El Salvador: Urban violence proposal development for Honduras and El Salvador 2017-2020

Organization: Norwegian Red Cross
Country: El Salvador, Honduras
Closing date: 29 Apr 2017

Urban violence proposal development for Honduras and El Salvador 2017-2020

1. Background

El Salvador has for the past two years been ranked as the most violence country in the world outside a war zone. The murder rates have been on an average of 104 murders pr 100.000 inhabitants. The newly published ACAPS analysis that outlines the countries with greatest humanitarian needs in 2017 ranks El Salvador as one of them.

The causes of these alarming figures are usually accounted for by the following explanatory factors: The aftermath of the internal armed conflict (deterioration of the social fabric, extreme social differences and an enormous number of weapons in circulation), a fragile judicial system marked by an extremely high rate of impunity as well as the trafficking and sale of illicit drugs.

The Ministry of Defence in El Salvador has done a census in 14 departments of the country, collecting information about the presence of gangs, revealing a result that active gang members in the country are estimated to be 60.000, more than half a million people are indirectly involved in gang activities. This leaves an estimation of approximately 10% of the total population to be involved with gang activity. Projections by the end of the year is that it will increase to 11% of the country’s total population.

A significant number of victims are involved in illegal gang activity. Nevertheless, innocent civilians are frequently affected due to being at the «wrong place at the wrong time». Furthermore, recent years have seen an increase in homicides on persons deprived of liberty or members of gangs who have needed to use health services to maintain their lives. These attacks have been perpetrated on third-level public health services as well as on Specialized units of care, affecting health service personnel who have received threats as well as regular users of the health services. There is very little formal statistics regarding the increase of violence against health care workers, although according to the NS, most people affected are afraid of reporting the incidents as its common to gain threats from the gangs with statements such as: you see, you listen, and you keep quiet. These words have become slogans for the gangs and are being drawn on street walls and schools in the country as graffiti paintings to threaten the general population to keep quiet.

Due to the deteriorating violence situation, public education institutions are becoming unsafe spaces and incidents such as extortions, threats and rapes are becoming more frequently reported in the most affected areas. Reports of incidents are low; however, school drop outs is at a 14% on a national lever, (UN numbers) explaining that the reasons are related to threats and violence from the gangs.

In Honduras, The National University’s observatory of violence reported a homicide rate of 2.917 people between January 2016 and July 2016, meaning one person every two hours. These figures only include the official records, excluding homicides that are not reported to authorities, disappearances and clandestine cemeteries.

A relevant amount of people living in urban areas, are affected by the invisible barriers that limit their access to health services, and the perception about the services provided by health providers is deficient, with limited resources to respond to health problems and especially the health consequences of violence in those settings.

Providers of health services (prehospital care, psychosocial support, maternal and child health programs, etc.) are also affected by violent attacks and it is not possible to cover areas within their jurisdiction.

For sexual violence in particular, there are additional deficiencies, due to weak knowledge and response capacities, and insufficient roadmaps for comprehensively assisting survivors. Specifically, some facilities lack PEP kits to treat survivors within the first 72h of sexual abuse.

In general, the conditions in schools are also complex, where the control of gangs limits the access to education and affects many children and youth. In addition, the lack of participation of parents in monitoring the educational progress of children and young people, with realities of family disintegration and styles of relationship with violence, it is common to find parents with low educational level who do not find education as a relevant nor important factor and many youth thus lack support from their families.

2. GENERAL OBJECTIVE:

Proposal writing/development of Urban Violence package in Honduras and El Salvador, based on the concept notes and the inputs provided by Norcross teams. Two outcomes are expected from this consultancy; the proposal writing for the MFA 2018-2020 Honduras and El Salvador and the finalization of the proposal writing for the Telethon Honduras and el Salvador 2017-2020.

The design of the proposals has already started a couple of months ago. Concept notes are already drafted, and needs assessments are in progress. Norcross is heading to the final state of the full proposal development. The objective of the proposed consultancy is to finalize the process of the proposal writing of the Urban Violence program potentially funded by 2 different sources; MFA and Telethon

3. EXPECTED ACTIVITIES:

The consultant will carry out the following activities:

  1. Review of key documents from Salvadoran Red Cross and Honduran Red Cross related to Policies on Social inclusion, Protection, Violence prevention, Mitigation of the humanitarian consequences of violence, National Development Plans, Strategic Plans and Annual Plans

  2. Review previous documents that have been produced so far from previous grants; (MFA 2015-2017 and midterm review)

  3. Review the progress achieved so far; concept notes, needs assessments, general outlines of both proposals, draft of the proposals that already drafted.

