Regional Cooperation Specialist - Asian Development Bank

Reference #: ADB-HR-13-0243

Position Title: Regional Cooperation Specialist

Department: Central and West Asia Department

Division: Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Div, CWRD

Location: Manila, Philippines

Recruitment Type: International

Date Posted: 16 April 2013

Closing Date: 30 April 2013 , 5:00 p.m. (1700 Manila Time, 0900 GMT)

Job Purpose:

Contribute to and support the continuous improvement of practices of regional cooperation initiatives of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC) within its broad policies and objectives as outlined by the CAREC 2020. Identify, develop, process, implement and administer ADB initiatives for regional cooperation and integration in Central and West Asia. Work with broad policies and objectives, working directly with clients, with supervision for critical tasks.

Expected Outcomes

Deliver assignments independently and as part of a team in a combination of the following broad outcome areas:

Regional Cooperation
- Contribute in enhancing, maintaining, operationalizing, and monitoring the results framework for the RCS for Central and West Asia to help establish the development effectiveness of regional cooperation and integration (RCI) programs and projects.
- Coordinate with regional cooperation focal points and resident missions to help ensure that RCI is part of national development plans and programs.
- Actively take part in the activities of country teams of CWRD countries participating in RCI programs to help mainstream RCI in the country partnership strategies and country operations business plans.
- Support regional cooperation institutional mechanisms by conducting dialogues, organizing meetings and workshops and other related events.
- As focal point for trade policies of CAREC, contribute to and formulate support to improve trade and trade facilitation at the country level and in the regional context.

CAREC Secretariat

• Provide secretariat support for the CAREC Program, with a special emphasis on coordinating the CAREC Overall Institutional Framework (OIF) ensuring logistical and administrative requirements in organizing high level meetings (Ministerial Conferences, Senior Officials’ Meetings, working group meetings, etc.).

- Contribute to the updating of the CAREC medium-term priority projects list and ADB’s pipelines of investment and nonlending products and services in support of the CAREC Program.
- Assist in the development and implementation of CAREC outreach activities to help ensure greater country ownership of the CAREC Program.

• Provide comments on various ADB reports and documents in the context of regional cooperation to ensure inclusion of regional issues and priorities.

Project Management 
- Develop, process, and administer loan and technical assistance (TA) projects in the regional cooperation and integration related areas, possibly with moderate to high levels of risk and complexity.
- Identify, design, process, and administer regional investment and TA projects, focusing on those related to trade and trade facilitation.
- Establish and maintain a database/portfolio of completed, ongoing, and planned RCI projects in Central and West Asia to help in future planning and programming of regional investments.
- Support in mobilizing co-financing for priority RCI investments and technical assistance.

Stakeholder Coordination 
- Organize regional events, conferences, meetings, and workshops that provide a continuing platform for projects-based dialogue and exchange on regional cooperation issues.
- Participate actively in the regular coordination and exchange of information with other international, multilateral, and bilateral agencies and counterparts in DMCs on regional issues.
- Substantially contribute to activities for advocacy, dissemination, and knowledge building around regional cooperation issues.
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- Contribute to capacity building of various stakeholders pertaining to trade and trade facilitation, among others.

Knowledge Sharing and Outreach
- Monitor economic indicators of the region and DMCs that would contribute in implementing the results framework.
- Initiate and assist in finalizing studies on key economic, thematic, sector issues (with particular focus on trade and trade facilitation) on regional cooperation and integration involving countries in the region.
- Deliver relevant knowledge products pertaining to trade and trade facilitation.

Staff Supervision
- Take the role of team leader to develop capabilities/potential of reporting staff.
- Track the performance of reporting staff providing clear direction and regular monitoring and feedback on performance.

• Ensure the on-going learning and development of reporting staff.

Educational Requirements:

Master’s degree in Economics, Political Science, Development Management, Public Policy or other related specialized fields. University degree in Economics, Political Science, Development Management, Public Policy or other related fields, combined with specialized experience in similar organization/s, may be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree

Relevant Experience And Other Requirements:

Work experience
- At least 8 years’ relevant experience in development planning and policy formulation, implementation and coordination in a professional capacity.
- International experience working in several countries

Technical knowledge
- Provide application of expertise within a specific area, or breadth across multiple areas with in-depth knowledge within one area.
- Able to utilize and share relevant knowledge to benefit the broader ADB community

People and leadership skills
- Act as a mentor to the more junior team members, providing guidance on projects or processing of loans/technical assistance
- Act as a coach to develop capabilities/potential of more junior colleagues
- Able to act as a team leader, when required, with supervision from the Director or a more senior team leader.

Core Competencies:

Application of Technical Knowledge and Skills
- Regularly shares knowledge on new international best practice trends in comparator situations

• Proactively applies relevant international best practices to own work
• Convinces others to adopt international best practice by explaining the situational relevance and benefits

Client Orientation

• Helps colleagues work effectively with clients in different contexts and from diverse backgrounds and country situations
• Adapts own approach and style when interacting with clients, as opposed to requiring them to adapt
• Draws upon international best practice in exploring solutions with clients
• Confirms the clients’ understanding and agreement before progressing

Achieving Results and Problem Solving

• Draws on own and others’ multi-country experience to identify viable courses of action when conducting analyses
• Helps internal and external clients achieve quality results beyond presenting problems and precedent
• Highlights possible solutions for project issues based on relevant multi-country and/or multi-client experience
• Regularly contributes insights and experiences to colleagues in the Division to help them achieve quality results
• Overcomes unexpected difficulties and challenges to produce desired outcomes

Working Together

• Maintains collaborative relationships within the Department
• Works effectively with diverse colleagues in own and other Divisions and Departments
• Flexibly alters positions and adjusts previously stated points of view to support the group consensus
• Follows through on team priorities in the absence of a team leader

Communication and Knowledge Sharing

• Checks the audience’s level of understanding and awareness of required follow up actions
• Consistently seeks and addresses feedback on own performance
• Creates knowledge products endorsed for wider distribution based on lessons and multi-country experience
• Independently amends and clarifies messages and documents

Innovation and Change

• Actively supports work improvement and/or organizational change by work and deed
• Develops and adopts change plans to support Division initiatives on which one works
• Considers current and future client needs in proposing ideas
• Vocalizes early support for change

• Recommends inputs to new policies, systems and processes in immediate work area

Immediate Reporting Relationships / Other Information:

• Supervisor: Director, CWRC
• The following staff positions may be supervised by the incumbent:
• National Staff
• Administrative Staff
• Women are encouraged to apply.

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