empleo

WASHINGTON, April 6, 2017 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project: IDA Credit: US$20 million Terms: Maturity = 40 years, Grace = 10 years IBRD Loan: US$6 million Terms: Maturity = 30 years, Grace = 9.5 years Project ID: P152117 Project Description:  The objective of the project is to facilitate access and movement of travelers through a pilot ferry service, rehabilitate select tourism sites such as Fort George in Grenada, Fort Charlotte in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Castries in Saint Lucia, and help position these countries as one multi-island travel destination   More information: http://projects.worldbank.org/P152117?lang=en

Washington April 7th, 2017 – More than 1.4 million people will benefit from a new loan approved yesterday by the World Bank Board of Directors for US$ 300million to strengthen flood protection in the Salado river basin within the Province of Buenos Aires. “For years we, Buenos Aires residents, have suffered every time it rains due to a decades-long lack of investment.  We are beginning to undertake works which will take time, the sort that won’t be seen in the short-term, but which will change people’s lives. Thanks to the World Bank’s input will be able to invest in improving the infrastructure and strengthening the economy of our Province,” said Maria Eugenia Vidal, governor of the Province of Buenos Aires. “This project is an example of World Bank support to Argentina to improve the standard of living of the population”, said World Bank Vice-president for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jorge Familiar. “We will continue working with the country to strengthen infrastructure and productivity, among other issues, so as to promote sustainable growth and job creation.” This loan is part of the “Salado Integrated River Basin Management Support Project”, which will finance works to adjust the river basin in order to contain rising waters and to minimize the impact of floods along 34 km of the middle course of the river and to enhance bridges so as to reduce risks to human life and economic activities. It will also finance the strengthening of institutional capacities for improved water resources management, protecting the environment, and supporting the sustainable management of infrastructure investments. The project will benefit the Basin’s entire population – 1.4 million people – and the structural work will directly and positively impact the populations in the districts of San Miguel de Monte, Lobos and Roque Pérez, an estimated 75,000 inhabitants. The Salado River Basin is situated in the central-northern part of the Province of Buenos Aires, and is of strategical importance not only to the regional economy, but also at a national level. The area’s agricultural production is responsible for 20 percent of national grains and meat production, contributing significantly to national export income. “We need more investment in infrastructure, not just to guarantee the wellbeing of the population, but also to develop a more competitive economy and to create genuine employment. For this reason, it’s fundamental that we have a strategic ally like the World Bank, who guarantees us the financing we need to grow,” said Luis Caputo, Minister for Finance in Argentina. Extreme climate events periodically and recurrently threaten the Province of Buenos Aires through floods and prolonged droughts. From 2000 to 2011, floods generated losses of US$ 4.5 billion and affected more than five million people in the Province. In 2015, the highest level of precipitation on record within the Salado River Basin caused flooding over more than 800,000 hectares, causing the death of over 6,000 cows and losses of over US$652 million. The project will be financed by a variable spread loan of US$300 million, with a 27.5-year total maturity period, including a 5-year grace period.

