Social Protection Specialist at World Bank Group

Established in 1944, the WBG is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for development solutions. In fiscal year 2018, the WBG committed $67 billion in loans, grants, equity investments and guarantees to its members and private businesses, of which $24 billion was concessional finance to its poorest members. It is governed by 188-member countries and delivers services out of 120 offices with nearly 15,000 staff located globally.

The WBG consists of five specialized institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank is organized into six client-facing Regional Vice-Presidencies, several corporate functions and thirteen Global Practices to bring best-in-class knowledge and solutions to regional and country clients.

The Social Protection & Jobs (SP&J) Global Practice of the World Bank delivers operational approaches and evidence-based solutions to help individuals and families manage risk, cope with chronic/transitional poverty, and access better livelihoods and jobs.  These include:

• Strategy, analysis, 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, 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.
• Strategy, analysis, financing and design of integrated social protection delivery systems (e.g., payments, identification, registries, systems assessments) as underpinnings of effective social programs that can help cope with climatic shocks or underpin fiscal reforms.

The World Bank’s social protection engagement in Zambia is rapidly increasing. The Bank is in the process of preparing an additional financing of $160 million to the Government of Zambia (GRZ)’s Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihood (GEWEL) Project to add to a Parent Project of $65 million.  The project development objective is to support the Government of Zambia to increase access to livelihood support for women and access to secondary education for disadvantaged adolescent girls in extremely poor households in selected districts. The components of the project towards achieving this are:

• Supporting Women’s Livelihoods (SWL): This component targets about 75,000 poor and vulnerable women aged 19 to 64 years in 51 districts in Zambia and provides them with opportunities to increase the productivity of their livelihood activities and their economic empowerment. It finances a comprehensive package of activities for beneficiaries, including context-specific training, mentoring, and peer support, the provision of productivity grants, and help with setting up savings clubs.
• Keeping Girls in School (KGS): This component provides secondary school bursaries to 14,000 poor adolescent girls. This sub-component will finance the Keeping Girls in School Initiative by paying the secondary school fees of approximately 14,000 targeted adolescent girls from extremely poor households receiving the GRZ’s Social Cash Transfer. Within the AF, this component will additionally support the SCT directly in terms of system strengthening as well as cash transfers to improve timeliness and predictability of payments for KGS beneficiary households. The component will also support an annual lumpsum education grant to KGS households to meet other school costs.
• Institutional Strengthening: This component provides institutional support to improve Government capacity for policy management, program coordination, and systems building for effective and efficient implementation.

In addition to the lending operation, the portfolio also includes:

• An MDTF is being put in place for about $15 million SIDA funds (from 2019) and $25 million DFID funds (from 2020) and potentially additional funding from USAID. The MDTF will support the GEWEL AF, particularly KGS and STC cash transfers and system strengthening support.
• DFID EFO of GBP 1 million (2019-2021) to provide system strengthening support to the SCT in the areas of payment systems, FM, procurement, targeting and MIS
• Market linkage ASA (2018-2020) focusing research deliverables on linking the poorest women in Zambia to markets and on the role of non-cognitive skills in income generation.
• Gender RSR (2019-2020) focusing on introducing gender smart innovations into payment system and life and business skills training of the GEWEL project.
• Studies. SIDA funded KGS study to enhance the design and implementation of KGS. And the GBV study focusing on GBV risks and mitigation measures by frontline workers within SWL, KGS and SCT.

The Social Protection Specialist will contribute to analytical and operational support to the Government of Zambia on the GEWEL Project as well as support the overall World Bank engagement on social protection in the country. He/she will play a significant role in supporting the Task Team Leader (TTL) to build on the longstanding engagements with the country clients, while ensuring the timely delivery of services.

The position will be based in Lusaka, Zambia as a member of the Social Protection and Labour team. H/she will report to the Social Protection and Labor Global Practice Manager for Southern Africa, based in Washington DC, and will work on a day-to-day basis under the guidance of the GEWEL TTL in Lusaka. 

DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Under the guidance of the GEWEL TTL, the responsibilities of the position will include a combination of operational support and technical assistance, and hands on follow up and support to Government, coordination with cooperating partners and other stakeholders. In particular, the Social Protection Specialist will be responsible for:

• Development, appraisal and supervision of social protection activities, including analytical and operational work as these relate to the GEWEL project.
• Provide technical advice and implementation support to relevant government ministries and departments, particularly focusing on the GEWEL subcomponents: Keeping Girls in School (KGS), Social Cash Transfer (SCT) and Institutional Strengthening and System Building (ISSB)
• Contribute to sectoral policy dialogue related to social protection in Zambia. Make recommendations on related strategies and policy options to counterparts;
• Following general social protection initiatives and policy developments in Zambia including the implementation of the Integrated Framework for Social Protection, Joint Annual Reviews of social protection, contributions to the Poverty and Vulnerability Cluster of Zambia’s 7th National Development Plan (7NDP), etc.
• Coordination with cooperating partners, particularly with the partners contributing to the GEWEL MDTF as well as with the UN Second Joint Program on Social Protection – particularly focusing on the KGS, SCT and ISSB components
• Follow policy developments and participate in CP coordination efforts in complementary areas such as education sector, nutrition and gender
• Organize and participate in field missions to provide technical inputs and guidance to counterparts, including improving the monitoring and evaluation of project activities
• Contribute to cross-sectoral work, collaborating with Global Practices, particularly in the areas of Agriculture and Human Development, and within the World Bank’s broader country team
• 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 Zambia as relevant.

Selection Criteria

This position requires an individual with maturity, judgment and diplomatic skills, and the ability to work well with teams within the Bank, donor partners, and with senior government officials and also to work independently.  Key requirements for this position are:

Experience :

• Graduate degree in economics, social policy or related sector
• At least five years of relevant work experience and previous experience with government or development partner projects (with specific experience in social protection);
• Demonstrated expertise in policy dialogue, social protection, and/or safety nets;
• Strong knowledge of development, political, social and cultural issues in Zambia;
• Experience working with clients to build capacity and engage in dialogue on social protection and service delivery, particularly on safety nets

Technical Ability

• Experience in leading technical assistance activities designed to support the development and strengthening of social protection
• Excellent operational skills from implementing social protection programs 

Client Orientation 

• 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
• Ability to advise, influence and promote consensus among different stakeholders
• Proven capacity to interact effectively with a range of stakeholders within and outside the Bank

Team Work

• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently as part of a team. Excellent interpersonal skills, with proven ability to work in a team and intercultural environment, with minimal supervision
• Function well independently and have the ability to professionally represent the Bank, handle multiple tasks, meet changing priorities and deliver high-quality analysis and work on-time;

Communication

• Evidence of strong interpersonal skills, judgement
• Evidence of sharing and conveying complex technical issues, in accessible format: written, spoken
• Excellent English writing and speaking ability.

The World Bank Group values diversity and encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of World Bank Group member countries to apply, regardless of gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.  Sub-Saharan African nationals, Caribbean nationals, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

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