The policy note assesses Bhutan's agribusiness sector and recommends steps the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) might consider to increase the sector's growth.
... See More + The analysis relies primarily on Enterprise Survey conducted in 2015, supplemented by extensive literature reviews and fieldwork. Several overarching conclusions emerge: (i) public sector institutions supporting agribusiness have the opportunity to refine their incentive structures for greater impact on the growth and development of Bhutan's private agribusinesses; (ii) Bhutan is already endowed with the agro-climatic conditions and technical capacity to produce and market several agricultural products, providing the RGoB with the opportunity to increase agribusiness export volumes and value; (iii) although Bhutan has policies in place to promote both domestic and foreign direct investment (FDI), the RGoB has additional opportunities for spurring greater investment and innovation in agribusiness; and (iv) while the agribusiness sector has experienced significant gains in access to finance, more can be done in the banking sector to support marketing, processing, and exporting agri-food products.
See Less -
Modern industrial policies (IPs) or productive development policies (PDPs) are about identifying and removing constraints to the growth of productive sectors, which implies providing public goods and fixing market failures related to those sectors.
... See More + In order to do this, policymakers need to access the knowledge held by private producers so they can learn about market failures, binding constraints, and formulate the right policies to address them. Likewise, private sector stakeholders may need governments to help solve systemic issues they face. This publication examines the role public-private dialogue (PPD) mechanisms play in improving PDPs. It begins by briefly addressing the challenges of structural transformation, then explaining the rationale for PPD, and finally illustrating the policy tool that is the Mesas Ejecutivas (MEs), or Executive Working Groups, as implemented in Peru. The MEs identify the key bottlenecks that are holding back a particular sector or factor. They are aimed at simplifying procedures, adapting and updating laws and regulations, opening new markets, creating or improving needed government agencies, providing adequate infrastructure, ensuring sufficient incentives for innovation, and mediating between parties. The authors acknowledge that various PPD tools, methodologies, and institutional architectures exist. The aim of this publication is to enrich the debate and the literature on industrial policies and the relevant institutional collaborative mechanisms that can help improve their design and implementation. The paper will conclude with an operational checklist summarizing key questions, with general and hands-on tips, intended for practitioners interested in designing and implementing public-private instruments such as the MEs.
See Less -
The development objective of Himachal Pradesh Public Financial Management Capacity Building Program Project for India is to improve the efficiency of Public Expenditure Management and Tax Administration in Himachal Pradesh.
... See More + This project has three components. 1) The first component, Improving efficiency of the Finance Department (FD) in an enhanced control environment, aims to contribute toward strengthening budget credibility; effective Public Financial Management (PFM) operations; and enhancing governance, financial controls, and accountability by strengthening treasury systems and establishing or upgrading enabling IT systems. It has two subcomponents as follows: (i) Strengthening treasury functioning and implementing second generation Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) reforms; (ii) Strengthening PFM Reforms Architecture; and (iii) Establishing or strengthening enabling IT systems and support. 2) The second component, Increasing efficiency and performance through better contract management, aims to strengthen contract management in one of the major works departments, namely the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department. It has the following two subcomponents: (i) Establishing an integrated CMS; and (ii) Rollout of e-Procurement in all government departments. 3) The third component, Unlocking revenue potential through modernization of the Excise and Taxation Department (ETD), aims to support activities that will increase efficiency in operations within the ETD, including upgrading skills and competency levels for improved staff capacity and enhanced systems, both with the objective of augmentation and increasing revenue. It has the following five subcomponents: (i) Diagnostic of the institutional framework and revenue administration; (ii) Strengthening analytical skills and business intelligence (BI) capabilities; (iii) e-Governance in the excise function; (iv) Independent third-party IT audit; and (v) Hiring of personnel for addressing backlog of Value Added Tax (VAT) and Central Sales Tax (CST) assessments.
See Less -
The development objective of the Integrated Public Sector Reform Project for Congo, Republic of is to improve public resources management and accountability in the Republic of Congo.
