The objective of the First Multi-Sectoral Structural Reform Development Policy Financing Project is to support Government’s efforts in: (i) strengthening governance and management to reduce costs, improve reliability and facilitate equitable access in the energy sector; and (ii) enhancing the legal and regulatory framework to promote competition, investment and equitable access in the ICT sector.
... See More + Growth and poverty reduction have been sluggish in Senegal over the past 25 years, but more recently growth accelerated and poverty reduction may be following. Real GDP per capita has only increased by 17 percent in Senegal since 1990, against 45 percent on average in SSA and 134 percent in emerging and developing countries. In addition, growth has been driven by capital accumulation, with little or negative contribution from Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth and human capital accumulation. In the last few years, growth performance improved reaching 6.5 percent in 2015 and expected to attain similar levels or higher in the next few years. In addition to external and internal factors (such as low commodity prices or positive climate behavior), these advances are linked to the implementation of the Plan Senegal Emergent (PSE), with which Senegal aims to become an emerging country by 2035. For this to happen, growth rates of 7-8 percent would be required, in a context of higher productivity and competitiveness. Similarly, progress in poverty reduction has been mixed. Poverty decreased 7 percentage points over 2000-05, particularly in urban areas, and stagnated until 2011 reaching 47.3 percent. Recent data point to a reduction of 2 percentage points since 2011. Underperformance of the Senegalese economy has been related to enduring structural constraints and persistent infrastructure gaps. Macro-fiscal policies have been supportive to growth and Senegal benefits also from other factors such as its coastal location or its 1500 km of optic fiber network. However, structural constraints undermine the efficiency of investment and sustained growth. For instance, growth in agriculture has been slow and volatile, and productivity gains scarce, despite the high potential of the sector and its important share of jobs. In addition, key non-tradable inputs such as communications and electricity, increase the country’s relative prices. Senegal also scores below average on transport infrastructure, and electricity and telephone infrastructure. Furthermore, the country does not take full advantage of existing infrastructure. This is the case, in particular, of the ICT infrastructure, including the important public optic fiber network.
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The development objective of the Communications for Policy Reforms Project for Tunisia is to contribute to public understanding of economic issues in Tunisia and empower citizens to take a more active role in critical policy discussions.
... See More + These policy issues constitute the core reforms facing the country. The following list of policy issues has been tentatively identified, but may be adjusted during the implementation of the project: labor market reform and the challenge of job creation; pensions reform and implications for the next generation; reform of the tax code and tradeoffs between equity and investment; the investment incentives code and opening up to foreign investment; the cost of cronyism, clientelism and regulatory red tape; and food and fuel subsidies and the social protection system.
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Ratings for the Communications for Policy Reforms Project for Tunisia were as follows: outcomes were moderately satisfactory, risk to global environment outcome was moderate, Bank performance was satisfactory, and Grantee performance was moderately unsatisfactory.
... See More + Some lessons learned included: (i) When a project is conceived to be implemented by a private sector entity operating in the market the first question to be answered is whether the demand exists for the product, and an adequate market analysis should be conducted; (ii) If there are delays in some project components there may be a need to revisit the design and implementation plan for the entire project; (iii) The trade-off between complexity and accessibility should be accepted when conceiving a similar project; (iv) In terms of human resources, it seems that the Bank underestimated the needs with the consequence of putting the small recipient team under excessive pressure; (v) It is important to have the capacity to delegate on operational functions; (vi) Another aspect to be considered is that for a marketing campaign to be successful it needs to influence other public media and public figures; (vii) Despite the limited capacity of the recipient, the decision to use a local actor for a similar communication project was an excellent decision; and (viii) The risk of the Bank as an institution trying to influence public opinion should always be considered, but this should not be a deterrent for engaging in substantive communication initiatives.
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Implementation Completion and Results Report ICR3765 AUG 16, 2016
Cette série de seize (16) Notes de Politique est destinée à stimuler le débat et à soutenir les prises de décisions sur le développement économique et social du Bénin.
