empleo

As Latin America adapts to the downturn in commodity prices, policymakers are turning to the surest path to sustainable, lasting growth: innovation. “When businesses innovate, productivity increases and economies become more competitive,” says Marialisa Motta, manager of the Trade and Competitiveness practice in Latin America and the Caribbean. Many Latin American countries have policies to encourage innovation, but most are less efficient or effective than they could be. The World Bank Group is helping governments take stock of their programs and improve them. The goal, says Senior Private Sector Specialist Alberto Criscuolo, is to see “what is the bang for the buck? Is the public expenditure on innovation consistent with the policy priorities on innovation? How effective are the programs on innovation? Are there overlaps between agencies and ministries? What can we learn from the implementation of existing programs?” These reviews of science, technology, and innovation spending are being done with World Bank Group support in Peru, Colombia, and Chile, among others. Often, Criscuolo says, there’s a “gap between what industry needs and what universities are researching. The two sides don’t talk to each other.” The World Bank Group assessments can help identify which areas of innovation are in high demand from industry, and encourage funding of that research.Evaluating the Mix In Chile, the World Bank Group evaluated the quality of the innovation and entrepreneurship policy mix and worked with two government agencies to identify good practices and weaknesses in design and implementation practices. The results were used to inform the current restructuring of innovation instruments. In Colombia, the World Bank Group evaluated more than 120 policy instruments, measuring the effectiveness of the policy mix, the degree of redundancies, and gaps. Now the Bank Group is helping the government design a national innovation strategy by recommending good practices on innovation instruments, such as better-defined tax incentives for research and development. “Fewer than 20 companies in the whole country were benefiting from the tax breaks, mostly large mineral or energy companies,” says Lead Economist Leonardo Iacovone, who worked on the Colombia assessment, after which the country changed its system. Iacovone is now co-leading a $600 million loan to Colombia, approved in March 2017, whose objectives include strengthening innovation policies.Management as Well as Technology Innovation is about management as much as technology, Iacovone points out. “A company that’s able to innovate is one that’s able to learn. The way you get organized and managed is crucial in the way you’re able to learn: Setting and monitoring targets. Linking human resources processes and incentives to targets. Getting feedback from workers on how to continuously improve.” In Brazil as well, there is much room to improve how firms are managed, says Lead Economist Mark Dutz. Surveys show that 18% of firms are very badly managed, compared to 11% in Mexico, 6% in China, and 2% in the United States, according to the World Management Survey. But technology is important too. Though some fear that adopting new technologies will kill jobs, Dutz says, “Technology adoption by firms can actually be inclusive, creating more and better jobs not just for highly skilled workers, but also lower-skilled workers – provided there is enough output expansion.” Traditionally, Latin American economies, particularly Brazil, have been relatively closed to foreign trade, giving companies little incentive to innovate and remain competitive in global markets – and leading to higher prices for consumers. But breaking down those barriers means that companies can expand beyond their traditional domestic markets. “They need to think of the world as their oyster,” Dutz says.

مع تكيف أمريكا اللاتينية مع هبوط أسعار السلع، يتجه صناع السياسات نحو أوثق السبل للنمو المستدام والمستمر وهو: الابتكار. تقول مارياليسا موتا، مدير قطاع الممارسات العالمية للتجارة والتنافسية بإدارة أمريكا اللاتينية والبحر الكاريبي، "عندما تبتكر أنشطة الأعمال، تزداد الإنتاجية ويصبح الاقتصاد أكثر قدرة على المنافسة."ولدى العديد من بلدان أمريكا اللاتينية سياسات تشجع على الابتكار، إلا أن أغلبها أقل كفاءة أو فعالية مما ينبغي أن تكون عليه. وتعمل مجموعة البنك الدولي على مساعدة الحكومات على تقييم برامجها وتحسينها.ويقول ألبرتو كريسكولو، الخبير الأول المتخصص في القطاع الخاص، إن الغاية هي "أن نرى القيمة المقابلة للدولار. هل الإنفاق العام على الابتكار يتسق مع أولويات السياسات بشأن الابتكار؟ ما مدى تأثير البرامج على الابتكار؟ هل هناك تداخل بين الهيئات والوزارات؟ ما الذي يمكن أن نتعلمه من تطبيق البرامج الحالية؟ هذه المراجعات للعلوم والتكنولوجيا والإنفاق على الابتكار تتم بدعم من مجموعة البنك الدولي في بيرو وكولومبيا وشيلي وبلدان أخرى.ويقول كريسكولو إن هناك "فجوة بين ما تحتاجه الصناعة وما تجريه الجامعات من بحوث. فكل منهما يعمل في واد آخر." تقييمات البنك الدولي يمكن أن تساعد في تحديد مجالات الابتكار التي تحتاجها الصناعة أكثر، وأن تشجع على تمويل البحوث المتصلة بها.تقييم المزيجوفي شيلي، قيمت مجموعة البنك الدولي مستوى جودة مزيج سياسات الابتكار والعمل الحر وعملت مع اثنتين من الهيئات الحكومية لرصد الممارسات الجيدة ومواطن الضعف في التصميم وفي ممارسات التطبيق. واستخدمت النتائج لتنوير عملية إعادة الهيكلة الحالية لأدوات الابتكار.وفي كولومبيا، قيمت مجموعة البنك الدولي أكثر من 120 أداة للسياسات، حيث قامت بقياس فعالية مزيج السياسات، ومدى تكرارها والفجوات بينها. والآن، تساعد مجموعة البنك الدولي الحكومة على تصميم استراتيجية وطنية للابتكار من خلال التوصية بانتهاج ممارسات جيدة تتعلق بأدوات الابتكار، مثل منح حوافز واضحة بشكل أفضل للبحوث والتطوير. والآن، تساعد المجموعة الحكومة على تصميم استراتيجية وطنية للابتكار بالتوصية بانتهاج ممارسات جيدة تتعلق بأدوات الابتكار، مثل منح حوافز أكثر وضوحا للبحوث والتطوير.ويقول الخبير الاقتصادي الأول ليوناردو ياكوفوني، الذي شارك في وضع التقييم الخاص بكولومبيا الذي غيرت البلاد نظامها الضريبي بعده، "لم يتجاوز عدد الشركات التي استفادت من الإعفاءات الضريبية في القطر كله العشرين شركة، أغلبها الشركات الكبرى في قطاعي التعدين والطاقة ."ويشارك ياكوفوني حاليا في جهود تقديم قرض قدره 600 مليون دولار لكولومبيا، تم إقراره في مارس آذار، من بين أهدافه تعزيز سياسات الابتكار.الإدارة والتكنولوجياويوضح ياكوفوني أن الابتكار أمر يتعلق بالإدارة بقدر ما يتعلق بالتكنولوجيا. "فالشركة التي تستطيع الابتكار هي أيضا تستطيع التعلم. والطريقة التي تنظم بها حياتك وتديرها مهمة للأسلوب الذي تتعلم به: أي تحديد الأهداف ومتابعتها. ربط عمليات الموارد البشرية والحوافز بالأهداف. وتلقي آراء العاملين عن كيفية مواصلة التحسين."ويقول مارك كروتس، الأخصائي الاقتصادي الأول، في البرازيل أيضا هناك مساحة كافية لتحسين أسلوب إدارة الشركات. وتظهر المسوح أن 18% من الشركات تدار بطريقة سيئة للغاية، مقابل 11% من الشركات في المكسيك، و% في الصين، و2% في الولايات المتحدة، وفقا للمسح العالمي للإدارات.بيد أن التكنولوجيا مهمة أيضا. ويقول دوتس إنه رغم خشية البعض من أن تبني تكنولوجيات جديدة سيؤدي إلى قتل الوظائف، "فإن تبني الشركات للتكنولوجيا يمكن في الحقيقة أن يكون اشتماليا، حيث يجلب وظائف أكثر وأفضل، ليس فقط للعمال ذوي المهارات العالية، بل أيضا للعمالة الأقل مهارة- شريطة أن يكون هناك زيادة كافية في الإنتاج."وقد اعتادت بلدان أمريكا اللاتينية، خاصة البرازيل، أن تكون مغلقة نسبيا أمام التجارة الخارجية، حيث لا تقدم للشركات إلا القليل مما يحفز على الابتكار والصمود أمام المنافسة في الأسواق العالمية- مما أدى إلى ارتفاع الأسعار على المستهلكين. إلا أن تحطيم تلك الحواجز يعني أن الشركات يمكنها أن توسع نشاطها ليمتد إلى ما وراء أسواقنا المحلية التقليدية. يقول دوتس، "عليهم أن يفكروا في العالم كقوقعة لهم."