  4. Interviews with key interlocutors from El Salvador and Honduras in close coordination with NorCross Delegates and focal points established by Red Cross in Honduras and El Salvador.

  5. Work sessions with Red Cross staff, to validate the and initial findings, it is expected that there will be a significant discussion on the proposed activities and indicators.

  6. Proposal writing MFA and Telethon using the specific formats in Spanish and in English

  7. Coordination with the Norcross advisors during the proposal writing development to discuss about their comments.

4. EXPECTED OUTCOMES PRODUCTOS ESPERADOS:

  1. Telethon proposal writing including log frame + indicators + source of verification and budget for El Salvador, in close coordination with NorCross Delegates and focal point established by Red Cross.

  2. Revision of Telethon proposal including log Frame + indicators + source of verification and budget for Honduras.

  3. MFA proposal writing including log frame + indicators + source of verification and budget for El Salvador and Honduras, in close coordination with NorCross Delegates and focal point established by partner Red Cross Societies

5. METHOLOGY

  1. The consultant will provide a proposed workplan as part of the deliverables of the application for job opportunity. The amount of time invested in both countries might be quite similar though it is foreseen that a relevant amount of work will be desk work

  2. The consultant will review the information provided by the Norcross Delegates and Salvadoran / Honduran Red Cross staff and she or he will analyze and transfer this info into the MFA and Telethon formats.

  3. The consultant will carry out, work sessions with NorCross Delegates and focal points established by Red Cross in El Salvador and Honduras.

  4. The consultant will participate during interviews with key interlocutors, to collect relevant data and validate the information provided by NorCross Delegates and focal points identified by partner Red Cross Societies.

  5. The consultant will take all the information collected from the teams and will transferred it to the formats.

  6. There will a session with the Norcross advisors as part of the design process. Based on these discussions some final adjustments on the proposals will be expected. The consultant will have a close and frequent dialogue with the Norcross Team and the National Societies**.**

6. VISITS:

In case it would be necessary there will be visits to the field, they will be organized in close coordination with the Norcross team and the National Societies staff. The potential visits will be in Urban areas in San Salvador and Tegucigalpa. The National Societies will provide the vehicles and will arrange the visit to the targeted areas beforehand.

7. Time frame

The consultant is expected to start up first week of May. The date to submit the final outcomes will be on June 10th. The proposal writing will last from 4 to 5 weeks.

8. THE CONSULTANT’S REMUNERATION

The Consultant shall be remunerated for the Services performed and costs incurred in conformity with the procedure set out in this Section. All payments under this Contract shall primarily be made by Norcross by transfer directly to the bank account designated by the Consultant.

Whenever it shall be necessary to evaluate one currency in terms of another for the payment, the rate of exchange applicable shall be the selling rate of dollar our Euro on the date of invoice.

The payment shall be released according to the following products outlined in the time line:

TRANCHES

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

1st release/tranche

40% on submission of the first draft proposals

2nd release/tranche

30% on presentation of the revised proposals

3rd release/tranche

30% on the submission and acceptance of the final proposals

9. SELECTION CRITERIA

The consultant should encompass the following qualification:

  • Demonstrated experience design and proposal writing of Urban Violence project required.

  • Minimum qualification of a Masters or PhD with equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience in relevant topics.

  • It is required that the consultant brings concrete expertise on Protection and community based health programs, gender and sexual based violence as well demonstrated competence in successful proposal writing experience.

  • At least five years of direct full-time experience in the urban violence field

  • Excellent written and spoken English and Spanish required (including analysis, writing and presentation skills)

  • Experience working in Central Americas strongly preferred.

  • Experience working with representatives of the Government and Protection and Health Institutions strongly preferred;

  • Knowledge and experience working with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement preferred.

  • Demonstrated capacity to work both independently and as part of a team

10. Copyright

The copyright and the property of all documents prepared by the Consultant about the Contract rests with Norcross. Norcross shall not be liable to pay any royalties in connection with the use of such docum

How to apply:

Interested candidates should submit their application material by April 29 2017 to:

Gonzalo Atxaerandio, Norcross Regional Representative: gonzalo.atxaerandio@redcross.no

The application materials should include:

  1. Curricula Vitae

  2. Work plan

  3. Financial proposal itemizing estimated costs for services rendered (daily consultancy fees)

  4. An example of a successful proposal related to Urban Violence.

Peru: OFICIAL DE COMUNICACIÓN DIGITAL, Basado en Lima

Organization: International Committee of the Red Cross
Country: Peru
Closing date: 07 May 2017

Principales responsabilidades

· Diseñar e implementar la estrategia de comunicación digital de la Delegación Regional del CICR para Perú, Bolivia y Ecuador.

