Stand with us to help make land rights a reality for millions of women around the world

In March 2019, the World Bank and several other development organizations launched s4hl_image_4_0Stand For Her Land,” a global advocacy campaign that aims to realize women’s equal access to land and properties worldwide. Let me share with you why this is important.

For more than 25 years, the World Bank supported over 50 countries in reforming land and property registration systems through modernizing laws and regulations, strengthening institutions, and issuing titles for all properties to lawful land owners. They often use land titles to access credit to improve their land and dwellings – and expand businesses or open new ones, generating jobs, boosting productivity, and increasing incomes. Furthermore, research has shown that secure land and property rights provide incentives for people to invest in agricultural land.

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Small Investment, Big Difference: Managing Accumulated Waste in Yemen

Before the conflict began in Yemen in 2015, 10-year-old Raheeb Al Kamali used to play yemenfootball in a playground with his friends every afternoon in the AlTawahi District of Aden. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were his sporting heroes. He would run across the playground kicking the ball, imitating his heroes. Undoubtedly, it used to be the best part of his day. To play for Yemen’s national football team one day was his dream.

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eC2: Support for the improvement of daily balancing system in Gas Distribution Operators and further synchronization with the Transmission System Operator

Deadline: 03-Jun-2019 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)gas

The objective of this assignment is to provide support to the national energy regulator of Ukraine, in the assessment of existing daily balancing system for gas distribution system operators (DSOs) and its further synchronization with the transmission system operator (TSO) including, among other things, adequate metering, aggregation, reporting and reconciliation of daily volumes along the gas supply chain from the TSO to DSOs and final users of gas. The assignment will support the implementation of agreed reform actions and as needed, provide just-in-time advice to the Regulator on matters related to the improvement of the daily balancing system for transmission and distribution. Continue reading

eC2: Renewable Energy and Storage Development in Zanzibar

Deadline: 27-May-2019 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)

U.S. Electricity Output Rose 6.2% From A Year Earlier

The objective of this work is to enable the integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) and battery storage into the Zanzibar electricity grid, thereby contributing to the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibars (RGOZ) efforts in energy security, diversification of supply options and financial and operational sustainability. The study will provide guidance to Zanzibar on the techno-economic underpinnings for developing and integrating variable renewable energy technologies into the power system, and the possible implications on structuring of the ownership of storage and solar as a PPP.
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Financial Inclusion Beyond Payments: Policy Considerations for Digital Savings

Across the developing world, financial institutions have leveraged digital technologies and innovative business models to expand access to digital financial services (DFS), such index.jpgas digital transaction accounts and payment services, which serve as the gateway to financial inclusion. Providers are now diversifying their products offerings to newer DFS, such as credit, insurance, and savings. A recent World Bank Group report examines DFS products geared toward longer-term savings. Financial Inclusion Beyond Payments: Policy Considerations for Digital Savings, looks at how these digital savings products—though not yet mature–have the potential to advance an important element of digital financial inclusion.

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eC2: Identification of local and regional market opportunities and end-market consumption of cocoa-based products for Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana

Deadline: 30-May-2019 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.) index

The objective of the assignment is to conduct an analysis of the local and regional market opportunities for cocoa-based products in the cluster cocoa production countries (Ghana, Côte dIvoire, Nigeria and Togo), and Senegal and Cape Vert the two (2) West African countries having the highest GDP per capita. More specifically, the study aims to:
– Identify and analyze the current local and regional market and potential opportunities for increased downstream uses of and end-market consumption of cocoa-based products;
– Perform an accurate market-sizing exercise for each of the different markets (i.e. Ghana, Côte dIvoire, and West African as a region) in terms of volume and value;
– Perform an analysis to determine the level of investment and capacity-building needed to develop these opportunities.

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eC2: Independent Summative Evaluation (ISE) of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and of GPEs work associated with the GPE 2020 strategy

Deadline: 27-May-2019 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.) for-better-early-childhood-care-and-education-in-sri-lanka

A summary of the main supporting activities envisioned (though the consultants are invited to propose alternate arrangements) is below, but details will be elaborated in the request for proposals (RFP).
1. Throughout, participate in consultations seeking input from stakeholders, the IEC, the SIC, the Board, the GPE Secretariat, and GPE partners.
2.Based on the RFP guidance, further refine the evaluation questions and the methodological design as part of the inception note development.
3.Conduct the evaluation (reviewing existing data and reports and carrying out new data collection as necessary, developing and presenting progress reports and an intermediate report along the way).
4.Participate in review processes with the IEC and edit and refine the final evaluation and outputs.
5.Package all outputs for publication and presentation.
6.Present the findings in meetings about the evaluation.

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How digital remittances can help drive sustainable development

More people in the world have access to financial accounts and tools than ever before. 1_Ih2VtGVLThAmRgcpvx3u9AWith this access, new products and services are being developed to facilitate convenient usage of these accounts. Taking this a step further, healthy financial inclusion incorporates customers’ ability to balance income and expenses, build and maintain reserves, and to manage and recover from financial shocks using a range of financial tools. The most useful financial services are those that provide customers with convenience, and support resilience through enhanced ability to weather shocks and pursue financial goals; effectively supporting the financial health of the user.

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Harnessing creativity for change: The art of resilience

Scientists are constantly getting better at knowing when the next hurricane, landslide, or aofr-facebook_0.pngflood will happen. However, science communication about these disasters lags behind. As Leonardo da Vinci described, art has a unique power to communicate this type of knowledge to people everywhere.  

Natural events and disasters of the past have influenced some of the most iconic art of our time. From Turner’s sunsets to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein – both were composed in the shadow of the greatest volcanic eruption of our age, Mount Tambora in 1815. The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Japanese artist Hokusai (c. 1829–33) has been interpreted as a warning about tsunami risk. In an era of increasing natural hazards and climate change, art can also communicate the future risks we face.

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Preventing and controlling corruption: A modern approach to procurement

Supporting good governance and addressing corruption are integral to the Bank’s modern_procurement_blogdevelopment work. Introduced in July 2016, the World Bank’s Procurement Framework plays an important role in this effort by emphasizing value for money (vfm) and fair competition and the highest level of integrity to encourage the participation of the best-performing suppliers. VfM means the optimal combination of quality, whole-life costs and sustainability. This approach also enables selection of innovative technologies to address complex development challenges.

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