Senior Social Development Specialist
| Job #: | req25273 |
| Organization: | World Bank |
| Sector: | Social Development |
| Grade: | GG |
| Term Duration: | 4 years 0 months |
| Recruitment Type: | International Recruitment |
| Location: | Tashkent,Uzbekistan |
| Required Language(s): | English |
| Preferred Language(s): | Russian |
| Closing Date: | 12/20/2023 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC |
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. Visitwww.worldbank.org.
The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region
The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region comprises 30 extremely diverse countries, with a population of nearly 500 million people. 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. Furthermore, in the midst of a crisis like the pandemic that we are experiencing now, some of the advanced countries re-engage with the Bank for additional support, including financial. ECA has a strong lending pipeline as well as a large and growing portfolio of Reimbursable Advisory Services. Knowledge is critical to the Banks value proposition to client countries in the ECA region in both lending and advisory services.
A predominantly middle- and high-income region, ECA continues to be at the forefront in confronting the numerous development challenges that countries face in the evolving global economy. The region is at the vanguard of building regional connectivity while having to manage the changing structure of the labor market. At the same time, digital technologies are changing the nature of work, populations are aging, and large migration flows have generated social tensions that have contributed to increased political polarization. These emerging trends threaten to reverse the regions achievements in regional integration, poverty reduction and shared prosperity.
The ECA region is also one of the most vulnerable to climate change. It has a large potential to strengthen climate change resilience and improve energy efficiency, thereby reducing its contribution to climate change. Other important challenges affecting parts of the region include frozen conflicts and domestic political instability.
In February 2020, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak interrupted the incipient recovery and the impact on growth remains highly uncertain and in a downside scenario of prolonged shutdowns, output in ECA could contract by nearly 8 percent in 2020. The pandemic also poses medium-term risks, particularly if global value chain linkages are lost or if extended school closures have a significant impact on learning, dropout rates, and human capital development.
The near- and medium-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis serve to re-emphasize the critical importance of ECAs medium-term strategic agenda on raising productivity and boosting resilience. This focuses on three priority areas:
- Boosting human capital to raise productivity;
- Building solid foundations and resilience for growth; and
- Enabling markets to achieve high productivity in the private sector.
The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine which began February 24, 2022, has generated widespread resource destruction and an unprecedented refugee crisis. More than 2 million refugees from Ukraine mostly women, children and the elderly have crossed into Europe and Central Asia since the start of the conflict. The outbreak of war has accelerated an already existing process of economic contraction and pressure on livelihoods due to effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Poverty is estimated to have increased and the region is more vulnerable to changes in external demand and climate shocks related to agriculture and the energy transition.
The Sustainable Development (SD) Practice Group (PG) helps countries tackle their most complex challenges in the areas of Agriculture and Food, Climate Change, Environment, Natural Resources & Blue Economy, Environmental and Social Framework, Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience & Land, Social Sustainability and Inclusion, and Water.
Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice
The Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice helps countries tackle deep-rooted social problems stemming from fragility, climate change, exclusion, and the digital age with people centered solutions that build on local values and institutions. The Practice engages with citizens, communities and governments to deepen resilience, build inclusion, and empower vulnerable and marginalized groups to have influence and voice. It prioritizes participatory, multi-sectoral approaches that build on norms and informal institutions to address social challenges and to build more inclusive, empowered communities. The Practice also works across the Banks portfolio to implement the Environment and Social Framework (ESF) standards. The ESF offers an overarching platform for fostering inclusive approaches to ensure vulnerable groups benefit from Bank investments and mitigate against related risks.
This is done through four pillars of work:
- Promoting inclusive societies. We help expand access to markets, services, and spaces for vulnerable and marginalized groups in ways that promote their dignity.
- Promoting resilient communities. We help communities cope with climate change, conflict, pandemics, and migration by expanding access to resources and responsive governments.
- Empowering people. We help expand access to the policy arena to strengthen voice and social accountability and build consensus for positive change.
- Managing social risk. We help enhance the inclusiveness, efficiency, equity, and transparency of public and private investments.
