Director of Statistics at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Full Time

Job Title: Director of Statistics

Position Number: 50092395
Location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Position Grade: EL5

The Complex

• The core mandate of the Vice Presidency (ECVP) is to lead the Bank Group on prioritizing the generation, analysis, dissemination, brokering and implementation of relevant knowledge solutions in all High-5 operational priorities and the cross-cutting themes of its Ten-Year Strategy.
• Such solutions must be a clear response to priority development challenges facing regional member countries (RMCs), individually or collectively and need to involve RMCs in both the planning and implementation of the solutions.
• The solutions include:
  • Research on major development issues facing Africa and their relation to global economic governance and other major global public goods;
  • Country diagnostics and future perspectives;
  • Policy dialogue and advisory services;
  • Economic, sector, and thematic knowledge work;
  • Improving national and sub-regional statistical systems;
  • Preparation, design and support to implementation of public financial management and Governance operations;
  • Capacity development for policy formulation and implementation;
  • Technical assistance and advice related to RMCs’ management of natural resources; and
  • Knowledge dissemination and development of national, regional, and inter-regional knowledge networks.

The Hiring Department
Overall, the main functions of the Statistics Department (ECST) are:

• The collection, processing and dissemination of statistical information gathered from national and international sources, particularly in areas of the Bank’s corporate strategy and the High-5 operational priorities across Africa;
• The standardization of statistical methods, classifications and definitions used by national agencies to benefit from the use of internationally agreed common methodologies and approaches, thus achieving economies of scale;
• The coordination of international, continental and sub-regional statistical programs and activities with other development partners;
• Technical cooperation and capacity building on statistical services in the Bank’s RMCs at their request; and
• Supporting the internal data needs of the Bank Group by compiling and disseminating statistical information for statistical activities, including on results measurement, research, policy, and financial work, among others.

The Position

• The African Development Bank Group is currently going through an exciting period of strategic and structural fine-tuning, moving towards a more collaborative, cross-cutting way of working.
• As part of that change, the ECVP Complex is leading on the repositioning of the Bank Group as an innovative and dynamic organization that works effectively as one.
• An important element of this will be to strengthen its public profile and policy impact, embedding a critical understanding of economics across all aspects of the Bank Group’s work, including in its engagements with regional member countries, as well as its external engagement with decision-makers and opinion formers and other stakeholders.
• The Director of the Statistics Department (ECST) will contribute substantially to the Bank Group’s conceptualization, design, implementation and quality assurance of all the Bank’s on statistics. Specifically, the Director of ECST will provide leadership to the Bank’s Statistics team to support effective delivery on the various functions listed above.
• The successful candidate will be part of the senior leadership in the Complex and across the Bank, play a key role in developing the public profile of the institution’s knowledge work and lead outreach to a broad range of external stakeholders while also managing a dynamic team of professionals.

Key Functions
Under the supervision and guidance of the Chief Economist/Vice President for Economics Research, Policy Dialogue and Knowledge Management, the Director will implement the following tasks:

Plan, Organize, Manage, and Supervise the Activities of the Department:

• Lead the Department, including setting goals, recruiting top notch staff and provide leadership to deliver high quality statistical products;
• Provide intellectual and strategic leadership in the development of Statistics as a continuous process across RMCs;
• Manage human and financial resources of the Department;
• Build partnerships with internal and external stakeholders and engage at the most senior levels to coordinate the Bank’s statistical activities to enable consistent monitoring and evaluation of the Bank’s strategic goals.
• Provide efficient and high-quality services to achieve the set objectives.
• Develop and significantly grow the Bank’s statistical program.
• Initiate and introduce necessary changes to ensure the Department’s activities respond to current and emerging data needs.

Plan, manage and advise on up-to-date approaches of data collection, processing dissemination and utilization to inform applied research on African development issues by the Bank Group and its Stakeholders. This involves among other issues:

• Advocate for methodological coherence through the harmonization of statistics and availing of up- to-date metadata to aid cross-country comparison of key aggregates in collaboration with other development partners and in liaison with the Operations Departments of the Bank.
• Avail and promote the necessary data dissemination tools across all RMCs and maintaining the same with a view of enabling real time sharing of development data to inform the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), (Agenda 2030); Agenda 2063, the HIGH 5s and a host of other national development initiatives across countries.
• Establish and maintain relations with other development partners involved in producing data to inform timely decision-making.
• Represent the Bank in international and regional conferences, seminars, and workshops

Work Program Validation and Execution:

• Review and validate the objectives and work program for the department, ensuring alignment to the Bank, Complex and department strategic priorities.
• Review and validate the budget, and its effective implementation.
  Report on the work program execution and propose alternative and corrective measures as needed.
• Actively contribute to the designing and monitoring of the department key performance indicators.

