Weitzenegger's Publication Review 2008
December 2008
What's wrong with Microfinance?, Ed. by Thomas Dichter & Malcolm Harper
http://practicalactionpublishing.org/?id=whats_wrong_with
Microfinance has been a long-lived development movement since the 1980s. In 2005 it enjoyed the accolade of a UN international year and in 2007 one of the founding fathers of microfinance received a Nobel Prize. However, despite the undoubted successes, there are also some important problems and fundamental questions to be addressed. Is microfinance really a step on the road to economic growth, or is it a short-term palliative, keeping poor people poor? Can an MFI really work if it embraces the ‘double bottom line’ of both profit and social good? Is microfinance, especially credit, harmful, often landing the vulnerable poor in debt? Should microfinance be reaching the poorest? The chapters, written by well-known experts in the field, are grouped around the categories: clients, institutions, and expectations. The authors aim to sound a timely warning to governments, bankers, donors and the general public. The intention is not to halt or slow microfinance initiatives, but to encourage a reassessment of experiences and a rethink of expectations and policies. Microfinance can never be a panacea and may sometimes be actively damaging to its intended customers.
''Hole in the Pocket''
http://tinyurl.com/5n5rwr
In its new report ActionAid estimates that the fall in growth rates caused by the financial crisis will cost developing countries over $400 billion by 2010. Yet billions of dollars a year are being lost by poor countries because big companies are not paying the taxes they should.
Latin American Economic Outlook 2009
http://tinyurl.com/69zy2j
The 2009 edition of the Latin American Economic Outlook shows that governments in the region could do much more to exploit the ability of fiscal policy to boost economic growth and combat poverty and inequality.
Private sector development in (post-) conflict situations. GTZ Guidebook
http://www2.gtz.de/dokumente/bib/gtz2008-0383en-private-sector-conflict.pdf
This guidebook explains the challenges of working in a conflictive environment and provides development practitioners with guidance on successful project development, implementation and monitoring. In addition, the internet-based ‘Promotion of Economic Development and Employment in Conflict and Post-Conflict Environments (PEECE) Platform provides further practical advice, tools and project examples to economic development experts working in conflict or post-conflict situations.
Economic development in conflict-affected countries. GTZ Practitioners' note.
http://www2.gtz.de/dokumente/bib/gtz2008-0409en-economic-development-conflict.pdf
This Practitioners’ Note focuses on the linkage between conflict and private sector development (PSD), acknowledging the need for conflict-sensitive planning and implementation of economic interventions. While much can be said about the different phases of conflict, this note focuses on the phases during and after conflict, drawing lessons from IFC/FIAS’ and BMZ/GTZ´s experiences from a range of countries.
Doing Business: New profiles of 181 economies and 13 regions
http://www.doingbusiness.org/Downloads
Doing Business 2009 economy profiles of 181 economies and 13 regions are now available for download! Each profile summarizes Doing Business indicators for that economy or region of the world. Good-practice economies are also identified.
Doing Business: new report on Doing Business in Landlocked Economies
http://tinyurl.com/5kw2ee
This report analyses the ease of doing business in 38 landlocked economies. Overall, landlocked economies have an average ranking of 107 out of 181 economies covered by the global Doing Business 2009 report.
OECD: Sustainable Development - Linking economy, society, environment
http://tinyurl.com/6ovc86
A succinct examination of the concept of sustainable development: what it means; how it is impacted by globalisation, production and consumption; how it can be measured; and what can be done to promote it.
Better Aid: 2008 Survey on Monitoring the Paris Declaration
http://tinyurl.com/5zyn9v
Assesses progress in 54 developing countries and helps us understand the challenges in making aid more effective in advancing development. 2Making Aid More Effective by 2010''.
After Structural Adjustment, Then What? Lending Selectivity by the World Bank
http://tinyurl.com/5vanpp
The author of this Development Viewpoint #16, Elisa Van Waeyenberge, Department of Economics, SOAS, critically examines the World Bank’s Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, an index that it uses to select countries for financing—but based on their past performance instead of their current need. She contends that this new form of neo-liberal conditionality discriminates against poorer countries and weakens their efforts to maintain stability, raise investment and expand pro-poor expenditures.
more documents:
GTZ Online-Library Sustainable Economic Development
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/library/topics-en.asp
The Online - Library Sustainable Economic Development provides selected manuals, materials, workshop documentation, and technical literature as well as field reports and discussion papers from projects conducted by GTZ and other development institutions.
September 2008
Accessing Financial Services in Rural Areas
http://www.inforesources.ch/pdf/focus08_2_e.pdf
InfoResources Focus 2/2008.
Building Democracies and Markets in the Post-Conflict Context
http://www.cipe.org/publications/papers/pdf/IP0806.pdf
In post-conflict societies, reconstruction efforts must focus on rebuilding and strengthening institutions in addition to providing humanitarian aid and basic infrastructure. The private sector plays a crucial role in advancing reconstruction and establishing credible institutions that give post-conflict societies a sense of ownership and faith in the political and economic system and discourage the return of armed conflict. Institutional and economic reforms must be carried out at the grassroots level in order to cultivate a sense of responsibility within local communities and to engage the local private sector and civil society in meeting specific development needs of post-conflict countries.
Building the capacity of producer organisations
http://www.capacity.org/...)
Addressing the food crisis will require an enabling environment and price incentives for small farmers to increase production. Cpacity.org looks at rural entrepreneurs and value chains.
Business Constraints and Growth Potential of Micro and Small Manufacturing Enterprise
http://www.giga-hamburg.de/workingpapers
GIGA Working Paper No 78 by Esther K. Ishengoma and Robert Kappel.
Capacity, Change and Performance Study Report
http://www.ecdpm.org/dp59b
This ECDPM Discussion Paper 59B gives insights on Capacity Building and comes to useful general recommendations. If you ever wondered, what CP is good for and how it works, read this.
Chain empowerment: Supporting African farmers to develop market
http://www.mamud.com/chain_empowerment.htm
This book describes two basic strategies that groups of farmers can use to improve their incomes: vertical and horizontal integration. Vertical integration means taking on additional activities in the value chain: processing or grading produce, for example. Horizontal integration means becoming more involved in managing the value chain itself – by farmers’ improving their access to and management of information, their knowledge of the market, their control over contracts, or their cooperation with other actors in the chain.
Cluster Development and Knowledge Exchange in Supply Chain
http://xxx.lanl.gov/ftp/arxiv/papers/0806/0806.0519.pdf
Industry cluster and supply chain are in focus of every countries which rely on knowledge-based economy. Both focus on improving the competitiveness of firm in the industry in the different aspect. This paper tries to illustrate how the industry cluster can increase the supply chain performance.
Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism
http://www.adb.org/Microfinance/Making-Capitalism-Work.pdf
Review Essay on Muhammad Yunus and Karl Weber's book by Nimal A. Fernando, Asian Development Bank
Creating an enabling environment for private sector development in sub-Saharan Africa
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/07-89144_Ebook1.pdf
The study has been prepared as a joint GTZ/UNIDO input to the ''DCED/BEWG Africa Regional Consultative Conference: Creating Better Business Environments for Enterprise Development—African and Global Lessons for More Effective Donor Practices”, held in Accra, Ghana, in November 2007.
Creating Value for All Report: Strategies for Doing Business with the Poor
http://tinyurl.com/6qrld4
The first global report of UNDP's Growing Inclusive Markets Initiative and the first one with such depth and local knowledge, Creating Value for All showcases 50 studies by researchers predominantly from developing countries. These case studies demonstrate the successful pursuit of both revenues and social impact by local and international small- and medium-sized companies, as well as multinational corporations.
Developing Cross Border Value Chains - Newsletter
http://www.valuechain-bimpeaga.com
This newsletter will serve as a vehicle to briefly inform everyone about the developments and activities of the four subsectors – tourism, seaweeds, halal products, and palm oil - where GTZ and the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) apply the value chain approach. Source: GTZ ASSETSforASIAnews
Development Assistance: Positive Economic Impact
http://tinyurl.com/5vxpv5
The recently published study on the economic effects of official development assistance (ODA) is extremely positive. It shows that ODA is capable of creating a win-win situation for both beneficiary and donor countries.
Education quality and economic growth - World Bank Research
http://tinyurl.com/25t49l
Access to education is one of the highest priorities on the development agenda. High-profile international commitment to progress has helped galvanise policy-makers into action. This book aims to contribute to the World Bank's education agenda by communicating research findings on the impact of education quality on economic growth. It shows how differences in learning achievements matter more in explaining cross-country differences in productivity growth than differences in the average number of years of schooling or in enrolment rates.
Evaluation of the implementation of the Paris Declaration
http://www.undg.org/docs/9219/Synthesis-Report.pdf
This UN Development Group report synthesises the results of the first evaluation of the early implementation of the Paris Declaration, from March 2005 to late 2007. The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness is now recognised as a landmark international agreement aimed at improving the quality of aid and its impact on development. It lays out a road-map of practical commitments, organised around five key principles of effective aid. Each has a set of indicators of achievement. The Declaration also has built-in provisions for regular monitoring and independent evaluation of how the commitments are being carried out.
Evaluation of World Bank's Doing Business
http://tinyurl.com/43ua6v
The Doing Business Indicators are the Bank Group's well-known tool for comparing the business regulatory environments of 178 countries. This independent evaluation recommends significant changes to the indicators.
Fighting Corruption Business Guide
http://info.worldbank.org/etools/antic/Guide.asp
This practical Guide explains Collective Action, its benefits, and how to use it. The Guide is intended primarily for use by anyone with responsibility for a major project or market, and who operates in an environment where corruption is, or may be present.
