Job: Program Assistant

Location: New Delhi
Deadline: Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Background / General description:

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A COUNTRY OFFICE POSITION IN INDIA SUBJECT TO LOCAL RECRUITMENT UNDER THE INDIA COMPENSATION PLAN. IF A STAFF MEMBER HOLDING AN HQ/INTERNATIONAL POSITION IS SELECTED INTO THIS POSITION, THEN THE STAFF MEMBER WOULD CONVERT TO A LOCAL APPOINTMENT (I.E., A LOCAL SALARY AND NO EXPATRIATE BENEFITS).

THE WORLD BANK GROUP IS COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING DIVERSITY IN TERMS OF GENDER, NATIONALITY, CULTURE AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND. INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ARE EQUALLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. ALL APPLICATIONS WILL BE TREATED IN THE STRICTEST CONFIDENCE.

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 2 year renewable term appointment.

Background/General Description

Innovation and partnership bond the five institutions of the World Bank Group (WBG): the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), which together form the World Bank; the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It uses financial resources and extensive experience to help our client countries to reduce poverty, increase economic growth, and improve quality of life. To ensure that countries can access the best global expertise and help generate cutting-edge knowledge, the World Bank Group is constantly seeking to improve the way it works. Key priorities include delivering measurable results, promoting openness and transparency in development, and improving access to development information and data.

The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) is an international partnership to help the poor gain sustained access to water supply and sanitation services. Administered by the World Bank with financial support from several bi- and multi-lateral and private donors, WSP is a decentralized partnership and operates through offices in Africa, East Asia, Latin America and South Asia. A major thrust of the programs is to help its clients prepare for and implement actions towards meeting the water and sanitation (WSS) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In pursuing their mission, WSP staff provide advisory support to projects and policies, help identify and disseminate best practices and lessons from experience across countries, assist clients in the implementation of pilot projects to test out new ideas and facilitate informal networks of practitioners and sector stakeholders. Additional information about WSP can be found on the program website ( www.wsp.org). WSP is administratively a part of the World Bank's Transport, Water and Information & Communications Technology Department (TWI) in the Sustainable Development Network (SDN) Vice Presidency.

WSP's FY11-15 Business Plan is based on a global strategy '˜FY2009-2018: Scaling Up Sustainable Services', which articulates WSP's proposed strategic response to identified sector challenges affecting the poor through capacity building, technical assistance and knowledge. The Business Plan identifies six business areas where the program could have the best opportunity to affect large-scale change in sector performance: scaling up rural sanitation and hygiene; creating sustainable services through domestic private sector participation; supporting poor-inclusive WSS sector reform; targeting the urban poor and improving services in small towns; mitigating and adapting WSS delivery to climate change impacts; and delivering WSS services in fragile states. These areas were identified through a process of embedding a results-based framework throughout WSP's country, regional and global work programs.WSP is led by a Program Manager located in the World Bank's Transport Water and ICT Department in the Sustainable Development Network Vice Presidency. The Program works closely with the Bank's regional operations and partners through four regional offices in South Asia, East Asia/Pacific, Latin America/Caribbean and Africa.

WSP in South Asia (WSP-SA) currently operates through offices in Delhi, Dhaka and Islamabad. The WSP-SA program is managed by a Regional Team Leader who is accountable to the Program Manager in Washington.

Purpose and Scope of Position

The Water and Sanitation Program - South Asia (WSP-SA) is seeking a Program Assistant for the New Delhi office. WSP-SA has a significant and growing work program in India. The Program Assistant for the unit should be dynamic, highly motivated, a self-starter, and a team player, who will provide quality administrative support to the WSP-SA team in Delhi. Under the general guidance of the Regional Team Leader and the task team leader(s), the Program Assistant will be expected to help achieve the Unit's work program goals.

The Program Assistant will be assigned to work closely with one or more task teams and will be the the frontline contact for the day to day activities for the team(s) and will provide a full range of proactive administrative assistance to team members for the functional administration of the team(s).