· Gestionar con la Responsable de Comunicación insumos y materiales para la página web del CICR en español y productos derivados para plataformas tales como Twitter, Facebook y plataformas de video, así como proyectos especiales multimedia.

· Coordinar con las unidades de comunicación digital del CICR en Buenos Aires y Ginebra la gestión de contenidos web del CICR en español y otros idiomas y la evaluación de su impacto (incluyendo analytics: estadísticas y análisis cuantitativo).

· Implementar la estrategia de promoción de contenidos digitales en redes sociales.

· Analizar la percepción y la reputación del CICR en las redes sociales.

· Proveer informes analíticos relacionados con los contenidos de la página web, Facebook y la cuenta Twitter de la Delegación Regional para el continuo monitoreo del desempeño de comunicación pública.

· Mantenerse actualizado en tendencias en redes sociales con el fin de realizar aportes innovadores a la presencia y diálogo del CICR.

· Bajo la supervisión del Responsable de Comunicación, desarrollar y mantener una red de interlocutores para posicionar los productos de comunicación digital de la Delegación Regional y desarrollar iniciativas de cooperación con terceros.

· En coordinación con los Responsables de Programa, diseñar y garantizar el cumplimiento del plan de la Unidad de Comunicación en diferentes formatos (escrito, fotográfico, audiovisual o multimedia).

· Organizar y participar en misiones de comunicación en el terreno (cobertura de prensa, toma de fotografías y grabación de video), en ocasiones en coordinación con proveedores externos, y a partir de ellas generar contenidos para las plataformas digitales del CICR y otros productos.

· Supervisar la producción y editar los contenidos para que sean utilizados en las plataformas digitales del CICR.

Requisitos y habilidades requeridas

· Título profesional en comunicación o periodismo, con formación y experiencia comprobada en comunicación digital (obligatorio).

· Experiencia profesional mínima de 5 años en el área de comunicación y/o periodismo, con un mínimo de 3 años en responsabilidades de gestión de proyectos de comunicación.

· Excelente capacidad de elaboración, redacción y edición de contenidos, tanto para redes sociales como para medios de comunicación convencionales.

· Experiencia de trabajo periodístico en medios de comunicación (obligatorio)

· Amplio conocimiento del contexto nacional en Perú, Bolivia y Ecuador y de entidades locales (estatales, internacionales y ONG) de ayuda humanitaria.

· Capacidad para analizar el entorno político y social, así como conocimiento exhaustivo de las tendencias de comunicación digital en Perú, Bolivia y Ecuador y el funcionamiento interno de los medios de comunicación.

· Buen manejo de programas informáticos básicos (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc.), edición de video y edición de fotografía

· Experiencia en administración y desarrollo de sitios web y administración de redes sociales corporativas (deseable)

· Excelente dominio de inglés hablado y escrito.

· Motivación demostrada por el trabajo humanitario.

Perfil personal:

· Excelente capacidad de trabajar de manera autónoma, tomar decisiones e iniciativa.

· Excelente capacidad de comunicar y presentar claramente contenidos, tanto de manera oral como escrita.

· Facilidad de mantener y desarrollar una red de contactos con interlocutores externos.

· Muy buen nivel de análisis y síntesis.

· Desarrollado sentido de responsabilidad, ética profesional, discreción y confidencialidad.

· Buenas relaciones interpersonales, capacidad y afinidad para trabajar en equipo, y capacidad de trabajar bajo presión.

· Disponibilidad y flexibilidad para viajar cuando sea requerido.

Condiciones:

· Contrato de acuerdo a la ley laboral peruana (planilla – renta de quinta categoría).

· Lugar de trabajo: Ciudad de Lima.

How to apply:

Se considerarán las postulaciones de ciudadanos peruanos o residentes extranjeros con permiso de trabajo vigente.

Se invita a los interesados a remitir una carta de interés anexando un expediente y/o links a publicaciones/producciones realizadas personalmente, así como su currículum vitae. Es indispensable indicar en la carta de interés su aspiración salarial, disponibilidad y tres (3) referencias laborales. Enviar los documentos solicitados al correo electrónico: lim_recruitment_services@icrc.org indicando en la referencia/subject: COM4_17 nombre del postulante

Fecha límite de presentación de documentos: 07.05.2017

Solo un reducido número de postulantes será contactado e invitado a participar en las evaluaciones técnicas, de idiomas y entrevistas.

