E T Consultant

667

Job #: req7088
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Education
Grade: EC2
Term Duration: 1 year 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Maseru,Lesotho
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date: 5/10/2020 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

THE EDUCATION GLOBAL PRACTICE

Education is central to achieving the World Bank Group’s twin goals: it is a reliable route out of poverty because it has large and consistent returns to income for individuals and because it can drive economic growth. It is also a prime vehicle for promoting shared prosperity. The main challenge in the education sector is to achieve “learning for all, learning for life”—that is, to ensure that all children and young people acquire the knowledge and skills they need for their lives and livelihoods. The developing world has achieved great advances in education in the past two decades, most notably in enrolling and keeping children in school and in approaching gender equality. Yet these successes in expanding access to education have highlighted the major remaining challenges: how to remove the educational barriers faced by the poorest people and those living in fragile states, and how to improve the quality of education so that schooling leads to real learning. The WBG and the broader education development community are increasingly shifting focus to learning outcomes. Because traditional input-driven programs often fail to promote learning, the WBG’s education strategy highlights the need for a more comprehensive systems approach to education reform, investments, and service delivery. This approach is about increasing accountability and targeting results, as a complement to providing inputs. And it also requires strengthening the knowledge base on education, to highlight where systems are achieving results, where they are falling short, and what the most effective solutions are. These efforts are increasingly guided by the need to invest early; invest smartly; and invest for all. Through high-quality analytical work, collection and curation of evidence, and practical know-how in these three areas, the WBG is helping its partner countries accelerate their educational progress

The Education Global Practice is led by a Global Director, who has overall responsibility for the practice. The Global Director works with Regional Directors, who serve as the interface between the Regions and the Practice. The Education Global Practice Management Team, which is the group that leads and manages the GP, consists of the Senior Director, Regional Directors and Practice Managers.

EDUCATION AND THE AFRICA REGION

The World Bank Group serves 48 client countries in the Africa Region (AFR). Clients range from low income countries among them many fragile and conflict states to a small but growing number of Middle-Income Countries (MICs) but with weak human development indicators. Average annual per capita income varies widely, and inequalities persist in most AFR countries, with most of the Region’s people living in poverty. The Bank’s strategy in AFR is focused on two pillars – competitiveness and employment, and vulnerability and resilience – and a foundation – governance and public-sector capacity.

The Education GP is comprised of three Practice Management Units for the region. HAFE3 covers 14 countries in West and Southern Africa, across four Country Management Units (CMUs), and includes Anglophone, Francophone, Spanish, and Lusophone countries. In that context, the unit is responsible for policy dialogue, analytical work, and operational investments in the education sector. The unit’s growing portfolio currently includes operations for about US$2 billion, sourced from IDA, IBRD, and Trust Funds, and technical assistance (TA) products in both low-income countries and MICs. The portfolio spans the full spectrum of the education sector from ECD to higher education as well as job-relevant skills development. The portfolio is increasingly using new lending instruments and approaches to support systemic reforms, including the program for results (PfoRs) and the multi-phased programmatic approach (MPAs). The unit produces innovative and programmatic analytical and advisory services (ASA).

Many of our operations and analytical products are based on approaches that: (i) assist countries in developing and implementing strategies for ensuring quality teaching and learning at all levels of education (ECD, basic education, secondary education and tertiary education), and in addressing the issues that face these countries’ disadvantaged and vulnerable groups; (ii) ensure that education systems respond to the needs of labor markets; (iii) continue to stress the focus on results; build capacity for monitoring and evaluation of reforms, and foster knowledge sharing; (iv) promote innovative strategies, cross-sectoral linkages, and partnerships with the private sector and other development partners whenever relevant; (v) develop and scale up successful strategies for regional collaboration to leverage economies of scale; and (vi) aim to strengthen governance, accountability, and transparency in the education sector.

The AFCS1 CMU covers the countries of South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana and Namibia. The portfolio comprises of two lending operations in Lesotho and several analytical and technical advisory tasks in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini and Namibia. The two operations in Lesotho are focused on basic education i.e. the Lesotho Education Quality for Equality Project (LEQEP) and the Lesotho Basic Education Improvement Project (LEBEIP). There are also two potential pipeline lending operations focused on improving the quality of basic education in Eswatini and Botswana. Analytical work comprises of: (i) an education sector review in Eswatini with a focus on ECD and basic education; (ii) review of the early grade reading program in South Africa and dissemination of good practices to other countries in the region; (iii) support the implementation of workforce solutions for growing jobs and workplace-based experience in South Africa; (v) mapping of ECD service provision and analysis of ECD outcomes in Botswana; and (vi) adolescents and Human Capital Development.

