Anti-Discrimination Counsel

Application deadline in 27 days: Monday 12 Aug 2024 at 23:59 UTC

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This is a World Bank Group grade: GF contract. More about World Bank Group grade: GF contracts.

Anti-Discrimination Counsel

Description

The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of development assistance and global expertise for developing countries. It consists of five institutions that specialize in different aspects of development: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). For additional information, please visit http://www.worldbank.org.

ETHICS AND INTERNAL JUSTICE SERVICES VPU The World Bank’s Ethics and Internal Justice Services Vice Presidency (EIJ VPU) is a newly created Vice Presidency within the World Bank Group (WBG) that brings together, under a single umbrella, the WBG’s approach to values, ethics and the resolution of workplace conflict. The EIJ VPU’s vision is to foster a values-based workplace culture and help staff uphold the WBG’s ethical standards. EIJ provides an integrated, empathetic, and efficient approach to resolving workplace conflict, allowing staff to focus with urgency on the WBG’s mission. EIJ’s work covers each of the five WBG institutions.

The Vice Presidency has recently been organized into the following four units:

1. Ethics Advice and Early Interventions, which consists of: • Advisory, Training & Values (ATV) – responsible for the Core Values and the Code of Ethics and associated rules; manages all training and outreach on behalf of the VPU; provides advice and guidance on the Code, with specific focus on conflicts of interest; and manages the Bank’s Declarations of Interest program; • Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination (AHAD) comprising the Anti-Harassment Coordinator’s Office, and the Race Equity Office. - The Anti-Harassment Coordinator (AHC) – addresses reports of harassment, and sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, and provides guidance to management on preventing and addressing such behaviors; and - The Race Equity Office (REO) – acts as the focal point for the WBG for addressing reports of workplace racism and racial discrimination, at both the individual and systemic levels. 2. Mediation and Formal Reviews, which consists of: • Mediation Services (MEF) – offers a confidential conflict resolution process for staff to resolve workplace issues with the assistance of a neutral third-party. MEF also provides team building and team facilitation services; • Peer Review Services (PRS) – the WBG’s grievance mechanism which provides an independent review by a panel of peers of managerial decisions, actions or inactions (not related to performance management) affecting a staff member; • Performance Management Review (PMR) – provides an independent appellate review of performance management-related decisions; and • Investigations (INV) – conducts independent fact-finding investigations of allegations of staff misconduct. 3. Ombuds unit, which offers staff a confidential off the record, impartial and informal venue to discuss any workplace issues, and alerts management to systemic trends. 4. The EIJ Front Office which consists of: • Core Services – provides cohesive administrative support across the VPU; and • EIJ Navigator – a centralized intake service to assist staff with their concerns by pairing them with the appropriate channel within the EIJ VPU to resolve their concerns efficiently and expediently. • Respectful Workplace Advisors (RWAs) – comprising staff selected by their peers, RWAs act as a confidential sounding board for staff and a source of information about EIJ services.

Anti-Discrimination Counsel The Ethics Advice and Early Interventions team is seeking to recruit an Anti-Discrimination Counsel, who will report to the Manager, Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Unit.

Discrimination presents itself in two key areas, affecting either an individual staff member or a group of staff: (i) discriminatory behavior, including microaggressions, giving rise to a hostile work environment, and (ii) specific or systemic discrimination based on identity characteristics such as gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age and religion, resulting in inequities and exclusion from opportunities.

The Anti-Discrimination Counsel will be instrumental in finalizing and implementing the rules and procedures governing this role, in close coordination with other relevant offices so as to: (i) facilitate collaboration; (ii) determine, where appropriate, that other avenues of recourse are pursued; and (iii) provide clarity on what staff can expect in terms of process, time, scope and remedies.

