The development objective of the Statistics for Results Project for Senegal is to better inform public and private sector decision-makers by filling gaps in the statistical knowledge base in the areas of employment, tourism, construction, and services, as identified in the National Strategy for Development of Statistics (NSDS), as well as build capacity for the production and dissemination of reliable and relevant data.
... See More + The restructuring includes following changes: (i) the United States (U.S.) 1 million dollar additional finance (AF) will be combined with the remaining U.S. 300,000 dollars of the original grant (for a total budget of U.S. 1.3 million dollars) to pursue: (i) the production of statistics (component 1), (ii) the support of the overall capacity teaching of the school national school of statistics and economic analysis (ENSAE) (component 2), and (iii) the project management and monitoring and evaluation (M and E) (component 3); (ii) component 1, production of statistics (U.S. 1.15 million dollars), the aim is to continue statistical production activities by extending the geographical coverage of the construction cost index at national level and by introducing new activities related to the improvement of sectoral statistics (employment, agriculture, education, justice, security); (iii) component 2, ENSAE Senegal and training (U.S. 0.02 million dollars, this is to pursue the overall capacity teaching of ENSEA by: (i) continuing grant laptop to female students who succeed entrance exam, and (ii) decentralizing the certification training program at local level (other regions of the country) for survey field staff (enumerators, controllers, cartographers); (iv) component 3, coordination and M and E (U.S. 0.13 million dollars, this is to capitalize on the initial project organizational arrangements and to respond the demand needs as suggested the annual users satisfaction surveys by respectively: (i) maintaining the project management including M and E, and (ii) enabling to users to accede easily to microdata via web; and (v) the results framework is being revised at the intermediate outcome level to measure the results of activities financed by the AF.
See Less -
A digital transformation is taking place in the financial services industry, with a host of non-bank innovators offering both customer facing and back office financial technology products and services.
... See More + This transformation includes emerging market economies, and in many places offers a viable digital alternative to traditional banks, which have left significant populations underbanked. This note explores the challenges and opportunities that financial technology innovations present for banks in these nations.
See Less -
Ratings for the Institutions Building Technical Assistance Project for Uruguay were as follows: outcomes were satisfactory, the risk to development outcome was low or negligible, the Bank performance was satisfactory, and the Borrower performance was also satisfactory.
... See More + Some lessons learned included: broadly focused institutional strengthening projects can be successful within the right context of small countries with a high level of political commitment and implementation capacity – which in the case of this Project, translated into strong existing coordination mechanisms – but this experience may not be easily transferable to other countries.contemplating space for a more flexible approach to some activities within Project design to allow for inevitable adjustments in reform trajectories can be of great value to the client and the Bank.The Bank needs to revisit its approach to working in high capacity countries such as Uruguay.although at the corporate level, the Bank is now prioritizing larger lending operations, IBTAL demonstrates that small loans can also be very important.Information management is not simply a technical issue – it is a political one that requires institutional change accompanied by a solid change management strategy. by correctly sequencing a series of reforms, greater support for more challenging issues can be generated.
See Less -
Implementation Completion and Results Report ICR4065 JUN 30, 2017
Ratings for the Adaptable Program Loan (APL) on Strengthening Regional Cooperation For Wildlife Protection in Asia for Bangladesh and Nepal were as follows: outcomes were moderately satisfactory, the risk to development outcome was moderate, the Bank performance was moderately satisfactory, and the Borrower performance was also moderately satisfactory.
... See More + Some lessons learned included: regional approach proved to be effective in addressing trans-boundary and common issues, and project design should allow differentiating performance assessment by country. biodiversity conservation projects should build better Results Frameworks, collecting evidence about broader social and economic benefits.regional projects focusing on global public goods are difficult to design and implement and good prior analysis of capacities and respective commitments through adequate preparation time is not optional.focusing and supporting institutional strengthening is the key to achieve regional shared goals.projects trying to pilot novel ideas and cooperation on transboundary issues need to have measurable indicators from the beginning. a comprehensive organizational capacity building is more effective than providing activity-based training to concerned staff.
See Less -
Implementation Completion and Results Report ICR4038 JUN 29, 2017
Is your organization missing important lessons from its operational experiences? This step-by-step guide shows you how to systematically capture such knowledge and use it to inform decision making, support professional learning, and scale up successes.
