empleo

Organization: International Republican Institute
Country: Nicaragua
Closing date: 03 Jun 2017

Every employee of IRI is responsible for carrying out the Mission of IRI, and demonstrating the core values in their day-to-day operations.

The International Republican Institute (IRI) is seeking an Advocacy and Civil Society Technical Expert for the USAID Lifting Nicaraguan Voices program in Nicaragua. The purpose of this activity is to support the existence of an independent Nicaraguan civil society to effectively advocate for democratic principles, processes, and institutions. This position is contingent upon funding.

Position Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of experience working in advocacy or providing expert technical assistance to CSOs, preferably in Nicaragua or in the region
• Professional experience in managing and working with CSOs with preference for USAID-funded democracy, governance, and/or human rights advocacy organization.
• Strong interpersonal skills to maintain good relations with relevant partners and counterparts including, civil society, donors and other partners
• General knowledge and understanding of the Nicaraguan political context and sensitivities of working on development issues in Nicaragua
• Well organized, able to work independently, skilled at handling multiple tasks, diplomatic, and able to adhere to deadlines
• Demonstrated ability to work in complex, politically charged, environments
• Fluent in Spanish (FSI 5/5 level) and it is preferred that the candidate is fluent in English (FSI 3/3 level).
• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in International Development, Political Science, Public Administration, or other relevant field. An advanced degree is desirable.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities

• Supports Chief of Party to provide overall oversight of advocacy and engagement activities with local CSOs.
• Serves as liaison with local partners in the public and private sectors
• Manages and supervises the work of program personnel and subawardees/subcontractors
• Ensures that all assistance is technically sound, appropriate for the Nicaraguan context, and compliant with local laws and USAID regulations
• Oversees work planning, performance management, donor reporting, and strategic communications
• Preforms other duties as assigned.

How to apply:

Please apply through our website

https://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1048/JobBoard/201c19d1-4b06-d159-bba4-6a102267f555/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=dadae9e7-7e94-41b3-8e37-2043c32c49c0

Organization: Educo
Country: Spain
Closing date: 30 Jun 2017

Position Summary/Mandate:

The Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist (DRR Specialist) is responsible for all facets of comprehensive Disaster Risk Management (DRM) including humanitarian emergency response and preparedness, disaster risk reduction and recovery. The DRR Specialist provides leadership to the DRR portfolio including implementation guidelines, policy and strategy formulation, and technical oversight of human and financial resources.

This position provides technical support in the development of disaster/emergency related project proposals for grant acquisition and revenue generation. The DRR Specialist will be an in-house resource for building the capacity of Educo Head Office (including the regional staff) and the Country Offices.

The DRR Specialist is also responsible for networking with and representing Educo to other agencies such as the ChildFund Alliance Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group, CHS Alliance, UN agencies, donors, humanitarian agencies, partners, NGOs, other emergency and humanitarian aid task forces.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum undergraduate degree in Disaster Risk/Humanitarian Response or related discipline; Graduate degree preferred;

• 5 -7 years’ experience in comprehensive humanitarian assistance, risk management/mitigation, disaster preparedness, emergency relief and recovery;

• Proven experience coordinating comprehensive disaster risk/humanitarian assistance and emergency response operations in developing countries;

• Strong understanding of the impact of different types of disasters and good knowledge of the child protection in emergency;

• High level of interpersonal skills including the ability to network, collaborate, and negotiate effectively;

• Good knowledge of security management for humanitarian and chid focused organizations combined with current political and social knowledge of countries of operation;

• Work experience in an international relief/development organization or in a developing country;

• Proven ability to train trainers and build human resource capacity in the areas of Emergency Response and Disaster Risk Reduction;

• Business management skills, including project management and financial management, essential;

• Experience in youth-led/child centred DRR is a plus.

• Excellent communications skills (verbal, written, electronic); ability to communicate complex, technical information; ability to communicate/present to a variety of audiences

• Proficient computer skills using Microsoft Office (Advanced Word; Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)

• Ability to work with diversity and demonstrate cross-cultural sensitivity

• Ability to speak and write in English, Spanish and French

• A demonstrated commitment to Educo’s Vision, Mission and Values

  Attributes, Behaviours, Traits:

• Collaborative; Relationship Builder; Excellent inter-personal skills

• Flexible and Adaptive

• Commitment to continuous learning and improvement

• Accountability for Results

• Excellent problem solving skills;

• A motivated self-starter with multitasking abilities

• Sound Judgement and Decision Making ability

Key responsibilities:

1. Disaster Risk Reduction (30%):

   1. Develop and oversee implementation of, and compliance with, policies, procedures and tools for effective preparation for and management of comprehensive humanitarian response, disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness plans;

   2. Working closely with country offices, develop Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategies and build the capacity of the field staff and partners;

   3. Ensure that Educo’s response to emergencies is in line to the Alliance led initiative of Child Protection in Emergency and youth engagement/leadership in DRR;

   4. Identify needs and opportunities in Educo’s programs for establishing new humanitarian assistance programs and formulate recommendations;

   5. In collaboration with the Ops team, provide guidance and the necessary tools for the development of country annual operating plans and ensure disaster risk reduction interventions are integrated and complementary to sectoral programs.

