Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? 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 and promoting shared prosperity. 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.
Regional Context:
The Africa Region, which is comprised of approximately 740 staff members, mostly based in about 40 country offices, is committed to helping Africa realize its considerable development potential, with a focus on employment generation. The core values guiding our work are passion for our mission of sustainable poverty reduction with keen attention to quality and ground-breaking impact, putting the needs of the client at the center of all our activities, trust and respect as a common currency, intellectual rigor and curiosity, honesty and integrity, teamwork, willingness to learning and the courage to admit we do not always have the answer.
In this deeply interconnected digital world, the 21st century will be defined by rising generations of skilled young African people. With approximately 11 million young Africans expected to enter the labor market each year for the next decade, our development work is dedicated to improving the job prospects, living conditions, and wellbeing of Africa’s people, especially Africa’s poorest. We believe that by enabling Africans from all walks of life reach their full potential—physically and intellectually—the world will breach the final poverty frontier.
Eradicating extreme poverty and catalyzing progressive development across the continent requires supporting our clients to overcome barriers to economic growth and challenges to competitiveness in the global economy. Together we are addressing bottlenecks to doing business, scaling up investments for critical infrastructure, boosting Africa’s human capital, facilitating innovation and technology adoption, and using drivers of growth, notably agricultural productivity.
Sub-Saharan Africa is recovering from a decline in economic growth, which reached a low of 1.5% in 2016. The economic recovery lost momentum in 2018 but is set to continue. However, structural transformation in the region remains slow and the availability of good jobs has not been able to keep pace with the number of entrants in the labor force. Public debts burdens are rising, fueling debt sustainability risks, and fragility in the region remains widespread with vulnerable populations of extreme poor on the rise.
While the overall business climate in Africa is the weakest in the world, several countries including some fragile states have made great strides in improving their environment for business. What is emerging as a result is a growing region, with setbacks from time to time, that s increasingly seen as a destination for investment; and one where leaders are increasingly willing to address problems of poor governance that harms development effectiveness.
The Africa Region seeks to seize this unprecedented opportunity to better support our clients in realizing the ambition of eradicating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity.
Country Context:
Lesotho is a small, mountainous, and landlocked country, surrounded by its much larger neighbor, South Africa. It has a population of about 2.1 million, and nominal gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of $1,118.
The World Bank classifies Lesotho as a lower-middle-income country. It is mostly highlands, with its lowest point being 1,400 meters above sea level. Previously a British protectorate, the nation gained its independence on October 4, 1966. A constitutional monarchy, Lesotho is ruled by a king as Head of State, and the Prime Minister as Head of Government, governed by a 33-member Senate and a 120-member National Assembly. The last elections were held in June 2017, leading to a four-party coalition government whose composition changed when the previous Prime Minister stepped down mid-term in May 2020. The next election is expected to be held in 2022.
The World Bank Group (WBG) partnership with Lesotho is fully aligned with the country’s development vision articulated in Lesotho’s Vision 2020, and the second National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP II). The partnership is articulated in the WBG’s Country Partnership Framework (CPF) 2016-2020.
The main strategic objective of the CPF is to assist Lesotho with building resilience and reversing the signs of growing fragility by (a) supporting increased efficiency and effectiveness of the public sector and (b) accelerating long-term growth through promoting private sector jobs creation. The formulation of the CPF was supported by the 2015 Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD). The WBG has started preparation of the SCD Update and as a basis for its next CPF.
External and Corporate Relations (ECRAE) employs an extended team of professionals in World Bank Headquarters and across country offices, including, to support the overarching goal of advancing inclusive growth in Africa. ECRAE uses the full array of communications tools and methodologies to build awareness and understanding and mobilize support for development goals. Work programs cover dissemination through traditional and online media, relationship building, analysis of political and project risks, and design of programs to handle those risks. A strategic renewal within ECR emphasizes closer alignment with operations in the region to ensure that ECR services are critical to regional and corporate priorities, and that they employ state-of-the art communications tools to disseminate information, build understanding, and connect the Bank to a variety of actors involved in poverty reduction and development.
Recognizing that Africa’s economic and social context is constantly evolving, and that communications technologies have revolutionized the ways that information travels, ECRAE is building a team of dynamic and innovative professionals prepared to use traditional and digital tools, including social media and multi-media production, to shape the debate on development priorities and trade-offs.
The External Affairs Consultant will, be tasked with strengthening the country communications program, with particular attention to providing essential communications support to complex development projects the Bank supports in Lesotho. Working with ECR professionals in the region and in Washington, the External Affairs Officer will also support corporate communications priorities, including dissemination of World Bank flagship publications, executive visits to the region, and the Bank’s Annual and Spring meetings.
As part of the larger ECRAE team, the External Affairs Consultant will interact regularly with colleagues in Headquarters, South Africa and in other field offices. A willingness to share knowledge, draw on expertise and help create a supportive work environment is critical.
ECRAE is seeking an experienced and hands-on External Affairs Consultant whose primary role is to support the communications to implement effective communications and outreach strategies to support the Bank’s priority in Lesotho. This is a locally recruited staff and does not have to be position based in Maseru office but must be able to travel to the country when needed.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Strategies: Responsible for significant portions of planning, design, and implementation of strategies to promote effective communications with external and internal audiences on Bank-financed operations, research products, and campaigns. Helps resolve most effective content and communications interventions to address challenges.