... See More + The captured lessons knowledge assets, the central element needed for learning are consistently formatted documents that use operational experience to answer a specific question or challenge. The guide describes how to create and use knowledge assets in five steps: (1) identify important lessons learned by participants, (2) capture those lessons with text or multimedia documents, (3) confirm their validity, (4) prepare them for dissemination, and (5) use them for sharing, replication, and scaling up. Included tools, templates, and checklists help you accomplish each step
See Less -
Information and communication have always mattered in agriculture. Ever since people have grown crops, raised livestock, and caught fish, they have sought information from one another.
... See More + Agriculture is facing new and severe challenges in its own right. With rising food prices that have pushed over forty million people into poverty since 2010, more effective interventions are essential in agriculture. Understanding and addressing global agriculture developments—both advantageous and not—are critical to improving smallholder livelihoods, in which Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can play a major role. Each module in this Sourcebook discusses the key challenges, enablers, and lessons related to using ICT in a specific subsector of agriculture. These are derived from a range of experiences, and summarize the knowledge gained during pilot projects and wider initiatives. While different in type of intervention and approach, a string of themes emerges from the modules. These themes—namely, the why and how of using ICT in agricultural development—demonstrate the great potential of ICT and help to clarify the way forward. To facilitate learning, the Sourcebook is split into this introductory module plus fourteen modules focusing on specific aspects of the agricultural sector in relation to ICT. At the beginning of each module, an, In this Module box briefly describes the content in the module, including the overview, Topic Notes, and innovative practice summaries. The innovative practice summaries are bulleted underneath the description of the Topic Note, and can be viewed directly by clicking on the title. Many of the tools, examples, and projects discussed also include links to websites and other useful resources
See Less -
The development objective of the Catalytic Project to Strengthen the National Statistical Institute (INS) for Congo, Democratic Republic of is to strengthen the capacity of INS to generate and disseminate statistical information.
... See More + The restructuring includes: (i) a revision of the results framework (changes to some of the indicators to better capture project results); (ii) an extension of the closing date by 22 months from June 30, 2017 to April 30, 2019 to allow sufficient time to complete all remaining project activities; (iii) reallocation of funds within project components to ensure sufficient funding for the demolition and reconstruction of the INS building; and (iv) triggering of OP/BP 4.11 in anticipation of potential impacts on cultural resources due to the demolition and reconstruction of the INS facilities.
See Less -
Ratings of Second Phase of National Roads Improvement and Management Program for Philippines were as follows: outcomes were moderately satisfactory, risk to development outcome was modest, Bank performance was moderately satisfactory, and Borrower performance was moderately satisfactory.
... See More + Some of the lessons learned included: (i) Transformation of governance is a long-game requiring a series of projects adaptable to the needs of the client and involving Government, the Bank and CSOs; (ii) Properly designed long-term engagement can effectively tackle substantial governance challenges in the sector; (iii) Information technology is an important tool for tackling weak governance; (iv) For biggest reform impact, think big and tackle an entire agency; and (v) Staffing continuity at the Bank could have led to improved client support during implementation.
See Less -
Implementation Completion and Results Report ICR3186 JUN 21, 2017
This request package requests the disclosure of Board records. It concerns the Executive Directors are hereby notified that the 158 Board records set out in Annex A are responsive to a public request for access to certain records (Access to Information Case No.
... See More + AI4473). These records have been determined by the Corporate Secretariat to be eligible for declassification and disclosure under the Bank’s Policy on Access to Information (“AI Policy”). This public request is for Board minutes and transcripts for IBRD/IDA-related matters involving Argentina and Chile from the 1940s-1990s. The Bank has identified the Board minutes listed in Annex A as responsive to this public access request. Under the AI Policy, all 158 minutes are subject to the Deliberative Information exception, the minutes noted in item 113 of Annex A are additionally subject to the Financial Information (not related to banking or billing) exception, and they all have satisfied their applicable declassification schedule: Under the AI Policy, information restricted under the Deliberative Information exception or the Financial Information (not related to banking or billing)exception is eligible for declassification and disclosure in accordance with the AI Policy’s declassification schedule, provided that the documents concerned do not also contain or refer to restricted information not eligible for declassification. The declassification schedule for minutes of regular Board sessions prepared before April 1, 2005 is five years and it is twenty years for minutes of executive Board sessions. The declassification schedule for a Board record containing information subject to the Financial Information exception (not related to banking or billing) is twenty years. The AI Policy provides that the Board may, under exceptional circumstances, exercise the Bank’s prerogative to restrict access to Board Records that would normally be disclosed, if it determines that the disclosure of the records would likely cause harm that would outweigh the benefits of the disclosure.
