empleo

Washington, DC September 28, 2017 – The World Bank Group received EUR 10 million from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to improve and scale up the use of extreme weather insurance instruments as risk management tools for the poor and the most vulnerable smallholder farmers particularly affected by climate change.  The contribution will finance knowledge and technical assistance activities of the Global Index Insurance Facility (GIIF) to build capacity and expertise among practitioners in developing countries to devise effective index insurance products for smallholder farmers in areas vulnerable to climate shocks and climate-related disaster. "This is of utmost importance for sustainable development since natural disasters show to what extent climate change can hinder success in development. Climate insurance provides help – in a quick and cost-effective manner," said Dr. Gerd Müller, German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. "Understanding and managing risks caused by weather-related disasters is critical to help smallholder farmers build resilience, reduce food insecurity, and offset economic losses,” said Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Senior Director, Finance & Markets Global Practice, World Bank Group. "Developing good insurance products is most important for agricultural regions that are vulnerable to disasters and climate impacts, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean." Index insurance pays out benefits based on a pre-determined index composed of extreme weather data for the loss of assets and investments resulting from extreme weather or other catastrophic events. Although an innovative product, insurers in developing countries rarely offer index insurance because they do not have sufficient knowledge and technical capacity to develop sustainable and profitable products. GIIF will allocate this funding to further build capacity in the insurance community on index insurance by organizing technical workshops for practitioners; disseminating know-hows; incubating innovation; and improving access to reliable, accurate, and timely data in agriculture insurance. GIIF is a World Bank Group’s program that facilitates access to finance for smallholder farmers, micro-entrepreneurs, and microfinance institutions by providing climate and disaster risk transfer solutions and index-based insurance in developing countries. To date, GIIF has supported nearly a dozen partners in developing countries to set up index insurance markets and has facilitated more than 1.8 million contracts, covering approximately 7 million people, with $178m in sums insured. GIIF also works with private insurance and reinsurance providers, and is thus able to contribute to the development of sustainable insurance markets. GIIF is funded by the European Union/ACP Groups of States, Japan, and the Netherlands, and now also Germany. The signed agreement is part of the InsuResilience initiative on climate risk insurance whose goal is to help an additional 400 million people obtain access to direct or indirect insurance coverage by 2020. The initiative was adopted at the 2015 G7 Summit in Germany. At its Hamburg Summit, the G20 welcomed the creation of a Partnership for Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance Solutions, building on the work of existing platforms, such as InsuResilience 

WASHINGTON, September 28, 2017 –With 1.5 billion people covered globally, food and voucher programs provide an important lifeline for the poor and vulnerable. Understanding how those programs work, and how they connect to wider social protection systems is key to ensuring food security and helping the poor, says a new World Bank report. Social protection systems include programs that help manage shocks, connect vulnerable people to jobs, and address poverty and food insecurity. Food, which claims about 61 percent of the poor’s expenditures, is a pressing daily concern for people at the bottom of the income ladder. An effective food-based social assistance program can make a critical difference and help release household resources for other needs. The study – The 1.5 Billion People Question: Food, Vouchers or Cash Transfers? –reveals that while countries increasingly support people with cash as a form of safety net, food-based programs are still important interventions in some contexts. The analysis highlights how food and voucher programs remain relevant, and in most circumstances, have improved over time. “This report explores how to successfully integrate social protection mechanisms and food assistance,” says Michal Rutkowski, Senior Director for the World Bank’s Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice. “Understanding how programs have evolved and learning from different country experiences enables us to adopt an evidence-based approach to protecting the poor and vulnerable, and helps policymakers deliver effective interventions.” The study shows that cash, vouchers, and food transfers are effective in improving food security, with the former two more likely to achieve these goals at lower costs. The report also discusses how the use of modern technology in food programs shows enormous potential for improving these delivery systems. For example, in some low-income states in India, technological tools helped to expand the coverage of food distribution and curb rates of exclusion of the poor from the program. Vouchers and cash transfers are shown to complement food-based transfers to support additional policy goals such as in nutrition and agriculture. “Food and cash-based assistance are often portrayed as alternatives. Yet no social protection system is entirely in one form or the other. The report sheds light on why that’s the case, and what factors shape decisions around food based programs” says Ugo Gentilini, World Bank Senior Economist and one of the co-editors of the study. The diversity of contexts within countries – for example the availability of food in local markets–  may call for maintaining flexibility in program choices. Political and economic factors, past practices, and the multiplicity of objectives can also help explain why governments retain food-based interventions. Case studies of programs in six countries, namely Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Sri Lanka, and the United States are presented in the study. Although these include middle- and high-income countries, the lessons are relevant to lower-income countries as well.

