Africa Region Findings & Good Practice Infobriefs

415 items available

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http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9389

These briefs report on ongoing operational, economic, and sector work carried out by the World Bank and its member governments in the Africa Region.

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 15

Burkina Faso : The Post-Primary Education Project

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2007-02) Mohan, P.C.

In September 1994, the Government of Burkina Faso held a national convention on post-primary education to analyze the status of this sub-sector and to define a forward-looking strategy. In August 1995, the government initiated a 10-year post-primary education development plan ( PDEPP ) which focused on the educational system as the key determining factor for human resource development. Following a request from the government, the World Bank agreed to providing a credit of US$ 36.6 million (1997-2004) which would support the plan through (i) the promotion of cost-effective and equitable use of education resources; and (ii) an increase in access to and the quality of education.
Cape Verde : Improving Education and Training

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005-10) Mohan, P.C.

This Credit equivalent of US $6 million was intended to develop, through the Education and Training Consolidation and Modernization project (ETCMP ) - 1999-2003 - a technically and financially sustainable education and training system to ensure an educated and flexible work force capable of responding to the country's social and economic goals. The project was a follow-up to the previous IDA-funded Basic Education and Training project.
Sierra Leone - Community Reintegration and Rehabilitation

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005-05) Mohan, P.C.

The objective of the project (Credit of US$25 million from the World Bank over the period 2000-2003) was to support the peace process and expedite the return of stability to Sierra Leone through the support of two initiatives - one that helped reintegrate demobilized combatants into social and economic life and the other that sought to restore basic socioeconomic infrastructure and services in the communities most affected by the war. The successful implementation of the project was also a precondition for any other Bank investment in Sierra Leone.
Gambia, The - Community-based Response to HIV/AIDS - Lessons Learned from BAFROW

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005-01) Mohan, P.C.

Foundation for Research on Women's Health, Productivity and the Environment (BAFROW) is a local women's Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in The Gambia that is considered an example of best practice for its holistic and community-based approach to the promotion of healthy behavior, women's activities and the fight against HIV/AIDS. A knowledge and learning team from the Africa region's quality and knowledge department visited the NGO in January 2003 and the BAFROW team shared the lessons learned, the challenges encountered and the successes they have encountered thus far. The debriefings (video-taped open-ended interviews) on which this article is based, included many prominent members and leaders of local NGOs and HIV/AIDS projects.
Ghana - Mining and Development

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2004-10) Mohan, P.C.

The objectives of the project ($9.37 million, 1996-2001) were to (a) enhance the capacity of the mining sector institutions to carry out their functions of encouraging and regulating investments in the mining sector in an environmentally sound manner and (b) support the use of techniques and mechanisms that will improve productivity, financial viability and reduce the environmental impact of small-scale mining operations. It had two components: Strengthening of Mining Sector Institutions, and Assistance to Small-scale Mining Enterprises. The project took into account lessons learned from three previous operations in Ghana which focused on developing the mining sector: the Export Rehabilitation project, the Export Rehabilitation Technical Assistance project, and the Mining Sector Rehabilitation project.
Mali - Improving Learning in Public Schools

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2004-08) Mohan, P.C.

The overall objective of this Learning and Innovation Credit (2000-2003: US$3.8 million) was to further develop and assess the merits of bilingual education in Mali, in terms of financial and educational sustainability. The project was designed at a time when the education system was facing the following problems: (i) low enrollments, including gender and regional imbalances; (ii) poor learning results in primary schools; (iii) low efficiency in public education; (iv) poor accessibility to education for all children; (vi) proliferation of models for community involvement in schooling; and (vii) central management. To achieve its objective, the approach taken was to introduce a bilingual education model - pedagogie convergente - in six languages as the basis for introducing curricular revisions, producing textbooks based on the changed curricula, testing teaching and learning materials, testing student achievement at the end-of-project to determine the model's efficacy, and building community partnerships to elicit local support for introducing the model at the primary education level.
Eritrea - Road Sector Engineering

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2004-02) Mohan, P.C.

