Senior Governance Officer

AfDB - African Development Bank

Yaounde, Cameroon

THE POSITION:

The Senior Governance Officer will be responsible for the origination, processing, supervision and general portfolio management of governance sector operations. These operations include budget support/program based operations and institutional support projects as well as targeted diagnostic works with a focus on building effective institutions that promote equity, transparency and accountability in the management of public resources. He/She will also participate in conducting country level policy dialogue on key governance issues. He/She is expected to provide specialist advice and inputs to the Bank Group’s operational activities through review of technical design and institutional arrangements for governance projects/programmes proposed for Bank’s funding and assessing their feasibility from the perspective of present and future impact. He/She will also contribute to building partnerships and strengthening initiatives in the area of governance. The work accomplished will contribute to realizing the Bank’s governance work programme as it relates to the implementation of the Bank’s High Fives priorities: Feed Africa; Light-up Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the lives of the people of Africa.

KEY FUNCTIONS:

Under the supervision and guidance of the Division Manager, the Senior Governance Officer will:

Strategy and Planning:

Contribute towards the development of country and sector level policy and strategies for economic governance issues in Regional Member Countries (RMCs) in consultation with relevant government agencies and country offices;
Support policy dialogue with Government officials and development partners on governance policy and reforms;
Contribute to the preparation of policy statements, papers, briefs and various reports on economic governance issues;
Contribute to the preparation of Regional Integration Strategy Papers, Country Strategy Papers and Country Policy and Institutional Assessments towards ensuring Governance and economic management issues are incorporated and adequately addressed;
Represent the Bank in its engagement with development partners on the macroeconomic framework for the country.

Project Management:

Provide support to Bank teams for the preparation and implementation of program-based operations and institutional support projects at the country and regional levels;
Manage an active country portfolio of projects/programs, to ensure timely implementation according to agreed objectives;
Involve all relevant stakeholders including RMCs' governments, other development partners and concerned parties (including civil societies) or other stakeholders in project cycle activities;
Ensure key technical, economic, financial and crosscutting issues are incorporated into projects.

Sector Economic Work and Knowledge Sharing:

Undertake reviews, analysis and reporting of economic management initiatives of Governments, ensuring that these are considered in the design and implementation of programs;
Contribute towards the preparation of analytical and diagnostic work in Governance and public financial management systems;
Contribute to strengthening of coordination with other development partners working in this field, and act as focal person for country level engagements in these areas;
Contribute to activities of advocacy, dissemination and knowledge building around sector issues, public financial management, tax policy, public expenditures;
Represent the Bank in conferences, seminars and national workshops, participate in events, meetings and sector groups related to Governance work and provide regular reports to the Country Manager and Sector Manager.

Staff Supervision:

Supervise consultants.

COMPETENCIES (skills, experience and knowledge):

Hold at least a Master degree in Economics, Public administration, Governance/Political Science, Law or related disciplines;
Minimum of five (5) years of experience in governance, economic management, policy formulation, revenue management, public expenditure or related areas, Strong experience and proven track record in the design and delivery of operations (including investment projects and policy based operations), as well as project management;
Experience implementing projects with public sector institutions and/or bilateral and multilateral development finance institutions;
Proven sense of initiative, results orientation, team work and ability to work effectively across a diverse team, with colleagues often based in different geographical locations.
In-depth understanding of governance and economic management issues;
Familiarity with operational policies and programming practices of multilateral organisations;
Demonstrated networking skills, and an ability to coordinate interests of diverse stakeholders;
Ability to apply innovative approaches, work independently and apply new methods to solve problems, while remaining efficient in a fast-paced, changing and challenging institutional environment;
Strong interrogative skills- Anticipate needs and requests and able to conduct independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and support strategic thinking on governance and economic management;
Ability to collaborate within teams and across boundaries;
Ability to succeed in multi-cultural environment;
Ability to work under pressure, prioritize work, and handle multiple tasks simultaneously;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language;
Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office Suite applications and Knowledge of SAP highly desirable.