E T Consultant

Overview

Support planning and execution of energy, transport, and digital development projects.

You have:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, infrastructure, economics, or related fields is required.
• At least 10 years of professional experience in infrastructure investments.
• Familiarity with Bhutanese laws and regulations for project planning, implementation and procurement is a must.
• Experience in investment projects financed by international financial institutions is highly desirable.
• Fluency in Bhutanese and proficiency in English (spoken and written) is essential; knowledge of additional local languages is a plus.
• Proven ability to build relationships involving multiple stakeholders is required.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple demands.
• Highest levels of personal integrity and a transparent work style are essential.

Contract

This is a World Bank Group grade: EC3 contract. More about World Bank Group grade: EC3 contracts.

E T Consultant

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank consists of two entities – the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). It is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, the World Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, and coordinates responses to regional and global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org.

The Infrastructure Practice Group

Globally, 840 million people live more than 2 kilometers from all-weather roads, 1 billion people lack electricity, and 4 billion people lack Internet access. Access to basic infrastructure services is critical for creating economic opportunities for the poor. The Infrastructure (INF) Practice Group is charged with developing sustainable solutions to help close infrastructure gaps in developing and emerging economies. INF Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) currently consists of four global practices (GPs): Energy & Extractives (EEX), Transport, Digital Development (DD) and Infrastructure Finance, PPPs and Guarantees (IPG).

The World Bank Group helps developing countries build smart infrastructure that supports inclusive and sustainable growth, expands markets, creates job opportunities, promotes competition, and contributes to a cleaner future. We help countries address their unique infrastructure needs by working with the public and private sectors. Infrastructure improves lives by connecting people to opportunity. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/infrastructure

Energy

Energy is at the heart of development. Energy makes possible the investments, innovations and new industries that are the engines of jobs, inclusive growth and shared prosperity for entire economies. Universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable and modern energy – Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 – is essential to reach other SDGs and is at the center of efforts to tackle climate change. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/energy.

The World Bank has started building an assistance program for Bhutan’s energy sector, including preparation of new operations, and a program on policy support and technical assistance. Most of the program in Bhutan involves hydropower-related activities, support to scaling solar, and regional power transmission developments. Currently, the World Bank has one active US$4.3 million technical assistance grant “The Sustainable Hydropower Development Project”, which is client executed by DGPC. The grant supports upgrading of technical feasibility and ESIA studies of the 1,025 MW Dorjilung Hydropower Plant and its associated transmission line, to bring them up to World Bank bankability. The new investment projects under consideration would include further support for the Bhutan’s hydropower sector, scaling solar activities, and technical assistance to build the capacity of professionals in the energy sector and their institutions. Preparation of these projects is currently led by the Energy Teams in the World Bank’s Kathmandu and New Delhi offices.

Transport

Better transport has the potential to improve the lives and livelihoods of billions of people by facilitating access to jobs, markets, and essential services such as healthcare or education. The World Bank provides financial and technical assistance to help countries implement sustainable mobility solutions that create real, lasting development benefits. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/transport.

The World Bank transport portfolio currently consists of two main projects, both currently in the preparation phase: The Bhutan Green Transport Project (BGTP) and the Bhutan Accelerating Trade and Transport in Eastern South Asia (ACCESS) Project. The BGTP will develop a high-quality urban transport corridor in Thimphu City and pedestrianize a main boulevard in the center of the city. The ACCESS program is designed to increase the efficiency and resilience of trade and transport along selected regional corridors in eastern South Asia. It is anchored around three components that are common across all projects in the Program: (i) Digital Systems for Trade; (ii) Green and Resilient Transport and Trade Infrastructure; and (iii) Institutional and Policy Strengthening for Transport and Trade. The World Bank approved the $1.03 billion ACCESS program in June 2022, with Bangladesh and Nepal participating in Phase 1, and Bhutan joining in Phase 2. There is also ongoing analytical work/technical assistance on regional connectivity underway as part of the ACCESS program (e.g., regional railway study). Preparation of these projects is currently led by the Transport team in the Washington DC office, with team members based in country offices within the region.

Digital Development

The Digital Development Global Practice (DD) plays a critical role in enabling the achievements of the Twin goals and the Sustainable Development Goals. Digital technologies are transforming firms, governments, and people’s lives; and with the digital economy growing at a rate significantly higher than that of the global economy, it offers emerging economies a unique opportunity to leapfrog traditional paths for development through digital solutions.

