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Organization: Save the Children
Country: Panama
Closing date: 02 Nov 2017

The role:

As a key member of the regional senior management team and the global People & Organization leadership team, you will lead and facilitate the development of a highly effective, strategic HR function in Latin America and the Caribbean to ensure the organization has the right structure, culture and talent needed to deliver on its objectives across the region. You will be the trusted partner of the Regional Director and the Regional Senior Management Team, and, globally, the Chief People Officer on all people related matters. You will support and enable countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region to manage and develop their people as well as ensuring that quality standards in Human Resources are met across the region. The post holder will take a lead in driving our endeavours in Child Safeguarding across the region, combining elements of capacity building and monitoring whilst enforcing compliance and accountability, management and investigation as well as aspects of high level advocacy. You will be accountable for the implementation strategy of the Global HR People Strategy in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Qualifications and experience

Essential:

• Qualified HR professional and/or substantial HR generalist experience including recruitment and selection, performance management, learning and development, reward and employee relations.
• Proven HR leadership experience across multiple countries with experience of working within a complex and matrix organisation structure.
• Demonstrable track record of leading substantial change – maximising benefits and minimising risks.
• Culturally sensitive, with highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching.
• Substantial experience of building, leading and developing staff with different backgrounds and expertise.
• Able to create ‘attractive expertise’ which encourages senior managers to seek help and counsel in resolving people matters maturely and with minimal disruption.
• Proven consulting and process facilitation skills at leadership levels
• Strong coaching and conflict resolution skills
• Demonstrable strong team work skills in working across organizational units in a supportive and collaborative manner
• Excellent and persuasive oral and written communications skills; professionally assertive with ability to influence without formal authority
• Experience of building personal networks at senior levels, resulting in securing significant new opportunities for the organisation.
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, defining a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.
• Ability and willingness to change work practices and hours in the event of major emergencies
• Willingness to work and travel in often difficult and insecure environments
• Commitment to Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding and other global policies, and to Save the Children values.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Spanish. The ability to communicate effectively in French would be a strong advantage.

Desirable:

• Knowledge and experience of working in the region

Contract length: Open Ended (National terms)

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,

• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

  We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Save the Children in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) works to improve the lives of the most deprived children in the region across a variety of thematic areas (Health, Education, Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Child Poverty and Advocacy), with a special focus on adolescents and migrant and displaced children. We have a regional base in Panama, offices in 11 countries and work with partners in an additional 7 countries. We have an annual budget of approximately $60 million in the region.

Application Information:

Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/jobs

We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

How to apply:

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=SmFtaWxlbi40NTEwOS4zODMwQHNhdmV0aGVjaGlsZHJlbmFvLmFwbGl0cmFrLmNvbQ

Banco Mundial divulga novos dados que mostram como a educação contribuiu para a mobilidade WASHINGTON, 17 de outubro de 2017 – A mobilidade econômica entre as gerações na América Latina e no Caribe (ALC) melhorou à medida que as pessoas agora são mais escolarizadas que seus pais. Porém, os mais pobres ainda são os mais propensos a permanecer os menos escolarizados, segundo uma nova nota do Banco Mundial divulgada hoje, no Dia Internacional de Erradicação da Pobreza. Os níveis educacionais são um bom indicador de mobilidade econômica e social, uma vez que as pessoas com níveis mais altos e maior qualidade de educação geralmente têm melhores salários. A região da ALC está no topo da performance quanto a mobilidade intergeracional absoluta – a quantidade de indivíduos com mais escolarização que os pais – graças à grande expansão do acesso à educação nas últimas décadas. No entanto, a ALC está atrasada em relação a outras regiões em desenvolvimento quanto à mobilidade relativa, uma vez que os filhos de pais menos escolarizados têm maior probabilidade de serem também os menos escolarizados em sua própria geração. "A ALC fez progressos notáveis ​​no acesso à educação, mas é necessário mais para melhorar a qualidade e aumentar o acesso das crianças das famílias rurais e indígenas mais pobres", disse Jorge Familiar, vice-presidente do Banco Mundial para a América Latina e o Caribe. "Sem maior qualidade e um alcance mais amplo na educação, o ciclo de pobreza intergeracional continuará". A nota regional sobre Mobilidade Intergeracional é extraída da pesquisa para o relatório "Progresso Justo? Mobilidade educacional no mundo" (tradução livre), que deverá ser lançado em 2018, e cujos primeiros resultados foram divulgados hoje como uma prévia para marcar o Dia Internacional para a Erradicação da Pobreza. Na ALC, a frequência escolar varia muito entre os diferentes grupos socioeconômicos. Embora o ensino fundamental esteja praticamente universalizado na região, permanecem diferenças significativas na educação infantil, bem como no ensino médio e no superior. Apenas metade das crianças de três anos de idade das famílias mais pobres, por exemplo, frequentam a escola. Já entre as crianças de famílias com maior nível de renda, a proporção é de 90 por cento para a mesma faixa etária. Os grupos marginalizados, incluindo os povos indígenas, enfrentam barreiras adicionais. Por exemplo, os povos indígenas são quase três vezes mais propensos a ser extremamente pobres do que os não-indígenas. Essas taxas de pobreza mais elevadas levam a um menor acesso à escolaridade para crianças indígenas. "A contínua desigualdade entre os grupos continua a ser um problema", disse Oscar Calvo-Gonzalez, Gerente do Banco Mundial para Pobreza e Equidade da ALC. "O rendimento e a origem étnica ainda são fatores determinantes no desempenho dos alunos da região em avaliações internacionais, onde a posição socioeconômica continua a ter um impacto maior na pontuação da prova do que em outras partes do mundo". No entanto, há boas notícias sobre os resultados dos testes do Programa de Avaliação Internacional de Estudantes (PISA, na sigla em inglês), em que a ALC fica atrás de outras regiões. Dos sete países da ALC que participaram do PISA, cinco melhoraram seu desempenho nas notas das provas de leitura entre 2009 a 2015. Além disso, também houve uma diminuição no efeito da origem socioeconômica sobre o desempenho dos alunos da ALC nas provas do PISA. Isso sugere que houve algum progresso no que diz respeito à mobilidade intergeracional e mostra que a qualidade da educação, e não apenas o acesso, será chave para a região continuar avançando. Contatos: Alejandra Viveros, +1 202 458 2841, aviveros@worldbank.org Candyce Rocha, +1 202 458 4963, crocha@worldbank.org   Para mais informações, visite: www.worldbank.org/lac Visite-nos no Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank Seja atualizado via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BancoMundialLAC Para o nosso canal do YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank  

