Miscellaneous Knowledge Notes
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Publication
EITI as an Instrument of Fiscal Transparency and Accountability: A Case Study of Two FCV Countries
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-11)Transparency and accountability in sector governance are basic and essential requirements to leverage the extractives (oil, gas, and mining) sector as an engine of economic growth in fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) affected settings. Enabling them involves two vital steps. Transparency requires obtaining or publishing relevant and actionable data about sector governance. Accountability involves having the data to support responsible, efficient, and informed sector governance. Although several mechanisms exist to facilitate transparent data disclosures, the extractive industries transparency initiative (EITI) is the preeminent global standard to promote the open and accountable management of oil, gas, and mineral resources. This governance note presents a case study about how data disclosed through EITI has been effectively leveraged to support more transparent and accountable fiscal governance in two FCV countries - Afghanistan and Iraq. -
Publication
The Involvement of Third-Party Professionals in Business Registration and Property Transfer
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-10)Complex business regulations and bureaucratic processes tend to be obstacles for new entrepreneurs. To navigate these processes as smoothly as possible, entrepreneurs may solicit the services of third-party professionals. Whether in business incorporation or land transactions, third-party agents provide professional assistance and ensure that certain processes comply with the regulations in place. Depending on the economy and the specific regulatory process, these professionals can be lawyers, notaries or accountants, among others. This policy note explores the role of third-party professionals in the areas of starting a business and registering property in 168 economies and analyzes some of the differences in terms of time and costs for services provided by third-party professionals, as well as trends and reforms over time. The doing business indicator sets for these areas are used to benchmark the steps, cost, and time to incorporate a business and to transfer a property. -
Publication
Technology for Results: Using Smartphones to Verify Results and Serve the Public in Vietnam’s Water Sector
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-07)The note serves to show how smartphones and digital platforms/workflows can be effectively used to collect and process validation data about decentralized/dispersed frontline results. The case study shows that World Bank operations can help bring this type of digital platform–based approach to more mainstream government processes, particularly in the context of Program for Results, in this case for the rural water supply and sanitation operations. The note documents both the checklist approach and the realization of a web-based platform established to disclose water and sanitation program planning documents and resources to the public, along with a call center to deal with customer questions and concerns. The experience speaks to the question of how more versatile technology (cloud platforms, smartphones) together with institutional drivers can set the stage for new generation digital platforms taking root in governments like Vietnam, where paper-based processes and reporting persist. While technology is clearly secondary to getting the people and process parts of the equation right, getting the technology wrong may adversely disrupt the reform process, strengthening opposition or perpetuating the status quo. The major value added for the World Bank may be to help design and demonstrate robust and versatile platforms, including as part of results-based operations aligning to country systems. -
Publication
Fostering Impactful Citizen Engagement
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-06-01)Research on citizens as drivers of change and recent reports from the World Bank can inform its citizen engagement mandate. This governance note seeks to contribute to improving the World Bank's entry points for citizen engagement by operationalizing findings on social organizations from the World Development Report 2017: Governance and the Law (WDR 2017) and Citizens as Drivers of Change: How Citizens Use Human Rights to Mobilize, Effectively Engage with the State and Promote Transparency and Accountability. To accomplish this, taken from the second report are three real-world examples of citizens' initiatives to increase transparency and accountability in public service delivery. The note also consists of a brief outline of what the Bank is doing to promote citizen engagement, a summary of key lessons on what makes external support from international actors effective, and suggestions for next steps the Bank can take to best support citizen engagement in its operations. -
Publication
Relocation and Resettlement
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note provides guidance on approaches to relocation and resettlement of people. Although resettlement is ideally avoided, the complexities of unclear, unrecognized, informal, and overlapping land claims in many areas means that it is an issue that investors and governments often need to address. Field research suggests room for improvement in processes and outcomes where resettlement had been undertaken. Critical factors for success included how resettled people perceived that their living situations had changed after resettlement, which includes compensation, access to livelihood opportunities, and social services. Also important was the extent to which people were consulted, where involved in decision making, and had access to grievance mechanisms. -
Publication
Monitoring Investments
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note provides guidance on how to monitor the performance and impact of agricultural investments, and on which aspects to observe. Ongoing monitoring of investments is a key way to hold investors accountable for contractual commitments and deliver the expected benefits to the country and surrounding communities. It also facilitates early identification of emerging negative impacts or of failing investments, enabling remedial actions. Monitoring is often deficient because of a lack of resources and systematic procedures, which allows negative impacts to escalate beyond what will otherwise be the case. Internal monitoring is likewise good practice for investors and their financiers, though the field research indicated room for improvement. -
Publication
Screening Prospective Investors
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note provides guidance to governments on how to screen and select prospective investment projects to ensure they maximize the social, economic, and environmental benefits while minimizing the risks. It provides investors information on what can be expected in cases of good screening practice. The acceptance of investors that later fail financially or have poor social and environmental outcomes has had damaging impacts on many countries as well as communities. Screening investors is a critical component of a country’s policy framework to mitigate those risks and to improve the likelihood that investments will have a positive effect on sustainable development priorities. This note summarizes available resources on how to screen agricultural investments and calls on donors, international organizations, and civil society to develop more. It is complemented by note 7: tools for screening investors, which provides a detailed toolkit that can be adapted to host countries’ individual circumstances. -
Publication
Investment Contracts
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note provides guidance on the form and content of contracts between investors and governments pertaining to agricultural investments. The best guarantee of positive benefits from foreign investment is a solid foundation of domestic laws that are properly enforced. In many developing countries, however, the necessary domestic laws may not be in place or may not be sufficiently detailed. Even when they are in place, they may not be implemented or enforced. Contracts can help fill the gaps in domestic laws by providing more detailed guidance on what should be contained in the assessments, and using international standards and best practice as the reference points. However, contracts need to be drafted carefully to maximize benefits and reduce risks. -
Publication
Creating an Enabling Environment
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note provides guidance on how to create an investment climate that is conducive to attracting high-quality, responsible investment in agriculture. The investment climate needs to enable investors to survive, to thrive, and to contribute to the local community and the broader economy in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Investors in the agriculture sector noted a variety of factors that inhibit their ability to run successful operations. Failed or struggling investments have consequences that extend well beyond the financial losses that investors incur. An effective enabling environment contributes to the chances of investor success, which is in the interests of all stakeholders. -
Publication
Grievance Redress Mechanisms
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note provides guidance on how investors can provide effective remedies to affected parties who perceive that their rights have been adversely affected by business activities. A grievance redress mechanism (GRM) is a set of arrangements that enable local communities, employees, out growers, and other affected stakeholders to raise grievances with the investor and seek redress when they perceive a negative impact arising from the investor’s activities. It is a key way to mitigate, manage, and resolve potential or realized negative impacts, as well as fulfill obligations under international human rights law and contribute to positive relations with communities and employees. GRMs have been operated with varying degrees of success. This noteprovides guidance and examples on how to improve the design and implementation of mechanisms for mutual benefit.