Organization: UN Children’s Fund
Country: Brazil
Closing date: 01 Jun 2017

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Purpose of the Position

Under the supervision of the Direct Marketing Officer, the Fundraising Officer (Telemarketing) is responsible to perform specialized support tasks to assist in the strategies and implementation of Telemarketing fundraising activities.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities

1. Implementation of the Telemarketing outbound campaigns– Under the orientation of the Direct Marketing Officer, plan, manage, implement and report the Telemarketing campaigns with the objective to acquire new donors, convert, renewal and upgrade existing donors, approximately 250k in 2016, considering all means of payment (credit cards, direct debit and utility bills);- Assist in the definition of objectives, strategies, contents, design, components of the marketing mix and timing of the Telemarketing channel;- Work with teams and partners to maintain the quality of the services delivered and ensure that productivity (quantity) meets the goals forecasted;- Make sure that the telemarketing agencies are working in the proper environment and with the proper target, in order to bring the best donor profile into our data base;- Find opportunities to fundraise for emergencies in telemarketing campaigns;- Improve donor’s fulfilment and debit success by sharing and analyzing reports and supporting agency on the procedures to stimulate best practices;- Improve quality in data collection such as e-mail addresses and opt-in for annual automatic readjustment by sharing results and supporting the implementation of trainings for the team;- Plan and project volumes and produce the material that supports the operators; – Monitor the progress of the decisions and action plans based on outcome of items above, carry workflow of activities and maintain a proper information’s flow; – Make sure that all CPTP activities with electricity distributors, banks, insurance companies and other sector partners are implemented and monitored in their own specific way, making sure that effectiveness and effectivity are secured.

2. Implementation of the Telemarketing inbound campaigns– Plan, manage coordinate and report the Inbound Telemarketing campaigns generated by a DRTV or any mass media appeal, as well as those addressed to donors service;- Assist in the definition of objectives, strategies, contents, design and timing of the inbound campaigns;- Work with teams and partners to maintain the quality of the services delivered and ensure productivity and proper environment in order to bring the best donor profile into our data base.

3. Suppliers relationship

– Developing, drafting and maintaining contracts information, monitoring reports and relationships with current and new Telemarketing providers, to strengthen results, in order to increase the income level;- Assist the development of new providers and maintain close collaboration with current telemarketing Services providers;- Assist in drafting and editing contracts, amendments and other documents as appropriate, following up administrative processes with Operations Sector;

– Monitor the contract implementation and assure on time payments.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation

– Monitor and evaluate the implementation of telemarketing campaigns to target audiences, and participate in the evaluation of their impact;- Review segmentation of target groups of donors and suggest new profiles aiming at increasing performance;- Supporting and monitoring of the level of fulfilment and success in donations processing, analyzing and studying the best way to improve it;- Return on investment and budget analysis and control;

– Assist in the reallocation of resources, calculation of campaign goals and marketing strategies related to telemarketing;- Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful campaigns.

5. Contributions for other RM&P channels and activities to assure the best results in terms of acquiring new donors

– Interact with colleagues responsible for operational and processing activities to ensure the correct functioning of the data base existing processes in order;- Coordinate the work and provide orientation to the staff that provides trainings, and run the motivation program for the TMKT teams;- Work together with DRTV and Digital channels in order to convert in to monthly donors the leads generated by those channels with the telemarketing operation;- Work together with Retention channel in order to maximize donor value and retention rates with the telemarketing operation;- Work together with the corporate team in order to implement the acquisition of new donors originated by the “pathways ways to pledge” activities and events.

