Job #: | req28067 |
Organization: | World Bank |
Sector: | Water/Sanitation |
Grade: | EC2 |
Term Duration: | 1 year 0 months |
Recruitment Type: | Local Recruitment |
Location: | Libreville,Gabon |
Required Language(s): | English |
Preferred Language(s): | |
Closing Date: | 7/12/2024 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC |
Description
The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
Water Global Practice and the Sustainable Development (SD) Practice Group
The water challenges of the world are tremendous. For human development (HD), livable cities, food security, and energy security the need for better water resources management is growing. Today, 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation, of which 1 billion people practice open defecation. Poor sanitation, including inadequate wastewater collection and treatment, impacts health, education, the environment, and industries such as tourism. At least 800 million people lack access to safe drinking water. The lack of access to safe water and sanitation results in significant economic losses in many countries. This is further exacerbated by climate change, water pollution, water scarcity, and the global covid-19 pandemic in a fast-changing world.
The Water Global Practice (WTR GP) is poised to deliver on a Water Secure World through an approach that focuses on Sustaining Water Resources, Delivering Services and Building Resilience. The WTR GP also seeks to ensure that water issues are effectively addressed across all related sub-sectors, such as agriculture, climate change and disaster risk management, and energy (hydropower). An integrated approach is adopted in each sub-sector, with the support of its respective Global Solutions Group, which considers investment alongside issues such as governance, institutions, and policies. Water in Agriculture (WIA) projects focus on all aspects of agricultural water management, from governance in service delivery, to modernization of irrigation, farmer led irrigation, water accounting and resilience through improved agricultural water practices. The Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) projects include rural and urban water and sanitation services, hygiene behavior, improving the efficiency of utilities, and provision of services to the poor. The Water Resources Management (WRM) projects include integrated water resource management, including groundwater management, dam safety, and flood management. Increasingly, while staff may specialize in one sub-sector, they are encouraged and supported to address the full water agenda in terms of analytical, policy and operational work.
The Water GP is housed within the Sustainable Development Practice Group, which brings together the cross-cutting sectors of Water with Agriculture, Environment, Social Inclusion, and Urban and Disaster Risk Management. The GP, through its fully integrated GWSP Trust Fund, places highest priority on global knowledge into local implementation, as well as in deploying staff to countries and regions while still working globally.
Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region
Western and Central Africa is a region with diverse cultures, beliefs, languages, and lifestyles – marked by contrasts of stability and conflict, affluence and poverty. Home to about half a billion people, it encompasses 22 countries stretching from the westernmost point of Africa across the equator and partly along the Atlantic Ocean to the Republic of Congo in the South. Yet these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, which have Africa not reaching its estimated potential. Moreover, conflict, food insecurity, population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change threaten to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been made over the past decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought back to the forefront the risks posed by weak health and water supply and sanitation systems, and poor surveillance.
The World Bank Western and Central Africa Region, comprised of approximately 1,139 staff mostly based in the country offices, is committed to help countries to realize their considerable development potential and become more competitive in the global economy by focusing on the following priorities (i) Creating Jobs and Transforming Economies, (ii) Building up the Digital Economy, (iii) Institutions more Efficient and Accountable (iv) Investing in People, (v) Supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption, (vi) Addressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict and Violence (vii) Building Partnerships and Working across the African Continent.
AFW Water Team (SAWW4)
Within the West and Central Africa Region, the hiring unit, or the AFW Water team (SAWW4), is responsible for ensuring the translation of the World Bank’s Africa Regional Strategy and the Water Global Practice’s Water Security Strategy into practical results relevant to 3 country management units (CMUs), namely Cameroon, Ghana, and Nigeria. Specifically, the unit supports the definition and achievement of these results through analytical, policy, and investment activities. The unit has a staffing complement of around 16 water professionals, with an active portfolio of over $1.7 Billion, through 4 large investment projects, 1 Programs for Results, Advisory Services and Analytics, and contribution to Development Policy Financing.
The hiring unit has an active portfolio of investments and lending projects under implementation, focusing on water security, including water supply, sanitation, irrigation, and water resources management. In all cases, these require intensive engagement with government counterparts, and other stakeholders to ensure local ownership, capacity building and sustained focus on implementation for results. The Water GP works closely with other SD, HD and infrastructure units in integrated programs designed to address multi-faceted challenges.
The focus of the successful candidate’s work program will be on the Gabon water portfolio, with additional support to the other countries in the Cameroon CMU (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of the Congo).
Objectives of the assignment
The SAWW4 unit seeks to recruit a Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist extended-term consultant (ETC) to support the task team leaders (TTLs) in various activities, including: (1) analytical and operational support for the preparation and implementation of the Gabon Access to Basic Services and Performance Improvement Project (Projet d’Accès aux Services de Base et d’AmĂ©lioration des Performances, PASBAP, P179643) and other projects and programs in the Cameroon CMU as required; (2) the formulation of country water sector strategies through strategic analytical works; (3) the preparation of new projects or programs; and (4) the monitoring, quality assurance, and coordination of the water sector portfolio.
Scope of work
The Specialist will be responsible for various tasks which include but are not limited to:
• Provide technical and operational support to TTLs in the preparation, supervision and completion of projects and programs in Gabon and the wider Cameroon CMU. This includes participation in day-to-day monitoring and follow-up, field supervision, review of technical/procurement documents and work programs, assessment of progress and key project outcomes and indicators, and contributing to supervision documentation;
• Establish a good working relationship and work closely with client institutions to support effective preparation and implementation of World Bank-financed work programs;
• Collect and analyze sector data to produce sector study reports, engagement notes, diagnostic reports, conference papers and other official World Bank documents;
• Support the organization and implementation of preparation and supervision missions as well as the preparation of corresponding Aide Memoires, Management Letters, back-to-office reports and briefs;
• Support the Task Teams with processing of operational issues, including on the Operations Portal.
• Support the TTLs in liaising with the technical, procurement, financial management, disbursement, environmental, social, and legal colleagues, as well as Global Practice and CMU management to facilitate reviews, coordination and internal clearance processes;
• Contribute to key implementation activities such as restructurings, budget planning, preparation of terms of references (ToRs), management briefs, etc.; and
• Contribute to the planning and organization of workshops on World Bank procedures and deliverables.
Duration of Assignment
The assignment will be for two years with the possibility of extension based on the consultant’s performance.
Selection Criteria
The Specialist shall have the following qualifications:
• At least a masters’ degree civil/environmental engineering, water supply/resources, environmental science, economics, finance or public policy.
• At least 3 years of work experience in the fields of water supply and sanitation, economics, finance, infrastructure, and/or water resources management.
• Familiarity with World Bank operations and processes.
• At least 3 years of experience in project management or monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated experience conducting research and analysis on water supply, sanitation, water resources management, and/or sustainable development issues.
• Good understanding of the water supply and sanitation service delivery in Gabon.
• Willingness and ability to travel to different parts of Gabon and other countries in the CMU.
• Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision is an asset, seeking guidance when necessary, on complex projects/issues from senior staff.
• Ability to work effectively in multi-cultural environments.
Supervision
The Specialist will report to Anna Cestari, the SAWW4 practice manager, and will work closely with Michael Thibert (Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist) and Xavier Chauvot de Beauchene (Lead Water and Sanitation Specialist). He/she will present simplified reports with the days worked and products delivered, as basis for payments.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
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Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET appointment of three years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.