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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Publication 114437 APR 18, 2017
Kelly,Timothy John Charles; Liaplina,Aleksandra; Tan,Shawn Weiming; Winkler,Hernan JorgeDisclosed
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).
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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.
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Governments have an opportunity to harness big data solutions to improve productivity, performance and innovation in service delivery and policymaking processes.
... See More + In developing countries, governments have an opportunity to adopt big data solutions and leapfrog traditional administrative approaches
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This report is the output of a functional and technical assessment of aid data management inMozambique. The objectives of the report are to analyze why aid data management issuboptimal in Mozambique, weigh the pros and cons of potential alternatives, and propose policy changes that would allow the Government of Mozambique (GoM) to better capture,manage, publish, and use aid data for improved development results.
... See More + Demand for aid data in Mozambique is high; however, the supply—and therefore use—of this data, is low.The primary challenge is that the current Aid Information Management System (AIMS) does not use national budget classification categories, complicating the integration of aid data with budget data. Secondary critical challenges include unnecessary complexity (there are currently more than 50 fields), lack of flexibility (no updates to reflect annual changes to the country’s Chart of Accounts), and inability to accommodate multidonor projects and pooled funds (leading to double counting). Communication lines between the GoM and development partners (DPs) are also limited, thus excluding the principal source of feedback on usability. These challenges have led to a negative cycle whereby more data is being lost or beingcaptured but not shared. The report recommends several institutional changes, including allocating sufficient staff for directing and managing ODAmoz, improving communication by building on existing aid coordination mechanisms and collaborating better with line ministries, and restarting engagement with DPs. Most critically, the report also recommends that the GoM redesigns ODAmoz such that aid data is recorded in a format that can easily be used in the national planning and budgeting process; this would entail the new platform being housed within theCenter for the Development of Financial Information Systems (CEDSIF) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and closely linked to the State Electronic System of Financial Administration (e-SISTAFE), Mozambique’s Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).
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The development objective of the Enhancing Coherence and Integration of Economic and Social Statistics in Support of the Implementation of 2008 System of National Accounts (SNA) Project for the World is to increase statistical capacity in compiling national accounts and supporting statistics according to the recommendations of the 2008 SNA and other relevant international standards in the twelve Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) countries.
... See More + This project is financed for 0.91 million US dollars and will have four key grant funded activities, from 2017 to 2020. The project activities will involve participation of experts from Participating Countries in the regular biennial Expert Group meetings that United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) are organizing in cooperation with other international organizations.
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The development objective of the Statistical Development Project for Chad is to strengthen the capacity of the national statistics institute to collect, process, and disseminate data with improved quality, frequency, and timeliness.
... See More + The project comprises of three components. The first component, strengthening institutional capacity and developing human resources (HR), will strengthen National Institute of Statistical, Economic, and Demographic Studies (INSEED’s) institutional framework and HR to create an enabling environment for high-quality data collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination. It consists of following sub-components: (i) institutional reform; (ii) development of human resources, (iii) workforce training for INSEED staff, (iv) recruitment and retention of qualified staff, and (v) drafting a new national strategy for the development of statistics (NSDS). The second component, data collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination will finance the implementation of a program of activities designed to improve the statistical infrastructure, the quality and timeliness of poverty and inequality statistics, national accounts statistics, and agriculture statistics produced by INSEED. It consists of following sub-components: (i) implementation of Chad household consumption and informal sector survey (ECOSIT 4), (ii) implementation of ECOSIT 5, and (iii) improving macroeconomic statistics. The third component, project management and improving of information technology (IT) infrastructure will support activities such as: (a) fostering the coordination of statistical operations supported by the project; (b) providing project management funding and support for the implementation of large projects (such as the ECOSIT surveys); and (c) strengthening the capacity of INSEED’s project implementation unit (PIU) to implement the project effectively. It consists of following sub-components: (i) project management, and (ii) improvements to IT infrastructure for data dissemination.
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The development objective of Statistical Development Project for Gabon aims to strengthen the statistical capacity of the Borrower, fill key data gaps, improve statistical production, and enhance statistical dissemination practices.
