Sector Manager, Governance and Public Sector Management

The Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Unit (SASPF) of the South Asia Region assists its member countries in developing and implementing strategies to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development through lending, advice and analytical work. The Unit is composed of two sector groups: (i) Economic Policy and Poverty (SASEP), and (ii) Governance and Public Sector (SASGP), with each sector group led by a Sector Manager (SM). The main strategic objective of the Governance and Public Sector Group is to promote in SAR client countries open and transparent governance and public institutions that deliver quality public services in an effective, responsive and accountable manner. The Governance and Public Sector group is a relatively new team, constituted just three years ago, but has already developed a fast growing portfolio of operations and high-profile analytical and advisory products as well as cross support to other sectors and project teams to better integrate governance across the SAR program. With a Bank budget (BB) of US$5.7 million in FY11 and additional regional trust funds, SASGP currently manages a portfolio with 9 projects under supervision with net commitments of about US$650 million.

The main areas of activity of SASGP include, among others: open government (with emphasis on Right to Information and the enhancement of e-government systems); public finance (both central and sub-national governments including revenue mobilization and expenditure management); institutional mechanisms and incentives that contribute to better public sector outcomes (including decentralization, public service delivery and improved monitoring and evaluation); anti-corruption; legal and judicial reform; and civil service and public administration reform. The SM will play a key role in ensuring SASGP works across sector units (with HD, SD, and FPD) supporting the institutional efforts to enhance the quality of public service delivery.

The SM for Governance and Public Sector reports to the SASPF Director and forms part of the SASPF management team. The SM represents SASPF on the WB Public Sector Governance Board. He/she is the principal link in the Governance and Public Sector area with experts elsewhere in and outside the Bank and plays a key role in fostering partnerships. He/she is also responsible for leading the implementation of the Bank’s Governance and Anti-corruption Strategy (GAC) in the SAR region working closely with the SAR RVP and Operations Director.

The Governance and Public Sector group currently has 24 staff nearly all of whom are based in country offices with the largest concentration in New Delhi. To ensure more effective management and client relations in a decentralized team, the SM will be based in either New Delhi or Dhaka.

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.

The Governance and Public Sector SM will have the following main responsibilities:

• Lead a team of creative professionals developing and implementing client-focused solutions to complex governance and public sector challenges using the best of international experience and understanding of local contexts;

• Manage an existing portfolio of operations and analytical work to ensure the highest standards of technical quality, client relevance, and results orientation;

• Seek out new openings for client engagement on governance and public sector reform especially in the most challenging governance environments in SAR;

• Manage staff recruitment and selection, deployment, coaching and professional development, and performance evaluation to maintain an energized, well-functioning team that enhances the career paths of each of its members;

• Manage effectively the resources – both Bank budget and trust funds – to meet the unit’s business goals and ensure timely delivery of the work program;

• Support Country Directors and Country Managers/Operations Advisers/CPCs to integrate high quality governance analytics and operational support across their country programs;

• Establish partnerships with relevant organizations within and outside the Bank for sharing knowledge and information, effectively contributing to the knowledge Bank as part of PREM network, and represent the Region and the Bank on governance and public sector issues as required;

• Represent the Region as an active member of the Public Sector Governance Board and lead the implementation of the Bank-wide Governance and Anti-corruption Strategy (GAC) across the region, working closely with all members of the Regional Management Team and represent SAR in the Bank dialogue on GAC;

• Advise SASPF Director on emerging governance and public sector management issues in the region and required program and strategic staffing responses to meet client demands; and

• Contribute to the effective functioning of the Departmental Management Team and ensure effective collaboration of staff across sector groups both with SASPF and with other SMUs.

Sector Manager, Governance and Public Sector Management