Grant Operations Officer World Bank Group Experience: 5 to 10 Years Washington DC, United States of America Apply By: 13-11-2024

Description

• Are you a very passionate advocate for education? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of children? The Global Partnership for Education Secretariat (GPE) would like to hear from you.

Who We Are 

• GPE is a shared commitment to end the world’s learning crisis. It is the only global partnership and fund dedicated entirely to helping children in lower-income countries get a quality education, so they can unlock their potential and contribute to building a better world.
• We bring together governments, teachers, civil society, donors, United Nations agencies, development banks, businesses and private foundations to transform education systems so that
• every girl and boy can have hope, opportunity and agency.

What We Do 

• GPE helps low- and lower-middle-income countries to build stronger education systems so that all children can get the education they need to thrive. We currently support nearly 90 countries where the needs are greatest and focus on reaching the children who are the most vulnerable, including girls, children with disabilities and those affected by extreme poverty or conflict. Our unique approach works. Since 2002, 160 million more children in GPE partner countries have set foot in classrooms for the first time, more than half of them girls. GPE is also the largest provider of education grants in the global COVID-19 response, providing partner countries with vital resources to ensure that learning can safely continue.

How We Work 

• Now, GPE is working to help governments transform their education systems to get the most vulnerable children in school, improve teaching and learning, and build equitable, inclusive and resilient education systems fit for the 21st century. Between 2020-2025, GPE will support transformative change in up to 90 countries and territories, which are home to 1 billion children.
• Transforming education is about creating lasting changes and achieving impact at scale. GPE sets out to deliver this transformative change by convening partners, mobilizing funds and catalyzing reforms to help partner countries accelerate access, learning outcomes and gender equality.

Raise Your Hand 

• In July 2021, the Global Education Summit put GPE firmly on the path to be fully-funded by 2025, by raising a record US $4 billion from donors for GPE’s Raise Your Hand campaign. At the Summit, Heads of State and Government from partner countries made historic commitments to education financing and GPE also mobilized an unprecedented number of pledges from businesses, private foundations and development banks.
• A fully funded GPE would support transformed education systems in up to 90 countries and territories, enable up to 175 million children to learn and help get 88 million more girls and boys in school by 2025. In the longer term, this investment could add $164 billion to economies in GPE partner countries, lift 18 million people out of poverty, and protect 2 million girls from early marriage.

Governance And Organizational Arrangements 

• The GPE Board of Directors includes ministerial-level board members and alternates representing 20 constituencies that reflect the Partnership’s breadth. The Board Chair is HE President Jakaya Kikwete and the Board Vice Chair is Dr Susan Liautaud. The Board of Directors, with its three standing committees, provides policy and strategic oversight and approves or delegates funding decisions.
• The GPE Secretariat, with 160 employees and hosted by the World Bank, is responsible for translating the policies and strategies set by the Board into practical support for partner countries, coordinating with diverse stakeholders and galvanizing global support for SDG4. The Secretariat’s headquarters are in the World Bank’s offices in Washington, D.C. and the European office is in Paris with a satellite office in Brussels.

ABOUT THE TEAM

• The Finance & Grant Operations team (FGO) works to maximize the impact of the GPE Fund. This is achieved through (a) sound financial planning, management, and analysis of resources, (b) robust fiduciary and risk oversight, (c) innovative financing, and (d) streamlined, well-orchestrated, clear and consistent processes to access GPE funds, including quality assurance, systems and tools, monitoring & data, and adaptive management processes to rapidly identify and support reprogramming needs.
• This position sits under the Grant Operations practice which designs and provides grant related products and services in support of partner countries.

ABOUT THE JOB

This job is located in Washington D.C.

Description

• The Grant Operations Officer works under the Grant Operations Lead and sits in the Grant Operations practice. S/He has a strong grasp of GPE’s key corporate and internal operational policies and procedures. S/He will work closely with a senior Grant Operations Officer to define and maintain pre-grant and grant policies, processes and standards, provides related subject matter expertise, and provides technical development to Country Programs Officers..
• This position leads the development and maintenance of GPE grant guidelines, and application forms related to all core grant funding mechanisms, in close collaboration with the Sr. Grant Operations Officer who oversees the development of grant policies and standards.
• As such, the Grant Operations Officer responsibilities will be to (a) lead on the development and dissemination of all grant-related materials needed by the country team and country partners to prepare and submit applications; (b) provide guidance to country-team (and where applicable country partners) on grant policy/guideline issues, and (c) lead on the development of communication tools on the different instruments available to country partners.

Duties And Accountabilities

The Grant Operations Officer will:

• Lead the development and maintenance of GPE grant guidelines, and application forms related to all core grant funding mechanisms. Ensure that adaptations of pre-grant and grant policies is duly translated into the guidelines and application forms..
• Supports on questions related to grant processes and guidelines, and how these impact on or are impacted by grant guidelines, and takes initiative to adapt those guidelines
• Ensures proper dissemination of the grant related documents through the GPE Website, GPE intranet, and develop training materials, and deliver presentations and training to both internal and external stakeholders as needed and in coordination with Grant Operations practice.
• Supports Sr. Grant Operations Officer in work with grant agents (GA) at headquarters level to address issues related to GPE guidelines, and how they relate to GA’s own policies  .
• Works with Grant Data Analysts and Letter generation team to ensure maintenance of the grant guidelines/forms and appropriate development of letter templates for country communications..
• Acts as focal point with other teams as needed to develop and maintain Standard operating procedures (SOPs) related to application of GPE grant policy and guidelines.
• Ensures the automation of grant related processes in GPE’s information systems are consistent with guidelines and relevant SOPs.

Selection Criteria

Education/Experience

• • Bachelor’s degree with 7 years of experience or a Master’s  with 5 years of experience.
• • At least 5 years experience in grant portfolio management and grant monitoring or implementation with development agencies and/or INGOs (or equivalent combination of education and experience).

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=30053&site=1