6. Assignments of additional administrative duties and responsibilities

– Assist the preparation of periodical fundraising reports, monitor and maintain control of records;- Assure that all phone calls that generated a donation are duly recorded, identified and filed for further retrieve if needed;- Develops, organizes and maintains up-to-date data, information, record documents and control plans for the monitoring of project implementation, maintain library of fundraising reference materials.

Qualificationsof Successful Candidate

Education

– First level University degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications or related field is required.

Experience

-At least one (1) year of practical professional experience in Direct Marketing, Telemarketing or Individual Fundraising is required.

– Additional years of relevant experience in the above mentioned fields is a strong asset.

– Experience in supervising people and in database segmentation is desirable.

Language Requirements

– Fluency in English and Portuguese required. Knowledge of an additional UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish) is considered an asset.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

Core Values

Commitment

Diversity and Inclusion

Integrity

Core competencies

Communication (II)

Working with People (II)

Drive for Results (II)

Functional Competencies

Relating and Networking (II)

Persuading and Influencing(II)

Planning and Organizing(I)

Entrepreneurial Thinking(I)

Note: Please note that this Vacancy Announcement is open for competition to Brazilian nationals only.

In relation, please note that all candidates who wish to apply to this Vacancy Announcement are requested to prepare and submit their respected UNICEF applications in English language.

To view our competency framework, please click here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.

How to apply:

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=504746

Organization: International Organization for Migration
Country: Panama
Closing date: 29 May 2017

Position Title : Unit Head, Panama Unit (LEGCR-PU) Contract Division

Duty Station : Panama City, Panama

Classification : Professional Staff, Grade P3

Type of Appointment : Fixed term, one year with possibility of extension

Estimated Start Date : As soon as possible

Closing Date : 29 May 2017

Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

IOM is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment. Applications from qualified female candidates are especially encouraged. For the purpose of the vacancy, the following candidates are considered as first-tier candidates:

1. Internal candidates

2. Qualified applicants from the following NMS countries:

Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bahamas, Botswana, Belize, Congo, Cabo Verde, Djibouti, Micronesia (Federated States of), Gabon, Gambia, Guyana, Iceland, Cambodia, Comoros, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Libya, Montenegro, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Maldives, Namibia, Nauru,

Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Seychelles, Slovenia, Suriname, El Salvador, Swaziland, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, United Republic of

Tanzania, Holy See, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela

(Bolivarian Republic of), Vanuatu, Samoa

Context:

The Office of Legal Affairs (LEG) provides legal support and advice to all parts of IOM (Headquarters, Administrative Centres, Regional Offices and Country Offices). The Legal Counsel also provides legal support to the Policy Making Bodies on constitutional matters, mandate and procedures. LEG consists of three divisions.

Within LEG, the Contract Division (LEGCR), through its Units in Manila and Panama, reviews and approves the conclusion of contracts and similar agreements for IOM as provided for in IN/99 Rev.2. Such contracts and agreements include Memorandum of Understanding, local cooperation agreements with States, IGOs, NGOs and other partners, declaration and consent forms for IOM beneficiaries.

In addition, LEGCR deals with various legal issues concerning contractual relations, including contract negotiation, advise on intellectual property rights, contractor’s non-performance, termination, contractual disputes, arbitration, misconduct by contractor’s employees, and complaints made by a contractor and its employees, as relevant.

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Legal Counsel and the direct supervision of the Division Head, Contract Division (LEGCR), the Unit Head, Panama Unit (LEGCR-PU) will:

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

1. Oversee the day-to-day management and administration of the work of LEGCR-PU and guide and supervise the work of the legal officers within the Unit.

2. Draft, review and approve various types of contracts and agreements necessary for the development and implementation of IOM projects in a timely manner with minimal supervision, taking into account of IOM’s legal status, IOM’s contract templates and the organizational policies, regulations and rules.

3. Assist the Division Head in drafting, revising and updating IOM contract templates, including identifying the needs of developing new templates and revising existing templates.

4. Provide timely and pertinent legal advice to contract related (potential) disputes and other problems, including proposing the best actions in response to court summons or invitation to conciliation or arbitration.

5. Review and provide comments to various organizational policies related to the work of LEGCR, such as procurement policy.

6. Conduct trainings on concluding contracts and agreements for IOM staff for the French/Spanish speaking regions.

7. Participating in negotiating legal terms of contracts and agreements and undertaking consultations with internal and external entities, as required.

8. Work on a variety of in-house legal issues concerning contractual matters, including drafting or reviewing research papers.

9. Follow up on meetings and international conferences (mainly in the French/Spanish speaking regions) relevant to the Office of Legal Affairs regarding issues related to the work of LEGCR.

10. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education

• Master’s degree in Law, Public International Law or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience; or

• University degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Experience in contract review in an international governmental organization (IGO);

• Proven research skills; and

• Practical experience in one or more of international, administrative, civil or commercial law an advantage.

Languages

Fluency in English, French and Spanish is required.

Desirable Competencies:

Behavioral

• Accountability – takes responsibility for action and manages constructive criticisms;

• Client Orientation – works effectively well with client and stakeholders;

• Continuous Learning – promotes continuous learning for self and others;

• Communication – listens and communicates clearly, adapting delivery to the audience;

• Creativity and Initiative – actively seeks new ways of improving programmes or services;

• Leadership and Negotiation – develops effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders;

• Performance Management – identify ways and implement actions to improve performance of self and others;

• Planning and Organizing – plans work, anticipates risks, and sets goals within area of responsibility;

• Professionalism – displays mastery of subject matter;

• Teamwork – contributes to a collegial team environment; incorporates gender related needs, perspectives, concerns and promotes equal gender participation;

• Technological Awareness – displays awareness of relevant technological solutions;

• Resource Mobilization – works with internal and external stakeholders to meet resource needs of IOM.

Other:

Internationally recruited professional staff are required to be mobile.