BOGOTA, Colombia, 28 de septiembre – Expertos fiscales, economistas y ecologistas de renombre comienzan hoy un taller en Bogotá para estudiar cómo los ministerios de finanzas de América Latina pueden utilizar y diseñar instrumentos fiscales que mitiguen el impacto del cambio climático. El foro "Reformas Fiscales Ambientales para el Crecimiento Bajo en Carbono" es organizado conjuntamente por el Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público de Colombia y la iniciativa denominada Climate Action Peer Exchange (CAPE). CAPE, creado por el Banco Mundial y la Presidencia Marroquí de la COP22 en noviembre de 2016, reúne a ministros de finanzas, personal técnico y otros para diseñar políticas macroeconómicas inteligentes para el clima y para desarrollar estrategias de financiamiento para implementar las contribuciones determinadas a nivel nacional establecidas bajo el Acuerdo de París de 2015. El foro será inaugurado por el Ministro de Hacienda de Colombia, Mauricio Cárdenas y la directora de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales del Banco Mundial, Karin Kemper. Asistirán representantes gubernamentales y conferencistas internacionales de la región y del mundo, incluyendo México, Chile, Perú, Brasil, Canadá, Estados Unidos y Noruega.  “Colombia está comprometida con las políticas y reformas fiscales que nos ayudan a implementar con éxito el Acuerdo de París, tal como lo evidencia la Reforma Tributaria Estructural aprobada el año pasado, en la cual incluimos un impuesto al carbono y otras disposiciones vinculadas a nuestra agenda de sostenibilidad ambiental. Desde la implementación de los impuestos sobre el carbono hasta la adopción de acciones de política para fortalecimiento de la resiliencia social y económica, los ministros de Finanzas tienen hoy acceso a una amplia gama de instrumentos de con los que ayudar a sus países a manejar los efectos del cambio climático", afirmó Mauricio Cárdenas, Ministro de Hacienda. El foro forma parte de una serie de intercambios internacionales promovidos por la CAPE que tienen como objetivo proporcionar una plataforma para que los ministros de finanzas identifiquen desafíos y compartan las mejores prácticas para la implementación exitosa de los CDN. El primer taller de la CAPE se realizó a principios de este mes en Shanghái, China. Karin Kemper, del Banco Mundial, comentó: "Cuando se trata de la acción climática y el desarrollo verde, Colombia ha sido una voz fuerte tanto en la región como en todo el mundo. Nos complace colaborar con Colombia en importantes iniciativas como la CAPE que promueven el diálogo internacional sobre el desarrollo bajo en emisiones de carbono y destacan el papel vital de los ministros de finanzas y las finanzas privadas en estos esfuerzos". La agenda del taller incluye presentaciones y mesas redondas sobre:Políticas e instrumentos fiscales para desbloquear la financiación privada para inversiones verdes;Desafíos para acceder al financiamiento internacional relacionado con el clima;Lecciones aprendidas tanto a nivel regional como internacional desde la implementación de mecanismos de fijación de precios al carbono;Políticas para detener la deforestación y lograr esfuerzos de conservación de los bosques.

BOGOTA, Colombia, Sept 28 – Leading fiscal experts, economists and environmentalists kick off a two-day workshop in Bogota today to look at how finance ministries in Latin America can better use and design fiscal instruments that mitigate the impact of climate change. Called “Environmental Fiscal Reforms for Low-Carbon Growth”, the workshop is jointly organized by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit of Colombia and an initiative called the Climate Action Peer Exchange (CAPE).  CAPE, which was created by the World Bank and the Morocco COP22 Presidency in November 2016, brings together finance ministers, technical staff and others to design climate-smart macroeconomic policies and to develop financing strategies to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) established under the 2015 Paris Agreement. The workshop will be officially opened by Colombia’s Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas and World Bank Senior Director of Environment and Natural Resources, Karin Kemper. Government representatives and international speakers from the region and around the world are expected to attend, including Mexico, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Canada, the United States and Norway.   “Colombia is committed to fiscal policies and reforms that help us to successfully implement the Paris Agreement, as shown in the tax reform approved last year where we included a carbon tax, among other climate related provisions that are part of our sustainable development agenda. From instituting carbon taxes to strengthening social and economic resilience, finance ministers have access to a wide range of public policy instruments which could help their countries to manage the effects of climate change” said Cardenas. Commented the World Bank’s Karin Kemper: “When it comes to climate action and green development, Colombia has been a strong voice both in the region and worldwide. We are pleased to partner with Colombia on important initiatives such as CAPE that advance international dialogue on low carbon development and highlight the vital role of finance ministers and private finance in these efforts.” The workshop is part of a series of international exchanges promoted by CAPE that aim to provide a platform for finance ministers to identify challenges and share best practices for the successful implementation of the NDCs. The first CAPE workshop was held earlier this month in Shanghai, China. The workshop agenda includes presentations and panel discussions on:Policy and fiscal instruments to unlock private finance for green investments;Challenges to access international climate-related finance;Lessons learned both regionally and internationally from the implementation of carbon pricing mechanisms;Policies to halt deforestation and achieve forest conservation efforts.