High-level Caribbean Roundtable during the WB-IMF Annual Meetings Transcript of opening remarks during the open session October 13, 2017 MR. FAMILIAR:  Good afternoon.  Thank you very much for being here and joining us in this high-level roundtable on recovery and resilience in the Caribbean.  It is my pleasure to welcome you here at the World Bank Group to this cause, an incredibly important and pressing issue for Caribbean nations and territories.  We all saw over the last few weeks devastating hurricanes hit the Caribbean and now we are on a path for recovery and resilience.                         And with this very brief introduction I would like to leave you with Dr. Jim Kim, President of the World Bank Group. DR. KIM:  Thank you very much, Jorge, and I first want to welcome everybody and most of all I want to start by expressing my deepest sympathy and solidarity with the people in the Caribbean Irma and Maria brought havoc to the region, leaving a path of destruction in many countries, silencing communication, and cutting off water and electricity.                         In previous decades, a person in the Caribbean could generally expect to experience one Category 5 hurricane in their lifetime.  The people of the Caribbean have just experienced two Category 5 storms in just over two weeks.  In the face of such frequent and severe climatic events the question today is not whether a new disaster will take place, but when and how bad will it be?                         For many of these small island nations every town, every street, every person has been affected by these storms.  These kinds of events not only deliver a setback for the 40 million people living in the region, but also pose a real threat for the economic development of small economies and the economy of the entire region.                         Many of these small economies are already burdened with high levels of debt and high economic volatility.  Together with the CARICOM countries, UN agencies and development partners, we responded swiftly and offered immediate support to assess damages and losses, respond to the disaster, and help begin recovery.                         Our preliminary estimates indicate that Irma caused damages of about 14 percent of GDP for Antigua and Barbuda, for Dominica earlier estimates indicate that the total damage could reach 200 percent of GDP.  The impact on peoples’ lives is dramatic.  They’ve lost their homes.  The whole population of Barbuda has been evacuated to Antigua in what one resident called the Caribbean version of Dunkirk.  In Dominica housing, schools, hospitals have been severely damaged, if not completely destroyed, and 100 percent of agricultural land is uprooted.                          The challenges faced by these small islands are a stark reminder that building resilience is not optional anymore, especially for small island nations.  It is the only response to extreme weather events.  I’d like to suggest three actions areas from the outset.                         First, in the wake of disasters like Irma and Maria we should channel resources quickly, flexibly, efficiently, and ensure that they reach those most adversely affected.  Second, we need to make sure that we use all existing instruments and knowledge to help build resilience.  And resilience starts with ex-ante preparedness.  Rebuilding more resilient infrastructure and it continues with the medium-term efforts to strengthen institutions, systems, budgets, and regulations addressing natural hazards’ vulnerabilities.                         Third, we need to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions to compounded challenges of the Caribbean:  high vulnerability, low growth, and high debt.  This could include designing debt for resilience initiatives, mobilizing innovative risk financing tools to better manage fiscal risks related to disorders, and mobilizing private sector participation in working out solutions.                         Last, but not least, we need to work with governments and all of the relevant parties to help people cope with the shock.  Adaptive safety nets, social protection programs like cash transfers.  There are public works programs that can be scaled up after a disaster.                         At the World Bank Group we’re fast-tracking our response.  We’re working towards providing a financial package of about $100 million for Dominica, including accessing the IDA crisis response window.  For Antigua and Barbuda we’re preparing a new $40 million emergency recovery operation.                         Just yesterday I was with the G-7 finance ministers and central bank governors, and Philip Hammond from the UK made a very, I think, important suggestion which is that some of the countries that have graduated from receiving concessional financing that we may create a window.  And so, the point of all that is not to say that there’s been a decision on any of those things.  But I think the point, especially all of you here, we have to think as creatively as we possibly can about how to help you build back better.  How do help you build back so that your infrastructure is more resilient.                          This is, in my view, very much a part of the efforts that we’ve been making on sponsoring and supporting climate change related activities.  This is climate change adaptation at a very, very critical and important level.  So, we are open to suggestions.  Of course, at the end of the day it’s the governors who have to make the decision about the final steps we take.  But I urge you to put every single option, every single creative idea on the table so that we can respond.                          Now, it’s my truly great privilege to introduce the UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed.  Now, Amina, many of you know her, but we would not have the sustainable development goals without Amina.  And the quality and depth of the working relationship now between the World Bank Group and the UN was fantastic before Secretary General António Guterres came in.  But I dare say, it’s even better now and a great part of it is because Amina is so strategic and understand us, understands the global systems.  It’s an honor for us to have her here and we look forward to continue to working very closely together.  Amina? MS. MOHAMMED:  Thank you very much, Jim, and for inviting us to a really important event.  The Secretary General was in the Caribbean just recently and so this is even more important that we are beginning now to not just walk the talk, but I think run the way that we need to.  So, thank you.                         Our discussion today is first and foremost about how to support the immediate situation of the people of the Caribbean.  Yet, we must also discuss two other levels of action.  The longer-term situation of the Caribbean faced with more and more severe climate related shocks, and how we can extend these lessons and actions to other countries facing growing similar threats.                         The Secretary General recently traveled to Antigua and Barbuda and to Dominica to show solidarity and see for himself the damage.  In his comments, he summarized the need to operate at these different levels.  And I quote, "I want to make a very strong appeal for the international solidarity with the Caribbean Islands impacted by the storms to translate itself not only into humanitarian aid.  It is coming, but not enough.  But also new mechanisms allowing for effective reconstruction to build resilience in relation to future storms."                         On the first of the three levels, solidarity must be tangible and that tangibility needs to be now.  Funds are needed to ensure that humanitarian support can be provided at scale.  Many of us have demonstrated our solidarity in the short-term responses.                         The ongoing work of UNDP alongside the World Bank and the European Union in quantifying the costs of recovery needs will be an important input into the CARICOM-led donor conference planned for November which the UN is supporting.                         I appeal for your participation in this important initiative of CARICOM heads of state to mobilize support from the international community to help the countries affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria to build back better, and to put in place the building blocks for longer-term resilience in the Caribbean.                          We need to act quickly, but we need to ask in concert.  Commitment in innovative energies must be harnessed, and must not be allowed to become a source of confusion.  Having alternatives can be useful for a while, but we need to converge on how to avoid them becoming part of the problem.  We must connect the dots between regional knowledge and networks, and international experience and capabilities.  Failing that, our solidarity and commitments will not translate into meaningful support for the region’s citizens and its communities.                          Secondly, we need to ensure that financing supports the longer-term resilience of those countries facing the growing threats of external shocks.  We all know that Hurricane Irma was one of the most powerful storms every recorded.  Yet, the sad truth is that we must expect such storms to become more frequency and possibly even more violent.                         We may hope for the best, but we have to plan for the worse.  Yet today, finance is not aligned with the needs of investing and resilience.  We need to overcome the restrictions which limit small island states eligibility for concessionary financing by drawing on the experience of Jordan and Lebanon and extending the application of the global concessionary financing facility.                         Moreover, debt which should be an important development financing vehicle is currently insensitive to the impact of external shocks on the capacity of countries to pay, and so becomes a burden that seeks privilege above humanitarian needs.  Clearly, we need to work together to advance innovative approaches to debt relief for the Caribbean.  For example, the World Bank working with the UNDP, is working on proposals for a debt for resilience swap.  Under which creditors forgo some of their claims in exchange for investments in resilience.                         Thirdly, the Caribbean’s tragedy could trigger moves to fix systemic flows of finance.  We need international consensus that finance needs to be better aligned in a changing world. Volatility can dislodge even most prudent countries from their development pathways.  I know this is not a new topic, but the Caribbean’s tragedy could be the final trigger to make the changes that are much needed.                          The UN would like to see a framework for action in aligning finance with the needs of countries facing such external shocks.  Included in this should be consideration of, one, the changes in the eligibility criteria for concessionary finance; two, proposals to address high indebtedness in the Caribbean; three, the use of so-called state contingent debt instruments such as hurricane clauses and countercyclical loan instruments; four, accelerating a reduction in the cost of remittance transfers and support for new strategies that can support diaspora communities to invest back home.  Our estimates indicate that simply reducing such costs by 50 percent could lead up to over US$500 million additional financial flows to the region each year.                          Ultimately, we need to build a new generation of infrastructure that is more resilient, and that in turns underpins resilient economies, communities, and livelihoods. We must rebuild differently, but better.  For example, maybe there has never been a better moment to green the region’s energy system and to strengthen its resilience through decentralization using distributed solar-linked to the best that digital innovation can offer.                          Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we need to advance this proposed framework for action that delivers what the Caribbean needs right now while simultaneously addressing its medium and long-term financing and investment needs.  And in delivering to the region, the international community can benefit a growing number of countries facing the challenge of financing the 2030 agenda in a world of external shocks.                         Once again, let me thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to contribute to the partnership that the World Bank is leading in its effort to address this incredible tragedy for us all.  Thank you. DR. KIM:  Thank you very much, Amina. Next, I’d like to call on His Excellency, Prime Minister Keith Mitchell of Grenada.  PRIME MINISTER MITCHELL:  Thank you, President Kim, my colleagues, prime ministers of the region, other distinguished ministers of government, governors, other representatives of regional organizations here, brothers and sisters all. On behalf of CARICOM I would like to thank the World Bank Group and you, President Kim, for convening us today.  We also thank you for being among the first to arrive on the scene following the recent hurricanes in the region.  This was one of the points emphasized by my colleague Prime Minister of Dominica recently.                          This extraordinary meeting today follows extraordinary events.  Our region has been hit by two Category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria within two weeks.  That has been unprecedented.  Hurricane Maria went from Category 1 to Category 5 in less than 36 hours.  That too is unprecedented.                          Over nine countries of the region have been impacted by three hurricanes including Dominica, Antigua, the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Sint Maarten, Puerto Rico, and others. Damages in the region estimated are over $10 billion.  The 100-year storm, colleagues, is now the new norm.  We are entering into a new and unprecedented era of climate change and its grievous effects upon us all.                         I toured the affected islands on behalf of CARICOM with the Secretary General and others of the region and you could not believe what I saw.  It took me a couple of nights to recover, to get the proper sleep.  That is the extent of the problem.  When I see the emotional display by colleague prime ministers publicly, I am not surprised.  As Prime Minister Skerrit of Dominica said to the United Nations, and I quote, "We find ourselves at the frontline of a war that we did not start, and it is one we cannot stop."                          President Kim, our islands face the triple trap of one, severe climate impacts, high fossil fuel imports, and high levels of debt.  As early as 2010 World Bank country assistance strategy for the eastern Caribbean made reference to this link between hurricanes and indebtedness.  In Grenada, we experienced a viscous cycle of hurricanes followed by greater indebtedness and debt distress. So much so that Grenada became the pioneer of the Hurricane Clause in its restructured debt arrangements.                          An economist, John Maynard Keynes once said, and I quote, "When the facts change I change my mind.”  What do you do, sir?  This hurricane season has been a wakeup call for all of us.  We as governments may seek to adjust our approaches through a number of measures, for example, the adoption of fiscal rules and the establishment of fiscal buffers.  Secondly, the mainstream of disaster risk management and government programs and operations.  Thirdly, the adoption and enforcement of climate change, resilient building codes.  Fourthly, the use of risk transfer mechanism including the CCRIF and state contingent debt instruments.  As I mentioned, Grenada has already introduced the Hurricane Clause.                         President Kim, a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.  In Grenada’s case after Hurricane Ivan we are determined to build back better.  Today Dominica with other countries is committed to become the world’s first climate resilient nation.  That’s important.                          Earlier today we met with Sir Richard Branson and others to form the private sector partnership to commit to the Caribbean, the world’s first climate smart zone.  We are very serious about that.  This is not just about resilience for homes, coasts, and infrastructure, it’s about transforming all energy and transformation sectors and also it’s about prospering from sustainability.                          Time is against us.  We do not have 20 to 30 years to become climate resilient; we need to achieve this in five to ten years shorter.  We have a starting point for the pipeline of bankable projects.  The intended nationally determined contributions of the Caribbean amount to $5 billion.  We would like to invite the World Bank to a practical retreat with public sector and private sector partners where we cement a Marshal Plan to fast track and frontload resources for Caribbean islands.                         Mr. President and senior executives of this important institution, the World Bank, we may be down but we are not out.  We have not come to you as victims, we have come to you with a positive opportunity.  Downright, this exercise will hold the Bank in good stand for IDA 18 mid-term review and for securing finance for IDA 19.  Count on us as a progressive partner.                         In the meantime, there is still work to be done in the recovery effort of the affected islands.  And we hope we can count on the Bank’s support for donor conferences to address the immediate challenges.  I thank you for this important opportunity to talk on behalf of the region.  DR. KIM:  Thank you very much, Prime Minister.  I’d like to next call on Marie-Claude Bibeau, the Minister of International Development of Canada. MINISTER BIBEAU:  President Kim, Excellencies, colleagues, friends, to begin Canada stands beside you and will continue to contribute in terms of humanitarian aid … and about how we move forward.  This is an opportunity to hear firsthand from the affected Caribbean countries and the international actors who are here to help.                          I also want to acknowledge the work of the Small States Forum under Prime Minister Mitchell’s strong leadership.  This work is an essential part of our discussions on climate resilience today.                          Canada has always had a special relationship with the Caribbean.  This is reflected in the constituency we share here at the World Bank Group and the IMF, and our friendship can be seen in our extensive people to people ties.  Rest assured that Canada will continue to be there to help recover and build back better.  This includes our government, our private sector, and our civil society organizations.                          There are three principles that I feel should guide us forward:  local ownership, strong coordination, and the opportunity to innovate.  Let me begin with local ownership.  