ETC Economist - Africa Gender Lab at World Bank

Job #: req21668

Description

• Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges.
• The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org
• The Gender Innovation Lab (GIL) of the World Bank’s Africa Gender Impact Evaluation Unit, which is mapped to the Africa Region Chief Economist’s Office, conducts impact evaluations of development interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa, seeking to examine the gender gap between men and women when it comes to economic growth and empowerment. With the results of the impact evaluations, the GIL aims to support the design of innovative, scalable interventions to address gender inequality in productive economic sectors across Africa.
• The impact objective of GIL is to increase take-up of effective policies by governments, development organizations, and the private sector in order to address the underlying causes of gender inequality in Africa, and through that promote growth.

Background

• Institutional Context: The Gender Innovation Lab (GIL) is housed within the Africa Region Gender Impact Evaluation Unit, mapped to the Africa Region Chief Economist’s office.
• Impact Objective: The Gender Innovation Lab has a clear and actionable impact objective:  to increase take-up of effective policies that can address the underlying causes of gender inequality in Africa, particularly in terms of women’s economic and social empowerment, and through that promote growth. GIL aims to do this by strengthening knowledge, in particular, by producing and delivering a new body of evidence and developing a compelling narrative, geared towards policymakers, on what works and what does not work in promoting gender equality.  This new evidence will deepen capacity for gender-informed policymaking throughout the Africa region, including policies created and enacted by governments, as well as common practices and program models of private firms, civil society, and development agencies.
• Regional Orientation: GIL’s work is focused exclusively on Sub-Saharan Africa, where the team is currently working in 20+ countries with the aim of building an evidence base with lessons for the region.
• Sector Specific: GIL is focused on conducting rigorous research in order to generate evidence on how to close the gender gap in earnings, productivity, assets, and agency. GIL’s work is grouped into several categories: agricultural productivity, private sector development, land and property rights, and youth employment, and social norms.
• Impact Evaluations: GIL is currently working on over 80 impact evaluations, with additional work in the pipeline.
• Influencing Policies and Practices that Matter for Gender Equality: GIL engages in rigorous research by partnering with high-profile, large-scale, innovative and/or potentially influential projects and project partners on its impact evaluations. GIL then uses its results, which are disseminated in papers, presentations, policy briefs, blogs, and in other ways, in order to influence how development projects and policies are conceived and run. GIL aims to help direct funding to the most effective programs and policies, increase the availability of good data to inform programs and policies that target gender inequalities, and increase the use of evidence to inform program and policy decisions.  

Nigeria Country-Level Lab:

• Given the strategic position of Nigeria in SSA and owing to the size of the economy, large population with high ethnic diversity, and gender gaps, the GIL is intensifying its work in Nigeria with a dedicated country lab.
• The Lab is pivoted on three pillars including 1) a diagnostic study of gender gaps in earnings, constraints to women’s economic empowerment in Nigeria, and mapping of evidence-based solutions to address these constraints 2) generating evidence on what works for women’s economic empowerment in Nigeria, and 3) using evidence on what works to shape policies and programs to accelerate gender inclusive growth. The Nigeria Gender Innovation Lab  (NiGIL), started in 2019 and achieved major milestones including the completion and launch of the gender diagnostic report, onset of new impact evaluations to generate new evidence on women’s economic empowerment (WEE), and establishment of partnerships with government actors at the national and sub-national levels.
• NiGIL’s overarching goal is for the evidence on what works for women’s economic empowerment to be used in policymaking in Nigeria. Critical to achieving this objective is a timely and effective engagement of policymakers at all levels. Policymakers are central to the design and implementation of the transformative changes required to accelerate women’s economic empowerment.

Duties and Accountabilities

• We are looking for an energetic and result-driven individual with a passion for women’s empowerment to join our team to support our policy engagement with government and non-government actors in the space of WEE in Nigeria, as well as support the knowledge production work through impact evaluations and other analytical work.
• The Extended Term Consultant will work under the supervision of Africa Gender Innovation Lab Senior Economist and head of the Nigeria GIL, Julia Vaillant.

Key Responsibilities will include:

• Getting GIL evidence used. Engage with government partners and World Bank project teams to present evidence and use evidence to build stronger policies on women’s economic empowerment (research uptake) in Nigeria.
• Work closely with the research uptake team based in Washington, the economists leading work on Nigeria to help government and development partners effectively use the evidence that GIL produces from Nigeria and the rest of the continent. Identify key opportunities for policy influence at the policy and program level and mobilize the necessary resources to provide timely and targeted policy advice and capacity building, for greater effectiveness.

Tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Organize capacity building workshops and policy engagement meetings with government partners and other stakeholders.
• Interact directly with mid-level policymakers to share the relevant evidence.
• Support the development and review of action plans with stakeholders and partners.
• Support engagements with partners and potential teams on scoping of new impact evaluation studies.
• Carry out such activities as the NiGIL team reasonably requests and delegates to facilitate project implementation and achievement of the goals of the NiGIL.
• Assist with production of knowledge dissemination communications products that are appropriately tailored to meet the needs of diverse groups of policymakers and key stakeholders.  
• Coordinate communications within the Government of Nigeria; liaise with policymakers that are interested in GIL’s research by organizing presentations and seeking opportunities for technical assistance to scale up what works.  
• Assist with the design and logistics for large communication events, including workshops to share results of the gender diagnostic.  
• Liaise and interact effectively with an extensive network of contacts, at senior levels, and respond effectively to inquiries and to diverse situations that require tact and pragmatic problem-solving skills.
• Provide oral and written responses for partner queries about the Nigeria Gender Innovation Lab’s work.  
• Contribute to team discussions and decisions on overall strategy and implementation of the NiGIL activities.  
• Draft talking points and short memos for senior officials.  
• Facilitate communication between the Nigeria Gender Innovation Lab and partners including governments and non-governmental organizations.
• Travel as part of the NiGIL team to support NiGIL activities as may be required.
• Provide technical support to selected task teams at the World Bank to enhance the quality of the design and implementation and interventions addressing women’s constraints:
  • Provide support on developing M&E systems.
  • Lead the piloting of interventions.
  • Provide just-in-time analytical support to help design and implement projects.
• Provide technical support on the design of selected impact evaluations and other analytical pieces:
• Contribute to the design of impact evaluations.
• Designing baseline and follow-up surveys, undertaking data analysis, and writing relevant reports.
• Assist as needed in preparations for surveys and qualitative research initiatives, including in the planning of fieldwork activities and the finalization of data collection instruments.
• Build and manage teams comprised of external researchers, government and NGO collaborators, field staff, data analysts, and survey teams.
• Prepare project work plans, budgets, etc.
• Conduct data analysis using STATA.
• Inspect, perform logic and consistency checks on, clean, merge, and transform raw data.
• Organize (and provide) refresher training on impact evaluation for project and implementing partner staff, local organizations and primary stakeholders, in line with the projects’ objectives.
• Provide support on the preparation of progress reports to management.
• Support the team with monitoring and reporting for trust funds and donors.

Selection Criteria

• Minimum of Master’s Degree in relevant field (Economics, Development Studies, Public Policy).  
• Five years + of relevant professional experience in applied research, gender, impact evaluations, and policy dialogue required;
• Experience drafting communications products (policy briefs, blogs, talking points etc.) based on research and creatively disseminating publications through social media outlets, presentations, and conferences. Solid writing and presentation skills.  
• Experience managing partner and funder relationships. Ability to cultivate effective, productive relationships and partnerships.  
• Experience working or studying in one or more Sub-Saharan African countries preferred; Interest and/or background in gender issues is a plus.  
• Excellent workflow management and task organization skills. Strong drive for results and demonstrated ability to multitask and to exercise strategic thinking to make decisions under complex circumstances and with little supervision. Ability to handle concurrent activities efficiently under pressure, with minimum supervision and to meet tight deadlines. Ability to work flexibly on a range of assignments and tasks, and to adjust to and prioritize a variety of complex evolving tasks. Highly organized, high degree of motivation, initiative, flexibility, reliability, and a high level of energy.  
• Very strong interpersonal and communication skills and ability to develop effective relations; capacity to interact with an extensive network of contacts at senior level; and to understand the requirements and needs of a very diverse and demanding set of stakeholders.  
• Positive attitude and ability to work collegially and effectively in a multi-cultural working environment and internationally with a diverse range of Governments and other stakeholders.  
• Takes personal ownership, responsibility, and accountability for timely response to queries, requests, or needs; and to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results; working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.  
• Analytical and quantitative skills including an economics background preferred.  
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English (required).

Competencies:

• General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills - Possesses a demonstrated track record of working with economic and sectoral data and analytical tools and models to conduct economic analyses and produce user-friendly written out puts; understands underlying statistical concepts.
• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Understands policy making process; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for targeted audiences.
• Strong knowledge and interest in Nigeria politics and policymaking process  
• Policy Dialogue Skills - Identifies and assesses policy issues and plays an active role in the dialogue across government and/or with other stakeholders.  
• Understanding of Gender Issues - Is working to develop a stronger integration of gender issues in discussions of economic growth, at the analytical and operational level.  
• Excellent analytical and quantitative skills including a strong econometrics background, and the ability to use STATA;
• Fieldwork experience in Nigeria (or elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa) executing impact evaluations or conducting similar research, including survey design and implementation, required.  
• Excellent project management skills;
• Behavioral competencies that facilitate dialogue with government, country partners and country teams, including listening skills, capacity development skills, and ability to adapt advice to the local institutional realities;
• Written and Verbal Communication - Delivers information effectively in support of team or workgroup;  
• Drive for Results - Takes personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results and has the personal organization to do so. Takes personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to queries, requests or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.
• 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 - Actively seeks knowledge needed to complete assignments and shares knowledge with others, communicating and presenting information in a clear and organized manner.  
• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Analyzes facts and data to support sound, logical decisions regarding own and others' work.  
• Client Orientation - Takes personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to client queries, requests or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.