First contingency line of credit in the Caribbean to secure access to US$150 million immediate financing in the aftermath of a disaster WASHINGTON, September 28, 2017— The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$150 million loan to the Dominican Republic (DR) to provide immediate financing in the event of a natural disaster or a public health emergency. This Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option, or Cat DDO, provides countries with immediate financing without taking resources away from social and development programs. “As the Dominican Republic and its Caribbean neighbors live through the direct consequences of climate change and will continue facing vulnerability to extreme weather events, our priority is to be better prepared to save lives, assist affected communities, and ensure that key infrastructures such as hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and houses are better built to withstand natural disasters. This financing from the World Bank will help us mitigate risks from climate shocks, natural disasters, as well as pandemics”, said Danilo Medina, President of the Dominican Republic. According to a recent World Bank and Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development study, the economic impact of disasters in the country is estimated to an average of US$420 million per year over the period of 1961 to 2014. The Dominican Republic ranks 27 out of 171 countries in the 2016 United Nations World Risk Index that ranks countries risks of natural disasters.“The most important lesson from our experience in disaster response across the world is to invest in prevention and preparedness to be able to respond speedily when disaster strikes," said Tahseen Sayed, World Bank Director for the Caribbean. “This is the first operation of its kind in the Caribbean, and focuses on a series of reform to strengthen the government’s capacity for disaster risk management, climate adaptation, and financial resilience”.The policy reforms supported under the Cat DDO will: ·         Incorporate disasters and climate-related risks into fiscal and debt management; ·         Enforce zoning regulations, building codes and safety standards for public infrastructures, in particular for schools and health facilities; ·         Strengthen flood and drought risk reduction measures as part of a comprehensive water resource management national strategy; ·         and further build resilience of public investments by integrating disaster and climate-related risk analysis. The Cat DDO is a flexible loan with a final maturity of 19 years, including a 12-year grace period. Background on how the World Bank is responding to Hurricanes Irma and Maria In the immediate aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the World Bank mobilized a disaster risk management team to help governments of affected countries, to conduct a rapid damage and needs assessment, in collaboration with the United Nations, the European Union, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, and the Caribbean Development Bank. In Barbuda, an emergency recovery project is being fast tracked to help rebuild severely damaged public infrastructure. In Dominica, immediate support is available from an existing disaster reduction project and the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF SPC), developed with assistance of the World Bank, will be making a payout of USD $ 19 million to Dominica within 15 days. Additional support will be provided following a damage and loss assessment. In the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the Bank has been working closely with the national agencies and development partners to improve preparedness and timely response. Securing access to financial resources before a disaster strikes is also important. This includes instruments such as emergency funds, insurance mechanisms and contingency lines of credit such as the Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option, or Cat DDO. In addition, six Caribbean countries, Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, Haiti, Saint Kitts & Nevis, The Bahamas, and Turks & Caicos Islands, are receiving payouts amounting to US$ 29.6 million by CCRIF SPC, less than 15 days after Hurricane Irma and Maria ripped through the Caribbean. This regional insurance mechanism takes advantage of risk pooling to provide liquidity to respond quickly to disasters. ———————- For more information, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/en/region/lac Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WorldBankLAC For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

Download (pdf): Full Report Introduction Preface, Acknowledgments, About the Editors and Authors, Abbreviations Chapter 1 The Evolution of Food as Social Assistance  Chapter 2 The Public Distribution System  in India Chapter 3 The Tamween Food Subsidy System in Egypt  Chapter 4 Food-Based Social Assistance Programs in Sri Lanka Chapter 5 From Food Subsidies to Targeted Transfers in Mexico Chapter 6 Evolution and Implementation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the United States Chapter 7 Evolution and Implementation of the Rastra Program in Indonesia

