E T Consultant - Economics

IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities. Our mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

IFC has embarked on an ambitious new growth strategy (IFC 3.0) to stimulate more investment activity in priority countries and sectors. This strategy calls for generating our own opportunities by proactively working “upstream” to create, deepen, and expand markets and to imagine, design and implement investment projects. It requires a “developer mindset” to identify investment opportunities and develop and structure viable projects in difficult markets and imperfect regulatory environments. In other cases, it requires taking a systematic approach to resolving regulatory and sector bottlenecks through World Bank Group engagement and policy reforms.

To support the management of projects in the private sector development area and to help develop the country program, the IFC Ghana team is seeking a highly qualified and motivated Country Economist, to be based in Accra, Ghana. The consultant will support the IFC Senior Country Officer and Country team in executing IFC’s strategy in Ghana.

Roles & Responsibilities

Monitor the macro-economic conditions and trends for countries in a designated IFC country cluster and advise the IFC Country Manager and operational teams on its impact on IFC operations. Help identify macro-economic risks to IFC investments and strategies to mitigate them.

• Maintain close liaison with World Bank teams, other development partners and client governments to help ensure that IFC engagements are aligned with WBG strategies and government development strategies.
• Provide macro-economic analysis to support IFC investment operations including due diligence. Draft relevant sections of IFC Board papers including country context and strategic fit.
• Lead/ Contribute to Country Private Sector Diagnostics, Country Climate Development Reports, and provide IFC input to WBG Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Partnership Frameworks, Progress and Learning Reviews and other joint initiatives.
• Support IFC Country Manager and teams to develop IFC country strategies to help maximize IFC development impact. Support the development of industry strategies in the region. Monitor and support the implementation of Country Private Sector Diagnostic recommendations, sectoral deep dives, and policy reform implementation.
• Contribute to analytical work on selected topics that inform IFC country programs and strategies.
  
  

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree in Economics or closely related field with a minimum of 3-7 years of relevant experience, or with PhD and 2-4 years of relevant experience.
• Ability to apply economic theory and concepts and demonstrate a solid understanding of key drivers of economic growth in emerging markets and to contribute to discussions with internal clients on topics of economic or strategic relevance.
• Ability to carry out analytical work and demonstrate judgement in making sound assumptions when there are gaps in data and information.
• Ability to assess market failures and economic soundness and feasibility of policy options to enhance investment attractiveness and private sector development, from a cross-cutting and sectoral perspective. Ability to understand the economic parameters behind private investment decision making.
• Ability to consider problems from new perspectives and expand on the thinking/solutions proposed by others; independent engagement in analysis and tasks requiring the interpretation of complex or imperfect sets of information.
• Logical, coherent approach to economic/strategic questions based on own work and an awareness of organizational or departmental strategies.
• Ability to communicate clearly economic and technical concepts to non-technical audience and present key messages and most relevant findings in compelling manner and appropriately embed empirical support for conclusions and recommendations.
• Demonstrate good command of the economics of a particular sector & key drivers of sector growth, productivity, profitability & efficiency.
• Ability to build strong work relationships with colleagues across operational teams, country teams and organizations within the World Bank Group.
• Experience in and strong knowledge of the economic context and challenges of countries in Africa.
• Solid over standing of IFC project cycles, approval/decision processes, and key drivers of IFC business decision making as well as knowledge and understanding of key IFC/WBG products and instruments and how they are deployed to pursue private sector development and country engagement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with high level stakeholders in English.
  
  

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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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.