Chicle maya para apuntalar la selva

Desde la Riviera Maya, una cooperativa exporta goma de mascar real y orgánica. Sus 1.200 chicleros extraen la resina del chicozapote trepando con espolones y machete

Chicle maya para apuntalar la selva

Desde la Riviera Maya, una cooperativa exporta goma de mascar real y orgánica. Sus 1.200 chicleros extraen la resina del chicozapote trepando con espolones y machete

Terminar con la malaria

El progreso en la lucha contra el paludismo supondrá un avance en pos de varios de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible, pero se necesita más financiación

Innovators Tackling Taboo and Norms around Gender-Based Violence Win over $1 million

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2017—The World Bank Group and Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) today awarded competitive funds totaling US$1.14 million to 10 teams from around the world for innovations to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. Beyond the devastating personal costs, gender-based violence inflicts a steep economic toll: estimates of resulting lost productivity run as high as 3.7 percent in some economies. The Development Marketplace Awards aim to help individuals, communities, and nations stamp out GBV. The idea for the awards, which first launched one year ago, honors GBV victims and survivors around the world, and is in memory of Hannah Graham, daughter of a longtime World Bank employee. The winners of this year’s awards range from efforts to reduce inter-partner violence among refugees in Ethiopia to community approaches to prevent gender-based violence in the Amazon of Peru. “Gender-based violence thrives on secrecy and indifference with devastating consequences,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said. “We cannot stand by while so many women suffer harm that’s completely preventable. Through this competition we hope to shine a spotlight on gender-based violence and inspire innovative solutions. It is my honor to congratulate and thank the 2017 Development Marketplace winners for taking action to end GBV.” An expert panel reviewed more than 200 proposals submitted to the Bank Group and SVRI following an open call in July 2016 for innovations to prevent GBV in low- and middle-income countries. Winning teams, which received up to US$150,000 each, were chosen based on overall merit, research or project design and methods, significance, team expertise, and ethical considerations. “The efforts funded by this award will produce evidence which will enable policy makers to design effective policies and programs to prevent and respond to gender-based violence thus contributing to a world in which women and children are free of violence and able to reach their full potential,” said Alessandra Guedes, SVRI co-chair and Regional Advisor for Family Violence at the Pan-American health Organization/WHO. “The SVRI and World Bank Group have identified a global portfolio of superb innovators that we can learn from.” The SVRI Grant, a global innovation award started in 2014, previously awarded more than US$1 million to nine projects in seven countries. SVRI uses an innovative mix of evidence-based information, communication and technology media; capacity-building workshops; on-granting and hosts an international Forum every two years to advance and expand research on sexual and intimate partner violence globally. Through the Development Marketplace platform, the World Bank Group and its partners have awarded more than US$65 million in funding to more than 1,200 innovative social enterprises and raised awareness about the role of social enterprises in addressing challenges facing the poor. 2017 Winners:Sexual Harassment Among Jordanian College Students: Pilot Testing a Promising Primary Prevention Intervention (Jordan, Middle East/ NorthAfrica)Team: Information and Research Center – King Hussein Foundation and Emory UniversityGender Equity Model – Promoting Women’s Economic Empowerment and Fighting Gender-Based Violence (Egypt, Middle East/North Africa)Team: The American University of CairoGender-based Violence Prevention in the Amazon of Peru Project (Peru, Latin America)Team: University College London; and, DB PeruBuilding the Evidence Base for ‘Safe Families’ – a Comprehensive Community-led model for Violence Prevention in Solomon Islands. (Solomon Islands, East Asia) Team: The Equality Institute; Oxfam Solomon Islands;, Oxfam AustraliaCombatting  Sexual Violence in Kyrgyzstan through Innovative Education and Information Technology (Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia) Team: American University of Central Asia (AUCA)Building Research Capacity and Data Use for Gender-Based Violence prevention and Response in Adolescents/Young Adults (Nigeria, Africa)Team: Together for GirlsMapping for Policy (Pakistan, South Asia)                                            Team: The Urban Institute and, Information Technology University Data Science Lab in PakistanBuilding the Evidence to Understand and Prevent Campus Sexual Assault in Swaziland (Swaziland, Africa)Team: University of Swaziland and The Regents of the University of California, San DiegoDevelopment of Standard Measures to Support Gender-Based Cyber Violence (GBCV) Prevention (Uganda, Africa)Team: International Center for Research for WomenPiloting a Customizable, User-Designed Information and Communication Technology-based Approach to Reduce Intimate Partner Violence among Refugees (Dollo Ado refugee camps in Ethiopia, Africa)Team: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; and, Addis Ababa University School of Public Health