Financing Development 2008: Whose Ownership?
http://tinyurl.com/5hnfen OECD Development Centre Studies
Aid alone cannot finance development; bringing in fresh sources of finance is essential. The emergence of a multiplicity of new financing options is good news for developing countries, but it also raises challenges. The authors in this stimulating book assess the changing landscape of international development finance from a global and a developing-country perspective. The result is a vast range of policy implications for donor and recipient alike. In an easily digestible format, the book provides recommendations on innovative policy mechanisms, on the use of both grants and loans in development finance, and on the challenges of managing diverse financial flows at country-level.
GDN Toolkit: Proposal Writing and Fundraising
http://www.gdnet.org/middle.php?oid=363
This toolkit provides tips and practical suggestions for applying for funding and proposal writing. It is based on interviews with experienced research fundraisers. Obtaining funding for your research is a difficult achievement, so we hope this guide will help give your proposal the best possible chance of success.
Improving the Local Business Environment
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/SA_LBE_booklet_v1_2008.pdf
This booklet describes the importance of the local business environment in the creation of vibrant local economies by local and district municipalities. It highlights the role of the local business environment in attracting new investment and business development opportunities, and describes how to improve these conditions. Tools and resources for local business environment reform are identified to help elected representatives and local officials initiate the process of improving their business environment. Source: GTZ ASSETSforASIAnews
Integrating poverty, gender and environmental concerns into value chain analysis : a conceptual framework and lessons for action research
http://www.diis.dk/sw62931.asp
This paper develops a conceptual framework to overcome the shortcomings in stand-alone value chain, livelihoods and environmental analyses by integrating horizontal and vertical aspects that affect poverty and sustainability.
Making Money Transfers Work for Microfinance Institutions
http://www.cgap.org/
...
Money transfers are often the first financial service used by low-income people. Institutions that provide secure and affordable money transfer services can expand their client base, and generate significant revenue. CGAP's Technical Guide helps financial service providers determine the strategy, products, and institutional structure needed to support a successful money transfer operation, should they decide to offer these services. The Guide offers a practical, hands-on approach to Money Transfers and a good basic overview of the topic, including the risks involved.
Migration can contribute to development in Nigeria
http://www.id21.org/society/s7chdh1g1.html
Nigeria is a destination of migration within West Africa and a source of migrants to Europe and the United States. But little data exists that could help policymakers design policies to boost the contribution of migration to national development. Migrants exist in a climate of insecurity that undermines their integration in host countries as well as their contribution to their home country.
OECD Framework for the Evaluation of SME and Entrepreneurship Policies and Programmes
http://tinyurl.com/5olyht
This Framework provides policy makers with a practical and accessible guide to best practice evaluation methods for SME and entrepreneurship policies and programmes. It uses case studies from a wide range of OECD countries to examine the benefits of evaluation and how best to address common issues that arise when commissioning and undertaking SME and entrepreneurship evaluations.
Open and closed industry clusters: The social structure of innovation
http://tinyurl.com/64gge9
In this paper the authors discuss knowledge and innovation in clusters and the benefits of clustering from a knowledge-based perspective. The authors seek to extend on previous research focusing specifically on two major dimensions: the knowledge dynamics involved in a cluster, and the social structure of relationships in the clusters.
The Growth Report: Strategies for Sustained Growth and Inclusive Development
http://tinyurl.com/5alajx - Commission on Growth and Development, May 2008.
This report analyses, among other issues, whether developing countries can grow as fast as the fastest growing economies without causing global greenhouse gases to spiral out of control. The answer is negative unless technology and new techniques are used to ''radically'' reduce the amount of energy needed to produce goods, as well as cut CO2 emissions, says the growth report. The report is the result of two years' work on the requirements for sustained and inclusive growth in developing countries led by 19 experienced policymakers and two Nobel prize-winning economists.
The Social and Ecological Market Economy – A Model for Asian Development?
http://tinyurl.com/6znzvy
In 2007, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development issued Social and Ecological Market Economy Principles in German Development Policy, which details how this successful German and European tradition of economic, social, and ecological policy design can be used to orientGerman development cooperation. The GTZ Sector Network Sustainable Economic Development Asia took up the issue in this brochure.
Towards an Employment-centred Development Strategy for Poverty Reduction in The Gambia: Macroeconomic and Labour Market Aspects
http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCCountryStudy16.pdf
According to the authors, growth in The Gambia has not been pro-poor. Weak productivity and the low quality of employment explain why. They recommend policies to increase the supply of credit to the economy, particularly to employment-intensive sectors.
Trading up: Building cooperation between farmers and traders in Africa
http://www.mamud.com/tradingup.htm
Trading Up stands up for traders. It shows how traders struggle to run their businesses in the face of adverse policies and attitudes. With more respect and support, they could develop markets, add value to products, invest in new businesses, and improve the efficiency of the food distribution system. They could generate demand for farm products and help improve the incomes and livelihoods of rural people.
more documents: GTZ Online-Library Sustainable Economic Development
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/library/topics-en.asp
The Online - Library Sustainable Economic Development provides selected manuals, materials, workshop documentation, and technical literature as well as field reports and discussion papers from projects conducted by GTZ and other development institutions.
June 2008
Responsible enterprise, foreign direct investment, and investment promotion
http://www.iied.org/pubs/display.php?o=15511IIED
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is widely considered to be a key factor in economic development in middle and low income countries. Positively, it can be associated with the introduction of new technologies, job creation, access to new markets and improvements in the competitiveness of host countries. But too often, FDI has been associated with environmental degradation, increased inequality, and lack of integration with the local economy. A number of host country government departments have a role in influencing the overall investment climate. Among them, Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) are often players because they are in the front line of targeting investors and marketing the country as a whole. This book brings together a series of papers identifying opportunities for IPAs to attract FDI that is associated with positive contributions to sustainable development and good corporate social responsibility practices. The papers are written by IIED researchers and other sectoral experts, multilateral organizations working closely with IPAs in attracting FDI, and representatives of IPAs themselves. The book points to a number of opportunities for IPAs in attracting FDI with good CSR practices and highlights key leverage points and practical tools to achieve this. It is intended to provide a primer for investment promotion agencies and pointers for approaches that could be deployed in the future. By Annie Dufey and Maryanne Grieg-Gran. International Institute for Environment and Development, 2008.
Commodity Dependence, Resource Curse and Export Diversification in Africa
http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/africa/africanyearbook.htm
The 12th edition of the African Development Perspectives Yearbook published in April 2007 by the Institute for World Economics and International Management (IWIM), University of Bremen is entitled ''Africa - Commodity Dependence, Resource Curse and Export Diversification''. It contains detailed analyses and development theory perspectives on the challenges at the policy and economic level in managing the high dependence on natural resources in numerous African states. The high resource dependence of these countries coupled with poor handling of resource wealth, especially with regard to resources of high geostrategic significance like oil, are primarily responsible for the above problems.
Stepping up the ladder: how business can help achieve the MDGs
http://tinyurl.com/59asvl
Business and development is the topic to watch and work on in 2008, as businesses
respond to sustained pressure to contribute to the MDGs. Maintain the pressure, manage the engagement, and the prize is a new contribution by business to poverty reduction and sustainable livelihoods: social welfare contributions and links to social enterprises, yes, but also new procurement practices and new kinds of partnership with local communities and local government. To understand the potential, think of business engagement as a (short) ladder with three – possibly four – steps.
How to Design, Negotiate, and Implement a Free Trade Agreement in Asia
http://www.aric.adb.org/pdf/FTA_Manual.pdf
This ADB reference book is intended to be used mainly in present and planned FTA training courses of the Asian Development Bank, to increase the knowledge and capacity of officials who are active in designing, negotiating, and implementing FTAs. Building on theories of international trade economics and the good?practiceFTA experiences accumulated by both front-runners and late beginners in this area, the book explains important facts and benchmarks to be considered when preparing, negotiating, and enforcing FTAs. Rather than going into the details of specific topics, this reference book covers the overall FTA process and its main features.
OECD-DAC Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation. Arabic, English and French
http://tinyurl.com/6djkvf
Evaluation is a field where development partners work closely together and need to use a common technical vocabulary, despite widely differing linguistic backgrounds. Accordingly, the OECD-DAC Network on Development Evaluation has developed a glossary of key terms in evaluation and results-based management to help to clarify concepts and to promote consistent use of common terms in these areas. The glossary was originally published in 2002 in English, French and Spanish and has since been made available in Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Kiswahili, Turkish and Swedish. It has been very widely used and is now a standard reference. The present publication now offers the glossary in Arabic, in a trilingual format with English and French.
The 2008 Reader on Private Sector Development - Measuring and Reporting Results
http://www.mmw4p.org/dyn/bds/docs/detail/649/4
Paper by Jim Tanburn, ITC, SDC
There is little information available about the impacts of programmes for private sector development (PSD), mainly because programme goals are often very ambitious, and impacts costly to quantify, relative to the resources available. Indeed, the cost of measuring impacts is often classified as an ‘overhead’, to be kept to a minimum. Those aiming to stimulate systemic change also point out that their work does not lend itself to the mechanistic model of inputs-outputs-outcomes-impacts in conventional thinking. Besides, practitioners would need to accept the methodology, and to be rewarded for good performance, for results measurement to be adopted on a large scale. However, current indicators in common usage, such as leverage (to be maximised) and overhead (to be minimised), encourage perverse incentives and distract from the core task of achieving developmental goals. The many self-published ‘success stories’ leave most observers confused.