Washington, 7 de abril de 2017 – Más de 1.4 millones de personas se beneficiarán de un nuevo préstamo aprobado ayer por el Directorio Ejecutivo del Banco Mundial por US$300 millones que fortalecerá la protección contra inundaciones en la Cuenca del Río Salado en la Provincia de Buenos Aires. “Desde hace años los bonaerenses sufrimos cada vez que llueve por décadas de falta de inversión. Empezamos a hacer obras que llevan tiempo, esas que en el corto plazo no se ven pero que le cambian la vida a la gente. Gracias al aporte del Banco Mundial vamos a poder hacer la inversión para ​mejorar la infraestructura y fortalecer la economía de nuestra Provincia”, dijo María Eugenia Vidal, Gobernadora de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. “Este préstamo es un ejemplo del apoyo del Banco Mundial a la Argentina para mejorar las condiciones de vida de la población”, dijo el Vicepresidente del Banco Mundial para América Latina y el Caribe, Jorge Familiar. “Continuaremos trabajando con el país en el fortalecimiento de infraestructura y productividad, entre otros temas, a fin de promover el crecimiento sostenible y la creación de empleo”. El préstamo es parte del proyecto denominado “Apoyo a la gestión integrada de la Cuenca del Salado” que financiará obras de adecuación del cauce para poder contener las crecidas y minimizar los impactos de inundación en 34 km de su curso medio y el mejoramiento de puentes para reducir riesgos a la vida humana y las actividades económicas. También financiará el fortalecimiento institucional para mejorar el manejo de los recursos hídricos, protección del medio ambiente y apoyo a la gestión sostenible de las inversiones en infraestructura. El proyecto beneficiará a toda la población de la Cuenca – 1.4 millones de personas – y los trabajos estructurales tendrán un impacto positivo directo en las poblaciones de los partidos de San Miguel del Monte, Lobos y Roque Pérez, que tienen un estimado de 75.000 habitantes. La Cuenca del Río Salado se ubica en la zona central y norte de la provincia de Buenos Aires, de importancia estratégica no solamente para la economía regional, sino también a nivel nacional.  La actividad agropecuaria de la zona es responsable del 25 por ciento de la producción nacional de granos y carne, contribuyendo significativamente a los ingresos de exportación nacional. "Necesitamos más inversión en infraestructura, no solo para asegurar el bienestar de la población, sino para desarrollar una economía más competitiva y para crear empleo genuino. Por eso es fundamental para nosotros tener un aliado estratégico como el Banco Mundial, que nos garantiza el financiamiento que necesitamos para crecer", dijo Luis Caputo, Ministro de Finanzas de Argentina. Eventos climáticos extremos amenazan a la Provincia de Buenos Aires, en forma periódica y recurrente, con inundaciones y sequías prolongadas. De 2000 a 2011, las inundaciones generaron pérdidas de US$4.5 mil millones y afectaron más de cinco millones de personas en la Provincia.  En 2015, el nivel más alto de precipitación histórica en la Cuenca del Río Salado generó inundaciones en más de 800.000 hectáreas, causando la muerte de más de 6000 cabezas de ganado y pérdidas por más de US$652 millones.  El Proyecto será financiado por un préstamo de margen variable de US$300 millones, con un vencimiento a 27,5 años y un período de gracia de cinco años.

Organization: Chemonics
Country: Colombia
Closing date: 21 Apr 2017

Chemonics seeks insurance consultants for short-term assignments under the ongoing USAID Rural Finance Initiative (RFI) in Colombia. RFI supports financial intermediaries in increasing their rural financial services for micro, small, and medium-size producers and businesses and the inclusion of certain populations. There is strong unmet demand for rural financial services, and during the last five years regulatory reforms have improved the enabling environment by allowing movable collateral micro-insurance mechanisms. However, financial institutions lack the experience to design and implement these mechanisms to reach rural clients. RFI’s initial assistance to financial intermediaries has focused on credit and savings products, and the Initiative seeks to expand financial intermediaries’ product options to offer insurance services as well. The insurance consultants, over a period of three to four weeks in Colombia, will provide technical assistance to financial intermediaries in identifying, designing, and implementing insurance products (including micro-insurance products) that meet the demand of low-income and other customers in rural areas. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

Responsibilities Include:

• Identify insurance solutions/products (outside life, accident, and funeral insurance) to meet the demands of rural area customers for RFI-supported financial intermediaries
• Apply best practices and proven models for insurance and micro-insurance products targeted to low-income populations or rural customers that have been successful in Latin America and elsewhere globally to inform work in Colombia
• Provide technical assistance to RFI partner financial intermediaries (including banks, microfinance institutions, insurance companies, and finance corporations) in assessing, designing, and implementing insurance or micro-insurance mechanisms targeted for their rural clients
• Ensure mechanisms are designed to overcome barriers to access to insurance
• Design and write detailed procedures, manuals, workflow charts, and job aids for financial intermediaries for implementing insurance products, which must be different from already well-used insurance policies such as accident and life insurance
• Review and refine RFI’s micro-insurance services strategies targeted to assist financial intermediaries (banks, microfinance institutions, and finance corporations) in designing and implementing products in RFI’s targeted seven economic corridors
• Conduct ongoing assessment of micro-insurance opportunities in the seven economic corridors, analyzing financial institutions interested in providing such services
• Produce reports with specific recommendations and strategies for enhancing micro-insurance in Colombia, including new opportunities

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in business administration, finance, trade, economic development, or a related discipline
• Minimum eight years of relevant experience working and implementing insurance or micro-insurance products for rural areas or low-income populations
• Experience working with private financial intermediaries to design and implement insurance mechanisms for vulnerable and low-income populations, including writing procedures, manuals, and job aids
• Experience in the design of marketing/commercial strategy for insurance products
• Demonstrated experience in securing support from insurance and reinsurance companies to offer insurance products designed
• Demonstrated ability to break down the barriers that insurance companies normally have to take risks, especially in the agricultural sector
• Experience delivering training and building capacity of insurance service providers, and strengthening insurance coverage in low-income and agricultural populations
• Experience working in developing country settings required; experience working in Latin America and the Caribbean preferred
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Spanish language skills preferred

How to apply:

Send electronic submissions including CV and cover letters to ColombiaRFIrecruit@chemonics.com by April 21, 2017. Please include «Insurance Consultant» in the subject line. No telephone inquiries, please. Finalists will be contacted to provide further information on relevant experience prior to selection of candidates for interviews.