For us this means listening to the needs of Caribbean governments and working with institutions such as the Caribbean Development Bank, the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency, and CARICOM.  These institutions must lead the building of a climate resilient Caribbean, in partnership with the World Bank and other international finance institutions.                          Local ownership also means that women need to be at the forefront.  We know that women and children are 14 times more likely to die from a disaster, and we know that women and girls are more likely to suffer sexual and gender based violence in post disaster situations.                          But we also know that they are a powerful agent of change, development, and peace.  Women’s local knowledge and networks are key to community recovery. Let’s ensure that women are at the forefront of Caribbean reconstruction.                          Second, strong coordination is essential.  We have a diverse range of countries, overseas territories and development organizations represented here today.  We will all need to work together to build a more climate resilient Caribbean.  And as an example, last month our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and UK Prime Minister, Theresa May agreed to cooperate closely on Caribbean reconstruction.  And I’m committed to working with Secretary Patel and others around the table to make this a reality.                         Finally, these disasters offer an opportunity to innovate.  This means that our starting point should be best practices.  Such as the World Bank’s instruments and a tool kit for disaster risk management and the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction.  We need to ensure that these tools continue to evolve.  Given the macroeconomic challenges facing the region, we must also find innovative financing solutions including those that engage the international finance institutions and the private sector. Innovation also means building on successful insurance initiatives like the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility which Canada supported. And it means ensuring that the Caribbean has more access to climate financing, in general, and to blended finance that is tailored to countries’ specific needs.                         Let me conclude by thanking President Kim for convening us.  This discussion on recovery and resilience must continue at COP 23 next month in Germany.  The challenges of small island states will be at the heart of the conversation.  I look forward to hearing from Caribbean heads of government, affected territories and development partners.  Thank you. DR. KIM:  Thank you very much.  I’d like to next call on Priti Patel, Secretary of State for International Development of the United Kingdom. MS. PATEL:  Thank you very much, Jim, and Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen’s and friends.  I really just want to begin by thanking the Bank for the support for convening this meeting and for everyone that has joined this meeting today.  This is a powerful representation of how we are coming together across the international communities to rebuild, quite frankly, territories and islands that have been absolutely devastated through the hurricanes that we have spoken about.  I had the privilege just three weeks ago, visiting both BVI and Anguilla.  No one can underestimate the extent of the challenge but, I think, on a human level as well, the devastation, the psychological impact and I want to pay tribute to everyone.  Everyone, the leaders, the people, the communities but also internationally as well, the way in which relief efforts have come together.  I think everyone should be very, very mindful that this has been a coordinated and a strong international response and one that we don’t want to be doing too often because of the scale of the challenges.                          The damage to people, communities and obviously to infrastructure have been absolutely appalling and that is why we’re here today to look to the future.  And be positive and optimistic about how we can rebuild, to build back better, absolutely.  But to challenge our system too, to make sure that our international system is responding to the needs that exist.                         So, reform in the system, enabling the countries, the communities, the territories to start to think to the future in how they plan, prepare and respond.  And in terms of the relief efforts, we will see the relief efforts from our own respective countries and the communities that we have been supporting.  Canada’s Minister mentioned the CCRIF, in particular, the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility.  These are strong tools that have made a very significant impact.  And, of course, the pay outs are coming and more will follow. But, of course, as though payouts from the private insurance policies through local businesses soon come up, that will also help to catalyze the economy and to give confidence back to the private sector and to start the economic growth that we want to start seeing again.                         Of course, we are seeing some good efforts, a very strong positive effort from the relief efforts.  Airports have reopened, schools are starting to reopen, the delivery of public goods are now functioning again as well.  Which, of course, is timely when we now look at the reconstruction efforts. And, of course, as friends have already spoken, we now need to think about how we coordinate the response, work in partnership and pool the expertise and the resources to support the entire region to get back on its feet.  And, of course, working with the governments, effected communities, people, to build back better, but also to understand that term in terms of building back better.            This is an element of future proofing now.  Building for resilience, building with technology and innovation as well, so we can be pioneers in the region.  And the UK absolutely stands shoulder to shoulder with all our territories, friends and colleagues.  But we are, of course, looking through funding disaster resilient construction.  We have already 12 major infrastructure projects and 50 health facilities across the region, the development bank. And Warren, I thank you as well for the work that you have been doing with your team in terms of playing a very important role which is crucial.                         But that combination of private sector capacity resource expertise is absolutely vital.  And so, we are looking ahead in terms of how we can facilitate and play a role in facilitating those key tenets, bringing those strands and pillars together.  And I am looking to bring the private sector leaders together from a range of sectors, business sectors, the private sector, the financial sectors and industries, together in London later this year, to identify practical ways, meaningful ways in where we can innovate. Challenge the system, absolutely, but increase the flows of private sector financial support for the reconstruction efforts.  And in advance of this, I’m also establishing a taskforce of private sector leaders to help to pull this work together.  We need to start to facilitate this, bring some of the key sectors together.  The sectors that had a footprint in the region before the hurricanes and the sectors that will be there after the hurricanes as well.  This work is going to be overseen by a colleague of mine, Mr. William Balarti joins us here today.  Of course, it’s that regional expertise where we must look to bring more together.                          Jim, you mentioned the international system. There is always more to do in terms of reform of the system.  Finding ways, obviously to prevent, prepare, respond to crises in the future.  Reducing, obviously, the potential impact on public services, livelihoods of any future disasters.  And we are also today publishing in the UK, our humanitarian reform policy. Because when crises happen, we need to look at how the system responds, not competing and working in isolation, but pooling the resources together.  And this is one of the great strengths that we have in terms of our own institutions for donor countries, member countries as well, bringing the expertise together, as well as the money, and as well as the disbursements.           Specifically, to the Caribbean, as we know, no small island can respond or reasonably expect to recover and rebuild from such a disaster without having that integrated approach and support from the international community.  Which is why, as my Chancellor said yesterday in the financial meetings, we believe that there is more role and scope for development finance for the official development assistance as well. To play a part in supporting those territories and demonstrating agility and flexibility as the world is changing and as the need is changing as well, and be much responsive. That also means expanding that suite of instruments on offer to countries to help them manage the risk, manage the debt, bring forth insurance and other types of financial instruments too.                          We launched the Center for Global Disaster Protection in London in July in collaboration with the private sector and the Bank as well.  And in order to do exactly this, to provide advice, research, expertise on risk financing to countries facing climate change issues, natural disasters and the big challenges that we are talking about today.  There is an enormous opportunity for us.  I think as the Prime Minister said as well, where there is a crisis, let’s not make it go to waste, we will find the right ways forward. We will innovate together, but also we will look at how we can coordinate together.  Not just for bringing hope to the people today, but to show that pioneering and buccaneering spirit as well, for the region to secure its future.  Thank you.                         DR. KIM:  Now, we’re very happy to welcome Mark Green, administrator for USAID to your first annual meeting.  Welcome, congratulations and you have the floor.                         MR. GREEN:  Thank you.  I appreciate the opportunity and it’s good to meet many of you.  Thank you, colleagues, friends, I appreciate the opportunity to reaffirm our longstanding and unwavering commitment to our neighbors to the south.  Simply put, we in the United States, our people and our government stand firmly and unbreakably with the people of the Caribbean.  Whether through decades of development assistance and recent disaster relief or through our new Caribbean engagement strategy which is built around driving the private sector growth, we agree that that is key.  We recognize that both our interests and our futures are inextricably linked.  We know this is a difficult chapter for our friends to the south, but we pledge to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.  As they work to recover from the devastation caused by these hurricanes, Irma and Maria.                          The U.S. government has already provided more than $15 million in humanitarian assistance to these nations and our well-known disaster assistance response team was deployed on the ground almost immediately upon request, helping to deliver emergency supplies and to meet immediate needs.  But as we all know, more than 2 million people have been impacted by these storms, and the greatest work is what will take place after today.                         Earlier this week, I did have the chance to meet with the Prime Minister of Dominica who showed me those photos of the devastation in his country.  Whole swaths of land swept entirely clean by the fury of those storms.  The road to recovery in Dominica and across the Caribbean, we know will be long.  Communities will need to invest in debris removal, efforts to bring back tourism, to restore livelihoods and ultimately, they will need to invest in projects to ensure that they can better weather the next storm and the one after that.  These challenges, needless to say, will not be easy and they will require help from the nations represented here and so many others.                         As conditions improve and headlines fade, our emergency programs will phase out and our long-term efforts will require long-term commitments from the international community.  I welcome the comments from President Kim and the Deputy Secretary General.  We all recognize that we must think anew, we must do new ways and strike out together if we are going to help to rebuild and to strengthen these countries.  This will require the generosity of bilateral donors, the United Nations, the World Bank and just as importantly, it will require the private sector. And because we believe that the truest sense of compassion comes with helping others to help themselves, as we respond to immediate needs, we are also looking for ways to help build resilience as so many have said so wisely.  Resilience against future storms but not just future storms, other crises that will inevitably come as they do so often to so many parts of the world.                         To those in the donor community, I hope that you will join us in these efforts and to our friends in the Caribbean, I want to restate what I hope you already know.  You have a friend, an ally and a good neighbor in the United States.  The key isn’t in what we say today when the lights are on and the microphones are on. The key is what will happen after today.  When those headlines fade, we must all make sure, all of us, ourselves included, that our commitment does not fade.  This is an easy time to talk about being there and standing with the people of the Caribbean.  Obviously, the key is standing with the people of the Caribbean in the weeks, in the months, in the years ahead.  Thank you.                          DR. KIM:  I apologize but I’m going to have to go and I will turn it over to Kristalina Georgieva, our CEO. But a couple of conclusions.  Prime Minister Mitchell, thanks for the, what’s the right word, inspiring and challenging words for us.  So, here are five things that we will commit to going forward and I hope that we can all work together on it.                         The first, is we’ll stretch our resources.  We’re already doing it but we need to do it even more. We need to find all the sources of financing that we might put together to help all of you rebuild.  Now, many of you may know that there is a meeting on climate change on December 12th, sponsored by France, and we really appreciate your leadership on this.  One of the things that has been underinvested in and one of the areas that has been much less clear in terms of how we think about climate finance, is adaptation.  So, building resilience to extreme weather events is clearly in the center of the adaptation work.  While there has been financing for mitigation, there has not been a lot of financing for adaptation. So, what an opportunity to put right on the table, a wonderful opportunity of building resilience for Paris.  Now, it’s happening December 12th, so we’ll have to move very quickly.  So, I put the challenge right back to you, Mr. Prime Minister, work with us, all of the countries that have been affected and let’s put something together.  Some kind of innovative tool where we can move toward financing resilient infrastructure.  We will put all our teams together to work with you on it.                         The third is, I completely agree.  We need to review our policy on concessional finance for small states affected by these storms.  We made a leap in an area that we had just not been involved in before, providing concessional finance to high and middle income countries, but we did it for a very specific reason.  Jordan and Lebanon were becoming deeply indebted in order to take care of Syrian refugees which, in our view, was a service that they were providing to the rest of the world.  And, in fact, I didn’t wake up to that until António Guterres when he was the high commissioner for refugees, gave one of the most inspiring and troubling speeches about Jordan and Lebanon that I ever heard, about four years ago.  So, we were able to put an instrument together to provide concessional financing for high and middle income countries because of the burden.  In this case, we’ll do everything we can to find a path forward.  Now, what it takes is for the Board to agree and provide some grant-based financing that we can then stretch into much lower-interest loans or in some cases, grants.                         We also need to rethink the insurance model. So, the Cat DDO, a Catastrophe Draw Down Facility, worked okay, but I think a Cat DDO is not linked enough, I would argue, to prevention measures.  So, the great aspect of the insurance industry is that when you get involved with them, they immediately get involved with you and try to do everything they can to not pay out.  So, their financial interest is in not paying out.  That’s why for the pandemic insurance that we’ve put together, now they’re working like crazy to try to prevent pandemics so that they don’t have to pay out.                          So, this is what we need to do.  We need to think anew because it is not enough.  If it happens every year, if a thousand year event happens every year, these instruments are going to become obsolete very, very quickly.  So, we need to now think strategically with the insurance industry.  Can we get something like a catastrophic draw down facility but that is linked to requirements to build more resilient infrastructure.  I’m just thinking through this now but having just gone through the experience of putting the pandemic bond together, I know that they’re very, very good people to think with because this is what they do, this is what they do every day.  And in this case, their interest is very much aligned with all of our interests.  They want to prevent having catastrophic outcomes and we want that as well.                         Finally, I think that having now seen this happen so many times again and we have bits and pieces of it, I think we really need to take a step up in building a community practice.  Vanuatu just went through a terrible storm two or three years ago.  There are communities, for example, on the coast of India who got much better at preparing for storms.  So, one of the things we’ll do is we’ll immediately include everybody here in the discussions that are ongoing. This is an intellectual problem as well: how do we prepare small island states for these kinds of severe storms? It would be great if they didn’t happen again, but everything suggests to us that with a higher air temperatures and higher ocean temperatures, this is going to be more frequent.  And in that case, I think we need to think differently about how to prevent them.                          So, five things that we promise to work with you on.  Again, as the Prime Minister said, a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.  But, unless something happens that’s different and something happens that aligns incentives in a new way, I think we’ll be back at this table again and again and again.  Thanks very much everybody.  Kristalina will take over. 