Primera línea de crédito de contingencia en el Caribe para garantizar acceso a financiamiento inmediato por US$150 millones luego de un desastre WASHINGTON, 28 de septiembre de 2017 – El Directorio Ejecutivo del Banco Mundial aprobó hoy un préstamo de US$150 millones para la República Dominicana (RD) para proveer financiamiento inmediato luego de un desastre natural o una emergencia de salud pública. Esta Opción de desembolso diferido ante catástrofes, o Cat DDO por sus siglas en inglés, le brinda a países afectados financiamiento inmediato sin tener que utilizar recursos destinados a programas sociales o de desarrollo. “Dado que la República Dominicana y sus vecinos caribeños viven las consecuencias directas del cambio climático y seguirán siendo vulnerables a los eventos climáticos extremos, nuestra prioridad es estar mejor preparados para salvar vidas, asistir a las comunidades afectadas y asegurarnos que obras de infraestructura clave como hospitales, escuelas, carreteras, puentes y viviendas se construyan de mejor manera para resistir estos desastres naturales. Este financiamiento del Banco Mundial nos ayudará a mitigar los riesgos derivados de eventos climáticos y desastres naturales, así como pandemias”, dijo Danilo Medina, Presidente de la República Dominicana. De acuerdo a un reciente estudio del Banco Mundial y el Ministerio de Economía, Planificación y Desarrollo, se estima que el impacto económico de los desastres naturales ha promediado en unos US$420 millones por año durante el período 1961-2014.  La República Dominicana se ubica en el puesto 27 entre 171 países en el Índice de Riesgo Global 2016 de las Naciones Unidas, que clasifica los riesgos de los países ante desastres naturales. “La enseñanza más importante de nuestra experiencia mundial en respuestas ante desastres es la de invertir en prevención y preparación para poder responder más rápido cuando un desastre ocurre”, dijo Tahseen Sayed, directora del Banco Mundial para el Caribe. “Este es el primer préstamo de su tipo en el Caribe, y se centra en una serie de reformas destinadas a fortalecer la capacidad del gobierno en gestión del riesgo, adaptación al clima y resiliencia financiera”. Las reformas de política respaldadas bajo el Cat DDO: ·         Incorporarán riesgos ante desastres y aquellos relacionados con el clima a la gestión fiscal y de deuda; ·         Harán cumplir los reglamentos de zonificación, códigos de construcción y normas de seguridad en infraestructuras públicas, en particular escuelas e instalaciones de salud; ·         Fortalecerán las medidas de reducción de riesgo ante inundaciones y sequías como parte de una estrategia nacional de gestión integral de los recursos hídricos; y ·         Seguirán desarrollando la resiliencia de las inversiones públicas integrando el análisis de desastres y riesgos relacionados con el clima. El Cat DDO es un préstamo flexible con un vencimiento final de 19 años, incluido un período de gracia de 12 años. Antecedentes respecto a cómo el Banco Mundial está respondiendo a los huracanes Irma y María En el período inmediatamente posterior a los huracanes Irma y María, el Banco Mundial movilizó a un equipo de gestión del riesgo ante desastres para ayudar a los gobiernos de los países afectados a realizar una evaluación rápida de daños y necesidades, en colaboración con las Naciones Unidas, la Unión Europea, la Agencia del Caribe para la Gestión de Emergencias y el Banco de Desarrollo del Caribe. En Barbuda, un proyecto de recuperación de emergencia está siendo acelerado con el fin de construir la infraestructura pública afectada. En Dominica se canalizó apoyo inmediato a través del actual proyecto para reducción de desastres y la Facilidad de Seguros contra Riesgos Catastróficos en el Caribe (CCRIF SPC por sus siglas en inglés), desarrollada con ayuda del Banco Mundial, desembolsará un pago de $19 millones a Dominica en los primeros 15 días. Se dispondrá apoyo adicional luego de una evaluación de daños y pérdidas. En la República Dominicana y Haití, el Banco ha estado trabajando de manera estrecha junto a agencias nacionales y socios en desarrollo para mejorar el nivel de preparación y la rapidez de la respuesta. Asegurar el acceso a recursos financieros antes que un desastre golpee también es importante. Esto abarca instrumentos como fondos de emergencia, mecanismos de seguro y líneas de crédito contingentes como la Opción de desembolso diferido ante catástrofes, o Cat DDO. Asimismo, seis países del Caribe, Antigua y Barbuda, Anguila, Haití, San Cristóbal y Nieves, Bahamas y las Islas Turcos y Caicos, estarán recibiendo pagos por un total de US$29.6 millones por parte del CCRIF SPC, menos de quince días después de que los huracanes Irma y María azotaran el Caribe. Este mecanismo de seguro regional hace uso del reparto de riesgos para brindar liquidez y responder rápidamente a desastres. ———————- Para conocer el trabajo del Banco Mundial en América Latina y el Caribe visite: www.bancomundial.org/alc Visítenos en Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bancomundial Manténgase informado via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WorldBankLAC Nuestro canal de YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