Cuando piensas en los conceptos de "empoderamiento femenino" y "superación de la violencia", ¿Qué imágenes se te ocurren? Un concurso patrocinado por el Banco Mundial y la Secretaría de la Mujer en la Cámara de Diputados de Brasil planteó en redes sociales esta misma pregunta a fotógrafos de todo el país. Respondieron 380 artistas que enviaron 720 fotos, algunas bastante literales y otras extremadamente poéticas. Los ganadores de las dos categorías – para jóvenes de 14 a 17 años y adultos – fueron seleccionados en dos etapas. En la primera, un jurado especializado eligió 52 finalistas en base a criterios como la calidad técnica y artística, adecuación al tema y la contribución del trabajo para fortalecer el debate. En la segunda fase, una votación a través de las redes sociales consagró a tres ganadores en cada categoría, además de 15 menciones especiales otorgadas a fotógrafos jóvenes y adultos. Las fotos mezclan miradas masculinas y femeninas sobre un tema capaz de generar impactos emocionales, sociales y económicos sobre todas las personas, independientemente de su género. Se estima que una de cada tres mujeres en el mundo ha sido o será víctima de la violencia a lo largo de la vida. Los trabajos ganadores presentan un mensaje común: las agresiones dejan marcas en el cuerpo y en el alma, pero también se pueden superar si la víctima recibe el apoyo de la sociedad.

Pense por um momento nos conceitos de “empoderamento feminino” e “superação da violência” e reflita: que imagens elas evocam? Um concurso patrocinado pelo Banco Mundial e a Secretaria da Mulher da Câmara dos Deputados fez essa mesma pergunta, via redes sociais, a fotógrafos de todo o Brasil. Como resposta, 380 artistas enviaram 720 fotos, algumas literais, outras extremamente poéticas. As campeãs das duas categorias – para jovens de 14 a 17 anos e adultos – foram escolhidas em duas etapas. Na primeira delas, um júri especializado escolheu 52 finalistas baseando-se em critérios como qualidade técnica e artística, adequação ao tema e contribuição da obra para o fortalecimento do debate. A segunda fase se deu em votação pelas redes sociais e consagrou três vencedores em cada categoria, além de 15 menções honrosas distribuídas entre jovens e adultos. O resultado foi uma celebração dos olhares masculinos e femininos sobre um tema capaz de gerar impactos emocionais, sociais e econômicos sobre todas as pessoas, independentemente do gênero. Estima-se que uma em cada três mulheres em todo o mundo foi ou será vítima de violência ao longo da vida. Entre os trabalhos vencedores, há uma mensagem em comum: as agressões deixam marcas no corpo e na alma, mas também podem ser superadas se a vítima recebe apoio da sociedade. 

Challenge  Improving access and sustainability of water supply and sanitation (WSS) services to the bottom 40 percent of the population in developing countries is essential to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. WSS services lie at the root of many other development challenges, as they affect public health, education, income generating opportunities, and the environment. Today in  Latin America and the Caribbean region, 21 million of the 33 million people without access to a source of improved drinking water live in rural areas. While several studies show that rural communities have limited capacity to operate and maintain the systems they receive, often resulting in the systems’ collapse, investments continue to focus on building infrastructure and to underestimate the need for continuous support and necessary reconstruction over time. Approach The World Bank program Consolidation, Expansion, and Improvement of the Rural Water and Sanitation Information System (SIASAR) supports countries in generating evidence regarding WSS access and sustainability and in developing a supportive institutional and operational environment that will enable sustainable provision of WSS services in rural areas. SIASAR has targeted over 22,000 rural communities across eight countries for strengthened WSS provision. The objective of this initiative is to devise more informed policies and to improve sustainability and quality of service in Latin America’s rural water and sanitation sector. These goals are to be achieved by consolidating, improving, strengthening, and expanding the Rural Water and Sanitation Information System.    To this end, a Bank grant for SIASAR was designed and enacted (i) to assist countries in devising technical, conceptual, and implementation recommendations to make SIASAR more effective, based on a list of recommendations currently being agreed upon and prioritized among the participating countries; (ii) to provide the participating institutions (including regional institutions) with the capacity building needed to identify future funding opportunities and to initiate these recommendations at a later time; and (iii) to open the system to more countries, thus enhancing its credibility, viability, and usability. 