GTZ’s experience in value chain development in Asia: an external perspective
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/GTZ_experience_in_VC_development_Asia.pdf
Value chain development has become an increasingly common focus for development agencies over the last few years. GTZ’s experience in this sphere has also been growing, both practically and conceptually. Practically, projects have been implemented following best practices and approaches available. Conceptionally, the ''ValueLinks'' methodology, which is now accepted as the typical ''GTZ approach'', was developed based on networking between GTZ supported programs in 3 continents and GTZ headquarters. In order to gain more insight from the practical point of view, this discussion paper was commissioned to examine and compare experiences made in the last few years with differing approaches across a region. Focussing on five countries in Asia - Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam - it aims to outline the main characteristics of GTZ’s value chain work and identify the key challenges emerging from this. In doing so, it seeks to contribute to learning within GTZ and in the wider donor community.The paper is built on one key premise: that in working in value chains GTZ’s interest is to achieve impacts that are large-scale and sustainable, requiring systemic change beyond individual firms. It is structured around a framework of issues and criteria for describing and assessing work in value chains and the four key stages in value chain development work: initial selection and analysis, strategies, detailed interventions and monitoring and evaluation.
Public-Private Partnership Models in TVET and their Impact on the Role of Government
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/2.2_06_GTZ_ENG.pdf
This paper by Edda Grunwald looks at how public private partnerships (PPP) in Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) have been used in developing countries such as Egypt and Chile with support from the German Development Cooperation. The emphasis is on the gains that can be made from such partnerships and the governance frameworks that need to be in place in order for them to work optimally. The processes through which each of these countries went in order to implement such systems are described in some detail. The PPPs build on the experience of the German dual system of vocational education and encompass the changing focus of donor support as articulated, for example, in the Paris Declaration, to emphasise the need to support the policies of partner countries. The most interesting aspect of the approach is the way in which it combines an educational paradigm and an economic or pro-poor paradigm with the intention of ensuring that traditionally marginalized groupings are able to earn a reasonable income, contribute to economic growth and social cohesion.
Creating an enabling environment for for private sector development in Sub-Saharan Africa
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/07-89144_Ebook1.pdf
This report discusses how the business environment in Sub-Saharan African can be improved in order to foster enterprise development. Past efforts to boost private sector development have shown disappointing results. This holds especially for the orthodox structural adjustment programmes of the 1980s and 90s. But also the wide array of support schemes by governments and donors aimed to strengthen specific industries, groups of enterprises, or supporting institutions have rarely had a significant impact. Although a few remarkable project successes exist, these mostly remain isolated events with no country-wide outreach and no measurable effect on aggregate economic growth.
This study provides an analytical framework to compare the different approaches, making their underlying assumptions explicit and proposing a terminology to distinguish different notions of the ‘business enabling environment’. It shows that the Doing Business agenda is embedded in a neoclassical framework assuming that markets work reasonably well if property rights and competition are guaranteed. The agenda thus advocates minimal regulatory government intervention and a very limited role for supporting particular economic actors. Especially important for Sub-Saharan Africa, it presupposes a significant growth potential even for informal micro enterprises if unfair regulations are abolished. This is in marked contrast to neo-structuralist positions that emphasize market failure and the need for corrective policies, especially to enhance competitive advantages and to support disadvantaged groups.
Field Manual: Supporting Microfinance through Grants in Post-Crisis Settings
http://www.microfinancegateway.com/files/44668_file_Field_Guide_FINAL.pdf
This DAI field manual offers guidance to small grant program managers on supporting microfinance institutions (MFIs1) in countries recovering from conflict or natural disaster through small, shortterm grants.2 These guidelines will help practitioners - particularly those with limited experience in financial services - (i) determine if investment in microfinance is appropriate given a number of environmental and institutional factors, and (ii) outline options for supporting MFIs in postcrisis environments through grants and other forms of technical assistance.
Regulating Transformational Branchless Banking: Mobile Phones and Other
http://www.microfinancegateway.com/files/46734_file_FocusNote_43.pdf
This CGAP paper recommends a regulation to help in the advancement of branchless banking. The note is based on research in seven countries from Asia, Africa, Central Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Protecting the poor: A microinsurance compendium
http://tinyurl.com/6djkvf
This authoritative IKO compendium brings together the latest thinking of leading academics, actuaries, and insurance and development professionals in the microinsurance field. The result is a practical, wide-ranging resource which provides the most thorough overview of the subject to date. The book allows readers to benefit from the valuable lessons learned from a project launched by the CGAP Working Group on Microinsurance analysing operations around the world. It also discusses the various institutional arrangements available for delivery such as the community-based approach, insurance companies owned by networks of savings and credit cooperatives and microfinance institutions. The roles of key stakeholders are also explored and the book offers insightful strategies for achieving the right balance between coverage, costs and price.
Microfinance and Disaster Management
Stuart Mathison / The Foundation for Development Cooperation (FDC)
2007 / Global, -
''This paper enunciates policies and strategies to help MFIs prepare for the impact of natural disasters. MFIs will be better placed to respond effectively when a disaster strikes if they has worked through the issues, designed policies and products, and negotiated collaboration with Disaster Management Agencies (DMAs), before disaster strikes rather than in the midst of it.''
http://tinyurl.com/5c9563
Microfinance in post-disaster and post-conflict situations: Turning victims into shareholders
Marek Hudon, Hans Dieter Seibel / Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
ttp://tinyurl.com/5c9563
The goal of this article is to study the role of member-owned institutions (MOIs) in the provisions of the reparations for victims of human rights abuses or reconstruction in post-conflict and post-disaster situations.
Data Download: 2007 CGAP Regional Funder Survey - Sub-Saharan Africa
http://cgap.org/portal/site/Portfolio/Apr2008Data/
In 2005, CGAP began surveying funders working in Africa to increase access to finance. In 2007, despite an expected slight decline in global official development assistance, CGAP's survey found that sub-Saharan Africa still draws attention from funders and aid to increase access to finance continues to rise.
Doing Business: Women in Africa
http://www.doingbusiness.org/gender/womenentrepreneurs.aspx
This report from the World Bank profiles seven women entrepreneurs, describing reasons for their success, as well as some of the legal, regulatory, and practical obstacles they faced in expanding their business efforts. It also highlights reforms that can level the playing field for women and create better business environments that benefit both women and men. The report, the first in a series of regional studies, casts a spotlight on seven women entre- preneurs in Cameroon, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Market Development in Crisis-Affected Environments.
Emerging Lessons for Achieving Pro-Poor Economic Reconstruction
http://www.seepnetwork.org/files/5659_file_001_Market_Development_4.
This SEEP paper presents the background to market development and then the background to crisis environments. These chapters are included to ensure that market-development and relief practitioners have a common understanding of frameworks, terminology, and strategies. Chapter 3 presents the cases themselves in summary form, along with the methodology used for gathering information. Chapter 4 presents a proposed framework for carrying out market development in post-crisis settings. Chapter 5 identifies and discusses the key challenges and issues raised by the practitioners submitting the cases, and then presents lessons learned and recommendations emerging from the cases. The latter are summarized in chapter 6. More detail of the cases is presented in the annexes.
Aid to Fragile States: Do Donors Help or Hinder?
http://tinyurl.com/6jo7zu
The record of aid to fragile and poorly-performing states is the real test of aid effectiveness. Rich countries can justify aid to fragile states both through altruism and self-interest. But, with some exceptions, donors have appeared at the wrong times and with the wrong attitudes, even sometimes undermining development progress. State failure has dimensions of both will and capacity. Failure demands constructive engagement by donors, in some cases to save people in weak states from their leaders, and in all cases to save the states from circumstances which they cannot control. This UNU-Wider paper examines the aid relationship with respect to three weak countries: Burma, Rwanda, Zambia.
Women, gender and the informal economy: An assessment of ILO research and suggested ways forward
http://tinyurl.com/5crzkm
This ILO discussion paper provides a review and analysis of the International Labour Office’s (ILO) research on women, gender and the informal economy. In particular, it compares and contrasts analytical and methodological frameworks used in various studies; identifies research gaps and directions for future research; and pulls out key findings that may assist concerned ILO units in taking action and formulating policy directions.
Financial Arrangements in Informal Apprenticeships: Determinants and Effects
Findings from Urban Ghana
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/finance/download/wp49.pdf
This ILO paper uses quantitative and qualitative data collected through a survey among entrepreneurs and apprentices in micro and small enterprises in Accra, Ghana, to analyse the financial arrangements in informal apprenticeships. It discusses the relationship between the financing of apprenticeships and the financing of enterprises in which the training takes place. It also examines the way apprentices finance apprenticeship training. The findings suggest that masters commonly charge fees for the training, either at the beginning (commitment fees) and or at the end (graduation fee) of the training. The payment of an allowance to the apprentices (chop money) is a widespread practice. Even if the amount of this allowance in the majority of cases exceeds the amount of fees paid for the training, it would appear that the financing costs of the apprenticeship (fees and living expenses) restrict poor youth from entering and completing an apprenticeship. Finally, the paper presents potential entry points for microfinance institutions to support and improve the quantity and quality of apprenticeship training and ensure its positive contribution to youth employment.
Trade in the WAEMU: Developments and Reform Opportunities
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2008/wp0868.