WASHINGTON, September 28, 2017 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project: Dominican Republic – Disaster Risk Management Development Policy Loan with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option IBRD Loan: US$150 millionProject ID: P159351 Project Description:  The objective of the project is to support the efforts of the Government of the Dominican Republic to quickly mobilize resources in the aftermath of a natural catastrophe including public health-related events and to strengthen the government’s capacity for disaster risk management, climate adaptation, and financial resilience. Contact: Christelle Chapoy                                                                                                                                                    +1(202) 458 2656  More information:  http://projects.worldbank.org/P159351?lang=en  

Organization: UN Children’s Fund
Country: Panama
Closing date: 16 Oct 2017

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION:

The MCSF is providing Human Resources Services to various UNICEF offices in the LAC region. Following internal restructuring planned for 2018, the client offices as well as the LAC Regional Office are establishing a large number of new positions. Furthermore, the region will employ several new HR practitioners that will require a high amount of capacity building activities from the MSCF. For this reason, the MCSF is looking for an individual contractor who can provide effective support in conducting HR activities, such as recruitment and staffing, advising clients on learning and development, performance management and benefits and entitlements.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Under the supervision and guidance of the Human Resources Specialist of the Multi Country Services Facility (MCSF), the Individual Contractor undertakes and supports the efficient implementation of a broad range of Human Resources functions, such as recruitment and staffing, managing benefits and entitlements, learning and development, and performance management for all categories of staff in various UNICEF offices in the LAC region, while ensuring accurate and timely delivery, promoting a client-based, quality and results orientated approach to the client offices and ensuring compliance with UNICEF HR rules and regulations.

SPECIFIC ACIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

More specifically, the Individual Contractor will be required to:

Recruitment and Staffing

Support hiring managers in recruitment and staffing planning

Advertise vacancies per the job profiles/ToRs, and support outreach activities (including follow up on Job Classification information);

Draft requisitions and vacancy announcements in the Talent Management System for positions within the MCSF client offices for review by supervisor and MCSF HR Specialist to attract ideal candidates;

Review applications, contact candidates when needed, prepare candidate matrix and initial shortlist based on the selection criteria;

Organize written tests and interviews, reference checks and electronic files;

Analyse, research, verify, and compile data which facilitates preparation of workforce planning reports for supervisor to review against benchmarks i.e. Gender and geographical balance and other recruitment related key performance indicators;

Liaise with candidates in the various stages of the recruitment process;

Record and maintain recruitment files, ensuring all necessary documentation has been completed in the Talent Management System;

Participate in interviews and advise on recruitment and staffing options.

Monitor life-cycle of recruitment process to update supervisor as necessary;

Engage in employer branding and sourcing activities to attract external candidates;

Review documents for the RO approval process in TMS, when needed;

Prepare offer letters and facilitate on-boarding process;

Administrative support for all recruitment processes, including physical and electronic files;

Keep the recruitment monitoring report up to date;

Learning and Development

In consultation with the HR Specialist and Learning Committees, research and analyse data and information to help identify training needs within the MCSF client offices for the development of learning plans and other targeted training interventions;

In consultation with supervisor, researches, analyses, verifies, and compiles information on external training courses available and educational institutions to help supervisor decide on learning programmes that address learning gaps in the MCSF client offices;

Assist team in organizing and conducting courses, workshops and events by participating in exercises which aim to build capacity of stakeholders;

Develop and process contracts for institutions providing training and courses, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations;

Assist team in organizing and conducting courses, workshops and events by preparing and organizing distribution of materials for participants, ensuring availability of training venues and required equipment and supplies, while providing logistical and secretarial support at workshops and events as necessary.

Performance Management

Advise supervisors on performance management issues.

Run and monitor completion reports in Achieve and support in the follow up within the region;

Support in the monitoring of completion deadlines and follow-up with HR FPs.

Managing Benefits and Entitlements

Provide administrative support with benefit processing, contract extensions, separations, and entitlements, in line with the respective HR policies and procedures;

Review education grant and home leave travel requests before submitting to the HR Assistant for processing.

Information Management

Lead the project to transfer, collect and provide information related to Human Resources in the region via the platform Sharepoint, including further developing the structure of the platform and administering it.

Support in Projects and other administrative tasks as required

Any other HR administrative tasks required by the HR unit.

Other HR projects as required by the LAC-RO HR Section and MCSF

DELIVERABLES

Provide substantive support in the areas of recruitment and staffing, learning and development, performance management, benefits and entitlements, and other HR projects as required.

