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Senior Operations Officer (Senior Policy Officer, Health)- Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Job #: 120903
Title: Senior Operations Officer (Senior Policy Officer, Health)
Job Stream: Investment
Location: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Closing Date: 05/13/2012


Background / General description:
Improving the Investment Climate in Africa is one of three core priorities of the IFC strategy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Investment Climate Advisory Services in Africa are implemented jointly by IFC’s Private Enterprise Partnership for Africa (PEP Africa) and the Investment Climate Department (CIC). PEP Africa is the Regional Advisory Services facility for IFC in Africa. This joint Investment Climate Advisory Services team in Africa comprises staff based in the hub offices of Nairobi, Dakar and Johannesburg and across the continent, working with a team of product specialists in Washington DC and Istanbul. Some of these staff are mapped to CIC, others to PEP Africa and they work together as a single Investment Climate Team, drawing on the expertise and experience of both units. The team’s objective is for Africa to become the world region producing the most investment climate reforms. The programs focus on a range of investment climate reforms, including business registration and licensing, investment promotion, inspection reform, business taxation, trade logistics, regulatory governance and special economic zones.

As part of its strategy, the Investment Climate Business Line is increasingly working on specific sectors and has been engaged in the health sector in Africa since 2009, as part of IFC’s Health in Africa (“HiA”) initiative. HiA aims to: (i) step up engagement and support of Africa’s private health sector, through new financing instruments (e.g. regional equity funds and lines of credit); (ii) conduct identified country level operational analysis and provide Technical Assistance (TA) to support agreed policy and regulatory reforms, leading to stronger private sector engagement with the government which contributes to social goals in countries; and, (iii) develop and adapt a set of statistical indicators to benchmark country performance on private sector engagement effectiveness across countries.

This program, which receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other key partners, is aligned with the World Bank Group’s Health, Nutrition, and Population 2007 strategy which prioritizes health systems strengthening, including specifically strengthening the framework for public-private collaboration in Bank client countries. The strategy notes the need to build the World Bank’s capacity to support clients with analytical and technical assistance support related to the private health sector – an area where it has not traditionally engaged clients.

HiA is now seeking to add a Senior Policy Officer to its existing policy advisory team to focus on its work in Francophone Africa. Initial countries of focus will be Mali, Burkina Faso and Congo (Brazzaville). Work has already commenced in these three countries.

Duties and Accountabilities:
Key tasks to be undertaken by the Senior. Policy Officer will include, but not be limited to:

• Leading HiA policy operations in Mali, Burkina Faso and Congo, providing first line guidance and supervision for Short Term Consultants (STCs) based in Congo and Mali, working closely with the HiA Program Manager based in Nairobi and the Investment Climate staff in Dakar.

• Initiating and supporting discussions with health and finance ministers, senior civil servants, private sector stakeholders, and other policy makers and regulators to understand their public and private sector objectives and to identify and develop ways in which the World Bank Group (WBG) may provide technical assistance to help meet those objectives.

• Working with governments, the private sector, the World Bank regional and global Human Development (HD) units, relevant IFC units and other development partners to identify key opportunities for policy and regulatory reform, public-private partnerships, and other areas where governments might act to better leverage the private health care sector in Francophone Africa.

• Work closely with World Bank HD colleagues to incorporate private sector components into World Bank lending; help design and supervise these components.

• Developing and implementing projects, including documenting and supervising such projects, that result from the collaboration and interaction described above.

• Ensuring that all projects comply with IFC/WBG quality standards and that input and guidance is obtained from appropriate departments and expertise within WBG.

• Act as deputy program manager on HiA, helping lead on resource mobilization efforts, collaboration with development partners, financial reporting, M&E, communications, etc.

Selection Criteria:
• A minimum of a Master’s degree in public health, public policy, international affairs, or business.

• At least 10 years of experience in policy development, private sector development, or management consulting, preferably in the health sector.

• Strong leadership, organizational, research, and oral presentation skills.

• Good understanding of policy making in developing countries and economic development issues.

• Proven ability to work cross-sector, with experience advising both governments and the private sector.

• Proven ability to work in a team and multicultural environment, with minimal supervision and to deliver high quality work within deadlines, and to meet team objectives.

• Hands-on and action-oriented approach.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and French.

• Enthusiasm for and commitment to development work.

• Willing to travel to remote areas.

• Field experience in developing countries is a plus.

Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

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