Noticias de otros medios

More than 90 thousand preschool and primary school students and teachers in Uruguay will benefit from a US $40 million loan approved by the World Bank (WB) Board of Executive Directors. Parts of the loan’s disbursements will depend on the achievement of specific goals, thus becoming the first loan incorporating a results-based approach for the Uruguayan education sector. The project will directly benefit 86,000 students and 4,000 teachers, inspectors and directors of Full Time Schools (FTSs), while indirectly benefiting 350 thousand students and teachers in the preschool and primary school education system through the implementation of new and improved monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. “Uruguay has made considerable efforts to improve the access to and quality of education among the country’s children, but significant challenges still remain. Through this new project, the Government of Uruguay has decided to continue to address repetition rates, bottlenecks in the transition from primary to secondary school, insufficient access to early education, as well as the need for adequate evaluation,” said Danilo Astori, Minister of Economy and Finance of Uruguay. The Improving the Quality of Preschool and Primary School Education Project will support the expansion of the Full Time School (FTS) model, while seeking to improve teaching and evaluation practices in preschool and primary school education. Additionally, it will finance pilot projects geared toward strengthening the primary to secondary school transition. The FTS model was started in Uruguay in the mid-1990s with support from the World Bank. The longer classroom hours – up from 4 to 7.5 hours – provide increased support for at-risk students; time to reinforce non-cognitive skills and revisit what has been learned. Moreover, this school model supports adequate nutrition for the most vulnerable students and allows parents, especially mothers, to work. Approximately half of the students attending FTSs belong to the poorest 40 percent of the population. “The abilities of Uruguayan students —what they learn and understand— will determine the future of this country. The project adopts an integrative approach to prepare students, especially the most vulnerable ones, for secondary education,” said Jesko Hentschel, World Bank Director for Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. “We support the expansion of the full time school model in Uruguay, but this project goes even further, starting with the youngest, training the teachers and supporting school transitions,” he added. Details of the project: Early Childhood Education. The project will enable more three-year-olds to enter the education system and receive quality education. New classrooms will be constructed, and new teacher training systems created. The project will also strengthen the Early Education Evaluation System, a feedback mechanism for teachers to understand the progress and development stages of their students, information that will allow teachers to empower students to reach the level of development that corresponds with their age. Primary Education. The project will finance the expansion of FTSs, improving buildings and strengthening teacher capacities, with a strong emphasis on assisting underperforming students. The project aims to construct, overhaul and expand the buildings of the approximately 20 full time schools, as well as maintaining existing facilities. Supervisors, school directors and preschool teachers will be trained to strengthen cognitive abilities and socio-emotional skills of underperforming students. Primary to Secondary School Transition. At-risk students will be supported in their transition from primary to secondary schools. The project will provide training for sixth-grade students in skills needed for their success in secondary education, which include organizational skills and study techniques, as well as reading and writing skills. Additionally, the project will introduce a set of pilot partnerships between primary and secondary schools, aimed at strengthening student transitions between the two.   Monitoring and Evaluation. The project seeks to improve the education system’s monitoring and evaluation capacities, by creating, amongst others, an Early Warning System that allows for the timely identification of at-risk students and the targeting of specific dropout prevention programs. The US$40 million World Bank loan has a variable margin, a 20.5-year maturity period and a 15-year grace period. — Learn more about the work of the World Bank in Uruguay: http://www.worldbank.org/uy 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

“Yo me desnudo frente a ellos, es decir les cuento cosas muy personales de modo que ellos entiendan y sientan que este es un espacio de mucha armonía y respeto”, cuenta Lorena Méndez, quien desde hace 12 años encabeza el colectivo La Lleca, un proyecto de intervención artística- social que trabaja con presos en cárceles de la Ciudad de México.  A través de talleres como radio, fotografía, poesía o performance La Lleca promueve la confianza, la comunicación respetuosa y el juego entre los internos de los penales buscando crear una relación armoniosa entre ellos y su entorno. Este colectivo se compone de voluntarios de diversas disciplinas como psicólogos, ingenieros, comunicadores o artistas plásticos, es un proyecto independiente en el que cada uno de sus integrantes dona los recursos para las actividades que desarrollan con los presos. El trabajo de este colectivo se suma a otros que se han realizado en diversas prisiones de la región latinoamericana como Mejorando la empleabilidad en el Penal de Cusco, apoyado por el Banco Mundial en Perú, dentro del cual también se busca evitar la reincidencia de la población carcelaria y promover una mejor condición para la reinserción social de los internos al salir de prisión. La Lleca trabaja en sensibilizar a las personas en reclusión, consideran que potenciar el lado humano, mostrar afecto y solidaridad es una vía para poder iniciar un proceso de desarrollo personal, intentan mostrar a los internos que también hay otras formas de interacción como la comunicación no violenta y el diálogo respetuoso. Así por más de una década La Lleca ha trabajado con más de 1500 presos (hombres y mujeres) en las cárceles de la capital mexicana, contando con el apoyo de 75 voluntarios intermitentes desde su creación.   