All tasks mentioned in section C are completed in a timely manner and of high quality.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible work experience in the field of Human Resources;

University degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Psychology, Talent Management or related fields; advanced university degree an asset.

Previously demonstrated ability to work independently and under pressure, managing multiple priorities and focused on achieving ambitious workloads in tight timescales is required;

Experience in reviewing and screening candidates’ profiles in required;

Keen attention to detail and demonstrated ability in planning and organizing is desired;

Experience in the United Nations and particularly in the recruitment processes in the UN/UNICEF system is an asset;

Fluency in English and Spanish (written & oral) is required;

ESTIMATED DURATION OF THE CONTRACT

The duration of this assignment is 11.5 months from commencement date.

INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR’S WORK PLACE

Office based in the Regional Office located in Panama City, Panama

HONORARIA & FEES:

The fees payable to the individual contractor follow the “best value for money” principle. Each candidate should submit their updated resumé/CV also indicating their desired remuneration and payment preference.

CLOSING DATE:

The deadline to receive applications is 15 October 2017.

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=507428

Organization: UN Children’s Fund
Country: Panama
Closing date: 16 Oct 2017

Specifically, the Regional Office is outsourcing the following services to Country Offices:

Real-time professional review and feedback of draft Evaluation ToR and Reports

Regional Evaluation HelpDesk to ensure real-time trouble-shooting and ad-hoc technical assistance

The Regional Evaluation QA System is managed by the Regional M&E Specialist.

After two years of using this outsourced service (since mid-2015), UNICEF LAC regional office is in the processes of assessing the service provided and the possibility of including additional quality assurance services for other knowledge products. While this assessment is taking place, UNICEF LAC regional office will use the service of a consultant for the period October 2017 to February 2018 to make sure that country offices continuously receive the support of quality assurance needed. It is expected that during that period, the Regional Office will receive approximately 10 country office draft evaluation reports, and 5 draft ToRs for review. Topics of these evaluations cover child related topics related to health, child protection (violence), early childhood development, and cross cutting issues such as emergencies and innovations.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

Under the supervision of the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, the consultant will undertake the following outputs:

Draft Evaluation ToRs and draft Evaluation reports reviewed, rated and executive feedback sent.

UNICEF Country Offices send the draft ToR and reports to Regional Office for real-time quality review and practical comments on how to improve them. The consultant will carry out such review in maximum three (3) working days for the draft ToR and five (5) working days for the draft reports. The consultant will provide professional and practical feedback according to pre-agreed templates.

Regional Evaluation Help Desk. The objective is to ensure real-time trouble-shooting and ad-hoc technical assistance to UNICEF country offices when requested, for instance by providing a second review of ToR, specific technical notes, etc.

A final report with identified overall strengthens and weaknesses of the reviewed evaluations.

These outputs should be based on the UNICEF’s Evaluation Policy (https://www.unicef.org/about/execboard/files/2013-14-Revised_Evaluation_…) , and will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines, norms and standards defined by the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) (http://www.uneval.org/document/guidance-documents). The Consultant must commit with the ethical Code of Conduct for Evaluators in the United Nations System (https://www.unicef.org/evaluation/files/Evaluation_Principles_UNEG_Code_…).

Monitoring and Approval of Products

The Regional M&E Specialist will review products delivered by the consultant and will monitor the services provided to Country Offices. The consultant will inform the M&E Specialist of any remarks on the product, within two (2) working days after the product has been delivered. The consultant will carry out such review in maximum three (3) working days for the draft ToR, and five (5) working days for the draft reports. The consultant will provide professional and practical feedback according to pre-agreed templates.

All feedback will be addressed to the Regional M&E, including those related to Help Desk.

Payment

Fee payments are subject to supervisor’s written approval and acceptance of the products and of the Certification of Payment Form submitted by the M&E Specialist. The Contract with the consultant does not entail advance fees payment.

The services unit rates will be paid for the follow specific services, according to the economic proposal of the consultant:

Review of Draft evaluation TORs

Review of Draft evaluation reports

Help Desk (hourly rate and daily rate)

There is not extra payment for the final report with identified overall strengthens and weaknesses of the reviewed evaluations. This cost should be included.

Second (or additional) reviews of any TOR or draft evaluation report should be invoiced using the Help Desk hour rate and cannot exceed the rate for the first TOR and first draft report review.

Payments will be made based on the actual and timely delivery of the outputs.

