July 2003 from weitzenegger.de

July 2006

This monthly Newsletter brings you news for international co-operation professionals on economic and social development. Free of charge if you recommend it to other colleagues. Edited by Karsten Weitzenegger Consulting, http://www.weitzenegger.de

1. European Commission seeks Vocational Training Experts
2. New EC Election Observer Roster launched
3. Southeast Europe Database of NGOs and experts
4. Swiss PRSP Evaluation
5. Debating the Washington Consensus
6. Arab Economic Integration: Between Hope and Reality
7. PLOTEUS.net on training in Europe
8. Civil Society Website on ACP-EU Cooperation
9. OECD-Book on Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development
10. Port Reform Toolkit
11. SEEP Guide to Business Development Services and Resources
12. UNIDO Guide to Supplier Development

The European Commission is seeking to recruit independent experts from European Members States to undertake assessments, surveys and analyses in conjunction with the programme LEONARDO DA VINCI and otheractivities in the field of vocational training. For that reason, the European Commission has launched a new call for applications (OJ C 298 of 30 November 2002). All information and documents can be accessed on the EU Server. http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/leonardo/leonardo2_de.html

In order to streamline the selection of EU Election Observers, the European Commission has developed an Internet Roster, which will accelerate this process and make it more transparent, impartial and homogeneous. Qualified candidates are invited to enter their curriculum vitae into the electronic form provided.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/eidhr/elections_en.htm

The Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe and the Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in South East Europe (CDRSEE) announce the launch of their database for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and experts, which work towards reconciliation in Southeast Europe.
http://www.see-database.org

The PRSP has become the prevailing framework within which donors interact on aid and poverty reduction. There is ongoing debate over the extent to which the PRSP process actually represents a real shift away from traditional structural adjustment based development policies. The Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) has commissioned an independent evaluation of its bilateral engagement in PRSPs. This evaluation was carried out by Development Initiatives (UK) and Gerster Consulting (Switzerland). The evaluation acknowledges the arguments of opponents of the PRSP, and looks at how the PRSP can be best used by donors to fulfil the aims of poverty reduction and achievement of the MDGs in a participatory mannerwhich focuses on country specific content and not just processes. The full synthesis report and the other evaluation documents can be downloaded in full from the Gerster Consulting Website:
http://www.gersterconsulting.ch/fs/fs_main.asp?kt=1

The so-called Washington Consensus on market-oriented policy measures and macro economic balance either failed to achieve expected results in terms of growth and poverty reduction or was interpreted from an ideological point of view in many developing countries, a group of experts and analysts agreed at an international roundtable hosted by the World Bank in Paris. The meeting explored a new approach that would include investment in social development, environmental responsibility and a strong regulatory role for the state, as well as international cooperation through multi- and bilateral development institutions.
Link

A new study co-published by the Brookings Institution and the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies (ECES), edited by Ahmed Galal and Bernard Hoekman. The book highlights the importance of improving the economic performance of Arab countries, given high population growth rates, rising unemployment, and modest economic growth coupled with increasingly intense competition from emerging markets in eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Meeting these challenges requires finding ways to overcome political obstacles that impede socially beneficial economic reforms.
http://bookstore.brookings.edu/books_listing.asp

The new EU Internet portal PLOTEUS provides extensive information about general and vocational training in Europe. Contact: Charlotte Schölgens, schoelgens @ bibb.de
http://www.ploteus.net

A website aimed at facilitating information exchange amongst ACP and EU civil society actors on ACP-EU cooperation has been launched by Euforic. The main topics under ACP-EU cooperation currently featured on the site are on ACP-EU trade negotiations and the programming of aid to ACP countries. The site also features a wide range of documents for ACP-EU civil society, including analytical reports on ACP-EU cooperation, reports of civil society meetings and lists of key organisations in ACP and EU countries.
http://acp-eu.euforic.org/civsoc/

The striking number of entrepreneurship and microenterprise programs reflectsthe belief that the creation of new firms will combat economic distress in communities. The new OECD-book "Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development: Programme and Policy Recommendations" examines the relationship between firm creationand local economic development, in particular the particular routes through which enterprise creation and development can impact local economies. It also sets out detailed policy recommendations regarding strategy, finance, and program design to operate at both national and local levels of government. http://www.oecd.org/EN/document/0,,EN-document-574-5-no-15-39923-574,00.html

This 452-page World Bank book presents background information, examples and tools to help public officials improve public institutions that provide port services in developing countries. It focuses on understanding the needs, challenges and risks for sector reform, as well as options for private-sector participation and their implications. http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/catalog/product?item_id=1965778

The Market Access section of this Guide describes services which can help when identifying and establishing new markets for small enterprise (SE) products; in facilitating the creation of links between all the actors in a given market; and in assisting buyers to expand their outreach to, and purchases from, SEs. They also enable SEs to develop new products and produce to buyer specifications. The services described include Commercial (Radio) Programs that Provide Business Links, Advocacy and Business Management Training, Market Linkages through Private Sector Intermediaries, Market Information Links and Database Market Links with Individual Consultation. Each service is described in terms of its target groups, purpose, methodology, finance and cost recovery, evaluation and impact. (EIN)
http://www.seepnetwork.org/bdsguide.html

This guide is intended for UNIDO SPXs but should be of interest to anyone wishing to establish a supplier development programme. Supplier development is a broad concept aimed at strengthening the performance of subcontracting firms not only by enabling them to acquire the skills and capacities required by the major contracting enterprises but also by raising their awareness and helping them reduce costs. The guide is largely based on the experience of SPXs which have already implemented supplier development programmes in a number of developing countries. It covers the role of the parties involved, the objectives and a ten-step application of the programme.
http://www.unido.org/en/doc/4556