The development objective of the Xian Sustainable Urban Transport Project for China is to improve accessibility and mobility in Xian while protecting its cultural heritage and reducing the environmental impact of urban transport system, with a focus on the Ming walled city.
... See More + In line with the Bank's operation policy for involuntary resettlement OP 4.12 and taking into consideration the City of Xian local laws and regulations, resettlement codes of practice and policies of the People's Republic of China. This Resettlement Action Plan has the following principles and objectives : avoid and minimize involuntary resettlement and land acquisition associated with road upgrading construction; land acquisition or resettlement will be entirely voluntary and be limited to situation were Project Affected Peoples (PAPs) will be the beneficiaries of services and facilities offered by the project; ensure that relocation sites chosen cause minimal disturbance to the livelihood and living standards of PAPs; provide recovery or compensation for the loss of land, working place, cultural property, trees and infrastructure, etc.; keep in tough with PAPs during the removal period for timely settlement of potential problems (disputes); finally, conduct meetings with residents (farmers), business and enterprise owners to notify them on the progress of the removal process and compensation standards.
See Less -
This brief is about preventing Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) of poverty. There is global support for the control and elimination of NTDs in low income countries.
... See More + In 2012, as part of the London Declaration on NTDs, the pharmaceutical industry collectively committed to donate most of the drugs necessary for an Africa-wide NTD program. For the past 40 years, the endemic countries of Africa together with the World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank and other development partners, the pharmaceutical industry, and non-governmental organizations have prioritized the control of river blindness through the Onchocerciasis (river blindness) Control Programme (OCP) and the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC). This brief contains the following headlines: Community health systems provide a way forward; Collaboration is key; Increased WHO technical assistance; Timeline for elimination; Ensuring that health systems effectively address Intensive Disease Management (IDM) NTDs; and New funding strategies from the World Bank.
See Less -
This brief is about preventing Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) of poverty. There is global support for the control and elimination of NTDs in low income countries.
... See More + In 2012, as part of the London Declaration on NTDs, the pharmaceutical industry collectively committed to donate most of the drugs necessary for an Africa-wide NTD program. For the past 40 years, the endemic countries of Africa together with the World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank and other development partners, the pharmaceutical industry, and non-governmental organizations have prioritized the control of river blindness through the Onchocerciasis (river blindness) Control Programme (OCP) and the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC). This brief contains the following headlines: Community health systems provide a way forward; Collaboration is key; Increased WHO technical assistance; Timeline for elimination; Ensuring that health systems effectively address Intensive Disease Management (IDM) NTDs; and New funding strategies from the World Bank.
See Less -
In the past decade, conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs have become an important component of social policy in developing countries. While the impacts of these programs have been well researched with respect to their effectiveness to achieve intended outcomes, less is known about their impact on private expenditure decisions.
... See More + This aspect has great policy relevance since changes in private household expenditures can either support or counteract the aim of the programs. This essay investigates the impact of a CCT program on private household expenditure decisions in nutrition, health and education which are seen as principal contributors to child human capital. First, household expenditure behavior under a CCT program is discussed based on Heckman's model on the technology of skill formation as a conceptual framework. The paper shows how intra-household preferences and perceptions on the substitutability or complementarity of investments can impact household resource allocation decisions. Subsequently, the theoretical implications are tested in the context of the Brazilian CCT program Bolsa Família, using the Brazilian household expenditure survey. Evidence is found that households increase their private expenditure in food and education disproportionally to the amount of cash transfer, that is, more than would be expected when considering the Engel curves of the expenditures under question.
See Less -
Policy Research Working Paper WPS6867 MAY 01, 2014
The infrastructure sector has seen unprecedented changes in India with exponential growth due to changing economic landscape and development in the country.
... See More + Massive investments are required to be made across a range of sectors like power, ports, roads, railways, health, education, and aviation. The complexity and scale of these infrastructure projects has increased significantly and a typical project now takes anywhere from six to ten years to complete. The World Bank commissioned a study in early 2013 on introducing and enhancing the use of information technology (IT) based interventions and solutions in the management of construction projects and programs to enhance efficiency, transparency, and governance in delivery, thereby increasing their success and impact potential. The study concluded with a guidance note which targets implementing agencies and project managers with practical steps on adopting e-tools and how e-tools can contribute to improve construction project management and delivery. Building on the study, it is acknowledged that implementation of e-tools in infrastructure project can be promoted through address knowledge and information gaps. The World Bank and Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) organized a workshop in order to disseminate the guidance note information among implementing agencies and to promote use of e-tools in the management of public sector infrastructure projects in India. In this context, the report presents background; objective; and key messages from the keynote addresses.