This IMF paper provides an overview of trade reform in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) since 1996 and a quantitative assessment of potential effects on trade patterns and tariff revenue of the current reform agenda. Despite evidence of significant trade complementarities within WAEMU, implementation of the union's current trade regime still suffers from persistent non-tariff barriers and administrative weaknesses. Based on an assessment of prospects for further trade integration, the paper also recommends strengthening the implementation of the present tariff union and supports the plan to extend it to all ECOWAS members. Finally, the paper stresses that an Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU could bring to the region the political momentum needed to address the weaknesses of the current trade regime, while also underlining the corresponding challenges in terms of trade diversion and tariff revenue losses.
Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2008/AFR/eng/sreo0408.pdf
The region's prospects continue to be promising, but global developments pose increased risks to the outlook. Growth in sub-Saharan Africa should again average about 6½ percent in 2008 with oil exporters leading the way; meanwhile, growth in oil importers is expected to taper off, though only modestly. With food and energy prices still rising, inflation is projected to average about 8½ percent this year for countries in the region, setting aside Zimbabwe. Risks in 2008 are tilted to the downside, but the region is better placed today to withstand a worsening of the global environment.
Value Chain Activities for Conflict-affected Populations in Guinea
http://www.microlinks.org/ev01.php?ID=22554_201&ID2=DO_
This report is part of a USAID-funded research project using guided case studies to explore whether and under what conditions the application of a value chain approach can help accelerate growth in conflict-affected environments. This study uses the value chain framework to look at an integrated community development initiative called ''Social and Economic Recovery through Community Development Initiatives'' (SER-CD).
The Role of Mass Media in Local and Regional Economic Development
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/Mass_Media_in_LRED.pdf
This paper has been prepared by GTZ’s Employment-oriented Private Sector Development Programme (EoPSD) in Abuja Nigeria as a result of work that it has embarked on in media development and local economic development. This work has built on similar work in other parts of Africa and focuses on developing radio programmes on business and local economic issues. EoPSD has supported the launch of two local programmes focused on the local economic issues of two northern states in Nigeria (Nasarawa and Niger States) and is in the process of supporting a third station to develop business programming. This has provided EoPSD with a working insight into the potential role of mass media in supporting local economic development initiatives.
Local Economic Development Strategic Planning and Practice Casebook
http://tinyurl.com/6n25wc
As a practical product of the World Bank program, this LED Strategic Planning and Practice Casebook seeks to help the reader understand municipal approaches to LED strategic planning by identifying good practice in strategic planning methodology. The Casebook serves as a collection of six local economic development strategies that provide examples of good practice from across Europe and from the Cities of Change network. The Casebook also contains good practice notes and comments.
Social and Ecological Market Economy Principles in German Development Policy
http://www.bmz.de/en/service/infothek/fach/konzepte/konzept158.pdf
The guiding principles for the design of German Development cooperation are as follows:
- Supporting the rule of law
- Striving for broad-based growth
- Strengthening the private sector
- Improving conditions for the market economy
- Making an economy viable for the future
- Creating a social partnership
- Shaping the economy based on ecological concerns
- Ensuring equal opportunities
Are Estimates of Poverty in Latin America Reliable?
http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCOnePager52.pdf
This One Pager questions the validity of the ‘one-dollar-a-day’ and ‘two-dollars-a-day’ measurements of poverty in Latin America. Alternatively, the author argues, there are other methods that better capture the state of poverty.
The Vast Majority Income (VMI): A New Measure of Global Inequality
http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCPolicyResearchBrief7.pdf
The UNDP authors Anwar Shaikh and Amr Ragab introduce a new worldwide measure of welfare, which they call the Vast Majority Income (VMI). The VMI directly calculates the per capita income of the first 80 per cent of the population. It combines information on income levels and their distribution into a single measure.
Migration restrictions and the ‘brain drain’: The wrong response to an ill-defined problem.
http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/opinions/98_migration_apr08.pdf
Is restricting migration an effective response to personnel shortages in the developing world? And is the fear of a brain drain really justified? ODI Paper.
May 2008
A Billion to Gain?
http://tinyurl.com/68lmym
The reports of ING Microfinance Support systematically chart large global financial institutions’ activities and future plans in microfinance. This third edition in the ‘A Billion to Gain?’ series provides an update of the latest report and serves three main objectives: To update global financial institutions’ activities and future plans regarding microfinance; to discover recent major developments and trends in global financial institutions’ involvement in the microfinance sector; and to reveal the impact of global banks’ involvement in the development of the microfinance sector.
An Investigation of the Competitiveness Hypothesis of the Resource Curse
http://biblio.iss.nl/opac/uploads/wp/wp455.pdf
Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Working Paper no. 455, Author: L. Serino
CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement : An Overview
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/april/tradoc_138569.pdf
Information paper by DG Trade, European Commission, gives an overview of the content of the agreement, outlining the provisions with respect to various subject areas.
CGAP Good Practice Guidelines for Funders
http://tinyurl.com/5euxvx
Good Practice Guidelines for Funders of Microfinance provides operational guidance for staff of donors and investors in the field and at headquarters who conceptualize, design, implement, and monitor programs related to improving poor people’s access to financial services.
Clusters, Functional Regions and Cluster Policies
http://www.insme.info/documenti/Cluster&Cluster_Policies.pdf
This INSME paper by Charlie Karlssongives an overview of research on economic clusters and clustering and is motivated by the growing intellectual and political interest for the subject. Functional regions have the features that agglomeration of economic activities i.e. clusters, benefit from. Functional regions have low intra-regional transaction and transportation cost and has access to the local labour market. The features of spatial economic concentration were for a long time disregarded. The scientific interests of cluster and clustering phenomenon have after the ''new” introduction rapidly increased in the last decade. Hence, the subject is being thought at various education levels. The importance of cluster and clustering has also been recognized at a national, regional and local level and cluster policies are becoming a major part of political thinking. These policies are however often based on a scarce analysis where no strict criterions are statet.
Country-Level Savings Assessment Tool
http://www.microfinancegateway.org/files/45915_file_CLSA_Tool.pdf
CGAP produced this Draft Country-Level Savings Assessment (CLSA) Tool to help guide analysts and researchers who wish to undertake CLSAs and to guide governments and donors who wish to commission CLSAs. It explains the areas of analysis covered, the methodology, and how it can be tailored to the needs of the agency commissioning the CLSA. This draft tool is a work in progress.''
Delivering Microfinance and Social Services in Conditions of Fragility in Nepal
http://www.microlinks.org/ev_en.php?ID=19700_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC
USAid, Field Report no 3. Natural disasters, civil conflicts and the HIV/AIDS pandemic are forcing an increasing number of people to live in conditions of fragility, complicating the delivery of basic public services. Despite the obstacles posed by these fragile conditions, relief and development organizations as well as national governments have been able to increase their outreach to affected populations by developing new approaches and strategies. This case study documents the strategies used by microfinance institutions (MFI), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private businesses to deliver financial and non-financial goods and services (e.g., business development services; health and education services; basic consumer goods; sanitation services) to populations affected by the Maoist insurgency in Nepal.
Developing women's entrepreneurship
http://www.unescap.org/icstd/pubs/st_escap_2468.pdf
This UN document explores the potential for women in entrepreneurship and e-business in the niche area of green or ''organic'' cooperatives. It seeks to promote women's entrepreneurship and e-business development by providing policymakers and entrepreneurs with background on this niche area, potential entrepreneurship and e-business development opportunities, and a discussion of its implications for rural development.
Développement Economique Local et Régional
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/LRED_framework_fr.pdf
Ce manuel de la GTZ des praticiens du LRED est basé sur l'expérience récente de la GTZ dans l’appui au Développement Économique Local et Régional (LRED) en Afrique du Sud.
Explaining Success and Failure in Development
http://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/wppdf/2008/wp2008-013.pdf
United Nations University (UNU-MERIT), Working Paper No. 13, Author: A. Szirmai
Financial literacy - a comparative study in selected countries
http://www.sparkassenstiftung.de/uploads/media/Financial_Literacy_Study.pdf
Financial literacy is not only an issue for industrialised nations; it is even more important for developing and transformation countries. When combined with other measures of development cooperation, financial literacy can essentially contribute to combating poverty. By Sparkassenstiftung für internationale Kooperation, Bonn, Germany.
Geographical Distribution of Financial Flows to Developing Countries
http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?sf1=identifiers&st1=432008073P1
Disbursements, Commitments, Country Indicators, 2002-2006: 2008 Edition
German BMZ: Development Partnerships with the private sector
http://tinyurl.com/5mowgd
The creation of global development partner-ships is one of the eight UN Millennium Development Goals. Our PPP programme is one way we contribute to the achievement of this goal. In this programme we join together with partners from the private sector to seek – and often to find! – sustainable solutions for the development policy challenges facing our part-ner countries. In 2006, nearly 400 new partnerships were formed.
Global employment trends for women
http://tinyurl.com/5mowgd
The ILO report shows clearly that most regions are making progress in increasing the number of women in decent employment, but that full gender equality in terms of labour market access and conditions of employment has not yet been attained.
Individual Entrepreneurship Capacity and Performance of SMEs
http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/8179/1/MPRA_paper_8179.pdf
This paper analyses the importance of human capital and organizational capital on the determination of SME’s performance, by proposing and testing a conceptual model about Individual Entrepreneurship Capacity, and its impact both on non-economic and economic performance.
Innovation and Export of Vietnam’s SME Sector
http://tinyurl.com/6x59sx
In this paper, the authors investigate how the firms’ export behavior depends on their innovation activities, or whether the more innovative firms are more likely to export. The authors find that innovation as measured directly by ‘new products’, ‘new production process’ and ‘improvement of existing products’ are important determinants of exports by Vietnamese SMEs.
