Description
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.
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External and Corporate Relations Vice-Presidency (ECR): The mission of External and Corporate Relations (ECR) is to help deliver financial and political support for the World Bank Group, strengthen the Bank Group’s role as a global thought leader in development by enhancing and safeguarding its reputation, and supporting operational teams to achieve country outcomes. ECR manages corporate communications and global engagement with key stakeholders, including media, civil society, foundations, private sector, donor countries, and international organizations, as well as employee engagement. ECR also manages strategic communications for the World Bank’s Regions and Global Practices and leads the management of reputation risk.
Country Context
Guinea is one of the most, well-endowed countries in Africa. It has an abundance of natural resources, including enormous agricultural and hydro-electrical potential, as well as a variety of large mineral deposits, specifically bauxite and iron ore. Its population, totaling 12.6 million and growing at 3.1 percent annually, is increasingly urban and overwhelmingly young. More than one-third of the population is estimated to live in urban areas, while over 40 percent of the population is under the age of 14. Overall, the poverty rate has decreased from 55.2 percent in 2012 to 43 percent in 2019.
The World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for 2018-2023 aims to support Guinea to implement a long-term development agenda of reducing extreme poverty and enhancing shared prosperity. The CPF focuses mainly on improving governance systems, fostering accelerated, equitable and diversified growth, and improving human capital. The Performance and Learning Review of the CPF conducted in June 2021 proposed some adjustments, mainly to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and Ebola resurgence in the country. The current portfolio includes 25 active projects, for a total commitment of $1.145 billion, and covering various sectors including energy, health, macroeconomics, agriculture, social protection, etc.
The External Communications Africa West and Central (ECRAW) unit employs an extended team of professionals in World Bank Headquarters and across country offices, including Guinea, to support the overarching goal of advancing inclusive growth in Western and Central Africa. ECRAW uses the full array of communications tools and methodologies to build awareness and understanding and to mobilize support for development goals.
Work programs cover dissemination through traditional and online media, relationship building, analysis of political and project risks, and design of programs to manage those risks. A strategic renewal within ECRAW emphasizes closer alignment with operations in the region, and coordination with the World Bank’s External Affairs network, to ensure its services are critical to regional and corporate priorities, and that they employ state-of-the art communications tools to disseminate information, build understanding, and connect the World Bank to a variety of actors involved in poverty reduction and development.
Recognizing that Africa’s economic and social context is rapidly changing, and that communications technologies have revolutionized the ways that information travels, ECRAW is building a team of dynamic and innovative professionals prepared to use traditional and digital tools, including social media and multi-media production, to shape the debate on development priorities and trade-offs.
Roles & Responsibilities:
The External Affairs Officer plans, develops, and implements effective communications and outreach strategies to support the WBG’s corporate, internal, and operational priorities, using the full range of modern communications tools including social media, digital publishing, and multi-media production. It is critical that the External Affairs Officer be equipped to gauge risks associated with complex projects and to design and implement strategies to minimize those risks. She/He will work closely with the World Bank Country Manager and the Country Team working on Guinea.
He will be part of the Bank’s External and Corporate Relations team for Western and Central Africa (ECRAW) and will be based in Conakry. She/He will report to the ECRAW Manager, and under the supervision of the Senior External Affairs Officer based in Washington, DC, and Lead for the Communications team for the Cote d’Ivoire Management Unit (grouping Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea and Togo).
The External Affairs Officer’s specific duties and accountabilities include:
Strategies: Responsible for significant portions of planning, designing, and implementing strategies to promote effective communications and engagement with external and internal audiences on Bank-financed operations, research products, and campaigns. Helps determine the most effective content and communications interventions to address particular challenges and highlight results, and the most effective channels to communicate these
Risk management: On high-risk operations in the country, She/He will monitor perceptions, track shifts in opinion, and respond to inquiries, while sharing information and updating on key facts about project goals and milestones. She/He should be able to interact with operations staff and project teams, organizing meetings with media, civil society and relevant stakeholders as appropriate.
Political economy analysis: The External Affairs Officer should be able to take the pulse of the socio-political landscape and development in the country and advise country teams, by producing regular political economy analysis and updates, especially during election years and during socio-political crisis. She/He should indicate how these could affect WBG operations.
Relationships management: She/He should identify key opinion leaders and influential institutions and organizations in Guinea (faith-based organizations, business associations, media outlets, etc.) and develop an engagement strategy to interact with them on a regular basis. She/She is responsible for convening these stakeholder groups for consultations and structured dialogues around World Bank-funded projects, knowledge outputs, and country development priorities.
Communications products: She/He is responsible for planning and delivering a range of communications products on the Bank’s operational goals, results and knowledge. Outputs include (inter alia) press releases, op-eds to, web features, results stories and videos, brochures, Q&As, fact sheets, briefing notes, speeches, etc. She/He is also responsible for updating the World Bank’s internal and external websites for Guinea (https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/guinea).
Media monitoring and analysis (social and traditional media). She/He is responsible for the daily media monitoring and analyzing news articles that are relevant to the WBG presence and activities in Guinea.
Events Coordination: She/He is responsible for coordinating communications activities and events ranging from press conferences to large seminars and town hall meetings, involving external and/or internal audiences.
Technical and advisory support: She/He will advise Bank managers (mainly Country Manager, Country Operations Officer, ECRAW Manager) and project teams on trends, news developments, or changing circumstances that may impact the WBG and its work and will help determine strategic responses. She/He will provide regular communication support to WBG operational teams and government implementing agencies to assure that project goals are well-explained and that affected stakeholders are engaged at all stages.
Selection Criteria
Master’s degree with 5 years of relevant experience in a relevant discipline (communication, journalism, international affairs or other related fields)
Understanding of the development context in Guinea.
Excellent written and spoken command of French, good working skills in English, and the ability to convey complex ideas in a creative, clear, direct, and lively style
Proven knowledge of visual communications principles and fluency with design softwares.
Strong writing skills; ability to work under minimum supervision to prepare and edit simple online communication products and develop drafts of moderately complex products in a clear, concise, and web-friendly style.
Acute eye for detail.
Understands project management concepts sufficiently to propose and develop drafts of online communications plans and strategies with minimal supervision; can apply standard project management tools, methodologies, and processes; is able to identify and mitigate project risks as well as manage project issues.
Experience working in an international organization and on development issues.
In-depth knowledge of international trends and political/economic issues related to development
Strong diplomatic, interpersonal, and teamwork skills; sensitivity to working in a multicultural environment.
Well established media and CSO network ..
World Bank Group Core Competencies
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
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