The development objective of the E-Society and Innovation for Competitiveness (EIC) Project for Armenia is to address constraints to competitive e-Society and enterprise innovation in Armenia by strengthening the underlying infrastructure and enabling environment.
... See More + The restructuring will comprise of following changes: (i) reallocation of loan proceeds in the amount of United States (U.S.) 4 million dollars from category 2(a) to category 1 of eligible expenditures as defined in the loan agreement; (ii) change of scope in component 1: national broadband sub-component (1.1) will be scaled down to a rural broadband sub-component; (iii) change of scope in component 2: removing idea generation mini grants (activity 2.1.1) adding Vanadzor technology center to sub-component 2.2 (currently just Gyumri technology center) adding grants program for Vanadzor (sub-component 2.2) seed and early stage venture fund (Activity 2.1.2): U.S. $300,000 will be reallocated from category 1 goods, works, consultants' services, training, and incremental operating costs for the project to category 2(d) sub-financing for sub-project under part B.1(b) of the project (seed and early stage venture fund) to be financed 100 percent from loan proceeds. Remove innovation brokerage activity 2.1.3 and managerial secondments sub-activity 2.3.1.ii; (iv) a 16-month extension of the project closing date along with restructuring; and (v) environmental and social risks of works to be undertaken for the rehabilitation of premises for Vanadzor technology center are modest.
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Knowledge, learning, and innovation are one of eight objectives that will be monitored in the Bank's new strategy. The independent evaluation group (IEG) is conducting a program of learning and results evaluations to promote a better understanding of how the World Bank acquires, captures, and transfers knowledge and learning in its lending operations, and what scope there is for improving.
... See More + The objective of the program is to delineate attributes of effective learning in World Bank lending. These attributes refer to learning into lending (inputs into project design); learning while lending (feedback and modifications of design and implementation while the project is underway); and learning from lending (lessons from the project that were transmitted to other projects). The evaluation program will assess how the Bank can become better at generating, accessing, and using learning and knowledge in its lending operations. It acknowledges the importance of the feedback from knowledge to learning and from learning back to enhanced knowledge. The report is organized as follows: chapter one gives approach and context. Chapter two explores two essential aspects of learning - knowledge exploitation and knowledge exploration and the factors influencing them. Chapter three examines the contribution of mentoring. Chapter four addresses the extent to which incentives, leadership, and culture are aligned to promote learning in lending. Chapter five considers the implications of the report's findings, for the Bank's change process, for IEG, and for the design of the second evaluation in IEG's learning and results series.
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The Skills Towards Employability and Productivity (STEP) program was designed to better understand the interplay between skills on the one hand and employability and productivity on the other.
... See More + The STEP program developed survey instruments tailored to collect data on skills in low- and middle-income country contexts. The present note is a reference document for readers seeking background information on the STEP surveys and for users of the data, which is publicly available through the World Banks Microdata Catalog. The note describes the design of the survey instruments and the constructs measured as well as the technical standards and implementation protocols adopted to ensure data quality and comparability across countries. It also provides guidance to users for the construction of aggregated skills indicators and for the use of the reading literacy assessment data.
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This paper assembles novel data on the Chilean wine industry to investigate the role of investments in knowledge capital on sales growth in domestic and international markets.
... See More + The study uses archival data collected from the Government of Chile to compile and categorize public expenditures and programs supporting the Chilean wine industry over the period of 1990-2012 into investment in different types of knowledge capital. These spending categories are related to industry-level sales growth. The paper finds that the most important correlate is spending on research and development. The study also uses data from a new survey of Chilean wine firms to capture information on firm-specific investments in knowledge capital. The findings show that investments in collaboration capital, in particular hiring foreign consultants, as well as participation in international wine fairs are the strongest correlates of growth in export sales, while spending on aspects of branding (local advertising and brand design) are the strongest correlates of domestic market sales growth.
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Policy Research Working Paper WPS6983 JUL 01, 2014
Dutz, Mark A.; O'Connell, Stephen D.; Troncoso, Javier L.
The overall outcome rating of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) Multi-Donor Trust Fund was judged to be satisfactory.
