Principal Country Programme Officer at African Development Bank - AfDB

Position Number: 50066262 / 50097469
Location: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire / Cotonou, Benin
Position Grade: PL4

The Complex

• The Vice-Presidency for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery is responsible for operational relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of the Bank Group’s operational programs, and activities.
• The Vice Presidency for Regional Development will ensure that the Bank operates successfully across its Regional Member Countries and oversee the full implementation of all aspects of the Bank’s Regional Directorates.
• Within regional development, integration and business delivery complex the Bank has five (5) regional hubs one in each region: South Africa, North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, and Central Africa. Each Regional Hub is headed by a Director General.

The Hiring Department

• The various Country Office falls within one of the five (5) Regions of the Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Hubs. The Hub oversees a combination of country and liaison offices, as well as non-presence countries.
• The Director General is accountable of the specific African region. Each Hub will house relevant operations, business development and project implementation functions and administrative capabilities in a shared service for rapid deployment into the individual countries, to help drive the overall business of the Bank effectively on the ground.
• Country Offices of the African Development Bank have been established to strengthen policy dialogue between the Bank, Governments and other stakeholders; improve performance of the project portfolio and aid coordination with other development partners.

The Position

• The principal country programme officer will work closely with the Director General (DG) or the Country Manager to support Programme Implementation and Monitoring, the Country Program Officer provides facilitation to review, examine and evaluate the organization's objectives, structure, procedures, policies and management systems.
• This is achieved through the evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of organizational programs, applying techniques such as management, organizational analysis, methods & procedures studies.
• The job also conducts planning and analyses of program and budget proposals to ensure conformity with the organization's work program, strategic focus and budgetary objectives. Periodic reports to management summarizing findings and recommendations for changes based on these analyses are undertaken.
• The primary role of a Country Program Officer is to ensure a healthy and performing portfolio in the assigned Country. The Incumbent serves as the professional expert to support the DG or the Country Manager with multiple work program and project activities.  The role requires the continuous follow-ups with relevant task managers and prepare Country or Regional Portfolio improvement plans.
• As Country Program Officer, the incumbent provides advice and guides strategic planning through strategic analysis and results frameworks within the assigned country. The incumbent supports and provides input for the design and development of work programs/projects and activities based on the approved Complex strategy and results framework and provide expertise for budgeting of resources.

Key Functions
Under the supervision of the DG or the Country Manager, the Country Programme Officer undertakes the following duties and responsibilities:

• Preparation of reports - Prepare on a quarterly basis, a summary of the Quarterly Portfolio Report for the DG or the Country Manager.
• Prepare on a monthly basis a synthesis of the implementation of the department work program and highlight the bottlenecks and proposed solutions.
• Monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the monthly portfolio flashlight reports.
• Budget Management - As Budget Coordinator or focal person to the department, play a coordination role for the preparation of the departmental work program and related budget jointly with Country Economists and Country Program Officers.
• Coordination - Coordinate the departmental submission through the use of the BRAG tool in coordination with country office CPOs.
• Coordinate overall portfolio management and operations programming.
• Monitoring - Follow-up and manage portfolio and operational activities.
• Follow-up on BDEV and project audit recommendations and requirements of the Board.
• Project & Work Program Management - Work with Sector Experts responsible for specific projects to ensure that solution to pending projects problems are resolved, and additionally serve as Secretary to the Country Team.
• Relationship Management - Serve as a corporate relationship manager for the Bank at the level of the Regional Hub.
• Serve as the focal point and spokesman on operational issues between the Regional Hub and external constituencies and borrowers.
• Compliance Management - Ensure that activity reports and audit reports comply with Bank requirements and are submitted on time.
• Ensure that the recommendations of supervision, portfolio review and audit missions are implemented.
• 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 and support the work of Sector staff in undertaking country portfolio performance review processes with the Government and other Development Partners.
• Undertake quality control of key documents, participate in dialogue with Government, Regional or Country Economic Communities as required, and follow up on agreed actions.
• Support the DG or the Country Manager in ensuring country office team members actions comply with Bank Ethics, Regulations, Policies and guidance.
• Provide input to the preparation portfolio related to country briefs for Annual Meetings and other briefs to Management.