2. Implementation (30%):

   1. Support Educo Country Directors to coordinate Educo’s response to emergencies within Educo’s countries of operation; liaise with counterparts in Alliance members to ascertain how Educo can support their emergency response; initiate contact with other organizations when required.;

   2. Coordinate training of staff on humanitarian standards, including Sphere Standards and Protection of Children in Emergencies;

   3. Function as a technical resource and subject matter expert on DRR/EPP/ER by keeping abreast of humanitarian assistance and disaster risk management issues and share information and knowledge with both Head Office and country office staff;

   4. Ensure continuous quality improvement in emergency preparedness and response through the documentation and sharing of best practices and ensuring that past experiences guide future decisions, testing systems, sharing lessons learned and capacity building activities.

3. Coordination and communication (20%):

   1. Ensure effective communications between Head Office, affected Country Office(s) and ChildFund Alliance members, ascertaining that all external donor reporting and accountability requirements are met;

   2. Work collaboratively with Resource Mobilisation and Communications in support of developing media and donor communications and appeals;

4. Networking and Acquisition (10%)

   1. Lead the development of high quality concept papers and proposals for funding emergency response in collaboration with the New Business Development and Grants Manager;

   2. Ensure all humanitarian grant compliance;

   3. Represent Educo in the ChildFund Alliance DRR technical working group;

   Other (10%):

5. Comply with all Educo’s policies and procedures.

6. Other related duties as assigned.

   Decisions/Impact of Errors

   Decisions have impact on the ability of the organization to respond to humanitarian emergencies in a timely and effective manner. It will also impact on the organization’s ability to procure relief and emergency supplies as well as identification and response to funding opportunities.

Errors related to humanitarian response could impact the confidence of donors, partners and government agencies and affect the organization’s ability to achieve strategic goals and revenue targets.

Communications

Internal: ; Country Offices; Resource Mobilisation; Policy and Accountability; Finance;

External: International fora and task groups related to disaster risk reduction and humanitarian aid including ChildFund Alliance, Core Humanitarian Alliance

Job Conditions

Salary

Salary is negotiable subject to candidate’s experience

Location

Barcelona

Duration of the assignment

Indetermined

How to apply:

How to apply

Individuals satisfying the requisites and interested in the offer should send their CV to cv@educo.org with DRR in the subject line, no later than 30th June 2017.

Organization: Project Concern International
Country: Guatemala
Closing date: 04 Aug 2017

Job Description

Founded in 1961, PCI is an international non-profit organization that empowers people to enhance health, end hunger, and overcome hardship. Last year, PCI served more than 19 million people in 15 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. During the past 50 years, the organization has served millions more in 14 additional countries. Since 1974, Project Concern International (PCI) has implemented a diverse portfolio of community-based programs in Guatemala’s rural highlands and urban cities to improve health, improve resiliency, and promote the empowerment of vulnerable communities. PCI currently works in 25 municipalities, both urban and rural, throughout Guatemala. PCI is recruiting for a Chief of Party (COP) to lead an anticipated multi-million dollar USAID-funded project designed to reduce social conflict and improve social cohesion by bringing together diverse sectors and stakeholders within communities to identify and address the main drivers of social conflict at the familial, community, and municipal levels. By building partnerships between communities and governing institutions (both statutory and traditional), and strengthening governing institutions and non-governmental capacity to respond to local conflicts, the project will increase social cohesion within and between communities to reduce social conflict and increase confidence in governing institutions.