The World Bank seeks to hire an Extended Term Consultant (ETC) to provide analytical and operational support to the Southern Africa education portfolio and related activities. This is a 12-month extended term staff position over the period June 1, 2020 – 31 May, 2021. The term of employment may be renewed for an additional 12 months based on performance.

The selected ETC will be based in Maseru, Lesotho, and report to the Education Practice Manager. While the consultant will be based in Maseru, she/he will be working across the five Southern African countries. The ETC will support the day-to-day management of the Lesotho education portfolio and provide support to the Southern Africa education team located in Pretoria and Washington DC.

Duties and Accountabilities:

Support of operations: In consultation with the Task Team Leader (TTL)s of the projects, provide operational support, which includes participation in the full life cycle of project preparation implementation and evaluation. The Consultant will be responsible for organizing missions to Lesotho, proposing and coordinating meets and briefing mission members. The ETC will participate in and contribute technical inputs during the preparation an implementation phases for missions relating to Bank supported education activities as needed, including assisting the TTL (s) with all mission related outputs. The ETC will also be required to draft, as needed, diverse operational products/outputs (for example, Aide Memoires, project briefs, portfolio performance reviews, TF Grant Fund Requests, Grant Report Monitoring, closing reports, Implementation Status and Results, activity completion reports etc.). The main objective is to help ensure the effectiveness and timely implementation of projects, and to reporting the TTL (s) periodically on project implementation progress and key issues/bottlenecks. Contribution to analytical work: The ETC is required to analyze economic and education data and produce reports/briefs on key education issues and outcomes. S/he will participate in developing and implementing education strategy processes and assist in country specific education policy work across Southern Africa (for example, collect and analyze data, contribute to sector reports, lending and/or research papers). In addition, the successful candidate is expected to participate in and contribute to country team activities, including portfolio reviews, formulation of country partnership strategies, and prepare reports, summaries, briefs and talking points on various education sector topics and on the Education GP’s projects, programs and strategies.Participation in education and human development sector work: Provide education sector input to regular Bank’s products/outputs (e.g. HD sector briefings and memos, background reports, project performance reviews, etc.). Liaise with HD staff on integrated HD inputs and activities.Support to ad hoc requests and briefings: Respond to ad hoc information requests on education from internal and external parties and contribute to other tasks as needed, including developing proposals, preparing new projects, events, workshops, conferences etc.
Selection Criteria

A minimum of a Masters Degree in economics, education (economics of education, education policy, etc.), public policy or a related area.A minimum of 5 years of experience in the education sector.Strong analytical and technical skills, including an understanding of the core education data sets, indicators, tools for analysis of this data, and the use of evidence for education policy.Strong client orientation and proven ability to work with government agencies, and with partner organizations.Excellent interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to work in a team and intercultural environment with minimal supervision.High levels of energy, initiative and flexibility in quickly adjusting to changing work program requirements. Ability to juggle numerous competing demands and priorities, respond quickly to internal and external client requests, and set priorities for self and others.Relevant experience with policies and interventions in the education sector, familiarity with World Bank’s operations and business processes will be a plus.Excellent communication (oral and written) skills to convey complex technical ideas to a non-specialist audience and lead substantive policy dialogue with clients and stakeholders.Fluency in written and spoken English.Work experience in Lesotho or South Africa would be an added advantage.Willingness to travel within and beyond Lesotho (approximately 40% of person time).
Key Competencies:

Integrative Skills: Demonstrates strong integrative thinking and ability to support project teams in developing of an integrated point of view around development challenge.Policy Dialogue Skills: Possesses political judgment, diplomatic acumen, and negotiating skills; applies cross-country development knowledge to discussions with clients and development partners; anticipates needs and requests in the field and develop/offer relevant tools to clients.Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena: Understands policy making process and the role of own sector of expertise in that process, finds relevant information/data and examine similar policy questions in multiple regions.Client Orientation: Takes personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to client queries, requests or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success of efforts.Drive for Results: Takes personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results and has the personal organization skills to do so.Teamwork: Collaborates with other team members and contributes productively to the team’s work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view.Knowledge, learning and communication: Actively seeks knowledge needed to complete assignments and shares knowledge with others, communicating and presenting information in a clear and organized manner; andEducation sector knowledge and experience: Possesses strong analytical and technical skills, including an understanding of the core education data sets, indicators, tools for analysis of this data, and the use of evidence for education policy.
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.

Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe.

Apply here!

Comments

Selibeng.com
Whether you are looking for your first job, a better job or just want to manage the direction of your career, explore educational opportunities, and/or pursue entrepreneurship, Selibeng.com offers the resources you need to make it happen.