Division Manager, Policy Management (ECAD.2) at African Development Bank - AfDB

Position Number: 50092404
Position Grade: PL2

The Complex

• The core mandate of the Vice Presidency (ECVP) is to lead the Bank Group on prioritizing the generation, analysis, dissemination, brokering and implementation of relevant knowledge solutions in all High-5 operational priorities and the cross-cutting themes of its Ten-Year Strategy.
• Such solutions must be a clear response to priority development challenges facing regional member countries (RMCs), individually or collectively and need to involve RMCs in both the planning and implementation of the solutions.
• The key focus areas include: (i) research on major development issues facing Africa and their relation to global economic governance and other major global public goods; (ii) country diagnostics and future perspectives; (iii) policy dialogue and advisory services; (iv) economic, sector, and thematic knowledge work; (v) improving national and sub-regional statistical systems; (vi) preparation, design and support to implementation of public financial management and Governance operations; (vii) capacity development for policy formulation and implementation; (viii) technical assistance and advice related to RMCs’ management of natural resources; and (vii) knowledge dissemination and development of national, regional, and inter regional knowledge networks.

The Hiring Department / Division

• The African Development Institute coordinates and oversees capacity development mainstreaming in Bank operations to strengthen institutional capacity for inclusive growth and sustainable development in Africa.
• To achieve this mandate, the Institute is focused on four outcome-based interrelated strategic objectives to: (i) improve capacity for project implementation in African countries; (ii) enhance capacity for economic policy management in African countries; (iii) enhance institutional capacity for effective knowledge brokerage and policy dialogue in African countries; and (iv) position the Bank Group as premier regional partner for capacity development for African countries.
• The role of the Policy Management Division (ECAD.2) is to strengthen institutional capacity for macro-economic policy and public finance management in the Bank’s Regional Member Countries. ECAD.2 achieves this mandate by designing and delivering capacity development tools (training, technical assistance, and policy dialogue) to address key policy changes in African countries.
• The Division also manages that Bank’s Executive Training in High-5 Sectors, Capacity Development for Knowledge Brokerage and Policy Dialogue in the African Countries, and Capacity Development for Strengthening African Institutions and Partnerships across the Bank Group.

The Position
The Policy Management Division will be responsible for:

• Building and leading an international team of staff responsible for institutional capacity development programs to strengthen Regional Member Countries’ macroeconomic policy-making and policy implementation capacity. Specifically, the Manager ECAD.2 Division will lead the design and delivery of tailored macroeconomic modelling, forecasting and analysis; and public finance management and debt sustainability capacity development in all African countries
• Accelerating the Bank’s knowledge management and knowledge brokerage in the RMCs
• Mobilizing resources (financial, organisational, and institutional) to address emerging capacity development needs of countries.

Key Functions
Under the supervision and guidance of African Development Institute’s Senior Director, the Manager will:

Work program validation and execution:

• Review and validate the objectives and work program for the Division, ensuring alignment to the Bank, Complex and Departmental strategic priorities.
• Review and validate the budget, and its effective implementation.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators to drive the Division’s performance.

Capacity development for policy management:

• Lead the design and delivery of capacity development programs to enhance regional member countries’ macro-economic policy management capacity.
• Lead the design and delivery of capacity development programs to enhance regional member countries’ public finance and debt management capacity.
• Lead the design and delivery of capacity development programs to enhance the Bank’s capacity for knowledge brokerage, technical assistance, and policy dialogue in the Regional Member Countries.
• Lead the design and delivery of capacity development programs to enhance the Bank’s capacity for knowledge brokerage, technical assistance, and policy dialogue in the Regional Member Countries.
• Manage the Bank’s institutional support programs, knowledge networking and partnerships.
• Foster and enhance relationships with private sector organizations and donor agencies with a view to mobilizing financial resources for capacity development for policy management in the RMCs.
• Lead the design and delivery of capacity development programs on the Bank’s High 5s strategic priorities in response to effective demand by sector complexes and the RMCs.
• Contribute to development of Country Capacity Development Needs Assessment reports (CCDAs) on policy management as part of the Bank’s Country Capacity Development Diagnostic Notes (CCDNs).
• Work in collaboration with the Resource Mobilization and partnership unit to identity and mobilize resources to implement capacity development in Africa.
• Oversee the preparation of the Bank Groups annual capacity development report in collaboration with the organizational units of the Bank Group.
• Oversee the development and quality assurance of knowledge products and policy documents produced by the Division.
• Provide quality assurance for all policy management-related capacity development activities of the Bank Group.
• Develop and improve monitoring and evaluation tools for capacity development in policy management in the Bank Group.
• Represent the Director in High level meetings upon request.

People Management:

• Ensure the Policy Management Division of ECAD is strategically staffed for effective delivery of the capacity strategic of the Bank Group as defined in annual work programs of the Division.
• Build, motivate, mentor, and maintain an effective team in the Policy Management Division of the African Development Institute.
•  Put in place, with the assistance of the Human Resource Department, talent management mechanisms, to build a talent pool for the Division and maintain effective delivery and business continuity.
• Build and maintain a network of experts and institutions to support the Bank’s Policy Lab Units (PLUs) on Macro-Economic Policy Management and Public Finance Management in Africa.
• Oversee the development and implementation of protocols for inter-Departmental Bank-wide collaboration in capacity delivery on policy management in Africa.

Competencies
Skills, Experience and Knowledge:

• Hold at least a Master’s Degree in Economics, Public Policy, Governance or International development, with top level experience in addressing development challenges in African countries, preferably gained in diverse bilateral, multilateral and / or regional development agencies.
• Have a minimum of eight (8) years of relevant experience in policy management of which at least three (3) years should be at managerial or highly supervisory level or its equivalent.
• Proven experience in macroeconomic modelling and forecasting in Africa.
• Strong ability to translate development challenges into knowledge leverage opportunities.
• Good knowledge of andragogy and experience in design of capacity development (training, technical assistance, and policy dialogue) programmes and curricula.
• Ability to think strategically and to design long term plans and programmes in line with established strategic priorities.
• Experience in providing quality assurance for capacity development programs in developing countries.
• Ability to build and manage strategic partnerships for streamlined and increased support to capacity development in the regional member countries.
• Results-oriented with superior monitoring and evaluation skills.
• Proven ability to build and lead a team; to motivate staff and utilize the talents and expertise of team members in a productive way.
• Communicate and write effectively in French or English. Good working knowledge of both languages will be an advantage.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office Suite applications.