Job: Lead Economist

Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Closing Date: Friday, 29 November 2013

Background / General description:

Regional Context

The East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Region presents a dramatic illustration of the global dynamics, opportunities and risks of the 21st century. After making the fastest progress in growth and poverty reduction of any region around the world in the last fifteen years, some countries in the region - such as Mongolia - are poised to become middle-income, and some are preparing to join the small group of high income countries. Such a rapid transformation is leading to the largest shift in rural-to-urban population in human history, generating rising inequality within and across countries, leaving individuals and regions behind in the dash for prosperity. Meanwhile, the uncertainty in the advanced economies clouds the prospects for countries across the region which are being forced to adjust to changed growth and development prospects while addressing evolving impacts on macroeconomic stability, employment and poverty.

EAP comprises of more than 20 countries, including China, several MICs, LICs, and fragile states (EAP has the second highest number of fragile states amongst all the Bank regions). The Region is characterized by generally rapid growth, both sophisticated and low capacity borrowers, and some highly dynamic sectors. At the same time, EAP countries are faced with weak governance environments. The Bank's program in EAP is multi-faceted and has grown rapidly in recent years: lending in FY12 will have exceeded $8 billion; the portfolio consists of nearly 300 operations for about $30 billion; and the TF program is significant (with a portfolio of about $4.3 billion). EAP consists of about 800 staff with 20% in Washington and 80% based in the country offices in the six CMUs.

Departmental Context

Within the EAP Region, the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Department (EAP PREM) is responsible for the Bank's work in the areas of economic policy, public sector governance, poverty and inequality, and gender. This involves the provision of policy and implementation advice as well as financial support to our clients through analytical work, technical assistance, lending and supervision in close consultation with the field-based Country Directors. Staff in the department also conduct cross-country analyses of issues that are of interest across the Region, monitor regional economic developments including through contributions to semi-annual economic updates, and work with other sectoral staff to address cross-cutting challenges.

The department is highly decentralized with about three-quarters of its staff located in country offices. The management structure of the department includes a DC-based Sector Director, to whom this position will report, a DC-based sector manager/lead economist (who is also the thematic lead economist for economic policy and trade); two country office-based sector managers (in Bangkok and Jakarta); four country-office based lead economists; and two thematic lead economists (for public sector governance and poverty/gender). This group collectively comprises the EAP PREM departmental management team and provides the overall strategic and operational leadership. Each of the thematic lead economists for public sector and governance, poverty/gender, and economic policy/trade facilitates communities of practice and provide strategic leadership in her/his respective areas of expertise.

Country and Unit Context

The World Bank's Indonesia program is one of its largest in the world with activities that include an active program of engagement with central economic ministries, community driven development, education and infrastructure. Lending is currently around US$2 billion a year distributed over a broad mix of program, sector and investment loans. In addition there are a large number of Trust Funds to support work in a range of sectors including education, investment, poverty and social protection. To support the Government policy agenda the mission also has a very large program of analytical and advisory activities (AAA) that is integrated into lending activities.

Indonesia government is committed to accelerating the pace of poverty reduction. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has declared that poverty reduction is the highest development priority of his new administration. The government poverty reduction strategy is articulated around three clusters: Cluster I focuses on social assistance and services to individuals and households; Cluster II emphasizes interventions at the community level; and Cluster III seeks to support enterprises and (micro-) private sector entrepreneurs.

The World Bank is helping to strengthen these national efforts to reduce poverty and vulnerability by supporting the Government of Indonesia in making informed and evidence-based policy and program decisions. Support is channelled through the Partnership for Knowledge-based Poverty Reduction in three ways: i) providing poverty analytics and building analytical capacity to inform poverty and social protection policies, programs and strategies; ii) supporting the government in the design, implementation and evaluation of key poverty and social protection programs; and, iii) improving the quality and accessibility of data required for poverty analysis and policymaking. A multi-donor trust fund has been established to provide technical assistance and policy advice, carry out analytical work, and provide grants to nongovernment think tanks and research institutions.

Under this program, the World Bank has undertaken flagship research projects that are at the cutting edge of global knowledge on poverty and social protection. Through intensive engagement with government partners, analytical findings are used to inform policy choices. Previous research projects, as an example, have been used by the Government of Indonesia to reform and re-design its social protection systems. At the same time, the team also conducts 'rapid response' analysis to respond to immediate and pressing requests from government partners.

The program of work also has a strong focus on strengthening local institutions that contribute to evidence-based policymaking. The team works closely with analytical units in government agencies to improve their technical skills. At the same time, the team is turning more attention to strengthening local research institutes and think tanks so that they can provide independent and high quality analytical and assessment services to inform and monitor national poverty policy-making and program design. Capacity building and broader outreach activities will be a major focus of the team's agenda in the upcoming years.

Parliamentary and presidential elections will be held in 2014. A key role for the program will be developing a new relationship with the incoming administration, as well as briefing them on policy and program priorities in the area of poverty and inequality.

Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 3 year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities:

Job Description

The World Bank is seeking a Lead Economist to provide leadership of the poverty global practice in Indonesia. In this position, he/she will:

(i) Lead in development and delivery of analytical frameworks that will provide an empirical foundation informing the strategies of the Bank and the Government of Indonesia in addressing the challenges in accelerating poverty reduction, creating jobs , and tackling inequality

(ii) Coordinate and lead the Bank's engagement with the Government of Indonesia in applying research finding and global learning to inform policy formulation and poverty program development;

(iii) Provide leadership in the building of multi-stakeholder engagements, both within the Bank and with a wide range of external groups, to support broad-based engagement and action supporting poverty reduction and shared prosperity, and;

(iv) Manage the program, Partnership for Knowledge-based Poverty Reduction, and its implementation team.

Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 3 year term appointment.

Duties/Accountabilities

1. Development and delivery of pro poor and pro jobs Analytic and Advisory Activities.

• Lead in development and delivery of analytical frameworks that will provide an empirical foundation informing the Government of Indonesia 'pro poor' and 'pro-jobs' strategies, including the development of medium-term research agendas to fill knowledge gaps and knowledge dissemination strategies.

• Oversees design and execution of major Analytic and Advisory Activities, including flagship reports on poverty, inequality and/or labor issues, and impact evaluations of priority government poverty reduction programs.

• Oversees the preparation or produces a range of key economic policy papers and reports on a range of issues that support evidence-based policy making on issues related to poverty reduction, vulnerability and inequality; manage the preparation of analytical and technical inputs for government strategies and medium-term development plans.

• Leads in building technical capacities among government agencies and local research facilities to carry out quantitative and qualitative analysis.

• Monitors poverty and economic work to ensure overall quality of products.

2. Applying knowledge to inform policy formulation and poverty program development in Indonesia, and in serving wider regional and global reach of the Bank

• Serves as a lead economist, advising management and staff on strategy and long-range interventions on poverty and labor policies, and related issues in priority areas.

• Conceives, develops and promotes innovations in Bank development policies, project design, organization and management to improve Bank work.

• Leads in providing advice and assistance to the Government of Indonesia in reforming and integrating poverty programs and policies, including institutionalizing the national targeting system.

• Leads in conducting innovative approach and experiments to overcome identified constraints in the delivery of poverty, labor and social assistance programs.

• Supports the Government of Indonesia in establishing the institutional arrangements that will support and sustain the implementation of policies and programs that accelerate poverty reduction and addressed inequality.

• Supports WB operations in other countries through the application of leading-edge analytics, in the contecxt of the regional and global reach of the planned Poverty Global Practrice.

3. Building multi-stakeholder engagements to support broad-based engagement and action

• Facilitates and organizes intra-and inter-economic/sector teams, local/ international experts to debate and exchange ideas on key issues related to poverty, shared prosperity and jobs.

• Provides integrative role in improving external, internal and regional collaboration for accelerating poverty reduction and improving shared prosperity by actively promotes World Bank country and regional dialogues with relevant counterparts, the donor community, the private sector, government officials, as well as with media and civil society.

• Serves as focal point or spokesperson on poverty and economic issues to clients and other external constituencies and expert economic groups.

• Develops and maintains client relations at senior levels in the Government of Indonesia, as well as key opinion-makers in the country.

• Leads the sharing of global knowledge on issues related to poverty reduction, social protection, shared prosperity, and labor - including helping Indonesia clients' access global knowledge, as well as sharing knowledge generated in Indonesia to a broader global audience.

• Provide leading role in accessing and connecting to relevant global practices

4. Program Management

• Leading the implementation of the Partnership for Knowledge-based Poverty Reduction.

Under the direction of Sector Manager, liaises and coordinates with other sectors/global practices in supporting World Bank engagement on poverty reduction and shared prosperity objectives.

• Plays a significant role within poverty and economic area in guiding/mentoring and is key contributor in design of economic professional and operational training or development activities.

Selection Criteria:

Education/Experience:

• Doctoral degree with a minimum of 12 years' experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing complex research projects, and demonstrated experience in the utilization of research findings to influence policy dialogue.

• Extensive knowledge of Indonesian social assistance, poverty reduction and labor programs, systems and frameworks, as well as their related institutions.

• Previous experience in leading and influencing the design and execution programs that aim to influence and support major policy reforms in the areas of poverty reduction, social protection and labor.

• Extensive knowledge and experience in the design and implementation of national targeting systems, including data collection and beneficiary selection methods, database extraction issues, grievance redress mechanisms, updating, and evaluation.

• Strong knowledge of the Indonesian political economy, regional dynamics, and poverty reduction environment.

• Strong relationship with senior Indonesian policy makers and influencers, with a proven track record of translating evidence into action through policy dialogue and take-up and design and implementation support.

• Strong working familiarity with Bank systems required to manage Bank programs; previous experience in leading large teams of local and international staff and providing day-to-day team management.

Required Competencies

• General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills - Possesses a track record of intellectual leadership and ability to integrate economic-specific knowledge and specific micro/sector fields of expertise; provides quality assurance and assesses technical soundness of work/reports.
• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Influences the design and execution of major policy and/or research initiatives; conceives and promotes innovations in development policies, project design, organization and management to improve operational and sector work.
• Policy Dialogue Skills - Has a track record of conducting effective policy dialogue with country counterparts; communicates and defends difficult issues and positions to senior bank management and senior government officials.
• Integrative Skills - Possesses in-depth understanding of Bank resources in all areas of work in the network, and proven fungibility.
• Technical and Quantitative Skills as an Applied Development Microeconomist - Able to participate in high level poverty-related policy discussions related to poverty and inequality reduction, poverty and welfare measurement, national development strategies, monitoring, information and evaluation systems and related areas.
• Written and Verbal Communication - Demonstrates a strong command of all forms of communication and delivers messages in a consistently effective, timely and engaging manner
• Client Orientation - Translates insight into practice across disciplines, hierarchies, geographies and organizational units in service of clients.
• Drive for Results - Ensures successful implementation and delivery of key programs and projects, ensuring that outputs positively impact results.
• Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Creates a team climate of practical and innovative action, facilitating collaboration between competing interests and stakeholders.
• Knowledge, Learning and Communication - Demonstrates command of all forms of communication and presents in a clear, objective and engaging manner in high-level settings; ensures knowledge is captured and shared in a variety of ways.
• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Serves as a trusted advisor to others on their decisions, ensuring alignment across units and optimal impact on the organization as a whole.

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