Senior Education Specialist (Test Development) at the World Bank Group

The World Bank, a member of the World Bank Group, is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. Our mission is to fight poverty with passion and professionalism for lasting results and to help people help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity and forging partnerships in the public and private sectors.

In 2015, the World Bank Group launched a recruitment mission to attract Sub Saharan African professionals to its work force. The initiative was the first of its kind for the institution and resulted in numerous hires into business areas such as Education, Health, Development Economics, Information Technology Systems, Social Urban/Rural & Resilience and Governance. The World Bank Group continues its commitment to hiring Sub-Saharan African professionals and announces its latest recruitment mission to again attract highly qualified Sub-Saharan African professionals who are looking for an exciting career, where their effort will contribute to the institution's goal of ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity.

The MENA Education unit is seeking to recruit a Senior Education Specialist to be based in Kuwait to assist NCED strengthen capacity in test development.

Applications are invited for the position below:

Job Title: Senior Education Specialist (Test Development)

Location: Africa
Area: Education

Description

Regional/Country/Global Unit Context
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region covers Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, the Gulf States, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza (Palestinian territories) and Yemen.

These countries include low-income and middle-income countries that look for technical advice and financial support, and high income countries that request Reimbursable Advisory Services (RAS). The MENA region has been undergoing major changes over the past several years and the World Bank is poised to support the countries in the region to achieve peace and stability for economic and social development. MENA countries have placed a renewed emphasis on education as a priority for development. The Bank’s MENA region has also placed education at the heart of its engagement as a critical part of its strategy in supporting countries rebuild trust between citizens and the state, promoting regional cooperation, building resilience in countries amidst the growing refugee challenges in the region, and supporting recovery and reconstruction. As a result the education portfolio has been growing.

Education Program in Kuwait: In 2015, building on earlier successful engagements, the World Bank and the Ministry of Education in Kuwait signed a multi-year agreement to support the design and implementation of a comprehensive education reform. The program is grounded in the Kuwait National Education Development Plan and is aligned closely with the ministry’s Integrated Education Reform Program. The objective is to improve the effectiveness of Kuwaiti General Education through integrated reforms in curriculum, teaching, leadership, assessment, and policy and planning. The intended outcomes are: (i) improved quality of core educational processes and products in curriculum, teaching and learning, classroom assessment, leadership and supervision as a prerequisite for increased student achievement on national and international assessments; (ii) increased capacity to establish and use accountability systems for improved education decision making. The World Bank supports this program through a large team of staff and international experts in the various areas of the reform. A core team is located in the Kuwait country office of the World Bank, led by a resident task team leader (TTL). The World Bank works in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the National Center for Education Development (NCED).

The candidate will work in close collaboration with the resident TTL of the program and the NCED management team (Director General and Component Manager). S/he will work full-time on the program in carrying out and coordinating test development for the MESA & other IERP assessment projects, and strengthening capacity at NCED.

The selected candidate will report to the Education Practice Manager for the Middle East and North Africa and will work in close collaboration with the other members of the Education Team based in Kuwait and in the region.

Duties and Accountabilities
As a core member of the Kuwait education team based at NCED, the test development specialist will:

• Coordinate the activities and supervise the process of all Test Development Committees, following the assessment plan developed under the agreement between NCED, the World Bank and its consultants.
• Collaborate in the development of the Test Blueprint and design of all assessments.
• Lead quality review on products and deliverables of the program related to test development including all testing materials, manuals and other relevant project products.
• Coordinate test item development, revision and the construction of the final test forms.
• Participate in Test Development Committee meetings and provide guidance to facilitate the test development process.
• Assess the preparation of the Standard setting meetings, help in preparation of materials and summarizing results.
• Assess item development plans aimed at the implementation of a comprehensive item bank.
• Perform other IERP tasks as needed including, collaborating in development of proposals of other assessments projects.
• Participate in capacity building of test development staff and test development project participants.
• Provide management support to project implementation in collaboration with the TTL and the NCED DG and Component manager.
• Supervise the work of consultants and technical specialists to ensure consistency and conformity to World Bank standards.
• Lead and contribute to specific analytical work and produce major/complex reports and presentations.
• Work independently under general direction of unit manager, the resident TTL, and NCED management, and guide and mentor junior staff.

Selection Criteria
Specific Competencies:

• Experience in coordinating test development, or item writing, and/or development of test banks.
• Proficient in the utilization of databases, spreadsheets, word processing applications and other analysis tools.

General Competencies:

• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level.
• Policy Dialogue Skills - Anticipates needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners.
• Education Knowledge and Experience - Possesses experience in designing and managing challenging education projects, and policy-relevant analytical work. Able to independently formulate country-relevant solutions to complex sector problems, taking into account cross-sectoral linkages.
• Integrative Skills - Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas and how they are interrelated.
• Lead and Innovate - Develops innovative solutions with others.
• Deliver Results for Clients - Achieves results and identifies mission-driven solutions for the client.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries - Initiates collaboration across boundaries and broadly across WBG, and brings differing ideas into the forefront. Ability to work in large teams a plus.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge - Creates, applies and shares knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions.
• Make Smart Decisions - Recommends and takes decisive action.
• General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills - Possesses Cross-country knowledge in economic specialty and demonstrates ability to link the macro, institutional, and micro-level behaviors; able to support findings/policy recommendations with credible analysis and tools.

Other Selection Criteria:

• Master's in Education or Educational Measurement or equivalent.
• At least 8 years of relevant experience in assessments or test development.
• Ability to supervise or lead multiple tasks effectively while meeting deadlines.
• Ability to work with diverse and large teams.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills in English. Arabic proficiency a plus.

Recruitment Timeline
End of July - September 2016 - Review applications and update application status to candidates
August - September 2016 - Contact all shortlisted candidates and conduct interviews in Washington, D.C. and locations in Africa

Application Closing Date
7th August, 2016.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Shortlisted candidates may be contacted as early as August 2016 for interviews which may be conducted in Washington, D.C. or locations in Africa. Interviews will be conducted through September 2016. Based on the availability of interviewers and candidates some interviews may be conducted virtually.
• Candidates who have previously submitted applications through the Recruitment Drive for African Nationals in 2015 must submit a new application to be considered for opportunities in this year's campaign. We apologize that we are unable to consider previously submitted applications.
• If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a term appointment.