Social Development Specialist

Job #: req30623
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Sustainable Development
Grade: GF
Term Duration: 3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Lilongwe, Malawi
Required Language(s):
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date: 12/11/2024 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

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 and promoting shared prosperity on a livable planet. 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 Eastern Africa (AFE) region comprises 12 countries (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Eretria, Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Malawi). Together, the region is home to about 700 million of Africa’s population, and includes a geographically, culturally, and economically diverse region, stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. The subregion harbors some of Africa’s protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continue to constrain people’s capacity 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 create and sustain conditions for ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity on a livable planet. Realizing prosperity in the region requires operational leadership and technical support and working with relevant partners.

We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help countries build back better after recent exogenous shocks. For more information on Eastern and Southern Africa (ESAFR) Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa

Planet Practice Group

The Planet Practice Group of the World Bank supports the WBG’s vision by focusing on sustainable and inclusive growth and ensuring that the Bank’s work focus on people. The Group comprises five operational units including Agriculture and Food; Climate Change Global solutions; Environment, Water as well as the Social Development practices. In addition, the Planet Group leads the implementation of the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), making sure that Bank-assisted projects are sustainably designed and implemented. The Planet leadership team includes Vice Presidency (VP), Regional Directors (RDs) responsible for the delivery of 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 Planet Group has four objectives

(i) deliver basic needs;

(ii) ensure sustainability;

(iii) build social inclusion and cohesion; and

(iv) lead on long term development issues.

Social Development Global Practice

The Social Development (SD) GP helps countries tackle deep-rooted social problems stemming from fragility, climate change, exclusion, and the digital age with people-centered solutions built 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 create more inclusive, empowered communities. It also works across the Bank’s portfolio to implement the Environment and Social Framework (ESF) standards, strengthen inclusive development, and promote sustainable development outcomes. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/socialsustainability

Unit Context (SAES2)

The East Africa Unit of SD (SAES2) provides social development support to borrower countries in East Africa – Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. SAES2 manages a portfolio of SSI operations and analytics across East Africa, supports other global practices in meeting the objectives and requirements of Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) on their operations, and is responsible for quality assurance on all social risk management instruments for the region.
This position is based in Lilongwe, Malawi and will involve supporting the World Bank’s engagement in Malawi with the potential for support to other countries in the Country Management Unit.  The incumbent will be part of a team of seven social development specialists across the Country Management Unit (CMU), overseeing one of the Africa region’s largest International Development Association (IDA) portfolios.

Duties and Accountabilities:

As a core member of World Bank Task Teams, the Social Development Specialist will advise Task Teams and clients in various sectors, and support project designs and implementation, making sure that Bank-assisted projects are inclusive and present clear and implementable measures for addressing social risks whilst finding opportunities to enhance the social development outcomes of Bank financed operations in East Africa. The specialist will lead and promote social inclusion agenda in the design and implementation of projects in East Africa. The Specialist will have the following key responsibilities:

• Advice task teams and clients in the public sector on the Bank’s ESF and Operational Policies, social risk management and social benefits optimization across sectors throughout the project cycle.
• Provide technical and operational support to clients in operationalizing the Bank’s social standards, focusing on land acquisition and involuntary resettlement which includes where applicable, livelihood restoration, stakeholder engagement consultation and inclusion, grievance redress mechanisms, and cultural heritage.
• Undertake social due diligence and prepare Environmental and Social Risks Review Summaries (ESRS) for new projects and relevant social section of Project Appraisal Documents, Project Operational Manual and/or Environmental, Social, Health and Safety Risk Management Manual, and complete necessary administrative activities used by the Bank to track and monitor social and environmental performance of projects.
• Contribute to SD-led analytical and operational engagements, policy dialogue in Malawi, and social risk management, including engagements with internal and external clients on SD business opportunities.
• Provide technical support to government agencies implementing Bank financed projects in due diligence, preparing and implementing social risks management plans in accordance with the Bank’s ESF/policy requirements. These include legal documents such as the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), social assessments, stakeholder engagement plans (SEP), labor management procedures (LMP), resettlement action plans (RAP), voluntary land donation, livelihood restoration plans (LRP), environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA), and environmental and social management plans (ESMPs) as determined by the needs and impacts of a project, and Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM).
• Provide timely, expert technical reviews of social assessment products and other E&S instruments prepared by clients for other Bank Global Practices, such as Energy, Transport, Water, Health, Disaster Response and others as needed. In this regard, provide timely feedback and suggestions to clients on measures for ensuring such instruments are in line with the Bank’s Environmental and Social Standards.
• Participate in project preparation, appraisal, and supervision activities of project implementation, including operational missions and providing inputs related to social performance of projects into the mission Aide Memoirs, and support the resolution of emerging issues to ensure results on the ground and project implementation progress.
• Ensure timely reporting on SSI activities, including ESF, proactive monitoring, management, and preparation of relevant social risks management briefs.
• Provide technical support to Projects on gender based violence risk assessment, the development of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA)/ Sexual Harassment (SH) action plans and the implementation of the same including case management when they occur.
• Advise task teams in integrating gender considerations in the project design and implementation and support implementation of the Gender Strategy of the Bank in Malawi.

