Job: Program Assistant

Location: Moscow
Deadline: Thursday, 08 August 2013 

Description

Background / General description:

Note: A potential candidate has been identified and intends to apply for this position. However, this remains a competitive process and interested candidates are encouraged to apply.

ECA Mission, Principles and Vision

To meet demands in a rapidly changing Region, the World Bank partners with governments and other stakeholders to:

• Promote growth and create jobs;
• Encourage social inclusion and fight poverty
• Foster good governance; and
• Address global needs 
  The ECA Region offers customized knowledge and innovative financial products to address these challenges in a timely manner.
   
  Our Guiding Principles
• Client centered
• Working in partnership
• Accountable for quality results
• Dedicated to financial integrity and cost-effectiveness
• Inspired and innovative 
  Our Core Values
• Personal honesty, integrity, commitment
• Working together in teams -- with openness and trust
• Empowering others and respecting differences
• Encouraging risk-taking and responsibility
• Enjoying our work and our families 
  Regional Context
   
  The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region comprises 30 extremely diverse country clients, with a population of nearly 500 million people. Four of our clients are IDA only and another five are IDA blend countries. The remaining 21 are IBRD credit-worthy, though not all have active lending programs. Although ten of our clients have joined the EU and seven of these have graduated, most continue to remain active recipients of knowledge and/or lending services. Country Assistance Strategies reflect this strong diversity with substantial variation in lending prospects, but strong demand for Bank technical services is present across the board.
   
  Most countries in ECA have restored the output levels that they had before the 2008-9 global economic crises. At the same time, growth has been slower than before the crisis in most countries in the region - average real GDP grew by 4.8 percent in 2011 compared to an average growth rate across the ECA region of 7.2 percent in 2007.
   
  The ongoing sovereign debt and banking sector problems in Western Europe now pose new challenges to the sustainability of this tepid recovery. This year, growth in the ECA region is projected to slow to 3 percent. The Eurozone crisis affects the ECA region through three channels - finance, trade, and workers' remittances. The relative importance of these channels depends on the degree and nature of a country's integration with the Western European economy. As a result, growth in the economies of Central and South Eastern Europe, which are being most directly impacted by the uncertainties in the Eurozone, is expected to reach only 1.1 percent this year.
   
  To respond to these growing downside risks, the World Bank Group announced in early 2012 that it would make available US$27 billion in funding over the next two years. This financial support is targeted at the countries that are most likely to be affected by Europe's growth slowdown. It aims to support these countries in implementing structural reforms that will strengthen their growth prospects, facilitate fiscal consolidation, while protecting the poor and vulnerable.
   
  In addition, to deliver specific assistance to middle-income countries requiring services that cannot be fully funded by the Bank's own resources, ECA is increasingly using Reimbursable Advisory Services (RAS). Under RAS programs, the Bank works with countries at their request and provides reimbursable technical advice. While ECA has been engaged in over 90 RAS programs since 2005, over 30 RAS agreements were signed in FY2011-12. Countries that have signed RAS agreements include: Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Romania, and the Russian Federation.
   
  World Bank support in ECA reached US$6.6 billion in fiscal year 2012, including US$6.2 billion from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and US$362 million from the International Development Association (IDA). Lending was targeted in support of three regional pillars: deepening reforms for improved competitiveness, supporting social sector reforms for inclusive growth, and helping countries to adapt to climate change and improve energy efficiency.
   
  Country Context
   
  The Russian Federation joined the World Bank (IBRD and IDA) in 1992. The Bank has provided financing for 64 projects in different sectors totaling slightly over US$10.4 billion in IBRD loans. US$9.9 billion has already been disbursed, which represents about 95 percent of the total portfolio. Currently, the Bank's financing to Russia is provided in the form of investment lending operations. The current IBRD Portfolio consists of nine projects for a total current commitment of US$756 million (as of August 9, 2012). There is steady demand for RAS, with continued interest from the regions and growing demand from the federal government.
   
  The new 2012 - 16 Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) was discussed by the World Bank Group's (WBG) Board of Executive Directors on December 20, 2011. The strategy endorsed an envelope of up to US$5 billion to support the program over the next five years. It is fully aligned with the Government priorities and covers four themes:
   
  (i) Increasing Growth and Diversification;
   
  (ii) Expanding Human Potential;
   
  (iii) Deepening Russia's Global and Regional Role; and
   
  (iv) Improving Governance and Transparency (as a crosscutting theme).
   
