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 and promoting shared prosperity. 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.ย For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
The Education Global Practice
Education is central to achieving the WBGโs twin goals:ย it is a reliable route out of poverty through large and consistent returns to income for individuals and as a driver for economic growth. It is also a prime vehicle for promoting shared prosperity in a livable planet. The main challenge in the education sector is to achieve โlearning for all and learning for lifeโ- that is, to ensure that all children and young people acquire the knowledge and skills they need for their lives and livelihoods. In the past two decades, the developing world has made great advances in education, most notably in enrolling and keeping children in school and in approaching gender equality. Despite these successes in expanding access to education, critical challenges remain: removing persistent educational barriers faced by the poorest people and those living in fragile and conflict-affected states, and improving the quality of education so that schooling leads to real learning.ย In recent years, the WBG, and the broader education development community, have shifted their focus to include learning outcomes. Traditional input-driven programs have shown that they do not always lead to improved learning outcomes, so that the WBGโs education strategy highlights the need for a more comprehensive โsystems approachโ to education reform, investments, and service delivery. This approach is about increasing accountability and targeting results, as a complement to providing inputs.ย It also requires strengthening the knowledge base on education, to highlight where systems are achieving results, where they are falling short, and what the most effective solutions are.ย These efforts are increasingly guided by the need to invest early; invest smartly; and invest for all.ย Through high-quality analytical work, collection of evidence, and practical know-how in these three areas, the WBG is helping its partner countries accelerate their progress in the education sector.
Eastern and Southern Africa Region
We need the best and brightest talent focused on our region in order to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent.ย Home to about 700 million of Africaโs people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. The subregion harbors some of Africaโs protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continues to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade! But it also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future.
Are you ready to make an impact? We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve peopleโs lives and help countries build back better after COVID!
Eastern and Southern Africa Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa
Education and the Africa Region
The WBG serves 48 client countries in the Africa Region (AFR). Clients range from low-income countries, among them several fragile and conflict-affected states, to a small but growing number of middle-income countries (MICs) but with weak human development indicators. Average annual per capita income varies widely, and inequalities persist in most AFR countries, with most of the Region's population living in poverty. In AFR, many countries have achieved considerable progress in access to basic education. But challenges persist, namely: improving the quality and relevance of education at all levels; expanding access to early childhood development (ECD) and post-basic education; developing emphasis on science, technology, and innovation; and improving skills development. Efforts are needed in each of these areas to produce a quality workforce to sustain, innovate, and expand on the current economic growth in the region.
The Education GP team in the region works with client countries โ at the regional, sub-regional, national, and sub-national levels โ to address their unique and shared challenges. We do this by addressing low quality at all levels of education, increasing the efficiency and accountability of education services, modernizing the higher end of the formal education continuum, integrating science and technology more effectively, and aligning skills formation with the needs of a fast-growing Region, including LICs. The GP aims to not only deliver high quality products but also to build capacity in client countries through collaborative interactions with country counterparts and other development partners. It seeks to bring the best possible knowledge to bear on the practical challenges facing client countries and at the same time places a high priority on knowledge generation, including through rigorous impact evaluations of education interventions.
The Education GP is comprised of four Practice Management Units in AFR.ย The hiring unit covers 17 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, across four Country Management Units (CMUs), and includes Anglophone, Francophone, Spanish, and Lusophone countries. In that context, the unit is responsible for policy dialogue, analytical work, and operational investments in the education sector. The unitโs growing portfolio currently includes operations, sourced from IDA, IBRD, and Trust Funds, and technical assistance (TA) products in both low-income and middle-income countries.ย The portfolio spans the full spectrum of the education sector from ECD to higher education as well as job-relevant skills development. The portfolio is increasingly using new lending instruments and approaches to support systemic reforms, including program-for-results (PforRs) and multi-phased programmatic approach (MPAs).ย The unit produces innovative and programmatic analytical and advisory services (ASA).
Many of our operations and analytical products are based on approaches that: (i) assist countries in developing and implementing strategies for ensuring quality teaching and learning at all levels of education (ECD, basic education, secondary education and tertiary education), and in addressing the issues that face these countries' disadvantaged and vulnerable groups; (ii) ensure that education systems respond to the needs of labor markets; (iii) continue to stress the focus on results; (iv) build capacity for monitoring and evaluation of reforms, and foster knowledge sharing; (v) promote innovative strategies, cross-sectoral linkages, and partnerships with the private sector and other development partners whenever relevant; (vi) develop and scale up successful strategies for regional collaboration to leverage economies of scale; and (vii) aim to strengthen governance, accountability, and transparency in the education sector.
Burundi is a low-income, landlocked country in East Africa where 80 percent of the population is employed by the agriculture sector. With a population of 13.2 million, of which 51 percent are women, it is one of the most densely populated countries. A country with high institutional and social fragility, Burundi has experienced a decline in foreign aid since 2015, which has resulted in fiscal and balance of payments difficulties. With regard to human capital, Burundi has made significant progress in terms of access to, and quality of, education. Since the introduction of free primary education in 2005, the gross enrollment rate reached 101 percent in 2022/23, without significant variation between provinces, gender, or wealth.