See Less -
Ombuds Services (OMB) and the Respectful Workplace Advisors (RWA) Program aim to help any Bank Group employee address any kind of workplace issue, in a confidential and informal way.
... See More + The Ombuds office provides training, support, and back-up to the RWAs, who are volunteer staff chosen by peers and located primarily in the country offices (COs). This annual report summarizes usage patterns, issues raised and observed for both programs, and OMB exit survey data. This year, the RWA Program achieved many objectives. RWAs made 540 referrals to the Internal Justice System (IJS) and other services, strengthening their status as critical local resources. The number of presentations that involve RWAs as one of the partners of the IJS continues to increase. RWAs are also increasingly included in new staff orientation in their locations. In an effort to partner better with our stakeholders, the RWA team intentionally increased opportunities to meet with HR teams, Learning Coordinators, the VP HR, and the change reform groups. The RWA Program has now become an integral part of the Conflict Resolution System (CRS), and RWAs are increasingly involved in CRS activities. Some of the program's challenges continue to be the heavy administrative demands of the nomination process and the inability to take full advantage of the rich data in the RWA activity forms.
See Less -
Safety nets are on the rise in Africa, and beginning to evolve from scattered standalone programs into systems. Until recently, many African countries approached social protection on an ad-hoc basis.
... See More + But when the global crisis threatened recent progress in poverty reduction, safety nets increasingly began to be viewed as core instruments for poverty reduction in the region. Social protection programming has started to develop from emergency food aid programs to one-off interventions to regular and predictable safety nets, such as targeted cash transfers and cash-for-work programs. Some countries, such as Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania, now seek to consolidate programs into national systems. But as our review shows, there is still a long way to go.
See Less -
The development objective of the Strengthening Sustainable Management of the Guano Islands, Isles, and Capes National Reserve System Project for Peru is to improve the overall management of marine and coastal ecosystems of the Guano Islands, Islets, and Capes national reserve system (RNSIIPG) of Peru, and protect its biological diversity in pilot sites.
... See More + The project has four components. The first component is institutional strengthening. This component will build capacity at national service of natural protected areas (servicio nacional de areas naturales protegidas) (SERNANP) and other institutions involved in the management of marine and coastal resources. The second component is collaborative regional management. The project will develop socially viable marine management models through carrying out of locally implemented collaborative subprojects in pilot sites selected by SERNANP and local stakeholders during project design. The third component is monitoring and evaluation. This will be carried out through: (1) the provision of support for: (i) the development of ecological baseline approaches to monitor marine biodiversity; and (ii) the implementation of regular ecological monitoring systems in pilot sites once the activity under: (i) above has been completed; and (iii) the carrying out of a research initiative in Lobos de Afuera islands to study the area's biodiversity; (2) supporting the development and implementation of a management effectiveness monitoring and evaluation system within SERNANP; and (3) the provision of support for the monitoring and evaluation of project performance. The fourth component is project management. The project will strengthen the Peruvian trust fund for national parks and protected areas (fondo de promocion para las areas naturales protegidas del Peru (PROFONANPE) capacity to carry out the administrative and financial management of the project.
See Less -
The national severance pay scheme, its regulation in the law and in other sources, its practice and practical application, and all the amendments of the statutory basis are the consequence of considering individual and social implications of the termination of an employment contract or the termination of employment, in one of the ways regulated by the Labor Act.
