Other Infrastructure Study

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  • Publication
    Support to National Capacity Development: Framework for Improving Water and Sanitation Services in Bangladesh
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-12-23) World Bank
    The objective of this World Bank technical assistance has been to support the Government of Bangladesh’s (GoB) national capacity development framework for improving water and sanitation services (WSS) in Bangladesh, focusing on demand-responsive peer-to-peer or horizontal learning processes and improve horizontal accountability communication and monitoring systems to track progress in the sector. This technical assistance is in line with the World Bank country assistance strategy (CAS) which seeks to support the GoB target of ensuring safe drinking water and sanitation for all. It has contributed to strengthening the long-term capacity of the government, in particular the union Parishad (UP) which is responsible for ensuring water and sanitation services for all in Bangladesh.
  • Publication
    Private Sector Delivery of Rural Piped Water Services in Bangladesh: A Review of Experience, 2003-2015
    (Washington, DC, 2015-08) World Bank
    This note explores the Bangladesh experience in implementing the widespread use of a private operator model for building and operating rural piped water schemes. Since the early 1990s, the World Bank has, through a series of development projects, designed, piloted, and attempted to scale up use of the model as a mechanisms to address the very real issues of arsenic contamination and delivery at scale. The latest of these projects is still in implementation. The experience with these projects to date has been disappointing, and while a limited number of schemes are still in operation, the model has not been replicated in a large number of communities as intended and has not proved to be particularly sustainable. Over this same period, the government and other development partners also have been using alternative methods to deliver the same kinds of services in rural areas. Some of these efforts seem to have been modestly successful. However, much of the evidence about the performance of these other models is anecdotal and there has been little rigorous analysis to compare the performance of these different models with the private sponsor approach. This paper attempts to do this on the basis of a desk review of existing World Bank literature, including project documents and research reports, coupled with interviews with key stakeholders and World Bank staff. The first section of the paper provides an overview of the rationale and key issues associated with efforts to scale up a private operator model in Bangladesh. The second section reviews government efforts and those of its other development partners, to use a more traditional mode of service provision, involving community management. The third, fourth, and fifth sections review efforts by the government and the World Bank to design, test, and scale up a private operator model for service provision. A sixth section reviews some of the international research that provides insights into the use of such models in other countries and sectors. The paper ends with tentative conclusions about the experience in Bangladesh, lessons learned, and several options for further analysis.
  • Publication
    Regulation of the Indian Port Sector
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-05) van Krimpen, Christiaan
    This report sets out various options for regulatory reform of the Indian port sector. The terms of reference from The World Bank require the Author making recommendations to the Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs) with respect to alternative institutional and legal options for regulation of the port sector in India as well as analysing key considerations in the regulation of this sector and the way they are being addressed in the Indian Ports (Consolidated) Act, 2010, which has been drafted recently. This report is solution-oriented and focuses on day-to-day problems of Indian port management. The problems of the Indian ports (including those of tariff regulation by TAMP) are well known, thoroughly analysed, described in detail and widely discussed in the port sector. A final solution for the restructuring of the sector has not yet been found. This report is written with a view to outlining various alternatives which may help the competent authorities to make final decisions on a new/revised port sector regulatory framework.
  • Publication
    Reform of Gujranwala Water and Sanitation Agency : Design of Institutional Framework and Corporate Structure
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-03-31) Ali Shah, Syed Mansoor
    WASA-G is an agency established by the Authority under the Punjab Development of Cities Act, 1976 ('PDCA') to 'carry out functions of the authority in relation to development, operation, and maintenance of water supply, sewerage and drainage system within the boundaries of Gujranwala Development Authority (GDA) and to carry out all functions ancillary hereto. Authority means the development authority i.e, GDA created under PDCA. One of the functions of the authority is to establish an agency or agencies and entrust to it such powers and functions as it may deem fit with the approval of the Government. The functions of water supply, sewerage and drainage have been 'entrusted' to WASA-G, an agency of the authority under the PDCA. There is no further detail in PDCA regarding the legal structure of the agency. WASA-G is, therefore, no more than a wing or department of the authority entrusted with a specific function of water supply, sewerage and drainage and matters ancillary thereto and does not enjoy an autonomous legal status. The authority is therefore the service provider (through WASA-G) and the regulator. Further, the authority can give direction to government agencies to execute the scheme, if falling within the jurisdiction of the government agency.
  • Publication
    Pakistan : Infrastructure Implementation Capacity Assessment
    (Washington, DC, 2007) World Bank
    This assessment of the Pakistan Infrastructure Implementation Capacity (PIICA) which was carried out at the request of the GoP validates the view that the Government of Pakistan (GoP) plans to more than triple the infrastructure Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), but remains apprehensive about the capacity to implement such programs. In order to understand and address the issues which typically prevail in the industry, extensive analytical work, assembled around four broad based thematic areas - business environment, human resources, materials, equipment and machinery - was undertaken. The report concludes that the industry stakeholders lack capacity to deliver the planned medium term development framework (MTDF) infrastructure. The study has identified areas in which the GoP needs to carry out further work, detailed assessments and research such as: Rationalizing construction related taxes and tariff structures; Create a best practices project specific delivery organization (GoP could use Diamer or Bhasha Dam as an example) using an integrated construction process; Centralizing data on HR availability and future demand for better planning and management; Streamlining and facilitating import of construction equipment; Studying procedures to assist in improving cash flows on projects; Researching and adopting best practices for technical support, financing and credit facilities for the industry; and Institutional arrangements to provide long-term sustainable development of the industry.