Coordination of Non-Lending Activities:

• Advice the DG or the Country Manager on strategic options as required to improve revenue generation and/or cost efficiencies. Work closely with the DG or the Country Manager and provide input to the yearly business planning and budgeting process, by considering the assigned Country’s needs & advising to ensure that work programmes are well constructed and aligned with Bank’s priorities that include but are not limited to income generation & operational priorities.
• Provide support in administering the Analytic and Advisory Activities and lending operations at various stages of preparation and provide inputs on such documentation. This function focuses on reviewing and assessing concept notes, draft appraisal reports, other operations documents and final outputs.

Stakeholder Management:

• Under the guidance of the DG or the Country Manager, establish and strategically manage solid working relationships with the assigned country’s government, international development agencies, clients and key stakeholders.
• Support the DG or the Country Manager to manage communications and ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover products.
• Actively support the DG or the Country Manager to manage relationships with government and other Development Partners (DPs).
• Advises on and lead initiatives and strategies to foster effective and strong relationships with Government, Private Sector and Development Partners.
• Lead the Country portfolio performance review process with the relevant RECs/Government and other Development Partners that include responsibility for quality control of key documents, taking part in dialogue with RECs/Government and following up on agreed actions.
• Advise the client on issues that may impact the achievement of project outcomes (including issues of sustainability and post project requirements such as maintenance).

Knowledge Management:

• Actively interact with task managers/relevant Bank units and the PIUs/government agencies to share case studies, lessons learned and best practice on the portfolio management.
• Provide feedback to the DG or the Country Manager on Bank policies, strategies and operational procedures, with an aim towards continuous improvement of Bank policies implementation.
• Incorporate lessons learned in project development and implementation.

AfDB Visibility:

• Support the Country’s efforts to improve the Bank’s visibility in the region.
• Represent and provide visibility when and where required for and including through organizing/participating in high profile events such as senior level visits, interviews, seminars, business events and conferences.

Quality Management:

• Focus on ensuring high quality and performance of the Country’s portfolio.
• Ensure all reports and submissions are timely and of high quality.
• Work jointly with relevant country teams and managers to meet KPI assigned targets; and
• Play a key role and advise within the assigned Country on economic, political, social and other developments relevant to the Bank’s operations in the country.
• Championing the Complex / Regional mandate and purpose – Provide a direct and indirect operational support that contributes to the Region or Country output and mandate of the Complex.

Competencies (Skills, Experience and Knowledge)

• Hold at least a Master’s Degree in Economics, Social Sciences, Engineering, Agriculture / Forestry, Business Administration, Public Administration or related field, and knowledge of development issues.
• Have a minimum of six (6) 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 the public service.
• Experience in the practice of procurement of goods/works, and the acquisition of consultancy services under donor funding conditions.
• Experience working in a team in a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary, international and professional environment.
• Relevant and required experience gained on the African continent.
• Experience gained within multilateral development finance institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in the preparation and implementation of operations in a multilateral financial institution.

Behavioral Competencies:

• 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

Technical Competencies
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.
• Ability to identify and create meaningful linkages across sectors
• Operational Effectiveness skills using all the systems, procedures and culture within the organization for required results delivery.

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 work under pressure in a multicultural and distributed organization.
• Client and results orientation, with strong analytical and communication (both verbally and in writing) skills, responsiveness, sense of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to build successful teams, relationships and partnerships with a broad range of clients, internal and external, for effective delivery of results that meet the needs and long-term interests of clients within and outside the institution.

Managerial / Leadership Competencies:

• Ability to provide comprehensive thought Leadership on Programme Delivery and related issues
• Mentorship/Coaching Skills
• People Management skills

Ability:

• Communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of standard MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint).