World bank publications jun 2014 (19 risultati)

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Improving the returns to labour for low-paid workers is a key policy challenge, especially in low-income countries (LICs) where earnings increases are the single most important source of poverty reduction and an important engine of shared prosperity. Yet, the understanding of individual earnings dynamics remains limited. The small - but growing - body of empirical literature on the factors leading to larger and faster pay increases points to strong persistence in earnings over time. However, it remains unclear to what extent this is due to differences in individual endowments rather than to the fact that being in low-paying jobs itself undermines future earnings prospects, and to what extent determinants of earnings vary across types of activities and sectors. The knowledge gap is particularly large for LICs due to the limited availability of reliable panel data.This study uses unusually rich longitudinal data from Ghana and Tanzania to identify engines of, and barriers to, earnings and earnings mobility. It examines the relative role of individual endowmentssuch as gender, age, and skillsand characteristics of the job, but also focuses on the role of job switchesfor example, moves into and out of self-employment. The analysis also zooms in on the drivers of transitions between low-paying and high-paying jobs and addresses questions such as whether being low paid is a transitory or permanent phenomenon, and whether it has a scarring effect on an individual's employment prospects. The extent to which earnings dynamics differ for women and young adults is also discussed in detail. Tanzania and Ghana provide a particularly relevant context in which to examine these issues and the cross-country comparison helps shed light on the institutional factors that promote labor market mobility and entrepreneurship.The audience for this report is broad: it is an important read for policy makers, academics, and development practitioners interested in reducing poverty and promoting shared prosperity in Ghana and Tanzania. However, its relevance spans well beyond the two countries analysed to include all developing countries where self-employment in small-scale activities accounts for a very large proportion of all employment.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Biochar is the carbon-rich organic matter that remains after heating biomass under minimization of oxygen during a process called pyrolysis. Its relevance to deforestation, agricultural resilience, and energy production, particularly in developing countries, makes it an important issue. This report offers a review of what is known about opportunities and risks of biochar systems. Its aim is to provide a state of the art overview of current knowledge regarding biochar science. In that sense the report also offers a reconciling view on different scientific opinions about biochar providing an overall account that shows the various perspectives of its science and application. This includes soil and agricultural impacts of biochar, climate change impacts, social impacts, and competing uses of biomass.The report aims to contextualize the current scientific knowledge in order to put it at use to address the development- climate change nexus, including social and environmental sustainability. The report is organized as follows: chapter one offers some introductory comments and notes the increasing interest in biochar both from a scientific as well as from a practitioner's point of view; chapter two gives further background on biochar, describing its characteristics and outlining the way in which biochar systems function. Chapter three then considers the opportunities and risks of biochar systems, chapter four presents a typology of biochar systems emerging in practice, particularly in the developing world.New, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14040-based life-cycle assessments of the net climate change impact and the net economic profitability of three biochar systems with data collected from relatively advanced biochar projects were conducted for this report and are presented in chapter five, providing a novel understanding of the full life-cycle impacts of these known biochar systems. Chapter six investigates various aspects of technology adoption, including barriers to implementing promising systems, focusing on economics, carbon market access, and sociocultural barriers.Finally, the status of knowledge regarding biochar systems is interpreted in chapter seven to determine potential implications for future involvement in biochar research, policy, and project formulation. …

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Achieving universal health care requires understanding health labor markets dynamics to overcome constaints in human resources for health. This book helps to understand how key elements in health labor markets interact and how these interactions can help or hinder significant progress in health care coverage.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - In economic growth the largest differences between developed and developing economies are in innovation performances. Innovation is critical for growth, but it is increasingly important for addressing major development changes, such as those related to inclusion and sustainability.Recognising this pattern, many countries are promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. Market and government failures and other bottlenecks impede innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in developing countries. These countries need to build the capacity to find, absorb, and use new technologies and processes as well as foster entrepreneurs who can take risks, look for finance, and bring new products and processes to market.The Independent Evaluation Group reviewed the investment portfolio in innovation and entrepreneurship interventions over the past decade across the World Bank Group. IEG found that this investment is substantial, but its effectiveness can be enhanced through broad, systemic efforts. Urgent action is required to enhance coordination, consultation, and linkages on innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives across networks, sectors, and regions.Another challenge is to develop practical solutions for people who earn less than $2 a dayan issue relevant to middle-income as well as low-income countries. Sustained efforts are required to identify different mechanisms and implementation arrangements that are effective and efficient. Monitoring and evaluation is also important for scale-up of promising interventions and mechanisms to effectively capture and share knowledge within and across the Bank Group.IEG presented a number of recommendations to strengthen the effectiveness of Bank Group support for innovation and entrepreneurship. They involved implementing a strategic framework that considers the new World Bank Group strategy and provides building blocks, examining alternative approaches for financing early-stage start-ups, and promoting knowledge sharing within the Bank Group in numerous ways.Both development and business audiences will be interested in this evaluation: the lessons distilled and examples highlighted can be applied in many business contexts.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Over the past two decades Vietnam has made enormous progress towards achieving universal coverage (UC) for its population. Significant challenges remain, however, in terms of improving equity with continuing low rates of enrollment. Ensuring financial protection also remains an elusive goal. The Master Plan for Universal Coverage approved in 2012 by the Prime Minister directly addresses both these deficiencies in coverage. The objective of this report is to assess the implementation of Vietnam SHI and provide options for moving towards UC. This is a joint assessment with development partners, World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and Rockefeller Foundation.Expanding breadth of coverage, particularly for those hard to reach groups such as the near-poor and informal sector would require substantially increasing general revenue subsidies and fully subsidizing the premiums for the near-poor. High enrollment rates would, however, have little impact on financial protection and equity if OOP costs remain high. Achieving UC will require sustained efforts to improve efficiency in the system, and gain better value for money from available budgetary resources; without these efforts, any further progress towards UC would be financially unsustainable.There is considerable scope for improving efficiency in Vietnam. Fragmentation in the pooling of funds gives rise to unnecessary costs. Inefficiencies in resource allocation and purchasing arrangements include: (i) an overly generous benefits package; (ii) provider payment mechanisms and the mix of incentives facing providers which result in an oversupply of services; (iii) high prices, overconsumption and inappropriate use of pharmaceuticals; and (iv) the structure and incentives embedded within the delivery system. The organization, management and governance of SHI are fragmented and often dysfunctional. The present institutional setting for SHI needs to be assessed and changed.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - In recent decades, resource-rich developing countries have been using their natural resources as collateral to access sources of finance for investment. This report provides an analytical discussion of RFI contracting from a project finance perspective.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This report quantifies labor mobility costs in developing countries and simulates the implied adjustment paths of employment and wages following a change in trade policy. High mobility costs are shown to reduce the potential gains to trade reform.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This book has been prepared by the World Bank, based on an extensive consultation-based diagnostic exercise initiated at the request from the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat. The EAC - in its ongoing efforts to deepen the economic linkages within its fast-growing region and strengthen the competitiveness of its Partner States launched a review of the conduciveness of the existing legal, regulatory, institutional and financial framework in place within the region to foster increased public-private partnership investments in regional infrastructure. The World Bank team, in close cooperation with the Secretariat and through a critical dialogue process with the Partner States also sought to provide recommendations on actions that can be taken by the EAC to augment its role in supporting this regional PPP agenda. This book details the diagnostic outcome and recommendations arising from this exercise. This includes the development of a EAC Policy on PPPs, the establishment of an EAC PPP Resource Centre within the East African Development Bank and further work to develop additional financial instruments such as Project Development Facilities and Viability Gap Funds to further leverage private sector regional PPP engagement and financing. The Report also recommends that the Secretariat establish a specialized Task Force team to carry this initiative forward with a timebound workplan.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Empirical research has found that entrepreneurial activity correlates positively with innovation and job creation, and governments around the world have shown a growing interest in interventions that promote entrepreneurial success. However, research on whether entrepreneurial success can be taught has reached mixed conclusions, and even the landscape of what is being taught is poorly known. This study looks closely at entrepreneurial education and training (EET) programs in three case study countries in Africa - Kenya, Ghana, and Mozambique - which are all experiencing sustained economic growth and diversification in their private sectors. It draws on both global and country-specific research and on the experience of stakeholders in the case countries. The study identifies practical insights relevant to various target groups, intended outcomes, and social and economic contexts.Overall, it paints a comprehensive picture of both the context for entrepreneurship and the landscape of programs in the case countries. Among its key findings are these: (i) Key macroeconomic trends give reason for optimism about the trajectory of private sector development, but serious barriers to entrepreneurship remain in each country. Corruption, prohibitively high taxes, and burdensome regulatory regimes remain impediments, along with crime. Stakeholders interviewed (potential and practicing entrepreneurs) also cite cultural disincentives and lack of access to finance. (ii) The EET program landscape is highly varied. The programs often emerge as responses to urgent challenges, such as urban youth unemployment, but in the aggregate they target a wide range of learners, from secondary students to university business majors to rural women, and their focus ranges from poverty reduction to attitudinal change. (iii) Too many programs are insufficiently tailored to their participants' backgrounds and needs, attempting to use a single curriculum with participants of varying ages, educational backgrounds, and expectations. (iv) Whereas stakeholders believe business acumen and an entrepreneurial mindset are key to business success, few programs address this. (v) Finally, stakeholders express a strong desire for more business community mentorship and for better access to finance; these are areas that some programs do address, and with positive results, but much more is needed.The findings in this report can inform EET policy and program dialogue at multiple levels, guiding the investment decisions that policymakers and government institutions must make and more clearly indicating where further research in the EET realm is most needed.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The demand for workforce skills is changing in Vietnam's dynamic economy. In addition to job-specific skills, Vietnamese employers value cognitive skills, like problem solving, and behavioral skills, like team work. This book presents an agenda of change for Vietnam's education system to prepare workers to succeed in Vietnam's modernizing economy.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This study is the culmination of efforts by Azerbaijani institutions and researchers, the World Bank, and a team of international experts to jointly undertake an analytical study to address potential impacts climate change may have on Azerbaijan's agricultural sector, but, more importantly, to develop a list of prioritised measures to adapt to those impacts. Specifically, this study provides a menu of options for climate change adaptation in the agricultural and water resources sectors.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The Modern Silk Route is offering a potential land-bridge between China and Europe through Central Asia and Russia that offers a complement to existing shipping routes, and is attracting growing interest by a selected number of multinational companies. However, the main role of the Silk Route is to support the development and integration of the region. Connectivity to the east and west, over exceptionally long distances, is critical to the development of the Central Asian countries, when trading globally and between themselves. Facilitating trade and transportation across many borders, remains a major challenge more than twenty years since the breakup of the former Soviet Union. The book revisits trade and transport connectivity through the Central Asia countries along the old Silk Route, based on knowledge from project implementation and field research. It takes the modern perspective of supply chain efficiency and logistics performance, which depends not only on infrastructure but also markets and policies. Since the breakup of the Former Soviet Union connectivity of Central Asia is a prominent agenda. The focus has been on physical improvements of specific transport corridors. But logistics performance remains very low, caused by inefficiencies, at national levels, of services and of trade and transport agencies, as well as lack of cross-border integration of trade and transit. The book suggests that the policy focus should not be just on physical trade routes. Rather, it stresses the focus on supply chain reliability, and proposes policy packages and enabling implementation practices, consistent across countries in the region in areas such as transportation, customs and border clearance, trade or transit. It also highlights the complementarity of the current initiatives, including the recent development of the Eurasian Customs Union, or the rising of trade and investment from China. …

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The harm to Pakistanis health, economy, and environment from urban air pollution is among the highest in South Asia, exceeding several high-profile causes of mortality and morbidity in Pakistan. This report details a broad spectrum of research on Pakistan's air quality management challenges and presents concrete steps to achieve improvements.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This study reviews the role and workings, with their strengths and weaknesses of last-resort income support (LRIS) programs in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It draws on a combination of household survey and administrative data for a large group of countries and detailed case studies for a smaller number of countries that span the spectrum of the income range in the region. It thus combines the value of wide, comparable multi-country work with that of in-depth, country-specific probing on key themes.The experiences of LRIS programs in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have demonstrated the technical feasibility of highly efficient poverty-targeted programs in the region. The detailed case studies suggest how programs can improve their coverage, control error and fraud and be implemented effectively in decentralized settings. This experience is pertinent to other regions as well, adding to the know-how for poverty targeting programs in middle and low income countries. Perhaps especially importantly, the book shows that means testing can be accomplished in settings with sizeable informal sectors and at reasonable administrative costs.The study also suggests that currently the role of last resort income support programs within the overall social protection systems of the region is often too small and that their eligibility thresholds should be revised and indexed, so that the programs continue to serve a meaningful swath of the low income households in each country. Moreover the programs can be used as the nexus to weave together a variety of income supports and services for low income households.