The list of NMS countries above includes all IOM Member States which are non-represented in the Professional Category of staff members. For this staff category, candidates who are nationals of the duty station’s country cannot be considered eligible.

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

How to apply:

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications via PRISM, IOM e-Recruitment system, by 29 May 2017 at the latest, referring to this advertisement.

For further information, please refer to:

http://www.iom.int/cms/en/sites/iom/home/about-iom-1/recruitment/how-to-apply.html

In order for an application to be considered valid, IOM only accepts online profiles duly completed.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. You can track the progress of your application on your personal application page in the IOM e-recruitment system.

Posting period:

From 16.05.2017 to 29.05.2017

Requisition: VN 2017/115 (P) – Unit Head, Panama Unit (LEGCR-PU) (P3) – Panama City, Panama

(55062530) Released

Posting: Posting NC55062537 (55062537) Released

Organization: UN Human Settlements Program
Country: Spain
Closing date: 30 May 2017

i. Project:

Making Cities Sustainable and Resilient

ii. Duty station of assignment

Barcelona (Spain)

iii. Functional Title:

Programme Assistant for Urban Resilience (Two positions)

iv. Contract type:

Individual Contract (Consultancy Assignment)

v. Duration:

Five (5) months

vi. Closing date for applications:

30 May 2017

BACKGROUND

Fast growing cities and urban areas of the world are engines of growth and wealth accumulation. This growth can have positive social, cultural and educational impacts. On the other hand, evidence demonstrates that fast economic growth, combined with rapid sprawling population expansion in urban areas, also increases disaster vulnerability and exposure. The level of urbanization[1] is far higher in the developed world; however, the annual ‘urbanization rate[2]’ is much faster in the developing world. The primary urban agglomerations with the highest concentrations of people and economic activity mostly overlap with the areas of extreme or high risk related to disasters such as coastal areas, along rivers and in flood plains. This joint initiative with UNISDR, UN-Habitat and the European Commission aims at improving understanding of, and capacity to, address disaster risk at the local level in crisis-prone cities. UN-Habitat will focus on supporting local capacities from crisis-prone cities, and humanitarian partners, in measuring their resilience status and have an action plan in order to build resilience.

The action builds on the achievements of the Hyogo Framework for Action – Building the Resilience of Nations 2005-2015, and paves the way toward the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-2030 at the local level and the New Urban Agenda adopted at Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador October 2016. The Action will also contribute to the European Commission’s Action Plan for Resilience in Crisis Prone Countries 2013-2020 and The EU Approach to Resilience: Learning from Food Security Crises.

The project will work with local government institutions, to plan, coordinate, implement and support the various outlined activities. The primary and most direct beneficiaries will be local stakeholders, city authorities and civil society. Women, children and other at risk groups, often disproportionately affected by crises situations, will be engaged and receive additional attention.

MAIN OBJECTIVE

The overall objective of this project is to build more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient cities, by strengthening the capacity of key public, private and civil society stakeholders to measure, make decisions, plan and develop actions for building resilience to ensure that public and private investments are risk-informed and that early interventions in crisis-prone cities are linked to longer-term development goals in line with the actions of the New Urban Agenda. This joint initiative aims at improving local government and stakeholder understanding of, and capacity for, developing and implementing resilience action plans.

The expected results are:

1. Increased commitments to build local-level resilience.

2. Local Resilience and investments measured.

3. Key issues and challenges identified in linking early interventions in crisis-prone cities to long-term sustainable development inputs.

4. Capacity is built in cities and local governments to develop and implement integrated local climate and disaster resilience action plans.

5. Crisis-prone cities have enhanced capacity to develop and implement plans to increase their resiliency.

UN-Habitat will work in coordination with the Commission and EU Delegations in each city to ensure consistency with the EC programming documents and complementarity between thematic and geographic actions; this will also ensure complementarities of activities funded by other programmes and initiatives undertaken by other partners operating at the local level and globally.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Under the overall supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor and the direct supervision of the Tool Development Expert the incumbent will be responsible for performing the following tasks:

· Analyse the current tool and its related manual. Support its improvement in the methodology and content.

· Support the critical reflections, working sessions and further actions to implement resilience indicators into the programme and tool.

· Support the creation, development and calibration of diagnostic tools – including the City Resilience Profiling Tool (CRPT) and Resilience Action Plan (RAP).

· Analyse the inter-connected relationships between cross-cutting issues and different components and elements of the tool, and support in their further development.

· Support the CRPP Team in facilitating communications with the pilot cities of the programme and partner organisations to inform about the CRPT´s development.

· Inform about the progress, problems and proposed solutions; contributes to the production of global reports, information and communication tools in the areas of intervention.

· Undertake research as requested on standards and indicators for urban resilience, data collection processes, statistics, or related topics to be used by the Programme;

· Support the review, analysis, and compilation of effective initiatives and best practices on building urban resilience or related topics to be used by the Programme;

· Undertake any other auxiliary tasks for the Programme, which are in line with the experience of the consultant.

DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE

Monthly progress report to be submitted at the end of each working month, detailing the outputs, key observations, and work plan for the following months. Work plans will be agreed with the Chief Technical Advisor in advance on a monthly basis subject to the main tasks of the assignment (above) and in consideration of the workload priorities at that time.

DUTY STATION

The work shall be performed from the CRPP Barcelona office.

TRAVEL

If UN-Habitat determines that the individual contractor needs to travel outside the UN-Habitat CRPP Barcelona office in order to perform his/her assignment, that travel is provided by the organisation. When travel is authorized for the individual contractor, economy class shall be the standard of accommodation for air travel in all cases and irrespective of the duration of the journey.

PROGRESS CONTROLS AND PAYMENT INSTALLMENTS

Payment will be done in installments on a monthly basis upon completion and acceptance of monthly progress report. A time sheet must be submitted by the individual contractor, duly approved by the Chief Technical Advisor, which shall serve as the basis for the payment of fees. Final payment amount will be based on actual man-days worked for that month.