Technical Oversight on the Department Activities:

• Work closely with the Bank’s Regional and Sector Departments to assess priority statistical data requirements to support the Bank’s operations and analysis of the development needs of member countries.
• Manage the Bank’s resources dedicated to statistical data collection and management for increased operational and institutional efficiency in delivery of development goals, in addition to providing oversight of the implementation of the Department’s administrative budget.
• Provide the Bank and its clients with technical assistance, advisory services, and training to enhance capacity of national statistics bureaus in data collection and management for informed policy making in the RMCs.
• Work with the Africa Development Institute (ECAD) to design and implement indicators for public service delivery in the RMCs.
• Work with the Macroeconomics Policy, Forecasting and Research Department (ECMR) and the Country Economists Department (ECCE) on the production of the Africa Economic Outlook and Regional Economic Outlook reports.
• Work in collaboration with the Resource Mobilization and Partnership Department (FIRM) to identity and mobilise resources to support work program implementation in the Department. sources of funds for training.
• Oversee the preparation of monthly statistics briefs for the Bank’s Senior Management by African countries and regions to inform the Bank’s knowledge work, technical assistance and policy dialogue in the Regional Member Countries.
• Regularly publish other data updates, including Statistical Yearbook and Africa Statistics Pocketbook, as well as books and reports on statistics and statistical methods.
• Work with National Statistical Bureaus to validate and disseminate relevant data in relevant Ministries for informed policymaking in African countries.
• Perform other duties assigned by the Chief Economist/Vice President for Economics Research, Policy Dialogue and Knowledge Management.

People and Talent Management:

• Ensure the Department is strategically staffed for effective delivery of the capacity strategic of the Bank Group as defined in annual work programs of the Department.
• Build, motivate, mentor, and maintain an effective team
• Put in place, with the assistance of the Human Resource Department, talent management mechanisms, to build a talent pool for the Department and maintain effective delivery and business continuity.
• Build and maintain a network of experts and institutions to support the Bank’s data collection and data management processes.
• Oversee the development and implementation of protocols for inter-Departmental Bank-wide collaboration in data collection, data management and utilization in Africa.

Competencies (Skills, Experience and Knowledge)

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science, Economics or other relevant discipline. A PhD will be a strong asset.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of extensive and progressive experience in the field of statistics and/or data management in a similar organization, five (5) years of which must be at a managerial level.
• Proven knowledge and experience in developing and managing big data techniques in development contexts and experience in the transforming statistical agencies and bureaus in Africa or elsewhere.
• Proven ability to build and manage international teams of experts with diverse cultural and disciplinary backgrounds.
• Strong knowledge of African economic and development issues; strategic thinking mind-set, and strong capacity to analyse situations from the perspective of stakeholders and translate strategic thinking into implementation.
• Ability to build and manage strategic partnerships with a results-oriented mind-set.
• Strong ability to translate development challenges into knowledge leverage opportunities with a solid knowledge of andragogy.
• Strong analytical and negotiation skills coupled to superior monitoring and evaluation abilities.
• High degree of diplomacy, discretion, and tact with proven ability to function under uncertainties.
• Extensive and in-depth experience on statistical and/or economic development issues in Africa.
• Strong analytical and empirical skills for interpreting data and informing decision- or policy- making.
• Familiarity with the roles of other development finance institutions in addressing the data needs for SDGs & the High 5s agendas across Africa.
• Ability to think strategically and to design long term plans and programs in line with strategic priorities.
• Good leadership skills and ability to attract, motivate and retain high quality professional staff.
• Demonstrated ability to take prudent business risks, develop innovative approaches and make effective, timely and well-determined decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to present and win support for ideas, a good listener and cultural sensitivity, commitment to diversity and capacity to initiate and manage innovations and change.
• Proven ability to build partnerships with a broad range of clients and deliver results that meet the needs and long-term interests of clients within and outside the Bank.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in French or English. Good working knowledge of both languages will be an advantage.
• Competence in the use of standard Office Suite applications.

Application Closing Date
5th June, 2022.

Note: This position is classified as international recruitment and attracts international terms and conditions of employment.