Background / General description:
The World Bank’s office in Botswana is headed by a Resident Representative and is part of a larger Country Department which includes: Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. The Country Department is headed by a Country Director based in Pretoria. Staff in the Botswana office includes a private sector development specialist and administrative staff. The Department anchor unit in Washington includes a Country Program Coordinator and other staff. The Operations Analyst will be hired as locally recruited staff and will be based in the World Bank office in Gaborone, Botswana.
The country’s existing portfolio comprises four lending operations for a total of $378 million in commitments, reimbursable advisory services and a wide range on non-lending services. With the current country partnership strategy drawing to a closure, the Country Team has launched the preparation of the new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to be underpinned by the Systematic Country Diagnostics (SCD) already underway.
Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 1 year term appointment.
Duties and Accountabilities:
The position of Operations Analyst is critical to help ensure overall quality of the existing and planned portfolio. The Operations Analyst will be a key member of the Bank’s Botswana Country Team, providing substantive operational, research, statistical and other analytic support. The incumbent is expected to spend a significant amount of time (about 60%) on operational work supporting the existing and planned portfolio of lending and analytical work as well as reimbursable advisory services in Botswana. The incumbent is also expected to provide support and substantive inputs to the Resident Representative and the Country Team throughout the SCD and CPF preparation process
The incumbent will report to the Resident Representative and will play a supporting role in portfolio quality management, working closely with the Country Program Coordinator, the Operations Policy and Country Services team, and the Country Team. The specific areas of responsibility include:
Portfolio coordination/monitoring
•Carry out the monitoring of the Bank’s portfolio in Botswana and coordinate with Government counterparts, with a particular focus on facilitating resolution of portfolio issues.
•Review and process operational documents, coordinating across disciplines and project team members.
•Work closely with the TTL’s and fiduciary teams in the PIU’s and relevant government departments to address key fiduciary issues that are generic to the portfolio.
•Liaise with the Country Team and Project Teams to ensure adequate follow-up on management decisions as regards the portfolio; contribute to Quality Assurance of Bank portfolio.
Operations Support
•Participate in operational missions, meetings and discussions ensuring timely and effective follow up on agreed measures.
•Provide advisory support in all phases of operations and AAA, ensuring strategic prioritization and coherence with overall program. •Assist the Resident Representative in providing effective operational guidance to task teams.
•Support the organization of visits of missions and senior management, including relevant logistics; participates as a member of Bank missions as and when required; conducts independent discussion with client representatives on selected problems and issues as identified by task managers.
•Support task teams by preparing and/or contributing to key mission documentation including statements of mission objectives, letters of mission announcement, aides memoire, back to office reports, etc.
•Provide on-the-ground support to DC- and Pretoria-based teams by following up on ad hoc project issues between missions.
Country Engagement Program
•Interacts with country and/or task team members and the client in the formulation and implementation of the Country Partnership Framework (CPF).
•Contributes to the preparation of the sections of the CPF document and the CPF submission as well as mid-year and mid-term reviews.
•Reviews and screens relevant documents and reports for consistency with the CPF.
Briefings and Reports
•Provide political briefings to the Resident Representative and CD as and when necessary.
•Assist the Resident Representative in the preparation of briefs to senior management, including Spring and Annual Meeting briefs, trip briefs, and ad hoc briefs.
•Provide inputs to country reports and respond to requests for information on Botswana program, liaising with colleagues as needed.
Client and Development Partner Relations
•Assist the Bank staff to resolve portfolio issues with the client.
•Participate in capacity building and/or consultation processes with internal and external clients.
•Respond to ad hoc information requests from internal and external parties.
•Maintain a steady flow of information, at technical level, with donors and other external clients.
•Support the Task Team Leaders with donor coordination issues.
Other.
•Assist the Resident Representative in day-to-day management and supervision of the Botswana office.
•Assist and collaborate in the organization of outreach programs.
•Any other duties that may be assigned by the Resident Representative on an ad hoc basis.
Selection Criteria:
A minimum of a Master’s Degree in a relevant discipline such as engineering, economics, finance, social sciences or similar field relevant to the World Bank’s operations; a minimum of 2-3 years operational experience in areas such as multi-lateral lending, United Nations, IMF or Regional Development Banks and good understanding of monitoring and evaluation and program implementation; •Demonstrated background in portfolio management and quality assurance; strong client orientation and proven record of problem solving and innovation;
•Excellent interpersonal and team skills, multi-sector experience and ability to work across boundaries;
•Solid judgment and analytical skills, and ability to organize lending, portfolio support and AAA tasks;
•Ability to work collaboratively in a decentralized, matrix team environment;
•Strong report writing skills, preparing comprehensive proposals, ability to speak persuasively and present ideas clearly and concisely; •Excellent language skills in English, strong communication skills and ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams.
Required Competencies
•Project Management - Understands the basic concepts of project management, as they relate to the execution of tasks within a project.
•Data Collection and Management - Demonstrates use of this competency.
•Bank Instruments, Policies, Procedures, and Systems - Basic knowledge of Bank Instruments, Policies and Procedures, including Safeguards, FM and Procurement.
•Portfolio Management (OS) - Assists and/or organizes portfolio reviews; prepares portfolio monitoring reports, and follows-up on portfolio review recommendations.
•Analytical and Technical Skills, Operational Strategy Development & Advice - Solid theoretical base with relevance for specific Bank Network recognized Sector or Theme.
•Lead and Innovate - Brings new and different insights.
•Deliver Results for Clients - Contributes to delivery of results for clients on complex issues.
•Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries - Collaborates within team and across boundaries.
•Create, Apply and Share Knowledge - Actively contributes to and readily applies WBG’s body of knowledge for internal and/or external client solutions.
•Make Smart Decisions - Leverages available data and makes timely decisions.
Interested candidates are invited to apply to vacancy # 140714 on www.worldbank.org/careers. This vacancy closes on July 10, 2014. Only online applications submitted through our careers site will be admitted. The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.