Description

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 The Fragile, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) Group

Fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) is a central development challenge. By 2030, half of the global extreme poor will live in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Furthermore, the global FCV landscape has deteriorated in recent years, with rising levels of conflict, violence and forced displacement. Importantly, FCV impacts both low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, making progress in FCV is central to the WBG mission of creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet.

In the face of this increasingly complex landscape, the FCV Group aims to steer and drive the FCV agenda within the WBG. The FCV Group, led by a Director and is comprised of approximately 45 staff distributed across two units, GTFS1 and GTFS2, which share responsibilities for supporting different regions and themes on the FCV agenda.  A such, the FCV Group works with country management units (CMUs) and global practices (GPs) to enhance the impact of strategic and programmatic approaches in FCV-affected countries across the globe, ensuring consistency, complementarity, and synergy.  It does so by: (i) providing analytical inputs to identify drivers of fragility and inform country strategies and programming; (ii) leading on the forced displacement agenda by promoting medium-term socioeconomic opportunities for displaced persons and host communities; (iii) developing and managing innovative financing solutions tailored to fragility challenges; (iv) deploying hands-on operational support to CMUs and GPs to address practical challenges of working in FCV contexts; and (iv) building and deepening partnerships with the UN, bilateral partners, international NGOs, and other external actors on fragility-related engagement.

Over the years, several funds have been established which have become a key part of the WBG financing architecture in FCV settings and complement IBRD and IDA financing to offer flexible and timely financing in challenging situations.  These funds operate in post-conflict/crisis situations and can improve resource efficiency by reducing transaction costs and managing the high levels of risk inherent in these environments.  Two of these funds, the State and Peace Building Trust Fund (SPF) and the Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF), are housed in the FCV Group (in the GTFS1 unit).

The FCV Group is seeking two Program Officers to support the management and administration of these funds.

The State and Peacebuilding Fund

The SPF is the leading global Umbrella Trust Fund for implementing the WBG’s FCV Strategy. The SPF’s objective is to enhance and expand the frontiers of WBG engagement in helping countries address the drivers and impacts of FCV and strengthen the resilience of countries and affected populations, communities, and institutions. The SPF supports four ‘strategic areas of focus’ that are fully aligned with the FCV Strategy pillars of engagement. This differentiated scope provides a basis for ensuring that SPF activities and associated outputs are tailored to the distinct realities, needs and challenges faced by countries and their most vulnerable populations.
Pushing frontiers and innovating the WBG’s approach to FCV situations is central to the SPF’s mandate. These include, but are not limited to, the inter-relationships between climate change, disaster risk, and conflict; transitional governance and institutional transformation in recovery contexts; justice and security sector reform; and addressing the impact of demographic change and the ‘youth bulge’ on FCV risks.
The SPF is supported by Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland as well as by direct financial contributions from IBRD administrative budget. SPF proposals come from across WBG regions and sectors and are approved by a WBG-wide SPF Technical Secretariat, which includes representatives from Global Practices, Regions, and Corporate Units.
The SPF Program Manager together with SPF Program Management Team, consisting of three staff, oversee the day-to-day operations of the SPF, providing strategic direction, ensuring compatibility of the work program with the WBG broader FCV agenda, monitoring and evaluating the SPF portfolio, and promoting knowledge exchanges and peer-learning.

The Global Concessional Financing Facility

The GCFF is a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) hosted by the WBG and established in 2016 to provide concessional financing support to middle-income countries (MICs) that provide a global public good by hosting refugees.  The Facility is a partnership that brings together refugee-hosting countries, donor countries, multilateral development banks (MDBs), and the United Nations (notably UNHCR) to enable eligible MICs to borrow at concessional rates for MDBs projects that benefit refugees and host communities.

Initially designed as a coordinated response by the international community to the Syrian refugee crisis, the GCFF now has a global scope to help MICs address refugee crises wherever they occur. Currently, the GCFF supports seven Benefiting Countries: Armenia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jordan, Lebanon, and Moldova spanning the ECA, LAC and MENA regions.  The GCFF is supported by Canada, Denmark, the European Commission, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Development projects under the Facility may be supported by six partner MDBs, acting as Implementation Support Agencies (ISAs): The WBG, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IaDB).

Duties and Responsibilities

The FCV Support Unit 1 (GTFS1) is seeking two Program Officers:  one to support the management and administration of the State and Peacebuilding Fund (SPF); and another to support the management and administration of the Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF). The selected candidates will report to the Manager, FCV Support Unit 1, FCV, and work as part of the SPF and GCFF program teams, under the day-to-day supervision of one of the two respective fund program managers. The two positions are based in Washington, D.C.

