EOI – Policy and Strategy Junior Consultant (SNSP) at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) – Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We invite suitably qualified candidates to indicate their interest in joining the Department in the capacity below:

Job Title: EOI – Policy and Strategy Junior Consultant (SNSP)

Location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Duration of the assignment: 6 months
Tentative Date of commencement: April 3, 2023
Consultant type: Individual Consultant
Department issuing the request: Strategy and Operational Policy Department

Brief description of the Assignment

• The main responsibility of the Consultant will be to support teams working on various policies, strategies and guidelines by providing analytical and logistical input. Analytical support will include carrying out background studies, collection and analysis of data and drafting.
• Logistical work will include organizing meetings, preparation of meeting reports and follow-ups. He/she will also provide support to the other workstreams of the Department.
• The Consultant’s assignment may be modified for other related tasks so long as they are consistent with his/her qualification and experience

Background
The Department:

• The Strategy and Operational Policies Department (SNSP) sits within the Senior VicePresidency complex of the Bank and is responsible for developing the corporate vision and the strategic perspectives for the Bank through formulating, revising and providing advice on operational policies and procedures.
• SNSP works across the institution, helping to ensure strategic and policy focus in decision-making, and improving alignment of resources with strategic priorities.
• SNSP is also mandated to contribute to the development of new ideas and concepts for corporate initiatives and also to advise the Bank on innovation and institutional efficiency-related matters. As part of its corporate assignments, SNSP provides regular inputs to the Bank review processes through the Senior Management Coordination Committee (SMCC) and the Bank’s Operations Committee (OpsCom).
• Finally, the Department is in charge of maintain and updating the Bank Group classification of its Regional Member Countries based on their eligibility to its concessional and non-concessional windows, taking full account of the countries creditworthiness and risk situation.
• As part of its 2023 Work Program, SNSP has committed to the completion of a number of deliverables under five main workstreams including:
  • The preparation of a Ten-Year Strategy (2023-2032);
  • Preparation and review of policy and guidelines for Bank support during emergencies and crisis
  • Preparation of an approach paper and proposal for providing project preparation advances to middle income countries (MICs),
  • Review of templates and assessment methodology for Country Strategy Paper (CSP) mid-term and completions reports; and
  • The execution of dissemination, capacity building and outreach activities.
• To this effect, SNSP is seeking the services of a Junior Consultant to support the activities under these workstreams.
• The Consultant is expected to work closely with the SNSP teams leading on these activities as well as with the other relevant Bank departments to deliver highquality Bank policy and operational documents.

Scope of the assignment
Under the general supervision of the Lead Strategy Advisor and the task managers for the different workstreams, the consultant will carry out the following specific activities:

• Provide technical and analytical support to task managers within the department on the formulation, review and dissemination of both corporate and sector policies, strategies, guidelines and manuals.
• Support analytical reviews and economic and sector works undertaken by the department as well as by operational and non-operational complexes where required, with the purpose of providing strategy/policy-based upstream support.
• Provide support in the development of guidance and training materials on policies, strategies and other guidance documents.
• Provide support in the preparation of credit risk assessment notes and updates on the graduation projection and calendar for regional member countries (RMCs).
• Coordination of consultation and outreach activities inside and outside the Bank.
• Contribute to the revision of the Bank Group operations manual (volumes 1 and 2).
• Undertake other relevant assignment as required.

Expected deliverables
The following key deliverables are expected for this assignment:

• High-quality inputs feeding into the review and preparation of the Bank’s policies, strategies, guidelines and other guiding documents.
• High-quality materials supporting consultation, dissemination and training-related activities for the Bank’s policies, strategies, manuals and other guiding documents.
• High-quality analytical and review notes on the Bank Group’s operations documents, economic and sector works, and other knowledge products.
• High-quality logistical support within and outside the Bank.

Qualifications and experience
SNSP is looking for a proactive candidate who is committed and driven to deliver highquality outputs. The key selection criteria for the position include the following:

• Master’s Degree in International Development, Development Economics,
  Economics, Finance, International Relations, International Law or related
  development fields and a broad knowledge in development issues in Africa.
• A minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5 years of relevant experience; combination of proven knowledge of policy issues around development and operational experience, with solid analytical skills; good understanding of the main development concepts and the specificities of Regional Members Countries (RMCs); previous experience working in an International Organization or a Multilateral Development Bank would be a plus.
• Citizen of a member country (regional or non-regional) of the AfDB.
• Less than 32 years’ age at the time of contract signature
• Strong ability to identify, analyze and synthesize conclusions into
• recommendations on strategy and policy-related documents, for country regional, operational and sector departments
• Demonstrated strong analytical skills, dynamism, results-orientation and problemsolving capability.
• Superior client relationship management skills and capacity to deliver high-quality  work within tight deadlines.
• Ability to support interaction with a wide range of target audiences and build and maintain successful relations with key stakeholders.
• Proven ability to take initiative, innovate, and adapt while responding to competing demands on multiple projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English or French, with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Proven ability to collaborate within teams and across departments, applying a practical approach to problem solving.
• Competence in the use of standard MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint), and good knowledge of operational management systems.
• Strong knowledge and background in the use of statistical and econometric methods and packages.

Duration and Location of the Assignment

• The consultant is expected to start on April 3, 2023 with a contract duration of 6 (six) calendar months, with possible extension.
• The Consultant shall report to the Lead Strategy
• Advisor and the Director, SNSP. Day-to-day management of the consultancy shall be assured by the Lead Strategy Advisor and task managers.
• The consultancy is expected to be based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and may require full-time presence in the Bank’s offices. However, due to the COVID-19 context, the Consultant will initially work remotely until such a time that the Bank will fully resume work physically.
• At that point, the Bank will inform the consultant as to when to assume office physically in Abidjan. Field missions might occasionally be required, as per Bank regulations.

Eligibility Criteria

• The position is open to nationals of the Member Countries of the AfDB. Interested applicants are requested to send an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Cover Letter. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and may be asked to participate in a skills assessment exercise.

Application and Evaluation Process
The prospective consultants’ expression of interest will be evaluated based on the following criteria and weights. Only consultants who will score more than 70% will be shortlisted and invited to submit a financial proposal:

Remuneration

• Remuneration will be commensurate with experience, in line with the Bank’s compensation guidelines. The consultancy fees will be paid on a monthly lump sum basis.
• In addition, for candidates who need to travel to take up this assignment, a round trip economy class airtickets with the shortest route will be provided.
• The candidate will be responsible for obtaining personal health insurance at his or her own cost.
• The coverage should include all medical expenses, including those resulting from illness or injury incurred during the duration of the assignment.

Application Closing Date
27th March, 2023 (17:00 GMT).

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates are required to express their interest by submitting their CV and Cover Letter detailing their qualifications and experiences to: h.majoul@afdb.org using “EOI – Policy and Strategy Junior Consultant (SNSP)” as the subject of the mail.

Click here for more information

Click here for the Job Description (PDF)

Note: Any questions and requests for clarifications may be sent to: h.majoul@afdb.org .