Nicaragua – Alliance for Education Quality Project

IDA Credit: US $55 million equivalent Terms: Maturity = 20 years, Grace = 5 years Project ID: P161029 Project Description: The project’s objectives are to introduce innovative mechanisms for the improvement of teacher quality through in-servi…

One Million Students Will Have Better Education and Safer Schools in Nicaragua

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2017 – One million preschool, primary and secondary students of public schools in Nicaragua will benefit from improved teaching practices and infrastructure thanks to a US$55 million loan approved by the World Bank Board of Directors today. The project “Partnership for Quality Education” is aligned with the 2013-2017 Country Partnership Strategy in its objective to strengthen the skills and comprehensive development of Nicaraguans by improving the quality of preschool and basic education. The project also works toward the objectives of the 2017-2021 Education Sector Strategy. “The Government of Nicaragua is solidly committed to a quality education that includes strengthening the teaching skills of our preschool, primary and secondary teachers, as well as improving the learning environments of our students, who will have safer schools that are less vulnerable to natural disasters. This will help advance the idea of education as a right and education paths led by the education community,” said Miriam Ráudez, Minister of Education of Nicaragua. With a view to strengthening teaching practices, this project will offer continuing education courses and mentoring to some 52,000 practicing teachers. Teacher training will include a gender-based approach, as well as one to develop students’ socioemotional skills. Learning and child development assessments will reinforce these activities. Additionally, students and teachers will receive educational materials to guarantee the availability of classroom learning materials. To contribute to the overall improvement of learning environments, the project includes activities to develop quality infrastructure. It will directly benefit some 50,000 students by remodeling and enlarging schools. Moreover, new construction standards and protocol will be developed for schools nationwide, including the highest standards to reduce infrastructure vulnerability to flooding, hurricanes and earthquakes.  “This project focuses on strengthening educational quality in Nicaragua, as a key pillar for sustaining the visible progress observed in recent years,” said Luis Constantino, World Bank Representative in Nicaragua. “The project will contribute to Sustainable Development Goal Nº 4 by strengthening preschool education and increasing access to a quality basic education. Moreover, promoting resilience to climate and geophysical threats is pivotal for sustainable development,” he added. The US$55 million loan from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the poorest, has a 20-year maturity date, including a five-year grace period. The project will be implemented for five years. Contacts: Washington: Marcela Sánchez-Bender, +1 (202) 473-5863, msanchezbender@worldbank.org San José, Costa Rica: Cynthia Flores Mora, (506) 88220956, cfloresmora@worldbank.org Learn more about the work of the World Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean: 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/BancoMundialLAC   News Release 2017/209/LAC  

Un millón de estudiantes contarán con mejor educación y escuelas más seguras en Nicaragua