The COP is responsible for the overall implementation of the project, and s/he provides technical and administrative supervision to the project. The COP will oversee coordination with key stakeholders (including the GOG, civil society, the private sector, and others) and lead preparation and oversite of any subcontract. Additionally, the COP will be responsible for communications with USAID, for publicly representing the project, and for liaising with the GOG and other institutions/stakeholders on issues related to rural and community development in Guatemala, particularly in the Western Highlands.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide an integrated vision and lead execution of inter-related components in local capacity strengthening, community mobilization, public-private partnership development, and conflict resolution. These areas of intervention will be tailored to each of the following sectors: youth and families, governance, land rights, and extractive and natural resources.
• Provide strategic leadership through vision, continuous improvement of quality, innovation and establishing a results-driven-management system.
• Mentor senior technical staff to develop standard operating guidelines, quality assurance and control systems, milestones, successful startup and efficient technical service delivery mechanisms.
• Provide strategic oversight for all activities and ensure to cost-effectively achieve project objectives.
• Propose and implement innovative and state-of-the-art ways to facilitate community development through the promotion of security, community organization and improved coordination and involvement of local authorities.
• Oversee partners’ and sub-grantees’ performance by establishing accountability mechanisms in program, finance, commodity and data quality management.
• Develop systems to identify operational risks and their management and to reduce risks in project implementation.
• Establish a culture of evidence-based decision-making and data driven analytics through a well-developed monitoring and evaluation system.
• Assure good financial management of the project (e.g. budget execution, program-finance linkages, monitoring and reporting processes and procurement systems) and adhere to PCI and USAID financial policies and procedures.
• Oversee total compliance to PCI and USG regulations in all aspects of program implementation.
• Lead in establishing excellent communication protocols and working relationships with Government, donors, partners and other stakeholders.
• Establish a work culture that respects and prioritizes the needs of communities, especially the most vulnerable.
• Lead in managing human resources through recruitment, mentoring, setting performance objectives, rewarding and training project team members.
• Actively engage in PCI’s effort to embed innovation and support the project team in doing so as well.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 7 years of senior management experience responsibility with progressively increasing responsibilities managing development projects.
• Experience managing complex, multi-million dollar contracts and/or cooperative agreements funded by the US Government.
• Demonstrated delivery of strong results in a COP role.
• Experience in Latin America, with preference for recent work in Guatemala.
• Post-graduate degree in development studies, international relations, public policy, government, or a related field.
• Relevant technical expertise in local capacity strengthening, community mobilization, public-private partnership development, conflict resolution, or other related fields.
• Preference for experience working in any of the following sectors: youth and families, governance, land rights, and extractive and natural resources.
• Experience working with senior government officials and building consensus among diverse actors, including NGOs (local and international), representatives of civil society, the private sector and USAID partners.
• Demonstrated abilities in USAID reporting, budgeting, procurement, and project management, including monitoring and evaluation.
• Excellent understanding and familiarity with US Government donor regulations.
• Proven leadership skills and demonstrated experience recruiting, developing, and managing/mentoring staff.
• Development philosophy in keeping with PCI’s mission, vision, core values and approach to integrated, community-driven programming.
• Excellent analytical and self-motivation skills; excellent advocacy and persuasion skills; able to think critically.
• Strong financial management abilities.
• Fluency (verbal and written) in Spanish and English. Non-native English speakers must be able to provide proof of English fluency through a score or certificate of a recognized test such as Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the Michigan test.
• Comfort working in insecure environments, including areas with high rates of crime and violence.

Who Excites us:

• Someone that has a deep and personal commitment to addressing conflict and violence in all forms;
• Someone that has an authentic love, passion and interest in working in the poorest communities we serve;
• Someone with a demonstrated ability to innovate and take risks to achieve greater outcomes. Job Location Quetzaltenango, Guatemala Job Description

Founded in 1961, PCI is an international non-profit organization that empowers people to enhance health, end hunger, and overcome hardship. Last year, PCI served more than 19 million people in 15 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. During the past 50 years, the organization has served millions more in 14 additional countries. Since 1974, Project Concern International (PCI) has implemented a diverse portfolio of community-based programs in Guatemala’s rural highlands and urban cities to improve health, improve resiliency, and promote the empowerment of vulnerable communities. PCI currently works in 25 municipalities, both urban and rural, throughout Guatemala. PCI is recruiting for a Chief of Party (COP) to lead an anticipated multi-million dollar USAID-funded project designed to reduce social conflict and improve social cohesion by bringing together diverse sectors and stakeholders within communities to identify and address the main drivers of social conflict at the familial, community, and municipal levels. By building partnerships between communities and governing institutions (both statutory and traditional), and strengthening governing institutions and non-governmental capacity to respond to local conflicts, the project will increase social cohesion within and between communities to reduce social conflict and increase confidence in governing institutions.

The COP is responsible for the overall implementation of the project, and s/he provides technical and administrative supervision to the project. The COP will oversee coordination with key stakeholders (including the GOG, civil society, the private sector, and others) and lead preparation and oversite of any subcontract. Additionally, the COP will be responsible for communications with USAID, for publicly representing the project, and for liaising with the GOG and other institutions/stakeholders on issues related to rural and community development in Guatemala, particularly in the Western Highlands.