Challenge As of 2006, the main causes of environmental degradation in Peru had led to an estimated cost of US$ 2.3 billion, an amount equivalent to 3.9 percent of the nation’s GDP. The highest costs were from outdoor air pollution and lead ex…

Challenge The paved feeder roads in the state of São Paulo, totaling 12,800 kilometers, constitute the essential backbone of mobility for the local communities in the 645 municipalities and provide crucial access to the state’s main transport corridors. By the mid-2000s, however, the condition of the roads had deteriorated to the point that over 60 percent were in poor condition, despite the state’s ongoing efforts over the preceding 30 years to pave and maintain them. This situation resulted in high transport costs and presented a bottleneck slowing economic development in the region.   Approach The Brazil São Paulo State Feeder Roads Project was designed to assist the state of São Paulo in implementing the third and fourth phases of the its Feeder Road Investment Program (Pro-Vicinais), which had been initiated by the government in 2007 to substantially improve the condition of the rural paved roads. In addition, the project was developed to include World Bank assistance in improving public administration efficiency in planning and managing infrastructure programs, modernizing environmental management systems for assessing infrastructure projects, and consolidating the state’s capacity to attract private-sector participation in infrastructure improvements.

Challenge In 2008, Mexico was the second largest emitter of greenhouse gasses (GHG) in Latin America and the 12th largest globally. Energy-related emissions, including energy use in the transport sector, contributed to over 60 percent of Mexico’s total GHG emissions. Mexico’s residential sector accounted for more than 25 percent of electricity consumption in 2008. Energy consumption in the residential sector was growing faster than GDP, with air conditioning, home appliances, electronics, and lighting contributing equally to levels of residential electricity consumption. Approach In response to the dominant role of the residential sector in electricity consumption, the Mexican government initiated several energy efficiency programs using price incentives to replace inefficient lighting and appliances in the sector. The Mexico Efficient Lighting and Appliances Project was part of this effort as well as an element in a broader national strategy designed by the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thus mitigate the impacts of climate change, which are predicted to be severe in Mexico due to its geography. Two nationwide programs were supported by the project: (i) the Sustainable Light (Luz Sustentable) program aimed at phasing out incandescent light bulbs (IBs) by replacing 45.8 million IBs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs); and (ii) the “Replace Your Old Appliance with a New One” (“Cambia Tu Viejo por uno Nuevo”) program. These initiatives provided financial incentives for consumers that resulted in replacement of 1,682,802 refrigerators and 201,327 air conditioners ten years old or older.    An aggressive media campaign was essential to the project’s success. It involved using television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet to spread the message, as well as targeted promotions during soccer matches. To deepen the impact of the campaign by making it relatable for audiences, an innovative idea was put into effect: entering the world of telenovelas. One of Mexico’s most popular telenovelas, Abismo de Pasión (Abyss of Passion), wove information on energy efficiency into its plot lines and dialogue to encourage viewers to replace their light bulbs and household appliances with more efficient models. This new approach to using mass media shows to engage their audiences in the initiative to conserve energy was very cost effective. Actors continued their support by making public service announcements and attending promotional events, such as a public appearance in Mérida, Yucatán, on July 23, 2012, that resulted in an immediate spike in appliance replacements. 

