Education Specialist/Economist at World Bank Group

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 two Directors. The Education Global Practice Management Team, which is the group that leads and manages the GP, consists of the Senior Director, two Directors and nine Practice Managers.

REGIONAL CONTEXT

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 has recently published a World Development Report on Education (Learning to Realize the Promise of Education) and a flagship report on the quality of basic education in Sub-Saharan Africa (Facing Forward: Schooling for Learning in Africa). These form the basis of the unit’s work to improve learning working with our countries. The Bank has also produced recent analytical reports and briefs on Kenya and Somalia’s education sector.

The Bank’s work in the education sector in Kenya spans the entire education sector. Kenya is fast-growing economy and in recent years, it has made impressive progress in education, building on a strong societal consensus around the importance of education in promoting growth, economic transformation and opportunities for young people. The country’s goals are to improve the quality of early childhood , basic and secondary education, which it hopes to universalize, and improve access to and enhance the quality of technical-vocational and higher education. One major area of innovation is to use ICT to improve access and quality, given Kenya’s innovations in the use of mobile technology and the spread of Internet broadband. Nevertheless, the sector faces serious implementation challenges as well as governance issues, that put at risk the achievement of the country’s ambitious agenda.

The Bank’s current projects in school education covers a GPE project on primary education, for which a new project is being prepared, and a large secondary education quality improvement project. The unit also works on projects led by other teams, including the Early Years’ Initiative. An important focus of this work is the use of ICT to improve and innovate in education delivery, quality, management and accountability.

In Somalia, the education GP manages a large Trust Fund focused on providing technical assistance and policy advice to the Federal Government, the state governments and donors, as well as participating in a project led by the Governance GP, which includes payment of teachers’ salaries and setting up a teacher information system. It is also likely that there will be a re-engagement with IDA, which may lead to the preparation of a new education project. The GP is focusing on finding innovative ways to deliver education services in Somalia, leveraging the high level of penetration of mobile services and the use of open education resources.

The unit is seeking a Education Specialist/Economist to work in the Kenya country office to provide operational and analytical support to the TTLs in charge of different projects in Kenya and Somalia. The primary focus of the work is on basic education and secondary education, with a particular focus on the use of ICT, but as required by business needs, the candidate may be required to support other projects and programs.

Although Somalia and Kenya come under different Country Management Units, all work related to Somalia is led out of the Nairobi office.

The advertised position is a locally recruited position based in NAIROBI, KENYA

Roles & Responsibilities:-

The Education Specialist/Economist will work under the supervision of the Education Practice Manager. S/he will support the daily management of the Kenya and Somalia education portfolio and is expected to be responsible for the following tasks and duties:

Operations:

• Provide operational support, including monitoring project activities, identification of potential implementation bottlenecks/challenges, and day-today coordination with implementing agencies, primarily the Ministry of Education and other government Ministries and educational institutions.
• Provide support specifically on technology-related aspects of education projects, including doing background work, interacting with other Global Practices and technical specialists, working with government and private providers to assess scalable interventions.
• Carry out responsibilities for a variety of operational tasks and participate as a full member of a multi-sectoral team and undertake specific assignments of project preparation, appraisal and supervision in his/her field of expertise. Review and process operational documents, coordinating across project components with other team members.
• In close coordination with the Procurement Specialist and Financial Management Specialist and under the supervision of the TTL, contribute to the efficient processing of all procurement requests and withdrawal applications. The candidate will hold primary responsibility for the timely processing of all STEP requests.
• Coordinate with donors and participate in meetings of the Local Education Group, and under the direction of the TTLs, present the Bank team’s views and assessments and report to the TTLs on these discussions and any issues raised.
• Participate and contribute technical inputs during missions, as needed, including assisting the TTL with all mission-related outputs, including SMOs (Statements of Mission Objectives), Aide –Memoires, and BTORs (Back to Office Reports).

  Analytical work

• Provide inputs to and/or prepare diverse analytical and operational products (e.g. sector and country briefings, background reports, case studies, portfolio performance reviews, etc.)

  Partnership

• Contribute to partnership activities on a regular basis, with multilateral and bilateral development partners, nonprofit organizations, and civil society.

  Others

• Carry out other duties and tasks as assigned by the Practice Manager and the relevant project Task Team Leaders or whomsoever they may designate. Respond to ad hoc information requests from internal and external parties.

Selection Criteria

• Education: At least a Master’s degree in Education/ Economics/ Development or other relevant field.
• Experience: A minimum of 5 years of relevant international work experience is required, part of which is preferably in Kenya, Somalia or another sub-Saharan African country. Experience in working on projects. Familiarity with World Bank operations, including preparation and implementation support of projects is very desirable but not essential.
• Innovations in education: Demonstrated familiarity with use of technology in education, at scale, both opportunities and risks. Familiarity with different platforms and private sector providers.
• Analytical/technical skills: Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in addressing education sector issues and proven ability to engage in policy dialogue as well as to find practical solutions is desired.
• Knowledge: Good understanding of the key issues, dynamics and evolution of the education sector in Kenya and Somalia and in SSA countries, including issues covered in the World Development Report on Learning and the Africa regional study on the quality of basic education.
• Strong client orientation and excellent interpersonal skills: Proven ability to work effectively and collaboratively with government agencies and within and across sector boundaries; ability to identify problems, provide technical support, build consensus and arrive at solutions; commitment to excellence and teamwork, and to liaise tactfully as a member of a multi-sectoral 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: Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are essential; knowledge of Kiswahili is highly desirable and knowledge of Somali is a bonus.

Competencies:

• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level.
• Education Knowledge and Experience – Possesses experience in working on challenging education projects, and policy-relevant analytical work
• Integrative Skills – Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations.
• Deliver Results for Clients – Achieves results and identifies mission-driven solutions for the client.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries – Initiates collaboration across boundaries and broadly across WBG, and brings differing ideas into the forefront.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Creates, applies and shares knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions.