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WBG Pioneer

Workingat the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help ourclients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group isone of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; aunique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extremepoverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development.With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work withpublic and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects andusing data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgentglobal challenges. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org

SpecificUnit Description - Environment Global Practice in Latin America and CaribbeanRegion (LCR)

Sustainableenvironment and natural resources management are at the heart of the WBG'spoverty and jobs agenda. Biodiversity and natural resources constitute thesocial safety net of the poor, representing a food bank and often their onlysource of livelihood. Sustainable environmental and natural resources management promote a green,clean, and resilient world where natural resources - from forests to fisheries,freshwater, oceans, coastal zones, and ecosystems - are managed to supportlivelihoods and strong economies. Sustainable Environmental and NaturalResources Management builds a world better prepared for shocks and globalchallenges, helping countries limit their exposure to resource scarcity,more-volatile weather patterns, and the long-term consequences of climatechange.
TheEnvironment Natural Resources & Blue Economy Global Practice (ENV GP) hasfour key business lines consisting of lending and non-lending services in (1)Forests, Watersheds and Sustainable Landscapes (Green business line); (2)Marine, Coastal, Aquatic Resources and Ocean Health (Blue Economy businessline); (3) Pollution Management and Environmental Health (Pollution Managementbusiness line); and (4) Environmental Economics, (Policies and InstitutionsBusiness line).

Regional context:

The Caribbean Sea covers lessthan one percent of the world's ocean surface - approximately 2.75 millionsquare kilometers - yet it is the economic and ecological lifeline of 34coastal and small island states and territories, home to roughly 40 million people.It is one of the most ocean-dependent regions on earth. A World Bank studyestimated that Caribbean waters generated US407 billion in gross revenue in2012, equivalent to nearly 18 percent of Caribbean GDP when including mainlandcoastal countries. This figure, already significant, is likely anunderestimate, since it does not fully capture the value of ecosystem servicessuch as coastal protection, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. 
Theregion's ocean assets span some of the world's most biodiverse marineecosystems: the largest barrier reef in the Americas (in Belize), extensivemangrove forests, seagrass beds, sandy beaches, and rich pelagic fishinggrounds. These natural assets underpin the three pillars of the Caribbeaneconomy: tourism, fisheries, and shipping. Tourism alone accounts for 50percent of GDP in parts of the Eastern Caribbean and supports some 40 percentof employment, making it the most tourism-dependent sub-region in the world.Marine fisheries, though representing a smaller share of GDP, are a criticalsource of food security, protein, and livelihoods for coastal communitiesthroughout the archipelago. 
TheBlue Economy framework offers a fundamentally different approach to managingthese assets. Rather than treating the ocean as a resource to be extracted, itpromotes the sustainable and integrated use of marine and coastal resources foreconomic growth, improved livelihoods, and job creation - while preserving thehealth of ocean ecosystems. This integrated vision spans both traditionalsectors like fisheries, tourism, and shipping, alongside emerging ones such asmariculture, marine renewable energy, blue biotechnology, blue ports, and bluefinance. 
TheWorld Bank has been a leading partner in the Caribbean Blue Economy agendasince at least 2014, when it supported Grenada's Blue Growth Strategy - one ofthe first such national strategies in the region. The Bank's engagement spansanalytical work (the Toward a Blue Economy flagship report; marinepollution, Blue Ports, and marine spatial planning studies), trust-fundedtechnical assistance through PROBLUE, and lending operations including UBEC(P171833, US86 million, covering Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, and the OECS Commission); Belize Blue Cities and Beyond (P181064);SVG-Coastal andMarine Ecosystems Management Strengthening Project (P172980) and Leveraging Eco-Tourism forBiodiversity Protection in Dominica (P170846). The Bank has committed todeepening this engagement, recognizing the Caribbean Blue Economyas both a regional development priority and a model for SIDS globally.
ThePioneer will contribute to the analytical, operational, and knowledge work ofthe ENV Practice Area team supporting the Caribbean's Blue Economy agenda. Theassignment aims to:

Strengthen the knowledge base underpinning Blue Economy policy and investment in the Caribbean.
Support implementation oversight and results monitoring for the regional UBEC project.
Contribute to stakeholder engagement and communications on Blue Economy themes.
Duties and Responsibilities

More specifically, the WB Pioneer will provide support to thepreparation and implementation of the Caribbean Blue Economy Program and theproposed projects, including, inter alia:

Knowledge, Data, andAnalytics:

Conduct literature reviews and desk research on priority Blue Economy sub-sectors (sustainable fisheries, marine tourism, coastal infrastructure, blue finance, and marine spatial planning) to inform project design and implementation.
Collect, analyze, and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data to support project activities, monitoring surveys, and the results framework.
Synthesize findings into accessible briefs, policy notes, or data visualizations for internal and external audiences.

Project ImplementationSupport:

Support the Task Team Leaders and project team in monitoring implementation progress across countries, including tracking results framework indicators, reviewing procurement and activity progress, and flagging bottlenecks for team discussion.
Contribute to the development and operationalization of the regional Blue Economy data-sharing platform.

Stakeholder Engagement andCommunications:

Liaise with government counterparts, NGOs, and other stakeholders under TTL guidance to gather information and facilitate project activities.
Support coordination and organization of consultations, webinars, and working group meetings with regional counterparts, the OECS Commission, government officials, and civil society.
Prepare and distribute event materials including agendas, presentations, and workshop handouts.
Assist to develop communications products such as blog posts and social media content related to the Caribbean Blue Economy work program.

Cross-Cutting Issues

Contribute to analysis on gender inclusion, climate resilience of coastal assets, Blue Ports, and private sector mobilization for blue finance and Blue MSMEs.