Job Location:

Quetzaltenango, , Guatemala

How to apply:

https://pciglobal-openhire.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.jobinfo&jobid=511&…

WASHINGTON, D.C., 28 de abril de 2017.- Más de 3.8 millones de peruanos se beneficiarán de un nuevo proyecto de manejo integrado de recursos hídricos, financiado por un préstamo por US$40 millones aprobado hoy por el Directorio Ejecutivo del Banco Mundial. El proyecto Gestión Integrada de Recursos Hídricos en 10 Cuencas del Perú busca prevenir y mitigar desastres naturales como las recientes inundaciones que afectaron la costa peruana debido al fenómeno meteorológico “Niño Costero” que cobró la vida de 114 personas, desplazó a unas 180,000 personas, y afectó, en total, a más de 1.8 millones de personas.  “El proyecto que se está aprobando apoyará a afrontar los retos para garantizar la seguridad hídrica del país, contribuyendo a mejorar notablemente la gestión integrada de los recursos hídricos hacia el 2021”, afirmó el Ing. Abelardo De la Torre, Jefe de la Autoridad Nacional del Agua (ANA). En el Perú, la escasez de agua y variabilidad climática son preocupaciones fundamentales en muchas cuencas, particularmente en las de la vertiente del Pacífico donde, a pesar de su intensa actividad económica y su alta densidad poblacional, solo cuenta con 1.8 por ciento de los recursos hídricos. Asimismo, el deterioro de la calidad del agua, el insuficiente tratamiento de las aguas residuales en zonas urbanas e industriales junto con vertimientos sin restricciones, así como los huaicos e inundaciones que afecta la seguridad y la salud de las personas, el costo de producción de agua potable, las perspectivas de la agro-exportación, y la economía en general. “Con este proyecto el Banco Mundial continuará con los esfuerzos de fortalecimiento de la ANA, ente rector y máxima autoridad técnico normativa del Sistema Nacional de Gestión de los Recursos Hídricos, encargado de aplicar la Ley de Recursos Hídricos”, afirmó Alberto Rodríguez, Director del Banco Mundial para Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Perú y Venezuela. “En general esperamos ayudar al país a prevenir desastres hidrológicos”. Este proyecto da continuidad a uno anterior apoyado por el Banco Mundial que fortaleció las capacidades de la ANA para la formulación de la estrategia de gestión de la calidad de agua y el programa para promover una nueva “cultura de agua”. Así mismo, ayudó a fortalecer seis consejos de recursos hídricos de cuenca en Tumbes, Chira-Piura, Chancay-Lambayeque, Chancay-Huaral, Quilca-Chili, y Caplina-Locumba en la región hidrográfica del Pacífico. El nuevo proyecto busca enfrentar los retos de la gestión de los recursos hídricos y prevenir los desastres hidrológicos a nivel nacional. En esta nueva fase se está dando prioridad a 24 de un total de 159 cuencas en el Perú por su importancia productiva. Este proyecto fortalecerá los seis consejos de recursos hídricos de cuenca existentes y se crearán cuatro nuevos consejos en Urubamba, Pampas, Mantaro y Alto Mayo, todas ubicadas en la región hidrográfica del Atlántico. Concretamente, el proyecto financiará: la adquisición e instalación de equipos para monitoreo de la calidad de agua; medición de uso de agua en bloques para irrigación agrícola; monitoreo de agua en acuíferos subterráneos seleccionados; modernización del equipo de monitoreo de represas seleccionadas; y medición de caudales y niveles de agua de varios ríos críticos. El proyecto apuntará a desarrollar un programa integral de seguridad de presas y fortalecerá mecanismos de gestión de conflictos. Al mismo tiempo, servirá para fortalecer las capacidades para almacenar, procesar, analizar y difundir información; y monitorear y realizar pronósticos de inundaciones y sequias; así como su integración con el Sistema Nacional de Información de Recursos Hídricos. El costo total del programa asciende a US$88.15 millones, de los cuales el Gobierno del Perú aportará US$48.15 millones y el Banco Mundial US$40.00 millones. El cierre del proyecto está previsto para el 2022. El préstamo tiene un periodo de vencimiento de siete años, incluyendo un periodo de gracia de cinco años.

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 28, 2017.- More than 3.8 million Peruvians will benefit from a new integrated water management project financed with a US$ 40 million loan approved today by the World Bank Board of Directors. The project, Integrated Mana…

  WASHINGTON, April 28, 2017 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project: Guyana Education Sector Improvement Project   IDA Credit: US$13.3 million Terms: Maturity = 25 years, Grace = 5 years Project ID: P159519 Project Description: The project aims to improve the quality of teaching and student’s achievements in mathematics in selected primary schools; and help strengthen the medical faculty of the University of Guyana. For more information, please visit here: http://projects.worldbank.org/P159519?lang=en  

