Fragility, Conflict and Violence Short Term Consultant at World Bank

Background

The World Bank Group (WBG) Country Partnership Framework (CPF) recognizes that The Gambia is at a critical juncture in its development trajectory and that the transition is not yet complete. Therefore, the CPF aims to scale up WBG assistance to accelerate the country’s transition out of fragility and build resilience, with additional support from the Turnaround Allocation to consolidate and accelerate gains achieved so far and capitalize on the Government’s commitment to addressing challenges and transitioning out of fragility, as outlined in the Government first ever Turnaround Strategy.

The Government’s strategy, which has benefited from cross-sectoral input—also from stakeholders outside government and from international partners—provides an anchor for the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) and for TAA eligibility in terms of a strong government recognition of, and commitment to, addressing drivers of fragility. It also represents a clear platform for emphasizing the alignment of the CPF focus areas with the key axes of the national approach (political stability and security; governance and transitional justice; environment, land and climate change; human capital development; and inclusive growth and economic stability).**

The World Bank has approved the Turnaround Allocation (TAA) for IDA 19 for The Gambia. These additional funds will be added to the IDA portfolio for the country portfolio and will be used to support the transition in The Gambia – through both ongoing operations (through a portfolio recalibration process), planned operations and Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA). The Gambia’s TAA eligibility will be reconfirmed annually through an annual review basis – against achievement and progress of the milestones outlined in the Government’s strategy.

Objectives and Activities

The objective of the requested services is to support The Gambia Country Management Unit (CMU), FCV country coordinator and relevant teams undertaking the TAA Annual Reviews and to ascertain that the milestones that the authorities have committed themselves to delivering, are being achieved on time. This will be done by:

· coordinating with all relevant Government institutions to establish a monitoring and reporting system to capture data correlating to TAA targets. This entails working in close collaboration, and through regular meetings with the dedicated Government-led Steering Committee and Technical Working Group, and other government ministries, departments and agencies to ensure that the data required to demonstrate indicator progress/achievement, is reliable, up to date and targeted/robust;

· monitoring of progress against milestones and indicators made as part of the Turnaround Allocation (TAA) eligibility process (and contained within the Government Turnaround Strategy and its associated monitoring framework). This entails recording any changes in the context as well as any challenges encountered in the reporting period. This information will be used to discuss and agree on updates to targets as may be needed;

· providing inputs to the TAA annual reviews, including drafting some sections of the reports, as agreed with the Task Team Leader (TTL);

· interacting with other international and regional partners, ECOMIG and UN agencies, and other international and regional partners, supporting the transition in The Gambia, to ensure that full details of their programming, relevant to the TAA are fully captured;

· supporting FCV analytical and communications work as necessary related to the various facets of the TAA, including the preparation of notes, briefs, presentations, talking points, speeches and any other relevant documents;

· providing, if needed, demand-driven support and specific contributions as determined by the TTL and the CMU;

· providing feedback from the World Bank to Government institutions in a coherent and coordinated manner and raise any potential issues to the attention of the World Bank in a timely manner.

Administrative Arrangements

The consultant will work under the supervision of the FCV Country Coordinator for The Gambia and the overall guidance of the Resident Representative, based in Banjul. S/he will collaborate with the CMU and with other relevant teams, as needed.

The consultant will be based in Banjul, The Gambia.

Timing and Resources

The selected consultant will be contracted for an initial period of 50 days, at a fee to be negotiated with the supervisor. The contract will comprise the Fiscal Year 2022 (until June 30, 2022).

Required Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will meet the following selection criteria:

· Master’s Degree in International Affairs, Political Science, Conflict Studies, Development, or related field.

· Minimum of 5 years of professional experience related to FCV contexts.

· Excellent knowledge and understanding of fragility dynamics in The Gambia.

· Experience working on development policies and projects gained in the field in FCV settings.

· Significant project management experience, strong organizational skills and the ability to manage the delivery of assignments within deadlines.

· Strong interpersonal, and team skills, with demonstrated ability to build strong networks and work with teams to achieve results.

· Significant experience coordinating, negotiating, and facilitating interactions with development partners and Government

· Excellent command of English, both orally and in writing.

· Excellent writing, presentational and communication skills.