... See More + The Bank and borrower performance were satisfactory. The risk to development outcome was low or negligible. Significant changes included scaling up the Project to include 13 new sub-projects under Additional Financing (AF). The AF also financed to a lesser extent: (a) associated ASARECA monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities; (b) ASARECA operational costs; and (c) a portion of Bank costs for continued grant oversight and administration. Several lessons were learned. First, agriculture research and development, especially field activities, requires sustained effort to be successful. Such an undertaking cannot be readily started, stopped and completed on a fixed timetable without compromising the results achieved. Second, it is important for research and dissemination to address the entire value chain rather than focusing on only specific segments. It is equally important that the policy landscape is not overlooked. Third, it is essential to ensure that information and knowledge flows are appropriate and up-to-date. Fourth, it is important to be proactive in identifying and selecting partners in research and dissemination endeavors to achieve desired outcomes. Fifth, to ensure sustainability of the regional agricultural research for development initiatives, sustainable and ensured source of funding is very important. Finally, research programs should work together to build on synergies and reap the corresponding benefits and not only have a commodity focus.
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Implementation Completion and Results Report ICR3081 JUN 30, 2014
Many governments are pursuing open data policies. One of the key policy drivers has been to use open data to drive economic growth and business innovation.
... See More + This paper examines the evidence for the economic potential of open data and concludes that, despite a variation in published estimates and some methodological difficulties, the potential is very large indeed. It reviews the latest data about companies using open data, and highlights four companies which did not exist ten years ago, which are driven by open data, and which are each now valued at around $1 billion or more. It discusses the five archetypical types of businesses using open data, and cites concrete examples of each, and discusses the types of data which are proving most likely to lead to widespread business adoption and innovation. It suggests that governments should see themselves not only as a Supplier of open data but also as a leader, catalyst and user of it. Finally, it makes some recommendations for policies and actions which governments could take to maximize the economic growth possible from their data.
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The development objective of the Pacific Regional Information Communication Technologies (ICT) Regulatory Development Project for Pacific Islands is to strengthen the capacity of ICT regulatory institutions in the participating countries, and enhance regional collaboration and knowledge sharing on ICT regulatory issues.
... See More + The project comprises of three components. The first component, regional ICT capacity building and knowledge management will focus on enhancing knowledge sharing and cooperation among regulators, taking account of different levels of institutional maturity. It will support region-wide dissemination of knowledge products on priority ICT topics, regulatory best practices, improve access to quality sector data, and provide a central mechanism (interactive portal and website) for sharing up to date knowledge and experience throughout the region. The second component, regional advisory services will finance quick-response advice delivered in the form of consultancies or specialized training to regulators on legal, economic, financial, and technical issues in the ICT sector that have regional significance or offer a regional learning experience for the immediate benefit of two or more regulators. The third component, project administration will finance reasonable project administration, including financial management and procurement support, audit, and operating costs, attributable to the project.
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The development objective of the Neeranchal National Watershed Project for India is to support integrated watershed management program (IWMP) through technical assistance to improve incremental conservation outcomes and agricultural yields for communities in selected sites, and adoption of more effective processes and technologies into the broader IWMP in participating states.
... See More + The project comprises of four components. The first component, central institutional and capacity building will strengthen institutions and human resources of key national stakeholders, particularly the department of land resources (DoLR), for more effective planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation (M and E), and reporting of watershed management programs. It includes following four sub-components: (i) capacity building and institutional development at national level; (ii) national information and data center; (iii) communications; and (iv) M and E. The second component, national innovation will support the application of innovative, science-based knowledge, tools, and approaches to underpin improvements to IWMP around watershed planning and implementation, agricultural intensification, climate change, rural livelihoods, and hydrology, based on identified needs of the states, communities, and farmers. It includes following two sub-components: (i) agricultural performance, rural livelihoods, and climate change innovations; and (ii) decision support systems and data bases for hydrology and watershed management. The third component, IWMP implementation support in participating states will provide intensive, science-based technical assistance to improve IWMP operational effectiveness, convergence and integration with other government programs, and measurable impacts on the ground in selected sites in participating states. It consists of following six sub-components: (i) support for improved program integration in rain-fed areas; (ii) institutional strengthening; (iii) adoption of research and development (R and D) and technology transfer; (iv) state level management and coordination; (v) state level management and coordination; and (vi) urban watershed management. The fourth component, project management and coordination aim to ensure effective and responsive project management to successfully implement the Neeranchal project.
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The development objective of the Statistical Capacity Building Project for South Sudan is to strengthen the capacity of statistics producers in South Sudan to produce and disseminate official statistics.
... See More + The project comprises of five components. The first component, legal reforms and institutional development will support to strengthen the recipients legal and institutional framework for statistics. The second component will support to the recipient to build capacity in data producing agencies. The third component will support to the recipient to build information and communications technology (ICT) and statistical infrastructure. The fourth component, data development and dissemination will provide support to the recipient to generate, process, and disseminate data products and services. The fifth component, project management will support to the recipient to strengthen its capacity for project planning and budgeting, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation activities, all through the provision of technical advisory services, training, operating costs, and the acquisition of goods.