  Russia is a strategic partner for ECA. WBG engagement with the country is unique in that it is three-dimensional: global, regional, and national. At the global level, Russia has increased its contributions to IDA and supports the provision of global public goods through contributions to global funds. The WBG offers its expertise to help prepare Russia's chairmanship of international forums. At the regional level, the WBG supports Russia as an emerging donor for less-developed countries in ECA. Russia is already a significant provider of development assistance through a growing portfolio of IDA-IBRD-administered trust funds. At the national level, the WBG aims to maximize its development efforts by reaching out to the regions in Russia with the most development needs. The Russia program is distinguished by several cooperation and innovation initiatives. These include IFC-Bank subnational lending, reimbursable technical assistance, and a joint strategy that gives the IFC and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) a key role in private sector development. The WBG is in constant search for innovative engagement opportunities and instruments, such as direct lending to regions with a sovereign guarantee and a mechanism to fund analytical work and technical assistance to poorer regions.
   
  Analytical and Advisory Services (AAA) remain an important part of the IBRD's engagement in Russia. In close cooperation with the Government, AAA products are helping to modernize public finance and administration, improve social service delivery, and enhance the investment climate. Demand has grown rapidly for RAS. Demand covers a wide range of activities that are well aligned with Russia's development challenges, from human development to social assistance, PPPs, and capacity-building for Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). Since 2007, the WBG has provided Government-endorsed RAS to more than 30 of Russia's regional governments.
   
  Country Unit Context:
   
  The Moscow-based ECCU1 Program Assistant reports administratively to the local ECCU1 Management. Under immediate supervision and guidance of local Country Office staff, the Program Assistant carries out the full range of office support work. In addition to performing the full range of office support work within a team, significant part of the job entails provision of specialized support (database management, knowledge management, task management, major event/course planning, etc.). For this purpose, the Program Assistant coordinates extensively with Sr. Executive Assistant, peers, and with other service units in the CO.

  Duties and Accountabilities:

• In addition to performing the tasks related to office support work the incumbent will also:
• Provide primary assistance in the implementation of the unit's work program, including some specialized support in specific areas.
• Collect background information for periodic team meetings, to draft minutes of the meetings and to distribute them.
• Contribute to program related documents by providing information, preparing tables and drafting relatively routine sections.
• Prepare background information for use in discussions with respective ministries, local authorities and other organizations.
• Select and makes pertinent abstracts and undertakes searches for information; extracts, collates and summarize information from different sources for use in reports, speeches and presentations; maintains a variety of up-to-date reference materials and records.
• Communicate with the PIUs, Government entities, local authorities and other organizations non-management staff on routine operational and information matters.
• Coordinate extensively with other World Bank Group Departments and frequent liaison with team members and external counterparts on routine program implementation matters.
• Establish and maintain effective network of contacts outside the Bank (donors and UN system) related to both programs preparation and implementation.
• Provide organizational support to the delivery of events (Seminars, Study Tours, Conferences etc.) within the Unit's work Programs.
• Serve as an information resource on status of project/products (e.g. procurement, disbursement, audit, trust fund/co-financing, and legal issues) and drafts a variety of standard project-related correspondence.

  Selection Criteria:

• B.A. University Degree or equivalent.
• At least 5 years or work experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Good knowledge and understanding of World Bank Group administrative/operational procedures.
• Skills in organizational, communications and interpersonal relations to enable carrying out assigned functions in the team and service environment.
• Effective problem-solving and communication skills (writing and oral):
• Strong computer skills, ability to utilize all relevant computer software to enter, retrieve and manipulate data as needed on the job.
• Strong inter-personal skills and commitment to work in a team-oriented, multi-cultural environment.
• Strong English and Russian language skills (verbal and written), including ability to draft a variety of correspondence and edit materials using proper grammar, punctuation and style.
• Ability to pass relevant Bank Group tests at time of recruitment (e.g. English language, computer applications, etc.) as required. 
  The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

More Info and Application