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. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org
Junior Professional Associates – Program Description
The Junior Professionals Associate Program (JPA) at the World Bank offers recent graduates a three-year Extended Term Consultant contract to gain professional experience and develop skills in a diverse setting, with the possibility of field work. The program is an excellent platform to sharpen your existing skills and to develop new ones, all while gaining a profound understanding of the challenges associated with reducing poverty and fostering shared prosperity on a livable planet. Participants will engage with the institution's core mission of addressing poverty and promoting shared prosperity and can find more information on the World Bank's careers page - www.worldbank.org.
The following are minimum requirements to be eligible for the JPA program:
1.Be a national of Lesotho, 32 years of age or younger
2.Hold a bachelor’s degree
3.Be fluent in English
The JPA program at the World Bank is a highly competitive initiative. Candidates who are being actively considered for positions may be required to present academic transcripts and professional references. The World Bank's Human Resources team and hiring team will reach out exclusively to individuals selected for assessment and interviews.
Specific Unit Description: Education AFR E2 (Eastern and Southern Africa, HAEE2)
The World Bank's Junior Professional Associates (JPA) program is highly competitive, requiring candidates to submit academic and professional documentation for consideration. Only those selected will be contacted by the Human Resources and hiring teams for further assessment and interviews, with opportunities available across the Bank's global offices.
The Education AFR E2 unit, serving Eastern and Southern Africa, oversees educational initiatives in 13 countries, affecting over 107 million school-aged children. Despite doubling primary enrollment rates over the last 20 years, the region faces challenges like learning poverty, gender inequality, and low completion rates. The unit is actively addressing these issues through 19 projects backed by $3.21 billion in IDA lending, complemented by advisory services and grants totaling $270 million.
With a focus on transforming educational outcomes, the unit's business plan sets ambitious goals, including reducing learning poverty by 25%, increasing secondary access for girls by 50%, and decreasing the number of youths not in education, employment, or training by 22%. These targets are part of a strategy to build a coalition for progress, adapt successful practices, and create an educational ecosystem to support over 300 million children and youth in Africa East and South.
The Africa East (AFE) unit is dedicated to scaling up educational reforms by using catalytic financing and fostering regional collaboration through initiatives like the Africa Center of Excellence. By implementing results-based financing and multi-project agreements, AFE aims to consistently support and enhance educational outcomes across Africa. The unit's commitment to transformative policies, collaborative reforms, and partnerships is designed to build a resilient and equitable educational framework for the future of the countries it serves.
Duties and Responsibilities
HAEE2 is recruiting a Junior Professional Associate (JPA) to fill the role of Education Specialist based in Maseru, Lesotho. The JPA program offers three-year, non-renewable, and non-extendable job placements throughout the Bank to young professionals (see eligibility requirements: note that candidates must be under the age of 32 before beginning the program). The World Bank offers the opportunity to learn from, and contribute to, global expertise in a range of development topics.
The HAEE2 JPA will be primarily responsible for the following activities:
1.Operational Support: The role involves aiding in the development and processing of projects, including drafting, and reviewing essential documents like Project/Program Concept Notes (PCNs) and Project/Program Appraisal Documents (PADs), and supporting project implementation and supervision. This involves assisting with the implementation and supervision of project activities, including the preparation and review of progress reports like Implementation Status Reports (ISRs), to ensure timely and effective project monitoring and evaluation.
2.Research and Analytical Support: The role includes conducting research on educational sector issues to support operational projects and their documentation, providing analytical support for knowledge products like flagship reports, creating communication tools to summarize ongoing research and operational activities, and collecting and analyzing information on current events in the education sector. Administrative support is also provided, including planning conferences and workshops, organizing mission logistics, and ensuring the effective coordination of project-related events and activities.
3.Support for HAEE2 Practice Manager (PM) and task team leaders (TTLs) working on Lesotho. This involves representing the (PM) and TTLs in country level meetings and providing updates thereafter; participating in country level education events including monthly education development partners and other engagements that enable articulation of World Bank’s strategic objectives and status of ongoing World Bank supported projects and programs; contributing to talking points and other documentation needed to further the education agenda in Lesotho; contributing to country level documentation including the CPIA and other requisite material; and contributing to the Lesotho Country Partnership Framework (CPF), education business plan and aiding new business development for trust funding.
4.Dissemination Activities and Portfolio Support: Participation in dissemination activities is required, such as giving presentations to government and private sector organizations and aiding in external dissemination efforts. This also includes preparing materials for public outreach and engaging stakeholders. Additionally, support is provided to the Practice Manager by producing various documents in response to needs, which may include business plans, portfolio monitoring, and summaries of outcomes and impacts.
Selection Criteria
The position is well-suited for a national of Lesotho who is highly committed to improve the education and development status of the people. It offers a chance to engage with the complexities of developing inclusive and resilient educational systems, while providing exposure to aspects of educational development, including curriculum design, teacher training, and climate-related educational interventions. It also allows for the development of specialized expertise in areas such as foundational literacy and numeracy, digital learning tools, educational policy analysis, and project implementation. The ability to travel is a requirement, enabling hands-on experience and collaboration with international and local stakeholders. In addition to the general qualifications of the JPA program, the candidate should meet the following qualifications:
1.A university degree in Education, Development Studies, Public Policy, or a related field, with a preference for a master's degree.
2.A minimum of three years of relevant professional experience in education or international development.
3.Technical expertise in the development and education sector, with field experience in Lesotho or any other African country.
4.Excellent interpersonal and organizational abilities, client-oriented approach, diplomatic skills, and mature judgment.
5.The capacity to work under pressure, meet strict deadlines, identify systemic issues, and lead the implementation of solutions.
6.The ability to work collaboratively in a multicultural environment, manage multiple tasks, and adapt to changing needs while staying motivated in a dynamic setting.
7.Research skills in educational sector issues to support operational projects, with excellent analytical abilities, both qualitative and quantitative, and strategic thinking.
8.Fluency in English with strong writing and communication skills is desirable.
Diversity and Inclusion
The World Bank continually searches for qualified individuals with a diverse set of backgrounds from around the globe. 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, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. Individuals with different abilities may be provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions and support in receiving other workplace accommodations.
Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe.
This vacancy is archived.