Short Term Consultant - Senior Writer for Results Communications

Application Closing Date: 7/22/2024

To Submit Your Application

Interested candidates must submit their CV and cover letter to srahman@worldbank.org

The subject line of the email should be "Short Term Consultant - Senior Writer for Results Communications". Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview

Background:

The Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS) of the World Bank plays a pivotal role in achieving the World Bank Group’s (WBG) mission. OPCS is at the center of the ‘operations complex’ and plays a critical role in supporting the Bank’s leadership on all issues related to Bank operations. OPCS develops and oversees operational policies and procedures for country engagement products, lending operations, advisory services and analytical support, financial management, procurement, environmental and social safeguards, as well as development outcome risk and results. It also serves as a link between the operational units and the Board of Directors. OPCS provides advice and support to Bank management and staff as well as hands-on assistance to help teams apply the Bank’s policies, processes and risk management tools for our country clients.

This assignment is with the OPCS Results team (OPSSR) whose mandate is to strengthen results measurement and reporting of the Bank. This includes support to Bank leadership to report on results spearheaded by the Practice Groups and Regions, including through the WBG Scorecard, and stewardship of the International Development Association Results Measurement System (IDA RMS). It coordinates the overall engagement with the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) and works with task teams across the Bank to strengthen skills, guidance, and tools to enhance Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) underpinning results reporting. It also spearheads WBG efforts towards greater ‘outcome orientation’ or focus on linking the Bank’s work through the results chain to attainment of longer-term development goals in its countries of operation.

Scope of Work:

OPSRS is strengthening its efforts to develop compelling narratives, showcasing Bank results through an outcome lens. It is even more important now as the Bank has significantly scaled financing in key operational areas to support countries in the face of multiple crisis, to demonstrate that its results have also kept pace, supporting millions and even billions of beneficiaries over time in critical development areas. As part of the efforts to strengthen institutional focus on outcomes that improve people’s lives, the Board recently endorsed the approach and framework for the new World Bank Group Scorecard for fiscal years (FY) 2024-30. This is the first time the World Bank Group has undertaken such a rigorous technical effort to measure our collective results at scale. Because of this rigor, the Scorecard is being published in phases, with the first set of indicators released in June 2024, and the full Scorecard to be made available in October 2024 during the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. A comprehensive communications strategy is being implemented around these releases, including a range of materials that will complement the scorecard data and be featured on a new interactive online platform planned for launch at the Annual Meetings.

In addition to communications around the new Scorecard, this is also the year for the replenishment of IDA, which will involve a variety of communications materials around the replenishment meetings. One of the main mechanisms for harnessing the results stories that feed into the results communications for the Scorecard, IDA and other materials are Results Briefs (RBs) which are short, fact-based success stories focusing on concrete development results achieved with World Bank support. RBs are prepared by teams across the Bank and published on the Banks’s external website. OPSSR coordinates the development of the briefs and provides quality control, writing and data support, and manages relationships with focal points across the Bank.

The OPSRS team is seeking an experienced senior Short-Term Consultant (STC) writer and editor who will support the communications efforts outlined above.

Tasks:

• Develop and edit results communications materials for key corporate deliverables (new Scorecard, IDA21 replenishment, small states forum etc.). This includes a set of multimedia products and website content.
• Support development and review of Results Briefs, working closely with Region and Practice Group focal points and OPSSR data team.
• Work with designers, videographers, and web teams to shape communications materials.
• Liaise with OPCS Communications and External and Corporate Relations as needed.

Qualifications:

• MA or MBA with 10+ years of relevant work experience in communications, journalism, international development, or other relevant discipline.
• Strong writing and editing skills with close attention to detail and ability to synthesize technical information and jargon into succinct and easy to understand formats.
• Ability to research and develop new content for publications and communications materials, and an eye for effective and visual presentation of complex content.
• Experience as a journalist covering economic and policy issues, producing stories under daily deadlines a plus.
• Ability to multi-task and collaborate across teams.
• Familiarity with Chicago Style editorial guidelines.

Duration of assignment: The assignment will be for 75 days, from Aug 12, 2024 through December 31, 2024, with possible extension (for the full 150 days allowed for World Bank STC contracts) through June 30, 2025 depending on budget and performance.

Reporting: The consultant will be Washington DC-based and will report to Shaela Rahman, Senior Operations Officer, OPSSR.