Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org
The Gambia is the smallest country on the African mainland. It stretches 450 km along the Gambia River. Its 11,285 sq. km area is surrounded by Senegal, except for a 60 km Atlantic Ocean front. Although the smallest country on the African continent, The Gambia harbors a wealth of land, coastal, marine and wetland habitats and species of local, national, regional and global significance, making it an attractive tourist destination. Due to its unique geographic location, it is also a hub for trade in the region.
The country has a population of 2.4 million, with a high average rate of growth of 2.8% per year over the last decade. With 177 people per square kilometer, The Gambia is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. Most of the population (57%) is concentrated around urban and peri-urban centers. The main languages are English, Mandinka, Fula, Wolof, and Jola, and 90% of Gambians are Muslim.
The Gambia is a small economy that relies primarily on tourism, agriculture and remittances inflows, and is vulnerable to external shocks. The COVID-19 crisis resulted in a sharp economic downturn in 2020, reversing the good economic growth witnessed over the last years. Tourism came to a standstill, which seriously impeded growth in services, and GDP growth dropped to -0.2 percent in 2020 (-3.1 percent in per capita terms) compared to a pre-COVID projection of 6.3 percent. As the global economy starts to recover, growth is projected to rise to 4 percent in 2021 and 6 percent in 2022 (1.1 percent and 3.1 percent in per capita terms respectively) but remaining below pre-pandemic levels, and to average 6.3 percent between 2023-2025.
The Gambia is still undergoing a period of great uncertainty caused by its ongoing transition from the autocratic rule of the previous government, unfinished transition process, and uneven pace of needed political, legal, and economic reforms; all compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. While major progress toward restoring democratic governance and respect for the rule of law has been achieved, setting the country on a new development path, it will be critical to ensure macro-fiscal stability, strengthen public service delivery, diversify the economy and build human capital.
Duties and Responsibility
The Operations Officer position is based in Banjul Country Office with primary responsibility of supporting the Resident Representative, Country Director and Operations Manager with respect to the performance of the existing portfolio and ensuring its strategic alignment with the Country Partnership Framework. The Operations Officer supports the Resident Representative, Country Director, Operations Manager and Sector Leaders to conduct country-specific monitoring and reporting on the existing lending and non-lending activities in the portfolio, and to identify and resolve country-specific implementation issues. The Operations Officer maintains up-to-date information on portfolio performance (IDA, ASAs, and trust funds) of the country in close collaboration with the Senior Operations Officer based in Washington. The Operations Officer is a member of the Country Management Team which meets frequently to share information and resolve all relevant operational and administrative issues in the country office.
Specific duties include:
Take the lead on portfolio management, monitoring, identify and analyze bottlenecks for projects implementation including conducting periodic portfolio monitoring sessions with Government project coordination units, country portfolio performance reviews and regular analysis of operational performance, quality and trends.
•Coordinate with other Operations Officers in the Country Management Unit and participate in the preparation of a Monthly Portfolio Report. The report monitors lending, non-lending activities, trust funds, and other key portfolio performance indicators. The report is shared with the Country Team.
•Monitors and facilitates timely delivery on various milestones during the project cycle, including with respect to project closing and reporting.
•Provide problem solving advice to task team leaders and the implementation support team (comprising financial management, procurement and safeguards specialists) and interact with government counterparts to facilitate action needed to address challenges facing operations.
•Support the Resident Representative organize Clinics periodically with task team leaders and program leaders to discuss and find solutions to the ongoing concerns, anticipate potential future problems/bottlenecks and share good practices.
•Ensure teamwork and cross-sectoral cooperation on program preparation and implementation and contribute to country team meetings and activities.
•Play a key role in the implementation of the Country Partnership Framework and monitor the implementation and performance of the Country Partnership Framework.
•Support the Country Director and Resident Representative preparing Country Partnership Framework Performance and Learning Review and Completion and Learning Review.
•Support and prepare briefing notes (e.g., for spring and annual meetings, senior management country visits, etc.) and other complex internal reports; and draft and review operational correspondence.
•Make substantive contributions to The Gambia sector strategies, lending and non-lending programs.
•Liaise with the main government counterpart (Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs and other implementing ministries/agencies and project implementation units on operational matters.
•Review, and draft comments on Project Documents, Implementation Status Reports, Implementation and Completion Reports for the Resident Representative.
•In collaboration with the IFC country officer, the Operations Officer prepares a range of reports and briefs for regional and senior management including Spring and Annual Meetings briefs, visiting missions’ briefs and ad hoc briefs. (e.g. country briefings, background reports, case studies, portfolio performance reviews, etc.).
•Provide continuous case-by-case support to teams and the Implementation Support Team and provide operational support for problem or risky operations. To the extent possible, participate in operational missions and meetings and assist teams in resolution of difficult issues.
•The Operations Officer works closely and mentor junior staff on issues of portfolio management and monitoring.
•The Operations Officer will provide support to the management team.
•Review, comment on, and clear all outgoing correspondence; manage incoming correspondence.