Risk management: On high-risk operations in the country, must monitor perceptions, track shifts in opinion, and respond to inquiries, while publishing and updating key facts about project goals and breakthroughs. Must be able to interact with operations staff and project teams, organizing meetings with media and civil society as appropriate. Must be able to take the pulse of the country and advise country teams, with analyses on the political economy, especially during election years, and regular monitoring of the media.
Relationships: Must be prepared to identify opinion leaders and influential organizations in Lesotho and guide a strategy of engagement with these various stakeholders, which might range from parliamentarians to faith-based organizations to business associations. Responsible for convening partner groups for consultations on the upcoming 5-year engagement strategy, the Country Partnership Framework 2021-2025 and structured dialogues around projects, knowledge outputs, and country development priorities.
Products: Responsible for planning and delivering a range of written products on the Bank’s operational goals, results and knowledge. Outputs range from traditional press releases and Op-Eds to web features, brochures, Q&As, briefing notes, and speeches. Responsible for updating the World Bank’s internal and external websites for the country.
Events: Coordinates communications activities and events ranging from press conferences to large seminars and town hall meetings, involving external and/or internal audiences.
Representation: Must be prepared to represent the Bank, and Lesotho office, before external and internal audiences, explaining WBG policies and operational goals.
Technical and advisory support: Advises Bank managers and project teams on trends, news developments, or changing circumstances that may impact the WBG and its work and helps resolve strategic responses. Provides regular communication support to WBG operational teams and government implementing agencies to assure that project goals are well-explained and that affected partners are engaged at all stages.
Resource management: Employs appropriate methodologies for handling simple and complex procurement tasks and/or issues. Handles specific line items of unit budget.
Mentoring, leadership: May provide technical coaching to staff members or guidance and support to junior staff. May serve as a team leader, responsible for handling performance of team members.
Selection Criteria
- Master’s degree with 5 years of relevant experience or Bachelor’s degree with 10 years of relevant experience, in a relevant field (communication, journalism, international relations or other related fields)
- Excellent written and spoken command of English and Sesotho is desirable, and the ability to convey complex ideas in a creative, clear, direct, and lively style
- Proven knowledge of visual communications principles and fluency with design software.
- Strong understanding and experience with digital content and social media analytics.
- Strong writing skills: ability with minimum supervision to prepare and edit simple online communication products and develop drafts of moderately complex products in a clear, concise, and web-friendly style.
- Acute eye for detail.
- Understands project management concepts sufficiently to propose and develop drafts of online communications plans and strategies with minimal supervision; can apply standard project management tools, methodologies, and processes; is able to identify and mitigate project risks as well as manage project issues.
- Experience working in an international organization and on conservation and sustainable development issues.
- In-depth knowledge of international trends and political/economic issues related to development
- Strong diplomatic, interpersonal, and teamwork skills; sensitivity to working in a multicultural environment.
The candidate will also be expected to have the following competencies:
Communication Strategy and Execution in International Development:
Demonstrates a working proficiency to lead the planning, development, and execution of a communication strategy for moderately complex projects. Leads research efforts to identify and map project partners or intended audiences; leads media and audience outreach, identifying audience needs. Independently implements communication strategies for moderately complex projects and can use feedback from evaluation tools to strengthen programs. Helps others develop this competency. A key skill in this area will be the adoption of digital strategies and marshalling of social marketing techniques to respond to the online communications environment that is increasingly embraced by Somali audiences.
Broad Business Thinking:
Capable of distilling an in-depth understanding of the long-term implications of decisions, both for Lesotho and for the Bank. Involves the key players in identifying operational needs, challenges and immediate solutions. Ensures that decisions are supported by relevant partners and can explain the business case for decisions.
Client Understanding and Advising:
Looks at issues from the client’s perspective and advocates for clients. Works with others across the VPU to define client needs and develop the best approaches to meet them. Asks probing questions to understand unmet needs. Focuses on achieving sustainable results for clients and proposes solutions to mitigate risks.
Content Development and Editing:
Takes full responsibility for the development of content for dissemination. Can ensure the development of communications products meeting WBG standards on structure, clarity, quality, and persuasiveness.
Social Media, Information Channels, and Communication Tools:
Demonstrates working knowledge of current media channels and tools, including social media. Modifies communication strategies and products to demonstrate innovative communication tools and channels.
Relationship Management, Political Awareness and Diplomacy:
Builds strategic relationships with critical internal and external constituencies, fostering partnerships that strengthen support for development objectives and mitigate reputational risks. Maintains and uses high-level communication networks and contacts within key constituencies. Provides guidance to other internal WBG groups on how to best handle critical relationships.
Lead and Innovate:
Contributes new insights into development challenges and fashions solutions to complex problems. Adapts as circumstances require.
Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries:
Appropriately involves others in decision-making and communicates with key stakeholders. Approaches conflicts as common problems to be solved. Actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches, displaying a sense of mutuality and respect. Integrates WBG perspective into work.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
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Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable for an additional one year, at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET Appointment of two years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their second-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.
Closing date: 5 October 2021