The project, begun in 1997 and completed in mid-2002, responded to the key findings of the IDA Participatory Rural Assessment study undertaken in 1994, which identified isolation and lack of road links as substantial constraints to poverty alleviation. It comprised the following components: (1) Infrastructure strengthening studies: (a) a feasibility and environmental impact assessment to determine appropriate design and construction standards of the existing Keren-Barentu- Tessenei road and upgrading of the Barentu-Mendefera road track; to be followed by detailed engineering designs for the agreed civil works; and (b) a national bridge condition and structural strength survey to develop a prioritized program of bridge works to remedy damage and deterioration. (2) Institutional strengthening: (a) technical assistance and training for personnel of the Road Transport Construction Department (RTCD) in procurement and contract administration organization, systems, and procedures; (b) hands-on training to upgrade mechanics skills, including the procurement of spare parts and equipment repairs and training programs; (c) training of trainers; and (d) construction of a small training facility and workshop within the RTCD compound, including basic workshop equipment and training aids.
Benin - Transport Sector Investment Program

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2003-12) Mohan, P.C.

The objectives of this project (1997-2001) using $40 million of IDA funds were to: (i) safeguard the competitiveness of Benin's transport sector and of its transit corridor through open modal competition; (ii) improve government's capacity for planning, programming and managing transport sector investments; (iii) boost the allocation of resources to infrastructure maintenance; (iv) boost the recovery of user infrastructure charges; (v) expand private sector participation in public works and maximize its impact on the creation of jobs for unskilled labor; (vi) build capacity in sector institutions and optimize human resource utilization; and (vii) protect the environment and improve safety conditions.
Mozambique - Improving the Quality of University Graduates

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2003-07) Mohan, P.C.

In 1990, Mozambique had fewer than 3,000 university-trained persons. Less than 15 percent of civil service personnel had a university degree, and more than a third of civil servants had less than seven years of primary education. Highly trained and professionally experienced Mozambicans tended to gravitate towards the private sector. Consequently, the planning and management of both public and private sector activities were adversely impacted. This Infobrief focuses on the expansion in the quantity and improvement in the quality of university graduates, a specific objective of the World Bank-assisted Capacity Building: Human Resources Development project which was implemented between 1993 and 2001. The number of students graduating annually from UEM has increased five times during project implementation (1994-2001), from 148 in 1994 to 695 in 2000. The percentage of graduates who complete all degree requirements within the official prescribed time has increased from 5 percent in 1997 to 15 percent in 2000. The overall average examination pass rate has improved from 39 percent in 1994 to 53 percent in 2000. Under the project, 4,350 book titles were imported and 159 textbook titles were produced locally. While the targeted number of books distributed to each student was five, survey questionnaires to a sample of economics and engineering students found that each student had 7-10 books. Critical capacity building needs in the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) were addressed through a strategy based on linking with selected universities outside the country. Libraries and reading space serving the faculties of agriculture, architecture, economics, veterinary science and medicine were expanded. Overall, about 50 percent of the university infrastructure was rehabilitated as planned.
Malawi - Lessons Learned From Public Works Programs

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2003-06) Mohan, P.C.

In designing Public Work programs (PWPs), it is important to clarify whether the objectives are developmental or to deal with short-term shocks. PWPs make a significant contribution to sustained poverty reduction only when carefully designed to include a graduation strategy (e.g., economic activities training, savings and life skills training) or where continuity of employment is viable (e.g., financed through routine maintenance budgets). Programs lasting twelve months or more can allow for asset acquisition, training and higher risk economic activity. In this way, beneficiaries can begin to graduate out of PWP employment. Valuable assets have been created under PWPs, contributing to economic growth (environmental protection, access routes etc.). In Malawi, full cost recovery will not be possible for some time. It is therefore essential that PWPs budget for maintenance of such assets. PWPs are a valuable vehicle for developing capacity and empowering local government bodies in Malawi. Adequate provision must be made however, for local government administrative and supervision costs. PWPs are a means of skills transfer in participating communities. As a result, follow-on programs find residual knowledge and organizational capacity in place.