Economist - IFC

Background / General description:

Improving the investment climate in Africa is one of three core priorities of the IFC/World Bank Group strategy in Sub-Saharan Africa. IFC manages the Investment Climate Advisory Services of the World Bank Group, which comprise staff based in the regional hub offices of Nairobi, Dakar and Johannesburg and across the continent, who work with a team of product specialists based in Washington, DC and Istanbul. The Investment Climate Advisory Services have been supporting Sub-Saharan African countries to design and implement investment climate reform programs for nearly a decade, and have scaled up their efforts significantly in recent years.

The programs assist client countries to implement a range of investment climate reforms, including economy-wide reforms of aspects of business regulation, supporting international trade and investment, regional integration as well as addressing obstacles to private sector investment in leading industries, such as agribusiness, infrastructure, tourism and health. The team’s objective is to support African countries’ efforts to create a positive investment climate to increase their competitiveness and private sector investment.

The selected candidate will be expected to work in close coordination with the World Bank and IFC's Senior Investment Officer in the country, and with the investment climate team in Nairobi, Johannesburg, Dakar, Washington and Istanbul. The staff is also expected to participate in and contribute to the Investment Climate Advisory Services’ support to regional investment climate reforms.

Duties and Accountabilities:

The investment climate (IC) program in West Africa includes a strong focus on a major reform program for the regional investment code implemented by the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) secretariat. Initial legislative reforms have been made, and

further work will be done to revise and update further laws and to develop additional laws to foster the integration of the economies of the region. Supplementing this focus on reform of the legal code to establish a conducive investment climate and support deeper integration of the

economies in the region, it is important to ensure that the opportunities created by the early legal reforms are translated into real impacts in the local economies. The incumbent will be expected to provide the strategic and analytical underpinnings of implementation of the early reforms, and the roll out of others as they are adopted. The scope of activities will include the following:

• Lead the economic data analysis of each country in order to facilitate the design, implementation and monitoring of IC programs in West and Central Africa.

• Work with M&E team and country program teams to ensure each country team put in place monitoring and evaluation frameworks to measure the economic impact of each program, and gather information in a timely manner.

• Design and organize knowledge management tools to raise the awareness of program managers of the implementation of impactful programs.

• Coordinate with IFC strategy officers and World Bank country economists on the priority issues of each country, to put in place effective strategies to build on reforms made

• Explore research collaboration opportunities to analyze the impact of IC reform with academia in Africa and elsewhere.

• Work with Task Team Leaders (TTLs) to keep Country Program Fact Sheet current.

• Work with TTLs to prepare funding proposals for donors.

• Work with TTLs to prepare donor reports.

• Manage selected country programs

Selection Criteria:

• Advanced degree in microeconomics or business.

• Minimum 10 years’ professional experience, preferably working in complex multi-sectoral teams.

• Effective inter-personal, leadership, team player skills with the ability to maintain excellent client and donor relations.

• Prior experience in working in World Bank offices in Africa is desirable.

• Experience in developing and managing technical assistance, advisory services, and consultancy program.

• Strategic vision and strong advocacy skills including the ability to interface effectively with public and private sector leaders.

• Experience working in developing countries.

• Fluent in English and French; working knowledge of Portuguese is an advantage.

• Excellent writing skills

Women are particularly encouraged to apply. APPLY NOW