UN-World Bank Liaison Specialist

The UN – World Bank partnership in Somalia has grown significantly since the World Bank’s re-engagement in 2012. Since 2017, a dedicated UN – World Bank Liaison function has supported an increasing strategic, operational and analytical partnership. The UN-WB Liaison Specialist has successfully advanced areas of joint interest focusing on state- and institution-building processes, including the advancement of humanitarian and development collaboration in the context of multiple shocks and the establishment of strategic partnership priorities across UN and World Bank. 

Since IDA re-engagement in March 2020, the UN and the World Bank have increased their operational partnership. The ‘hybrid implementation model” allows the government to contract UN agencies for service delivery in World Bank financed operations. The UN – World Bank Liaison Specialist has supported World Bank Country Management, task teams, the government as well as UN agencies throughout the operational engagement, in the context of multiple shocks, such as flood and drought response. This includes advice on contractual aspects, risk management and monitoring of this operational partnership. To date, about US$450 million has been committed by Government to UN agencies across six projects, with additional contracts that are forthcoming.

UN and World Bank leadership continue to reaffirm their commitment to the partnership and cite the liaison function as global best practice to support an effective partnership between both organisations. In the context of the growing strategic, analytical and strategic partnership, expanded support for a strategy and operations position is part of a larger proposal aimed at strengthening the UN-WB partnership in Somalia, building on progress to date.

The UN-World Bank Liaison Specialist supports UN and World Bank leadership in advancing the strategic and operational UN-World Bank partnership in Somalia. The Liaison Specialist will support the alignment, coherence, and complementarity of country engagement frameworks between the FGS, UN and the World Bank to support complementary support to state- and institution-building. The Specialist will enhance risk management across UN and World Bank operations and lead the development of knowledge management of the UN-World Bank partnership.

• Advance the strategic & operational partnership in a post-HIPC environment to continue the joint support to state- and institution-building functions.
• Provide liaison support across the UN and World Bank at both strategic and technical levels.
• Facilitate regular discussions between UN-WB leadership on the partnership at country level, including an annual review of commitments on agreed priorities for the partnership.
• Produce analytical products and updates on operational UN-WB partnership to inform country level leadership. 
• Advise UN and World Bank leadership on transition arrangements to Federal Government of Somalia in UN implemented, World Bank financed operations.
• Promote collaboration and innovation between the UN and World Bank on cross-cutting issues, notably youth inclusion, gender equality and women’s empowerment, resilience and recovery, and the environment and climate change.
• Strengthen the complementarity of geographic and household level targeting, including regarding gender inclusivity and inter-operability of different response modalities, especially for cash-based assistance.

• Advise and support UN, World Bank and Government in the formulation and implementation of country engagement documents including corporate and national assessments and plans, including for inclusion of gender perspectives (NDP, Country Partnership Framework, UNSDCF etc.).
• Advise and support government, UN, WB and donor community with the development and monitoring of joint priority framework following HIPC completion (such as the Mutual Accountability Framework) with substantive preparations for high level policy forums.

• Monitor and report on challenges across the operational portfolio and suggest solutions if and where possible.
• Advise UN and World Bank leadership, UN agencies and World Bank Task Teams on best practice on risk management for UN implementation contracts in World Bank financed operations. 
• Strengthen risk management approaches specifically regarding targeting, monitoring and implementation related risks in World Bank financed operations with UN implementation support.

• Produce analytical products and updates on operational UN-WB partnership to track progress and inform coordination efforts at both a strategic and technical level. These should also be shared at country and global level to inform global policy dialogue.
• Promote information sharing and dialogue across the UN-WB, with government and the Somalia Donor Group.
• Develop lessons and good practice on operational engagement as well as challenges requiring further action.

• Advise and support development and monitoring of UN commitments on the ‘’Use of Country Systems’’ (UCS) through a dedicated roadmap.
• Promote strengthening of and improved UCS from “on plan” to “on treasury.”
• In collaboration with Risk Management Unit, support the annual reporting of UN contributions “on budget” and
• Advise and support monitoring of capacity support to government and advance the use of country systems for UN-led capacity strengthening.

• Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 

Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

• Cross Functional and  Technical Competencies:

Partnership management – Strategic engagement: Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives.