Date of last update: 24/09/2021 2021-09-24
With 189 member countries, staff from more than 170 countries, and offices in over 130 locations, the World Bank Group is a unique global partnership: five institutions working for sustainable solutions that reduce poverty and build shared prosperity in developing countries.
The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.
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Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? 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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
The South Asia Region Context
The South Asia Region comprises eight countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) that range in size from India (with a population of over 1 billion) to Maldives (with 0.3 million people). The region has experienced a long period of robust economic growth, averaging 6% a year over the past 20 years. It was the second-fastest growing region in the world in the aftermath of the global crisis. This strong growth has translated into declining poverty and impressive improvements. The percentage of people living below the poverty line fell in South Asia from 56% to 16% between 1981 and 2013. Still, the region remains home to a third of the world's poorest, with 216 million people living below $1.9/day.
The South Asia Region:https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/sar
Sustainable Development Practice Group
The Sustainable Development (SD) Practice Group (GP) supports the WBG's twin goals by focusing on sustainable and inclusive growth. It consists of five Global Practices and one Global Theme. The Global Practices (GPs) that belong to the SD PG are: Agriculture and Food; Environment, Natural Resources and the Blue Economy; Urban, Resilience and Land; Social Sustainability and Inclusion; and Water. The Climate Change Group forms SD PG's single Global Theme. In addition, SD is the Bank-wide steward for the Environment and Social Framework (ESF).
SD's leadership team includes Regional Directors (RDs) responsible for delivery of SD's regional and country programs, and Global Directors (GDs) who have a primary role in setting GP strategy, global engagements, promoting the flow of global knowledge, talent management and strategic staffing. The SD PG has four objectives: (i) deliver basic needs; (ii) ensure sustainability; (iii) build social inclusion/cohesion; and, (iv) lead on long term issues.
Social Sustainability and Inclusion Development Context
Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice (SSI GP) helps countries tackle deep rooted social problems stemming from fragility, climate change, exclusion, and the digital age with people centered solutions that build on local values and institutions. The GP engages with citizens, communities and governments to deepen resilience, build inclusion, and empower vulnerable and marginalized groups to have influence and voice. The GP prioritizes participatory, multi-sectoral approaches that build on norms and informal institutions to address social challenges and to build more inclusive, empowered communities. It also works across the Bank's portfolio to implement the Environment and Social Framework (ESF) standards and strengthen inclusive development.
SSI Units in South Asia Region (SAR)
The SAR region has two SSI units (SSAS1 and SSAS2), covering five country management units (CMUs), which in turn cover the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The Position:
SSAS1 is seeking a Social Development Specialist to be based in Washington, DC. The Social Development Specialist recruited for this position will be expected to: (i) contribute to the unit's work on mitigating risks related to gender-based violence and sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (GBV/SEAH) in the pipeline and portfolio, (ii) contribute to the inclusion of a gender and social inclusion perspective in Bank operations, analytical work, and policy dialogue; (iii) support operational teams on the implementation of the ESF and ensuring corporate commitments on gender are met; and (iv) support gender analytics and planning as part of the unit's responsibilities for managing social risk management and promoting social sustainability and inclusion through operations.
The specialist is expected to focus on South Asian countries, with a particular focus on 1-2 CMUs as per business needs, and growing additional work throughout the region. The specialist will coordinate closely with the Regional Standards/Safeguards Team, Regional Gender Team, the Country Gender Focal Points (one per CMU), and the Regional and Bank-wide GBV focal points, as needed. The specialist will be expected to work closely with country units and task teams across the region, and to collaboratively develop relationships with the corporate safeguards team, the broader SSI team and other GP teams. The specialist will report to the Practice Manager for SSAS1.
Duties and Accountabilities:
•Support SEAH risk assessments and quality reviews, in close coordination with in-country gender focal points, and with other key stakeholders working on ESF and quality assurance.
•Lead capacity building efforts on GBV and SEAH for Bank staff and clients, with a specific emphasis on client project implementation units (PIUs).
•Provide technical assistance, in conjunction with Senior Social Development Specialists, to expand the integration of gender and GBV prevention and response in operations, building upon existing pilots and lessons from current projects underway.
•Support analytical work and opportunities to increase the knowledge base on gender and GBV or filling evidence gaps that exist in the region.
•Lead on regional portfolio-wide monitoring and tracking with particular attention paid to ensuring that minimum standards are met and Bank corporate guidance followed concerning assessments, grievance mechanisms, service-provider mapping, consultations, etc.
•Support SAR regional efforts on corporate gender tagging. This entails monitoring the regional pipeline for gender tagging purposes, providing early assessment of tag readiness at PCN stage, and providing gender technical backstopping to country gender focal points supporting task teams on gender tagging.
Additional duties may include:
•Be an active contributor to CMU-focused gender platforms, including supporting gender assessment, capacity building efforts, planning, and implementation efforts.
•Contribute to knowledge sharing, dissemination and awareness raising activities including events with both Bank staff and clients, including capturing of lessons learned.
•Support Regional Gender Action Planning for the South Asia region as part of a core working team.
•Support and actively participate, as requested, in Bank-wide professional community of staff/working groups engaged in social development by participating in thematic groups, exchanging best practices, and supporting the drafting of technical notes.
•Other tasks and assignments as and when required by the Practice Manager.
Selection Criteria
• Master's degree in social sciences, health, humanities, or related field, preferred.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional work experience at national and international levels with a focus on gender, gender equality, and violence against women prevention and response, including sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment.
• Demonstrated analytical capacity, through written work and dialogue, of in-depth social issues, including citizen engagement, gender equity, social inclusion, including vulnerable groups, and Indigenous Peoples.
• Relevant experience with operations addressing critical social development issues (citizen engagement and social accountability, social inclusion, gender equity, etc.), with a focus on women and girls.
• Working knowledge of World Bank operations, policies, and corporate guidance including citizen engagement requirements, gender strategy and gender tagging, SEAH, and ESF and social safeguard policies.
• Demonstrated skills and direct work experience with at least one or more of the following technical areas: public consultations; assessments; programmatic guidance; participatory monitoring and evaluation; portfolio reviews; grievance redress mechanisms; or other related experiences.
• Proven capacity to work with a wide range of stakeholders, international organizations, development agencies, government counterparts, beneficiaries of Bank projects, and civil society organizations.
• Relevant experience in social development issues and evidence that exists in the SAR region, or similar experience in FCV or sensitive contexts, a plus.
• Has capabilities to contribute to training workshops or on-site technical assistance, as well as operational clinics/conversations.
• Proven capacity to multi-task, deliver results and respond quickly and effectively to requests or feedback; ability to work under pressure, problem-solve, and meet deadlines.
• Good team player with strong interpersonal skills, enthusiasm and commitment to work in a team-oriented, multi-cultural environment.
• Strong oral and written presentation and writing skills, creativity and problem-solving ability.
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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Type of contract: Staff (Permanent and Fixed Term)
Macro-area: Multiple
Level of experience: Senior Professional, more than 5 years
Area of work Definition: Social Development and Social Protection
Type of organisation: Multilateral Organisations