E T Consultant

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? 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.

BACKGROUND/GENERAL DESCRIPTION

EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA

Home to about half a billion of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. Children under 18 make up almost half of the total population. The subregion boasts of some of the world’s richest human and natural resources and, apart from South Africa, the countries are predominantly raw material exporters.

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 keep people 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 chart a brighter course for the future. 

The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region, comprised of approximately 1,207 staff, mostly based in 26 country offices, has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by addressing the following priorities:

Creating Jobs and Transforming Economies: We are working with countries across Africa to stimulate job creation and economic transformation by leveraging all sources of finance, expertise, and solutions to promote investment.

Building up the Digital Economy: We are supporting Africa’s vision to ensure that every African individual, business, and government is connected by 2030 – a vision that, if realized, can boost growth by up to 2 percentage points per year, and reduce poverty by 1 percentage point per year in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.

Institutions more Efficient and Accountable: Our support is helping governments strengthen public policy processes, manage resources effectively, and reinforce fair and reliable delivery of public services.

Investing in People: We are at the forefront of helping African countries accelerate human capital gains and empower women by improving their access to education and skills acquisition, sexual and reproductive health services, and employment opportunities.

Supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption:  In the face of increasing climate-related risks, we are working with African countries to advance efforts to adopt renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and green infrastructure. A number of Southern African countries are currently facing a drought, threatening power security especially for hydro dependent countries. The Bank is promoting investments in alternative renewable energy sources of power.

Addressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence: Given the cross-border nature of conflicts in Africa, we are employing an approach that simultaneously focuses on the drivers of fragility while also supporting well-targeted regional initiatives to create opportunities for peace and shared prosperity.

Building Partnerships and Working across the African Continent: We are scaling up our work on regional integration, taking a holistic view of the continent that covers both North and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The World Bank is a dedicated partner for Eastern and Southern African countries, helping them deliver strong development outcomes for their people. A brighter future for Africa is a better future for the world.

UNIT CONTEXT

The Energy & Extractives Global Practice of the World Bank Group is made up of more than 300 professionals, a lending program in order of US$5-7 billion a year, an active portfolio of some $40 billion, and a rich program of Advisory and Analytical Work. The EEX GP focuses on: providing affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to meet the needs of fast-growing economies and to ensure universal access to modern energy services for people in client countries; and strengthening policy and institutional frameworks to promote transparent and equitable growth of the extractive sectors for public benefit. There is a strong emphasis on private sector resource mobilization and catalyzing financing from commercial and other sources of development and climate finance.

The IAEE3 unit is engaged in all areas of the electricity sector – generation, transmission, distribution, rural electrification, and off-grid– in the countries it covers, through development policy financing, program for results, investment financing support, technical assistance, and guarantee operations. Assisting the government with policy reforms to attract investments in generation, transmission, and renewable energy along with the promotion of the regional energy trade in the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP), undertaking sector reforms on tariffs and regulations, analytical work on energy subsidies, modernizing the electricity network for the needs of a modern economy and increasing energy access are among the key areas of the Bank’s deepening engagement in the sector.

The World Bank on-going portfolio in Zambia’s energy sector includes an ambitious program to support utility reform, regional interconnection development and expansion of energy access, anchored by the National Energy Compact under the M300 Initiative.  The engagement includes technical assistance and capacity building of sector institutions as well as advisory services on sector and utility reforms aimed at strengthening sector sustainability, mobilizing concessional and private capital, and positioning Zambia as an active trading hub within SAPP. Technical assistance also covers the preparation of projects in generation, transmission, and distribution, including “last mile” electrification and access, and support for off-grid electricity electrification.

The Zimbabwe engagement is anchored around programmatic technical assistance for access, Recipient Executed Trust Fund (RETF) grant for solar IPP procurement and implementation of sector reforms through the National Energy Compact, under the Mission 300 initiative.