... See More + Les Notes de Politique portent sur les secteurs ci-après: (i) pauvreté et inégalité; (ii) politique budgétaire; (iii) administration publique et gouvernance; (iv) agriculture et foncier rural; (v) coton; (vi) énergie; (vii) eau et assainissement; (viii) éducation; (ix) santé, nutrition, population; (x) filets de sécurité sociale et inclusion sociale; (xi) dividende démographique au Bénin; (xii) emploi; (xiii) genre; (xiv) compétitivité et climat des affaires; (xv) intégration régionale et synergies intersectorielles dans le secteur des infrastructures; et (xvi) technologies de l’information et de la communication. Chacune des notes présente les défis auxquels le pays fait face et fait des recommandations pour les relever dans le court et moyen termes.
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This synthesis report details the process, outputs, and intermediate outcomes of the water and sanitation program (WSP) - World Bank technical assistance (TA) strengthening frameworks and building capacity for improved private sector engagements (PPPs) in urban water supply in India.
... See More + This TA aimed to inform and strengthen stakeholder strategy for engaging with private sector in meeting the water (and sanitation) service delivery objectives to urban populations, particularly the poor. Accelerated economic development over the past decade has raised aspirations and standards of living, and resulted in a significant increase in demand for improved services and efficient management thereof across urban areas of the country. In this context, the WSP-World Bank received a request from the ministry of urban development (MoUD), Government of India (GoI), for TA to strengthen government stakeholders’ capacity in processes relating to preparation of water PPPs through: (1) addressing challenges related to project preparatory processes, in a context of weak city level data systems and capacity; (2) identifying institutional requirements through different phases of the PPP process; and (3) developing a contract document to serve as a reference for cities undertaking water PPPs.
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Effective creditor/debtor rights and insolvency systems are an important element of financial system stability. The World Bank Group accordingly has been working with partner organizations to develop principles for insolvency and creditor/debtor rights systems.
... See More + The Principles for Effective Insolvency and Creditor/Debtor Rights Systems (the Principles) are a distillation of international best practice on design aspects of these systems, emphasizing contextual, integrated solutions and the policy choices involved in developing those solutions.Based on the experience gained from the use of the Principles, and following extensive consultations, the publication has been thoroughly reviewed and updated in 2005, 2011 and 2015. The revised Principles contained in this document have benefited from wide consultation and, more importantly, from the practical experience of using them in the context of the Bank’s assessment and operational work.
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In early 2012, the World Bank introduced a new financing instrument, Program-for-Results (PforR) Financing, to complement the Development Policy Financing (DPF) and Investment Project Financing (IPF) it already provided.
... See More + PforR has the following features: (a) Finances and supports borrowers programs of expenditures and activities. (b) Disburses upon achievement of program results. (c) Focuses on strengthening the institutional capacity and systems needed for programs to achieve their desired results. (d) Provides assurance that Bank financing is used appropriately and that the environmental and social impacts of the program are adequately addressed. This two-year review of PforR has two major objectives: (a) to assess the early experience with the design and implementation of PforR operations and the challenges faced by borrowers, development partners, and Bank staff; and (b) to identify emerging early lessons and recommend any proposed changes to the PforR framework that would strengthen the instrument. The review has involved a broad literature and desk review, internal and external surveys of those who have used the PforR instrument and those who have not, structured interviews, and stakeholder consultations. The review has been under the oversight of both an internal advisory group and an independent external panel of experts. The report specifically speaks to the following: (1) an overview of the progress, (2) experience with specific PforR features, (3) internal organization and management, (4) consultations, and (5) findings and proposals.
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This is the Executive Directors Strategic Engagements Work Program and papers to be circulated from March 2015. Included in the report are checklists of action items.
... See More + The lists are separated by FY15 QIII, FY15 QIV and FY16 Q1.
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Fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS) have become an important focus of World Bank Group assistance in recent years as recognition of the linkages between fragility, conflict, violence, and poverty has grown.