The World Bank is committed to supporting education sector reform in Burundi. The World Bankโs education portfolio includes an IDA-financed Early Grade Learning Project, a Youth Skills and Employment Project and a Human Capital Development Project. The World Bank is also active in knowledge generation on key issues in the education sector in Burundi. In collaboration with the Social Protection and Jobs, and Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practices, the Burundi education team is working on a Human Development Public Expenditure and Institutional Review, as well as a Country Climate and Development Report, and contributes relevant analysis and inputs to cross-sectoral and macroeconomic/public finance reports and strategic documents.ย
Duties and Accountabilitiesย
The selected candidate will be based in Bujumbura, Burundi, and will work under the supervision of the Education Practice Manager for Eastern and Southern Africa and in close collaboration with the Task Team Leader(s) working on the Burundi portfolio. S/He will be expected to work flexibly on a wide range of assignments, both independently and as part of the teams, and to multi-task with an orientation to results. The operations analyst will have the following responsibilities which include, but are not limited to:
Operational Support
โข Provide direct project support on selected projects as agreed with the Practice Manager. This may include undertaking responsibilities for the design of the project, including design of specific components, costing, financing and disbursement aspects of project, as well as drafting implementation arrangements, evaluating project risks, etc.
โข Provide on-demand operational support to teams on lending and ensure adherence to regional and corporate commitments and quality requirements.
โข Support the preparation and review of project documents such as Concept Notes, Implementation Status and Results Reports, Project Appraisal Documents, Project Papers for Additional Financing, Restructuring Papers, Aide memoires, Implementation Completion and Results Reports, and provide timely feedback to project teams.
โข Coordinate with fiduciary, environment and social as well as legal specialists to ensure the soundness and consistency of project implementation arrangements as part of project preparation and during implementation.
โข Maintain a close working relationship with the Client and Bank project teams, and coordinate with the CMUs on all project related matters.
โข Participate in preparation or implementation support missions, as required, offering guidance on bank processes and contributing to project and mission documents.
Analytical work and non-lending services
โข Contribute to the design, preparation, and dissemination of analytical products (e.g., sector assessments, policy notes, impact evaluations, public expenditure reviews, country systems diagnostics, case studies, etc.) and providing input on a range of issues (e.g., education finance, management and governance, teacher policies, skills development, etc.) that respond to critical policy questions identified by the client and have an impact on policy and operational design.ย
โข Work on cross-sectoral teams to contribute to products such as public expenditure reviews, country climate and development report, and impact evaluations. Contributing to the country diagnostics and other core analytical work.ย
Policy dialogue and building client capacity
โข Support the building of client capacity to use findings of policy research/analytical work for developing new policies and undertaking sector reforms.ย
โข Support the provision of technical advice on key issues and strategic directions for the countryโs education sector development, by bringing relevant research to assist in developing local solutions.
In performing these roles, the selected candidate will interact with Bank colleagues (Global Practices and Country Management Unit), as well as with counterparts in government and international partner organizations.ย
Selection Criteria
The World Bankโs Eastern and Southern Education Unit is seeking a highly motivated candidate to work on a large and growing portfolio as part of the education team based in Bujumbura, Burundi. The ideal candidate will combine excellent teamwork and client dialogue skills, excellent technical skills, a capacity to translate analytical findings into policy and into innovative Bank operations to help clients to pilot new approaches and undertake policy reform; and operational skills to provide effective implementation support for the Bankโs growing portfolio.ย
The candidate should have:
โข Bachelorโs degree in education (economics of education, evaluation, etc.) or in another related human development area (economics/econometrics, statistics).
โข At least 5 years of relevant work experience.ย
โข Strong commitment to working in developing country contexts and FCV.ย
โข Strong knowledge of Bank operational policies, practices, and procedures related to lending operations and ASA, with ability to use related systems to prepare reports and analysis of the data.
โข Knowledge of Trust Funds (TF), TF reporting, systems, and familiarity with related policies and procedures.ย
โข Strong knowledge of Microsoft and World Bank software applications:ย e-consult, business intelligence, Operations Portal, Standard Reports, SAP, other data software.ย
โข Excellent analytical and research skills, attention to detail.
โข Excellent organizational skills and ability to work under tight deadlines with a high degree of pro-activity and initiative.
โข Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to work effectively in a team-oriented and multi-cultural environment.
โข Willingness to learn new programs and applications as needed.
โขย Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and French are required.ย
โข Strong client orientation and proven ability to identify problems, provide technical support, build consensus and arrive at solutions.
โข Creativity, resourcefulness, strong interpersonal skills.
Key Competencies:
โข Client Orientation: Takes personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to client queries, requests or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.
โข Drive for Results: Takes personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results and has the personal organization skills to do so.
โข Teamwork: Collaborates with other team members and contributes productively to the teamโs work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view.ย
โข Knowledge, learning and communication:ย Actively seeks knowledge needed to complete assignments and shares knowledge with others, communicating and presenting information in a clear and organized manner.
โข Education and skills development knowledge and experience: Possesses strong analytical and technical skills, including an understanding of the core education data sets, indicators, tools for analysis of this data, and the use of evidence for education policy.ย
โข Integrative skills: Works to develop an integrated view across all facets of education sector and works across different sectors to help build a strong HD portfolio and take advantage of opportunities to work with colleagues and stakeholders in other sectors.ย
โข Knowledge and experience in the development area: Understands policy making processes; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for clients.ย
โข Policy Dialogue Skills: Identifies and assesses education policy issues and plays an active role in the dialogue with the government and/or other stakeholders.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
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