Regional Context
The Africa Region, which is comprised of approximately 1600 staff members of whom around 60% are based in 38 field offices, is committed to helping Africa realize its considerable development potential, with a focus on employment generation. The core values guiding our work are passion for our mission of sustainable poverty reduction with keen attention to quality and transformative impact, putting the needs of the client at the center of all our activities, trust and respect as a common currency, intellectual rigor and curiosity, honesty and integrity, teamwork, openness to learning and the courage to admit we do not always have the answer.
Sub-Saharan Africa has a population of around 800 million people in 47 countries, and is a vibrant and changing environment for development work. The last two decades of democratic elections and, in some countries multiparty systems has created a greater openness to pro-poor reforms. A vibrant civil society has become increasingly vocal on policy issues, and African citizens are more and more holding politicians accountable for their actions (although there are variations across countries). Regional institutions, such as AU/NEPAD are applying peer pressure on national leaders to improve their performance.
Until the onset of the global financial and economic crisis, Africa had been experiencing a period of sustained and widespread growth. In addition to the oil exporters, some 22 non-oil-exporting countries were experiencing better-than-four-percent growth for a decade and two third of the population lived in countries that had grown by between 5.9 and 8.1 percent per year. The sources of this growth were three-fold: (i) external resources—aid, debt relief, private capital flows and remittances were all increasing; (ii) strong commodity prices and a buoyant global economy; and (iii) improved macroeconomic policies, reflected for instance in the fact that the median inflation rate in the mid-2000s was about half that in the mid-1990s.
While the overall business climate in Africa is the weakest in the world, several countries—including some fragile states—have made great strides in improving their environment for business. For example, Rwanda was the “reformer of the year” in the latest Doing Business Report. Similarly, after decades of neglect, Africans are making a concerted effort to increase agricultural productivity—and that effort is beginning to bear fruit. Some 13 African countries increased productivity faster than 3 percent a year for the last six years.
The overall policy environment in Africa, which had been improving until the recent crises, continued to improve during the crises. Some countries even accelerated their reform programs. What is emerging as a result is a growing region, with setbacks from time to time, that is increasingly seen as a destination for investment as much as for aid; and one where leaders are increasingly willing to address problems of misgovernance that harm development effectiveness. As a result it is possible that Africa is poised for a growth takeoff, much like India was 20 years ago and China 30 years ago.
The Africa Region plans to seize this unprecedented opportunity to better support our clients in realizing the dream of a continent free of poverty. The new Strategy, entitled “Africa’s Future and the World Bank’s Support to it” which was strongly endorsed by the Board on March 1, 2011, will guide its overall response these unprecedented opportunities and expectations over the next 5-10 years.
The Uganda Country Manager is part of the Anglophone Eastern Africa (AFCE1) Country Department, which covers three countries: Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi. The Country Manager will work closely together with the Country Director (based in Dar Es Salaam) and will provide leadership to the Uganda Country Team. The Country Manager is responsible for managing an office, which currently comprises of 54 national staff and 16 international staff.
Unit Context
Uganda joined the World Bank in 1963, a year after obtaining independence. The first loan financed electric power development. Since then, the Bank has provided over US$6.6 billion in financing: more than US $6.0 billion in loans and credits and over US $600 million in grants. The Bank has already committed US$1.2 billion to finance various programs and projects between 2009 and 2011. Projected pipeline projects to be delivered in FY11 amount to approximately US$430 million for energy, transport, and general budget support. The World Bank’s lending Program in Uganda is the 6th largest in Africa and is projected to grow if the country maintains its growth and development focus.
As of end September 2010, the Uganda portfolio comprises 22 IDA-financed operations with a net commitment amount of US$1.6billion. About one quarter of annual IDA support is provided in the form of direct budget support. In addition, there are five regional projects and an IDA guarantee of US$115 million for the Private Power Generation (Bujagali) Project.
Uganda has also benefitted from 35 trust funds providing nearly US$65 million in grants. Trust funds, most of which are linked to lending operations, have focused mainly on: environment; renewable energy (Global Environment Facility); demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants (Multi-country Demobilization and Reintegration Program); monitoring and evaluation (Institutional Development Fund (IDF); avian influenza; and piloting output-based aid in health and water supply (Global Partnership on Output Based Aid).
***The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of race, gender, nationality, culture, and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. ***
Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 4 year renewable term appointment.
110731 | Country Manager - Uganda | Country Services | International Hire | Kampala, Uganda | 31-May-2011 |
Country Manager - Uganda
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