The Anti-Discrimination Counsel must have a proven record of demonstrating the WB core values in their professional experience. The position may require travel outside the United States.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Under the supervision of the Manager, AHAD, the Anti-Discrimination Counsel will carry out the following duties: • serve as a central point of contact within EIJ to review allegations of discrimination (other than racial discrimination, which are handled by the Race Equity Office) involving WB staff members in the workplace and assess how these cases should best be handled, including whether the case should be referred to other EIJ resources such as INV, MEF or PRS. • contribute to the finalization and implementation of the rules and procedures to address individual or systemic claims of discrimination. • provide confidential guidance and advice to staff members who have experienced and/or witnessed discrimination along with available options for addressing it. • provide confidential guidance and advice to managers on how to address, manage and prevent discrimination. • undertake actions, when appropriate and in consultation with the impacted staff member, to address the alleged discrimination, including by cautioning staff on inappropriate behaviors. • report instances of systemic discrimination or policies, practice, staff rules that disproportionately impact members of a certain vulnerable group to VPEIJ as and when they are identified. • provide guidance and advice to the Manager, AHAD on how to address and resolve systemic discrimination. • assist in providing and facilitating training to WB staff on discrimination and related issues, in collaboration with ATV and with the WBG Diversity, Equity & Inclusion unit. • promote culture change and provide advice on WB policies and procedures including recruitment and promotion policies to ensure they comply with the WB principles of equity & non-discrimination; this includes identifying trends and elevating issues relating to systemic discrimination, in part through the creation and implementation of a Policy Feedback Channel where staff can report any discriminatory impact of a policy’s implementation, • Maintain a confidential case tracking system in alignment with existing EIJ internal protocols. • Together with the EIJ internal communications team, participate in the design and delivery of a communications strategy to foster equity and a workplace free of discrimination.

The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of development assistance and global expertise for developing countries. It consists of five institutions that specialize in different aspects of development: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). For additional information, please visit http://www.worldbank.org.

ETHICS AND INTERNAL JUSTICE SERVICES VPU The World Bank’s Ethics and Internal Justice Services Vice Presidency (EIJ VPU) is a newly created Vice Presidency within the World Bank Group (WBG) that brings together, under a single umbrella, the WBG’s approach to values, ethics and the resolution of workplace conflict. The EIJ VPU’s vision is to foster a values-based workplace culture and help staff uphold the WBG’s ethical standards. EIJ provides an integrated, empathetic, and efficient approach to resolving workplace conflict, allowing staff to focus with urgency on the WBG’s mission. EIJ’s work covers each of the five WBG institutions.

The Vice Presidency has recently been organized into the following four units:

1. Ethics Advice and Early Interventions, which consists of: • Advisory, Training & Values (ATV) – responsible for the Core Values and the Code of Ethics and associated rules; manages all training and outreach on behalf of the VPU; provides advice and guidance on the Code, with specific focus on conflicts of interest; and manages the Bank’s Declarations of Interest program; • Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination (AHAD) comprising the Anti-Harassment Coordinator’s Office, and the Race Equity Office. - The Anti-Harassment Coordinator (AHC) – addresses reports of harassment, and sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, and provides guidance to management on preventing and addressing such behaviors; and - The Race Equity Office (REO) – acts as the focal point for the WBG for addressing reports of workplace racism and racial discrimination, at both the individual and systemic levels. 2. Mediation and Formal Reviews, which consists of: • Mediation Services (MEF) – offers a confidential conflict resolution process for staff to resolve workplace issues with the assistance of a neutral third-party. MEF also provides team building and team facilitation services; • Peer Review Services (PRS) – the WBG’s grievance mechanism which provides an independent review by a panel of peers of managerial decisions, actions or inactions (not related to performance management) affecting a staff member; • Performance Management Review (PMR) – provides an independent appellate review of performance management-related decisions; and • Investigations (INV) – conducts independent fact-finding investigations of allegations of staff misconduct. 3. Ombuds unit, which offers staff a confidential off the record, impartial and informal venue to discuss any workplace issues, and alerts management to systemic trends. 4. The EIJ Front Office which consists of: • Core Services – provides cohesive administrative support across the VPU; and • EIJ Navigator – a centralized intake service to assist staff with their concerns by pairing them with the appropriate channel within the EIJ VPU to resolve their concerns efficiently and expediently. • Respectful Workplace Advisors (RWAs) – comprising staff selected by their peers, RWAs act as a confidential sounding board for staff and a source of information about EIJ services.

Anti-Discrimination Counsel The Ethics Advice and Early Interventions team is seeking to recruit an Anti-Discrimination Counsel, who will report to the Manager, Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Unit.

Discrimination presents itself in two key areas, affecting either an individual staff member or a group of staff: (i) discriminatory behavior, including microaggressions, giving rise to a hostile work environment, and (ii) specific or systemic discrimination based on identity characteristics such as gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age and religion, resulting in inequities and exclusion from opportunities.

The Anti-Discrimination Counsel will be instrumental in finalizing and implementing the rules and procedures governing this role, in close coordination with other relevant offices so as to: (i) facilitate collaboration; (ii) determine, where appropriate, that other avenues of recourse are pursued; and (iii) provide clarity on what staff can expect in terms of process, time, scope and remedies.