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 2 year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities:

• Provide quality administrative support to the task team(s) in preparing Bank documents; formatting and editing reports, letters and memos prepared by the Team Leaders according to the Bank guidelines.
• Coordinates schedules taking priorities into account, monitoring changes, and communicates the information to appropriate staff, inside and outside the immediate work unit, including officials outside the Bank Group.
• Provides administrative support to the Regional Team Leader as required.
• Provide primary assistance in the implementation of the unit's work program, including some specialized support in a specific area(s), e.g. task management, procurement, database management, information technology, editorial assistance etc.
• Identify and resolve diverse issues/problems as they arise, which often requires interpretation of existing procedures and processes and independently determining the appropriate application
• Assists in preparation of presentations for client meetings and logistical planning for various events, e.g. conferences, workshops etc., ensures appropriate sharing of presentation materials through WBDocs and other media.
• Makes travel arrangements, prepares travel requests and statements of expenses for consultants and visitors.
• In conjunction with and under guidance from staff in a specific discipline (e.g., Resource Management, etc.) monitor specific activities, (i.e. task budget, etc.) within their team(s).
• Prepares and maintains consultant contracts and fee payments for the teams (including SAP input), maintain record of commitments and advise consultants on Bank policies and procedures, as required.
• Maintains current distribution lists, phone/address lists of project/product contracts and distributes documents for the team.
• Maintains up-to-date work unit project and other files (both paper and electronic), supports the dissemination of knowledge products through email, Spark and other knowledge platforms.
• Backs-up other ACS staff on operational and administrative tasks, and handle various tasks assigned in the work unit.
• Assists in the preparation of accurate and timely program implementation and monitoring data for the India Country Office and for the WSP global program.
• Assists the team in the adherence to Bank policies, procedures and work processes for efficient and correct records management (including WBDOCS) and routing of correspondence and documents
• Reports to Regional Team Leader and collaborates with other WSP SA colleagues

Selection Criteria:

Competencies

• Technology and systems knowledge - Exhibits excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office applications and proficiency of technology or/and systems relevant to functional area. Able to coach less experienced staff on relevant technology and systems.
• Project and task management - Able to undertake diverse and complex assignments with minimal supervision and resolve competing demands. Demonstrates good organizational skills, can plan and prioritize own work and work of internal clients (e.g. manage team calendar)
• Institutional policies, processes, and procedures - Demonstrates relevant functional knowledge and understanding of institutional priorities, policies, operational and administrative procedures, and people. Able to practically apply and guide others in policy application.
• Versatility and adaptability - Demonstrates initiative and motivation to proactively learn new developments in relevant policies, procedures and technology. Is able proactively identify, prevent and/or solve problems. Able to participate in change activities and initiatives
• Office administration - Exhibits good understanding of unit's portfolio. Able to organize, prioritize, coordinate, and monitor distribution of unit's work activities to ensure that work program is properly carried out and delivered in a timely and collaborative manner.
• Client Orientation - Able to interact with clients with discretion and diplomacy. Demonstrates ability to resolve complex client related issues. Displays understanding of relevant internal and external factors and their impact to the client
• Drive for Results - Takes personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results
• Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Collaborates with other team members and contributes productively to the team's work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view
• Knowledge, Learning and Communication - Able to communicate in a constructive and professional manner. Can assist in the preparation of written materials in accordance with WB administrative guidelines and best practices. Able to contribute to unit's knowledge sharing
• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Able to effectively and independently provide general research support. Demonstrates ability to assess situation, and make sound judgment on action needed.

Additional selection criteria:

The successful candidate will possess:

• Minimum Education: High School
• Minimum Years of Relevant Experience: 5 (internal candidates), 7 (external candidates). Preference in Accounting is desirable
• Excellent written and spoken English. Ability to pass relevant Bank Group tests at time of recruitment (e.g. English language, computer applications, etc.) as required
• Knowledge of the Bank's administrative and accounting policies and procedures
• Team player - ability to collaborate with other team members and contribute productively to the team's output, demonstrating respect for different points of view
• Thorough knowledge of and proficiency in functions of standard Bank technology packages
• Aptitude to multi task and deliver effectively to meet deadlines. Sound organizational skills and ability to prioritize and deliver assignments in a timely manner, often under severe time pressures
• Analytical ability, practical problem-solving skills and resourcefulness in performing varied tasks
• Demonstrate skills in retrieving, gathering and obtaining information from various sources and tabulating them in a usable format.
• Ability to pass relevant Bank tests, as required.

More Info and Application