The Energy Unit for Southern Africa (IAEE3) is hiring an Extended Term Consultant (ETC) to support implementation of M300 and Energy Compacts in advancing energy access and clean energy transition initiatives in Zambia and Zimbabwe. The role involves supporting World Bank projects and ongoing sector dialogue, as well as contributing to future and regional operations.

DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

The Southern Africa units is seeking to recruit a highly qualified candidate for the position of Extended Term Consultant (ETC), based in Lusaka, Zambia to be a key member of the Energy Team to support in the design and implementation of the on-going and future World Bank support in energy in Zambia and Zimbabwe in its efforts to support both countries’ Mission 300 objectives.  The work entails strategic, advisory, and operational work.

The selected candidate will participate in overseeing implementation of energy operations with the aim to enhance quality and accelerate implementation and will play an active role in Bank’s policy dialogue with the authorities, development partners, and other stakeholders on strategic energy issues and implementation of ongoing energy sector reforms.

The selected candidate will also provide inputs on operational, policy dialogue and analytical activities, as well as provide ad hoc support the team as needed. The candidate will be required to spend at least 30% of their time in Zimbabwe.

The responsibilities of the selected candidate will include:

• Support energy project preparation and implementation, including the oversight and management of specific project sub-components.

• Closely work together with the government of Zambia and Zimbabwe in the implementation of the Energy Compact under M300, including tracking and monitoring; and providing support if needed.

• Coordinate with donors on investment and analytical work to maximize impact on the ground.

• Facilitate coordination with cross-GP teams (e.g., agriculture, water, mining, health, and education) to maximize the productive use of energy.

• Facilitate dialogue with IFC and MIGA team on sector polices to improve doing business environment.

• Coordinate and follow up with government counterparts and consultants, provide high-quality research and analytical support, including drafting policy notes related to energy.

• Participate in the dialogue with relevant representatives of the private sector to keep abreast with issues related to the business investment climate and identify possible areas of collaboration through public-private partnerships.

• Provide technical support to various project teams working on utility reform, Transmission and Distribution, Renewable Energy, and other programs within the Energy portfolio, and potentially other regional energy programs, with particular focus on current and prospective engagements in the region;

• Serve as a focal point for different stakeholders associated with modern off-grid solutions (manufacturers, distributors, retailers, public sector, etc) in the sub-region related to market intelligence, quality assurance, business development services, access to finance, and public sector solutions;

• Actively participate in overseeing implementation of World Bank supported energy country programs with the aim to enhance quality and pro-poor focus and accelerate implementation.

• Contribute to analytical and advisory work, develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, support policy dialogue and keep abreast of developments in the energy sector of the respective countries of responsibilities.

• Draft and provide timely contributions to project documents, project implementation and project completion reports.

• Support the preparation, completion and follow-up of official missions including the drafting of aide memoires and official correspondence.

• Provide input to operational products/outputs for sector and country briefings, analytical and advisory reports and studies.

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree in Energy, Energy Planning/Economics, Engineering, or Finance or equivalent areas relevant for energy sector development.

• At least 5 years of combined working or research experience in the energy sector. An experience in design and implementation of renewable or energy access activities would be a plus

• A strong track record of delivering results, including completion of analytical work, execution of individual tasks for project preparation, and engaging with complex projects and resolving issues during implementation.

• Relevant experience in one or more of the following areas: energy access, hydropower development, transmission line investment, power sector reforms or private sector capital mobilization.

• Demonstrated solid understanding and curiosity to learn the power sector value chain, market structure and technologies in developing countries market.

• Experience of project economic analysis, utility financial analysis, or cost of service studies. 

• Experience in providing support to policy dialogue with clients and stakeholders.

• Demonstrated active listening skills and the ability to influence the audience (such as counterparts in government, international partner organizations, academia, and colleagues, senior staff and managers).

• Experience working with large global teams, with an ability to produce high-quality results and outputs with minimal supervision is required.

• High level of excitement, ability to work independently, taking initiative, and flexibility in quickly adjusting to changing work program requirements.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, including an ability to communicate complex issues in simple terms and to engage in evidence-based dialogue with clients.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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