Climate Change Analyst Programming and Innovation

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. 

The Adaptation Fund is an innovative financing mechanism set up by the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with the purpose of financing concrete climate change adaptation projects and programmes in developing country Parties, serving the landmark Paris Agreement. At the request of the COP, the GEF is providing secretariat services to the Adaptation Fund Board (the Board), through a dedicated and functionally independent team. Since becoming fully operational in 2010, the Board has approved US$ 1 billion for 139 concrete, localized programs/projects with over 30 million total beneficiaries. The Fund supports country-driven projects and programmes, innovation and global learning for effective adaptation. All of the Fund’s activities are designed to build national and local adaptive capacities while reaching and engaging the most vulnerable groups, and to integrate gender consideration to provide equal opportunity to access and benefit from the Fund’s resources. They are also aimed at enhancing synergies with other sources of climate finance, while creating models that can be replicated or scaled up.

Since 1 January 2019 the AF has served the Paris Agreement under the guidance of, and been accountable to, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement with respect to all matters relating to the Paris Agreement. The process that led to the decision recognized the Fund’s valuable role in funding concrete adaptation projects for the most vulnerable and its pioneering Direct Access modality that builds country ownership in adaptation. 

The Board, supported by a dedicated secretariat and an independent Accreditation Panel, has a well-established accreditation/reaccreditation process that evaluates the capacities of applicant entities to manage and supervise projects and programmes. So far, the Fund has accredited 57 Implementing Entities.  

The activities of the AF are guided by its Medium-Term Strategy for 2023-2027 (MTS II) which confirm Action, Innovation and Learning-and-Sharing as its main pillars. Ongoing activities include the support of project portfolio growth by an increase in number of projects and development of new funding windows, and supporting activities. This includes the establishment and operationalization of an advisory body for innovation and setting up of new funding windows through a broad, consultative stakeholder engagement process. The AF is currently recruiting a Program Analyst to take on the responsibility of providing support to the Programming and Innovation Team and to assist the team with the relevant key activities including operational support to project and programme review process; preparation of Board documentation and PPRC meeting arrangements; support to the Innovation Advisory Body (establishment and coordination activities), support on the development of new funding modalities as per the Implementation Plan of the MTS II, and support on outreach, communications and website development, in collaboration with the dedicated teams. The incumbent will be supervised by the Programming and Innovation Team Lead. 

Duties and Accountabilities:

The post holder will perform the following core functions:

• • Under the coordination of the Programming team leader, and in collaboration with other staff, supports project/programme review cycle process, including technical review of proposals, ensuring compliance with Fund policies, the preparation of PPRC meetings and materials, Board documents (including operational guidelines, tools, reports, and other), other technical outputs, knowledge products, talking points, presentations and other materials to support the effective delivery of the Fund, jointly with the RBM team, innovation team, and other secretariat’s teams.
• Provides support to programming team on administrative and financial due diligence, including data management and use of World Bank project database & platform;
• Supports the development, operationalization and use of a programming/proposal submission IT solution, including support to IEs and countries as needed;
• Proposes or supports innovative solutions for managing systems and processes;
• Helps coordinate and contributes to the preparation of Board documents, including programme and policy documents, talking points, and other materials;
• Generates analyses of the portfolio as well as graphics and presentation products to contributes reports;
• Supports a productive dialogue and positive relationships with key stakeholders, including developing country governments, climate change negotiators, national, regional and multilateral agencies involved in climate finance, think tanks and civil society.

Furthermore, the incumbent would potentially play a role in communications and outreach, and will raise awareness and share information on the Adaptation Fund and its programming process including:

• Collaborates closely with the Results-based Management (RBM), Knowledge Management and Communications teams, ensuring alignment;
• Support in website information management, maintenance of “projects under review”, “active pipeline” among others, and monitoring and checking pages for accuracy and ensuring they are up-to-date;
• Help develop pages or microsites for programming/innovation streams, with a view to accuracy, clarity and visual appeal;
• Supporting the preparation of information material including web material;
• Carry out other tasks as required.

Selection Criteria:

• Master’s degree in finance, business administration, accounting or another relevant field; typically, the successful candidate will have at least 2 years of experience in positions of increasing complexity and responsibility, or a suitable combination of education and experience.
• Careful attention to detail and outstanding analytical skills;
• Strong data analysis skills; spatial analysis skills and other IT competencies are a plus;
• Ability to collaborate with staff at different levels of hierarchy as well as consultants;
• High professional and personal integrity;
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team;
• Ability to organize information and establish or keep up systems for tracking information, and ability to create and manage databases;
• Extensive knowledge of project management concepts;
• Familiarity with World Bank operations, systems and procedures, such as procurement and FIF Platform, are a strong advantage;
• Demonstrated experience working in or with multilateral development institutions such as UN entities, development banking or experience working within national organizations on development projects;
• Interpersonal, diplomatic and communication skills required to interact with diverse stakeholders while working in a global collaborative team environment;
• Sound knowledge of the UNFCCC and international climate finance architecture would be desirable;
• Specific experience with development processes such as those related to adaptation, climate change or environmental projects/programs is a plus;
• A strong understanding of development practices in developing countries;
• Ability to handle concurrent activities efficiently under pressure, with minimum supervision and to meet tight deadlines;
• Willingness to travel; and
• Excellent command of English, written as well as spoken. Knowledge of either French or Spanish would be an advantage.

Source:  https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=26803&site=1