The lionfish is an undeniable head-turner. With its vibrant – and venomous – spines radiating from its head like a lion’s mane, its voracious appetite and incredible resilience makes it the perfect hunter, a king in the aquatic jungle. Howeve…

Organization: Management Systems International
Country: Colombia
Closing date: 19 Jan 2017

Resumen del Proyecto:

Colombia Transforma es un programa financiado por USAID/OTI. Transforma proporciona apoyo orientado estratégicamente para lograr una paz sostenible en Colombia. El objetivo inicial será el de mejorar la capacidad de Colombia para implementar una respuesta rápida durante los primeros 36 meses después de la firma de un acuerdo de paz.

Resumen del Cargo:

Esta posición es responsable para la identificación y el desarrollo de las actividades y de las actividades del campo. El Oficial de Desarrollo de Programas (PDO) para el equipo Nacional va a hacer y mantener relaciones con socios clave, funcionarios locales y líderes comunitarios. Va a diseñar actividades y donaciones, se coordina con el liderazgo del programa, y trabaja en estrecha colaboración con los beneficiarios / socios. La PDO es también responsable de la coordinación de cambios políticos y la situación de seguridad de su región asignada y transmitir esa información a SMT. Apoya al monitoreo y evaluación de manera continua para las actividades durante la ejecución de la actividad. Esta posición estará basada en Bogota.

*Aclaración Importante: Esta es una posición local. Solo candidatos que sean ciudadanos Colombianos serán considerados.*

Responsabilidades:

Guiar la estrategia del Programa

· Trabajar con el Jefe del Partido, Adjunto Jefe del Partido, Asesor Técnico Principal y representativos de OTI a formular la estrategia del programa e identificar las áreas geográficas y grupos de población más vulnerables a las presiones políticas adversas para el desarrollo del programa.

· Viajar a zonas remotas ya menudo de Alto riesgo para llegar a las comunidades más estratégicamente orientadas para la recopilación de información y las evaluaciones cuando sea necesario.

Desarrollar Ideas de Actividades

· Identificar las comunidades y grupos de la comunidad en el área de la responsabilidad en que los objetivos del programa se pueden cumplir y las ideas proyecto de actividad.

· Después de que las actividades han tenido evaluaciones iniciales y considerado viable, escribir subvención en la actividad de base de datos.

· En colaboración con el Oficial de Monitoreo y Evaluación, establecer indicaciones y un plan de monitoreo en cada proyecto.

· Preparar paquetes de subvenciones para la revisión por el COP y el DCOP.

Servir como enlace con los concesionarios y Contrapartes

· Preparar y conducir el desarrollo e implementación de reuniones de desarrollo del proyecto y la implementación con el United States Agency for International Development (USAID) The Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI).

· Mantener relaciones de trabajo y servir de enlace con las contrapartes del proyecto, así como las organizaciones internacionales, agencias de la ONU y las autoridades locales y nacionales, según corresponda.

Supervisar el Progreso de las Actividades

· Colaborar en la respuesta a las solicitudes especiales de información, y también reportar al USAID.

· Apoyar el especialista de subvenciones con la revisión de entregables finales antes de presentar a la COP para la actividad se cierran a cabo.

· Apoyar el oficial de M&E con la recopilación de datos, según sea necesario, y con contribuciones a los informes finales de evaluación.

· Ayudar al especialista de comunicación y reportajes en la preparación de historias de éxito/ anécdotas de los proyectos y otra información pública, incluyendo fotografías, tanto para fines internos y externos.