Local Economic Development Strategic Planning and Practice Casebook
http://tinyurl.com/6n25wc
In 1999 World Bank and Bertelsmann Foundation started a Cities of Change program in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltics and Balkans to reduce unemployment and poverty. As a result the local economic development cluster emerged. The Cities of Change program aimed to help the LED cluster cities to design and implement their own LED strategies. A core task of the program was to develop practical knowledge products that could be used by municipal governments and communities to understand, design and implement integrated LED strategic planning. As a practical product of the program, this LED Strategic Planning and Practice Casebook seeks to help the reader understand municipal approaches to LED strategic planning by identifying good practice in strategic planning methodology. The Casebook serves as a collection of six local economic development strategies that provide examples of good practice from across Europe and from the Cities of Change network. The Casebook also contains good practice notes and comments.
Mobile Banking: DFID Knowledge map & possible donor support strategies
http://tinyurl.com/5p24xc
Mobile banking (m-banking) involves the use of a mobile phone or another mobile device to undertake financial transactions linked to a client’s account. M-banking is one of the newest approaches to the provision of financial services through ICT, made possible by the widespread adoption of mobile phones even in low income countries. The roll out of mobile telephony has been rapid, and has extended access well beyond already connected customers in developing countries. There is mounting evidence of positive social impact on poorer people and communities as a result. There are sound reasons for the hope that m-banking could have similar impact.
Moving Toward Competitiveness: A Value-Chain Approach
http://tinyurl.com/6keu8z
A strong business environment based on sound institutions and policies is a necessary basis for enhanced competitiveness of private firms that produce and deliver goods and services. When business environment constraints—inefficiencies and cost disadvantages—can be identified, policy makers have the opportunity to jumpstart economic reform processes that target priority areas along the product/service life cycle known as the value chain. This technical report outlines a pragmatic approach for analyzing value chain performance as the basis for identifying binding constraints to growth and competitiveness. This approach is intended to facilitate formulating a targeted reform agenda. The World Bank Group (WBG) uses a myriad of policy tools to support its ongoing private sector development work.
OECD Competition Assessment Toolkit
http://tinyurl.com/5glxzk
Governments can reduce unnecessary restrictions by considering the use of methods in the OECD’s new ''Competition Assessment Toolkit”. The Toolkit provides a general methodology for identifying unnecessary restraints and developing alternative, less restrictive policies that still achieve government objectives. One of the main elements of the Toolkit is a Competition Checklist that asks a series of simple questions to screen for laws and regulations that have the potential to unnecessarily restrain competition. The Toolkit is available in: Chinese, English, French, Hungarian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish.
Organisational learning for aid, and learning aid organisations
http://www.capacity.org/en/content/view/full/219/(issue)/15869
Although many aid agencies claim to be learning organisations, a recent review found that they still need to address some major challenges, especially at field level. Ben Ramalingam asks why this is the case, and what aid agencies can do to learn more effectively.
Publication: The strategic partnership between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean: a joint commitment
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/library/publications/lima_en.pdf
This brochure sets out the framework of the strategic partnership, presenting the background and the most recent developments. The chapters are divided by theme and geographical entity, focusing on the most important elements of the partnership and its evolution. They illustrate the political, trade and cooperation re lations between the EU and each subregion.
Raw Deal: Europe’s damaging corporate trade agenda – impacts and new threats
http://www.wdm.org.uk/rawdeal - English
http://www.wdm.org.uk/desaccordsinjuste - Francais
http://www.wdm.org.uk/tratoinjusto - Espanol
This new Third World Network report presents evidence from existing European trade deals with South Africa and Mexico showing how they have hindered rather than helped development. Looking at examples in agriculture, industrial products and services, the report shows how the reality of these bilateral deals is far removed from the ‘win-win’ rhetoric.
Removing Barriers to SME Access to International Markets:
http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?sf1=identifiers&st1=852008021P1
This book sheds light on facilitating SME internationalisation and also presents a synthesis of the Conference discussions and the main outcome of the Conference: the ''Athens Action Plan for Removing Barriers to SME Access to International Markets''.
Social innovation: Good for you, good for me
http://www.wbcsd.org/includes/getTarget.asp?type=DocDet&id=Mjk1MTI
Big firms are joining the queue to follow in Muhammad Yunus's footsteps by developing businesses designed to fix social ills.
Supporting pro-poor growth processes: Implications for donors
http://tinyurl.com/5jjj6c
Eva Ludi and Kate Bird of Overseas Development Institute discuss policies and programmes to strengthen the productive capacities of poor people.
The new EPAs: comparative ananlysis of their content and the challenges for 2008
http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/?doc=36293
This report, prepared by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) addresses questions around national level impacts of interim EPAs, individual level agreements in relation to future regional integration initiatives and details of agreed opt out options and time schedules. It also examines how far the agreed texts are similar to each other and how development friendly are they?
Turning the Tables: Aid and accountability under the Paris framework
http://www.eurodad.org/whatsnew/reports.aspx?id=2166
A major new civil society report has been launched which reveals that the world's rich countries have only made patchy progress in making aid more effective for helping the poor, despite high-profile commitments to reform aid.
UNRISD: Poverty and Inequality in China
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/toc/rode/12/2
A special of the Journal ''Review of Development Economics'' includes papers emerging from UNU-WIDER’s 2004/2005 research project on poverty and inequality in China and is free online.
Vocational education and training in Germany
http://tinyurl.com/5mowgd
This Cedfop overview of vocational education and training in Germany has been produced to mark Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. It forms part of the series of short descriptions regularly published by Cedefop on national VET systems.
What Makes an Entrepreneur?
http://www.doingbusiness.org/documents/What_Makes_an_Entrepreneur.pdf
The World Bank authors tests two competing hypotheses on what makes an entrepreneur: nature - attitude towards risk, I.Q., and self-confidence; or nurture - family background and social networks. The results are based on data from a new survey on entrepreneurship in Brazil, of 400 entrepreneurs and 540 non-entrepreneurs of the same age, gender, education and location in 7 Brazilian cities. We find that family characteristics have the strongest influence on becoming an entrepreneur. In contrast, success as an entrepreneur is primarily determined by the individual’s smartness and higher education in the family. Entrepreneurs are not more self-confident than non-entrepreneurs; and overconfidence is bad for business success.
World Bank Research Highlights 2007
http://econ.worldbank.org/research/highlights2007. This is the annual report of the World Bank's principal research unit, the Development Research Group (DECRG). The report describes the major research themes and highlights of 2007 for DECRG's six research teams: Finance and Private Sector Development; Human Development and Public Services; Macroeconomics and Growth; Poverty and Inequality; Sustainable Rural and Urban Development; and Trade and International Integration. The on-line version also provides a complete list of the unit's published output in 2007, comprising 25 books, 175 journal articles, 90 book chapters, 180 working papers, and 12 new public-access datasets.
April 2008
A conceptual framework for understanding the role of cash transfers in social protection
http://www.odi.org.uk/go?where=pb5
ODI Project Briefing by Rachel Slater, John Farrington, Rebecca Holmes and Paul Harvey, defines a conceptual framework for cash transfers in social protection, that focuses on three spheres: institutions, politics and governance; capacity and implementation; and local economic and social impacts.
A strategy for macroeconomic stability in developing countries
http://tinyurl.com/23g3sb
A new World Bank article describes a strategy for developing countries to fight macroeconomic volatility multi-front, as outlined by World Bank researchers Servén, Raddatz, and Loayza. This includes improving the ability to absorb external shocks, as well as avoiding self-inflicted policy mistakes.
Analysis of Subsidies for Services: The Case of Export Subsidies
http://tinyurl.com/yox6n9
This study by the OECD presents an exploratory analysis of export subsidies in the services field. It draws from a variety of sources in an effort to provide insights into the characteristics and use of these measures. The report, while not generating accurate measures of the extent and effects of export subsidies for services, provides evidence that these measures are used by many countries in the developed and developing worlds to support a wide range of services sectors. The analysis also indicates that broadly speaking the definitions contained in the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM) are relevant for services. The most important types of export support appear to be direct tax incentives, particularly profit tax exemptions or reductions. Based on the detailed analysis of export subsidies for services, the study then discusses some possible elements of a definition of these measures.
Banking on Development: Mobilising Private Development Finance
http://tinyurl.com/2vqc3l
At this Roundtable, co-organised in Geneva with the World Economic Forum, senior executives identified which private financial flows are most effective in stimulating economic growth and poverty reduction. They also discussed how donors can help catalyse these flows.
Building E-competence: Enabling Small Business to Access Opportunities through Information and Communication Technology, UNIDO
http://www.unido.org/file-storage/download/?file%5fid=84587
The challenge in many developing countries is to combine the SMEs employment potential with increasing productivity. This means shifting from low-value, price-driven to higher value, knowledge based services. To prosper, SMEs need an environment to facilitate growth, including easy acess to business information and ICT.
Case studies of lead firm governance systems in the context of commercialization of smallholder agriculture in Uganda
http://tinyurl.com/36u5sn
This study analyzes the governance of domestic value chains (DVCs) in the agricultural sector in Uganda. It focuses at exploring how agricultural produce buyers set up, coordinate and monitor - that is govern - the DVCs with their supplying farmers. Particularly how buyers govern the latter’s activities and performance and thus the division of labour in the DVC.
Chile : a strategy to promote innovative small and medium enterprises
http://tinyurl.com/22mqxb
This review of government programs confirms the importance of coordination and an overarching strategy, in the form of a National Innovation System, led by a single institution. The review also finds that demand-driven programs were more likely to be sustainable. Finally, the study demonstrates that Chile (and other countries with many support programs for small and medium enterprises in place) needs an integrated management information system to analyze, assess, coordinate, and streamline the program portfolio for small and medium enterprises in the future.