... See More + This project has three components. 1) The first component, Improved Data Collection, Statistical Production, and Dissemination, will support improved data collection, statistical production, and dissemination. It has four subcomponents as follows: (i) National Accounts (NA) and Real Sector Statistics; (ii) Welfare Monitoring Statistics; (iii) Agricultural Statistics; and (iv) Improve Data Access and Dissemination. 2) The second component, Build Technical Capacity and Modernize Infrastructure, aims to strengthen the overall technical capacity and skills of staff and modernize the infrastructure, especially at the new National Statistical Agency (NSA). It has two subcomponents as follows: (i) Build Technical Capacity; and (ii) Modernize Infrastructure. 3) The third component, National Statistical System Institutional Reform and Project Management Capacity Building, aims to support implementation of the ongoing statistical institutional reform and ensure that there is adequate capacity for project management. It has two subcomponents as follows: (i) National Statistical System Institutional Reform; and (ii) Project Management.
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This note explores the way traditional banks and financial technology companies, or Fintech’s, interact in Africa and Asia, and their ability to offer innovative digital financial services that grant unbanked individuals access to financial transactions.
... See More + The Fintech sector is experiencing explosive growth in both continents, but while Asian banks have managed to efficiently integrate with Fintech solutions, African banks have been slower to adapt to this change. Still, the outlook for mobile banking remains positive, and its prevalence will boost the financial industry in both regions.
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Ratings for the First ICT Sector Development Policy Operation Project for Marshall Islands were as follows: outcomes were unsatisfactory, the risk to development outcome was high, the Bank performance was moderately unsatisfactory, and the Borrower performance was unsatisfactory.
... See More + Some lessons learned included: the delays and political opposition to reforms in the ICT sector are a reminder of the difficulties of sector reforms and the challenges of opening monopolies to competition. A thorough political economy assessment is an essential tool to support ambitious reform programs. The interests of incumbent monopolies, especially private shareholders, management and workers, capacity issues, and government readiness all play a role. Proper risk identification and mitigation, including to guide the choice of assistance instruments (IPF, DPO, non-lending TA, etc.), is essential. A DPO depends upon a deep and sustained level of engagement and trust between the Bank, the government and among stakeholder interested or affected by the proposed activity. With this in mind, it is doubtful that RMI was ready for this type of operation as its first substantial lending activity with the Bank, especially in view of the government’s lack of familiarity with World Bank Group processes and procedures. The Bank must ensure that its operations are supported by robust analysis and understanding of political economy factors. This is especially pertinent for complex, risky operations such as the DPO Program assessed in this ICR. In this case, all the conditions seemed to be in place to support the reform objectives. There were high levels of dissatisfaction with the low quality and high price of ICT services. Experience internationally and from around the Pacific region had demonstrated the benefits of liberalization and the potential for market-based reforms to attract new private sector investment, which will lead to substantial improvements in sector performance.
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Implementation Completion and Results Report ICR3905 FEB 21, 2017
The development objectives of Digital Malawi Project for Malawi are: (i) to extend and improve access to critical ICT infrastructure for the public and private sectors; (ii) improve ICT governance, improve access to government services; and (iii) reduce infrastructure costs by providing reliable, fast and adaptive government digital systems that will facilitate provision of e-services thereby enhancing public service delivery.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (i) for land owners with legal right, replacement land and resettlement assistance to be given; (ii) for residential and commercial buildings, cash at full replacement value to be given; (iii) replacement costs for non-movables for tenants, for the loss of rental accommodation; (iv) for loss of business for tenants, transitional allowance to be paid to cover loss of income from business during relocation; (v) for loss of shelter, assets and land for cultivation, cash compensation for trees and crops at replacement cost in lean season to be given to the land owners without legal rights; (vi) for communal assets, land replacement and assistance for land clearing at the new site for community or institutions.
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Africa is home to 13.4 percent of the world’s population, but contributes barely 1.1 percent of scientific researchers in the world, with just about one scientist or engineer per 10,000 inhabitants.
... See More + The resulting shortage of qualified faculty in African universities, especially in the scientific and technical fields, affects the quality of graduates entering the industry workforce. With 11 million new graduates entering the African job market annually, this generation of talented youth must be equipped with the skills to develop African solutions for African challenges. To address this huge gap and improve the quality of graduates entering the scientific and technical workforce, the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) was launched in 2013 by African governments and institutions. PASET promotes strategic partnerships between governments, private sector and partner countries from other regions to invest in skills in ASET fields in Africa. It is governed by African education ministers, business leaders, scientists, development experts and African academics, and facilitated by the World Bank. In 2015, PASET introduced the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF), with initial commitments from Senegal, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and the private sector.
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