Social Protection Specialist/Economist

Social Protection Specialist/Economist
Job #: req30875
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Social Protection
Grade: GF
Term Duration: 3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Lilongwe, Malawi
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date: 1/4/2025 (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, 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. Visit www.worldbank.org.

• The Social Protection Global Family delivers operational approaches and evidence-based solutions to help individuals, families and communities manage risk, cope with chronic/transitional poverty, and access better livelihoods and jobs. These include:
• Strategy, policy development, financing and design of programs delivering social safety nets/social assistance in the form of cash transfers, public works programs, and fee waivers.
• Advisory and analytical services on design and delivery of contributory transfers (including old-age pensions, unemployment insurance, disability and survivor benefits), and their fiscal sustainability (including budget support for transitions).
• Analysis, policy development, design and delivery of labor market and youth employment programs (with a focus on supply side interventions and intermediation policies), as well as policy advice on labor market regulations and interventions.
• Policy development, strategy, analysis, financing and design of integrated social protection delivery systems (e.g., payment systems, beneficiary identification, beneficiary/social registries, systems assessments) as underpinnings of effective social programs that can help cope with climatic shocks or underpin fiscal reforms.

The Social Protection and Jobs (SPJ) Global Practice has a growing portfolio in Malawi, which includes Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP), including a Malawi Social Protection Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) that supports social cash transfers, innovative climate smart enhanced public works, adaptive/scalable safety nets, economic inclusion and digitization of delivery systems. The portfolio also includes a cross-cutting analytical agenda, including on shock responsive social protection, social registry, economic inclusion, and innovative climate smart enhanced public works.

Duties and Accountabilities:

The successful candidate will support the World Bank’s engagement in the design and implementation of the SPJ programs in Malawi, as a key member of the team, based in Lilongwe.  The primary objective of the position is to support the effective implementation of the ongoing SPJ portfolio in Malawi including coordination of the MDTF, with a special focus on adaptive social safety nets, and advance the analytical as well as technical assistance work, while working to broaden the engagement with other GPs, clients, and development partners in-country. This will require close engagement and coordination with the Government, development partners and other stakeholders.

Major responsibilities include:

• Support Task Team Leaders /Co-Task Team Leaders with implementation support for the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP), including the Malawi Social Protection Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) currently under implementation.
• Support Task Team Leaders /Co-Task Team Leaders, in Malawi with design of new safety net operations or Additional Financing, focusing on opportunities for those new operations to develop.
• Identify opportunities to introduce innovations in the SSRLP operations; coordinate and oversee the implementation support; provide continuous technical support in the areas safety net operations to the main implementation agencies of the SSRLP including National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC); Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA); Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare (MoGCDSW);  COMSIP Cooperative Union; Department of Land Resource Conservation and District Councils.
• Engage actively in developing the jobs and livelihoods agenda with a special focus on youth and women.
• Promote digital innovations across social protection delivery chain for SSRLP with focus on social registry; payment system; programs management information systems and grievance redress.
• Identify gender gaps and women’s empowerment opportunities including approaches and linkages with the education and health sectors and develop innovative ways of filling those gaps.
• Participate in planning and organization of bi-annual Joint Implementation Support missions for the SSRLP; take a proactive role in all or part of the implementation review activities; contribute to drafting Aide-Memoires and implementation review documents and monitor the implementation of recommendations from Aide-Memoires.
• Participate in field missions as needed to assess the quality of implementation on the ground, identify systemic issues, and recommend remedial actions.
• Participate in and contribute to knowledge sharing activities with the government and development partners, especially on social protection adapting evidence and resources from other countries where relevant.
• Engage in south-south learning and training as required.
• Ensure coordination and complementarity with the broader SPJ portfolio.
• Support the Task Team leaders of the SSRLP in the management of trust funds including preparation of trust fund proposals, drafting of Administrative Agreements, briefings to DP’s and progress reports as well as leading the donor coordination/relationship for the SSRLP/MDTF DPs with Bank teams and government counterparts
• Support the Task Team leaders in the preparation of the Implementation Support Reports (ISR’s) for SSRLP and follow-on operation.
• Contribute to cross-sectoral work, collaborating with Global Practices, particularly in the areas of Agriculture, digitization, financial inclusion and Human Development, and within the World Bank’s broader country team.
• Contribute to analytical pieces related to social protection and jobs
• Work closely with the Bank’s financial management and procurement teams and assist the government in matters of project implementation.
• Any other task related to social protection activities in Malawi as relevant.

Selection Criteria

• Minimum of MSc degree in Economics, Development studies or relevant discipline with at least 5 years of relevant work experience
• Familiarity with the Malawian context, and with the Government of Malawi social protection policies and safety net programs; strong knowledge of the design and implementation of both rural and urban PSNPs.
• Experience of working with the World Bank and Development Partners on social protection.
• Demonstrated experience with World Bank operations and key aspects of program management and with operational implementation of development programs in the field.
• Experience with multi-sectoral programming and multiple partners, including within low-capacity environments is an asset.
• Strong operational track record in delivering results in challenging and low-capacity contexts, including program monitoring & evaluation.
• Strong analytical skills and proven ability to conduct and oversee policy-relevant research, translate theory into practical applications, and adapt professional knowledge and technical skills to analyze, diagnose and propose solutions to policy issues and challenges.
• Ability to convey analysis in easily communicable and compelling fashion, and on often short turnaround times. Demonstrated ability to capture knowledge and communicate main messages in knowledge briefs and policy notes, as well as power point presentations for high level audiences.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required
• Proven pro-active engagement, forward looking and independent thinking, as well as initiative that leads to results
• Ability to maintain client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge.
• Evidence of strong interpersonal skills, judgement and with proven ability to work in a team and intercultural environment, with minimal supervision.
• Proven track record of multi-tasking, managing competing demands and effectively time-managing tasks.

Competencies:

• SP Sectoral Knowledge and Experience – Analytical and operational expertise in SP. Priority will be given to candidates with demonstrated experience in Social Safety Nets and Jobs.
• World Bank Procedures, workflow, and internal division of Jobs. Understands and follows World Bank policies and procedures including for knowledge management and Trust Fund Management.
• Client Orientation – Record of developing strong internal and external client relationships. Capacity to interact effectively with a range of stakeholders within and outside the Bank. Good interpersonal communication and diplomacy skills.
• Drive for Results – Takes ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results and has the personal organization to do so.
• Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion – Collaborates with other team members and contributes productively to the team’s work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view. Proven ability to work in teams and intercultural environment, with minimal supervision.
• Knowledge, Learning and Communication – Actively seeks knowledge needed to complete assignments and shares knowledge with others, communicating and presenting information in a clear and organized manner
• Data Collection, Processing and Analysis – capability of i) gathering and compiling data from various non-digitized and digitized sources, ii) organizing and analyzing them using computerized spreadsheets (e.g. MS-Excel), iii) demonstrated ability to contribute to the analysis, and iv) preparing succinct narratives based on the analysis.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English is required.
• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making – Analyzes facts and data to support sound, logical decisions regarding own and others’ work.

Apply Now