Recrutement d’un responsable de la recherche et des connaissances au sein du secrétariat de Finance Work for Africa, Côte d’Ivoire

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

Permanent Address : Avenue Jean-Paul II, 01 B.P. 1387, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) / PIFD0

Email : [email protected] (cc: [email protected])

1. The African Development Bank invites Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in the following assignment : Research and Knowledge Manager within the Making Finance Work for Africa Secretariat. Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) is a multi-donor initiative that was established in 2007 by the then G8, and is dedicated to advancing financial sector development in Africa. MFW4A plays a unique role as a platform for joint action, dissemination of ideas and coordination amongst and between donors and African financial sector stakeholders to address African financial sector development priorities. The Partnership is based on the recognition that the financial sector is a key driver of private investment, employment generation and economic growth. The Partnership’s mission is to be the reference platform for advocacy, knowledge sharing and cooperation on financial sector development in Africa. A Secretariat was established in 2008 to support the activities of the Partnership, and is hosted at the AfDB headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The Secretariat is headed by a Partnership Coordinator and assisted by a team of professional and support staff ;

2. The Research and Knowledge Manager is a key member of the Secretariat’s leadership team, reporting to the Partnership Coordinator. The Research and Knowledge Manager will lead and manage the Partnership’s research, knowledge management and dissemination activities. S/he will ensure the delivery of high quality and practical research outputs and knowledge dissemination, consistent with the Partnership’s position as a leading hub and influencer on financial sector development in Africa. Specifically, his/her functions and responsibilities are : 

• Play a leading role in the development and implementation of the Partnership’s research and knowledge management strategies ;
• Lead and co-ordinate action-oriented research/knowledge outputs that are original and world-leading in the field, in collaboration with the MFW4A’s staff, members, partners and other third-party contributors. These may include topics in local financial market development, financial sector policy reforms, SME finance, trade finance, sustainable and green finance, emerging business models and innovative financial offerings, among others ;
• Lead and coordinate workstreams across different financial sector thematic areas ;
• Lead and develop networks to foster collaboration on both an individual level and on behalf of the Partnership, share information and ideas, influence policy agenda, and promote the subject and the Partnership, both regionally and internationally ;
• Oversee and manage the work of the knowledge management team composed of a Research Officer and an Associate Research Officer, including with recruitment, mentoring, performance review and staff development; managing the budget and taking responsibility for the delivery of the programme ;
• Advise the Partnership Coordinator on any research, developing new knowledge, understanding and innovation in the African financial sector ;
• Assure the technical quality of all MFW4A-branded products, including publications and website content ;
• Establish and maintain relationships with regional and non-regional research institutes and universities in the field ;
• Contribute to the Partnership’s advocacy work, communicating research and knowledge outputs and representing MFW4A at international meetings and conferences as required; and
• Support the Coordinator with strategy development and implementation, including fundraising, identifying partners and contributing to the arrangement of research contacts.

3. The Making Finance Work for Africa Partnership invites Individual Consultants to submit their interest in providing the above-described services by submitting their CVs detailing their qualifications, experiences, and a list of references, and a cover letter. Applications should be transmitted in one file only (PDF preferred), with CV no longer than 3 pages and cover letter no longer than 1 page. Applications non-compliant with these guidelines will be rejected ;

4. The eligibility criteria, the establishment of a short list and the selection procedure shall be in conformity with the Bank’s Procurement Policy and Procedure for Corporate Consultants Recruitment. Please, note that interest expressed by a Consultant does not imply any obligation on the part of the Bank to include him/her in the shortlist.

The qualification required for this assignment are the following :

• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, preferably in economics, finance, public policy, business administration or related fields with a minimum of eight (8) years of relevant experience ;
• Strong research and analytical skills, and in-depth knowledge around issues of financial sector development. Previous experience working in the African financial sector will be an advantage ;
• Experience of management of research and knowledge projects in Africa, particularly in finance ;
• Experience in linking research and policy, and effectively communicating research findings to both policy and general audiences ;
• Demonstrate an ability to think strategically, and deliver an ambitious work programme whilst managing resources efficiently ;
• Ability to manage relationships with a wide variety of financial sector stakeholders including development partners, government officials, the private sector and others ;
• Demonstrate the ability to produce knowledge products for diverse audiences, including public, private and academia ;
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with proven ability to communicate effectively in English and French, both orally and in writing ;
• Leadership and people management skills with evidence of proactive contribution to leadership and management current organisation; and
• Excellent IT skills, with the ability to produce high-quality learning support materials.

4. The duration of the mission is six (6) months (with the possibility of further renewal, based on satisfactory performance) and the commencement date is planned for 26 October 2020 ;
5. Interested Individual Consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours: 00 to 17.00 local time ;
6. Expressions of interest must be delivered to the address below no later than Friday, 2 October 2020 at 18.00 local time (GMT) and mention “EOI MFW4A Research and Knowledge Manager”.

For the attention of: Mr. Abdelkader Benbrahim African Development Bank

PIFD0 / MFW4A

Avenue Jean-Paul II, 01 B.P. 1387, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire Town : Abidjan

Country : Côte d’Ivoire

E-mail : [email protected] (cc: [email protected])

Establishment of the short list :

8. A shortlist of three to six individual consultants will be established at the end the request of expressions of interest. The consultants on the shortlist will be judged on the following criteria on the basis of their updated resume and cover letter.