Washington, October 13th, 2017– Leaders and representatives of CARICOM countries and territories, and international partners, including the international financial institutions, and the representatives of territories in the region, convened today in a high-level round table on recovery and resilience in the Caribbean hosted by the World Bank Group (WBG), as part of the WBG-IMF Annual Meetings. During the discussion, participants examined the impact of and recovery from the destructive hurricanes that struck the Caribbean in September, reviewed the instruments available for disaster risk management and response, and considered the need to innovate further in order to address the long-term challenges and strengthen resilience of affected islands.    Participants expressed solidarity and support to the affected islands and communities, and reaffirmed their commitment to working together to build back better and in a more resilient way, following the devastation caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria. They highlighted the need to ensure active engagement of communities, especially women, in the recovery and reconstruction process, as well as the importance of putting in place building standards that will mitigate the impact of future extreme weather events. The participants also noted the importance of making progress on the World Bank’s Small States Roadmap which proposes various initiatives to promote resilience of small states. The participants highlighted the need for a response involving all partners, including regional organizations, development partners, private sector, national Governments and civil society, to leverage comparative advantages for building resilience to disasters in highly vulnerable small-island states, as extreme weather events have added to their existing economic vulnerabilities. The contribution of the private sector will also be critical, offering both resources and expertise. While the damage and recovery needs assessment is ongoing, early estimates point to extremely high economic, infrastructure and livelihood impacts of the two hurricanes across many of the affected islands. More than two million people were affected, with near total damage in the worst affected areas. The participants acknowledged the international partners’ commitment to addressing long-term recovery and resilience needs, as demonstrated by the continuous evolution of the available disaster risk management and response framework.  A framework that currently includes tools for risk reduction, preparedness, reconstruction and recovery, as well as risk finance and insurance. For example, in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria, the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), made payouts totaling US$48.6 million to affected members for immediate relief and recovery needs. This shows that global collaboration on risk finance and insurance can provide quick and reliable financial support specifically for poor and vulnerable populations. The International Finance Institutions (IFIs) also recognized need to continue enhancing their crisis preparedness and resilience framework and toolkit, including through exploring opportunities for multi-country risk management –such as Catastrophe Bonds (CAT bonds) and insurance solutions and extending advisory services across the Caribbean countries and Overseas Territories. The IFIs remain committed to ensuring that post-disaster responses and approaches are tailored to specific country needs to better prepare for and mitigate the impact of future disasters. In addition to their existing initiatives, such as the World Bank Group’s disaster reduction program, the Fund’s rapid credit facilities, and the Caribbean Development Bank’s investments in climate resilient infrastructure, the work of all institutions with at-risk countries in the Caribbean will be deepened to help build stronger macro-fiscal foundations and economic resilience.All participants acknowledged the importance of global collaboration on recovery, resilience, risk finance and insurance for poor and vulnerable populations in the face of climate and disaster risk and agreed on the importance of continuing this critical discussion including at upcoming high level events in 2017.