COMPETENCIES

*Professionalism: *Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to donor relations, public-private partnerships and private sector fundraising. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to conduct data collection using various methods. Conceptual, analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and the use of a variety of research sources. Ability to organize seminars, consultations, training workshops and special events. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Communication:*** Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently. Client Orientation*: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients ” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.*

EDUCATION

· Advanced university degree (Master’s degree) in Urban or Regional Planning and Design, Architecture, Development Studies, Engineering, or similar fields deemed relevant to the subject areas covered by the CRPP Terms of Reference.

WORK EXPERIENCE

· A minimum of 1 year of experience in analysing data, indicators or methodologies; in developing guidelines, toolkits or policies for effective urban environments; in assisting the liaisons with private and governmental authorities, other national/international institutions and NGOs and in working within fragile urban environments.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

· English, both verbal and written, is required.

· Spanish, French and Arabic will be considered an asset.

OTHER SKILLS

· Knowledge of humanitarian and development fields particularly around environment, climate change, disaster risk reduction, reconstruction, recovery and monitoring and evaluation techniques.

· Ability to work with minimal supervision and with good sense of initiative to keep the supervisor regularly informed of progress.

· Good communications, reporting and presentation skills.

· Good teamwork and drive for results.

Evaluation criteria

Applicants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications, work experience and financial proposal. The award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: responsive/compliant/acceptable having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical (70%) and financial criteria (30%) specific to the solicitation.

CV Review:

• Educational qualifications as defined in the ToR (15 points);

• Minimum 1 year of relevant work experience as defined in the ToR (25 points);

• Language proficiency in spoken and written English (10 points)

• Competency based interview max points (20 points)

Maximum available technical score points: 70.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered. The fees might be subject for changes and negotiations starting from the proposed fee of the consultant. All consultants are required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org. General Conditions of contract for the services of Individual contractor can be downloaded from: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=7879

[1] Percentage of population living in cities

[2] Percentage of population moving to cities on a yearly basis

How to apply:

Interested candidates must submit an email quoting the post title and the duty station to the following email address: office@cityresilience.org with the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• Cover letter explaining why they are the most suitable for the work

• Completion of a CV in P11 Form which can be downloaded at

http://mirror.unhabitat.org/content.asp?typeid=24&catid=435&id=3867 ·

Financial Proposal. The offeror’s letter including form for the financial proposal can be downloaded at

http://unhabitat-kosovo.org/repository/docs/Financial_proposal_IC_6631.docx

The CV shall include information on the past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.

Please be advised that since April 15th 2010, applicants for consultancies must be part of the UN-Habitat e-Roster in order for their application to be considered. You can reach the e-Roster through the following link: http://e-roster.unhabitat.org

All applications should be submitted to:

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)

City Resilience Profiling Programme

Email: office@cityresilience.org

Deadline for applications: 30 May 2017

UN-Habitat does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org >

Organization: Fundación Capital
Country: Colombia
Closing date: 17 May 2017

Proyecto LISTA USAID Mercy Corps

Auxiliar de seguimiento

¿Qué estamos ofreciendo?

En el marco del Proyecto LISTA, Fundación Capital está en la búsqueda de 5 auxiliares de seguimiento departamentales para apoyar a la Unidad de Seguimiento y Monitoreo, con el fin de alcanzar la meta de implementación. Ofrecemos un contrato de prestación de servicios. Los departamentos de intervención son Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Meta, Huila y Tolima y la persona contratada deberá realizar recorridos constantes a los diferentes municipios donde se llevará a cabo la operación del Proyecto LISTA.

¿Quiénes somos?

Fundación Capital (FundaK) es pionera en inclusión financiera e incubadora de innovación para el crecimiento de activos en poblaciones de bajos recursos. Trabajamos para eliminar la pobreza buscando ampliar el acceso a la educación, el capital y las oportunidades productivas. Mediante la alineación con políticas públicas, mecanismos de mercado y avances en tecnología digital, nuestros proyectos le dan la posibilidad a millones de familias en condición de pobreza de vivir sus ambiciones y decidir por sí mismos cómo manejar, hacer crecer e invertir sus recursos (www.fundacioncapital.org).

LISTA aprovecha las economías de escala que permite la tecnología, y el capital social en territorio para llegar a miles de personas de manera costo-eficiente y efectiva. LISTA funciona mediante una metodología de “rotación de tabletas”, en la que una tableta con la aplicación LISTA es pasada de una persona a otra (rotación) para que el mayor número posible de personas se capaciten.

¿Qué estamos buscando?

Tareas y Responsabilidades por el equipo a contratar

Bajo las directrices del e Fundación Capital, el(a) Facilitador(a) deberá:

· Asistir y participar del 100% del proceso de formación.

· Dar cumplimiento al desarrollo del plan operativo y metodológico de la implementación de LISTA USAID-Mercy Corps.

· Apoyar las jornadas de vinculación en las que se busca invitar y motivar a las madres Líderes, voluntarios y/o afines para hacer parte de la implementación.

· Velar por la sincronización y reporte de las tabletas dispuestas por departamento.

· Establecer un calendario de sincronización en conjunto con las madres Líderes, voluntarios y/o afines asignados, con la periodicidad de las sesiones y las acciones de monitoreo.

· Generar los respectivos reportes sobre el nivel de avance de las actividades y componentes, y retroalimentar al equipo Técnico de Operación, en el marco del Proyecto.

· Establecer buenas relaciones con las entidades aliadas locales y regionales, sobre todo instituciones públicas como Red Unidos, Más Familias en Acción, gobernaciones y alcaldías.

· Hacer seguimiento a las fases de aproximación, dispersión, rotación y sincronización.

· Realizar visitas de seguimiento en las zonas donde tenemos población rural dispersa y apoyar especialmente de sincronización.

· Validar el funcionamiento y reporte de datos de las tabletas, previo al envío a campo.

· Garantizar que las madres líderes, voluntarios y/o afines asignados a su núcleo de trabajo efectúen control permanente de la rotación de las tabletas.

· Contribuir desde su rol con los ejercicios de seguimiento y monitoreo de procesos, resultados o de cualquiera de sus componentes en los que Fundación Capital lo requiera.

¿A quién estamos buscando?

Requerimientos Personales

· Persona, comprometida y perseverante, con capacidad de promover confianza y entusiasmo en el equipo, proveyendo la retroalimentación adecuada.

· Persona con buenas capacidades interpersonales que le permiten trabajar fácilmente con la población objetivo y con técnicos de entidades aliadas.

Requerimientos Técnicos

· Idioma: español.

· Habilidades y conocimientos:

o Excelente capacidad de análisis y reportes en Excel.

o Atención y seguimiento de indicaciones.

o Poseer conocimientos y manejo de herramientas informáticas, particularmente, deberá tener excelente manejo en Word y Excel.

● Experiencia laboral:

o Al menos dos años de experiencia en proyectos sociales, comunitarios y/o población en condición de vulnerabilidad.

o Contar con experiencia en el desarrollo de talleres y manejo de grupos.

o Experiencia laboral en la zona de intervención del proyecto.

● Educación: Técnico o tecnólogo en ciencias agropecuarias, económicas, administrativas, contables, humanas o sociales.

● Requerimientos de carácter obligatorio.

o Tener a su disposición un medio de transporte (preferiblemente motocicleta para desplazamiento rurales) para desplazarse en los municipios a su cargo.

o Contar con portátil y Smartphone.

o Plan de internet móvil y minutos ilimitados.

o Conocimiento de la zona.

o Residir en uno de los departamentos anteriormente indicados y estar dispuesto a desplazarse de manera permanente a los municipios.

o Disponibilidad de tiempo completo y para realizar constantes desplazamientos.

How to apply:

¿Cómo puede aplicar?

Por favor enviar su hoja de vida con los soportes correspondientes (certificaciones laborales, académicas) y una carta de presentación concisa en la que se explica: (1) Su motivación para trabajar con nosotros, (2) Por qué sería un verdadero enriquecimiento para nuestro equipo, (3) Expectativa de honorarios y fecha de inicio posible, (4) Dónde ha encontrado nuestra oferta de trabajo. Mandar en 1 solo archivo PDF (Hoja de vida + soportes). Nombre del archivo en MAYUSCULA: HV Primer Nombre y Primer apellido Departamento

Un video vía Viemeo en el que dé respuesta a las siguiente preguntas: ¿Quién es usted? Y ¿Por qué quiere usted trabajar en Fundación Capital? El vídeo debe tener un máximo de duración de 2 minutos.

Tenga en cuenta que sólo se considerarán las solicitudes completas. Envíe su solicitud hasta el 16 de Mayo de 2017 a seleccion@fundacioncapital.org, con el asunto del departamento al que se postula.

Organization: Plan
Country: Panama
Closing date: 04 Jun 2017

The Opportunity

Plan International is changing. We are responding to shifts in international development and humanitarian response to ensure we make a stand for all children’s rights, through a focus on girls and other disadvantaged children. As we embark on this ambitious and exciting journey we are recruiting for a Regional Director for the Americas who will help to prepare, position and strengthen the organisation to achieve long lasting change in children’s lives.

This is an exciting time for Plan International as we embark on a new strategy for 2017-2022. Our global strategy will guide us in our work to support all children but will have a particular focus on girls, who are most often left behind. Over the next five years we want millions more girls to be educated and have their rights to speak up and be heard truly respected. We want to significantly improve adolescent sexual health, increase economic empowerment, achieve greater freedom from fear and protect the most vulnerable from harmful practices.

To deliver this change, we will dramatically transform how we operate, through modernising our operating models, business processes, systems and the way we work together across the federation.

The Role

As Regional Director, you will be responsible for providing leadership to Plan International’s work across 11 countries in the Americas region, ensuring that it aligns with and contributes to Plan International’s global strategy and performance standards.

Plan International is going through considerable change globally and in the region, so key to the role will be the ability to lead and manage change effectively.

You will be expected to strengthen and develop a high performing leadership team in the Region of the Americas, challenge assumptions, promote innovation in our programming, influence and processes, strengthen Plan International’s external engagement, and raise standards in all areas of Plan International programmes, influence and operations in the region.

This is a fantastic opportunity for the right person to take on the leadership of Plan International’s work in an evolving region, ensuring continued relevance and increased impact in fulfilling the rights of children and their communities and strengthening their opportunities for the future.

Do you have what it takes?

To be successful in this challenging and varied role, we are looking for you to deliver on three counts.

Creativity – are you able to come up with new and effective solutions to the problems of the region? Can you spot new opportunities for fundraising and developing our programmes and influence? Are you able to innovate when others around you are merely imitating?

Change ­– can you manage a region through a time of great change? Are you able to lead through transition with confidence, empathy and transparency? Can you role-model the resilience needed to undertake evolving change? Do you understand how to position your organisation to respond to a changing environment and remain relevant?

Coach – can you lead your team to bigger and better things? Can you build the capacity of your staff to respond to ever greater challenges? Can you build and maintain a culture of accountability?

You must be fluent in both Spanish and English both written and verbal.

Behaviours (Plan International’s Values in Practice)

We are open and accountable

Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.

Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.

Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.

Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.

Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people.

We strive for lasting impact

Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.

Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.

Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.

Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.

Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.

Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.

Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.

Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.

Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.

Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

Location: Regional Office, Panama

Type of Role: Fixed term – 5 years

Reports to: Executive Director of International Programmes

Salary: Competitive Salary plus benefits

Closing Date: Sunday 4th June 2017

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

Please note that only applications and CVs written in English will be accepted.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan Internationals Child Protection Policy.

As an international child centred community development organisation, Plan International is fully committed to promoting the realization of children’s rights including their right to protection from violence and abuse. That means we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe.

We must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

Plan International operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the international community.