CNCD new book on development finance
http://www.cncd.be
« L’introuvable consensus » (the never found consensus) analyses international financial flows trends and its attached conditionalities. In a new context where emerging economies are modifying the trade and finance panorama and where the IMF and the World Bank are suffering the deepest crisis in their history, the book questions the concept of « consensus » in the development economy and analyses the opportunities recently offered by the international relations evolution. It raises a key question in the development economy: what finance for what development? The book compiles a series of articles related to debt, aid and conditionalities in which some Eurodad members and staff have contributed.
Credit Unions: Regulations Matrix WOCCU
http://www.microfinancegateway.com/files/47825_file_ModelRegulationsMatrix.pdf
The World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have published this regulatory matrix. It covers a variety of regulatory issues, such as capital requirements, provisioning, restrictions on lending, auditing, dissolution, and others.
Does Participation in Productive Associations Signal Trust and Creditworthiness? Evidence for Nicaragua
http://www.microfinancegateway.com/files/47758_file_17.pdf
This article studies the extent to which participation in productive associations in Nicaragua contributes to increase individuals’ access to social programs and credit services.
El tamaño importa: Las políticas pro PyMEs y la competitividad, Fundación IDEA
http://tinyurl.com/3aoooa
El documento incluye nueve estudios de caso de programas de promoción y atención a PyMEs (en cuatro países y cinco estados de México) y pretende a) servir como manual de referencia para el diseño e implementación de programas de apoyo a PyMEs y b) ofrecer recomendaciónes de política pública.
Entrepreneurship and Urban Success: Toward a Policy Consensus
http://www.kauffman.org/pdf/state_local_roadmap_022608.pdf
This essay provides a guide to policymakers and citizens to what is known about the effects of various local and state policies aimed at fostering entrepreneurially driven growth
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2007 , Universidad Austral
http://tinyurl.com/28vpef
El Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) es un estudio que se realiza a nivel internacional que analiza la relación entre la actividad emprendedora y el crecimiento económico.
GTZ Reader: Knowledge Management and Knowledge Systems for Rural Development
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/en-Knowledge-Management-Reader-2007.pdf
Knowledge Management (KM) is a relatively novel management concept. It has been pushed by the rapid developments of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). ICT facilitates a speedy exchange of data, information and documents. There is groupware for communication; content management systems to organise and retrieve documents; expert systems, data mining and text mining systems, tracing services and search engines, e.g. Google. Communication via email, fax, and phone- and video-conferences is ordinary business. It is good guessing that technological advances will continue to revolutionize the way we communicate and interact with each other.
If this is development - you can keep it!
http://www.foei.org/en/publications/pdfs/cartoonbook.pdf
A collection of cartoons illustrating what ‘development’ means today
Download or order your free copy from janneke@foei.org
IFC Toolkit: Designing a Tax System for Micro and Small Businesses
http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/media.nsf/Content/Designing_Tax_System
In this toolkit, the World Bank Group and donor partners provide a number of options for reforming the tax system in developing countries to facilitate small business compliance. While it does include some tax administration reform options, its focus is on tax policy.
La Facilitación del Comercio en las negociaciones comerciales multilaterales y bilaterales, Myriam Echeverría / CEPAL
http://tinyurl.com/2r9a3c
La CEPAL está trabajando en el área de la facilitación del comercio dada la enorme relevancia que este tema tiene actualmente para la competitividad de las exportaciones latinoamericanas. Es así que ha realizado seminarios y reuniones de expertos para debatir acerca del grado de implementación de las herramientas de la facilitación del comercio en los países de la región, como así también acerca de la forma de estimular a los gobiernos a seguir avanzando en este aspecto.
License to sell:Effect of business registration reform on entrepreneurial activity in Mexico
http://tinyurl.com/2h5j5f
This paper studies the effect of business registration regulation on economic activity using micro-level data. The identification strategy exploits the fact that a recent business registration reform in Mexico was introduced in different municipalities at different points in time.
MERIPA Toolbox. A booklet for regional innovation policy makers
http://www.meripa.org/download/meripa_toolbox.pdf
This booklet is structured in accordance with the four main phases of the policy-making process: Start-up, Design, Implementation and Review. Each phase contains a number of chapters, each of which deals with a specific tool or set of instructions for a distinct part of the process.
Microfinance Banana Skins 2008: Risk in a Booming Industry, CGAP
http://www.microfinancegateway.com/files/47464_file_CSFI_Microfinance_FINAL.pdf
The Banana Skins report reflects the views of more than 300 respondents from 74 countries, and is a comprehensive survey of the risk outlook for microfinance. The report was sponsored by CGAP and Citi Foundation, with support from the Council of Microfinance Equity Funds (CMEF) and the Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX).
Middle East and North Africa Reform: Rooted in Economic and Political Ground, CIPE
http://www.cipe.org/publications/papers/pdf/IP0804_MENAreform.pdf
Job creation can only be achieved in an environment of open and responsive governance. MENA needs a new social contract that will make better governance possible. Past reform efforts were not only selective and incomplete, but above all lacked participatory quality. The chance to form broad social coalitions interested in the success of institutional reform has never been greater.
Mobilität für lokale und regionale Arbeitsmärkte - Veranstaltungsdokumentation
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/Thementag_2007_Veranstaltungsdokumentation.pdf
GTZ, Kompetenzfeld Berufliche Bildung und Arbeitsmarkt
Höhepunkte und Ergebnisse des Thementags 2007 des Kompetenzfelds Berufliche Bildung und Arbeitsmarkt, Donnerstag 20.12.2007, in der GTZ in Eschborn.
Normas privadas: el nuevo desafío para las exportaciones de los países en desarrollo,
Juliana Salles de Almeida / CEPAL
http://tinyurl.com/35lw5t
La ampliación de los mercados a escala mundial, el crecimiento del consumo y el surgimiento de consumidores cada vez más preocupados por el origen, composición y calidad de los alimentos, han hecho que en las últimas décadas aumentaran las exigencias fitosanitarias y de inocuidad para la producción agropecuaria.
OECD: Latin America’s Asian Opportunity
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/62/28/39564143.pdf
While growing trade with China and India offers new export opportunities, Latin American economies should avoid excessive concentration on a few export commodities. More investment in infrastructure and innovation is needed.
Policy Level Response to Financial Exclusion in Developed Economies: Lessons for Developing Countries, University of Bristol, DFID
http://info.worldbank.org/etools/library/latestversion.asp?232700
This study commissioned by the Department for International Development (DFID) provides a brief overview of the policy-level response to financial exclusion in a number of developed economies. It also draws lessons that can be applied in those countries that have less developed banking systems.
Servicios Financieros para las Micros y Pequeñas Empresas, CAATEC
http://tinyurl.com/2xxb99
Este libro desafía al lector con dos dimensiones novedosas en Costa Rica. Por un lado, los autores describen la evolución de un programa (BN-Desarrollo) que, paradójicamente, está rompiendo con viejos paradigmas. Este programa ha venido adaptando, al entorno nacional, las innovaciones en tecnologías de crédito asociadas con las microfinanzas y las ha incorporado exitosamente a las operaciones de un banco. Por otro lado, la evaluación que este libro persigue no se contenta con reportar los tradicionales resultados financieros del programa en el banco, donde en cualquier caso constituye una de sus más importantes fuentes de rentabilidad. Como evaluación, el trabajo más bien aporta dos nuevas perspectivas.
Social and Ecological Market Economy Principles in German Development Policy
http://www.bmz.de/en/service/infothek/fach/konzepte/konzept158.pdf
The guiding principles for the design of German Development cooperation.
Subsidies – Who really benefits?
http://ipsnews.net/new_focus/subsidies/index.asp
Monthly newsletter for journalists about the impact of subsidies, produced in partnership by IPS - Inter Press Service and GSI - Global Subsidies Initiative. Subsidy Watch Archive: http://www.globalsubsidies.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=33
Transforming War Economies - swisspeace Working Paper 3/2007
http://tinyurl.com/2ahzuz
Although economic factors have proven to be crucial factors influencing the conflict proneness of a country, both military cease fires and peace agreements tend to neglect the economic and socioeconomic aspects of war, while emphasizing mainly political and military issues. However, peacebuilding and conflict prevention measures applied by the international community cannot limit themselves to ending open violence and cutting conflict profiteers from their power and income. In addition, alternative social, economic and political structures must be fostered to allow the population to meet their basic needs outside the structures of violent conflict. The establishment of relevant economic structures and the creation of an attractive investment climate for foreign investments are crucial for breaking and transforming the destructive structures of economies of violence.
Understanding Productivity: A Review of Recent Technical Research
http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/res/dp/2008/dp08-3.pdf
This paper by Richard Dion and Robert Fay (Bank of Canada) provides an extensive review of the rapidly expanding research on productivity, both at the macro and micro levels. The authors focus primarily on papers written about Canada, but also draw on selected studies from other countries, especially the United States, where such work sheds important light on particular aspects of productivity growth. The authors extract the key results of the studies and signal important methodological features that underpin those results. They also identify areas for further research.
