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
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.
The World Bank Group serves 48 client countries in the Africa Region (AFR). Clients range from low-income countries among them many fragile and conflict states to a small but growing number of middle-income countries (MICs) but with weak human development indicators. Average annual per capita income varies widely and inequalities persist in most AFR countries, with most of the Region's people living in poverty. The Bank's strategy in AFR is focused on two pillars - competitiveness and employment, and vulnerability and resilience - and a foundation - governance and public-sector capacity.
The Education Sector Unit for Eastern Africa is responsible for policy, analytical and operational work in the education sector in the sub-region. The unit currently has a portfolio of IDA projects, Trust Funds, and major studies and technical assistance products in IDA and middle-income countries. The portfolio spans the full spectrum of the education sector from early childhood education to higher education and research. The unit is committed to delivering high-quality technical products to support education development in the Bank’s client countries, and to do so in a manner that builds capacity through collaborative interactions with country counterparts.
The unit’s core goals are to (i) expand coverage of early childhood development in a cost-effective manner (ii) ensure universal completion of quality primary/basic education (iii) improve learning outcomes, particularly in reading, mathematics and science and (iv) expand access to and quality of secondary, TVET and higher education, with a focus on applied sciences, engineering and technology and strengthening the links between post-basic education systems and labor markets. The unit is also developing innovative approaches to education, including the use of ICT to expand access and improve quality and results-based modalities for Bank projects. It tries to achieve these goals through education sector interventions (financial and analytical) and through interventions in other sectors that influence education outcomes, as well as through partnership activities with a variety of partners.
The Bank’s work in the education sector in Tanzania spans the entire education sector, with work in early childhood as well as large projects in primary education, secondary education, skills and higher education (under preparation). Tanzania also participates in the regional Africa Centres of Excellence project. Apart from projects on the mainland, there is also a project in Zanzibar focusing on improving learning and transition in upper primary and lower secondary education. The country has been an early adopter of P4R operations in education.
Despite major improvements in basic education, Tanzania lags behind neighbors such as Kenya in completion and in quality. Important areas of engagement are early grade learning, the language of instruction, better use of ICT in education to raise the quality of teachers and teaching, especially in secondary education. The GP is engaged in dialogue on early childhood education and the corporate priority of the Early Years’ Initiative, working together with health and SP teams. Cross GP collaboration work is increasing including on the skills agenda. Pipeline projects include (i) participation in a new regional Skills project, to build technician level skills for projects that serve the development of regional economic corridors and contribute to the regional integration agenda in Eastern Africa and (ii) higher education project.
The program in other countries in the CMU is also growing and is increasingly diversified.
The unit is seeking a highly experienced Senior Education Specialist / Senior Economist, based in Dar-es-Salaam, to lead the education policy dialogue, provide implementation support for the education portfolio and develop the IDA pipeline in Tanzania, engage in cross-sectoral operations and analytical work. The Senior Education Specialist/ Economist will lead a team of IRS and LRS staff based in Dar and D.C, and possibly work on other countries in the CMU.
The advertised position is based in DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania. However, depending on business needs, the selected candidate may work on education tasks throughout Eastern Africa, and also in the Western, Central and Southern Africa region if required.
The selected candidate will report to the Education Practice Manager for Eastern Africa and will be expected to work in close collaboration with the CMU. The selected candidate is expected to work with country office colleagues as well as other team members based in Washington D.C.
The incumbent will be expected to conduct a high-quality dialogue with an experienced client who wishes to learn from relevant international experience adapted to local conditions, while at the same time, providing implementation support to deal with weak implementation capacity and address governance challenges. The selected candidate will have a strategic vision for the country together with a sound understanding of the local context. He/she should be able to support the government in meeting its goals of ensuring universal completion of basic education with quality, and gradually expanding secondary and higher education. He/ she will deepen the participation of Tanzania in regional initiatives such as the Africa Centres of Excellence, the Regional Skills Initiative and PASET, so that the country can benefit from cross-country linkages. The selected candidate will provide overall guidance to the Tanzania portfolio, to ensure its high quality of implementation, and help develop the pipeline, working together with other team members. Identifying and conducting just-in-time analyses and notes to respond to the government’s needs is a priority and identifying areas for policy and/or institutional reforms that could be addressed through DPOs or results-based approaches, as well as working with other GPs are priorities.