... See More + The project comprises of four components. The first component, strengthening revenue mobilization and public expenditure management objective is twofold: (a) to improve non-oil revenue collection, and (b) to rationalize the expenditure chain. It consists of following sub-components: (i) strengthening revenue mobilization; and (ii) strengthening public expenditure management. The second component, modernization of the public administration objective is to develop a public sector modernization strategy and implement it in pilot departments and agencies. It consists of following sub-components: (i) improving civil service management capacity; (ii) modernization of the departments implementing reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+); and (iii) modernization of the public procurement system. The third component, improving transparency and accountability objectives are to strengthen the capacity of the oversight institutions, increase transparency in the forestry and extractive sectors, and promote citizen engagement. It consists of following sub-components: (i) supporting the Cour de Comptes et Discipline Budgétaire (CCDB), general inspection of finance (IGF), and economy and finance committees of the parliament; (ii) supporting social accountability and citizen engagement; (iii) improving transparency of the revenue collection system in the forestry sector; and (iv) improving transparency in the extractives sector. The fourth component, project implementation support objectives are to enhance the project implementation capacity and to support the development and application of a monitoring and evaluation (M and E) system for tracking progress in governance reforms. It consists of following sub-components: (i) building project implementation capacity; and (ii) and M and E.
See Less -
Most business leaders in Malawi see the Malawi Trade Portal (MTP) as a step forward in the provision of public information via online platforms and the promotion of transparency in the delivery of public services.
... See More + Its purpose is to facilitate trade by promoting easier access to information on laws, regulations, measures, standards, procedures, and forms related tothe governance of exports, imports, and transit of goods. This SmartLesson describes how the MTP is helping authorities facilitate trade by increasing transparency and accountability and by reducing the time it takes to access regulatory information on trade across borders. and it shares the lessons the authors believe are the most replicable.
See Less -
Ratings of Amazonas Modernizing Public Sector Management, Citizen Security and Gender Policies Development Policy Loan (DPL) Project for Brazil were as follows: outcomes were satisfactory, risk to development outcome was moderate, Bank performance was satisfactory, and Borrower performance was satisfactory.
... See More + Some of the lessons learned included: (i) The operation is an example of successful collaboration between the IADB and the World Bank; (ii) The World Bank demonstrated a great ability to rapidly fill a financing gap that was fundamental to advance reforms; (iii) Teams should avoid including indicators that are not entirely under the control of the implementing agency, and that are difficult to measure and are affected by a multitude of factors; (iv) Interventions in this sector will become more frequent as security issues become a priority for more client countries; and (v) During the municipal election campaign period, the rounds of the mobile units providing services to women were suspended to avoid their misappropriation.
See Less -
Implementation Completion and Results Report ICR3807 JAN 27, 2017
This paper uses some of the main elements of the World Development Report 2017 framework to analyze how the initiative came to be. First, it looks to investigate the origin of the constitutional changes that gave birth to the figure of citizen’s bill in the first place, illustrating how a change in rules, a “form”, eventually led to an increased space of contestability.
... See More + It also looks to document how the coalition between civil society organizations, academia, the private sector and citizens came together around this rallying point, and how the bill grew from online platform to a full-on legislative proposal. Afterwards, it provides a brief analysis of the elements of the bill that were ultimately incorporated into the legislation of the national anticorruption system. In parallel, it looks to shed light on questions, such as, did political parties attempt to block a constitutional change with the potential to affect their interests? What role did elite organizations play in the civil society coalition? How much of the coalition’s bill made it into the national anticorruption legislation? What are the mechanisms through which these laws purpose to fight corruption? The methodological approach followed in the paper consisted of in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and a detailed review of publicly available information. The rest of the paper is structured as follows. Section two, next, discusses some of the elements of WDR 2017, which are used to frame the analysis. It then sets up the context leading up to the initiative, notably the legislative changes that allowed the figure of citizen’s bill to come to the fore. Section three looks at the path of the 3de3 citizen’s bill: its evolution from online platform, through massive crowdsourcing to full-blown national anticorruption bill. It also explores some of the most distinctive elements that the bill proposes to fight corruption. Section four provides an analysis of the incentives behind how the coalition around the initiate was built, and the unlikely alliance of actors involved—citizens, business associations, civil society organizations, academia, and legislators themselves. Section five concludes with a discussion of the entry points that led to the development of the bill—and its incorporation into the national legislation on corruption—in terms of shifts in incentives, preferences and contestability.
See Less -
In a conflict-affected and newly independent country like South Sudan, rebuilding public sector capacity is an important aspect of state building, both in the short and in the medium to long term.
