JOB DESCRIPTION

Description

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. Visit www.worldbank.org.

Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice

The Social Protection & Jobs Global Practice (SPJ GP) delivers operational approaches and evidence-based solutions to help individuals and families manage risk, cope with chronic or transitional poverty, and access better livelihoods and jobs. These include:

• Strategy, analysis and financing of programs delivering social safety nets assistance in the form of cash transfers, public works programs, social services, and fee waivers.
• Advisory and analytical services on design and delivery of social insurance programs, contributory transfers, including old-age pensions, unemployment insurance, disability and survivor benefits, and their fiscal sustainability (including budget support for transitions).
• Analysis, design and delivery of Labor market and youth employment programs, with a focus on supply side interventions and intermediation policies, as well as policy advice on labor market regulations and interventions.
• Strategy, analysis, financing and design of integrating social protection delivery systems (e.g., payments, identification, registries, systems assessments) as underpinnings of effective social programs that can help cope with climate shocks or underpin fiscal reforms.

Social Protection in Rwanda and World Bank engagement

Social Protection services in Rwanda are mainly delivered through the flagship social safety net, the Vision 2020 Umurenge Program (VUP) which started in 2008, complemented by other initiatives such as support to Genocide Survivors and demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants and other accompanying measures. VUP includes a mix of interventions comprising of unconditional cash transfers, nutrition-sensitive co-responsibility cash transfers, classic labor-intensive public works, and gender and child sensitive public works schemes. VUP includes as well economic inclusion / graduation interventions as well as financial services. The Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC) serves as the institutional home for Social Protection from policy perspective whereas the VUP is delivered through a dedicated Local Administrative Entities Development Agency (LODA) in partnership with other relevant agencies. Social Protection in Rwanda is increasingly gender, child and nutrition sensitive and is expected to significantly contribute supporting human capital development especially for the poor and vulnerable and the coverage of the informal sector is increasingly becoming critical as Covid-19 shock has shown. These new orientations call for increased coordination with other relevant agencies and Ministries such as MIGEPROF, MINEDUC, Ministry of Health, National Child Development Agency, National Identification Agency, Rwanda Biomedical Center, Rwanda Social Security Board, etc.

World Bank has been a key partner to the Government of Rwanda since the inception of VUP and its engagement has been through Investment Project Financing (IPF), Development Policy Financing (DPF) and through Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA), in coordination with other development partners.

Objectives

The successful candidate will contribute to the delivery of SPJ sector policy dialogue, operations, and analytical and advisory tasks by working jointly with other team members in the World Bank, the Client, Development Partners, academia that actively support the development and reform of social protection and labor systems. Her/his main countries of focus will be Rwanda, but s/he may be required to work in other countries in the region. S/he will work across the range of World Bank instruments, including IPFs, DPF, and ASAs, and engage in client dialogue in Rwanda and any other country s/he may be assigned for cross-support. The specialist staff would be required to coordinate with other social sectors, particularly Health and Education.

Primary work will be under direct supervision of the Task Team Leader for the Social Protection in Rwanda. The position will report to the Practice Manager for Social Protection and Jobs but will also work closely with the Country Manager in Rwanda.

Duties and Accountabilities

The successful candidate will support the World Bank’s engagement in the design and implementation of the SPJ program in Rwanda (and beyond as needed), as a key member of the team, based in Rwanda Kigali office.

Major responsibilities include:

• Co-lead or contribute to core lending deliverables, especially IPFs and DPFs in Rwanda
• Lead/provide support to SPJ task team on analytical and advisory services (ASA) efforts in the areas of social safety nets, youth employment, jobs, human capital development, working with other Global Practices as needed.
• Support the task team on SPJ operations in Rwanda, especially supervision activities, including provision of day-to-day implementation support to implementing agencies and engaging in policy dialogue.
• Prepare and participate in SPJ missions and support Task Team Leader for effective management of operations currently under implementation and/or being prepared to strengthen the SPJ portfolio
• Contribute to project supervision and preparation documents.
• Organize regular field missions to project sites to support implementation and carry due diligence supervision.
• Liaise with external agencies to support joint programming and analytical activities to strengthen program delivery on Social Protection in Rwanda.
• Manage trust fund resources to ensure timely deliverables, cost effective programming to achieve policy objectives and business development.
• Support resource mobilization through expanding trust fund partnerships
• Contribute to strengthening the SPJ GP collaboration with other GPs in the Country Management Unit.
• Provide SP inputs to corporate activities/documents e.g. Country Partnership Framework (CPF), Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA), Country Briefs, etc.
• Represent the SPJ team and actively participate in different forums including development partners forum, relevant sector and technical working group.
• Provide any support as required and in agreement with the Project Task Team Leaders.

Selection Criteria

• Graduate degree and minimum of Masters’ level qualification in economics, business administration, human development (social protection, education, health), social policy or related sector.
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience in analytical and/or operational work in social safety net, social protection, and / or Social Protection delivery systems.
• Experience and demonstrated knowledge in the concepts, approaches and practices in the social sectors, particularly in social protection
• Ability to translate theoretical knowledge into practical applications in the context of Bank work.
• Ability to juggle effectively multiple, often overlapping responsibilities and to provide timely, quality inputs, advice and process facilitation to tasks mostly managed by others, all with a minimum supervision and a high degree of initiative.
• Very strong oral and written communication skills in English to share relevant information with colleagues, clients and managers alike.
• Capacity to interact effectively with a range of stakeholders within and outside the Bank, with a strong client orientation
• General knowledge of operational policies, processes, procedures and systems used in different aspects of the project cycle, including those for the preparation of lending products and documentation, and evidence of experience in monitoring projects
• Willingness and capacity to learn World Bank procedures, processes and guidelines quickly.
• Excellent oral and writing skills in English.
• Ability to deal sensitively in multi-cultural environments, to work in a team environment, including other higher and junior level staff.
• Ability to operate independently with minimal direct supervision and support.
• Ability to advise, influence and promote consensus among different task team members
• Ability to foster excellent client relationships with government counterparts and development partner

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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