Local recruitment: Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist

 Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. 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

The Role of the World Bank Group in Water

Water resources are under unprecedented and increasing pressures, driven by greater climate variability, population and economic growth, land use changes, and declining quantities and qualities of both ground and surface waters. With cross cutting impacts on agriculture, education, energy, health, gender equity, and livelihood, water is an essential resource for all life on the planet and is at the center of economic and social development. Climate change expresses itself through water and sound water management lies at the heart of the resilience agenda. Successful water management requires accurate knowledge of the resource available and an assessment of competing demands for its usage. Making best use of available supplies requires complex and sensitive economic, environmental and socio-political trade-oƯs. Planning for a more uncertain and more constrained water environment in the future only makes the situation more complex.

The world will not be able to meet the great development challenges of the 21st century – human development, livable cities, climate change, food security, energy security, and universal access to services – unless we ensure a water-secure world for all. To achieve this goal the Global Practice will need to work on both water resource management and service delivery issues but in a context where we focus on water in the context of the broader economy.

The WBG is in a unique position to help governments take such an integrated and strategic approach to solve water supply, sanitation, water resource, hydropower, and irrigation problems through partnership, finance and knowledge. The Water GP places Water Resource Management (hydrology, economics, storage, groundwater use, rivers and deltas), Service Delivery (to households, businesses and farmers), and an understanding of water in the context of the broader economy at the center of its eƯorts to help countries address the challenge of managing water. The Water GP seeks to ensure that water issues are eƯectively addressed in all related sub-sectors, such as agriculture (ensuring sustainable water availability for irrigation; managing the trade-oƯs around the agricultural use of water), disaster risk management (floods and droughts), energy (hydropower; energy cooling systems), management of rivers and deltas, and water supply & sanitation (rural and urban; utility performance; wastewater management; targeting the poor). In each sub sector an integrated approach is adopted which considers investment and operations in the context of governance, institutions and policies. Finally, the WBG sees the WTR GP to play a pivotal role as an implementation arm of all water-related SDGs, and in particular SDG 6, as well as a global player in the interface of water, resilience and climate change. 

Recognizing these unique opportunities, the Water GP has enjoyed a scaled-up program both in lending (about $4-5b of new lending per year moving into programmatic approaches, PforRs, and building country systems), RAS, innovative ASA, and a global partnership agenda. However, the portfolio has also faced some implementation challenges that need to be resolved.

The Water Global Practice is organized around:

(a) a Global Practice Director;

(b) 9 region-facing Practice Managers (PMs) covering Africa, Europe and Central Asia, East Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia;

(c) a PM for Global Programs and

(d) five cross-cutting Global Solutions Groups (GSGs) led by 5 Global Leads. The regional PMs have joint reporting to the Water Global Practice Director and Regional Planet Director while the global PM and the Global Leads report to the Global Director to reinforce the globality of the Practice. The Water Practice comprises around 300 staƯ. The selected candidate will report to the Eastern and Southern Africa Practice Manager.

Reflecting its leadership in the global water agenda, the Global Water Practice also sustains and manages several external partnerships. In addition, the Water Practice has launched the Global Water Security and Sanitation Program (GWSP), which will provide support across the full water cycle agenda and with a consolidated results framework fully integrated with all other operational engagements of the Water Practice. 

The Water Sector in Madagascar

Uneven climate conditions and geographic location make Madagascar particularly prone to natural disasters, including floods, drought, cyclones and the locust crisis. Madagascar is subject to a tropical climate regime, with variations according to latitude and altitude; the island receives an average of 1,513 mm of precipitation per year but shows strong disparities between regions. Despite the country’s rich water endowment, poor water resources management negatively impacts water access; water resources are abundant but unevenly distributed and only 4 percent of available water is used. The Deep South of Madagascar provides a stark example; while the region of Androy suffers from recurring droughts, limited recharge has salinized aquifers which cannot be used without adequate and costly treatment. Long‐term resilient solutions could be envisaged, capitalizing on the abundant rain in upstream watersheds in the southern regions an capturing this water before it reaches the sea to increase aquifer recharge. Access to water and sanitation services is lagging and unequal. According to the latest data from JMP (2021), 53.5 percent of the global population has access to basic water services but only 36.4percent of the rural population has access to basic water services, compared to 80.5 percent in urban areas. Regarding access to basic sanitation, Madagascar is at the bottom of the list of 76 developing countries with the lowest access to basic sanitation; only 10.5 percent of the population has access to basic sanitation services (6.3 percent in rural areas compared to 17.8 percent in urban areas). After more than 15 years of absence in the water sector, the WB could develop a strong dialogue with the Malagasy authorities on the importance of the water and sanitation sector, the water portfolio has significantly increased, with the following projects under preparation, or implementation: 