As the portfolio is large, the selected candidate will need to work with and provide guidance to team members/task team leaders based in Washington DC, as well as in the field.
Specific responsibilities include:
1. Operations: Design and supervise operations, both as a leader and as a member of the team, in the education sector or multi-sectoral operations, including the full range of Bank Instruments. Provide implementation support for the on-going portfolio. Provide timely advice and support to clients in implementing projects and help to build the capacity of Ministry of Education to implement its program
2. Policy Dialogue and Building Client Capacity: Conduct sectoral policy dialogue with clients at the highest levels, on a range of complex issues at different levels of education. Identify and nurture opportunities for participating in the broader policy dialogue in the country especially in so far as they impact on education or where the education sector can make a contribution. Build client capacity to use findings of policy research/ analytical work for developing new policies.
3. Technical Advice on key issues in the sector and strategic directions for the country’s education development: Bring relevant international experience and research to assist in developing local solutions, on issues such as strategies to improve teacher quality, basic education, secondary education/ TVET, quality improvement and financing of higher education, early childhood education and use of ICT in education.
4. Analytical work and Non-Lending Services: Design and lead in the preparation of “cutting edge” technical products that respond to critical policy questions identified by the client and which have an impact on policy and operational design. Produce “just in time” notes of high quality as well as lead longer analytical reports. Work on cross-sectoral teams to contribute to products such as public expenditure reviews and implementation of decentralization. Contribute to the country diagnostics and other core analytic work. Contribute to the unit’s analytical work by generating “think pieces” and synthesis papers.
5. Leadership: Work closely with the Practice Manager and education team and the CMU to identify new business, including innovative financial products, technical advisory services and other services, as required.
6. Partnership: Work constructively with partners, including bilateral and multi-lateral donors, UN agencies, NGOs and partners from the South. Contribute to alignment and coordination around country led priorities.
The GP is seeking an experienced, versatile and highly motivated candidate to oversee and develop a large and growing portfolio. The ideal candidate will combine excellent technical capabilities, experience in analyzing policy options and recommending practical policy reforms, and a capacity to translate analytical findings into policy and into innovative Bank operations to help clients shift policies in new directions or to pilot new approaches.
Education/Experience: A Ph.D./Doctorate in Education, Economics or relevant field or a Master’s Degree (in same areas) with a minimum of 8 years of experience is required.
Demonstrated expert-level knowledge of and experience in addressing education issues. Deep technical knowledge and experience in one or more areas of education of relevance to the country is required plus demonstrated ability to identify, mobilize and supervise high quality international expertise to develop local solutions. Demonstrated combination of analytical rigor and practical/ solutions-oriented approaches.
Ability to conduct high level policy dialogue with sophisticated clients, including Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance and other stakeholders
Excellent writing ability to write short just-in-time notes, briefing papers as well as typical Bank operational and analytical products.
Extensive experience with preparation and supervision of Bank projects; experience in working across regions would be a plus.
Prior field experience in another low income country would be desirable but is not essential.
Ability to lead and mentor a team of professionals with excellent interpersonal skills. Proven ability to work effectively and collaboratively across within and across sector boundaries, inspire commitment to excellence and teamwork, and to liaise tactfully as a member of a multicultural team.
High levels of energy, initiative, and flexibility in quickly adjusting to changing work program requirements
Ability to juggle numerous competing demands and priorities, respond quickly to country and management requests, and set priorities for self and others
Language: Must have proficiency in English (proficiency in French or Portuguese will be a plus for future work in other countries of the region).
General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills - Possesses Cross-country knowledge in economic specialty and demonstrates ability to link the macro, institutional, and micro-level behaviors; able to support findings/policy recommendations with credible analysis and tools
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.