Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. 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, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. 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
The World Bank’s AECS1 Country Management Unit (CMU), covers 5 countries (Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa), and staff in country offices associated to 4 countries (Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda) as well as at Headquarters in Washington DC. The Country Director (CD) is based in Pretoria, together with the Operations Manager (OM), oversees the AECS1 CMU. The Resident Representatives (RR) for Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho manage the day-to-day operations of the program for the respective country. At Headquarters, the CMU is supported by the Senior Operations Officer.
The Lesotho Country Program delivers Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) and lending services to Lesotho. As of January 2021, The total net commitments of the Lesotho portfolio is US$352.3 million comprising 9 national IDA projects (US$295.3 million IDA funded and US$14.9 million of co-financing of national IDA), 2 regional IDA projects (US$35.0 million and US$5 million of regional IDA project) and one Recipient Executed Trust Fund (US$2.1 million).
The World Bank’s Office in Lesotho is looking for a highly skilled individual to operate as a Maseru-based Operations Officer (OO, level GF) and help in the implementation of our Lesotho program. The Operations Officer will report to the RR for Lesotho, and work closely with the OM based in Pretoria and Senior Operations Officer (based in Washington DC), and with 3 Program Leaders, all of whom support the entire CMU program.
Duties & Responsibility:
The OO position is based in Lesotho country office with primary responsibility for supporting the RR with respect to the performance of the existing Lesotho portfolio, including a substantial trust fund (TF) portfolio, and ensuring its strategic alignment with the CPS. The OO supports the OM, Senior Operations Officer, and the Program Leaders to conduct country-specific monitoring and reporting on the existing lending and TF portfolio, and to identify and resolve country-specific implementation issues. The OO maintains up-to-date information on portfolio performance for Lesotho.
Specific duties include:
• Coordinates and leads the preparation of a monthly portfolio report. The report monitors lending, non-lending activities, TF, and other key portfolio performance indicators. The report is shared with the country team.
• Monitors and facilitates timely delivery on various milestones during the project cycle, including with respect to project closing and reporting.
• Support implementation by organizing its regular meetings with Global Practices (GPs), project task team leaders (TTLs) and Program Leaders to discuss and find solutions to the ongoing concerns and to anticipate potential future problems/bottlenecks. Follow-up with government on recommendations in close consultation with the CD, CPC, and Program Leaders. Follow up on the recommendations of Lesotho portfolio deep dive report and fiduciary review, with special focus on portfolio-wide actions in the areas of FM, procurement, safeguards, and M&E.
• Review and draft comments on Project Documents, Implementation Status Reports, Implementation and Completion Reports for the RR
• Provide inputs to or prepares diverse operational products/outputs (e.g. country briefings, background reports, case studies, portfolio performance reviews, etc.). Provide continuous case-by-case support to project task teams. Interact directly with the Program Leaders on daily work program issues and provide operational support for problem or risky operations. To the extent possible, participate in operational missions and meetings and assist teams in resolution of difficult issues.
• Carry out research and analytics on operations- and CMU work program-related issues.
• Liaise with the main government counterpart (the Ministry of Development Planning, Ministry of Finance and other implementing ministries and agencies) on operational matters.
• Work closely and mentor junior/ACS staff on issues of portfolio management and monitoring.
• Provide support to the CMU management team.
• Review, comment on and clear all out-going correspondence; manage in-coming correspondence.
• Provide support in the Country Strategy Implementation program
• Support the RR and CPC in implementation of the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) and provide assistance in preparing Performance and Learning Review and CPS Completion Report, particularly regarding portfolio implementation.
• Lead corporate tasks as the Security Focal Point and MERC of Lesotho Country Office in close cooperation with the Security Specialist and Medical Advisor in Pretoria.
Selection Criteria
• Masters in a relevant field (Economics, Business Studies, Political Science, Finance, International Relations, or similar filed relevant to the Bank’s mission.)
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience
• Knowledge of, and experience with Bank operational policies, procedures, and business practices, including project preparation, identification of problem projects, project restructurings such as additional financing, reimbursable advisory services and trust fund management
• Proven ability to think strategically, and to apply this to the design and implementation of country assistance programs. Demonstrated initiative, leadership skills and drive for results, including ability to undertake diverse tasks within a rapidly changing and demanding environment on short deadlines.
• Political sensitivity and mature judgment; and ability to focus on the big picture, while not losing sight of details.
• Outstanding inter-personal skills and ability to deal sensitively in multi-cultural environments, multi-disciplinary teams within a matrix environment, and build effective working relations with Bank colleagues, clients, and development partners.
• Effective verbal and written communications skills, including the ability to draft concise briefs, reports, and correspondence.
• Recognized by peers and/or managers for ability to identify and pro-actively solve operational issues and problems.
• Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the CMU’s annual reporting, budgeting, and business planning.
• Ability to ensure efficient and effective implementation of procedures for routine workflow in the County office.
• Identifies the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and proposes solutions to addressing challenges affecting timely deliverables.
• Shares 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.
Behavioral Core Competencies:
• Client Orientation: Builds linkages across boundaries for optimal performance
• Drive for Results: Facilitates and impacts results across units
• Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion: Leverages capabilities of others within and across boundaries
• Knowledge, Learning and Communication: Produces and disseminates knowledge products to create added value
• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making: Provides leadership in analytical decision making across boundaries
Required Competencies
• Integrative Skills. Integrating divergent viewpoints of multiple external and internal stakeholders into a coherent project/program/strategy.
• Internal and External Stakeholder Engagement. An ability to independently coordinate and engage with stakeholders from various parts of WBG, including IFC and MIGA. Providing substantial inputs into and participating in the dialogue with external clients and stakeholders, including governments, NGOs and CSOs, and development partners.
• Strategy formulation and policy and program design. Proficiency in playing a leading role and making substantive contributions to the strategy formulation process and related strategic products.
• Project Design, Implementation, and Management. Proven skills to design and provide implementation support on projects.
• Portfolio Management and Results Monitoring and Evaluation. An ability to independently monitor portfolio and pipeline and provide signals to management when the program goes off track. Preparing and leading country/GP portfolio reviews. An ability to design and implement results frameworks; and to provide key inputs in business planning/Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exercises.
• Team Leadership. Solid experience of being a team leader or core task team member on one or more strategic or operational tasks. Demonstrated talent in forming, leading and making changes to team composition and delivering tasks on budget and high quality.
• Knowledge of Bank instruments, policies, and procedures, and ability to proactively apply them is desirable.
• Knowledge of the country portfolio will be beneficial.
Closing date: 7 June 2021