Description
Established in 1944, the WBG is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for development solutions. In fiscal year 2017, the WBG committed $59 billion in loans, grants, equity investments and guarantees to its members and private businesses, of which $19 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. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org
THE EDUCATION GLOBAL PRACTICE
Education is central to achieving the World Bank Group’s twin goals: it is a reliable route out of poverty because it has large and consistent returns to income for individuals and because it can drive economic growth. It is also a prime vehicle for promoting shared prosperity. The main challenge in the education sector is to achieve ‘learning for all, learning for life’—that is, to ensure that all children and young people acquire the knowledge and skills they need for their lives and livelihoods. The developing world has achieved great advances in education in the past two decades, most notably in enrolling and keeping children in school and in approaching gender equality. Yet these successes in expanding access to education have highlighted the major remaining challenges: how to remove the educational barriers faced by the poorest people and those living in fragile states, and how to improve the quality of education so that schooling leads to real learning. The WBG and the broader education development community are increasingly shifting focus to learning outcomes. Because traditional input-driven programs often fail to promote learning, the WBG’s education strategy highlights the need for a more comprehensive systems approach to education reform, investments, and service delivery. This approach is about increasing accountability and targeting results, as a complement to providing inputs. And 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. These efforts are increasingly guided by the need to invest early; invest smartly; and invest for all. Through high-quality analytical work, collection and curation of evidence, and practical know-how in these three areas, the WBG is helping its partner countries accelerate their educational progress
The Education Global Practice is led by a Senior Director, who has overall responsibility for the practice. The Senior Director is assisted by the Director, who serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the Practice. The Education Global Practice Management Team, which is the group that leads and manages the GP, consists of the Senior Director, the Director and seven Practice Managers.
EDUCATION AND THE MENA REGION
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region covers Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, the Gulf States, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza (Palestinian territories) and Yemen.
These countries include low-income and middle-income countries that look for technical advice and financial support, and high-income countries that request Reimbursable Advisory Services (RAS). The MENA region has been undergoing major changes over the past several years and the World Bank is poised to support the countries in the region to achieve peace and stability for economic and social development. MENA countries have placed a renewed emphasis on education as a priority for development. The Bank’s MENA Regional Vice Presidency has also placed education at the heart of its engagement as a critical part of its strategy in supporting countries rebuild trust between citizens and the state, promoting regional cooperation, building resilience in countries amidst the growing refugee challenges in the region, and supporting recovery and reconstruction. As a result, the education portfolio has been growing.
Countries in the MENA region have taken great strides in education in the past few decades, but challenges remain, particularly in the areas of education quality, inequality, governance and accountability, and the relevance of skills for the labor market. The Education Global Practice (GEDDR) in MENA focuses on helping countries build the human and social capital required for economic growth and social development by providing analytical and knowledge products, technical and financial support, as well as advisory services through various instruments including credits (for low-income countries), loans (for middle-income countries) and RAS (mostly used by high-income countries).
Specifically, the MENA Education Unit supports countries in developing and implementing strategies to ensure quality education and learning at all levels of education from childhood to tertiary. Teams in the unit work closely with countries to improve their systems of delivery, promote greater equity in education opportunities, and foster better management and accountability at the centralized and decentralized level, as well as in schools. Various instruments are used to build the knowledge base, build capacity, and ensure a focus on results. GEDDR in MENA works closely with other World Bank Regional Education Global Practices, as well as other Global Practices in MENA.
The position will be based Cairo, Egypt.
Roles & Responsibilities:-
Provide technical oversight and leadership on education related issues.
Lead policy dialogue with high-level government officials.
Co-lead the ‘Supporting Egypt Education Reform Project’. The project was approved by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors in May 2018 and was declared effective in late August 2018. SEER is a US$500 million IBRD funded project whose objective is to improve teaching and learning conditions in public schools in Egypt.
Work closely with the Sr. Operations Officer in Cairo and other team members on achieving results
Provide implementation support and advice to clients.
Liaise with donor partners and represent the Bank in education related activities in Egypt.
Manage communications related to education in Egypt.
Lead and contribute to analytical work and produce reports and presentations, as needed.
Work closely with other Global Practices in the field to ensure synergies.
Respond to ad-hoc and urgent requests from management, as requested.
Lead or contribute to other tasks as needed include developing proposals, preparing new projects, events and conferences.
Selection Criteria
- Advanced degree (Masters-level or PhD qualification) in Education or in an Education-related field.
- Minimum of eight years of directly relevant experience in education.
- Experience in supporting large-scale education system reform in more than one country.
- Experience working with clients to build capacity and engage in policy dialogue on education.
Technical Ability
- Experience in designing and managing challenging education projects.
- Experience in managing IPF projects and programs for results (PforR).
- Strong analytical and technical skills, including an understanding of core education data sets, indicators, tools for data analysis, and the use of the resulting evidence for education policy-making.
- Experience working on education development and reform, in one or more development contexts.
- Comprehensive understanding of education systems, and how they interact in different social and development contexts and institutional arrangements.
- Expertise in policies, programs, and methodologies to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
- Full understanding of the World Bank’s development initiatives and policies and practices related to lending and non-lending operations.
- Experience/knowledge of education related technology is a plus.
Client Orientation
- Strong engagement and policy dialogue skills with high-level counterparts and other stakeholders; client focused with an ability to provide prompt and high-quality responses.
- Ability to maintain client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions.
- Ability to provide evidence-based advice and practical solutions based on sound diagnosis and judgement, and mindful of political considerations and capacity limitations.
- Ability to influence and promote consensus among different stakeholders.
- Ability to manage diverse and sometimes competing interests and perspectives.
Team Leadership, Collaboration, and Inclusion
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams of professionals. Excellent interpersonal skills, with proven ability to work in a team and intercultural environment with minimal supervision.
- Proven track record of multitasking, managing competing demands, and effectively and timely delivering on tasks.
- Proven ability to identify and develop new and creative partnerships with a wide variety of stakeholders.
- Ability to work in a collaborative way and build relationships around a common goal.
Communication
- Evidence of strong interpersonal skills and good judgement.
- Capacity to share and convey complex technical issues in a format adapted to the final audience, orally and in writing.
- Fluency in written and spoken English. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable but not essential.
Required Competencies
- Analytical, Operational and Technical Skills – Mature, experienced education specialist with strong analytical/technical skills, as well as project implementation experience, and with the ability to engage with clients. Proven experience working in, or closely with, government education departments or related agencies on broad issues such as teachers, pedagogy, curriculum, student assessment and school and district leadership and improvement.
- Operational project/program management skills – Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of project/program management concepts, as well as of instruments and processes related to project preparation and implementation. Demonstrated ability to effectively manage important aspects of the program.
- Client Orientation – Demonstrated personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to client queries, requests, or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.
- Drive for Results – Strong personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results, with the personal organization and drive 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.
- Knowledge, Learning and Communication – Actively shares and seeks knowledge with others, communicating and presenting information in a conceptually sound, clear, and organized manner.
- Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making – Analyzes facts and data to support sound, logical decisions regarding own and others’ work.
- Excellent written and oral presentation skills in English.
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.
More Information
- Job City Cairo