Qualifications

The required consultant will be a qualified professional with the following characteristics:

Excellent and proved knowledge of Evaluation methods and approaches

Previous experience with QA systems and Help-desks

At least 10 years of proven professional experience in designing and conducting major evaluations

Post-graduate University degree in policy analysis, international relations, public affairs, public policies, or other subject related matters

Working knowledge in the LAC region

Familiarity with UNICEF programmes

Excellent analytical and writing skills in Spanish and English. Fluent in both languages.

Knowledge of French and Portuguese is an asset

Duration of contract and payment installments:

The contract will be from23 October, 2017 to 28 February 2018.

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if outputs are incomplete, not delivered of for failure to meet deadlines (fees reduced due to late submission:

For Draft ToRs: 5 working days -10%: 7 working days -20%; 10 working days -30%; more days, payment withhold.

For Draft evaluation reports: 7 working days -20%; 10 working days -30%; 12 working days -30%; more days, payment withhold.

Note: late submissions will be evaluated by UNICEF also taking into account the amount of requests submitted at the same point in time.

All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

To Apply

The proposal should include the following documentation: P11 and CV

The proposal should include a fix fee for the following services:

Cost of review of 1 Draft evaluation TORs with a provided template

Cost of review of 1 Draft evaluation report with a provided template

Help Desk hourly rate

Help desk daily rate

Closing date: October 15, 2017

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=507429

Organization: UN Children’s Fund
Country: Cuba
Closing date: 16 Oct 2017

Post Title: Administrative AssistantProposed Level: G-5Duty Station:La Habana, CubaSupervisor: Operations Officer

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

For every child, a champion

Under the supervision and guidance of the Operations Officer, the Administrative Assistant is responsible for executing a broad variety of standardized administrative tasks for the respective section(s) requiring a thorough knowledge of UNICEF administrative procedures, processes and policies.

In this capacity, the need to project the image of a credible and reliable service provider is imperative to quality of process delivery, and the impact of work directly reflects on the overall reputation of the team in terms of responsiveness to client needs and quality of process execution.

How can you make a difference?

The efficiency and effectiveness of support provided by the administrative assistant ensure that a strong administrative platform is provided to the respective sections, which in turn affects the timely and accurate completion of the services provided by advisors and specialists in the team.

We are looking for a dynamic and innovative Administrative Assistant to support UNICEF’s Cuba Office in the following areas:

Travel

Contracting of service providers

Events and Conferences

Property management, office equipment, vehicles.

General Administrative Duties

Greening Activities

Vendor Maintenance

Travel

Provides travel assistance to staff in the section for travel arrangements and entitlements based on the organization’s rules and policies. Liaises with relevant travel focal points to ensure that the organization obtains the best service and price for all travel.

Briefs/de-briefs staff members on issues relating to related administrative matters such as visas, security clearance, documentation procedures.

Extracts, inputs, maintains and verifies correctness of travel records in the organization’s travel system to ensure accurate transactions related to travel costs and staff travel

Assist in the preparation of budgets on travel costs and maintain travel budgetary control records.

Contracting of service providers

Facilitates the processing of contracts for external partners that provide a service to the section. This includes preparing and filing documents, completing necessary forms and templates, uploading TOR’s in vision, and making necessary logistical arrangements.

Keeps vendor lists, partners, and consultant rosters up-to-date.

Events and Conferences

Supports capacity development activities and conferences by making the logistical arrangements, through engaging with facilitators, caterers, and hosts.

Arranges times through liaising with participants over availability.

Liaises with budget focal points and section over costs and needs.

Prepares background materials for participants and uploads cleared materials in the intranet.

Prepares and maintains agendas on meeting and events related to the workgroup commitments.

Property management, office equipment, vehicles

Supports management of administrative supplies, office equipment, and vehicles, updating the inventory of items.

Monitors and supervises adequate and appropriate use of supplies. Ensures that services and maintenance of premises are in accordance with organizational standards.

General Administrative Duties

Maintain hard and electronic files and update database systems ensuring timely and appropriate recording, safekeeping and disposal of confidential information

Maintain attendance records/act as a leave focal point.

Monitor the utilization of all financial input requisitions and report to the supervisor for necessary adjustments (over-utilization, shortage of funds, etc.) Familiarize with programme monitoring related instructions/tools and report to supervisor for significant changes

Greening Activities

Participation in the development and implementation of agreed greening activities in the office and with other UN agencies.

Monitoring and reporting of environmental footprint indicators.

Vendor Maintenance

Act as Master Data Management Local Focal Point for the Office requesting new Vendors and maintenance the ones that are created.

To follow and keep updated the process of Vendor registration in UN Global Market.