... See More + The term 'severance pay' in the Republic of Croatia is most often defined as the pecuniary amount, which the employer pays to the worker, for whom it terminates the employment contract, besides the worker's salary. This amount belongs to the worker after the expiry of the period of notice, after the termination of the employment contract. Although it has be originally conceived as reward to the workers for their loyalty to the employer, in essence the severance pay should alleviate the negative consequences of the dismissal for the worker, and it is frequently considered a means of ensuring an income, or a replacement income, so that it contains elements of social security. Each change in the national severance pay scheme is necessarily connected with redefining and newly balancing worker's and employer's interests, with aspects of employment security and flexibility and it requires processing and analyzing various aspects of the national severance pay scheme. To this end, this report aims to present and analyze all the interconnected determinants of the national severance pay scheme, such as: overview of theoretical qualifications and determinants within the national severance pay scheme; overview of arrangements within the national severance pay scheme through legal and other regulatory arrangements; overview of arrangements in different comparable national severance pay schemes; special overview of the current reforms of the severance pay scheme in the context of other relevant countries; presenting the plan for the amendments to legal and other regulatory arrangements; assessing the practical implications of the planned amendments to legal and regulatory arrangements and their effects on the national severance pay scheme; and final proposals and comments. With this, the current definitions and arrangements within the severance pay scheme would be lost, and a new scheme would be set up, which is mostly based on the characteristics of a globally innovative model for a reformed severance pay scheme as exists in the Republic of Austria.
See Less -
The national severance pay scheme, its regulation in the law and in other sources, its practice and practical application, and all the amendments of the statutory basis are the consequence of considering individual and social implications of the termination of an employment contract or the termination of employment, in one of the ways regulated by the Labor Act.
... See More + The term 'severance pay' in the Republic of Croatia is most often defined as the pecuniary amount, which the employer pays to the worker, for whom it terminates the employment contract, besides the worker's salary. This amount belongs to the worker after the expiry of the period of notice, after the termination of the employment contract. Although it has be originally conceived as reward to the workers for their loyalty to the employer, in essence the severance pay should alleviate the negative consequences of the dismissal for the worker, and it is frequently considered a means of ensuring an income, or a replacement income, so that it contains elements of social security. Each change in the national severance pay scheme is necessarily connected with redefining and newly balancing worker's and employer's interests, with aspects of employment security and flexibility and it requires processing and analyzing various aspects of the national severance pay scheme. To this end, this report aims to present and analyze all the interconnected determinants of the national severance pay scheme, such as: overview of theoretical qualifications and determinants within the national severance pay scheme; overview of arrangements within the national severance pay scheme through legal and other regulatory arrangements; overview of arrangements in different comparable national severance pay schemes; special overview of the current reforms of the severance pay scheme in the context of other relevant countries; presenting the plan for the amendments to legal and other regulatory arrangements; assessing the practical implications of the planned amendments to legal and regulatory arrangements and their effects on the national severance pay scheme; and final proposals and comments. With this, the current definitions and arrangements within the severance pay scheme would be lost, and a new scheme would be set up, which is mostly based on the characteristics of a globally innovative model for a reformed severance pay scheme as exists in the Republic of Austria.
See Less -
This paper first reviews the history of social insurance policy and coverage in urban China, documenting the evolution in the coverage of pensions and medical and unemployment insurance for both local residents and migrants, and highlighting obstacles to expanding coverage.
... See More + The paper then uses two waves of the China Urban Labor Survey, conducted in 2005 and 2010, to examine the correlates of social insurance participation before and after implementation of the 2008 Labor Contract Law. A higher labor tax wedge is associated with a lower probability that local employed residents participate in social insurance programs, but is not associated with participation of wage-earning migrants, who are more likely to be dissuaded by fragmentation of the social insurance system. The existing gender gap in social insurance coverage is explained by differences in coverage across industrial sectors and firm ownership classes in which men and women work.
See Less -
Policy Research Working Paper WPS6497 JUN 01, 2013
Theoretical accounts of compliance with court orders emphasize the importance of transparency. Most empirical studies of compliance center on high profile political cases, largely ignoring the high-volume, quotidian claims against the state for basic services that constitute the largest share of court dockets in many jurisdictions.
... See More + This paper uses a unique dataset on compliance with orders from the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Costa Rica to examine the determinants of compliance in low salience cases. It finds that orders issued just after the Court announced, in a press conference, that it was monitoring compliance were implemented roughly two months sooner than orders issued just prior to the press conference. These findings suggest that publicity can motivate compliance even in low salience cases.
See Less -
Policy Research Working Paper WPS6523 JUN 01, 2013
Cullell, Jorge Vargas; Gauri, Varun; Staton, Jeffrey K.