 

¿Por cuánto tiempo fueron tus padres a la escuela y por cuánto tiempo fuiste tú? ¿Estás estudiando en la universidad? ¿Tus padres pudieron hacerlo? ¿Tu situación económica es mejor que la de ellos? Muchos dicen que las comparaciones son odiosas, pero en estos casos son más que necesarias. Responder a estas preguntas permite analizar cuánto ha avanzado, o no, una generación con relación a la anterior. El análisis más reciente sobre la pobreza realizado por el Banco Mundial, señala que la movilidad económica intergeneracional mejoró en América Latina y el Caribe, impulsada principalmente por la gran expansión del acceso a la educación. De acuerdo con este análisis, la región presenta uno de los mejores resultados en términos de movilidad intergeneracional absoluta, es decir, la proporción de individuos con más educación que sus padres. Sin embargo, sigue estando rezagada respecto a otras regiones en desarrollo en cuanto a movilidad relativa: aquellos que nacen en familias de padres con menos educación son mucho más propensos a ser los menos educados de su generación. Ahora ¿han logrado estos esfuerzos cerrar brechas desde el punto de vista de desigualdad e inclusión? Las comparaciones deben seguirse haciendo, esta vez entre las personas de una misma generación. Aunque se han logrado progresos significativos en acceso a la educación, también es cierto que este sigue siendo un problema para los más pobres, en especial en las áreas rurales y en las minorías. “A pesar de que la asistencia a la escuela primaria se ha vuelto casi universal en toda la región, sigue habiendo diferencias importantes en la educación temprana, así como en la educación secundaria y terciaria. Entre los niños de 3 años, solo la mitad de los hogares del quintil más pobre asiste a la escuela. Para los niños del quintil de ingreso alto, la proporción es del 90%. También hay una brecha importante en la educación secundaria y terciaria. Mientras que solo el 20% de los adultos pobres de 21 años estudian, los del quintil más rico lo hacen tres veces más”, señala el estudio. Además del acceso a la educación, la otra gran pregunta es: ¿más años de educación han colaborado en crear individuos más educados? El estudio señala que los hijos de padres menos educados son significativamente más propensos a ser los menos educados en sus propias generaciones. El acceso a la educación por sí solo no es suficiente. Si no se diseñan y ejecutan acciones para mejorar la calidad de la educación el ciclo de la pobreza intergeneracional continuará, según los autores del estudio. Señalan que los estudiantes de hogares más pobres también enfrentan disparidades adicionales en la calidad de la educación a la que tienen acceso. Esto contribuye a resultados de aprendizaje más pobres, como se muestra en las pruebas estandarizadas. Por ejemplo, los antecedentes socioeconómicos de un estudiante tienen un impacto mayor en los resultados de los exámenes de los estudiantes en los países de América Latina y el Caribe que en los países de otras regiones. Justamente, el tema de cómo crear políticas educativas que permitan mejorar la calidad y hacer realidad la promesa de la educación protagoniza el reporte de desarrollo mundial 2017 del Banco Mundial. No apuntar hacia esta necesidad hace más cuesta arriba la meta de poner fin a la pobreza. Hoy, en el Día Internacional para la Erradicación de la Pobreza, es importante poner el tema como una prioridad: una mejor educación, tanto desde el punto de vista de acceso como de calidad, colaboran con el crecimiento del capital humano que necesita la región para alcanzar un crecimiento sostenible que redunde en el bienestar de sus 600 millones de habitantes.