... See More + Addressing issues of recurring conflict and political violence and helping build legitimate and accountable state institutions are central to the Bank Group's poverty reduction mission. This evaluation assesses the relevance and effectiveness of World Bank Group country strategies and assistance programs to FCS. The operationalization of the World Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security, and Development (2011 WDR) is also assessed, to see how the framework has been reflected in subsequent analytical work, country assistance strategies, and the assistance programs. The evaluation framework was derived from the concepts and priorities articulated in recent WDRs, policy papers, and progress reports issued by Bank Group management, to draw lessons from FCS. The framework is organized around the three major themes emerging from the 2011 WDR: building state capacity, building capacity of citizens, and promoting inclusive growth and jobs. The evaluation focuses on International Development Association (IDA)-only countries, which are deemed to have certain characteristics such as very low average income and no access to private finance, making them eligible for special finance tools and programs. As the benchmark for measuring results, Bank Group performance is evaluated in 33 fragile and conflict-affected states against that of 31 IDA-only countries that have never been on the FCS list. Six new country case studies; analyses of Bank Group portfolios; human resources and budget data; secondary analysis of IEG evaluations; background studies including those on aid flows, gender, private sector development, and jobs; and surveys of Bank Group staffs and stakeholders are also included in the evaluation.
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The Service Trade Competitiveness Diagnostic (STDC) Toolkit is part of a larger agenda of trade competitiveness work developed by the World Bank's International Trade Unit in recent years.
... See More + Services are a key input in countries' trade competitiveness, as well as a new source of trade diversification, making it critical to understand what factors and main constraints matter most for services competitiveness. The Toolkit provides a framework, guidelines, and set of practical tools to conduct a thorough analysis and diagnostic of trade competitiveness in the services sector with a methodology that sheds light on a country's ability both to export services and improve its export performance through policy change. This Toolkit is designed to be used in a modular way. Either a full country diagnostic can be undertaken or various parts of the toolkit can be used to address specific questions of interest, whether they pertain to existing services performance, the potential for expansion and growth in services trade, or policy options to increase competitiveness in services trade. The output of an STCD can be used to assess either the overall performance of a country's services sector or the performance of individual sub-sectors. This Toolkit complements the analytical framework for trade in goods provided by the Trade Competitiveness Diagnostic Toolkit (World Bank, 2012), and allows policymakers and experts in developing countries to better integrate services into their overall trade strategies. In addition, it will also be of interest to international organizations and development practitioners in both policymaking institutions and academia.
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Publication 93714 JAN 14, 2015
Hollweg,Claire Honore; Van Der Marel,Erik Leendert; Saez,Juan Sebastian; Taglioni,Daria; Zavacka,VeronikaDisclosed
This report is a product of the Executive Boards meeting of the International Comparison Program (ICP) held in New York on February 21, 2010. The ICP quality assurance framework (QAF) is derived from the IMF-DQAF, which is the Data Quality Assessment Framework that has been developed by the International Monetary Fund.
... See More + The IMF-DQAF brings together best practices and internationally accepted concepts and definitions in statistics, including those of the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and the General Data Dissemination System of the IMF. It provides a structure for assessing data quality by comparing country statistical practices with best practices. It focuses on the quality-related features of governance of statistical systems, core statistical processes, and statistical products. It has been developed to introduce rigor, structure, and a common language in the assessment of the quality of macroeconomic data. The IMF-DQAF is organized in a cascading structure that progresses from the abstract and general to the concrete and specific. It has five levels. The first level covers six dimensions of quality: the prerequisites of quality (which, strictly speaking, are not dimensions of quality), assurances of integrity, methodological soundness, accuracy and reliability, serviceability, and accessibility. For each of these six dimensions, there are elements at the second level and indicators at the third level. At the next level, the fourth level, there are focal issues that are specific to the particular data sets being addressed. And finally, below focal issues at the fifth level, there are key points that suggest quality features that it may be fruitful to consider in addressing the focal issues. Key points are not meant to be exhaustive. The ICP-QAF has the same cascading structure, but consists of only four levels. Level 3, the indicator level, has been dropped to avoid, what is in most cases, unnecessary repetition. The IMF-DQAF was developed with specific macroeconomic data sets, typically compiled by a single institution in each country, in mind. The ICP does not conform to this model and has the following three levels of operation: world level, regional level, and country level. Any adaptation of the IMF-DQAF to the ICP has to recognize and accommodate the complex data collection and compilation arrangements that apply to the Program.
