Research Analyst, Washington

 

Closing date: Tuesday, 19 April 2016

Research Analyst
Washington, DC
As one of the premier global development organizations, the World Bank
Group (WBG) consists of five organizations that share the same twin goals to align the WBG's activities around our mission – a world free of poverty. The first goal is to reduce extreme poverty to 3% by 2030. The second is to promote shared prosperity by fostering income growth of the bottom 40% of the population in every country.
The Development Finance (DFi) Vice Presidency is responsible for the management and oversight of the World Bank development finance instruments, which include paid-in capital to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), grant contributions from development partners for IDA and IBRD Trust Funds (TFs), and Financial Intermediary Funds (FIFs) in which WBG organizations play a diverse range of roles.
The Development Partner Relations (DPR) Department within DFi was established in July 2014 to strengthen strategic engagement with funding partners across all financial instruments and across the WBG, in close collaboration with the Global Practices (GPs) and Cross-Cutting Solutions Areas (CCSAs), Regional Vice Presidency Units (VPUs), the International Affairs Office (IAO in the Europe and Central Asia VPU), other Central Units, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
DPR's primary objectives Include

• Developing a more coordinated, systematic, and strategic approach to fundraising across the WBG, including promoting a one-WBG approach and greater complementarity/leverage across all funding instruments (IDA/IBRD, TFs and FIFs);
• Facilitating information flow and dialogue around fundraising, including around strategic priorities;
• Providing leadership and guidance to management teams and staff on fundraising issues;
• Developing a corporate resource mobilization strategy and corresponding governance to maximize the potential for resources and development impact for client countries while ensuring alignment with the WBG strategy and priorities;
• Strengthening relationships with existing funding partners and developing relationships with new partners; and
• Positioning the WBG as a partner of choice.

Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 2 year term appointment.
Background / General description
The department intends to hire a Research Analyst to provide overall support for the implementation of the DPR work program, in particular with regard to the following duties and tasks

• Provide strategic communications support to strengthen internal and external messaging around activities implemented throughout the department, including messaging related to strategic consultations and other partner engagement activities, meetings and events around the Annual and Spring Meetings, dissemination of business intelligence, or related to the strengthened governance around strategic fundraising;
• Develop analytical products on development partners, including comprehensive portfolio reviews, analyses of trends in development cooperation policies, organizational structures, as well as the geographic, thematic, and financial trends in their development cooperation efforts, including ODA trends;
• Undertake a wide range of more general analytical and research assignments focusing on Development Partner strategies, global aid flows and aid architecture as well as WBG resource mobilization activities;
• Contribute as needed to high level strategic consultations and other development partner engagement events, including by drafting communications, developing presentations and other background materials, capturing key takeaways, and coordinating organizational matters;
• Support the various Development Partner Coverage Teams, including keeping track of meeting schedules, handle general communications with the various teams, participate in select DPCT meetings, prepare meeting minutes and ensure follow-up; this will require close coordination with IFC DPR as well as ECR;
• Participate in the drafting of briefs, summaries, working papers and other program management, reporting and promotional materials that may be required to meet Department objectives; and provide overall strategic communications support to the various teams in DPR;
• Contribute to the development and management of tools to capture and share development partner intelligence with colleagues across the WBG, such as the DPR DP Insights platform and the Fundraising Focal Point Community, as well as the DPDashboard;
• Collaborate on the design and implementation of reports, processes and systems (including the quarterly FAcT Report) to help increase transparency and facilitate fundraising coordination across the WBG; help in the analysis of incentives in terms of strategic fundraising across the WBG.

Duties and Accountabilities
Qualifications

• Understanding of overall trends in international development finance; familiarity with partner country aid agencies, political economy and motivation behind international development cooperation;
• Experience working on international development projects with multiple partners/client relationship management, or public relations;
• Strong research and analytical (qualitative and quantitative) skills;
• Quantitative and data analysis skills, including using Excel and other data analysis (Pivot Tables)/data visualization tools (Tableau);
• Excellent writing and editing skills in English, with an ability to convey complex ideas clearly and succinctly;
• Ability to research, analyze and synthesize information, interpret data, retrieve information, and clearly and concisely present results; and
• Ability to produce quality work with a high degree of accuracy, handle changes in priorities and coordinate work on multiple tasks.

Education and previous work experience

• Master's degree or equivalent in international economic relations, development economics, finance, public administration or related fields;
• Minimum of two years of previous work experience in development projects, preferably with bilateral aid agency, NGO or a multilateral institution; and
• Previous experience working with the WBG would be an advantage, as well as previous experience working with the private sector and/or other MDBs.

Selection Criteria