Program Coordinator, Juba, South Sudan
Background / General description:
The concept of a South Sudan Partnership Fund (SSPF) originates with the agreements reached by the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GRSS) and its development partners during the Washington Conference. At this event, participants highlighted their commitment to a 'New Deal' compact establishing a new development partnership with the Government taking responsibility to drive the development process and its donors to improve aid effectiveness.
The objective of the SSPF is to support sustainable state and local government-led service delivery and economic diversification by strengthening and using Government's systems and institutions. The fund would provide for a resource pooling mechanism with the involvement of multiple donors and with the purpose of supporting both capacity building as well as investments. It would focus on building state and local capacity for service delivery, reducing the dependency on substitution systems managed by NGOs. The potential size of the pooled funding arrangement would be around $100 million a year, with the intention to disburse about $50 million in the first year. It would be designed as a pilot of four years' duration but with the intent for the initiative to become a long-term facility.
The GRSS' vision of the principles guiding this pooled funding arrangements include:
- Activities to be funded by the SSPF should build on the comparative advantage of the use of pooled resources in order to improve coordination and harmonization (while lowering transaction costs)
- The SSPF should support the reinforcement of the government's institutions mandates and various levels for service delivery and infrastructure
- The fund should strive to achieve a balance between quick-gains and long-term needs
- Activities with very wide implementation scope will be avoided, as well as low priority will be given to initiatives with thinly spread which would dilute the funds impact
- All funding will be complementary and coordinated with other donors' projects and programs
- The SSPF will maintain long term relevance through a scope broad enough to accommodate the evolving government's policy priorities and capacity building needs
A Secretariat, located within government, will support the SSPF's governing body, known as the Oversight Committee (OC). The role of the Secretariat is to coordinate SSPF allocation planning, proposal development, implementation, monitoring, and reporting. In order to fulfill these functions, the Secretariat will work closely with implementing line ministries and State Governments. The Secretariat will also organize OC meetings, prepare agendas for review by the Chairperson, develop and circulate documents for consideration by the OC, draft meeting minutes, maintain the OC's record, and generally ensure the efficient functioning of the Committee. The Secretariat would consist of a limited number of staff with the possibility of seconded professionals from partner agencies, donors and/or the GRSS. The Program Coordinator will report directly to the Program Manager and be accountable to the AFCE4 Country Director, Africa Region, World Bank.
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 3 year term appointment.
Duties and Accountabilities:
Coordinating SSPF operations including
- Collecting and organizing SSPF data in collaboration with the Fund's trustee
- Preparing briefing and presentation materials on the SSPF for various audiences, including GRSS counterparts and the South Sudan Country Office.
- Monitoring the SSPF portfolio including project status, disbursement rates and performance
- Keeping track of the SSPF Secretariat's budget status and preparing an annual budget for review by the Oversight Committee
- Recording minutes at Oversight Committee meetings.
Providing support to the SSPF Secretariat, including
- Supporting the development of the strategic staffing plan for the SSPF Secretariat
- Assisting the GRSS in recruiting personnel according to the staffing plan
- Providing support for developing and finalizing an operations manual
- Assisting the Program Manager in managing the inputs and performance of Secretariat staff that are recruited through the World Bank.
Supporting all aspects of coordination including
- Liaising with GRSS representatives and acting as a focal point to facilitate the Government's interaction with the SSPF
- Acting as a focal point for existing and potential implementing agencies in order to facilitate their engagement with the SSPF
- Ensuring that the SSPF input is fed into discussions amongst the international community on issues of significance in South Sudan
- Fostering and maintaining on-going working relationships with international agencies in South Sudan that can be leveraged for coordination purposes
- Providing the Program Manager with regular updates on the development of discussions amongst international agencies on key reconstruction issues.
Maintaining relations with SSPF donors and potential donors by
- Serving as the focal point for existing and potential donors who are seeking information on the SSPF
- Identifying potential new donors, especially among international NGOs, foundations and the private sector
- Regularly canvassing active donors to ensure that the Secretariat is aware of their relevant interests and concerns, and that they are informed about the SSPF's contributions to reconstruction.
Team management and support
- Supporting the Program Manager in ensuring smooth daily operations of the SSPF
- Managing and supporting the Team Assistant in execution of tasks to ensure quality control
- Designing and implementing activities to encourage team building and greater team cohesion
- Acting on behalf of the Program Manager, when required, on matters regarding the operations of the SSPF in South Sudan.
- Cross Support
- Providing operational assistance to support projects and activities within the World Bank's portfolio in South Sudan
Selection Criteria:
- Master's degree in public policy, business administration, development finance, project/program management, or a related discipline plus 8 years of relevant experience (see below).
- Broad experience in, and knowledge of, post-conflict states, multi-donor trust fund management, economic development, development partnerships, development project operations, and/or development finance.
- Demonstrated track record in developing and managing partnerships within the development community, including developing country governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector.
- Strong interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to successfully nurture and maintain client relationships.
- Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse group of constituencies (verbal and written).
- Strong organizational and diplomatic skills with an ability to obtain productive results from a diverse set of international and South Sudanese partners.
- Experience in team building and management.
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