Second Ombudsman at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/18/016
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL3
Position N°: 50067163

The Complex

• The Senior Vice-Presidency is responsible for supporting the President in the day-to-day management of the Bank Group to achieve its strategic objective and drive performance culture that will align all processes and systems to deliver high impact results.
• The Senior Vice-Presidency will provide effective leadership and exceptional coordination to ensure implementation and monitoring of key corporate decisions as well as the identification of necessary corrective measures and actions.
• The Senior Vice-Presidency will lead senior management discussions, decision-making processes and the implementation of key Board and Management decisions.​

The Hiring Department

• The Office of Ombudsman and Mediator is a Statutory Body of the Bank established by a Board Resolution in 1992. Its role is to facilitate conflict resolution, using mediation and conciliation or other appropriate means for the primary objective of settling grievances on employment matters between staff members and the bank. The Office assists Management efforts to improve the working conditions as well as the quality of human and professional relationships at all levels in the Bank.
• As part of the Internal Recourse Mechanism, the Office of Ombudsman and Mediator is a designated neutral responsible for impartial, confidential, independent and informal assistance in all staff grievances and complaints related to work place issues. The Office of Ombudsman and Mediator is also responsible for advising on shortcomings and recommending to Management solutions in employment policies, procedures and practices.

The Position
The 2nd Ombudsman directly reports to the Ombudsman and is required to:

• Support the Ombudsman by providing conflict management services to staff members
• Travel to country offices to provide training or respond to conflict situations, as required.
• Inform, and where necessary guide, parties in potential or active disputes about the informal resolution process and assist them to initiate it.
• Facilitate informal resolution of workplace conflicts helping all parties to explore options and engage in a voluntary and confidential process, acting as a neutral third-party, facilitate and help conflicting parties to discuss issues and negotiate an agreement.
• Assist in the development of the annual work plans, objectives, deliverables and deliverables.

Duties and Responsibilities
Major Accountabilities of the Function:

• Assist in managing the Values Promotion Program including their case log and newsletter.
• Advise management on employee work related grievances.
• Develop reports with comments and recommendations on any shortcoming identified in employment policies procedures and practices in the Bank.
• Consider employment related grievances of a staff member including matters pertaining to administration of benefits as well as professional concerns and staff relations.
• Provide advise on any personnel matter or issue referred by Management.
• Research and provide facilitated solutions that reduce cost associated with formal resolution of employee work related grievances.
• Review policies, practices and procedures as is necessary to identify and scope areas for improvement in the informal conciliation and mediation process. 
• Supplement and collaborate with other Bank Internal Recourse Mechanism in place to improve the working conditions as well as the quality and human professional relations at all levels in the Bank.

Detailed Activities in Relation with the Accountabilities of the Function
Contributing to the Development of the SVP Complex Policies and programs:

• Participate and contribute at the Complex Management Team (CMT)
• Submit reports and make recommendations to Management and the Responsible Organization Unit.
• Submit quarterly reports to the SVP through the OMBU on systemic issues affecting the Bank.
• Assist in identifying systemic issues encountered during informal conflict resolution and make proposals towards relevant actions to be taken.
• Assist in developing and elaborate programs that help improve the working conditions as well as the working environment for the common benefit of the Bank.

Facilitation of Conflict Resolution:

• Manage employee work related grievances independently, neutrally, impartially, informally and confidentially to assist place the problem in perceptive.
• Conduct informal fact finding and gathering of background information that might be helpful to understand the overall context of the issue.
• Inform, and where necessary guide, parties in potential or active disputes about the informal resolution process and assist them to initiate it.
• Facilitate informal resolution of workplace conflicts helping all parties to explore options and engage in a voluntary and confidential process, acting as a neutral third-party, facilitate and help conflicting parties to discuss issues and negotiate an agreement.
• Perform research and analysis and prepare opinions, studies, briefs, reports and correspondence.
• Work collaboratively with relevant actors in the various offices to achieve informal resolution to employment related problems raised by the parties when requested.
• Develop relationships with visitors and advise on all aspects of the informal resolution by telephone or meetings with parties.
• Contribute to the production of an Annual Activity Report on the Office.

Mediation Services:

• Draw up the Memorandum of Agreement to be signed by the parties prior to the commencement of the process.
• Maintain neutrality and impartiality towards all parties and confidentiality within the process, gather information as appropriate, and help parties identify and understand issues and interests, explore options, and generate solutions to which all parties agree.
• Where required, assist in following up with the parties after resolution to receive feedback and to advise clients of further services.
• Draw up a Record of Settlement if the parties reach an agreement

The VPC Program:

• Assist in the process for the selection, vetting and training of the VPC.
• Support the VPC by providing conflict management services to staff members in the country and regional offices and travel to field offices to provide training or respond to conflict situations, as required.
• Inform, and where necessary guide, the VPCs and parties in potential or active disputes about the informal resolution process and assist them to initiate it.
• Facilitate informal resolution of workplace conflicts helping the VPC formulate options and engage in a voluntary and confidential process, acting as a neutral third-party, facilitate and help conflicting parties to discuss issues and negotiate an agreement.

Advocacy and Advisory Services:

• Assist  develop and deliver outreach and learning activities on informal resolution and conflict management to help all staff in the Bank to efficiently utilize services of the OMBU.
• Work collaboratively with relevant actors in the various offices to achieve informal resolution to employment related problems raised by the parties when requested.
• Offer creative and expert advice on the best service or dispute resolution technique to meet the needs and requirements of parties to a dispute.
• Participate in the development of surveys, review survey results and provide reports, as necessary.
• Act as an early warning trigger in alerting senior management to potential organisational risks as a result of a conflict related issue.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a Master’s degree or its equivalent in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Administration, Human Resources Management, Law, Social Sciences or related area.
• Training in mediation, conciliation or negotiations is desirable.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience at the international level in legal, managerial or dispute resolution or related field, at least three years of which should be in a management or leadership role.
• Experience in conflict management and different approaches to informal resolution are desirable.
• Experience working within the private sector is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of alternative dispute and conflict resolution systems.
• Knowledge of the International organizational structure rules and policies.
• Ability to prepare reports, formulate positions on systemic issues, articulate options concisely conveying maximum necessary information.
• Professionalism: Ability to establish and maintain confidentiality.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
• Team working and relations: Ability to develop and maintain high level relationship with senior management, peers and subordinates with high level of integrity.
• Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.
• Capacity to absorb relevant information for effective decision making.
• Capacity to apply sound judgement, considering positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them.
• Ability to make decisions based on the bigger picture, i.e. with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information.
• Ability to apply critical thinking in order to make tough decisions when necessary.
• Serves as a role model that other people want to follow.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support.
• Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions.
• Shows the courage to take unpopular stands.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in both the English or French languages.
• Competence with standard MS Office Software.
• SAP experience is a plus/would be advantageous