Senior Operations Officer

The Madagascar team provides a wide range of financial, knowledge and convening services to help address this country’s most complex development issues.  The Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Madagascar for 2023 to 2027, approved by the World Bank in April 2023, sets out the strategy to support Madagascar’s efforts towards inclusive and resilient growth. The new five-year CPF is centered around three high-level outcomes: (i) improving job opportunities through transformative action, (ii) making growth more inclusive by addressing weaknesses and inequities in public service delivery; and (iii) creating resilience to shocks that can reverse improvements in growth or worsen socioeconomic inequalities. Underpinned by the Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) and the Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD), this CPF also reflects broad consultations with the government, development partners, the private sector, civil society, and academia. As of March 2024, the World Bank portfolio in Madagascar stood at $4.1 billion and includes 26 national projects and 4 regional operations. Infrastructure takes the largest share of financing at 34% ($1,390 million), followed by sustainable development at 29% ($1,215 million), human development at 26% ($1,092.8 million), and equitable growth, finance, and institutions at 11% ($435 million). The World Bank also provides analytics and advisory services to support evidence-based decision-making and the stronger implementation of development.

Our knowledge program is extensive, including a substantial focus on poverty reduction, human capital, vulnerability and resilience, governance and public sector capacity, competitiveness and employment, digital economy as well as other areas.  The Madagascar program also seeks to innovate in the use of financial instruments working closely with IFC and MIGA, and relationships with Madagascar are active across the full WBG.

Duties and Accountabilities:

Based in Antananarivo, the Senior Operations Officer (SOO) will have the following principal duties and accountabilities:

Overall Responsibilities:

The SOO will be expected to provide operational support/guidance and quality assurance on cross-cutting dimensions to task teams and the CMU management (Country Director, Country Manager, Operations Manager, Sr. Country Officer based in DC and Program Leaders) including advice on the implementation of operational policies and guidelines and the use of instruments. The SOO will also support the CD, CM, OM and the Program Leaders to help track overall project implementation performance and facilitate resolution of portfolio problems.  The SOO will maintain up-to-date information on portfolio performance in close collaboration with the Washington Anchor Unit. The SOO will be a member of the CMU Management Team and will report to the Madagascar Country manager.

Specific duties include:

Preparation and Implementation

• Review and provide quality enhancement advice on all operations throughout the project cycle: identification, design, appraisal, implementation, and evaluation. Provide leadership and advisory support in all phases of operations. Facilitate resolution of cross-department and cross-sectorial problems.
• Participate in operational missions and meetings and assist teams in resolution of difficult issues.
• Work closely with the fiduciary teams to address key fiduciary issues that are generic to the portfolio.
• Work closely with the safeguards teams to address key environmental and social issues that are generic to the portfolio.
• Play a key role in quality enhancement, risk management and implementation issues, in collaboration with the CD, CM, Program Leaders and the OM.
• Play a key role on behalf of the CMU management in the review of projects from the concept stage to final approval. Review of appraisal documentation prior to Board submission. Assist the in the review of ISRs and AMs.
• Advise the Madagascar country teams on operational policies, instruments, and procedures and on complex operational issues.

Portfolio Management:

• Support the CD, the CM and the OM in the preparation of work programs and budgets, and monitors budget execution, and the fulfilling of WPA agreement.
• Organize or lead the Country Portfolio Performance Reviews for Madagascar on a regular basis. Flag implementation problems for attention by clients and Bank management and take the lead in resolving systemic portfolio issues. Follow-up with government ministries and other clients on recommendations in close consultation with the CM and Program Leaders.
• Interact directly with the Program Leaders and Task Team Leaders (TTLs) on daily work program issues and provide operational support for problem or risky operations.
• Lead the development of key training programs for the client at a portfolio level on fiduciary, safeguards, and the governance and anti-corruption work, drawing on fiduciary, safeguards and governance specialists.
• Lead the preparation of monthly Madagascar portfolio dashboard reports, in coordination with the focal persons in the CMU.
• Assist the CM in monitoring the development impact and implementation progress of the portfolio, drawing lessons and resolving implementation issues.
• Review all Madagascar project documentation and ASA at various stages of preparation for consistency with country strategies and Bank policies, as well as with a view toward maintaining overall portfolio quality and provides his/her inputs on such documentation to the CM.
• Act as the focal point all operational guidance and board procedures to the country team, checking all documents for internal consistency and follow-up with task team leaders on needed revisions.

Country Strategy Formulation and Implementation

• Support the CD, CM and OM in formulation of the CPFs and in preparing CPS Progress Reports and Completion Reports.
• Support the CD, CM and OM in managing relations with clients and partners, including monitoring trust funds and harmonization of development assistance/policy dialogue with multilateral and bilateral partners.
• Coordinate, prepare or assist with the preparation of briefs and presentations, including for high-level visiting missions, special events, conferences and IMF-WB Annual and Spring meetings; and oversee or assist with drafting or reviewing operational correspondence, including responses to official external queries.
• Supports the country strategy formulation process (including PLR, SCD, CPF and annual business plans) for Madagascar country office.
• Monitors the implementation of these strategies and, in coordination with the Country Team, reports on progress as needed to the CM.
• Advises task teams on country context and strategy issues.
• Makes substantive contributions to the country dialogue in Madagascar under the leadership of the CM.
• Represents CM in interactions with Government, development partners and stakeholders, as needed.
• Prepares and/or contributes to background and policy papers and selected notes for internal and external audience (e.g., memos to senior management, Bank-IMF Annex).
• Supports to communication team and implement the country office communications, dissemination and outreach strategy, including the internal and external websites.

Selection Criteria:

• A Master’s degree or equivalent and a minimum of 8 years of relevant discipline and progressively substantive operational experience, combined with a good knowledge of World Bank strategic directions.
• Knowledge of operational policies and procedures, and experience relevant to portfolio management (e.g. direct experience with portfolio management, varied project experience). Experience of the bank policies and procedures is a plus.
• Proven capacity to view project-level issues in a broader context where the sector setting and policies, the macro context, and the Bank’s country strategy all intersect.
• Ability to lead a team of professionals in the execution of major projects.
• Ability to coach, mentor, and develop more junior staff.
• Proven ability to work cooperatively with a multi-disciplinary team, other groups throughout the Bank, and development partners. Ability to work with, and relate to, a wide range of stakeholders-donors, clients, and staff. Ability to work across the matrix in a collaborative manner is essential.
• Ability to contribute to strategic initiatives across the Bank Group and with external partners. Ability to carry out independent and innovative work.
• Ability to operate effectively in a matrix management environment, both as a team leader and team member.
• Effective verbal and written communications skills.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=28163&site=1