii) professional development of the ECA staff assigned to the Sustainable Development (SD) Network, including those based in field offices; and
(iii) ensuring a proper link with the SD Network in developing a long-term vision and strategy for SD activities Bank wide and in ECA.
The Transport unit (ECSTR) within ECSSD has a rapidly growing portfolio of operations that target support to client countries that can be broadly divided into two groups:
(i) those influenced by EU policies for transport; and
(ii) those with policies inherited from the Former Soviet Union (FSU). Countries that are already members of the EU or have medium to long term membership goals have shaped their transport strategies to align with EU policies. In FSU countries, transport strategies are largely influenced by the consequences of the breakup of the Soviet Union with significant backlog in investment needs required to restore and modernize their transport infrastructure. The Transport Unit is thus expanding its support to programs in our clients in both low-income and middle income countries, to address the challenges of economic growth, environmental sustainability and trade competitiveness. In the EU member states, more emphasis is being placed on engagement through reimbursable knowledge services to complement a limited number of traditional operations (lending and AAA). In the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and in countries of the Former Yugoslavia, ECSTR programs focus on a combination of traditional Bank operations in accordance with the respective Country Partnership Strategies. The current and potential portfolio of projects comprises just under US$ 8 billion, with an annual Bank Budget of around US$6 million. ECSTR has 25 staff including 11 based in country offices, and 2 Junior Professional Associates.
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 3 year term appointment.
Duties and Accountabilities:
The primary duties of the assignment will be to:
Manage a portion of ECSTR's transport portfolio (with responsibilities over supervision of selected high-risk transport operations and the preparation of new operations every year), and AAA including development and management of a key Reimbursable Advisory Service and new AAA/ESW activities every year;
Lead, manage and develop knowledge in one or more key thematic areas relating to road transport, which may include road asset management, sector governance, transport services, performance based management and/or safety; ensuring the quality and consistency of the work of teams in ECSTR in this respect;
Support capacity development in the pertinent implementing entities (usually, the sector ministry and/or road agencies of central government and regulators) to design and implement enhancements to road transport infrastructure and transport services and operations, and address potential social and economic externalities;
Take responsibilities for the technical leadership in the roads sub-sector, including technical quality enhancement, innovation, partnerships, mentoring, in order to continuously deepen and strengthen the technical excellence of the practice in the Department; and
Engage road transport sector entities at both the central and sub-national levels, as relevant, in developing Reimbursable Advisory Services and projects that support policy reforms and actions to address the key sector strategic areas.
The assignment will also focus on:
- The specific duties will include project deliveries, supervision and contribution to RAS and analytical
- studies consistent with the pertinent Country Partnership Strategies, with particular focus on:
- Intellectual leadership and policy dialogue
- Lead policy dialogue in a selected number of countries on transport sector policy, asset management,
- social, and institutional issues, including road safety, gender, HIV/AIDS, and governance.
- Supporting the formulation and implementation of policy and institutional reforms and capacity
- building initiatives in the transport sector in cooperation with responsible entities at the central and
- sub-national levels, as relevant, and with other partners.
- Advise ECSSD on strategies for adequate and efficient engagement with the countries in
- the region in the transport agenda.
- Task management and operations oversight
- Supervision of implementation of high-risk and complex transport projects with emphasis on getting results on the ground, managing fiduciary and safeguards responsibilities, and ensuring compliance with the Bank guidelines and the provisions of loan/credit agreements.
- Lead the preparation of a selected number of new transport projects, with the consideration of state of the art innovations and cross-sectoral issues, such as climate change, governance, and social dimensions of project implementation and operations.
- Develop and manage RAS and key analytical activities in the transport sector.
- Contribute to the work of other teams or sector units in ECA to enhance the quality of project design, implementation, and supervision, and of analytical services with a specific focus on the transport sector.
- Stay engaged with the CMUs to provide as necessary advice on cross-sectoral issues.
Knowledge support and staff mentoring
Stay abreast of key developments in transport policy, planning, operations, management, governance, and financing, and in cross-cutting issues affecting the performance of the transport sector, such as: logistics, governance frameworks, environment, safety, social and health impacts, and gender issues.
Mentor less experienced staff.
