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Governance Global Practice Context
An effective and accountable governance framework in the form of functioning institutions is a necessary precondition for sustainable poverty reduction. Fragile, ineffective or inexistent institutions have long been presented as key constraints to effective service delivery and hence to the achievement of development objectives in many countries. Furthermore, poor governance and structural deficiencies in public and private institutions are often prevalent in fragile and conflict affected states. In addition, cross-country empirics have confirmed that higher institutional quality is correlated with higher levels of per capita income and greater economic growth. Thus, governance mechanisms and institutions are critical to sustained growth and poverty alleviation.
The Governance Global Practice (GGP) brings together professionals in financial management, public investment management, procurement, taxation, regulatory policy, transparency, digital governance, justice, anticorruption, and social accountability to develop innovative, integrated solutions to pernicious institutional problems. The GGP utilizes a problem-driven, diagnostic approach, combining global comparative knowledge of reform successes and failures with keen understanding of the institutional challenges and opportunities of developing countries
Regional Context
The World Bank Group serves 31 client countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LCR). Clients range from large rapidly growing sophisticated middle-income clients to IDA countries to small Caribbean states, and include one fragile state (Haiti). Despite immense resources, dynamic societies and an average annual per capita income of about US$4,000, deep inequalities persist in most LCR countries, with nearly a quarter of the Region's people living in poverty.
The latest Bank strategy for LCR is focused on three pillars: (a) supporting the foundations for inclusive growth; (b) investing in human capital and protecting the poor; and (c) building resilience. The basic elements of the strategy include: accelerating growth, investing in human capital, including in health, and building resilience. In the aftermath of the COVID19 pandemic, the implementation of this strategy should take into account necessary adjustments to better support the region deal with the unprecedented health and economic crises.
Country Management Unit (CMU) Context
The LC7 CMU is responsible for Bank operations in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and is composed of a decentralized office in Buenos Aires, where the Country Director (CD) and the Operations Manager (OM) are based, an Anchor Office at Headquarters; and Country Offices in Asunción and Montevideo, each led by a Resident Representative (RR). The Buenos Aires office is large (around 80 staff) covering all aspects of the operational business from the field. The CMU oversees a wide range of Bank activities, including a large number of operations and a diverse knowledge program. A relatively large EFI team is based in Buenos Aires, covering most activities for the sector in the three countries of the CMU
Unit Context
The Financial Management (FM) unit of the GGP in LCR has the following key functions: (i) carrying out high quality financial management services (i.e. project preparation and implementation support) in Bank-financed operations and advancing the use of country Public Financial Management (PFM) systems to enhance development effectiveness; (ii) supporting partner countries in enhancing their PFM performance and capacity, working collaboratively with other Global Practices (GPs) and regional and corporate Bank units; and (iii) supporting partner countries in developing their professional accountancy institutions, and corporate financial reporting performance (including accounting and auditing standards).
The Unit is looking for a Financial Management Analyst (FMA) based in Buenos Aires, Argentina to work with LC7 countries (Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay). The FMA will be part of the regional GGP staff and will report to the Practice Manager of the Unit.
Duties and Accountability
The FMA will work on all financial management (FM) aspects of the Bank’s operations in LC7 countries, and as required by the Practice Manager. This will include the following fiduciary assurance functions:
Assessing the adequacy of project financial management arrangements;
Providing implementation support and supervising projects financed by loans and grants;
Ensuring compliance with the Bank’s audit and other FM requirements;
Ensuring that the project operations are carried out in accordance with sound financial management practices;
Performing analytical work on financial management and accountability issues; and
Carrying out capacity building activities as part of the Governance team;
Selection Criteria
The position requires:
A highly motivated and passionate financial management analyst with strong client orientation, interpersonal and integrative thinking skills;
A qualified professional accountant (CPA, CA, ACCA or equivalent membership of an internationally recognized professional accountancy body);
A Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., accounting, public financial management, finance, public policy) or another related field;
At least 2 years of relevant professional experience;
Relevant professional experience in public sector financial management would be a distinctive advantage;
Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Spanish is required.