WASHINGTON, 13 de abril de 2017 –  Un millón de estudiantes de preescolar, primaria y secundaria de escuelas públicas en Nicaragua se beneficiarán de mejores prácticas docentes e infraestructura con la implementación de un préstamo por US$55 millones aprobado hoy por el Directorio Ejecutivo del Banco Mundial (BM). El proyecto “Alianza para la Calidad Educativa” (ACE) está alineado con la Estrategia de Alianza de País 2013-2017, en su objetivo de fortalecer las habilidades y el desarrollo integral de los nicaragüenses a través de una mejor calidad en la educación preescolar y básica. El proyecto también cumple con los objetivos planteados en la Estrategia del Sector Educativo 2017-2021. “El Gobierno de Nicaragua está firmemente comprometido con una educación de calidad que incluye el fortalecimiento de las capacidades pedagógicas de nuestros docentes de preescolar, primaria y secundaria; así como la mejora de los ambientes de aprendizaje de nuestros estudiantes, que contarán con escuelas más seguras y menos vulnerables a desastres naturales, avanzando así en una educación concebida como derecho y rutas educativas protagonizadas por la comunidad educativa”, dijo Miriam Ráudez, Ministra de Educación de Nicaragua. A fin de fortalecer las prácticas docentes, con este proyecto se darán cursos de formación continua y acompañamiento pedagógico a unos 52 mil educadores en servicio. Entre otros temas, se les impartirá entrenamiento enfocado en género y de desarrollo de habilidades socioemocionales en los estudiantes; reforzado con evaluaciones de aprendizaje y de desarrollo infantil. Además, estudiantes y docentes recibirán materiales didácticos, lo que asegurará la disponibilidad de instrumentos de trabajo en el aula. En cuanto a la mejora integral de los ambientes de aprendizaje, el proyecto incluye el desarrollo de infraestructura de calidad. Por un lado, se beneficiará directamente a casi 50 mil estudiantes con escuelas rehabilitadas o ampliadas. Por otro lado, se desarrollarán nuevas normas y protocolos para la construcción de escuelas a nivel nacional, que incorporarán los más altos estándares para reducir la vulnerabilidad ante inundaciones, marejadas ciclónicas y terremotos. “Este proyecto se enfoca en el fortalecimiento de la calidad educativa en Nicaragua, como un pilar clave para dar sostenibilidad a visibles progresos observados en los últimos años”, explicó Luis Constantino, representante del Banco Mundial en Nicaragua. “El proyecto contribuirá al Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible Nº 4 a través del fortalecimiento de la educación preescolar y el aumento del acceso a una educación básica de calidad. Asimismo, la resiliencia ante las amenazas climáticas y geofísicas es un paso vital para el desarrollo sostenible”, agregó. El crédito de US$55 millones por parte de la Agencia Internacional de Fomento (AIF), el fondo del Banco Mundial para los más pobres, es reembolsable a 20 años, incluyendo un período de gracia de cinco años. La duración del Proyecto está prevista para un período de cinco años. Contacto: En Washington: Marcela Sánchez-Bender, (202) 473-5863, msanchezbender@worldbank.org En Managua: Cynthia Flores Mora, (505) 2270-0000 x210, cfloresmora@worldbank.org 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 Comunicado de Prensa 2017/209/LAC

Growth Returns to Latin America and Counter-Cyclical Policies Increase

Nearly half of the countries followed counter-cyclical policies: spending in bad times and saving in good timesMarket watchers expect that the region’s average growth will turn positive this yearYet fiscal accounts have deteriorated after six years of economic slowdown WASHINGTON, April 18, 2017 – In a positive development, today more than ever before, Latin American and Caribbean countries are pursuing counter-cyclical fiscal policies – spending more in bad times and saving in good times, according to a new World Bank semiannual report for the region. "Leaning against the Wind: Fiscal Policy in Latin America and the Caribbean in a Historical Perspective" argues that the transformation is significant for a region that has often pursued pro-cyclical spending – increasing the risks of overheating economies during boom times and making recessions deeper during the bad times. According to the Consensus Forecasts, Gross Domestic Product in the region is expected to grow by 1.5 percent this year and 2.5 percent in 2018, putting an end to six years of an economic downturn, including recession over the past two years. If they materialize, recoveries expected in Brazil and Argentina will largely fuel the return to growth in the region. Mexico’s growth is expected to hover at around 1.4 percent, while Central America and the Caribbean will maintain steady growth of around 3.8 percent. However, the fiscal accounts of many countries have suffered due to the prolonged slowdown. As of 2016, 29 out of 32 countries were facing fiscal deficits, largely due to higher spending. The median gross debt for the region stands at 50 percent of GDP. Still – in a significant break with the past – many countries now find themselves in a better position to escape this difficult fiscal predicament, according to the report. “Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have traditionally been pro-cyclical, either because of political pressures to spend during good times or lack of access to international capital during bad times,” said Carlos Végh, World Bank Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean. “As a result, they often found themselves caught in a fiscal procyclicality trap, leading to higher public debt and fiscal deficits as well as lower credit ratings that left them few options to turn things around.” In response to the global financial crisis of 2008, the number of countries with a countercyclical fiscal policy increased from 10 to 45 percent of the region’s economies. Countries such as Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru begun to increase public spending and/or lower taxes in an attempt to stimulate the economy. While such measures produced fiscal deficits, they were the result of a concerted effort to minimize the downturn. On the other hand, countries that continued with pro-cyclical policies must now further consolidate their fiscal accounts to minimize the risks of a deterioration in their credit ratings and an increase in borrowing costs, the report argues. “While countries may still find it tempting to spend rather than save in the next boom cycle, the events of the last decade in fiscal policy give us hope that countries will play it safe instead and be prudent,” said Végh. “In an external environment characterized by frequent shocks and volatility, such prudence will allow them to turn fiscal policy into instruments to help cope with the next downturn and preserve social gains.” — 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