See Less -
The objective of the Additional Financing for the Economic Governance Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Project is to re-establish and strengthen basic systems and practices to improve the management of publicfinancial and human resources in Guinea.
... See More + The AF will help deepen the development impact of the original project and support the implementation of the Social and Economic National Development Plan, 2016–2020 (Plan National de Développement Economic et Social, PNDES) and a new component on statistical capacity building. The project has disbursed 95 percent of IDA US$10 million and has been rated moderately satisfactory or higher for both development objectives and implementation progress over the last two years. Noticeable progress has been achieved in human resource management (HRM) with the elimination of a large number of ghost workers and in public financial management (PFM) through the adoption of a new budget organic law and a new public procurement management framework. Still, significant challenges remain, particularly in the areas of the macro‐fiscal framework, public investment programming, multiyear budgeting, value‐for‐money, financial reporting, and interagency coordination.
See Less -
The objective of the Digital Foundations Project for Malawi is to increase access to affordable, high quality internet services for government, businesses and citizens and to improve the government's capacity to deliver digital public services.
... See More + There are four components to the project, the first component being Digital Ecosystem. The aim of component one is to contribute to making Malawi a more attractive and competitive place for digital investment and innovation, ensuring that the benefits of digital technology are reachingall citizens and helping lay the groundwork for growth of the digital economy. This component includes three sub-components: ICT regulation, strategy, and policy development, regulatory and policy implementation, capacity building, and institutional development, and digital skills development and innovation. The second component is the digital connectivity. The aim of this component is to leverage strategic public investments and incentives to improve access to high‐speed, affordable connectivity for government, citizens, and businesses across Malawi. This component includes three sub-components: connectivity for public institutions, connectivity for higher education, and innovative rural broadband access solutions. The third component is the digital platforms and services. The aim of this component is to build the core infrastructure and capacity necessary to support digital public service delivery and to enhance the efficiency of the Government’s internal operations. This component includes three subcomponents: strengthening institutional capacity to deliver digital services, shared digital public services delivery platform, and demonstration digital applications and services. Finally, the fourth component is the project management. This component will support essential project management functions of the project.
See Less -
The development objective of the Fourth Phase of the Pacific Regional Connectivity Program Project for Kiribati is to reduce the cost and increase the availability of Internet services in Kiribati.
... See More + The project comprises of three components. The first component, submarine cable system consists of following sub-components: (i) submarine cable system; and (ii) cable landing station (CLS) and ancillary equipment. The second component, technical assistance (TA) consists of following sub-components: (i) provision of legal, financial, technical, and transactional assistance in connection with the drafting and negotiation of an arrangement for the construction, ownership, and management of the East Micronesia cable (EMC) to be entered into, between Kiribati, Nauru, and Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), each acting through its respective national cable operator on the one hand and the constructor and other parties (as the case may be) on the other hand; (ii) provision of legal advisory assistance for the establishment of a Kiribati national cable service operator, with capacity and resources for the purpose of operating the EMC and managing all national aspects of the provision of services to users of the EMC’s capacity in the Recipient’s territory; (iii) provision of TA to the Communications Commission of Kiribati (CCK) in the areas of licensing, interconnection and access, and landing party agreements, including any implementing or ancillary regulatory instruments ensuring cost‐based, non‐discriminatory, and open access to capacity; and (iv) provision of information and communication technologies (ICT) policy and legal technical assistance in connection with electronic transactions (such as e‐government and e‐commerce) to facilitate citizens access to and use of broadband services, including for the development of the legal and regulatory framework to support safe electronic transactions, cyber security, data protection, and confidentiality. The third component, project management and administration supports a program of activities designed to strengthen the capacity of the Recipient (component 3(a)) and related agencies involved in the implementation of the project, and the project implementing entity (component 3(b)) once established, to process project transactions, implementation, and management.
See Less -
This open data readiness assessment was prepared for the Government of Malaysia, at the request of Malaysian Administrative Modernization and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU).
... See More + It is the product of a joint team of experts from both the World Bank Group Global Knowledge and Research Hub in Malaysia and World Bank Headquarters, working in close collaboration with MAMPU. The purpose of this assessment is to assist the government in diagnosing what actions it can consider in order to further promote the existing open data initiative. An open data initiative involves addressing both the supply and the reuse of open data, as well as other aspects such as skills development, financing for the government’s open data agenda, and targeted innovations linked to open data infrastructure, policy, and legal framework. The World Bank open data readiness assessment framework uses an ecosystem approach to open data, meaning it is designed to look at the larger environment for open data - supply side issues like the policy and legal framework, data existing within government and infrastructure (including standards) as well as demand side issues like citizen engagement mechanisms and existing demand for government data among user communities (such as developers, the media, and government agencies). The recommendations and actions presented are based on global best practices while also incorporating the needs and experiences of the Government of Malaysia to date. Within each dimension, the assessment considers a set of primary questions, and for each, notes evidence that favors or disfavors readiness.