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The analysis presented in the Notes de Politique (NP) covers an implicit structure that has its priorities and its own limits. First, non-existent or unreliable information restricts the ability to develop specific plans and monitor progress.
... See More + Second, the challenges to Comoros are quite complex and there are no simple solutions to address them. The NP reflects the experience of the Bank in Comoros, supplemented by knowledge acquired elsewhere. Certainly, there is enough flexibility to develop more strategies on the most appropriate interventions and to approach their implementation. However, the policy notes underscore the urgency to maintain the momentum in favor of the HIPC initiative rather than dwelling on options and delaying actions. In doing so, NP recommend that an open position and monitoring the implementation to introduce adjustments and refinements is desired. The authors believe that the World Bank is ready to help Comoros to implement their political agenda and to contribute to the development of a new development strategy. They are convinced that the program Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) which is currently under preparation will satisfy the two objectives.
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The development objective of the Support to the Executive Bureau (EB) for Acceleration of Aid Absorption (SEBAA) and Implementation of the Mutual Accountability Framework (MAF) Project for Yemen is to support government capacity to: (1) implement policy reforms committed to in the MAF, and (2) plan and implement acceleration of aid absorption.
... See More + The project will finance two components: (i) EB start-up activities to support the start-up of the EB of the MAF. These start-up activities will be undertaken during period of up to six months under direct execution of the World Bank on behalf of the recipient (the EB); and (ii) support for EB Operations to finance the EB’s activities through the first eighteen months of its operations after the start-up period; this will cover the EB’s staff, procurement of consultants and goods, training, travel, and incremental operating costs.
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Drawing upon funding from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the World Bank supported a government program in Mexico to develop the regulatory, monitoring, and financial frameworks to encourage lower greenhouse gas emissions in the transport and energy sectors.
... See More + The IBRD loan supported steps to promote long-term sustainable development in these sectors, such as the publication of regulations to promote the use of renewable energy and the sustainable use of energy. Another policy action was the establishment of a fund to facilitate the reduction of emissions in energy consumption by replacement of incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, and replacing inefficient appliances. In transport, another policy action was the creation of the National Infrastructure Fund (FONADIN) and the Federal Support Program for Mass Transit (PROTRAM). All mass transit projects supported by PROTRAM have climate change considerations and have emission baselines.
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One of the major challenges facing the international development community is creating a capacity development (CD) architecture built on solid evidence.
... See More + In this CD brief, the authors argue that, although a significant body of evidence on CD is being produced, the knowledge is poorly captured and managed. As a result, CD practice and policies fail to take full advantage of lessons and experiences that can lead to better results. Addressing these challenges is the basis of the three-year strategy of the learning network on CD (LenCD), a broad partnership of practitioners and donors dedicated to improving the outcomes of CD initiatives. The strategy has three key pillars: evidence, practice, and policy. The aim is to create a more professionalized CD practice and transfer CD learning into the mainstream of development.
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Impact evaluations aim to measure the outcomes that can be attributed to a specific policy or intervention. While there have been excellent reviews of the different methods for estimating impact, insufficient attention has been paid to questions related to timing: How long after a program has begun should it be evaluated?
... See More + For how long should treatment groups be exposed to a program before they benefit from it? Are there time patterns in a program’s impact? This paper examines the evaluation issues related to timing, and discusses the sources of variation in the duration of exposure within programs and their implications for impact estimates. It reviews the evidence from careful evaluations of programs (with a focus on developing countries) on the ways that duration affects impacts. This paper discusses key issues related to the timing of programs and the time path of their impact, and how these have been addressed in evaluations.
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