Food Assistance Remains a Critical Safety Net for the Poor and Vulnerable

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

World Bank Supports the Dominican Republic to Better Prepare for Hurricanes and other Natural Disasters

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

Disaster Risk Management Development Policy Loan with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option

WASHINGTON, September 28, 2017 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project: Dominican Republic – Disaster Risk Management Development Policy Loan with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option IBRD Loan: US$150 million Terms: Maturity = 19 Years, Grace = 12 Years Project ID: P159351 Project Description:  The objective of the project is to support the efforts of the Government of the Dominican Republic to quickly mobilize resources in the aftermath of a natural catastrophe including public health-related events and to strengthen the government’s capacity for disaster risk management, climate adaptation, and financial resilience. Contact: Christelle Chapoy +1(202) 458 2656  More information:  http://projects.worldbank.org/P159351?lang=en  

The 1.5 Billion People Question: Food, Vouchers, or Cash Transfers?

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

Banco Mundial apoya a la República Dominicana para estar mejor preparada ante huracanes y otros desastres naturales

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

Cuba: Human Resources Assistant, (GS-6), La Habana, Cuba

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

Post Title:Human Resources AssistantProposed Level: G-6Duty Station: La Habana, CubaSupervisor: Operations Officer

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

For every child, a champion

Under the supervision and guidance of the Operations Officer, the Human Resources Assistant provides administrative, procedural and operational support and assistance to the efficient implementation of a broad range of Human Resources functions for all categories of staff in his/her office, ensuring accurate and timely delivery, whilst promoting a client-based, quality and results orientated approach to the unit and ensuring compliance with UNICEF HR rules and regulations.

How can you make a difference?

The efficiency and efficacy of the support and assistance provided by the Human Resources Assistant supports the strengthening of the offices’ capacity in attracting, retaining and motivating staff of the highest caliber within his/her office, which in turn strengthens UNICEF’s capacity in helping the most vulnerable women and children in a particular country programme.

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

• Support in processing of entitlements and benefits• Support in recruitment and placement• Support in learning and development• Support in organization design and job classification• Time Attendance• Support in change management• Staff performance management and career development

Support in processing of entitlement and benefits

  • In consultation with supervisor, analyze, research, verify, and compile data and information on cases that do not conform to UN or UNICEF’s HR Rules & Regulations, to support consistent and equitable application of decisions and implementation of agreed upon action.
  • In consultation with supervisor, analyze, research and verify information for the purpose of responding to staff queries on areas related to benefits and entitlements.
  • Processes entitlements and benefits for local staff in accordance with UNICEF rules and regulations, by ensuring all relevant forms are completed by staff and data is entered into VISION.
  • Maintains and prepares all personnel-related records and files, ensuring all information on each staff member is up-to-date and accurate.
  • Support in recruitment and placement including Consultants

  • Drafts vacancy announcements for positions within his/her office for review by supervisor to help attract ideal candidates.
  • Ensures timely and efficient screening of applications for minimum eligibility, taking into account qualifications, competencies, and post requirements.
  • Analyze, research, verify, and compile data which facilitates preparation of workforce planning reports for supervisor to review against benchmarks i.e. Gender and geographical balance and other recruitment related key performance indicators.
  • Liaises with candidates in the various stages of the recruitment process.
  • Prepares formal acknowledgement, offer and regret letters.
  • Records and maintains recruitment files, ensuring all necessary documentation has been prepared.
  • Monitors life-cycle of recruitment process to update supervisor as necessary.
  • Support in learning and development

  • In consultation with supervisor, researches and analyses data and information to help identify training needs within his/her country office for the development of learning plans and other targeted training interventions.
  • In consultation with supervisor, researches, analyzes, verifies, and compiles information on external training courses available and educational institutions to help supervisor decide on learning programmes that address learning gaps in his/her country office.
  • Assists team in organizing and conducting courses, workshops and events by participating in exercises which aim to build capacity of stakeholders.
  • Develops and processes contracts for institutions providing training and courses, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations.
  • Assists team in organizing and conducting courses, workshops and events by preparing and organizing distribution of materials for participants, ensuring availability of training venues and required equipment and supplies, while providing logistical and secretarial support at workshops and events as necessary.
  • Support in organisation on design and job classification

  • Participates in the review of GS positions specific JDs, ensuring effective application of ICSC methodology.
  • Drafts and edits job descriptions to be submitted for classification for review by supervisor.
  • Follows up and liaises with HQ and RO over status of requests to ensure timely completion.
  • Compiles and analyses information and statistics related to posts and staff for reports on staffing trends.
  • Prepares documents to be submitted for classification to RO and NYHQ, ensuring completeness of documentation.
  • Monitors life-cycle of all job classification requests to facilitate recruitment and organization planning.
  • Time Attendance

  • Maintains and updates a system which monitors the absence of staff.
  • Support in change management

  • Support in the implementation of change management activities, such as implementation of new HR systems and policies, PBR processes, etc.
  • Staff performance management and career development

  • Support Monitor completion of the Performance evaluation of the Country Office.
  • Supports supervisor in promoting a culture of candid, positive and timely feedback in the office.
  • Reviews and analyses information regarding career development and supports supervisor in identifying career development challenges and opportunities.
  • For every Child, you demonstrate:

    Core Values:

  • Commitment
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Integrity
  • Core competencies

  • Communication (II)
  • Working with people (II)
  • Drive for results (II)
  • Functional Competencies

  • Analyzing (II)
  • Applying technical expertise (II)
  • Planning and organizing (II)
  • Following Instructions and Procedures (II)
  • To qualify as a champion for every child you will have:

  • Education: Completion of university education, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the Human Resources work.
  • Experience: A minimum of 6 years of progressively responsible human resources, administrative or clerical work experience required.
  • Language: Fluency in Spanish and English required.
  • General Service Staff are recruited locally. Candidates must be in possession of an existing work permit or resident/citizen of Cuba to be considered eligible for this post. Please note that General Service (GS) staff are locally recruited staff and therefore, candidates are personally responsible for any travel and accommodation arrangements.

    UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.

    How to apply:

    UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=507256

    El profesor que media entre la guerra y el hambre

    Para personas como Robert Ocan, la huida es un acto reflejo, un gesto entrenado. Convertido en líder comunitario, conduce a los más de dos millones de refugiados sursudaneses en su escapada y exilio