Policy and analytical work:

• Contribute to dialogue on the implementation of the Environmental and Social Framework and Social Development priorities including Gender and GBV with government officials, development partners, civil society, and other stakeholders, and coordinate the Bank’s relations with clients on social development.
• Participate in portfolio reviews on social sustainability and social risk management as required.
• Make recommendations on strategies and policy options for counterparts in local and central government agencies.
• Contribute and provide support to practice teams responsible for the preparation of policy notes, Systematic Country Diagnostics (SCD), Country Partnership Frameworks (CPF), Country Policy and Institutional Assessments, Development Policy Lending (DPL), sector studies, and research and policy development activities.
• Conduct and contribute to formal and informal analytical advisory activities and research work on key social development issues, notably related to gender mainstreaming, GBV prevention and response, refugees and land property and tenure rights.
• Maintain active engagement with a broad range of key stakeholders, identifying potential partnerships and new opportunities for engagement around social development aimed at advancing social development in general and social risk management in particular.
• Work as an active member of the Country Office and Country Team/Unit.

Capacity building:

• Work closely with Environment colleagues to enhance the capacity of the client countries to implement the Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework for handling project risks and enhancing the sustainability of World Bank financed projects, especially in low capacity contexts.
• Supervise the work of consultants and technical specialists to ensure consistency and conformity to Bank standards.

Reporting:

• Reports to Practice Manager, SAES2.
• Works under the mentorship of Senior Social Development staff based in Lilongwe, Malawi and under the general direction of CMU country coordinator, based in Dar es Salaam Tanzania.

Selection Criteria

• At least a Master’s degree in Social Sciences (i.e., Development Studies, Social Anthropology, Sociology, Gender and Development, International Development, Business Sustainability Management, and related subjects).
• A minimum of 5 years of direct professional experience in managing social risks including gender and GBV in infrastructure projects in energy, water sector, transport and roads, urban development large scale agriculture in Eastern and Southern Africa and/or elsewhere in Sub-Sahara Africa.
• Knowledge and demonstrated competence in operationalizing the global sustainability frameworks of International Finance Institutions (IFIs) such as the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework, IFC’s Environmental and Social Performance Standards, the Asian Development Bank’s Safeguards Policies and Standards and standards of other Development Partners.
•  This includes experience in managing the following thematic issues in projects settings: social impact assessment of projects on different populations, land acquisition and involuntary resettlement, resettlement planning and livelihood restoration, stakeholder engagement, consultation and inclusion, complaint and grievance redress mechanisms, community health and safety, social investment interventions, etc. Ability to innovate and strategically address these issues, balancing development imperatives against sustainability challenges, and remaining client-focused.
• Experience in working in low capacity contexts is an added advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to translate analytical work into policy advice and substantial, practical recommendations.
• Ability to present complex social risks and sustainability issues in a simple way to people of different technical backgrounds.
• Proven ability to engage effectively with Government, private sector, project beneficiaries and civil society.
• Professional traits and willingness.
• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving skills, and ability to think innovatively and strategically to find solutions to complex development problems.
• Very high level of energy and initiative, and proven ability to multi-task.
• Readiness for frequent travel within Country duty station and the AFE region.
• Proven ability to work in and actively contribute to teams and champion a positive team dynamic.
• Experience working in a multicultural setting.
• Knowledge of the local language(s) in Malawi.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Chichewa.

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