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development stated that 'the impact of helping migrants and their families will be lasting and global if we link remittances to other financial services and make them more affordable and more relevant to their needs.'Remittances are a critical source of financing for most developing countries. The importance of remittances goes beyond numbers. For many households in developing countries, they are probably the most stable source of primary or additional income.At the same time, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks exposed the use and abuse of remittance channels for financing terrorism. In response to this threat, the international community issued new international anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) standards on remittance transfers and their service providers. For the first time, remittance service providers were required to be brought under the government oversight and either registered with or licensed by a competent authority, and to be subject to AML/CFT obligations.While the FATF Recommendations appear straightforward on paper, regulating and supervising in practice the money transfer business has proved to be a very challenging task in both developed and developing countries.This book assists policy makers, regulators, and supervisors of money transfer businesses to craft effective regulatory and supervisory frameworks governing remittances that meet international AML/CFT standards, while at the same time ensuring that the neediest have access to these crucial services.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The Municipal Finance Handbook conveys a fascinating, rich, and vigorous story on municipal finances to help local government practitioners, particularly staff of medium and large cities, in improving strategic management. The book aimed to be a basic learning instrument for local officers; however, central government staff, municipal consultants, and even university students will presumably find it very useful. The book is a good combination of theory, pragmatic how-to advices, and best practices derived from global experiences, many gained in World Bank projects. Studying trough examples and from city stories and guiding the readers by honestly explained real-life situation with simple numeric illustrations, summary comparative tables, and cases, and then telling what has worked and what has not, are among the prime didactic principles of this book. The eight chapters provide for a very comprehensive picture on municipal finances and exceptionally broad scope in the light of the comparable literature. The chapters cover an overview of fiscal decentralisation and intergovernmental finances; a glimpse into managing metropolises; detailed discussions on municipal financial management, managing local revenue, managing local expenditures, managing local assets, and managing external resources. Finally the book discusses performance measurement and provides for a tool for financial self-assessment. Practitioners seek ideas and tools on managing finances, because they are under pressure due to global crises and because devolution of responsibilities happened without adequate transfer of resources. Some municipalities have opportunities to access external funds without knowledge about how to tap in by programming priority investments, preparing fundable projects; and enhancing creditworthiness. The book advocates sound municipal management which requires improved governance and enhanced accountability supported by transparent budgets, good revenue administration, reliable customer services, proper outsourcing to public utilities, adequate asset management, prudential borrowing, and clear monitoring of performances.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Governments in Africa are showing increasing interest in tourism as a source of growth and diversification. Recent work indicates that tourism in Africa can contribute effectively to economic development. The tourism industry throughout Africa often operates below international competitive standards, but several products already meet international standards of excellence. This Notes examines the government's role in ensuring economic, environmental, and cultural sustainability, poverty alleviation, and social inclusion.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This study documents the effects of the 200809 global financial crisis on poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In doing so, it describes and decomposes the effects of the crisis on poverty using data from comparable household budget surveys for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, and labor force surveys for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. The study also provides macro-micro modeling of crisis and no-crisis scenarios for Mexico and Brazil, as well as the big picture and program-specific details of the social protection policy responses for these countries and more.Among the findings are the following. First, the effects of the global financial crisis on those living in poverty were not trivial: more than 3 million people fell into or remained mired in poverty in 2009 as a result of the crisis. Of these, 2.5 million were Mexican. Second, the changes in poverty were driven by changes in labor incomes caused by a variable combination of changes in employment rates and real wages. Third, the macro-micro modeling revealed different adjustment mechanisms but similar final incidence results for Brazil and Mexico. The results were regressive overall, with the middle of the income distribution hit even a bit more than the poor. According to the descriptive results from the larger set of countries, changes in inequality accounted for a tenth to a third of changes in poverty. Fourth, countries were quite active in their social protection policy responses, largely taking advantage of programs built in precrisis years. Social transfers partially offset the lower labor earnings of the poor, although income protection for the unemployed was weak. Finally, overall the policy messages are that good policy helps attenuate the links between a global crisis and poverty in the LAC countries, and many of the important things need to be done ex ante such as dealing with the macro fundamentals and building social protection programs.…

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) was the first disaster ever recorded that included an earthquake, a tsunami, a nuclear power plant accident, a power supply failure, and a large-scale disruption of supply chains. This volume is part of a larger knowledge-sharing project sponsored by the World Bank and the government of Japan that collects and analyses information, data, and evaluations performed by academic and research institutions, nongovernmental organisations, government agencies, and the private sector - all with the objective of sharing Japan's knowledge on disaster risk management (DRM) and postdisaster reconstruction with countries vulnerable to disasters so they can mainstream DRM in their development policies and planning. Other countries can protect themselves from major disasters by adopting - and adapting as necessary - some of the measures taken by Japan, and by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Japan's response to the GEJE.…