· Supervisar el Oficial de Campo a apoyar las subvenciones.

· Usar la base de datos del proyecto para la gestión de la actividad, incluyendo entrada notas actividad de visitas y otras actualizaciones en ejecución de la actividad.

· Dar entrenamiento y supervisor como necesario.

· Hacer otras tareas como necesario.

Competencias:

· Título universitario en Ciencias Sociales y / o desarrollo de la comunidad o, alternativamente, combinación de educación y experiencia profesional relacionada.

· Mínimo de tres años de experiencia trabajando en el desarrollo y ejecución de proyectos, preferentemente relacionada con el desarrollo de la comunidad y / o conflicto, después de los conflictos y los problemas de construcción de paz.

· Experiencia de trabajo con programas de transición política es una ventaja.

· Experiencia de campo demostrada en zonas afectadas por el conflicto.

· Experiencia de trabajo en esos papeles con proyectos de USAID, OTI, es deseable.

· Conocimiento de la planificación y ejecución de los programas.

· Conocimiento previo de todos los programas de Microsoft Office (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook y FrontPage).

· Determinación, compromiso, eficiencia y adaptabilidad.

· Excelente comunicación y habilidades de negociación.

· Comprensión de los entornos sociopolíticos complejos, especialmente de las situaciones posteriores a los conflictos.

· Capacidad para trabajar en condiciones difíciles, manteniendo la conciencia de seguridad.

· Capacidad para trabajar de manera efectiva y armoniosamente bajo presión en un ambiente estresante y con colegas de diferentes orígenes culturales y profesionales.

· Disponibilidad para viajar en áreas de alto riesgo es esencial.

· Hablado y escrito fluidez Inglés es deseable.

How to apply:

Para aplicar:

http://chc.tbe.taleo.net/chc01/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=MSI&cws=2&rid=5515

Organization: Semilla Nueva
Country: Guatemala
Closing date: 28 Feb 2017

We are hiring Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Coordinator to oversee the impact assessment, continual monitoring, and reporting of our programs. Over the last three years we have worked hard to develop strong relationships with funding institutions that support our work including the Inter-American Foundation, Conservation, Food and Health Foundation, and Rotary International among others. The M&E Coordinator will take the lead in submitting program and financial reports to all donors, explaining our successes and lessons learned to maintain and grow these relationships.

The Coordinator will also take lead on developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems as we begin to launch our first commercial enterprise. In 2016, Semilla Nueva shifted to a focus in biofortification, and our M&E systems need to be updated to reflect this shift in programmatic focus. This position would allow for the design and management of systems to measure our impact through social marketing as well as identify our reach across the country, as we scale through partners.

The position will be based primarily in the SN main office in Guatemala City. While the majority of the work is office-based, the position will require frequent travel to our communities and Experimental Center in Suchitepequez for impact assessment activities including surveys, data-gathering, and participation at community and regional events with farmers and NGOs.

Qualifications

Required:

· Excellent writing/communications skills

· Experience in developing, implementing and/or maintaining monitoring and evaluation systems; a solid understanding of M&E practices

· Donor reporting experience

· Grant writing and project design experience

· Spanish-English Bilingual

· International Development experience

· Demonstrated interest in rural agriculture and food security

· Budgeting experience (monitoring program budgets)

· Demonstrated leadership, stress-management and flexibility in the work environment

· Ability to drive a manual transmission vehicle (for travel to the field)

Desired:

· Accounting or financial management experience

· Agricultural Experience/knowledge

· Donor relationship management experience

Expectations

• Full-time position based in Guatemala City

• Minimum commitment one year, preferably two

• Ability to work independently, proactively, and prioritize/coordinate a variety of activities

• Ability to creatively problem-solve in difficult work environments

• Must be comfortable traveling to and staying in rural parts of Guatemala with difficult living conditions.

• Must be comfortable driving in Guatemala and have a valid Driver’s License

Specific Tasks

1. Monitor and report on existing grants – SN currently has roughly 11 major funders (and growing) to whom we are required to submit both program and financial reports at various intervals, requiring the ability to multitask and maintain information on all current grants at once. This requires gathering appropriate data from field team and executing various M&E activities to obtain information for program reports, speaking with the Development Director to understand the grant goals and the grantors’ interests to develop an appropriate narrative, and working with the accountant to ensure adequate management of grant funds and development of financial reports.

2. Develop and Maintain M&E tools – Our current team has developed tools to gather information on a frequent basis, including an annual community survey, experimental parcel analysis packets which are filled out with each farmer, participation lists and databases to monitor growing participation in our programs, and more. After shifting our focus toward biofortification in 2016, these systems – while important for the current reporting we are required to do, and a good base for future M&E – are in need of an upgrade. The incoming M&E Coordinator will be responsible for designing an updated system, and collecting data on new indicators such as responses to our social marketing campaigns, sales efforts, and collaborative work around the country. This data is gathered for reporting purposes, communications materials, and for our Quarterly and Annual Reports to the Board of Directors. This part of the job will require the most leadership and creativity.

3. Financial Oversight – The M&E Director will assist the Financial and Administrative Director on monitoring project budgets and developing budget performance reports for various entities. The Coordinator will participate in the regular communication between the development and finance/admin team to ensure that the allocation of donations is appropriate, accurate and reported correctly.

4. Relationship Building – The M&E Coordinator will also work to ensure that our funders are kept up to date with our progress, building relationships and ensuring future funding. This may include off-schedule update reporting, leading in-country verification visits, and working with the development team to ensure that foundations are kept up to date on the programs they fund. This will require excellent public relations skills and the ability to gather both qualitative and quantitate information from our programs and adequately and appropriately communicate it to a number of diverse institutions.

Beginning date: ASAP

How to apply:

Before applying, please review our website, blog, and annual reports which are found at www.Semillanueva.org

To apply please send a cover letter explaining your interest in SN and the position and a current, detailed CV to trabajo@semillanueva.org. Please note “M&E Coordinator” in the subject line.

Tanques, fuego cruzado, miseria. Terror. 70 imágenes de 14 fotorreporteras reconocidas internacionalmente se muestran en una exposición en el Palacio Madama de Turín, un museo en el que la mujer, como creadora o protagonista, se rebela y reivindica su papel en la Historia

Menores viven, trabajan, incluso se prostituyen en las calles de Atenas para poder continuar su viaje a Europa

Las comunidades del lago de Bizerte, en Túnez, ven mermadas sus oportunidades vitales por la contaminación

Un relato fotográfico sobre los dramáticos efectos del tifón Haiyán en Filipinas, en 2013, que sigue recibiendo galardones

Reflexiones sobre el atentado de París del que se cumplen ahora dos años

Proyectos de tecnología e infraestructura tratan de mejorar la vida de los indígenas de la región del Chaco

