Term of References

Vietnam – World Bank – SECO subnational Public Financial Management Project

Position: Project Coordinator

Context

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working with the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help Vietnam achieve its socio-economic development objectives and improve the lives of many.

The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org.

The World Bank Group is a key development partner of Vietnam both at the national level and increasingly at the subnational level supporting the emerging growth poles, such as Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang and Can Tho. Join The World Bank – SECO subnational Public Financial Management Project in these efforts.

Program

Vietnam is a unitary state in which subnational entities play an important and growing role in the country’s socio-economic development. They are now the main providers of infrastructure and public services, with subnational spending now accounting for over 55% of consolidated expenditures, 70% of total public investments, 60% of transport expenditures, 90% of education expenditures and 80% of health sector expenditures. This highlights the critical role of subnational governments in Public Financial Management.

Spending decentralization has grown more rapidly than the required PFM know-how and the overall capacity of subnational entities, which need to be strengthened. With limited revenue growth and little revenue autonomy, subnational entities need to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of their expenditures. They also need to strengthen their revenue base, unlock the value of public assets, and minimize borrowing costs while ensuring that debt and debt risks are properly managed.

The Sub-national PFM technical assistance program supported by the World Bank and the Swiss cooperation SECO will support the PFM strengthening of the cities of Da Nang and Can Tho, two emerging growth poles in Vietnam. While the City of Da Nang is Vietnam’s 5th largest city and a growing economic hub in the country’s central region, the City of Can Tho is the key gateway to the Mekong Delta (with its 13 provinces) in the South of Vietnam. Over the past five years, both cities have been national growth champions with an average GDP growth of 8.5% and committed to reforms.

The development objective of the program is to support Da Nang and Can Tho Cities in strengthening their institutions and capacity to mobilize and utilize financial resources in a more effective, efficient, accountable, and sustainable manner. The five-year program (2010 – 2025) includes the following analytical and advisory assistance activities to support the local governments of:

1. Da Nang City to: (i) develop a fiscal strategy; (ii) develop a medium-term budgeting framework; (iii) establish performance reporting for key public service delivery units; and (iv) improve debt management system
2. Can Tho City to: (i) carry out the public expenditure and financial accountability assessment; and (ii) design and implement follow-on activities upon the completion of the said assessment
3. program management.

Duties and Accountabilities of the candidate:

The Project Coordinator will work directly with the World Bank Group and contribute to the implementation of the Subnational public financial management project in Vietnam. More specifically, the responsibilities include:

• Support the task team in the day-to-day project management, including follow-up and monitoring of the implementation activities, disbursement progress, preparation of Terms of References for consultants, preparation of communication with the Government counterparts, consultants and the wider Bank team;
• contribute to the preparation of program work plans, project progress reports and supervision documents, management briefs, etc.
• Support the preparation and follow-up of technical and supervision missions, including the organization, workshops, capacity building activities, and review and editing of technical reports and presentations on subnational PFM and project related themes and activities
• Liaise and follow up with other team members, consultants, and government counterparts
• Provide technical input to advisory notes on PFM, decentralization, and other public administration reform related topics
• Contribute to technical inputs to analytic work and advisory services, and/or
• Supervising the preparation of analytical products (ASA) and other relevant technical reports for the project.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree or equivalent qualification in the field of project management, public finance management, political science, economics, business administration, public accounting or similar area of expertise with at least seven years of relevant work experience
• Knowledge of public financial management, specifically at the subnational level, in one or more of the following areas: fiscal strategy, medium term budgeting and budget preparation; public investment management; public sector delivery units (agencies) and SOEs performance management and monitoring.
• Operational experience in project management for at least 5 years, including at the subnational level, including activity planning, budgeting, procurement, monitoring and reporting
• Experience in Vietnam and with international organizations or development partners is desirable
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English; understanding of Vietnamese is desirable
• Ability to deal sensitively in multi-cultural environments and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues
• High level of personal and professional integrity
• Self-motivated, autonomous and results-oriented with proven problem-solving skills
• Familiarity with MS Office programs, including Word, power point and Excel
• Ability to travel frequently

Behavioral Competencies

• Client Orientation - Maintains client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge
• Drive for Results - Identifies the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and finds solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables
• Teamwork and Inclusion - Shows commitment to ensuring the team stays organized and focused, and actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches
• Knowledge, Learning and Communication - Shares best practice, trends, knowledge and lessons learned across units and with clients and partners, articulating ideas verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling way across audiences of varied levels
• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Serves as a trusted advisor to others on their decisions, ensuring alignment across units and optimal impact on the organization as a whole.

The initial contract will be 150 days. Subject to satisfactory performance and business continuity, the contract will be extended.

If this is you, apply by November 11th, 2020 by sending your CV and a cover letter explaining why you are a good fit for this position with at least 3 references of previous employers/ supervisors to: [email protected].

Suitable candidates will be contacted for an interview. 

Organization: World Bank
Location: Hanoi
Application deadline: 2020-11-11
Send application to: [email protected]