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 our client countries to reduce poverty, increase economic growth, and improve quality of life. To ensure that countries can access the best global expertise and help generate cutting-edge knowledge, the World Bank Group is constantly seeking to improve the way it works. Key priorities include delivering measurable results, promoting openness and transparency in development, and improving access to development information and data. Sound governance and effective institutions are essential for achieving shared prosperity and sustained reductions in poverty. A rapidly-growing body of analytic work demonstrates that there are clear linkages between good governance and the quality of health and education services, and that the poor often suffer disproportionately from lack of alternatives. Countries capable of improving governance are able to use their human and financial resources more efficiently with fewer losses and distortions. They are able to attract higher levels of foreign and domestic investment and, on average, grow more rapidly. The Governance Global Practice (GGODR) brings together professionals in procurement, financial management, taxation, public management, regulatory policy, transparency, digital governance, law and development, anticorruption, and social accountability to develop innovative, integrated solutions to pernicious institutional problems. The practice utilizes a problem-driven, diagnostic approach, combining global comparative knowledge of reform successes and failures with keen understanding of the institutional challenges and opportunities of developing countries. Specifically, the Governance Global Practice provides support in: 1. Sustainable Public Resource Management by improving analytic and policy capacity in public finance; strengthening the composition, management and reporting of public expenditure; and augmenting budget and accounting systems and procurement processes to ensure sustainable funding for public programs. 2. Effective Service Delivery and Policy Implementation through strengthening both core agencies and line departments. GGODR seeks to improve public sector performance and effectiveness by supporting reforms in public management, human resource management, performance monitoring, regulatory reform, ICT solutions and innovative delivery approaches, and other areas. 3. Open and Accountable Governments by facilitating collaboration to foster social accountability and citizen-centric development. This work stream includes government transparency and responsiveness, strengthening key accountability institutions (including parliaments and the judiciary), using mobile technologies to monitor performance and enabling citizens to participate effectively in government decision-making. The Africa unit of the Public Service and Performance Department of GGODR seeks to recruit a Public Sector Specialist (local hire) to provide support for our public sector program. The ideal candidate would combine a deep understanding of public sector governance issues in different contexts with a considerable knowledge of the political economic issues in the Africa region. He/she will have demonstrated operational and analytic skills and will possess strong knowledge and understanding of open government and demand side issues. Fluency in Malagasy, French and English is required.
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 2 year term appointment.
Duties and Accountabilities:
The Public Sector Specialist will help implement and further develop GGODR activities in Madagascar, in particular with regard to public sector and economic governance reforms. This requires knowledge of both, economic and public sector governance issues, and familiarity with the prevailing issues in Madagascar. He/she will also have good knowledge of the economic governance and broader public sector governance literature. The Public Sector Specialist will be able to actively integrate political economy issues, organizational and institutional analysis, and change management in his/her work. He/she will be sensitive to specific public sector/governance challenges in a post conflict and fragile state environment. He/she will also have a demonstrated ability to work effectively with multilateral and bilateral institutions engaged in economic and public sector governance reforms.
The Public Sector Specialist will participate in the operational, analytical and advisory activities of the department primarily in Madagascar and Comoros, in particular on public sector and economic governance issues. He/she will work with the country team on technical aspects of economic governance and public sector governance reforms, including political economy-related aspects. He/she will help generate and exchange knowledge relating to concepts, techniques and lessons learned pertaining to public sector reform and capacity building. He/she is also expected to establish and maintain good working relationship with counterparts in government and in a variety of international and other partner organizations, academia, civil society; counterparts within and across sectors.
The selected candidate will report to the Practice Manager of the Public Service and Performance Department of the Africa region for all technical and human resource-related matters. In addition, he/she will report to the Country Manager on matters related to country representation and day-to-day management. He/she will work in close cooperation with the Cluster Leader, based in Pretoria, South Africa and the Sr. Public Sector Specialist based in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
The Public Sector Specialist will participate in the operational, analytical and advisory activities of the department primarily in Madagascar and Comoros, in particular on public sector and economic governance issues. He/she will work with the country team on technical aspects of economic governance and public sector governance reforms, including political economy-related aspects. He/she will help generate and exchange knowledge relating to concepts, techniques and lessons learned pertaining to public sector reform and capacity building. He/she is also expected to establish and maintain good working relationship with counterparts in government and in a variety of international and other partner organizations, academia, civil society; counterparts within and across sectors.
The selected candidate will report to the Practice Manager of the Public Service and Performance Department of the Africa region for all technical and human resource-related matters. In addition, he/she will report to the Country Manager on matters related to country representation and day-to-day management. He/she will work in close cooperation with the Cluster Leader, based in Pretoria, South Africa and the Sr. Public Sector Specialist based in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Selection Criteria:
• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena- Understands policy making process; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for clients.
• Policy Dialogue Skills- Identifies and assesses policy issues and plays an active role in the dialogue with the government and/or other stakeholders.
• Integrative Skills- Working to develop an integrated view across all facets of current sector.
• General Governance and Public Sector Knowledge and Experience- Has demonstrated analytic and operational skills in the area of public sector, and has practical experience working on production of projects and/or studies on areas key to public sector.
• Written and Verbal Communication- Delivers information effectively in support of team or workgroup.
• Lead and Innovate- Develops innovative solutions.
• Deliver Results for Clients- Proactively addresses clients’ stated and unstated needs.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries - Collaborates across boundaries, gives own perspective and willingly receives diverse perspectives.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge - Applies knowledge across WBG to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients. • Make Smart Decisions - Interprets a wide range of information and pushes to move forward.
Other Selection Criteria
• Masters degree in international development, public administration, law, sociology, economics or other related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience, including management and implementation of analytical tasks on public sector and economic governance reform.
• Operational experience on public sector and economic governance reforms.
• Demonstrated analytic and operational skills in the area of public sector, and practical experience working on production of projects and/or studies on areas key to public sector.
• Technical expertise in at least one of the following areas: public financial management, public sector reforms, decentralization/local governance, transparency and open government.
• Good knowledge of good practices, trends, and emerging lessons in economic policy, public sector/economic governance reforms, and experience adapting that knowledge to client countries.
• Foundational knowledge of fragility, conflict and violence and the implication for operational and analytical tasks.
• Understands policy making process; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for clients.
• Ability to conceptualize and deliver analytical work on public sector/economic governance reforms. Possesses a demonstrated track record of working with data and analytical tools and models to conduct economic governance analyses and produce user-friendly written outputs; understands underlying statistical concepts.
• Identifies and assesses policy issues and plays an active role in the dialogue with the government and/or other stakeholders. Excellent writing and persuasive oral communication skills and ability to foster long-term, productive client relationships.
• Strong interpersonal skills, proven team orientation, ability to multi-task and work across unit boundaries; Actively seeks knowledge needed to complete assignments and shares knowledge with others, communicating and presenting information in a clear and organized manner.
• Ability to work in a cross-sectoral and/or multi-cultural environment and build effective relations with clients and colleagues.
• Takes personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results, and has the personal organization to do so.
• Fluency in Malagasy, French and English required.
Interested candidates are invited to apply to vacancy # 141210 on www.worldbank.org/careers. This vacancy closes on November 20, 2014. Only online applications submitted through our careers site will be admitted. The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence