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2017 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project:PERU – Integrated Water Resources Management in Ten Basins IBRD Loan: US $40 million equivalent Terms: Maturity = 7 years, Grace = 5 years Project ID: P151851 Project Description:  The project will strengthen the capacity of targeted water resources management institutions to plan, monitor and manage water resources at national level and in selected river basins in Peru. For more information, please visit here: http://projects.worldbank.org/P151851?lang=en  

Washington, April 28 2017 – More than 150,000 students and teachers will improve Mathematics learning and teaching, and benefit from an improved medical faculty as a result of a US$13.3 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) approved today by the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank. Guyana has achieved near-universal primary education enrollment between 2014 and 2017 and secondary education is expanding rapidly. Education continues to be a priority for the government. However, low quality of teaching and learning at all levels and inequalities in learning outcomes present significant challenges. Only 14 percent of grade 2 students achieved ‘standard’ scores in literacy and numeracy in 2016. “Quality education is one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and boosting inclusive growth. Improving the quality of teaching is essential to ensure that the skills learned in the classroom lay the foundation for future work-place success,” said Tahseen Sayed, World Bank country director for the Caribbean. “The World bank remains Guyana’s strong partner to support enhancements in teaching competencies and improvements in students learning outcomes”. Among concrete results to be achieved by the project are:A new curriculum framework, teaching guides and course outlines for nursery, primary and lower secondary levels;6,500 teachers trained in the new curriculum; ·         A new building and facilities for the University of Guyana’s Faculty of Health Sciences; andImproved standards of the University of Guyana’s medical program in line with the Caribbean Accreditation Authority in Medicine and other Health Professions. The project builds on a long engagement in education in Guyana, including two previous and three ongoing projects amounting to about US$ 62 Million. It is financed by IDA, the World Bank Group’s concessional financing window. It also builds on UNICEF-Bank collaboration to improve nursery education and will help Guyana meet health education standards of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) in health education. The credit has a final maturity of 25 years, including a grace period of 5 years.

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 2, 2017 – The World Bank Group launched its new support program for Peru, which is aligned with the government modernization plan for 2021, the year the country will celebrate the bicentennial of its independence.  The World Bank Board of Directors endorsed the 2017-2021 Country Partnership Framework (CPF) today. The framework, with an approximate value of US$500 million for the first two years, will support three strategic pillars: productivity for growth; public services to the population throughout the country; and management of the environment and risks associated with climate change. “With this new CPF, the World Bank reiterates its commitment to the Peruvian people and supports the efforts of the administration of President Kuczynski to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the state and to bring it closer to citizens. All World Bank Group initiatives seek to improve the quality of life of all Peruvians, especially the 40 percent of the population with lower income,” said Alberto Rodríguez, World Bank Director for Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Peru has made important economic and social strides over the past two decades: sustained economic growth and a decrease in the poverty rate, from 58 to 22 percent of the population between 2004 and 2015.  Additionally, its responsible macroeconomic management and experience in reducing malnutrition are widely recognized. The country still faces daunting development challenges, however. The lack of connectivity between production centers and borders or ports; the lack of innovation; the need to increase and maintain private investment; and the poor quality of public services throughout the country, including water and sanitation, health and access to justice for all, are some of these challenges. Given the less favorable global economic context, increasing government efficiency will play an even more crucial role in maintaining achievements and continuing to strengthen shared prosperity for all Peruvians. The CPF includes financial instruments, technical assistance and exchange of global experiences to contribute to key government objectives. To achieve them, the World Bank Group will focus on: ·         Promoting productivity for growth by improving connectivity, with a focus on the most critical areas of the country. ·         Improving, among other services, access to and quality of water and sanitation, which is a government’s central objective. ·         Building capacity for management of natural resources and disaster risks associated with climate change, with an emphasis on reconstruction following the severe damage caused by the “Coastal Niño” weather phenomenon this year. The CPF preparatory process included several consultations with the public and private sector, as well as with civil society organizations. The current portfolio of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development includes 15 investment projects and a subsidy of the Global Environment Facility, for a total of US$900 million. Additionally, Peru has access to four contingency credit lines for US$3 billion, including two for DPF-DDO (Development Policy Financing with a Deferred Drawdown Option) and two for CAT-DDO (Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option). The International Finance Corporation works with 20 institutions in the country and has an active portfolio of US$718 million. The active portfolio of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency includes a contract with a gross exposure of US$6.2 million to support the concession of Lima’s international airport.

This month, we reached out to Francisco Obreque, Agricultural Specialist, who works on Bolivia’s PICAR. The Community Investment in Rural Areas Project (PICAR) has an overall goal to fight extreme rural poverty among small landholders, particularly indigenous populations. Starting in late 2011, the project has since transferred responsibility and resources to more than 150,000 rural inhabitants in 656 highly vulnerable communities (30 percent beyond the target of 500 communities), and supported 769 sub-project to improve access to basic and productive infrastructure for rural households. To date, the project has increased road access for more than 15,000 people, and expanded or improved irrigation for more than 17,000 beneficiaries. In 2015, the government received a $60 million additional financing IDA credit to expand and deepen the success of the project to reach an additional 200,000 beneficiaries. Here’s what Francisco shared with us on this innovative CDD operation: Question: What value does the CDD approach add to partnering with Indigenous Peoples in Bolivia? Answer: First, PICAR’s CDD approach helps to incorporate a rational planning and prioritization process into how a community operates, allowing them to identify and address their most important needs and constraints. To the best of my knowledge, PICAR has been a pioneer in testing a demand-driven approach in Bolivia, whereas other projects have been rather supply-driven. Generally, the several IP communities engaged in PICAR have embraced the inclusive planning approach; I am not aware of any case where the participatory approach caused disruption or internal conflicts.  Second, PICAR has allowed the communities to take control instead of being mere recipients of aid. I can testify from my multiple field visits that PICAR beneficiaries truly see themselves as the leaders of the investments. The CDD approach fits within the cultural context in Bolivia and it’s a tool to empower IP communities, helping them exploit their potential and harness opportunities. People feel that the approach serves as a platform to achieve significant improvements in their quality of life. Third, PICAR has ushered in mechanisms that ensure high levels of transparency in the management of financial resources. Other programs and projects have been very controversial because they either manage the funds directly (with little engagement of the communities) or transfer the money to community leaders. So having ensured a comfortable level of transparency in the project using the CDD approach is a major achievement for the Bolivian context.         Q: Tell us about some of the work that PICAR does on gender in these communities. A: PICAR’s model is to provide block grants of up to $40,000 for a subproject determined by the entire community, as well as a separate, smaller grant for a women-led project. Communities have an opportunity to merge these projects into a single one and benefit from a larger pool of funds. What we initially found was that male-dominated community assemblies would create social pressure on female community members to merge the projects, even if the broader community’s priorities didn’t line up with the priorities of women. To fix this problem, we strengthened guidelines for project implementation. Women would meet first, in advance of the monthly community assembly, to create a list of their priorities for funding, such as fences for livestock, improvements to nutrition, rainwater collection, etc. The community and women-led projects were only allowed to merge if the top priority of the women’s group aligned with the top priority of the community assembly. This way, PICAR protects the opportunity for women to take center stage and engage in learning-by-doing. They decide, discuss, and lead the project – tasks that traditionally have been led by men. In fact, approximately 300 out of PICAR’s 769 successful projects are led by women. Women face many challenges in IP communities where we work, which are traditionally male-dominated. These communities are also poor and suffer from lack of access to education, and these problems are often more serious for women. Compared to men, fewer women can speak Spanish fluently, and they can find it challenging to speak out in public. So it’s especially impressive to see a woman taking on a leadership role and presenting in a community assembly on project expenditures and purchases, despite the poverty and cultural constraints. And these women-led, women-owned projects have a real impact on their lives. I visited a community, where a woman with disabilities and her family had to travel 2.5 km from her home to draw clean water from a spring. When PICAR helped her village build a rainwater catchment system, her life changed 180 degrees. She had access to water for several months out of the year, and was proud of her participation and the empowerment that came with the selection of this project. Q: What is your advice for TTLs adapting a CDD approach to meet the unique challenges affecting IPs and ethnic minorities? A: When working with IP communities, the cultural aspect is especially important, and TTLs should use existing social structures as much as possible. In many IP communities, villagers already meet once a month to discuss community matters. So PICAR uses the community’s regular meetings instead of organizing special meetings. The program also integrates traditional authorities at different stages of the intervention instead of bypassing them, and we use the local language in planning and implementing the subprojects. By using these structures, PICAR doesn’t come across as disruptive or artificial — communities adapt more naturally to it. Applying a sound strategy requires the Task Team to assess what works and what doesn’t. For example, PICAR has included an ambitious gender strategy that came to fruition quickly. The extent to which women have engaged in the project is terrific. By empowering women, the project has reached out to some of the most vulnerable population groups in rural areas. However, not everything you find in gender-related literature works. I weigh in on what worked for us in one of my blogs on implementing PICAR.   The project also has informal filters to assess the likelihood of success in a given IP community. From my experience, CDD works well in communities with at least some social fabric. Conversely, using a CDD approach is challenging if a given community has either complicated outstanding conflicts or no experience (or interest) in dealing with problems in a collective matter. So the project tries to assess if communities want to engage via the participatory approach. Some important ways PICAR does this is through having communities leaders identify among a list of communities where the greatest need is and then by gauging the level of engagement with the field personnel when they visit the villages with their plans. The CDD GSG offers support and resources to the community of CDD practitioners. To learn more about the CDD GSG, please contact us at cddgsg@worldbank.org    

Este mes contamos con la presencia de Francisco Obreque, especialista agrícola que trabaja en el proyecto PICAR en Bolivia. El Proyecto de Inversión Comunitaria en Áreas Rurales (PICAR) tiene como objetivo general luchar contra la pobreza extrema entre los pequeños productores, particularmente indígenas, en el área rural. Desde finales de 2011, el proyecto transfirió responsabilidad y recursos a más de 150.000 habitantes rurales en 656 comunidades altamente vulnerables (30 por ciento más allá de la meta de 500 comunidades) y apoyó 769 sub proyectos para mejorar el acceso a infraestructura básica y productiva para los hogares rurales. Hasta la fecha, el proyecto ha aumentado el acceso mediante caminos a más de 15.000 personas y ampliado y/o mejorado la irrigación a más de 17.000 beneficiarios. En 2015, el gobierno recibió un financiamiento adicional de AIF por US$60 millones para ampliar y profundizar el éxito del proyecto y alcanzar a unos 200.000 beneficiarios adicionales.   A continuación, lo que Francisco compartió con nosotros de esta innovadora operación de CDD: Pregunta: ¿Qué valor agrega el enfoque CDD al asociarse con los pueblos indígenas en Bolivia? Respuesta: En primer lugar, el enfoque CDD del PICAR ayuda a incorporar una planificación racional y el proceso de priorización en el funcionamiento de una comunidad, permitiéndoles identificar y atender sus necesidades y las limitaciones más importantes. Dentro de mi experiencia, el PICAR ha sido pionero como prueba de un enfoque de la demanda en Bolivia, mientras que otros proyectos han sido más bien impulsados por la oferta. Generalmente, las comunidades indígenas involucradas en el PICAR han recibido e implementado muy bien el enfoque de planificación inclusiva; no tengo conocimiento de ningún caso donde este enfoque haya causado interrupciones o conflictos internos. En segundo lugar, PICAR ha permitido a las comunidades tomar el control en lugar de ser simples receptores de ayuda. Puedo dar testimonio en mis múltiples visitas de campo que los beneficiarios del PICAR verdaderamente se ven a sí mismos como los líderes de las inversiones. El enfoque CDD encaja dentro del contexto cultural en Bolivia y es una herramienta para empoderar a las comunidades indígenas, ayudándolos a explotar su potencial y aprovechar las oportunidades. La gente siente que el enfoque sirve como una plataforma para lograr importantes mejoras en su calidad de vida. En tercer lugar, PICAR ha introducido mecanismos que garantizan altos niveles de transparencia en la gestión de los recursos financieros. Otros programas y proyectos han sido muy controversiales porque o manejan los fondos directamente (con poco compromiso de las comunidades) o transfieren el dinero a los líderes de la comunidad. El asegurar un nivel alto de transparencia en el proyecto utilizando el enfoque de CDD es un logro importante dentro del contexto boliviano. P: Háblanos del trabajo del PICAR en términos de género en estas comunidades. R: El modelo del PICAR proporciona un bloque de subvenciones de hasta US$40.000 para un sub proyecto designado por toda la comunidad, así como una subvención separada más pequeña para un proyecto liderado por las mujeres. Las comunidades tienen la oportunidad de unir estos proyectos como uno solo y se benefician de un conjunto más amplio de fondos. Lo que inicialmente descubrimos era que las asambleas comunitarias dominadas por hombres creaban presión social sobre los miembros de la comunidad femenina para fusionar los proyectos, incluso si las prioridades de la comunidad en general no se alineaban con las prioridades de las mujeres. Para solucionar este problema, fortalecimos las directrices para la ejecución del proyecto. Las mujeres se reunirían, en primer lugar, antes de la Asamblea regular de la comunidad, para crear una lista de sus prioridades de financiación, tales como cercas para el ganado, mejoras en nutrición, recolección de agua de lluvia, etcétera. La comunidad y lo proyectos dirigidos a las mujeres sólo podrán fusionarse si la prioridad del grupo de mujeres se alinea con la prioridad de la Asamblea de la comunidad. De esta manera, el PICAR ayuda a que las mujeres tengan oportunidades y se involucren en procesos de “aprender haciendo”. Ellas deciden, discuten y lideran el proyecto, actividades que tradicionalmente fueron realizadas por los hombres. De hecho, aproximadamente 300 de los 769 proyectos exitosos de PICAR son dirigidos por mujeres. Las mujeres enfrentan muchos desafíos en las comunidades indígenas donde trabaja el proyecto, tradicionalmente dominadas por los hombres. Estas comunidades también son pobres y sufren por la falta de acceso a la educación, y estos problemas suelen ser más graves para las mujeres. En comparación con los hombres, menos mujeres pueden hablar español con fluidez, y se les hace más difícil hablar en público. Por lo que es impresionante ver a una mujer tomar el liderazgo y presentar su rendición de gastos en una Asamblea comunitaria, a pesar de la pobreza y las restricciones culturales. Y los proyectos dirigidos por las mujeres tienen un impacto real en sus vidas. Visité una comunidad, donde una mujer con discapacidad y su familia debían recorrer 2,5 km desde su casa para sacar agua de un manantial. Cuando PICAR ayudó a la comunidad a construir sistemas de captación de agua de lluvia, su vida cambió 180 grados. Ella tenía acceso al agua durante varios meses al año y estaba orgullosa de su participación y el empoderamiento que vino con la selección de este proyecto. P: ¿Cuál es su consejo para los jefes de proyectos, dentro del Banco Mundial, adaptando un enfoque CDD para cumplir con los desafíos que afectan a las personas indígenas y a las minorías étnicas? R: Cuando se trabaja con las comunidades indígenas, el aspecto cultural es muy importante, y los jefes de proyectos deben usar las estructuras sociales existentes tanto como sea posibles. En muchas comunidades indígenas, los comunarios ya se reunían una vez al mes para hablar los temas importantes de la comunidad. El PICAR utiliza estas reuniones regulares de la comunidad en lugar de organizar reuniones especiales. El programa también integra a las autoridades tradicionales en las diferentes etapas de la intervención en lugar de sobrepasarlos, y se utiliza el idioma local en la planificación y ejecución de los sub proyectos. Mediante el uso de estas estructuras, PICAR no pasa a través de la comunidad como algo disruptivo o artificial y las comunidades se adaptan de una manera más natural al proyecto. Aplicar una estrategia efectiva requiere que el equipo de trabajo evalúe lo que funciona y lo que no. Por ejemplo, PICAR ha incluido una estrategia de género ambiciosa que produjo frutos rápidamente. La forma en que las mujeres han participado en el proyecto es buenísima. Al empoderar a las mujeres, el proyecto ha llegado a algunos de los grupos más vulnerables de la población dentro de las zonas rurales. Sin embargo, no todo lo que encuentras de género en la literatura funciona. Opiné sobre lo que funcionó para nosotros en la implementación del PICAR en uno de mis blogs. El proyecto también cuenta con filtros informales para evaluar la probabilidad de éxito en una determinada comunidad indígena. Desde mi experiencia, CDD trabaja bien en comunidades con al menos algún tejido social. Por el contrario, utilizar un enfoque CDD es difícil si una determinada comunidad tiene complicados conflictos pendientes o carece de experiencia (o de interés) en el abordaje de problemas desde una óptica colectiva. Así que el proyecto evalúa si las comunidades quieren comprometerse dentro de un enfoque participativo. Algunas formas en que PICAR hace esto es a través de líderes comunitarios que identifican los sitios de mayor necesidad entre una lista de las comunidades y también mediante las visitas de campo del personal del proyecto.

Cuando salimos de viaje, ya sea por aire, mar o tierra, esperamos que la travesía sea lo más placentera y sin inconvenientes posible. Al viajar desde un aeropuerto, puerto o por una carretera, los pasajeros esperan un servicio de calidad desde la salida hasta el regreso. Pero en el caso de América Latina, esta expectativa se trunca y en muchos casos se convierte en un verdadero dolor de cabeza. La región no se ha destacado por la calidad de su infraestructura, y eso se comprueba en las cifras: Invierte menos del 3% de su PIB anual en la construcción de grandes obras, y se coloca solo por delante de África en este aspecto y muy lejos de Asia Oriental y Pacífico, que destina un 7,7 por ciento de su PIB anual. “La región de América Latina y el Caribe no tiene la infraestructura que necesita o merece según su nivel de ingreso”. Así comienza el estudio del Banco Mundial titulado: Repensar la infraestructura en América Latina y el Caribe – Mejorar el gasto para lograr más (i), donde se hace un análisis sobre el desarrollo de este sector y cuáles son los desafíos para lograr un mayor crecimiento económico, no solo a través de más sino de mejor infraestructura. No toda la región, obviamente, se puede medir igual. Hay países como Bolivia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá y Perú que invierten más del 4% de su PIB al año en obras de infraestructura. Y también hay áreas donde se tiene un buen desempeño, como es electricidad y agua. Pero los retos están en el sector de transporte y saneamiento, servicios donde existe una gran brecha que lastra el impulso al crecimiento en muchos países de la región.