Although Latin America has experienced strong economic growth and a reduction in poverty and inequality over the past decade, it is no stranger to social conflicts. Consequently, it is necessary to become familiar with the needs and aspirations of the most vulnerable sectors in advance to reduce potential crises and improve the quality of life of lower-income populations. To this end, Peru has taken the initiative of adopting a national law that regulates the process of prior consultation with indigenous populations. The first results of this law have been compiled in the report ¨Prior Consultation in Peru: Lessons and Challenges" (Spanish).  German Freire, a social development expert at the World Bank, explains how the prior consultation process works, why it is important for Peru and the region and what future indigenous and rural communities of Latin America can expect: Question: What is prior consultation and when does it take place?  Answer: Prior consultation is an internationally recognized right established in ILO Convention 169 and ratified by 15 Latin American countries, including Peru, where it has been a law since 2011. But more than a law, it is a dialogue tool that helps conciliate the interests of majority populations with those of the indigenous population. Prior consultation is an inclusion mechanism and a channel for giving a voice and vote to indigenous peoples with respect to the programs, projects, plans and laws that potentially affect their interests, cultures or lifestyles. Prior consultation is implemented when the collective rights of indigenous peoples are potentially affected. In Peruvian law, this process does not include the delivery of public services, such as water and sanitation or electricity, for example, unless they affect their collective rights. But, for example, when a law is proposed to establish a national park in Amazonas Region and that park overlaps traditional indigenous lands, collective rights are affected since the regulation could limit that population’s access to resources it has used for centuries and that it depends on for survival. This becomes a topic for prior consultation. This also occurs when a proposed waterway, or river “highway” project would cross through indigenous lands. Other mechanisms of citizen participation that are sensitive to the cultural differences and world views of indigenous peoples complement prior consultation processes. Q: Why is prior consultation important? A: Some public and private sectors mistakenly view prior consultation as a requirement that does not add value to their activities. They perceive it as a long, costly process that slows project development and ultimately discourages investment. However, experience has shown that on indigenous lands, “conventional development” does not always have the desired impact, and indigenous peoples may not benefit as much as the rest of the population or are adversely affected by projects that in theory should benefit them. This partly explains the persistence of gaps, for example. Indigenous peoples in the region are three times more likely to be poor than the rest of the population. Although consultation is not a mechanism for resolving conflicts, developing a project that is culturally pertinent and sensitive to local visions and expectations, where indigenous peoples have an opportunity to speak for themselves, is much less likely to create social conflict. If the reasons behind most social conflicts in Peru are analyzed, it becomes clear that regardless of whether they are related to mining projects or other activities, the local population rarely opposes the projects themselves, but rather the terms of their inclusion, or their exclusion from the benefits. Dialogue is what most communities involved in a conflict demand. Engaging in dialogue undoubtedly comes at a cost for companies and the government, but today we know that the cost of not implementing prior consultation is much greater, especially in the medium term, when conflicts or disagreements arise that delay works and development plans. Q: How did Peru become a reference for prior consultation in Latin America? A: Currently, there is considerable pro-indigenous legislation throughout Latin America and consultations are carried out in practically all the countries. However, Peru was the first country to promote a national law and to regulate the right to prior consultation. It has also been innovating the practical definition of the right to consultation, as well as the operational questions of how, what, where, when and who should be consulted about a specific measure. None of those questions has a single answer, but Peru has developed some concrete, functional strategies. The country proposes a structured form of prior consultation. This is reflected in the protocols, support materials and literature produced by the Ministry of Culture on prior consultation processes. These materials include the Ministry’s Database on Indigenous Peoples , one of the most complete I’ve seen in the region. They’ve also created a national registry of translators and facilitators on consultation issues, a key tool for both for the Peruvian government and private firms, since they use this registry and the services of the personnel that the Ministry is training. Additionally, they have just launched a consultation monitoring system, which is crucial for guaranteeing transparency and compliance with agreements.  These tools do not exist in other countries of the region. Q: How many prior consultations have taken place in Peru and what is an example of the agreements made during these processes? A: There were 24 when we carried out the study with the Ministry of Culture, but there are now several more. Although that doesn’t seem like a lot, it took considerable effort to get there, mainly because of the speculation following the passage of the law and its regulations. Critics of the law argued that consulting indigenous people would lead to more social conflicts, delay the projects consulted and halt investment. The main lesson of these initial consultation processes is that those fears were unfounded. The 24 processes completed until early 2016 all resulted in agreements that were achieved within a reasonable period. For example, some indigenous peoples asked to participate in the design of the terms of reference of the environmental impact studies since they felt that if they were not involved beginning in that phase, the questions that were important to them would not be included in the studies and they would not have the key information or data to structure their arguments. The problem is that an inflexible interpretation of the law would impede them from participating in the discussion of the results. We believe that prior consultation should be viewed as part of a broader, ongoing dialogue with indigenous peoples, not just as a moment in time or another administrative requirement. In Peru, prior consultation agreements are legally binding. This is no minor detail because other dialogue or conflict resolution mechanisms, such as dialogue roundtables, are not binding. Consequently, most of the social conflicts in Peru stem from a previous conflict since agreements are frequently forgotten once the crisis is resolved. Q: How does prior consultation benefit the future of indigenous peoples? A: The reason prior consultation exists is because conventional citizen participation mechanisms tend to fail the indigenous sector of the population. Personally, I think that Latin America should strive to integrate the intercultural dialogue mechanisms that are part of the prior consultation process into government activities to create truly inclusive states that respect the identity and dignity of indigenous peoples. Peru’s Ministry of Culture has stated that prior consultation should complement rather than replace other mechanisms of citizen participation. The challenge is to integrate the results of these consultation processes into the self-development plans of the peoples consulted so that those processes will not become one-time procedures to adopt a law or project. Instead, they should become a real window for social inclusion. The development of all regions of the country should continue down this path of intercultural dialogue so that indigenous peoples can participate and can always be heard.