The selected Program Officers will be responsible for the following tasks and duties:

State and Peacebuilding Fund

The SPF Program Officer will act as a core member of the SPF project management team (PMT) responsible for design, program management, relations with development partners and internal collaborators, results measurement and reporting, and regular donor meetings of the SPF. More specifically, the Program Officer will:

*Contribute to the review of grant proposals, funding requests, progress and completion reports, and results and deliverables, to ensure consistency with the SPF objectives, priorities, and criteria and ensure quality and timely submission

*Coordination and facilitation. Coordinate, support and facilitate the development of proposals supporting key SPF Focus Areas, including on frontier topics and provide advice, support and guidance to teams applying for SPF funding

*Support the work of the SPF Technical Secretariat, the technical advisory committee which reviews and approves proposals

*Facilitate a smooth functioning of governance structures with both internal and external partners

*Support advancing the SPF knowledge agenda through promoting knowledge production, and the collection and dissemination of lessons of experience, results, and knowledge generated through SPF-funded activities

*Contribute to a proactive communication effort

*Lead inputs and drafting for the preparation and production of SPF annual reports

*Coordinate Frontier areas in FCV initiative. The Program Officer will support the implementation of SPF’s focus on financing work in frontier areas in FCV, including consultations and coordination with relevant Bank units such as the FCV Group, Global Practices, Regions, members of the SPF Technical Advisory Committee, SPF donor partners, and other stakeholders as relevant

*Partnerships and relationship management. Support partnership building activities and stakeholder outreach as relevant, including donor partners and the UN

*Reports and briefings. Support the preparation and production of progress reports and annual reports, and lead on any ad hoc reports on the SPF.  Respond to internal and external requests for information related to the SPF

*The Program Officer may be assigned other tasks and deliverables as deemed appropriate by the SPF Program Manager and the GTFS1 Manager.

Global Concessional Financing Facility

The GCFF Program Officer will act as a core member of the GCFF secretariat responsible for design, program management, relations with development partners and internal collaborators, results measurement and reporting, and regular donor meetings of the GCFF. More specifically, the Program Officer will:
*Coordination and facilitation. Support the coordination and implementation of activities related to priorities for strengthening the GCFF, including supporting and facilitating development of GCFF country pipelines, and supporting country level coordination.
*Advice and support. Provide guidance to teams applying for funding on the GCFF process and requirements.
*Partnerships and relationship management. Support partnership building activities and stakeholder outreach, including with current and prospective *Benefiting and Supporting Countries, as well as UN system entities, including UNHCR.
*Review of documents. Contribute to the review of funding requests, progress reports, and results and deliverables, to ensure compliance with the GCFF *Operations Manual and ensure quality and timely submission.
*Portfolio monitoring. Monitor the GCFF portfolio and prepare updates as necessary, including through generation of activity, portfolio, and financial reports and supporting responses to requests for information from management and development partners, working closely with the Trustee.
*Meeting management. Facilitate a smooth functioning of the GCFF Steering Committee with both internal and external partners, including support for the organization and running of meetings, preparation of meeting minutes, and coordinating follow-up on decisions.
*Reports and briefings. Lead the preparation and production of GCFF progress reports and annual reports, including compilation of ISA progress reports and results reporting across projects. Respond to internal and external requests for information related to the GCFF and its operations.

Selection Criteria

*Advanced degree (Master or PhD) in social sciences or management and at least five years of relevant experience
*Familiarity with the WB required, and with the FCV agenda and multiple GPs strongly preferred
*Demonstrable experience working with trust funds, including WB-administered umbrella trust funds and Financial Intermediary Funds (FIFs), is strongly preferred
*Experience with portfolio monitoring / quality assurance process and procedures from within the WB or other IFIs would be particularly desirable
*Excellent organizational and management skills, and ability to manage a broad program of activities; ability to prioritize and be proactive, to deal with frequent and unexpected changes, and to work within tight timeframes and with a significant degree of autonomy
*Excellent oral and written communications skills in English, including the ability to write short reports and briefing notes as well as proven ability to produce robust analytical and technical reports
*Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, diplomatic, and team skills, and ability to work with a range of stakeholders to effectively negotiate and build consensus to achieve constructive outputs
*Personal integrity, with demonstrated ability to handle confidential matters in a discreet and respectful manner
*Candidates who bring direct personal and professional experience and background from diverse FCV affected backgrounds preferred

This internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

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