In carrying out those duties, the appointee will: (a) work effectively with ECSTR and ECSSD units and staff in both Washington and in the relevant country offices; (b) ensure effective collaboration and partnership between Governments, the World Bank, and other International Financial Institutions in the transport sector; and (c) contribute to ECSTR's portfolio development, performance and its integration with other ECA projects, programs, and activities as well as national programs, strategies, and priorities.
Selection Criteria:
COMPETENCIES
- General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills: Possesses a track record of intellectual
- leadership and ability to integrate economic-specific knowledge and specific micro/sector fields
- of expertise; provides quality assurance and assesses technical soundness of work/reports.
- Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena: Influences the design and execution of major
- policy and/or research initiatives; conceives and promotes innovations in development policies,
- project design, organization and management to improve operational and sector work.
- Policy Dialogue Skills: Has a track record of conducting effective policy dialogue with country
- counterparts; communicates and defends difficult issues and positions to senior bank management
- and government officials.
- Integrative Skills: Possesses in-depth understanding of Bank resources in all areas of work in
- the network, and proven fungibility.
- Transport/Highway Policy, Strategy, and Institutions: Comprehensive understanding of
- transport/highway policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations.
- Transport/Highway Engineering and Technologies: Good experience with transport engineering and
- technologies.
- Client Orientation: Translates insight into practice across disciplines, hierarchies, geographies
- and organizational units in service of clients.
- Drive for Results: Ensures successful implementation and delivery of key programs and projects,
- ensuring that outputs positively impact results.
- Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion: Creates a team climate of practical and innovative
- action, facilitating collaboration between competing interests and stakeholders.
- Knowledge, Learning and Communication: Demonstrates command of all forms of communication and
- presents in a clear, objective and engaging manner in high-level settings; ensures knowledge is
- captured and shared in a variety of ways.
- Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Serves as a trusted advisor to others on their
- decisions, ensuring alignment across units and optimal impact on the organization as a whole.
OTHER SELECTION CRITERIA
- Advanced degree (at least Masters or PhD) in transportation engineering, transportation economics or planning with specialization in road transport.
- Demonstrated ability to work on: (a) policy, institutional and financing aspects of transport agencies, (b) transport infrastructure management, (c) transport operations, (d) economics of transport including assessment of transport operations and costs, and (f) analysis of transport externalities, with emphasis on road safety, gender and HIV/AIDS impacts, and economic effects;
- Sustained record of achieving high-quality substantive results over an extended period (typically 10 years) and relevant experience in more than one world region is essential;
- Strong technical and operational skills as evidenced in a proven track record in the delivery of Bank operations (or similar type of products in non-Bank entities) in one or more areas of the transport sector, and demonstrated capacity to advance and deliver analytical knowledge on transport sector issues, with a focus on institutional, governance, operational, social, and financing issues;
- Experience in broader transport sector issues, with an understanding and the ability to work on (a) policy, institutional and financing aspects of transport agencies, (b) planning and programming of capital investments and maintenance activities, (c) contract management, (d) logistics, (e) environmental requirements for the sector, and (f) social dimensions;
- Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership to staff working in a sub-sector practice, including through networking; leveraging of technical capabilities of staff; technical engagement and high-quality discussions of ideas; sharing of information; collective practical and innovative action in technical areas; mentoring and coaching; nurturing technical talent; and team spirit building with a technical focus;
- Demonstrated project/program management skills, aptitude to lead teams, and ability to promote client/beneficiary participation to ensure implementation and long-term sustainability of projects/programs.
- Strong client and communications skills, with proven experience in providing quality policy and project advice at high levels to national and sub-national clients on transport issues;
- Proven ability to lead and work in multi-sectoral or cross-sectoral teams, mentor staff, inspire staff commitment to technical excellence and teamwork, and resolve conflicts constructively;
- Experience of working on similar programs financed by the World Bank or other IFIs;
- Experience with EU directives or structural funds would definitely be an added advantage;
- High degree of dynamism and self-motivation, as well as the ability to work with minimal supervision; and
- Fluency in English essential, knowledge of Russian would be an added advantage.
The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence (recommended for external job postings only).
http://unjobs.org/vacancies/1372010638633