South-South knowledge exchanges are increasingly recognized as one of the most effective learning and development tools. While it is important to facilitate such exchange of first-hand experiences and lessons across developing countries, what is even more important is what is actually done with the outcomes of the learning and knowledge sharing that take place across boundaries.
... See More + So in this Quick Note authors would like to take it a step further and share the Iraq country experience, which has recently benefitted from South-South knowledge exchange facilitated by the World Bank. In this case, the World Bank not only acted as a facilitator and convener, but also as a solution provider. The cash-based social safety net program administered by the Ministry of labor and social affairs has expanded to reach nearly one million families (based on categorical targeting), with a budget of about US$800 million. Overall, Iraq spends close to 10 percent of its gross domestic product on social safety net programs, of which 7.7 percent is spent on food and fuel subsidies.
See Less -
Over the last decade, the interest and activity in social protection has experienced a paradigm shift, with at-scale safety net programs expanding at a rate of two countries per year.
... See More + Social safety net programs, today, are being built on a national scale in 98 countries, up from just 72 in 2000. Yet, safety nets coverage in low-income countries (LICs) remains limited, with poverty reduction occurring primarily in middle-income countries (MICs). Basic systems of safety nets help enhance the performance, coordination, synergies and coverage of programs. The World Bank has an ongoing engagement in safety nets in 88 countries. Out of these, 60 are engaged in both financing and knowledge activities, while the remaining participates in one activity or the other. As country systems develop, safety nets are being combined and integrated with other social protection and multi-sector interventions such as youth training, skills and entrepreneurship (e.g., Tanzania and Sri Lanka).
See Less -
This overview, followed by five supporting reports, identifies these challenges of tomorrow, points to key choices ahead, and recommends not just what needs to be reformed, but how to undertake the reforms.
... See More + The overview is divided into nine chapters. The first chapter examines the characteristics of Chinas development since 1978; considers future opportunities, challenges, and risks; and describes a vision of China in the year 2030. The second chapter maps a new strategy that will realize this vision, focusing on the key choices ahead for China to sustain rapid economic and social development and become a modern, harmonious, and creative high-income society before 2030. Chapters three to eight elaborate on each of the six pillars of the new strategy: consolidating Chinas market foundations; enhancing innovation; promoting green development; ensuring equality of opportunity and social protection for all; strengthening public finances; and achieving mutually beneficial win-win relations between China and the rest of the world. The ninth and final chapter addresses implementation challenges, including the sequencing of reforms and overcoming obstacles that are likely to emerge.
See Less -
Employment recovery stalls in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) continues to recover in most ECA countries, but the recovery remains fragile.
... See More + Growth prospects remain poor in a number of countries where GDP continues to decline. This slowdown in the economic recovery is also evident at the sub-regional level. Unemployment has stabilized, with an average unemployment rate of 12 percent across the ECA region. Since the start of the crisis, men have been disproportionally hit by unemployment. The recent pace of job creation has not been sufficient to absorb the large pool of unemployed, resulting in growing long-term unemployment. Despite the rise in long-term unemployment, activity rates have increased or remained constant in most countries since 2008. ECA labor markets adjusted to the crisis not only through higher unemployment, but also through fewer work hours. Given the already low levels of employment in the region and a bleak demographic outlook, avoiding labor market detachment among the long-term unemployed, the inactive, and youth is the main challenge for policy makers in the near term.
See Less -
Employment recovery stalls in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) continues to recover in most ECA countries, but the recovery remains fragile.
... See More + Growth prospects remain poor in a number of countries where GDP continues to decline. This slowdown in the economic recovery is also evident at the sub-regional level. Unemployment has stabilized, with an average unemployment rate of 12 percent across the ECA region. Since the start of the crisis, men have been disproportionally hit by unemployment. The recent pace of job creation has not been sufficient to absorb the large pool of unemployed, resulting in growing long-term unemployment. Despite the rise in long-term unemployment, activity rates have increased or remained constant in most countries since 2008. ECA labor markets adjusted to the crisis not only through higher unemployment, but also through fewer work hours. Given the already low levels of employment in the region and a bleak demographic outlook, avoiding labor market detachment among the long-term unemployed, the inactive, and youth is the main challenge for policy makers in the near term.
See Less -