See Less -
The pros and cons of making data more accessible to the public have been widely debated. Proponents of open data argue that it is good practice for governments because it fosters transparency, promotes greater participation, and encourages sharing of ideas, which is important in building a research-oriented culture.
... See More + Others, however, are less convinced of the merits of open data. This research policy brief finds that there is a relationship between accessibility of data and income levels of a country, and between data availability and the productivity and quality of economic research.
See Less -
The objective of the Second Phase of Pacific Resilience Projects in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is to strengthen early warning systems, climate resilient investments in shoreline protection, and to provide immediate and effective response to an eligible crisis or emergency.
... See More + There are four components to the project, the first component being institutional strengthening, early warning and preparedness. Component one has two sub‐components: (i) institutional strengthening, central agency capacity building in risk governance, early warning, and modernization of the NDMO’s facilities (which will be implemented by RMI); and (ii) NDMO capacity building, and post disaster needs assessment (which will be implemented by the SPC). The second component is the strengthening coastal resilience. Component two is divided into two sub‐components: (a) coastal vulnerability assessment and protection investments (which will be implemented by RMI); and (b) strengthening coastal risk planning (which will be implemented by SPC). The third component is the contingency emergency response. This government‐led component will include carrying out a program of activities designed to provide rapid response to an eligible crisis or emergency, as needed. This Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC) may be used following the declaration of a disaster event. The CERC will complement the PCRAFI disaster insurance mechanism financed under PREP Phase I and will strengthen the emergency preparedness and immediate response capacity of RMI for low‐ and medium‐scale disasters or disasters that are not covered by the PCRAFI insurance scheme (e.g. flood, drought). Finally, the fourth component is the project and program management. Component 4 is divided into two sub‐components: (1) project Management (which will be implemented by RMI); and (2) program management (which will be implemented by SPC).
See Less -
From East to West, the economies of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) are not taking full advantage of the internet to foster economic growth and job creation.
... See More + The residents of Central Asia and the South Caucasus pay some of the highest prices in the world for internet connections that are slow and unreliable. In contrast, Europe enjoys some of the world’s fastest and affordable internet services. However, its firms and individuals are not fully exploiting the internet to achieve higher productivity growth as well as more and better jobs. Reaping Digital Dividends investigates the barriers that are holding back the broader adoption of the internet in ECA. The report identifies the main bottlenecks and provides policy recommendations tailored to economies at varying levels of digital development. It concludes that policies to increase internet access are necessary but not sufficient. Policies to foster competition, international trade and skills supply, as well as adapting regulations to the changing business environment and labor markets, will also be necessary. In other words, Reaping Digital Dividends not only requires better connectivity, but also complementary factors that allow governments, firms and individuals to make the most out of it.
See Less -
Publication 114437 APR 18, 2017
Kelly,Timothy John Charles; Liaplina,Aleksandra; Tan,Shawn Weiming; Winkler,Hernan JorgeDisclosed
Some 1.5 billion people in the developing world lack proof of legal identity. Living without proof of legal identity is a serious obstacle to social, economic, and political inclusion.
... See More + It also makes it difficult for an individual to open a bank account, vote, obtain formal employment, access education or healthcare, receive a social transfer, buy a SIM card, or seek legal redress. Furthermore, a person without identification may be unable to exercise the full range of human rights set out in international laws and conventions. Weak civil identification systems also represent challenges for countries such as governance planning, service delivery, public sector administration, collecting taxes, border control and emergency response. As public and private service providers increasingly transition into the digital realm, the ability for individuals to prove who they are will be essential for accessing benefits and services via digital platforms. This move toward digital platforms can increase efficiency of service delivery, create significant savings for citizens, governments, and businesses by reducing transaction costs, as well as drive innovation. This can generate many benefits, but can also exacerbate the risk of isolation for poorly-connected populations including rural and remote communities, the forcibly displaced, stateless persons and other marginalized groups. Leveling the playing field requires a coordinated, sustained effort by countries as well as stakeholders involved in the provision and use of identification systems. A shared vision through this set of common Principles can contribute to robust and universal identification systems that in turn promote social and economic inclusion and sustainable development outcomes.
See Less -