Washington, 3 de abril de 2017 – Más de 450.000 personas en la región norte de Argentina se beneficiarán del acceso a servicios mejorados de abastecimiento de agua y saneamiento gracias a un préstamo aprobado a fines de marzo por el Directorio Ejecutivo del Banco Mundial por US$125 millones. El proyecto de inversión denominado “Desarrollo de Servicios de agua potable y saneamiento Plan Belgrano” se enfocará en 10 provincias del norte del país – Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, La Rioja, Catamarca, Misiones, Corrientes, Chaco, Formosa y Santiago del Estero- y, apuntará a mejorar la infraestructura, al igual que el desempeño operativo y financiero de los proveedores de estos servicios en dicha región. Los beneficiarios directos representan el 30 por ciento de la población en dichas provincias que actualmente no tiene acceso a servicios adecuados de agua y saneamiento.  "Nuestro gobierno ha fijado desafíos claros en torno al acceso a agua y saneamiento. Tal como nos instruyó el Presidente, el objetivo es que, al finalizar su mandato, el 100% de los argentinos tenga agua potable y, al menos el 75%, acceso a las cloacas”, dijo Rogelio Frigerio, Ministro de Interior, Obras Pública y Vivienda de Argentina. Se trata de un financiamiento adicional al “Segundo Proyecto de Infraestructura Hídrica de Norte Grande” que se inició en 2011 con el fin de incrementar el acceso sostenible a servicios de saneamiento y abastecimiento de agua en dicha región.  El proyecto Norte Grande busca, entre sus principales objetivos, proveer acceso a servicios de alcantarillado y tratamiento de aguas residuales a 200.000 personas en la ciudad de Resistencia (provincia del Chaco); acceso a servicios de agua a 82.500 personas en las provincias de Chaco y Salta; y mejoras en indicadores clave de rendimiento operacional y financiero de los proveedores de servicios. Esta extensión del financiamiento permitirá mejorar la cobertura del plan a través de actividades adicionales tales como ampliar su ámbito geográfico a la provincia de La Rioja y aumentar el enfoque en la sostenibilidad de las inversiones. “Acceso al agua potable para la población norteña en Argentina es fundamental para reducir la pobreza y establecer las bases para un crecimiento sostenible de algunas de las regiones más vulnerables del país”, dijo Jesko Hentschel, Director del Banco Mundial para Argentina, Paraguay y Uruguay. El financiamiento adicional apoya al Plan Belgrano, lanzado por el gobierno nacional en diciembre de 2015, que busca reducir inequidades regionales en el país, reduciendo la pobreza extrema y aumentando acceso a servicios básicos en el norte del país.  Además, el gobierno nacional está implementado un nuevo Plan Nacional de Agua y Saneamiento (PNAS) cuyo objetivo es alcanzar el 75 por ciento de acceso a servicios de saneamiento para los habitantes de zonas urbanas del país a finales de 2019. Este objetivo se traduce en expandir acceso al agua a 8,2 millones de personas y acceso a servicios de saneamiento a 8,9 millones de personas en todo el país. “El Banco Mundial es una importante herramienta para el desarrollo de la infraestructura en Argentina. Necesitamos mejores rutas, mejores comunicaciones, mejores condiciones habitacionales para ser competitivos, para crear empleo y para crecer”, dijo Luis Caputo, Ministro de Finanzas de Argentina, en calidad de gobernador argentino ante el Banco Mundial. “Desde el Ministerio de Finanzas trabajamos permanentemente para asegurar las mejores condiciones financieras para financiar el crecimiento que Argentina necesita”. A su vez el Proyecto colaborará con la mitigación del cambio climático al reemplazar maquinaria vieja y mejorar la eficiencia de servicios, lo cual se estima genere un ahorro de emisiones anuales en el orden de 5.800 toneladas de CO2 por año. “El Gobierno Nacional está trabajando junto a organismos como el Banco Mundial para mejorar la calidad de vida de todos los habitantes incluidos en el territorio del Plan Belgrano y saldar una deuda histórica con el norte de nuestro país”, dijo Pablo Bereciartura, Subsecretario de Recursos Hídricos del Ministro de Interior, Obras Pública y Vivienda de Argentina. El nuevo proyecto será financiado con un préstamo de US$125 millones de margen fijo, reembolsable en 30 años y con un período de gracia de cinco años.

Challenge The Bahamas, like many other island countries, was a low-volume consumer of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).  CFCs, ozone depleting substances (ODS) with high global warming potential, are used, inter alia, in refrigeration and air-conditioning. In 2000, the government of the Bahamas realized it faced a challenge to achieving the necessary reductions in CFC consumption to meet levels mandated by the Montreal Protocol, particularly given its CFC consumption to service domestic refrigerators, commercial and industrial refrigeration equipment, and, especially, mobile air-conditioning (MAC) in vehicles. High prices for alternative refrigerants and existing CFC-using equipment inventories encouraged ongoing CFC demand, and the movement toward a global phase-out of CFCs by 2010 encouraged stockpiling. Consequently, CFC consumption was 12 percent higher than the average level of the protocol-defined baseline for the Bahamas. In addition, the government was concerned that the Bahamas might become a potential dumping site for unwanted CFCs and outdated CFC-using equipment as other countries in the region phased out their use. Approach The government of Bahamas requested the World Bank’s support in developing an ODS/CFC Terminal Phase-out Management Plan (TPMP) to help the country adhere to its phase-out objectives and to help steer the implementation of an accelerated phase-out schedule. The Bank, an Implementing Agency for the project’s design, was the only agency with relevant experience in developing programmatic approaches for sustainable ODS phase-out, structured on providing coordinated technical assistance, investment activities, and strategic policy interventions. The TPMP used a flexible “umbrella project” concept permitting absorption of new subprojects in line with time-bound country and protocol priorities and predicated on a performance-based approach covering policy actions, management, technical assistance, and phase-out efforts. With the support of technical experts familiar with the sectors at issue, a robust pipeline of subprojects was developed across priority sectors.