The LAC Digital Development Unit

Project list (in alphabetical order):

Argentina - Strengthening Data Infrastructure to Close the Digital Gap

This lending operation of a US$200 million IBRD loan aims to reinforce Argentina’s data infrastructure foundations, increase digital resilience, and foster digital uptake, while also enabling effective crisis response. Its five components are inclusive broadband connectivity, resilient data infrastructure, digital skills, project management and evaluation, and contingent emergency response. Expected results include at least 2 new data centers built to energy efficiency standards, reduced data center outage times by 30%, expanded high-speed broadband coverage, and increased employment opportunities through digital skills training.

Brazil - Espírito Santo Digital Acceleration

The Espírito Santo Digital Acceleration project in Brazil is designed to strengthen digital infrastructure resilience, modernize emergency management, and improve digital public infrastructure. The project is structured into four components: resilient data infrastructure, strengthened digital public infrastructure, modernized emergency management system, and project management. Expected results include energy-efficient data centers, increased digital account holders in the new portal (to at least 500,000, with a focus on women), and maintained quality levels in municipalities served by the Integrated Center for Social Defense. The total operation cost is US$76.67 million, with US$61.22 million financed by IBRD/IDA and US$15.46 million coming from counterpart funding.

Brazil - Sergipe Efficient Digital Acceleration

The Sergipe Efficient Digital Acceleration project in Brazil aims to increase access to and use of sustainable digital services and infrastructure. The lending operation funds resilient digital infrastructure, digital transformation, efficient and distributed power systems, and project management. Expected results include increased broadband internet users by at least 100,000 people (including youth, women, and people with disabilities), more users of digitally enabled services, and projected lifetime energy savings. The total operation cost is US$75.5 million, with US$53.6 million financed by IBRD and US$21.9 million coming from non-World Bank Group sources.

Caribbean Digital Transformation

The Caribbean Digital Transformation Project works towards increasing access to digital services, technologies, and skills for governments, businesses, and individuals in Eastern Caribbean countries. Its four components are digital enabling environment (US$15 million); digital government infrastructure, platforms, and services (US$46.85 million); digital skills and technology adoption (US$22.15 million); and, project implementation support (US$10 million). Expected results include high-speed internet access for at least 70% of the population of the participating Eastern Caribbean Countries. The operation also strives to extend interoperable public service platforms, inclusive digital payment systems, support for startups, and improved digital literacy. The total funding for the project is US$99.56 million, with US$94 million initially allocated and additional US$5.56 million included afterwards.

Grenada - Digital Government for Resilience

The Grenada Digital Government for Resilience project aims to enhance the efficiency, uptake, and resilience of selected government digital services. Its three components focus on developing the enabling environment for service delivery, leveraging digital technologies for high-priority e-services such as civil registry and tax administration, and strengthening institutions for digital governance and inclusion through capacity building and change management. Expected results include reduced time for tax transactions (reduction of the average time by at least 50%), increased daily digital civil registry transactions (to at least 100 per day), and reduced downtime for government services. The project is financed by a US$15 million IDA loan.

Haiti - Digital Acceleration

The Haiti Digital Acceleration project seeks to increase access to broadband services and to establish digital resilience foundations to respond to shocks. The project’s main components are the creation of an enabling environment for digital infrastructure and services and the expansion of broadband connectivity infrastructure. The total financing amount of this lending operation is US$60 million. With this credit, the project seeks to provide affordable and quality broadband access, improve digital skills, enhance public service delivery, build a more competitive digital market, and strengthen resilience to disasters and pandemics, with a focus on inclusion and citizen feedback. One of the operation’s targets is for access to broadband services to reach at least 60% of the population by the end of the project.

Honduras - Strengthening National Civil Registry and Identification Ecosystem

The Strengthening Honduras’ National Civil Registry and Identification Ecosystem project aims to improve birth registration and minor identification, enabling access to public and private services for all. Financed by an IDA loan of US$40 million, this project aims to modernize and automate newborn registry processes, and to expand their identification; it seeks to modernize civil registration and digital identification services, including ID verification and authentication services; finally, it strengthens the institutional capacity of Honduras's National Registry of Persons, enhancing its capability to manage and safeguard personal data. This operation is expected to benefit 97% of newborns between 0 and 6 months, all the population between 6 and 17 years of age currently without IDs and the entire population of Honduras, who will benefit from strengthened ID systems.

Peru - Centralized Emergency Response System

This project aims to improve efficiency in planning, coordination, and response to emergencies and disasters in Metropolitan Lima and Callao. The project comprises four components: construction of the 911 emergency response service building, deployment of digital infrastructure for the 911 system, adoption enhancement of the 911 platform, and project supervision and management. Expected results include reduced emergency call connection times, fewer malicious calls, standardized protocols, and increased coordinated responses across agencies. The project is financed by a US$36.30 million loan from IBRD and US$8.8 million, from counterpart funding.

St. Maarten - Digital Government Transformation

This operation aims to enhance the access, the efficiency, and the resilience of selected administrative public services for citizens and businesses. Its components include the strengthening of the legal, regulatory, and institutional environment (US$4.37 million); the building of digital platforms for service delivery (US$5.04 million); the expansion of user-centered public services (US$2.59 million); and, a contingent emergency response component. The project, financed with a grant for the National Recovery Program Bureau, aims towards increasing the digital processing of the Certificate of Good Conduct applications and of economic license applications. It also strives for more registries connected to the interoperability platform, and improved service availability. The project expects that at least 80% of the Certificate of Good Conduct applications and of economic license applications will be processed digitally by the end of the operation.