World Bank releases new data showing educational contributions to mobility WASHINGTON, October 17, 2017 – Economic mobility across generations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has improved as people are now more educated than their parents, but the poorest are still the most likely to remain the least educated, shows a new World Bank note released today on End Poverty Day. Educational levels are a good indicator of economic and social mobility since people with more levels and higher quality of education generally have better incomes. The LAC region is a top performer in absolute intergenerational mobility – the share of individuals with more education than their parents—thanks to the great expansion of access to education over the last decades. However, LAC lags behind other developing regions in relative mobility, as those born to the least educated parents are significantly more likely to become the least educated in their own generation. “LAC has made remarkable progress in access to education, but more is needed to improve quality and increase access for children from the poorest rural and indigenous households,” said Jorge Familiar, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Without higher quality and a broader reach in education, the cycle of intergenerational poverty will continue.”  The regional note on Intergenerational Mobility is drawn from research for the report “Fair Progress? Educational Mobility Around the World,” expected in 2018, whose early findings were released today as a preview to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. In LAC, school attendance varies widely among different socioeconomic groups. Although primary school has become almost universal across the region, significant differences remain in early education as well as secondary and tertiary schooling. Among three-year-old children, for instance, only half of those in the poorest households attend school, compared to 90 percent of children from the highest income level. Marginalized groups, including indigenous peoples, face additional barriers. For example, indigenous people are almost three times more likely to be extreme poor than non-indigenous people. These higher poverty rates lead to lower access to schooling for indigenous children. “Continued inequality between groups continues to be a problem,” said Oscar Calvo-Gonzalez, World Bank Practice Manager for Poverty and Equity in LAC. “Income and ethnic background are still determining factors in the region’s student performance in international assessments, where the socioeconomic position continues to have a bigger impact on test score than in other parts of the world.” However, there is good news regarding the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test scores, where LAC lags behind other regions. Out of the seven LAC countries that participated in PISA, five improved their performance in reading test scores between 2009 to 2015. Moreover, there has also been a decrease in the effect of socio-economic background on the performance of LAC students in PISA tests. This suggests that there has been some progress with respect to intergenerational mobility and shows that quality of education, and not just access, will be key moving forward. Contacts: Alejandra Viveros, +1 202 458 2841, aviveros@worldbank.org Candyce Rocha, +1 202 458 4963, crocha@worldbank.org   For more information, please visit: www.worldbank.org/lac Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BancoMundialLAC For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