... See More + If capacity strengthening is not pursued or is ineffective, government functionality remains patchy and dependency on technical assistants (TA) remains high. Capacity strengthening has been considered amorphous and a difficult topic in academic literature. This paper looks at the experience of efforts to strengthen capacity in South Sudan over the decade from 2005 to 2016. The context has proved challenging for capacity-building efforts. On the one hand, some improvements have been seen and some skilled civil servants are in place. On the other hand, wider progress has been difficult and punctuated by crises and setbacks. Renewed conflicts from December 2013 to August 2015, and again since July 2016, have disrupted progress and planning for development support. The report’s recommendations are based on the assumption that minimum stability will eventually return for capacity strengthening to restart; but it cannot be predicted when this will be the case.
See Less -
Working Paper 114588 JAN 01, 2017
Fritz,Verena Maria; Issa,Museme Munira; Ort,Rachel Lemay; Haven,Bernard James; Collin Dit De Montesson,Nicolas Antoine Robert; Wani,Aisha Musa AliDisclosed
This report was developed in the first half of 2016, when the signing of the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCISS) and subsequent establishment of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGNU) presented a possible window of opportunity to restart and reset state-building effort, in particular, to initiate a more strategic approach to capacity building.
... See More + From the government side, it was possible incentives will emerge to signal a break with the past by delivering services to citizens. In this context, the main objective of the note has been to contribute a stronger evidence base for renewed efforts at supporting capacity building. Despite the renewed deterioration since mid-2016, it is expected that many of the key challenges and tensions analyzed will remain important considerations when capacity building efforts are eventually renewed. South Sudan has faced renewed conflict and a deepening macro-fiscal crisis. Shortly after the formation of the TGNU in late May 2016, fighting broke out in Juba and the security situation in the rest of the country has subsequently deteriorated. This note mainly covers the period until June 2016, as a contribution to providing a more nuanced understanding of efforts at capacity building in South Sudan. This note is primarily concerned with capacity in the civilian public service in South Sudan, and its ability to deliver public services. The note explores cross-cutting issues and challenges related to developing a capable and effective civil service and drills down into two specific areas: public financial management (PFM) and the public health sector. The report combines an analysis of the opportunities and constraints created by the evolving country context; cross-cutting factors which have shaped core public administration functions across sectors since 2005; and analysis of capacity in two selected state functions PFM and health care. The report is organized as follows: chapter one presents purpose, scope, and approach. Chapter two covers the conceptual underpinnings of the paper. Chapter three provides a cross-cutting perspective on capacity-building efforts in South Sudan, providing an overview of public sector as a tool for the management of political support, as well as the evolution of aid architecture. Chapter four covers PFM in South Sudan and chapter five addresses the health sector. Chapter six reviews key findings and emerging lessons and concludes with recommendations and options for improving monitoring of capacity-building efforts going forward.
See Less -
Public-Private Dialogues (PPDs) are known to convene policy makers, regulators, administrators and private sector participants to the same table and collaboratively address particularly stubborn issues relating to business-enabling reforms.
... See More + PPDs foster a culture of democratic problem-solving, drive awareness and consensus among participating stakeholders and aid the transcendence of reform impacts beyond the handful few. Ernest & Yong (EY) was appointed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which manages the PaCT Program, as an independent process evaluator of Component III. This report follows up on EY's baseline analysis, completed back in May 2014 and presents the findings from EY’s midline assessment. The midline analysis explores: (i) how the processes of Component III have evolved since the baseline study and how they are expected to evolve going forward; (ii) what are the present levels of perceptions and attitudes among different stakeholders on the issue of water management practices; and (iii) what have been the key observations around the dialogue process adopted by IFC for Component III and how it can be fortified to further the agenda under discussion. The midline assessment concludes that Component III has succeeded in establishing the necessary institutional architecture and processes to drive meaningful dialogues around sustainability-oriented policy reforms in Bangladesh.
See Less -
There is a consensus that governance and some form of citizen engagement matter for achieving development results. Yet, the devil lies in the details: there is limited consensus on how and why some citizen engagement initiatives work, and others do not.