What Makes an Entrepreneur? World Bank
http://www.doingbusiness.org/documents/What_Makes_an_Entrepreneur.pdf
We test two competing hypotheses on what makes an entrepreneur: nature - attitude towards risk, I.Q., and self-confidence; or nurture - family background and social networks. The results are based on data from a new survey on entrepreneurship in Brazil, of 400 entrepreneurs and 540 non-entrepreneurs of the same age, gender, education and location in 7 Brazilian cities. We find that family characteristics have the strongest influence on becoming an entrepreneur. In contrast, success as an entrepreneur is primarily determined by the individual’s smartness and higher education in the family. Entrepreneurs are not more self-confident than non-entrepreneurs; and overconfidence is bad for business success.
February 2008
Creating a World without Poverty, by M. Yunus
http://ga4.org/ct/gdwkqMM1BRP0/
In his new book, Yunus gives a compelling account of the successful launches of social businesses. These businesses, while structured the same as traditional businesses, have two significant difference: all profits are reinvested into the business and used to advance the company's mission, and the mission is to provide a product or service that improves the lives and opportunities of poor people.
Cluster Management – A Practical Guide. Part A: Overview.
http://www2.gtz.de/dokumente/bib/07-1496.pdf
Cluster Management – A Practical Guide. Part B: Tools
http://www2.gtz.de/dokumente/bib/07-1498.pdf
This GTZ-manual provides an encompassing and concise overview of methods and instruments of cluster management. It was developed in Croatia commissioned by the GTZ and financed by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is, however, not only applicable to Croatia and to other transformation countries, but by all means suitable for a worldwide use. In addition to being useful for cluster management as such, it can also be applied to other forms of enterprise cooperation which go beyond pure supplier-buyer-relationships.
Cluster Management (German version)
Überblick: http://www2.gtz.de/dokumente/bib/07-1492.pdf
Tools: http://www2.gtz.de/dokumente/bib/07-1494.pdf
he Political Economy of Poverty Reduction
http://www.brookings.edu/...
Large-scale antipoverty programs have achieved significant and positive results in many developing countries around the world in the past decade. This paper explores the challenges of ''scaling up” small-scale antipoverty programs—taken here to mean the processes by which successful efforts to raise the incomes of the poorest citizens in developing counties are expanded in coverage over time and across geography. By Raj M. Desai, Visiting Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Wolfensohn Center for Development - The Brookings Institution.
Webcast: Cut out the Middelmen?
http://media.libsyn.com/...
Mark Lundy and Jörg Meyer-Stamer discuss the middleman: Who is he, or she, why is s/he so important, why do local stakeholders often suggest to cut out the middleman, and why is this probably not a good idea.
Better Access to Growth: Mainstreaming Gender in Cluster Development
http://www.unido.org/...
Traditionally the Cluster Development Programme of UNIDO focuses on assisting underperforming clusters and enhancing their competitivness in a context of market liberalisation and rapid technological change. Past interventions have shown that strengthening cluster competitivness is necessary but not sufficient to reduce poverty. This paper shows how integrating a gender perspective within technical cooperation projects can enhance pro-poor effects of cluster development.
Promoting local economic development in a war-affected country
http://www.ilo.org/public/...
This paper on the ILO experience in Cambodia analyses the ''Small Enterprise and Informal Sector Promotion'' project, implemented in Cambodia (1992 - 1995) to raise the living standards of disadvantaged, war affected, population. Its strategy was the promotion of local economic development by providing financial and non financial services to small scale and private economic activities. The organizations set up for service delivery were the Local Economic Development Agencies (LEDAs) which assisted thousands of small and micro enterprises with a significant effect on incomes and employment. The achievements are presented in terms of impact, cost-effectiveness and sustainability with a summary of lessons learned.
GTZ-Reader: Knowledge Management and Knowledge Systems for Rural Development
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/...
Knowledge Management (KM) is a relatively novel management concept. It has been pushed by the rapid developments of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). ICT facilitates a speedy exchange of data, information and documents. There is groupware for communication; content management systems to organise and retrieve documents; expert systems, data mining and text mining systems, tracing services and search engines, e.g. Google. Communication via email, fax, and phone- and video-conferences is ordinary business. It is good guessing that technological advances will continue to revolutionize the way we communicate and interact with each other. While the speed and ease to exchange data and information will increase, a new challenge for users emerges: to select relevant data, information and documents. To better understand potential and limitations it is importance to recognise the differences between data, information and knowledge.
Moving Toward Competitiveness: A Value-Chain Approach
http://www.ifc.org/...
Developing countries face tremendous opportunities for economic growth given economic liberalization worldwide, and rapid advancement and application of information and communications technologies. However, along with the many opportunities global network trade has to offer, firms in developing countries also face strong competitive pressures for greater efficiency and productivity to maintain market share or even survive. A strong business environment based on sound institutions and policies is a necessary basis for enhanced competitiveness of private firms that produce and deliver goods and services. When business environment constraints - inefficiencies and cost disadvantages - can be identified, policy makers have the opportunity to jumpstart economic reform processes that target priority areas along the product/service life cycle known as the value chain. This technical report outlines a pragmatic approach for analyzing value chain performance as the basis for identifying binding constraints to growth and competitiveness. This approach is intended to facilitate formulating a targeted reform agenda.
Targeting Regional Economic Development:
An Outline of a National Extension Educational Program
http://www.nercrd.psu.edu/...
A national network of university researchers and extension specialists is working together to develop a collection of educational materials on targeted regional economic development (TRED). Building on the notion of Michael Porter's cluster development a collection of tools and educational processes is outlined.
Financial Management for Local Governments
http://www.citiesalliance.org/...
The Financial Management for Local Governments series is designed to cover all aspects of sound financial management for local governments in developed and developing countries and economies in transition.
Skills for work? From skills development to decent livelihoods in Ghana's rural informal economy
http://www.norrag.org/...
In developing countries, skills development has been neglected. Skills development does not appear in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) or in many poverty reduction strategies and has been side-lined in favour of investment in primary education. However, it is hoped that recent discussion of skills development will refocus attention on skills. Also in Ghana skills development has received too little support on the ground.
BMZ Spezial: Zentrale Herausforderungen für wirtschaftliche Entwicklung in Afrika südlich der Sahara
http://www.bmz.de/...
Im Rahmen dieser Stellungnahme werden grundlegende Ursachen der schlechten Entwicklung Afrikas näher beleuchtet. Unter dem Schlagwort ''Geography vs. Institutions'' hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren eine Debatte entwickelt, die versucht, die hinter den traditionellen Wachstumsdeterminanten stehenden fundamentalen Ursachen wirtschaftlicher Entwicklung zu bestimmen Auf die Ergebnisse dieser Debatte wird im zweiten Abschnitt in einem afrika-spezifischen Kontext eingegangen. Im folgenden werden die aktuellen Herausforderungen, mit denen sich der afrikanische Kontinent auseinandersetzen muss, sowie neue Chancen und Möglichkeiten für die zukünftige Entwicklung dargestellt.
BMZ KonZepte 147: Zur Bekämpfung der Armut – Unsere Ziele in den Regionalen Entwicklungsbanken
http://www.bmz.de/de/...
Die Regionalen Entwicklungsbanken stehen vor großen Herausforderungen. Angesichts der globalen Liquidität und der Entwicklung der internationalen Finanzmärkte sind die Finanzierungsmöglichkeiten für die Entwicklungs- und Schwellenländer vielfältiger geworden. Der Wettbewerb ist für die Regionalen Entwicklungsbanken in den letzten Jahren unzweifelhaft härter geworden. Bei allen Änderungen ist allerdings der rote Faden geblieben, dass die Bekämpfung der Armut den obersten Grundsatz für unsere Zusammenarbeit mit den Regionalen Entwicklungsbanken bildet.
The Role of Remittances in Leveraging Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean
http://www.microfinancegateway.org/...
This Accion Internacional paper deliberates on the type of financial services which can help leverage the economic impact of remittances.
Microscope on the Microfinance Business Environment in Latin America 2007
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/...
The Scoring Model (Excel) - Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) - In this inaugural Microscope on the Microfinance Business Environment in 15 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries, the Economist Intelligence Unit - in association with the Inter-American Development (IDB) and Andean Development Corporation (CAF, in Spanish) charts the industry's strengths and weaknesses across the region. Contributor: Giulia D'Amico
Innovative Practices for Connecting Small-scale Producers with Local and Regional Markets
http://www.regoverningmarkets.org/en/global/about_regoverning_markets.html
Rapid changes are taking place in agri-food markets in middle and low-income countries and small-scale agriculture, which supports the livelihoods of the majority of rural poor, is poorly prepared for these changes. These 8 case studies, which were conducted as part of the Regoverning Markets Programme, provide examples of innovative practices in connecting small-scale producers with dynamic markets at local or regional level. Based on significant fieldwork activities, the case studies provide examples of market links between small-scale producers and dynamic markets, focusing on four drivers of innovation: public policy principles, private business models, collective action strategies by small-scale farmers, and intervention strategies and methods of development agencies. The studies highlight policy lessons and suggest working methods to guide public and private actors.
Banking on Development : private banks and aid donors in developing countries
http://lysander.sourceoecd.org/...
The aim of this ECD Working Paper No. 263 is precisely to contribute to this debate and process. It highlights how private banks and other private financial operators like private equity firms and investments funds, can play a pivotal role in economic development. All in all, they are interesting potential partners for public aid donors willing to deepen impacts on developing countries. As documented, some of the private banking firms are more active in specific regions. UK and French banks seem, for example, to be potential interesting partners for aid donors in Africa while Spanish banks or US counterparts are more relevant for Latin America and German, Swiss and Italian banks for Eastern Europe. Beyond international banks, local private banks in Brazil, India, South Africa, Morocco and other developing countries are becoming increasingly aware and sensitive to economic, social and environmental impacts.