How to apply:

https://career012.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=20281&company=PlanInt&userna…=

Para você, o investimento em estradas, aeroportos, energia e outras áreas da infraestrutura é papel exclusivo do Estado? Ou pode incluir a participação do setor privado? Cada vez mais governos da América Latina e do Caribe optam pela segunda resposta, em especial levando-se em conta dois fatores.  O primeiro deles consiste no déficit de investimento em infraestrutura – a diferença entre o que existe e o que é necessário –, com estimativas em torno de US$ 180 bilhões por ano. O segundo é a dificuldade de aumentar significativamente o investimento público no atual contexto fiscal apertado e de recuperação lenta da economia latino-americana depois de seis anos de recessão.  Resultado: na última década, o número de projetos de parcerias público-privadas (PPPs) mais do que triplicou, passando de 40 para 140, sobretudo nos setores de energia, transportes, água e esgoto.  Um novo relatório do Banco Mundial sobre o tema, Financiamento privado de infraestruturas públicas por meio de PPPs na América Latina e Caribe, traz outros dados que evidenciam a importância crescente desse modelo na região. Entre eles, a quantidade de países que aprovaram leis referentes a elas nas últimas duas décadas: 19.  Já o percentual do PIB investido nas parcerias aumentou menos do que a média de crescimento da economia regional. Ou seja, o volume de recursos ainda pode evoluir, mas atraí-los e usá-los com eficiência – uma necessidade para toda a região – são ações que dependem de diversos fatores.  Segundo o relatório, embora a América Latina e o Caribe tenham programas de PPP desde o fim dos anos 1980, a evolução e o nível de sofisticação deles não têm sido uniformes.  Os do Chile e México são considerados os mais bem-sucedidos da região, especialmente no setor de transportes. Brasil, Colômbia e Peru também têm trajetórias extensas de projetos de PPP. No entanto, mesmo os mercados mais avançados precisam criar ambientes de licitação com maior competitividade e melhorar os mecanismos de financiamento de projetos. A região ainda tem em comum o desafio de melhorar a fase de planejamento e preparação dos projetos. Antes de tomar a decisão de contratação por meio de PPPs, por exemplo, o estudo recomenda fazer uma avaliação socioeconômica de custo-benefício, e poucos países cumprem isso. 

José Quishpe represents 400 farmers of the Alpaca Project of Cayambe Canton, in the Ecuadorian province of Pichincha.  They plant corn (grain), ulluco (tuber), maize, barley, wheat, potato, quinoa and other crops on their 1,200 hectares. Among the many daily challenges they face are soil erosion and crop losses. They currently use a flood irrigation system, which does not allow them to adequately distribute the resource among all members. This unsustainable water usage affects the population’s quality of life. This is the context of the Sustainable Family Farming Modernization Project, which promotes more efficient water usage among farmers through localized irrigation infrastructure and training. They project also provides technical support to strengthen the organization of the association, develop environmental and agricultural practices, as well as support marketing of their production. In Ecuador, just 13.8% of farmland has localized irrigation. This technology enables smallholder farmers to optimize water usage and efficiently supplies crops with enough water for their development, reducing waste of this valuable and increasingly scarce resource. Like José, many farmers have participated in the meetings organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fishery and Fishing (MAGAP) to inform them on the project and invite them to submit their applications to obtain financing for the installation of localized irrigation systems. “We are very enthusiastic about the possibility of submitting a proposal that can be selected and financed. This irrigation method not only optimizes water usage, but also our time. When we don’t use the modern irrigation technologies, we have to get up at night or at dawn to manually carry out this activity,” said José Quishpe. The initial works of the pilot sub-projects are now being implemented in the provinces of Manabí, Bolívar, Los Ríos, El Oro and Loja. The investment includes the installation of sprinkler, micro-sprinkler or drip irrigation systems. Construction of each system requires four or five months, after which time other activities are carried out, such as training in the operation and maintenance of the systems and social strengthening of the users’ boards for their effective administration. Two hundred and forty-five families farming more than 500 hectares will be the first beneficiaries of these works. Once the modern irrigation system is in operation, the project will offer technical assistance to farmers to improve crop probability and marketing. The Project is implemented in 10 provinces of the highlands and seven of the coast with a US$80 million World Bank loan; US$20 million from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation; US$20 million from MAGAP; and a US$8.6 million contribution from beneficiaries.   Smallholder and medium-holder farmers with up to 20 hectares in the highlands and 40 hectares on the coast are eligible to participate in the project.

José Quishpe representa a 400 agricultores del proyecto Alpaca del cantón Cayambe, en la provincia ecuatoriana Pichincha.  Ellos son propietarios de 1.200 hectáreas donde tradicionalmente cultivan chocho (leguminosa), melloco (tubérculo), maíz, cebada, trigo, papa, quinoa, entre otros productos. Entre los muchos desafíos a los que se enfrentan cada día están la erosión de los suelos y la pérdida de las cosechas. Actualmente, el riego lo aplican por inundación, lo que no les permite distribuir adecuadamente el recurso a todos los socios. Este uso poco sustentable del agua afecta la calidad de vida de la población. Es en este contexto que se inserta el Proyecto de Irrigación Tecnificada (PIT), que permitirá a los agricultores utilizar de forma mucho más eficiente el agua a través de infraestructura de riego tecnificado parcelario, además de recibir apoyo técnico para fortalecer la organización de la asociación, desarrollar prácticas ambientales y de economía productiva, así como respaldar la comercialización de sus productos. En Ecuador apenas el 13.8% de la superficie bajo riego cuenta con riego tecnificado. Este tipo de tecnología permite a los pequeños agricultores optimizar el uso del agua y suministrar a los cultivos la cantidad necesaria de manera eficiente para su desarrollo, disminuyendo de esta forma el desperdicio de este valioso recurso que es cada vez más escaso. Como José, muchos agricultores han participado en las convocatorias que realiza el Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería, Acuacultura y Pesca, MAGAP, para socializar el proyecto e invitarles a presentar las solicitudes para obtener el financiamiento para la instalación del riego tecnificado.  “Estamos muy entusiasmados con la posibilidad de presentar una propuesta que pueda ser seleccionada y financiada. Esta modalidad de riego no solo permite optimizar el uso del agua sino también nuestro tiempo, cuando no contamos con la tecnificación tenemos que levantarnos en las noches o madrugadas para realizar esta  actividad manualmente”, señaló José Quishpe. Las primeras obras de los subproyectos piloto ya están en ejecución en las provincias de Manabí, Bolívar, Los Ríos, El Oro y Loja. La inversión incluye la construcción de la infraestructura de riego tecnificado por aspersión, micro aspersión o goteo.  Los plazos de construcción para cada obra están entre cuatro y cinco meses, luego de lo cual se realizarán otras actividades como: capacitaciones en operación y mantenimiento de los sistemas construidos y el fortalecimiento social a las juntas de usuarios para su correcta administración.  De estas primeras obras se beneficiarán 245 familias con más de 500 hectáreas. Además, con los equipos de riego tecnificado funcionando, se ofrecerá asistencia técnica a los agricultores para generar mayor rentabilidad en sus cultivos y comercializarlos mejor. El Proyecto de Irrigación Tecnificada se implementa en diez provincias de la Sierra y siete de la Costa a través de financiamiento del Banco Mundial por USD$80 millones; de la AECID por USD$20 millones; el MAGAP por USD$20 millones; y, un aporte de los beneficiarios de USD$8.6 millones.   Al proyecto pueden aplicar pequeños y medianos productores que tienen hasta 20 hectáreas en la Sierra y 40 hectáreas en la Costa.  