... See More + This India report attempts to move debate forward. The main findings are as follows. First, citizen engagement in India has contributed to varied results, including: (a) Strengthening people’s participation; (b) Improving public financial management and service delivery; (c) Fostering more “inclusive” forms of governance; (d) Facilitating innovations in public sector accountability; and, (e) Provoking, in some cases, citizen disillusionment or backlash. Second, key success factors include: (a) The nature of available information; (b) The incentives of political actors; (c) The strength of enforcement mechanisms; (d) The ability to foster local collaboration; (e) The ability to mitigate inequalities; and, (f) The capacity of the intervention to sustain itself. This gives rise to the following recommendations: 1. Better understand citizen engagement’s contribution to economic development outcomes; 2. Rethink the drivers of state (in)action and design interventions accordingly; 3. Make enforcement mechanisms the starting point for citizen engagement initiatives; 4. Tackle inequality and address underlying drivers of non-participation; 5. Mainstream adaptive approaches while keeping a close eye on medium-term goals; and, 6. Move beyond simplistic models that focus on the wrong types of information.
See Less -
The objective of the Comoros public expenditure and fiscal management review is to assist the Government of Comoros in strengthening the basis for the management of its public expenditure program.
... See More + The review takes stock of expenditure trends and the systems governing public spending, with an emphasis on strengthening fiscal sustainability, budget credibility and strengthening fiscal management in the electricity and service delivery sectors.
See Less -
Public Expenditure Review 120541 JAN 01, 2017
Mahdi,Shireen; Mansour,Wael; Klimowicz,Ewa Katarzyna; Said Ali Said,Antoissi; Ayi,Jean Gaspard NtoutoumeFrenchDisclosed
The objective of the Comoros public expenditure and fiscal management review is to assist the Government of Comoros in strengthening the basis for the management of its public expenditure program.
... See More + The review takes stock of expenditure trends and the systems governing public spending, with an emphasis on strengthening fiscal sustainability, budget credibility and strengthening fiscal management in the electricity and service delivery sectors.
See Less -
Public Expenditure Review 120541 JAN 01, 2017
Mahdi,Shireen; Mansour,Wael; Klimowicz,Ewa Katarzyna; Said Ali Said,Antoissi; Ayi,Jean Gaspard NtoutoumeEnglishDisclosed
This quarterly review for Palestinian Recovery and Development Plan covers the period of October – December 2016. Despite strong revenues, a significant drop in budget support in 2016 resulted in extremely tight financing conditions and further arrears accumulation.
... See More + In 2016, public revenue increased by close to 25 percent mainly due to one-off transfers by the GoI and advance telecom license payments. Public expenditure growth was high reaching 5 percent mainly due to unanticipated wage increases. Despite a strong decline in the PA’s deficit year-on-year, fiscal stress continued to be high in 2016 due to a major drop in budget support. According to the 2017 budget, the financing need will remain large.
See Less -
The project covers seven cities, encompassing nine urban local bodies: seven municipal corporations (MCs) and two urban improvement trusts (UITs).
... See More + The urban local bodies are responsible for infrastructure improvements in the cities. The cities are spread across three states in central and northwestern India: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. They range in size from 260,000 (Alwar) to 2.6 million (Pune), with most in the range of 300,000 to 500,000 inhabitants. Institutionally, municipalities in India are under little regulatory obligation to improve lighting quality to meet standards. India’s Code of Practice for Lighting, created in 1970 by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to establish lighting standards for categories of streets and roads, and has not been updated since 1981. Further, as USAID report from 2010 notes, ‘since these guidelines are not enforced by any regulatory authority, it is common for municipalities to be unaware of the standards, and many fail to comply.’ Consequently, project upgrades are not driven by regulatory compliance but by municipalities’ initiative to save operating funds on electricity and maintenance, and to improve street lighting quality.
See Less -
This quarterly review for Palestinian Recovery and Development Plan covers for the period of July – September 2016. Public revenue grew by 22 percent in the first three quarters of 2016, mainly due to one-off transfers by the Government of Israel (GoI).
... See More + Public expenditure grew by close to 5 percent and exceeded the prorated budget by 6 percent in the period between January and September 2016. High expenditure growth was mainly driven by an increase in the wage bill, which constitutes about half of total expenditure. Progress in various areas of Public Financial Management (PFM) has been uneven.
See Less -
This introductory guide has been developed by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) with the support of the World Bank to explain to public sector leaders and their teams how integrated thinking and reporting can help the sector consider how make the most of resources, encourage the right behaviors and demonstrate to stakeholders how they are achieving the strategy and creating value over the short and longer term.
... See More +See Less -
