Consultant on early childhood development and behavioral economics for the Division of Social Protection and Health of the Social Sector
Post of duty: Washington D.C
The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.
About this position
The Social Protection and Health Division is looking for a professional with Economics background (or related) to support a set of activities to understand the impact how to introduce behavioral sciences tools in the design of social programs and communicate them to a broader audience via blogs, infographics and a nano-flagship.
The Social Sector (SCL) is a multidisciplinary team convinced that investing in people is the way to improve lives and overcome the development challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean. Jointly with the countries in the region, the Social Sector formulates public policy solutions to reduce poverty and improve the delivery of education, work, social protection, and health services. The objective is to advance a more productive region, with equal opportunities for men and women, and greater inclusion of the most vulnerable groups.
The Social Protection and Health Division (SPH) is tasked with the preparation and supervision of IDB operations in borrowing member countries in the areas of social protection (safety nets and transfers and services for social inclusion which include child development, youth programs, care services for dependency, among others), health (health capital investment strategies, health networks strengthening, health system financing, organization and performance, etc.) and nutrition.
What you’ll do:
The objective of this consultancy is to provide technical assistance through the analysis of existing empirical data, as well as through general support for producing high quality analytical studies. It also involves independent research with active involvement in the IDB’s programs and activities.
The selected candidate will:
- Contribute significantly to Early Childhood Development (ECD) and behavioral economics applied policy-oriented research within the Social Protection and Health division.
- Collaborate in the preparation of technical reports and analysis of sectoral information, generating toolkits in relevant topics for our counterparts. For example, a systematic review of quality management in ECD services, and other technical instruments that will enable to establish a dialogue with the counterparts producing a full-fledged toolkit.
- Participate in the origination, design, and preparation of the Bank operational, analytical, and strategic activities related to social protection, health, and early childhood development (including country strategies, analyses of country development challenges, loans, policy dialogues, events, and knowledge initiatives).
- Participate in the supervision of the execution and the monitoring and evaluation of operations for which the IDB has approved financing.
- Support and participate in technical meetings and policy dialogue with Government authorities and development partners.
- Coordinate the behavioral economics work within the division: lead the supervision of operations.
- Collaborate in the preparation of research studies and behaviorally informed interventions within the division.
- Disseminate economic/sector knowledge and learning tools to enhance the relevance of the IDB to borrowing countries and the region.
- Engage with social protection and early childhood development specialists in other multilateral and bilateral institutions, academic institutions, think-tanks, NGOs and professional bodies to promote collaborations.
- Provide other support to the analytical and operational work agenda of the Division in the areas of social protection and early childhood, as needed.
What you’ll need:
- Education: master’s degree in economics, Public Policy, Public Administration, Education or in a similar field.
- Experience: minimum five years of relevant professional experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience in public policy, development economics and/or statistics and econometrics.
- Languages: English and Spanish (both required).
Key skills:
- Learn continuously.
- Collaborate and share knowledge.
- Focus on clients.