  • Publication
    Radio Spectrum Management Development in India : A Framework for Strengthening Radio Spectrum Management and Policies
    (Washington, DC, 2006-06) World Bank
    This report provides a detailed review of the current spectrum management regime in India; provides a perspective on best practice as may be applied in India and in addition provides a consideration of measures which could be taken to enhance spectrum management activities in India. The radio spectrum in India is a national resource, owned and managed by the Government. The authority for day-to-day spectrum management activities is vested Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) in New Delhi. Formal interfaces have been established with key spectrum user organizations, whose spectrum management staff may be found in other parts of India, remote from the capital city. The spectrum management regime has to date been strongly biased towards fulfilling the needs of the State and serving radio communications requirements funded by public sources. However, during the last 5 to 8 years a demanding private sector has made significant investments in the roll-out of new services and systems. The private sector (and indeed several segments of the public sector) is not entirely satisfied with the level of service provided by the spectrum management organization. This report performs the following functions: 1) it provides a detailed review of the current spectrum management regime in India; 2) it provides a commentary on best practice as may be applied in India in connection with each of the above areas; and 3) it provides a consideration of measures which could be taken to enhance spectrum management activities in India.
  • Publication
    Stabilization and Fiscal Empowerment : The Twin Challenges Facing India's States, Volume 1. Executive Summary and Main Report
    (Washington, DC, 2004-05-10) World Bank
    India, home to more than one billion people, has experienced rapid growth over the past decade, averaging about six percent per year between 1992/93 and 2003/04. The agenda backed in this report is one that receives widespread support from both the central and state governments in India. The fiscal stress of the late nineties gave rise to an intense state-level reform effort. Six years on, this report documents the many initiatives undertaken by the states to restore fiscal sustainability, and become more effective agents of development. It outlines successes, lessons learnt, and highlights further challenges, on both the expenditure side (chapter two) and the revenue side (chapter three). It also looks at the incentive framework within which the states operate (chapter four), and asks whether there is a feasible reform package that will take the states not only out of fiscal crisis, but strengthened to meet the development challenges which confront them. This chapter provides the context for what follows by outlining the role and increasingly divergent performance of the state governments (section two), and then in turn, the genesis of the fiscal crisis (section three), its developmental impact (section four), the reform response of the state and central governments (section five), and the reform challenges facing the states today (section six). Although associated with an increase in public spending, the fiscal crisis weakened the developmental and poverty impact of state governments, especially in the poorer states; it also called into question India's overall fiscal sustainability. This report is written to help share the lessons and success-stories to date, and to assist states and the central government in implementing the national agenda of state-level fiscal stabilization and empowerment. Given the low levels and the worrying recent trends in both the quantity of expenditure in priority expenditure areas, and the quality of expenditure across the board, there is an urgent need for expenditure restructuring to free up fiscal resources and for reforms to improve the quality of spending. Focus in this chapter on areas where expenditure can be cut rather than where it should be increased is not because we think there are no areas of underfunding. However, which particular areas should be increased, and by how much, will likely vary from state to state, depending on initial conditions, and identified priorities. The areas where savings can be made have much more in common across states, and so are the focuses of this report.
  • Publication
    Stabilization and Fiscal Empowerment : The Twin Challenges Facing India's States, Volume 2. Detailed Report
    (Washington, DC, 2004-05-10) World Bank
    India, home to more than one billion people, has experienced rapid growth over the past decade, averaging about six percent per year between 1992/93 and 2003/04. The agenda backed in this report is one that receives widespread support from both the central and state governments in India. The fiscal stress of the late nineties gave rise to an intense state-level reform effort. Six years on, this report documents the many initiatives undertaken by the states to restore fiscal sustainability, and become more effective agents of development. It outlines successes, lessons learnt, and highlights further challenges, on both the expenditure side (chapter two) and the revenue side (chapter three). It also looks at the incentive framework within which the states operate (chapter four), and asks whether there is a feasible reform package that will take the states not only out of fiscal crisis, but strengthened to meet the development challenges which confront them. This chapter provides the context for what follows by outlining the role and increasingly divergent performance of the state governments (section two), and then in turn, the genesis of the fiscal crisis (section three), its developmental impact (section four), the reform response of the state and central governments (section five), and the reform challenges facing the states today (section six). Although associated with an increase in public spending, the fiscal crisis weakened the developmental and poverty impact of state governments, especially in the poorer states; it also called into question India's overall fiscal sustainability. This report is written to help share the lessons and success-stories to date, and to assist states and the central government in implementing the national agenda of state-level fiscal stabilization and empowerment. Given the low levels and the worrying recent trends in both the quantity of expenditure in priority expenditure areas, and the quality of expenditure across the board, there is an urgent need for expenditure restructuring to free up fiscal resources and for reforms to improve the quality of spending. Focus in this chapter on areas where expenditure can be cut rather than where it should be increased is not because we think there are no areas of underfunding. However, which particular areas should be increased, and by how much, will likely vary from state to state, depending on initial conditions, and identified priorities. The areas where savings can be made have much more in common across states, and so are the focuses of this report.