Regional Management Unit Context
The SCASO team is responsible for: (i) undertaking social analysis during project preparation and implementation, to mainstream social development issues throughout the Banks work in the region; (ii) supporting clients manage project-level social risk and ensuring compliance with the Banks social safeguards policies on Involuntary Resettlement and Indigenous Peoples; (iii) undertaking Analytical and Advisory Activities (ASA) in the form of thematic studies on social development issues, country social analysis, and Reimbursable Advisory Services (RAS); (iv) leading the preparation and supervision of lending operations, with a particular focus on promoting the inclusion of vulnerable groups (including youth, the elderly, Roma, women, internally displaced persons, refugees, etc.), and citizen engagement; (v) facilitating partnerships and dialogue with civil society through outreach and engagement with a broad range of actors, and (vi) supporting the implementation of the new Environmental and Social Framework, which will become effective on October 1, 2018. To this end, the ECA Social Development Unit works closely with staff across all Country Management Units and Global Practices in ECA.
Uzbekistan and Central Asia Context
Uzbekistan, a lower middle-income country of 36 million people, has emerged as one of the worlds top reformers since 2017. Uzbekistan’s new national development strategy (Uzbekistan 2030) outlines ambitious plans for comprehensive reform across the economy, public services, and the nation as a whole, with a focus on achieving sustainable growth, halving poverty by 2026, and attaining upper middle-income status by 2030.
Challenges to achieving these ambitious objectives include urban-rural and regional disparities in access to public infrastructure and basic services, which constrain Uzbekistans human capital development and contribute to high levels of rural poverty; gender disparities that contribute to womens economic and social exclusion; and centralization in public finances and planning, which reduces opportunities and incentives to align public spending to local priorities, and limit mechanisms through which citizens can exercise direct accountability over local officials. Unequal access to quality public services and the lack of mechanisms for citizens to influence decisions and hold officials accountable have been frequent sources of social tension and discontent.
The incidence of violent conflict is low in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), non-violent protests are the most common type of conflict event. However, all four countries have recently experienced large-scale outbreaks of violent conflict recently, and remain at risk of future violent conflict events. The negative impacts of violent conflict are borne disproportionately by poor and vulnerable communities, and undermine regional cooperation around critical issues such as transboundary water and natural resource management.
SSI in Uzbekistan supports a large program of operations, analytics, and technical assistance in support of the Uzbekistan 2030 goals of promoting women’s empowerment, building a people’s state that engages with citizens, raising rural living standards, and carrying out a trust transition to a green economy. The program is central to the Uzbekistan Country Partnership Framework for 2022-2026s cross-cutting themes of closing gender gaps and strengthening citizen engagement and accountability in public services. SSI also oversees a program of analytics and technical assistance aimed at supporting operations and strategic analytics in the Central Asia region to address and strengthen resilience to drivers and risks of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV). This includes a focus on transboundary FCV drivers and risks that compound vulnerabilities in border areas.
Duties and Accountabilities
The Senior Social Development Specialist will play a key role in the SCASO team for analytics and lending operations focused on community-driven development, womens economic empowerment, and strengthening resilience to fragility, conflict, and forced displacement across Central Asia, working in close partnership with multiple GPs and the ECCCA CMU. The candidate will be responsible for managing the planning of large, complex, and strategically significant activities currently led by the Social Sustainability and Inclusion Practice. The candidate will lead the planning and delivery of strategic Advisory Services and Analytical initiatives, and lead the preparation and implementation support including oversight, coordination and strategic guidance for operations according to agreed work plans and corresponding deliverables. The candidate will also coordinate the implementation of the activities in the broader context of World Banks contributions to the ECA regions SSI agenda which includes an increasing focus on womens economic empowerment, local climate action, FCV, and displacement-related issues impacting development progress and inclusion across the region.
The Senior Social Development Specialist will:
- Provide strategic leadership and technical support to the implementation of operations focused on community-driven development and womens economic inclusion in Uzbekistan with regular interaction with the Project Implementation Units but also other countries in Central Asia CMU, as need arises.
- Proactively ensure collaboration and coordination across Global Practices in Uzbekistan and other countries in Central Asia to deliver a more coherent and coordinated support to addressing gender disparities, promoting inclusive local development and climate action in lagging and at-risk regions, promoting social cohesion, and engaging vulnerable populations including youth, conflict-affected populations, refugees and host-communities especially in Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan.
- Lead coordination with government counterparts, community stakeholders and other development partners actors on the ground, including with the United Nations, European Union, other IFIs, regional and bilateral partners, actively engage in efforts that promote evidence-based approaches and policy updates that foster social cohesion, community empowerment, resilience and violence prevention.