Remittances from Germany and their Routes to Migrants' Origin Countries
http://www2.gtz.de/dokumente/bib/07-1374.pdf
Germany is one of the most important countries of origin for remittances— money transfers from migrants. In 2006 they amounted to approximately ten billion euros. However, as this study shows, migrants face considerable difficulties with the transfer process. Despite its large volume, the market for money transfers is extremely intransparent. Intensive research is needed to discover which financial institutions offer what kind of services, and at what cost. In some cases the cost of these services is extremely high. The result is that transfers are frequently made through informal channels.
The environment for women's entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa Regio, World Bank Report
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/...
Despite a commonly-held perception that women-owned firms in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are small, informal and low-tech, this study demonstrates that there is, in fact, little difference between female-owned and male-owned firms. This study aims to analyse gender-specific barriers that exist across the region or within countries and identifies factors outside the business environment that affect women's entrepreneurship.
Key to success: A sound business climate survey, by Friedrich Kaufmann
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/...
A sound business climate survey can be a useful instrument for strengthening the business reform agenda. Its benefits can be multifold: It produces valuable data, enriches the public-private dialogue, and helps to prioritize political action plans and project activities. For GTZ in Mozambique, the focus on a representative quality survey, with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the provinces as the main target group, producs a real value added.
Youth and Economic Development in Africa - An Issues Paper
http://www.uneca.org/adf/docs/Issue_paper_eco.pdf
In the context of youth and economic development, leadership is a multi-layered phenomenon characterized by two main features: 1. The economic challenges facing African youth warrant responsible leadership by governments and international partners; 2. As leaders, youth can themselves play an important role in the promotion of economic development. This paper seeks to address these aspects of leadership by exploring seven main issues of economic development that are central to the well-being of youth in Africa. The paper looks in particular at how governments have responded, how international partners have supported efforts, and how youth themselves are taking the lead in addressing these issues.
Kenya: It's the economy, stupid (not just ''tribalism'')
http://www.dev-zone.org/...
The wave of violence that engulfed Kenya after the presidential election has been widely described as tribal or ethnic in nature. But analysts in the east African country point to basic economics as the true cause of the unrest.
‘Trade and Climate Change’
http://www.socialistgroup.eu/...
Socialist Group in the European Parliament, with contributions from a series of stakeholders, including Nathalie Bernasconi from CIEL and Meena Raman and I from Friends of the Earth. The pamphlet is available in four languages: DE, EN, ES, FR.
Venezuelan Economy is Prepared to Withstand the Effects of Decline in Oil Demand
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/...
The Center for Economic and Policy Research has updated its overview of the Venezuelan economy, ''The Venezuelan Economy in the Chávez Years,'' including the latest available data for growth, employment, poverty, budget information, and other data. The paper notes continued progress in economic growth, poverty reduction, employment, and health and education indicators. The paper also underscores a key point made when the original was released in July 2007: the Venezuelan economy does not fit the mold of an ''oil boom headed for a bust,'' as frequently described by observers and analysts.
Growth, Poverty and Employment in Brazil, Chile and Mexico
http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCWorkingPaper42.pdf
The authors find that earnings trends were more powerful than employment trends in explaining changes in labour income. They also find that out of the total of eight country periods that they reviewed, only three exhibited a pro-poor pattern of change in labour income but two of these occurred during economic contractions.
January 2008
Aid for Trade: New OECD Report
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/trade/...
The WTO Aid for Trade Task Force argued that a global picture of aid-for-trade flows is important to assess whether additional resources are being delivered, to identify where gaps exists, to highlight where improvements should be made, and to increase transparency on pledges and disbursements. For that purpose the Task Force defined aid for trade as comprising support for trade policy and regulations, trade development, trade-related infrastructure, building productive capacity and trade-related adjustment if identified as trade-related development priorities in partner countries' national development strategies.
WTO launches first Global Review of Aid for Trade
http://www.wto.org/...
WTO provided an overview of what has been learned from the first year of Aid for Trade monitoring, with a focus on global flows and the result of the donor and partner self-assessments. Subsequently, roadmaps for mainstreaming trade in national development strategies were brought on the way.
Africa Development Indicators 2007
http://www.dev-zone.org/...
Africa Development Indicators 2007 provides the most detailed collection of data on Africa. It contains over 1,000 indicators covering 53 African countries. Findings suggest that the economic outlook for Africa is improving (World Bank, 2007)
Understanding Your Local Economy: A Resource Guide for Cities
http://www.citiesalliance.org/...
Cities Alliance has released a new publication, "Understanding Your Local Economy: A Resource Guide for Cities" that addresses the challenges of analysing local economic conditions and a city’s comparative and competitive advantages. Funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Guide presents practical approaches to conducting citywide and regionwide economic and competitive assessments. It includes advice on how to choose local economic development (LED) indicators and tools that can assess a local economy’s competitiveness.
Growth, Poverty and Employment in Brazil, Chile and Mexico
http://www.undp-povertycentre.org...
International Poverty Centre - Working Paper # 42
We are pleased to announce the publication of IPC Working Paper #42, “Growth, Poverty and Employment in Brazil, Chile and Mexico”. The authors find that earnings trends were more powerful than employment trends in explaining changes in labour income. They also find that out of the total of eight country periods that they reviewed, only three exhibited a pro-poor pattern of change in labour income but two of these occurred during economic contractions. The authors also note that 1) poor workers would have suffered more if they had not significantly boosted their participation in labour markets in response to downturns but 2) such workers benefited less than proportionately from economic expansions compared to non-poor workers.
Pro-Poor Growth: Though a Contested Marriage, Still a Premature Divorce
http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCOnePager45.pdf
The author of IPC One Pager #45, Terry McKinley, analyses why enthusiasm for the concept of ‘pro-poor growth’ has waned and been replaced recently by such alternatives as ‘inclusive growth’. He argues that the twin objectives inherent in the concept, namely, faster growth and greater equity, should have remained distinct. Pragmatically merging the two led to the conclusion that growth could no longer be considered ‘pro-poor’ or ‘anti-poor’, just ‘more’ or ‘less’ poverty-reducing. He concludes by raising concerns about whether a strong focus on greater equity has been lost in the process.
Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism
http://www.grameenfoundation.org/yunus_book/.
A new book by Dr. Muhammad Yunus which advances his pioneering vision of social businesses—for-profit companies with a strictly social mission that reinvest their profits to further their mission rather than distribute dividends to shareholders.
“Microfinance Fever” by Matthew Swibel
http://www.forbes.com...
A lot of people are chasing returns in barefoot banking. Here's what you should know before you follow.
Good Practice Guidelines for Funders of Microfinance E-book
http://www.cgap.org/...
To help funding agency staff translate guidance into daily operations, CGAP has developed an e-book version of the Good Practice Guidelines for Funders of Microfinance. The e-book version goes one step further than the Good Practice Guidelines that help to raise awareness of good practice and improve the effectiveness of donors and investors' microfinance operations--it provides links to practical operational tools.
New ILO Study on Microfinance and Efficiency
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/microfinance/...
An estimated US$4 billion is invested annually in microfinance around the world. But while microfinance institutions must have strong business models in order to survive, they face the challenge of making profits while creating lasting social change. A newly published study entitled Microfinance and public policy: Outreach, performance and efficiency edited by Bernd Balkenhol, the head of the Social Finance Programme at the International Labour Office (ILO) provides practitioners and policy makers with guidance on how to deal with the issue of balancing business and poverty reduction by defining criteria for supporting microfinance institutions. This research study seeks to clarify an issue that practitioners of microfinance and donors often face: how to preserve the dual commitment of microfinance institutions (MFIs) to both poverty reduction and profitability, whilst ensuring their progressive integration into the financial market and the phasing out of subsidies.
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
http://www.cgdev.org/...
The wellbeing of adolescent girls in developing countries shapes global economic and social prosperity -- yet girls' needs often are consigned to the margins of development policies and programs. This new CGD report describes why and how to provide adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance in life. Offering targeted recommendations for national and local governments, donor agencies, civil society, and the private sector, Girls Count provides a compelling starting point for country-specific agendas to recognize and foster girls' potential.
Online access to the complete Palgrave Macmillan Journals Portfolio
http://www.p algrave- journals.com/accessallareas/index.html
Until February 15th the Palgrave Macmillan Access All Areas campaign gives visitors unrestricted online access not only to all Palgrave Macmillan journals, an impressive list of more than 60 journals, but also to a selection of our reference and books content.
You might want to explore the Development site, and experience the rich content archive - see www.sidint.org/development
Manual 'Policy Coherence for Development, a practical guide'
http://evertvermeerstic.email-service5.nl/nct88121/qWYjIjAy
The EU Coherence Programme is happy to present you the new Manual ‘Policy Coherence for Development, a practical guide’. Our brand new Manual provides the reader with seven case studies on different EU policy areas where clear contradictions are seen with EU development objectives.
Information and Knowledge Management: IKM Emergent Newsletter
http://www.ikmemergent.net
The quarterly newsletter will be a vehicle to inform both Programme members and non-members on the developments taking place within the EADI Programme "Emergent Issues in Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) and International Development". It presents both work that is being undertaken and approaches that are being developed.
From e&lr to Rural 21
http://www.rural-development.de/3070.0.html#01
The journal Rural 21 replaced entwicklung & ländlicher raum (e&lr) as of January 2008. The journal will have a new name, a new design and a completely revamped editorial concept. This step towards further internationalising the journal will make it accessible for an even greater readership, because Rural 21 will also incorporate the former English journal agriculture & rural development.
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