Banco Mundial presenta nuevos datos que revelan contribución de la educación a la movilidad WASHINGTON, 17 de octubre de 2017 – La movilidad económica intergeneracional mejoró en en América Latina y el Caribe (ALC) dado que las personas ahora son más educadas que sus padres, aunque los más pobres siguen siendo más propensos a tener el nivel educativo más bajo, según una nota del Banco Mundial publicada hoy en el Día Internacional para la Erradicación de la Pobreza. El nivel educativo es un buen indicador de la movilidad económica y social dado que aquellas personas con un mayor nivel y calidad de educación en general tienen mejores ingresos. La región de ALC presenta uno de los mejores resultados en términos de movilidad intergeneracional absoluta —la proporción de individuos con más educación que sus padres— gracias a la significativa  ampliación en el acceso a la educación que tuvo lugar en las últimas décadas. Sin embargo, ALC sigue estando rezagada respecto a otras regiones en desarrollo en cuanto a movilidad relativa, dado que aquellos que nacen en familias de padres con menos educación son mucho más propensos a ser los menos educados de su generación. “ALC ha tenido un progreso notable en el acceso a la educación pero se necesita más para mejorar la calidad y aumentar el acceso de los niños que provienen de los hogares rurales e indígenas más pobres”, dijo Jorge Familiar, Vicepresidente del Banco Mundial para América Latina y el Caribe. “Sin una mayor calidad y un alcance más amplio en términos educativos, el círculo de pobreza intergeneracional continuará”. La nota regional sobre Movilidad Intergeneracional se basa en investigaciones realizadas para el informe “¿Progreso Justo? Movilidad Educativa Alrededor del Mundo”, previsto para 2018 y cuyas conclusiones preliminares fueron presentadas hoy como  adelanto en el Día Internacional para la Erradicación de la Pobreza. En ALC, la asistencia a la escuela varía enormemente entre diferentes grupos socioeconómicos. Si bien la escuela primaria se ha convertido  en prácticamente universal en toda la región, persisten diferencias significativas en la educación temprana así como en la escolarización secundaria y terciaria. Entre los niños de tres años, por ejemplo, solo la mitad de los que habitan en los hogares más pobres asisten a la escuela, comparado con el 90 por ciento de los niños del nivel de ingreso más alto. Los grupos marginados, como los pueblos indígenas, enfrentan barreras adicionales. Por ejemplo, los pueblos indígenas tienen casi tres veces más posibilidades de ser extremadamente pobres que los grupos no indígenas. Estas tasas de pobreza más altas derivan en un menor acceso a la escolarización entre los niños indígenas. “La desigualdad persistente entre grupos sigue siendo un problema”, dijo Óscar Calvo-González, Director del Banco Mundial para la Unidad de Pobreza y Equidad en ALC. “El nivel de ingreso y el origen étnico siguen siendo factores determinantes para el desempeño de los estudiantes de la región en evaluaciones internacionales, donde la posición socioeconómica continúa teniendo un mayor impacto en los resultados de estos exámenes que en otras partes del mundo”. Sin embargo, hay buenas noticias en cuanto a los resultados de los exámenes del Programa de Evaluación Internacional de Estudiantes (PISA), donde ALC está rezagada respecto de otras regiones. De los siete países de ALC que participaron en PISA, cinco mejoraron su desempeño en las pruebas de lectura entre 2009 y 2015., También se registró una disminución del efecto del origen socioeconómico en el desempeño de los estudiantes de ALC en los exámenes PISA. Esto sugiere que hubo algún avance respecto a la movilidad intergeneracional y muestra que la calidad de la educación, y no solo el acceso, serán claves a futuro.   Contactos: Alejandra Viveros, +1 202 458 2841, aviveros@worldbank.org Candyce Rocha, +1 202 458 4963, crocha@worldbank.org   Para más información, por favor visite: www.bancomundial.org/alc Visítenos en Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bancomundial Manténgase informado vía Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BancoMundialLAC Nuestro canal de YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