Be responsible for Vendor´s evaluation when required.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

Core Values:

Commitment

Diversity and inclusion

Integrity

Core competencies

Communication (I)

Working with people (II)

Drive for results (I)

Functional Competencies

Analyzing (I)

Applying technical expertise (I)

Planning and organizing (I)

Following Instructions and Procedures (I)

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have:

Education: Completion of secondary education, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related administrative work.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of progressive administrative or clerical work experience is required.

Language: Fluency in Spanish and English is required.

General Service Staff are recruited locally. Candidates must be in possession of an existing work permit or resident/citizen of Cuba to be considered eligible for this post. Please note that General Service (GS) staff are locally recruited staff and therefore, candidates are personally responsible for any travel and accommodation arrangements.

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.

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=507257

Organization: UN Children’s Fund
Country: Argentina
Closing date: 13 Oct 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

The Child Protection Specialist reports to the Deputy Representative (Level 4) for guidance and general supervision. The Specialist supports the development and preparation of the Child Protection (or a sector of) program/s and is responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting of progress of child protection programs/projects within the country program. The Specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable contributions to national and international efforts to create a protective environment for children against all harm and to protect their rights to survival, development and well-being as established under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, international treaties/framework and UN intergovernmental bodies.

The Specialist contributes to achievement of results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM) and UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework.

Key Accountabilities and Duties & Tasks

Support to program/project development and planning

Support the preparation/design and conduct/update of situation analysis for the child protection programs/projects and/or sector to ensure that current comprehensive and evidence based data on child protection issues are available to guide UNICEF’s strategic policy advocacy, intervention and development efforts on child rights and protection and to set program priorities, strategies, design and implementation plans. Keep abreast of development trends to enhance program management, efficiency and delivery.

Participate in strategic program discussion on the planning of child protection programs/projects. Formulate, design and prepare programs/projects proposal for the sector, ensuring alignment with the overall UNICEF’s Strategic Plans and Country Program and coherence/integration with UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDF), regional strategies and national priorities, plans and competencies.

Establish specific goals, objectives and strategies and implementation plans for the sector/s using results-based planning terminology and methodology (RBM). Prepare required documentations for program review and approval.

Work closely and collaboratively with internal and external colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies and to determine national priorities/competencies to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results.

Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and to ensure integration, coherence and harmonization of programs/projects with other UNICEF sectors and achievement of results as planned and allocated.

Program management, monitoring and delivery of results

Plan and/or collaborate with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators and other UNICEF/UN system indicators and measurement to assess/strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for the assigned sector in child protection programs.

Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, program reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results.

Prepare/assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths/weaknesses in program and management, identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.

Actively monitor programs/projects through field visits, surveys and/or exchange of information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.

Monitor and verify the optimum/appropriate use of sectoral program resources (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity and ensuring timely reporting and liquidation of resources.

Prepare regular/mandated program/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of program progress.

Technical and operational support to program implementation

Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and country office partners/donors on interpretation, application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices and approaches on child protection and related issues to support program management, implementation and delivery of results.

Arrange/coordinate availability of technical experts with Regional Office/HQ to ensure timely/appropriate support throughout the programming/projects process.

Participate in child protection program meetings including program development and contingency planning discussions on emergency preparedness in the country or other locations designated to provide technical and operational information, advice and support.

Draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic program materials for management use, information and/or consideration.

Networking and partnership building

Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders and global partners/allies/donors/academia through active networking, advocacy and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results in child protection.

Prepare communication and information materials for CO program advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for child protection programs and emergency interventions.

Participate and/or represent UNICEF in appropriate inter-agency (UNCT) discussions and planning on child protection and related issues to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNDAF planning and preparation of programs/projects ensuring organizational position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the UNDAF process in development planning and agenda setting.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

Apply/introduce innovative approaches and good practice to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable program results.

Keep abreast, research, benchmark and implement best practices in child protection management and information systems. Assess, institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned.

Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programs and projects.

Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders to promote sustainable results in child protection and related programs/projects.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

Competencies of Successful Candidate

Core Values

Commitment

Diversity and Inclusion

Integrity

Core competencies

Communication

Working with People

Drive for Results

Functional Competencies

Leading and supervising (I)

Formulating strategies and concepts (II)

Analyzing (III)

Relating and networking (II)

Deciding and Initiating action (II)

Applying technical expertise (III)

Technical Knowledge

Education: Advanced University degree in international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law and other social science field is required. A first level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in social development planning and management in child protection and/other related areas at the international level some of which preferably were served in a developing country is required. Relevant experience in child protection and related areas, program/project development and management in a UN system agency or organization is an asset. Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is an added advantage.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset

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=507264