Regional Program Officer at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/17/248/2
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL5
Position N°: 50068928

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery responsible for operational relevancy, efficiency and effectiveness of the Bank Group’s operational programs, and activities.
• The Vice President- Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery will ensure that the Bank operates successfully across its Regional Members Countries and will oversee the full implementation of all aspects of the Bank’s Regional Directorates.

The Hiring Department

• The Regional Development, Integration & Business Delivery department provides advice on strategic options for revenue generation and cost efficiencies of Bank’s operations and strategies.
• It provides direct and indirect operational input that contribute to the delivery of key performance targets through detailed high frequency reporting (dashboard) on the progress of work programs and relevant Bank initiatives. It also undertakes quality assurance, for quality at entry of Bank operations, and contribute towards strategy formulation and day-to-day administration.

The Position
This position is key to providing support and follow-up of business development and delivery and portfolio performance for results.
Working as a key member of the Bank’s multi-disciplinary country teams under the guidance of the Director General, the Regional Program Officer primarily focuses on the following:

• Supports and ensures performance and delivery of the Regional hub’s portfolio;
• Liaises with sector project task managers at headquarter and in the country/regional offices on issues of project development and management;
• Actively promotes and participates in country policy dialogue with the host government;
• Plays a key role in identifying, developing and managing Bank contacts with other international agencies in-country and in the coordination of the Banks ‘operations with those of the other partners;
• Contributes to Bank-wide public relations efforts and to knowledge generation, dissemination and utilization;
• Supports the Director General in office administration;
• Supports the Director General in identifying opportunities for co-financing with other agencies;
• Participates in team meetings, including programing country meetings to which Country Program Officer provides secretarial services.

Duties and Responsibilities
The position of the Regional Program Officer is based in the Regional Hub, and the incumbent reports to the Director General based in this Hub and has the following duties:

• Coordinate Portfolio Management and Country Programming
• Monitor and advise the Director General on the management of key performance indicators on portfolio performance, country program, Bank priorities and result indicators;
• Harmonize management reporting tools within the various Departments;
• Coordinate the work of the Country Programme Officers and sector staff in field offices  to ensure sound analysis and monitoring of portfolio developments including through regular reviews of country and regional portfolios with a view to identifying issues and proposing options for their resolution;
• Ensure that Country Programme Officers in the Region produce Quarterly Portfolio Status Reports, and Annual Portfolio Performance Reviews/Updates of Portfolio Improvement Plans (PIPs) as required;
• Ensure that Country Programme Officers are following up and reporting on implementation of Country Portfolio Improvement Plans;
• Lead the preparation of the Regional Portfolio Performance Reviews in collaboration with Country Programme Officers, Regional Economists and Sector Staff, work more closely with the regional economic communities and coordinate and monitor multinational programs with a focus on delivery on regional integration;
• Coordinate work of Country Programme Officers and sector staff in the monitoring and implementation of the recommendations of the Monthly Portfolio Flashlight Reports;
• Provide effective oversight to project task teams on quality and compliance with Bank operational processes and procedures (including referring them to the relevant responsible staff in fiduciary, legal, safeguards, or other specialized areas);
• Oversee the work of Sector staff in undertaking country and regional portfolio performance review processes with the Government and other Development Partners.
• Provide leadership and guidance in the work of Country Programme Officers that focuses on being responsible for quality control of key documents, taking part in dialogue with Government, Regional Economic Communities when necessary, and following up on agreed actions;
• Motivate and coach the senior/principal Country Programme Officers of the Region’s Country Offices;
• Motivate Country Team members to attend country team meetings;
• Support the Director General in ensuring country office team members actions are in accordance and complies with Bank Ethics, Regulations, Policies and guidance.
• Prepare portfolio related country briefs for Annual Meetings and other briefs to Management.
• Preparation of reports: Consolidate on a quarterly basis, a summary of the Quarterly Portfolio Report prepared by the Country Program Officer for the Director General, Deputy Director General, Country Program Officer and the Lead Economist:
  • Prepare on a monthly basis a synthesis of the implementation of the Region’s work program and highlight the bottlenecks and proposed solutions.
  • Monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the monthly portfolio flashlight reports.
• Project & Work Program Management: Work with Sector Experts responsible for specific projects to ensure that solution to pending projects’ problems are resolved;

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a Master's degree or its equivalent in in Economics, Social Sciences, Engineering, Agriculture/Forestry, Business Administration, Public Administration and knowledge of development issues.
• Have a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in the formulation and implementation of policies, programs and projects either within the Bank, with a similar development institution or in the Private Sector.
• Demonstrated experience in project development and implementation, in a multilateral financial institution with special focus on at least one of the sectors in the assigned Division.
• Experience with working in a team oriented, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary, international and professional environment.
• Experience in leading and developing teams and managing projects and programmes.
• Experience in the practice of procurement of goods/works, and the acquisition of consultancy services under donor funding conditions.
• Relevant and required experience gained on the African continent.
• Experience gained within multilateral development finance institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in the preparation and/or review of operations in a multilateral financial institution.
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage.
• Business Acumen: Comprehensively understands projects structures, including project planning, risk management strategy, issue management strategy, communication management strategy, with an acute knowledge and understanding of the elements essential for the effective delivery and measurement of development impacts through projects and programs in Africa.
• Implementing Strategy: Highly developed strategic thinking skills allied to an ability to translate strategic concepts and direction into the implementation of workable and sustainable projects and programs.
• Negotiation: Highly developed negotiation skills proven to yield positive outcomes with senior counterparts, both internal and external, and understands when and how to apply tact, influence, maintain a hard line, make or break contacts, understand unwritten lines of influence and conduct oneself accordingly.
• Executing for Results:
  • High level of expertise in managing portfolio performance
  • Make effective, timely and well-determined interventions for results delivery.
  • Ability to provide comprehensive thought Leadership on Programme Delivery and related issues
  • Mentorship/Coaching Skills
  • People Management skills
  • Innovation & Creativity
  • Client Orientation
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Excellent Communication skills
  • Professional Expertise
  • Relationship management skills
  • Influencing skills
  • Decisiveness
  • Takes Initiative/Spotting Opportunity/Pushing Strategy
  • Highly organised & structured
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office Suite applications and preferably SAP.