- Work with internal and external partners to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the drivers of FCV in Central Asia, and develop sound strategies, programs and policy options to address and strengthen resilience FCV drivers, to inform regional and country-based planning and programming processes.
- Develop and lead analytical work that informs the social development aspects of key policy and operational decisions in areas such as gender equality, social inclusion, poverty reduction, social cohesion and resilience, and local service delivery and climate action; and contribute to the creation of global knowledge on these issues.
- Contribute to the elaboration of strategies, project concept and policy analysis relevant to the Social Sustainability and Inclusion Practice; Participate in cross-practice teams responsible for the preparation of policy notes, Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Partnership Frameworks, sector studies, and research and policy development activities on the full range of social development topics.
- Contribute to the identification of business opportunities for the Social Sustainability and Inclusion team focused on inclusive local development, womens economic empowerment, local climate action, and resilience to FCV in consultation with clients and country units.
Selection Criteria
This position is suited to collaborative, highly motivated team players with an eye for detail, understanding the bigger picture context of operations, and creative problem-solving abilities. The candidate should have strong operational and analytical skills on the SSI agenda, have practical experience handling complex/sensitive social sustainability and inclusion issues through participatory processes of stakeholder engagement, and be able to integrate social sustainability considerations in an operational context and across sectors.
- Masters degree or PhD in social sciences (gender studies, anthropology, sociology, social development, public health, conflict and violence prevention etc.), and a minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience in social/community development, inclusion, resilience, FCV/forced displacement etc.
- Demonstrated leadership experience and operational skills and experience in the areas of community empowerment, social inclusion, forced displacement, citizen engagement, local service delivery, community driven development, fragility, conflict and violence, particularly in middle-income countries.
- Proven project leadership and management experience with World Bank IDA and/or IBRD lending operations, policies, procedures and processes or comparable project management experience with other large-scale development institutions; experience with leading design and implementation of social development programs including women empowerment and gender equality, social inclusion, Community Driven Development and livelihoods support.
- Strong organizational skills, with ability to prioritize, deal with frequent and unexpected changes, and work within tight timeframes.
- Demonstrated ability to translate analytical work into policy advice and actionable, practical recommendations.
- Proven capacity to work with a wide range of stakeholders, international organizations, development agencies, government counterparts, beneficiaries of Bank projects, and civil society organizations; ability to effectively negotiate and build consensus to achieve constructive outputs.
- Outstanding interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, and team skills, and ability to think innovatively and strategically to find balanced solutions to complex development problems, with a strong client focus.
- Proven track record in communicating complex issues in a clear and concise manner to different stakeholders.
- Acting with integrity at all times to build trust and to create an enabling work environment, whether as team leader or team member.
- Very high level of energy, initiative and self-motivation; willingness to travel and work under challenging circumstances.
- Demonstrated ability to work across practices, work in cross-thematic teams, foster teamwork, and mentor junior staff.
- Excellent oral and writing skills in English are essential; ability to present and facilitate sessions.
Competencies
- Policy Dialogue Skills – Anticipate needs and requests in the field and conduct independent policy discussions with representatives of government and non-government partners.
- Social inclusion and empowerment – Experience in successfully applying social sustainability and inclusion principles and good practice, covering issues of gender/GBV, inclusion and non-discrimination of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, stakeholder engagement, etc.
- Social Development implications on policies, institutions, and operations Solid understanding of the implications of social development on policy, institutions, and operations.
- Participation and Consultation – Extensive experience conducting social development consultative and participatory approaches, deriving results that resonate with the client; ability to coach others in the application of the interventions.
- Analytical Tools for Social Sustainability – Extensive experience conducting social development analyses, deriving results that resonate with the client; ability to coach others in the application of the tools.
- Integrative Skills – Understand relevant cross-practice areas and how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-practice work in lending and non-lending operations.
- Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Translate technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interact with clients at the policy level.
- Lead and Innovate – Develop innovative solutions with others.
- Deliver Results for Clients – Achieve results and identify mission-driven solutions for the client.
- Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries – Initiate collaboration across boundaries and broadly across the World Bank Group and bring differing ideas into the forefront.
- Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Create, apply and share knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and or external client solutions.
- Make Smart Decisions – Recommend and take decisive action.
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.
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