Public Sector Specialist – GF  

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank consists of two entities – the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). It is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, the World Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, and coordinates responses to regional and global challenges. Visit http://www.worldbank.org/.

Governance Global Practice

The Governance Global Practice (GGP) supports client countries to build capable, efficient, open, inclusive, and accountable institutions. Countries with strong institutions prosper by creating an environment that facilitates private sector growth, reduces poverty, delivers valuable services, and earns the confidence of its citizens. Further information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/governance.

The GGP has the following business-lines and cross-cutting areas of focus:

• Anticorruption, Openness and Transparency

• Fiduciary Assurance

• Public Financial Management (PFM)/Public Investment Management (PIM)

• Political Economy 

• Public Institutions

• State Owned Enterprises (SOEs)/ Corporate Governance

• Subnational/Decentralization

• Tax Administration

The GGP interventions range from diagnostics, technical assistance, and advisory services; learning, innovation and knowledge management; preparation of financing operations and provision of project implementation support, monitoring and reporting. An important part of its responsibilities is to deliver operational support to other Practices, including through inputs for policy-based operations, hands-on implementation advice, and direct fiduciary due diligence of investment financing.

Regional Context

The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region comprises 30 extremely diverse countries, with a population of nearly 500 million people. Three of our clients are IDA only and another 2 are IDA-blend countries.  The remaining 25 are IBRD- eligible. Although 10 of our clients have joined the EU and 7 of these have graduated, most continue to remain active recipients of knowledge and/or lending services. ECA has a substantial lending pipeline as well as a portfolio of Reimbursable Advisory Services (RAS), concentrated primarily in a few countries. Knowledge is critical to the Bank’s value proposition to client countries in the ECA region in both lending and advisory services.

A predominantly middle-income region, ECA’s slow growth and persistently high unemployment have threatened to reverse the region’s achievements in reducing poverty and increasing shared prosperity. The region continues to struggle with multiple structural weaknesses, including high public debt burdens, tight fiscal space, low investment, and financial sector vulnerabilities.  The recent war in Ukraine, geopolitical tensions, the refugee crisis, rise in prices and complex Eurozone issues pose further challenges to the region’s economic prospects.

In addition, the ECA region is highly vulnerable to climate change. The region has a large potential to strengthen resilience to climate change and also to improve energy efficiency, thereby reducing its contribution to climate change. Other important challenges affecting the region include poor governance, closed borders, diverse fragility risks related to regional tensions, frozen conflicts, and domestic instability in some geopolitically important countries.

In view of these challenges, the ECA regional strategy is based on three pillars: (i) Sustainable and Inclusive Growth; (ii) Human Capital; and (iii) Resilience. Under the first pillar, the WBG supports reform programs and investments to improve government efficiency and service delivery, market creation, financial stability and connectivity for growth. Under the second pillar of Human Capital, ECA supports programs for social inclusion, especially for unemployed youth and disadvantaged communities such as the Roma; meeting the challenge of protecting the most vulnerable, and responding to aging and health challenges. The third pillar prioritizes climate action and building resilience to natural disasters, and facing the challenge of displaced populations.

The EECG2 Unit covers three country management units (CMUs) in ECA: Turkey, the Western Balkans and the EU countries. The EECG2 portfolio includes lending instruments (PforR, IPF-DLI, IPF), Trust Funds (TFs), Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA), and Reimbursable Advisory Services (RAS). The EECG2 team also collaborates with other GPs to enhance governance in sectors.

Duties and Accountabilities

The Public Sector Specialist based in Washington DC, will make an expert technical contribution to the work of the GGP focused on the West ECA Region in the areas of decentralization, local finances and public service delivery. His/her duties and accountabilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Perform Task Team Leader (TTL) or Team member duties for the preparation and management of projects, in the area of decentralization, regional and local economic development, including using PfR instruments;

• Prepare and implement large multi-sector Trust Funds (TFs) providing advisory services and technical assistance on regional and local development to foster economic, social and institutional convergence with and within the European Union as part of its regional and cohesion programs and the EU accession process;

• Conduct high-level dialogue and Analytic and Advisory Services (ASA) on fiscal, administrative and functional decentralization, regional development and convergence, local taxes and resource management and service delivery; 

• Lead research and analytics in the areas of decentralization, multi-level governance, domestic revenue mobilization, subnational governments’ capability and performance;  

• Participate in missions, provide inputs and guidance to EECG2 task teams, assess public sector policy issues through a public governance perspective, and prepare terms of reference for assigned work as necessary.

• Contribute as needed to GGP activities in other countries in the region.

• As requested by the Practice Manager for EECG2, undertake other activities, as appropriate.

Selection Criteria

The position requires a highly-motivated professional with the following competencies:

• Minimum Education/Experience: Master degree in economics or public policy and a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience. A PHD is an advantage. 

• A proven track record in carrying out complex research and analytical work in the area of fiscal and administrative decentralization, local finances, local revenue mobilization and performance management. 

• Relevant work experience in OECD countries or in High MIC countries on fiscal or administrative decentralization, local finances and revenue generation, either through projects or analytical work. 

• Proven quantitative skills, data analytics and applied research skills 

• A good understanding of climate change risks and risk mitigation measures 

• Operational experience with WB projects would be an advantage 

• Strong integrative and soft skills 

• Able to perform under pressure and to deliver quality output on time under tight deadlines

• Strong written and verbal communications skills in English. 

Essential Specialized Skills/Experience

• Prior substantive and sustained relevant work experience (not less than 3 years) in the field of decentralization, multi-level governance, local finance and service delivery.

• Demonstrated technical proficiency and experience in the following areas: fiscal and administrative decentralization, public finances, local finances and revenues management.

Technical Competencies

• Public Sector Dialogue and Policy Advice – Conduct sector dialogue in the area of Decentralization, multi-level governance, local finances and taxes: (i) disseminating good/best practice to and from High MIC and OECD countries (benchmarking and knowledge spill overs), and (ii) helping clients develop reform strategies, good practice, taking into account prevailing political economy constraints in the country/sector.

• Public Finance and administration at the subnational level – Demonstrate knowledge and understanding about public finances at the national and local level and the management and administration of the public sector; capable of analyzing decentralization policies, local government performance and ways to incentivize and enhance it.   

Behavioral Competencies

• Client Orientation – Maintain client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions, and provide evidence-based advice and solutions, based on sound diagnosis and knowledge. 

• Drive for Results – Identify the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and find solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables.

• Teamwork and Inclusion – Demonstrate leadership in keeping the team organized and focused, and actively seek and consider diverse ideas and approaches.

• Knowledge, Learning and Communication – Lead in the sharing of 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. 

• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making – Serve as a trusted advisor to others on their decisions, ensuring alignment across units and optimal impact on the organization.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.

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