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The development objective of the Fifth Phase of the Central African Backbone (CAB5) Program Project for Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is to contribute to increase the geographical reach and usage of regional broadband infrastructure and to reduce the price of services to enable more people in the DRC to access information and communication technology services.
... See More + The project comprises of three components. The first component, emergence of an inclusive digital economy will support ministere des postes, telecommunications, et nouvelles technologies de linformation et de la communication (MINPTNTIC) to enable and accelerate the emergence of an information society and the growth of digital economy by supporting information and communications technology (ICT) skills, create new business opportunity for local ICT firms, and promote ICT sector and digitalization of the recipients economy. The second component, construction, management, and commercialization of the CAB5 infrastructure through a public private partnership (PPP) scheme will support ministry of portfolio (MINPORTFOLIO) to deploy interconnected networks to form a regional network with a mix of interventions covering investment focused on improving connectivity. The third component, enabling environment and regulatory effectiveness will support autorite de regulation de la poste et des telecommunications du Congo (ARPTC) to reinforce and strengthen its regulatory tools and capacity to promote further sector reform.
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The development objective of the Sustainable Youth Employment in Digital and Animation Industries Project for Jamaica is to support youth employment in the digital and animation industries in Jamaica.
... See More + The project comprises of five components. The first component, skills and capacity to enhance employability and entrepreneurship will build capacity and skills of Jamaican youth to improve employability in the growing animation industry and in the global online labor market, and provide critical skills to young tech entrepreneurs to bring ideas to market. The second component, establishment of startup Jamaica will make provisions for the establishment of a physical hub to strengthen a viable tech entrepreneurship ecosystem. The third component, early stage investment for tech startups will double the annual amount of private sector investment in early stage growth companies by: (a) establishing and supporting the growth of a vibrant angel investor network; (b) studying, promoting, and possibly leverage diaspora investors to establish a royalty-based equity loan fund; (c) studying and supporting the establishment of pre-purchase and equity crowd funding platforms; (d) a public awareness campaign on early stage investments; and (e) a targeted program to build trust networks among investors and early stage companies. The fourth component, support to science, technology, and innovation will focus on supporting researchers with entrepreneurial aspirations who have developed research, development, and innovation (R and D+i) applications that have commercial potential. The fifth component, project administration will support program management through: (a) financing the carrying out the financial management and procurement requirements under the project; (b) financing the monitoring and evaluation of project activities; (c) providing equipment and training for the project implementation unit (PIU); (d) hiring a dedicated management team that includes a project manager, and two technical specialists (animation and tech entrepreneurship); and (e) financing operating costs.
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This report is aimed at describing the final results and impact of the communicating extractive industries transparency initiative (EITI) in Kazakhstan.
... See More + There was a desk research carried out within first two weeks of the project. This research included analyzing experience of Kazakhstan organizations in developing a communicating strategy on EITI. In this context, this report presents following three tasks: task one, preparing a communications strategy that targets general public; task two, developing communications materials, as outlined in the communications strategy; and task three, conducting EITI communication and outreach activities.
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This report summarizes the key themes and findings from three in-depth case studies of EET programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique. Each case study produced rich information on the programs context, the landscape of programs in each country, and the qualitative insights from local EET stakeholders.
... See More + This report synthesizes information from across the case studies to analyze the extent to which these countries programs are meeting the needs of local entrepreneurs. It also introduces findings from global EET research to show how programs in the case-study countries relate to what is known about global practice in EET. From this synthesis, the report presents a set of key findings intended to illuminate how EET programs can be better aligned with local needs and promising EET practices globally.
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The development objective of the Enhancing Spatial Data for Flood Risk Management Project for Mozambique is to increase the capacity of Mozambique to prepare for and manage flood events in the Limpopo and Zambezi river basins.
... See More + The project will consist of two small recipient-executed grants implemented in parallel by regional water authority (administracao regional de aguas) (ARA)-Sul and ARA-Zambezi, respectively, with each grant constituting one of the project's two components. The grants will finance: (i) Limpopo river basin high-resolution Lidar survey component which will be implemented by ARA-Sul in close collaboration with national directorate of water (direccao nacional de aguas) (DNA) and national institute for disaster management (instituto nacional de gestao de calamidades) (INGC), as well as key stakeholder agencies; and (ii) Zambezi river basin high-resolution Lidar surveys component which will be implemented by ARA-Zambezi in close collaboration with DNA, INGC, and other key stakeholder agencies.