Following the successful completion of the Paraguay Biodiversity Project, (supported by Global Environment Facility) which has contributed to the preservation of one of the region’s largest biological corridors, the World Bank and the hydroelectric dam Itaipú Binacional signed  a technical cooperation agreement to continue working on conservation of the Atlantic Forest. Through a Reimbursable Advisory Services Agreement (RAS), the World Bank (WB) will provide technical assistance to Itaipú to support the conservation and restoration of the Atlantic Forest, which is home to unique species of fauna and flora. The presentation of the agreement was attended by Jorge Familiar, Vice President of the World Bank for the Latin American and Caribbean Region, who highlighted the natural wealth of Paraguay as a blessing that must be taken care of for future generations. "Natural resources have to be used to generate wealth and development, but in a sustainable way so that they generate benefits for future generations," he said. "It is very clear today that we cannot talk about development without sustainability," he added. Ruth Tiffer Sotomayor, Project Team Leader from the Environment Global Practice, explained that through this cooperation the WB will support a strategy of engaging Itaipú with the government, local communities and the private sector in the largest restoration and conservation effort for the Atlantic Forest Corridor. The project will improve connectivity of ecosystems by promoting better land use practices, supporting the livelihoods of local farmers and indigenous communities, advising on policy changes, strengthening institutions and putting in practice the Bank’s global knowledge on landscape and forest restoration. 

A dreamy holiday destination for sun lovers and beach goers, Grenada, also called the "Spice Island," is home to over 100,000 people. With an ocean area 80 times larger than its land space, a rich and pristine coastline and colorful coral reefs driving its tourism industry, and a real understanding of climate risks, this Eastern Caribbean Island has recently positioned itself as a real blue economy champion in the region. Over 13,000 kilometers west, another small island developing state in the Western Indian Ocean with similar challenges and opportunities—the Seychelles—is also leading on the blue agenda. What common challenges and opportunities are facing small economies? What can the World Bank contribute to generate stable growth in small economies? These are key questions raised in recent conversations in the Caribbean and Washington. Small size, yet great opportunities Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, recently appointed as chair of the World Bank Group Small States Forum taking over from Seychelles Minister of Finance Jean-Paul Adam, called for the need to change the narrative from big to small, and in doing so, address opportunities for small states. "Small states can set an example for the rest of the world," said Prime Minister Mitchell. "We do not come to the table cap in hand. Small and nimble, quick and cost effective, so let’s look at specific opportunities." A recently launched World Bank study "Open and Nimble: Finding Stable Growth in Small Economies" shows that economic size measured by the size of working age population does not matter to the development and economic growth of countries. While small economies are more open to trade and foreign investment and highly specialized in their export sectors, they are also more nimble and able to change the structure of their economies and exports over time. In fact, small economies such as Costa Rica and Caribbean countries have been more successful in reinventing themselves than some of the region’s giants. Small states of the Caribbean have also shown how the strength of their fiscal policies and financial sector can help them become more resilient in difficult times. According to the Bank report "Taming Volatility: Fiscal Policy and Financial Development for Growth in the Eastern Caribbean," countries in the region such as Grenada and Saint Kitts, which have been able to save in good times and strengthen their banking system, have been able to endure more difficult times. Thinking blue growth and climate resilience Small island developing states such as Grenada and the Seychelles are looking at the ocean as the next frontier for sustainable economic development and are now starting to "think blue." For the Caribbean, this means unlocking ocean wealth in a way that sustainably contributes to blue growth and returns long-term benefits to communities such as job opportunities and food security. World Bank report "Toward a Blue Economy: A Promise for Sustainable Growth in the Caribbean" estimates that the Caribbean Sea generated $407 billion in 2012, representing almost 18 percent of Caribbean GDP, including mainland Caribbean coastal countries. Last year, the Seychelles completed an innovative debt for nature swap to strengthen the country’s environmental sustainability and climate resilience by restructuring its debt and adopting a comprehensive marine special plan. In the Caribbean, the World Bank Group is accelerating progress in this area by supporting the implementation of the Eastern Caribbean Regional Oceanscape Policy (ECROP) endorsed by all 11 heads of state of the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The search for "blue growth" is now at the top of Grenada and many other small island developing states. This will also be part of the focus for the next heads of state meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in July. Small states matter "The 50 percent increase of the International Development Association (IDA) from $50 billion to $75 billion, is a major opportunity for small states that are eligible for IDA (the World Bank Group’s concessional financing window). This comes at a very uncertain time for development finance and for climate finance," said Mitchell during the Small State Engagement Update at the WB-IMF Spring Meetings. For the Caribbean, the allocation for IDA-eligible countries including Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadine has more than tripled for the next IDA cycle. "With a larger allocation, these small states can strategically shift to larger and transformational projects that boost sustainable growth and generate inclusive opportunities for their population, especially youth," said Tahseen Sayed, World Bank country director for the Caribbean.