The Anti-Discrimination Counsel must have a proven record of demonstrating the WB core values in their professional experience. The position may require travel outside the United States.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Under the supervision of the Manager, AHAD, the Anti-Discrimination Counsel will carry out the following duties: • serve as a central point of contact within EIJ to review allegations of discrimination (other than racial discrimination, which are handled by the Race Equity Office) involving WB staff members in the workplace and assess how these cases should best be handled, including whether the case should be referred to other EIJ resources such as INV, MEF or PRS. • contribute to the finalization and implementation of the rules and procedures to address individual or systemic claims of discrimination. • provide confidential guidance and advice to staff members who have experienced and/or witnessed discrimination along with available options for addressing it. • provide confidential guidance and advice to managers on how to address, manage and prevent discrimination. • undertake actions, when appropriate and in consultation with the impacted staff member, to address the alleged discrimination, including by cautioning staff on inappropriate behaviors. • report instances of systemic discrimination or policies, practice, staff rules that disproportionately impact members of a certain vulnerable group to VPEIJ as and when they are identified. • provide guidance and advice to the Manager, AHAD on how to address and resolve systemic discrimination. • assist in providing and facilitating training to WB staff on discrimination and related issues, in collaboration with ATV and with the WBG Diversity, Equity & Inclusion unit. • promote culture change and provide advice on WB policies and procedures including recruitment and promotion policies to ensure they comply with the WB principles of equity & non-discrimination; this includes identifying trends and elevating issues relating to systemic discrimination, in part through the creation and implementation of a Policy Feedback Channel where staff can report any discriminatory impact of a policy’s implementation, • Maintain a confidential case tracking system in alignment with existing EIJ internal protocols. • Together with the EIJ internal communications team, participate in the design and delivery of a communications strategy to foster equity and a workplace free of discrimination.

Selection Criteria

The Anti-Discrimination Counsel should have a background in law, alternative dispute resolution, anti-discrimination advocacy, organizational psychology, organizational development, human resources or another relevant field.

The Anti-Discrimination Counsel should be able to adapt to multiple roles, including counseling staff, managing challenging situations, advising on systemic issues and providing training and outreach. The successful candidate will also have:

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, preferably in an international or multicultural organization. • Experience with equity programs with demonstrable outcomes. • Ability to build successful working relationships across organizations and influence. • Experience with addressing and resolving conflict. • High level of integrity, discretion and sound judgment in working with sensitive issues. • Comprehensive knowledge, skills, and abilities in addressing, resolving or preventing discrimination in the workplace. • Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including the ability to work effectively in a team and/or task force as a participant and with staff at all levels, internally and collaboratively across departments. • Excellent communications and presentations skills both oral and written; proven ability to clearly and concisely prepare, draft, present, and discuss findings and recommendations; and to produce written documents and reports. • Excellent interviewing and counseling skills, including the ability to use active listening skills, focus interviews, and elicit critical information in a gentle and respectful manner from individuals feeling distressed. • Excellent problem solving, coaching and conflict resolution skills. The ability to assess, define, and prioritize issues. The ability to understand the appropriate resources available to resolve issues and the ability to resolve issues proactively and with discretion. • A legal background, together with formal training / certification in conflict resolution, investigations, employment discrimination or communication is preferable.

The Anti-Discrimination Counsel should have a background in law, alternative dispute resolution, anti-discrimination advocacy, organizational psychology, organizational development, human resources or another relevant field.

The Anti-Discrimination Counsel should be able to adapt to multiple roles, including counseling staff, managing challenging situations, advising on systemic issues and providing training and outreach. The successful candidate will also have:

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, preferably in an international or multicultural organization. • Experience with equity programs with demonstrable outcomes. • Ability to build successful working relationships across organizations and influence. • Experience with addressing and resolving conflict. • High level of integrity, discretion and sound judgment in working with sensitive issues. • Comprehensive knowledge, skills, and abilities in addressing, resolving or preventing discrimination in the workplace. • Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including the ability to work effectively in a team and/or task force as a participant and with staff at all levels, internally and collaboratively across departments. • Excellent communications and presentations skills both oral and written; proven ability to clearly and concisely prepare, draft, present, and discuss findings and recommendations; and to produce written documents and reports. • Excellent interviewing and counseling skills, including the ability to use active listening skills, focus interviews, and elicit critical information in a gentle and respectful manner from individuals feeling distressed. • Excellent problem solving, coaching and conflict resolution skills. The ability to assess, define, and prioritize issues. The ability to understand the appropriate resources available to resolve issues and the ability to resolve issues proactively and with discretion. • A legal background, together with formal training / certification in conflict resolution, investigations, employment discrimination or communication is preferable.

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.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.

Added 1 day ago - Updated 6 hours ago - Source: worldbank.org