Challenge In 2015, Brazil went through its greatest recession in decades while undergoing a major political crisis that led to President Rousseff’s impeachment in August 2016. In 2015, industrial production in the state of Amazonas decreased by 17.2 percent as compared to a national decrease of 8.3 percent. Collections under the Imposto Sobre Operações Relativas à Circulação de Mercadorias e Serviços de Transporte Interestadual de Intermunicipal e de Comunicações (the national equivalent of the value-added tax), which accounts for 90 percent of tax revenues, dropped 14 percent in real terms. Meanwhile, federal transfers to the Amazonas contracted 8 percent. Payroll expenditures dropped 3 percent in real terms in 2015. Investments suffered a much larger cut, dropping 64 percent. Consequently, although the Amazonas government was restructured, essential services were maintained and, most importantly, all its obligations were met (unlike those of some other Brazilian states, including Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul, which were unable to meet all wage payments due to the fiscal crisis). Moreover, Amazonas delivered a primary surplus in 2015, despite weak revenue performance.  The economic downturn had a negative impact on the implementation of certain policies: The Amazonas government made important organizational readjustments (for example, it merged certain secretariats and closed others), and it readjusted investments across all sectors, even in priority areas such as citizen security.  Approach Reforms supported by the Amazonas: Modernizing Public-Sector Management, Citizen Security, and Gender Policies Development Policy Loan (DPL) enabled the state to weather some of the negative effects of the economic crisis. With support from the operation, the Amazonas government undertook policy reforms largely informed by existing analytical work and lessons from other Brazilian states and operations, along with original analysis specific to the operation. The Poverty and Social Impact Assessment provided information on the state’s broader context and needs, and the state government produced two technical notes on procurement and tax administration. The World Bank commissioned a risk assessment of the security sector, informed by prior analysis by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and supported by field consultants who had accompanied the state reforms. For the gender component, analysis was informed by previous countrywide reports, such as the Bank’s 2013 “Towards a More Comprehensive Domestic Violence Policy in Brazil,” as well as by Brazil Gender and Social Inclusion Non-Lending Technical Assistance. Results The Amazonas government succeeded in improving tax compliance, government procurement efficiency, and provision of judicial and basic services to women, as exemplified below:In 2015, mobile units providing judicial and basic services reached women in 47 communities, up from two in 2013.Amazonas hired 2,750 implementers of the Maria da Penha law (Federal Law 11340/2006), an anti-domestic violence law that, among other provisions, increases punishment for those perpetrating domestic violence against women.Electronic invoices, known as the NFC-e, were issued by 9,396 firms in 2015, up from 0 in 2013.VAT tax collection improved by 3 percent in 2015, despite an overall decrease in retail sales of 7.5 percent.   Cost and time to comply with requirements for issuing consumer receipts were both reduced considerably, from R$ 3,000 to R$ 300 and from 30 days’ wait to an automatic process.Information collected in 2015 through the NFC-e, enabled the government to identify 3,549 fiscal infractions, worth R$206 million, up from 0 in 2013.The rate of procurement processes completed in less than 45 days improved to 66.6 percent, as opposed to only 29 percent completed in that time in 2013.All procurement plans in 2015 were published on e-compras.am, as opposed to only nine in 2013. The measures resulting from the DPL, combined with the state’s urgent need to reduce expenditures, led to an approximately 20 percent reduction in public expenditures in areas such as cleaning, security, and vehicle leasing. In 2015, savings from measures under the DPL accounted for R$ 213 million, of which R$ 91 million resulted from measures directly related to standardized services and R$ 122 million resulted from the decreased need for and substitution of services and quantities. Bank Group Contribution The World Bank, through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, provided a single-tranche loan in the amount of US$ 216 million to finance Amazonas: Modernizing Public Sector Management, Citizen Security, and Gender Policies Development Policy Loan. The operation originated in a direct request from the federal government and the government of Amazonas, and, despite the short preparation time, the cooperation of officials from both government levels led to its success as well as to opening an important space for policy dialogue. Partners The operation represents a successful collaboration between the IDB and the Bank. The DPL was designed to complement and extend the IDB’s Program of Consolidation of Fiscal Equilibrium for Social and Economic Development in the State of Amazonas, PROCONFIS AM. The Bank and the IDB established a successful partnership that reduced the burdens on the government of Amazonas (for example, by using the same Project Implementation Unit, constantly sharing information, and linking prior actions), thus guaranteeing a continuation of the broader reform process. Before this DPL, the Bank had limited engagement in Amazonas. The partnership with the IDB not only enabled the Bank to engage in the state, it also led to a subsequent DPL (approved by the Board in December 2015) with the capital city of Manaus. Beneficiaries Under the program Itinerant Citizenship: Woman in the Field, Forest, and Waters, mobile units reached several isolated communities with basic services for women. In 2015, the Secretariat for Gender-Related Policies supported 4,486 women through this program. All firms based in the state of Amazonas also benefited from the introduction of the NFC-e, which reduced the cost of complying with tax collection. All firms supplying the state government benefited from the introduction of more efficient procurement processes. Moving Forward Although this was a single-tranche operation, the Bank’s engagement with Amazonas continues.  The World Bank is conducting an impact evaluation on a procurement reform to be introduced in the second half of 2017. In addition, this operation opened an opportunity for a separate DPL with the government of the municipality of Manaus, which has led to an unprecedented partnership between the government of Amazonas and the city of Manaus to launch the Nota Facil, a partnership between the Secretaria da Fazenda (the tax authority) and the Municipal Finance Secretary. The Nota Facil Program will allow expanded use of the NFC-e in the Manaus service sector and is expected to extend the service to more than 10,000 businesses.

Challenge On October 28, 2007, Tropical Storm Noel struck the Dominican Republic with major rainfall nationwide. Around six million people—70 percent of the population—were directly or indirectly affected. More than 160 people were killed, and 130,000 were displaced. Only five weeks later, the country was hit by Tropical Storm Olga, which displaced another 62,000 people, killing 33 and causing further destruction. Productive infrastructure was severely damaged by these events, with especially widespread destruction of infrastructure related to water (irrigation, water supply, and sanitation), transportation, and energy. Key sectors of civil and economic function were affected, including agriculture, health, and many other sectors relying on power distribution. Approach The Emergency Recovery and Disaster Management Project was designed as a hybrid operation, focusing both on emergency response to immediate needs and on capacity building to strengthen disaster risk management in implementing agencies. At the request of the government of the Dominican Republic, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, along with other donors including the United Nations, worked to ensure that all priority infrastructure needs were met in the four most affected sectors: irrigation, transport, electricity, and water supply and sanitation. The Bank’s main focus was on the three areas in which it had the longest institutional relationship on the ground (irrigation, electricity, and water supply/sanitation), building, inter alia, on the experience gained from the Bank-supported Hurricane George Recovery Project that closed in December 2003. Results Over its span, from 2008 to 2016, the project achieved both of its goals: response to emergency needs on the ground and capacity building for resilience and preparedness to meet needs raised by future disasters. Primary results of the program included:Rehabilitation of 24 irrigation schemes, including works on canals and reservoirs, embankments, pumping systems, water intakes, and floodgate systems. Irrigation was restored on 37,218 hectares (of which 16,763 resulted from retroactively financed activities), benefiting 18,779 farmers producing bananas, chickpeas, rice, maize, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables—all essential for local and national food security.Restoration of three dams (Tavera, Jiguey, and Chacuey). Works covered the reinforcement and renovation of structures including embankments, protection walls, and drainage systems, all of which are essential for the dams to function effectively in key areas of flood reduction, water supply, irrigation, hydropower, and environmental conservation.Improved decision-making tools related to extreme events. The Disaster Information Systems, including the telemetric network, were repaired and updated as needed.Restoration of transmission capacity, with the replacement of 152 km of transmission lines. The restored transmission capacity supplies most of the electricity in the southern region, benefiting more than one million people.Restoration of the Aguacate power plant’s original generation capacity (52 MW) and upgrade (additional 8 MW). Restored or expanded generation capacity, totaling 60 MW, benefited more than 590,000 inhabitants. The Las Barias dam, critical for the functioning of the La Valdesia  (54 MW capacity) and Las Barias power plants (0.85 MW), was restored as well.Restoration of the water treatment facilities in Santo Domingo and in Santiago. Working with Corporación del Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Santo Domingo and Corporación del Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Santiago, the project contributed retroactive financing for exceptional expenses incurred just after the tropical storms to acquire materials and equipment, implement ancillary works, and meet costs of operation. In Santiago, the project contributed to restoring 28 percent of the potable water consumption of 750,000 inhabitants, while in Santo Domingo over a million gallons of drinking water were provided to the population cut off from the regular water supply.