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The development objective of the Sustainable Production in Areas Previously Converted to Agricultural Use Project for Brazil is to promote the adoption of selected sustainable low carbon emissions agricultural technologies by mid-sized producers in the Cerrado region.
... See More + The project comprises of three components. The first component, producer training will provide support for the planning and preparation of dissemination events and training courses in the Cerrado states; carry out of a communication and dissemination campaign to inform potential stakeholders (farmers, farm technicians, and rural institutions) about the scope and rules of the low carbon emissions agriculture (agricultura de baixa emissao de carbono) (ABC) plan and the project through dissemination events and mass-media outlets; and provide training to rural producers and farm technicians in ABC plan technologies and farm management. The second component, field technical assistance will carry out pilot technical assistance program for selected rural producers located in four of the Cerrado states. The third component, project management, monitoring and evaluation will provide support for the technical and administrative management of the project, including supervision, monitoring and evaluation activities, as well as project audits.
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The project development objective for the MDTF is to facilitate integrated agricultural research for development within the SADC region with the aim of contributing to increased productivity of smallholder crop, forestry, fish and livestock enterprises in the region, as outlined in the CCARDESA Medium Term Operational Plan (MTOP).
... See More + The MDTF will support two main areas of the CCARDESA MTOP: (i) CCARDESA Thematic Programs, and (ii) CCARDESA Management and Governance. Component one CCARDESA activities will be organized around a set of priority thematic areas developed out of a regional priority setting and consultation process. The second component will finance the operational costs of CCARDESA, including the management functions (through a small Secretariat) and the governance functions (through a Board of Directors).
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This document presents the work program and budget proposal for FY15 for the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) and indicative plans for FY16-17.
... See More + It outlines the results and impact that IEG expects to achieve; strategic priorities and alignment with the new World Bank Group (WBG) strategy; changes to business lines, including what IEG will be doing more and less of; and details on work program deliverables and resource management. IEG faces a unique opportunity to deepen its impact, and make a significant contribution to the successful implementation of the new WBG strategy. To achieve the twin goals, the WBG and its clients and partners need to better understand what works and the reasons why, and draw lessons and good practices from experience to inform decision making and future action. Independent evaluation is essential to help the WBG address these challenges and build a stronger internal culture for results, accountability, and learning.
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There are significant economic gains to be realized if the East Africa sub region improves the overall integration of its markets. But infrastructure development that links markets across countries faces particular challenges, political, institutional, and economic.
... See More + In the case of East Africa, these challenges have served to hold back investment into regional infrastructure, despite significant recent efforts within the region to develop regional infrastructure investment plans and promote an increased use of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approaches to mobilize private sector financing and expertise. The report also recommends funding options for regional PPPs. The two main products identified are a Viability Gap Facility (VGF), which would bridge the gap between the commercial viability of a regional PPP and its economic viability; and a Project Development Facility (PDF), which could support the preparation costs of regional PPPs. The VGF could potentially be linked to the EAC Development Fund. Partner States need to be aware when designing these products that they may compete for funds with domestic financing needs. The report also considers the desirability of a regional long-term debt facility, and while there is widespread recognition of the need for longer-term local currency financing, the challenges involved in implementing such a facility are such that this will need to be revisited at a future date.
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Publication 88484 JUN 01, 2014
Mousley, Peter; Harris, Clive; Rigby-Delmon, Victoria
Whether in the domains of scholarship or practice, important advances have been made in recent years in our understanding of how culture, politics, and development interact.
... See More + Todays leading theorists of culture and development represent a fourth distinctive perspective vis-à-vis their predecessors, one that seeks to provide an empirically grounded, mechanisms-based account of how symbols, frames, identities, and narratives are deployed as part of a broader repertoire of cultural "tools" connecting structure and agency. A central virtue of this approach is less the broad policy prescriptions to which it gives rise -- indeed, to offer such prescriptions would be something of a contradiction in terms -- than the emphasis it places on making intensive and extensive commitments to engaging with the idiosyncrasies of local contexts. Deep knowledge of contextual realities can contribute constructively to development policy by enabling careful intra-country comparisons to be made of the conditions under which variable responses to otherwise similar problems emerge. Such knowledge is also important for discerning the generalizability (or "external validity") of claims regarding the efficacy of development interventions, especially those overtly engaging with social, legal, and political issues.
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Policy Research Working Paper WPS6939 JUN 01, 2014