a) the Madagascar National Water Project (PAAEP, 220 MUSD) – under implementation, whose project development objective (PDO) is to increase access to water services in the Greater Antananarivo area and select secondary towns and to improve the capacity of the water sector. This project mainly supports water investments in Antananarivo, and also secondary towns, to fill the current water production gap, and also to rehabilitate and extend the water network to increase and improve access to safe water. This project is implemented by the MEAH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Ministry) and JIRAMA (the urban water and energy utility).

b) the Regional Climate Resilience Project (RCRP, 28 MUSD for Madagascar), a regional project, including also Mozambique, Comoros and South-Sudan, whose PDO is to improve the management of water-related climate impacts in Eastern and Southern Africa, and, in case of an Eligible Crisis or Emergency, to respond promptly and eƯectively to it. This project will support the financing of the detailed studies of the Havelo-Mandrare project phase 1.

c) the Support for Resilient Livelihoods in the South of Madagascar (MIONJO, SSI project, 50 MUSD for water) – under implementation, whose PDO is to improve access to basic infrastructure and livelihood opportunities and strengthen local governance in southern Madagascar with a primary focus on youth and women. The project plans to rehabilitate / extend 2 water transfer pipelines and  to finance the upgrading of around 600 water points; an Additional Financing is under preparation that will include significant water activities.

d) the Havelo-Mandrare – under preparation. This Project plans the construction of a multireservoir, targeting to irrigate 16,000 ha and supply drinking water to 500,000 people in the Deep South. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. There is growing client demand for World Bank support as the agenda shifts to a focus on reform for WSS service delivery at scale, integrated water resources management and irrigation. The GP has adopted a strategy to better leverage international and national sector specialists through increased field presence, where they work on a variety of programs ranging from policy dialogue and relationships with the clients to business development, project preparation and implementation, and technical and advisory support to clients. 

Role & Responsibilities

1. The candidate will be expected to work independently on complex projects/issues with guidance from senior specialists and Task Team Leaders (TTLs). The successful candidate will support the lending and advisory services and analytics activities in the areas of water supply and sanitation and climate resilience/adaptation in Madagascar, with the following duties:

2. Support Bank Task Teams and/or participate in projects providing technical support in the identification, preparation and supervision of projects as well as in the preparation and implementation of analytical and advisory activities including formulation of background documents, monitoring progress of projects, and undertaking regular field visits.

3. As appropriate, provide similar operational and analytical services in other countries where the Bank operates.

4. Generate knowledge reports in Advisory Services and Analytics (ASAs) activities for the Water Global Practice.

5. Maintain liaison and dialogue with development partners, research institutions, government counterpart, non-Government organizations, the private sector and other sector-related institutions.

6. Supervise the appointment and work of short-term consultants and firms ensuring consistency and conformity to Bank standards; and evaluate studies and sector-related project documentation.

7. Provide technical support to the task teams, as needed, liaising closely and coordinating the water related activities with other Global Practices and Country Management Unit (CMU); and

8. Monitor and provide advisory support for the adherence to World Bank’s operational policies and quality requirements in technical and fiduciary due diligence. 

Selection Criteria

• A Master’s level degree with 5 years of experience, in a field relevant to water supply and sanitation, including civil, sanitary or environmental engineering, water resources/environmental management, economist, or other related fields;
• A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in water supply and sanitation; and/or water resources management is required.
• Experience on institutional development and management of water and sanitation services, in particular urban WSS, with a thorough knowledge of the water supply and sanitation sector and the water resources sector; Knowledge and experience working with water utilities would be a plus.
• Experience in coordinating and/or managing multi-disciplinary projects on water or water resources would be a plus.
• Project management experience in international institutions/companies would be a plus
• Good understanding of policy, institutional, regulatory and management frameworks for water supply and sanitation, and water resources management, particularly in the context of Madagascar.
• Experience with multi-sectoral teams particularly desirable;
• Good external client relations skills
• High level of energy, initiative and flexibility in quickly adjusting to changing work program requirements;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in both French and English;
• Ability to effectively dialogue with and relate to clients and stakeholders;

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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