ASI-06

*Please note: some adjustments may be made to this work plan. Please check for updates*

Organization title: World Bank
Field Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Policy Location: Washington, D.C.

DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION

The World Bank Group provides financing, knowledge and partnerships as part of its mission to reduce poverty. International development assistance provided through the World Bank is the largest source of concessional finance in the world. The World Bank focuses on achievement of the Millennium Development Goals that call for the elimination of poverty and sustained development.

The World Bank helps developing countries and their people reach the goals by working with partners to alleviate poverty. It concentrates on building the climate for investment, jobs and sustainable growth, so that economies will grow, and by investing in and empowering poor people to participate in development.

At any given moment in locations around the globe, people are engaged in development projects designed to improve living standards and reduce poverty. Last year, the World Bank provided $23.6 billion for 279 projects in developing countries worldwide, with financial and/or technical expertise aimed at helping those countries reduce poverty. The bank is currently involved in more than 1,800 projects in virtually every sector and developing country. The projects are as diverse as providing microcredit in Bosnia and Herzegovina, raising AIDS-prevention awareness in Guinea, supporting education of girls in Bangladesh, improving health care delivery in Mexico, and helping East Timor rebuild upon independence and India rebuild Gujarat after a devastating earthquake.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Bangladesh Health Nutrition and Population Sector Program (HNPSP) is a Government of Bangladesh (GOB) led program supported by a range of multi-lateral and bi-lateral development agencies that are working together in a HNP Consortium. HNPSP has a total investment of about USD 4.2 billion, consisting of USD 1.3 billion in donor aid and USD 2.9 billion of GOB resources all aligned to support the Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy and Strategic Investment Plan. The Program aims to modernize the health sector and accelerate progress towards the health–related millennium development goals (MDGs).

One element of the HNPSP program is the National Nutrition Program (NNP). The program is targeted to children under 2 years, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls and newly weds. The program contracts out delivery of nutrition services to a number of NGOs. These NGOs are responsible for delivering growth monitoring, behavior change and education, supplemental feeding for targeted individuals, nutrition supplementation and de worming.

FIELD PLACEMENT

The Fellow will work under the direct supervision of the senior education and health specialists in the World Bank office in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The fellow will be directly engaged in the day to day supervision of the National Nutrition Program. The Fellow will take a lead in developing a dynamic school health program, which will necessitate fostering collaboration between the education and health teams in the Bank’s Bangladesh office, at World Bank Headquarters in DC, with the central unit of the World Bank leading a global program on Focusing Resources on School Health (FRESH).

Specific objectives may include:

• Assist in day to day operation of the nutrition program including expert review of documents, monitoring of NGO service provision and contracting, procurement, and supervision.
• Field visits to meet with the NGO appointed community nutrition promoters, and the clients
• Identify problems in field implementation and potential solutions
• Support NNP with technical assistance
• Maintain and enhance relationships with other nutrition partners in Bangladesh, and specifically with the Nutrition Working Group, a group of NGOs and partner agencies.
• Take the lead in developing a school health program building on a conference held in 2008 which identified priorities.
• Build relationships for a national school health with the Ministries of Education and Health and Family Welfare.
• Identify and foster relationships with partners in the school health agenda.
• Establish school curriculum with respect to health, including nutrition
• Establish regular deworming programs in school.

POLICY PLACEMENT

The Fellow will work at the headquarters of the World Bank in Washington DC. Full details are still to be developed but will likely include work with the South Asia Human development team. The team covers broader policy and strategy development, together with technical assistance, for all countries in the region including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan. The Fellow may also work with the global unit responsible for FRESH, engaged with policy and strategy to advance the FRESH agenda.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Course work and experience relevant to the program. Preference will be given to nutrition, public health, health economics.
• Past field experience in a developing country with a preference for experience in South Asia
• Good knowledge of linkages between nutrition and food security, health and education
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural and team environment
• Good interpersonal skills
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to write clearly and concisely for a variety of audiences in English.