For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/digitaldevelopment.

The Digital Development Bhutan team is leading the preparation of digital components under the ACCESS project to improve regional digital connectivity and key foundations to facilitate secure, resilient, and reliable digital trade. The team is also engaged in a robust technical assistance program with the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) on a broad range of issues related to supporting Bhutan’s ambitious plans for digital transformation. This includes but not limited to digital connectivity, data infrastructure and interoperability, and digital trust.

Duties and Accountabilities

Considering the growing program in Bhutan, the World Bank seeks to recruit an Extended-Term Consultant (ETC) with a background in infrastructure to support the energy, transport, and digital development teams in the World Bank’s Thimphu Office. The ETC will work primarily on review of planning, preparation and execution of hydropower and solar projects, urban transport projects, and transport/trade connectivity projects, and digital development projects (described above). The ETC will work within the energy, transport, and digital development team as a core team member on the implementation of the Bank’s work in Bhutan, including project preparation, appraisal, supervision, and other related activities.

The ETC will be the key liaison person for the INF teams in Bhutan. Working under the general supervision of the Task Team Leaders (TTLs) and team in place for each project, the ETC will support the Bank energy, transport, and digital development teams in the implementation support of ongoing and preparation of upcoming lending operations. This will include support on all content-related and administrative matters, including the preparation and follow-up of preparation and implementation supervision missions, maintaining day-to-day communication with the clients, and supporting various TTLs. In addition, the ETC will support the range of ongoing Technical Assistance activities as well as contribute to the overall policy dialogue with the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB).

Building on prior experience, additional training and mentoring, and on-the-job learning, the ETC will be responsible for the following activities:

- Support task teams in preparation and supervision of ongoing and upcoming operations; - Contribute to technical discussions and project monitoring; - Assist the Bank’s counterparts on project preparation and supervision issues as they arise; - Keep abreast of local developments, maintain up-to-date information from counterparts, and liaise with the respective TTLs with the aim to ensure effective and timely information exchange; - Help the Bank energy, transport, and digital development teams on the ground in carrying out effective and successful sector dialogue, including providing input on communications materials and policy briefs; provide substantive support for analytics, technical assistance, etc. - Participate and provide support in the preparation and implementation support missions of operations, as well as missions related to the ASA activities, and follow-up on the implementation of agreed actions after missions; help with organizing important mission meetings, support logistics for site visits, participate in mission activities and provide input into the coordination of work by various consultants recruited by the Bank; - Assist Task Team Leaders (TTLs) in technical-level communication with Bhutanese counterparts on the implementation of ongoing activities; - Support the discussion and preparation of pipeline projects and activities, including by liaising and closely following up with Country Management Unit (CMU) and government agencies; - Ensure consistent and comprehensive filing of all project related documents and written communication, using shared online folders.

Reporting Arrangements

The ETC will be staffed under ISAT1 (Transport SAR unit), and will report to the Practice Manager of ISAT1. The ETC’s work will be supervised by the respective TTLs from transport team, energy team, the transport team, under the overall work plan agreed above. Close collaboration with other team members and consultants is expected.

Selection Criteria

- The candidate must have at least a B.S. degree in engineering, infrastructure, economics, or related fields. - The candidate should have at least 10 years of experience of wide- ranging professional experience to offer broad and nuanced perspectives of infrastructure (energy/transport/digital) investments at country level. - The candidate should be familiar with the requirements for project planning, implementation and procurement set down by Bhutanese law and regulations. - Experience in working on investment projects financed by international financial institutions are highly desirable. - The candidate must be fluent in Bhutanese, and proficient in both spoken and written English language and should have good communication style and writing skills. Knowledge of additional local languages is a plus. - The candidate needs to have a proven ability to build relationships involving multiple stakeholders. The candidate must be able to work well within teams dispersed across multiple time zones, and to foster and build productive relationships with the Bank’s clients, and to respond to the daily needs, queries and needs for advice and assistance of those clients. - The candidate must possess the ability to work under recurrent tight deadlines, juggle multiple demands, undertake unplanned tasks that require expedient turnaround, and do so with imperfect information. - The candidate must have the highest levels of personal integrity, and a reputation for a transparent and systematic work style.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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.

Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET appointment of three years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: worldbank.org