Organization:World Bank Group (WBG)
Location:Washington, DC
Background / General description:
Innovation and partnership bond the five institutions of the World Bank Group (WBG): the International
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), which together form the World Bank; the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It uses financial resources and extensive experience to help poor nations reduce poverty, increase economic growth, and improve the quality of life. The World Bank Group's work focuses on achievement of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The goals call for eliminating poverty and achieving inclusive and sustainable globalization. The MDGs lay out a blueprint for the World Bank Group, setting its priorities and measuring its results. The World Bank is the world's largest funder of education; the world's largest external funder of the fight against HIV/AIDS; a leader in the fight against corruption worldwide; a strong supporter of debt relief; and the largest international financier of biodiversity, water supply, and sanitation projects.
Regional Context
The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region comprises of 30 extremely diverse clients, 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 credit-worthy though not all have active lending programs. 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. CASs/CPSs reflect this strong diversity with substantial variation in lending prospects, but strong demand for Bank technical services is present across the board.
Over the last 20 years of transition, ECA countries have integrated into the global economy across many dimensions such as trade, finance, and labor flows. GDP in the Region grew by two-thirds from 2000 to 2008 - an enviable growth of an average of 6.5 percent a year. Yet despite this progress, ECA was hit the hardest by the global economic crisis compared to the other regions in the Bank. Growth in the Region, which had peaked at about 7 percent in 2007, fell to a negative 6 percent in 2009.
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 and Hungary). 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.
It is projected that ECA is going to be the slowest region to recover from the crisis. Growth in 2010 reached about 4 percent, and prospects for 2011 - 13 are only slightly better. Based on this changing context, the new ECA strategy is focused on developing a new growth model for the region through:
1. Increasing competitiveness to achieve faster growth.
2. Pursuing social sector reforms and fiscal adjustment to achieve more inclusive growth.
3. Supporting climate action to achieve more sustainable growth.
Even while declining from the heights of the crisis, we expect demand for our lending and advisory services post-crisis to remain strong. But we are constrained in our capacity to respond given budget constraints and a limited IDA and IBRD resource environment. This requires an increased results focus to help direct our resources to where they will have the greatest impact, along with continued emphasis on leveraging partnerships and expanding our fee for services activities in MICs, building on the successful experience in Russia.
Unit Context
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, ECSS5 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. ECSS5 has 26 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 a variety of transport operations and the preparation of new operations every year), including project preparation and supervision, development and management of Reimbursable Advisory Services and ESW activities;
- Manage and develop knowledge in several thematic areas relating to road and rail transport, which may include road asset management, road and rail sector governance, performance based road management and/or road safety;
- Support capacity development in the pertinent implementing entities (usually, the road or rail agencies of central governments) to design and implement enhancements to road and/or rail transport infrastructure and transport services and operations, and address potential social and economic externalities;
- Oversee technical quality enhancement, innovation, and partnerships in road and rail projects; and
- Engage road transport sector entities at both the central and sub-national levels, as relevant, in developing RAS and projects that support policy reforms and actions to address the key sector strategic areas.
The assignment will also focus on:
Sector expertise and policy dialogue
Develop and manage policy dialogue in a selected number of countries on transport sector policy, asset management, social, governance and institutional issues,
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.
Task management and operations oversight
Supervision of implementation of selected 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,
Develop and manage RAS and key analytical activities in the road 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.
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.
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 Government, the World Bank, and other donors 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:
- Advanced degree (at least Masters or PhD) in transportation engineering, public works or transportation
- At least 8 years experience in the Bank or elsewhere in transport, with demonstrated track record in operational and analytic work;
- Strong operational experience, including experience in preparing and implementing Bank transport projects.
- Proven strategic skills and ability to work in teams across sector lines, and to integrate institutional, technical, economic, and financial elements in helping clients formulate institution-building strategies and viable implementation sequences, including social inclusion and accountability;
- Demonstrated track record of successful business development activities, particularly for lending operations, and experienced in complex transport program and project supervision.
- In-depth background with adequate education, experience and demonstrated competence in at least two of the following functional areas, in the transport sector (a) Road and/or Rail Transport Policy, Strategy and Institutions; (b) Road Transport Engineering and Technologies; (c) Transport Economics; (d) Urban Transport Policy, Strategy and Institutions; and (e) Transport Finance.
- Fluency in English essential,
- 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 develop and manage Reimbursable Advisory Services and undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations.
- Demonstrated ability to work on: (a) road design, (b) road civil works contract management and execution, and (c) procurement of, or bidding for, large road civil works contracts would be an added advantage;
- Demonstrated project/program management skills and aptitude to lead teams, and ability to promote client/beneficiary participation to ensure implementation and long-term sustainability of project/programs.
- High degree of dynamism and self-motivation, as well as the ability to work with minimal supervision.
- Experience with EU structural funds would be an added advantage.
- Proven experience in modern methodologies and options for civil works contracting, including PPP and other performance output based concepts; new technologies and management options.
COMPETENCIES:
- 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.
- Transport Policy, Strategy, and Institutions - Solid understanding of transport policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations.
- Transport Engineering and Technologies - Extensive experience with transport engineering and technologies, with ability to apply knowledge to policy-related decisions and advice.
- 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.
How to Apply
http://unjobs.org/vacancies/1374009366541