Sector/Thematic Studies

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http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2110

Economic and Sectoral Work are original analytic reports authored by the World Bank and intended to influence programs and policy in client countries. They convey Bank-endorsed recommendations and represent the formal opinion of a World Bank unit on the topic. This set includes the sectoral and thematic studies which are not Core Diagnostic Studies. Other analytic and advisory activities (AAA), including technical assistance studies, are included in these sectoral/thematic collections.

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Equitable Growth, Finance & Institutions Insight

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Teacher Development and Management : Overview of Policy Briefs

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-12-31) Allemano, Eric ; Baumgart, Neil ; Chapman, David ; Craig, Helen ; Kraft, Richard ; Rawlinson, Ralph ; Thornton, Hilary

This is an overview of policy briefs on continuous professional development of teachers, from the ealiest years onward.Studies focussed on the early years are: Effective Teachers and Performance Standards, which looks at how formal qualifications of teachers, and other information frequently recorded on a database of teachers, seldom predict effectiveness in raising student achievement. Accreditation of teacher education institutions and programs; Teacher Certification; Teacher Educators and Initial Teacher Education Programs; Teacher Recruitment and Deployment (paper forthcoming). Papers focussed on the years after the initial training are: Induction Programs for Newly Trained Teachers; Continuous Professional Development (CPD); Teacher Support Networks; Teacher Motivation: Incentives and Working Conditions; Teacher Supervision and Monitoring (paper forthcoming); Teacher Collaboration (paper forthcoming); Professional Development Frameworks (paper forthcoming); Role of Unions/Professional Associations to Support Teachers (paper forthcoming). Additonal topics are: HIV and AIDS and Teachers, and Specific Skill Development including use of technology and multi-grade instruction (papers forthcoming).
Lebanon : Study on LNG Supply, Market and Technical Viability

(Washington, DC, 2009-12-31) World Bank
Eastern Africa - A study of the Regional Maize Market and Marketing Costs

(World Bank, 2009-12-31) World Bank

Maize is the most important staple food in the Eastern Africa region and the most widely traded agricultural commodity. Therefore, the performance of grain markets has a significant impact on people's welfare, particularly the poor, and is critical to inducing pro-poor growth in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, i.e. the countries under review in this report. Marketing costs at the borders would need to be reduced but even more attention should be paid to domestic marketing costs. Policy makers in East Africa should not be misled that encouraging greater regional trade is solely a diplomatic matter. Instead, concerted public investments and policy actions at local, national, and regional levels are required. Reduced marketing costs would allow a reduction in input prices and thus production costs. This report aims to examine, identify, and quantify the factors behind the marketing costs for maize in East African countries. While a number of studies have recognized major barriers to trade in the region, few have actually quantified their relative importance or the magnitudes of these constraints on grain trade. Since much past research has been inconclusive, a key focus of this report is to identify how different barriers contribute to marketing costs within countries and across borders. It also aims to analyze whether a reduction in cross-border trade costs without a simultaneous reduction in domestic costs would be sufficient for greater regional integration in East Africa.
Federative Republic of Brazil - Social Insurance and Labor Supply : Assessing Incentives and Redistribution

(Washington, DC, 2009-12-30) World Bank

This technical report analyzes the potential effects of the pensions and income protection systems on labor supply decisions and through this channel the coverage and cost of the programs. The report addresses five policy questions: (i) how is the pension system influencing decisions regarding entry into the labor market, sector choice (formal/informal), and retirement? (ii) How are current income protection programs affecting turnover; job search efforts and sector choice?; (iii) Are there interactions between the two systems that aggravate or mitigate incentive effects?; (iv) What is the role of redistributive policies in determining observed outcomes?; and (v) Are there policy interventions that could be considered to correct incentives, while securing adequate income protection for different population groups (including workers in the informal sector)? The report is organized in three sections. This first section discusses the motivations for the study and sets the context by briefly describing some key stylized facts about the Brazilian labor market. The focus is on the composition of the labor force, its distribution by occupational categories, unemployment risks, and transitions between employment states including workers flows between the formal and informal sectors. The second section analyzes the Brazilian social insurance system in terms of incentives and redistribution. It starts with an overview of institutional arrangements, programs, and financing mechanisms, which flags the problem of a high tax-wedge. The report then analyzes the rules of the pensions and income protection systems and their potential effects on behaviors. The final section proposes a policy framework to guide reforms that could 'correct' incentives by making redistribution more transparent and progressive. A behavioral life-cycle model estimated for Brazil is used to illustrate how the application of this framework could affect contribution densities (and therefore the time spent working in formal sector jobs), retirement ages, savings, and programs cost. A companion policy note on social insurance and labor supply summarizes the main conclusions and recommendations from the analysis.
Vietnam Power Sector : Generation Options

(Washington, DC, 2009-12-29) World Bank

This report discusses the energy sector in Vietnam. The central task for the energy sector is to meet demands for electricity in sufficient quantity and of an acceptable quality, in as commercially and financially efficient a way as possible. Several issues arise if this task is to be accomplished in the short and medium term. They are: optimizing power investments; financing the investments that must be made; implementing the reforms in the power industry and restructuring EVN; improving access and service quality; and addressing shortcomings in pricing and tariffs. This study discusses the first of these issues, though inevitably there is some overlap. The study has four specific objectives: (1) to inform decisions about technology choices; (2) to inform decisions on energy and energy sector policy; (3) to inform the energy sector planning process; and (4) to inform the internal discussion within the Bank on how Vietnam's energy sector development can be assisted.
India : Social Security for the Unorganised Sector

(Washington, DC, 2009-12-18) World Bank

The objective of this Non Lending Technical Assistance (NLTA) is to assist the Government Of India (GOI) to formulate - and where relevant initiate implementation of - financially and administratively feasible policy responses to address the large gap in social security coverage that currently prevails in India. The ultimate objective of this policy would be to gradually expand financially sustainable income protection through social insurance for lower income households in the unorganized sector for major risks including health, disability, death and old age. The NLTA was initiated in response to a request from the Ministry of Labour, GOI and formally requested through a letter from DEA in late 2006. At the IMT review of the NLTA in 2007, the CMU requested periodic updates on progress and this note is the first of those.
Gender-Based Differences Among Entrepreneurs and Workers in Lebanon

(World Bank, 2009-12-07) World Bank

Lebanon has faced a continuous series of economic setbacks fueled by mounting political uncertainties and war over the decades. The current global financial crisis compounds the levels of uncertainty and anxiety facing households with regards to their future security. The need for earned income and employment is therefore higher than ever and an increasing number of women are entering the labor market as a means of generating additional income for themselves and their families. Women in Lebanon enjoy high social indicators both in education and health. The female to male ratios in secondary and tertiary enrollment are 110 and 116 percent respectively. However, women's participation in the economy whether in the labor market or private sector investment is relatively low, especially when compared to their female counterparts in other similar middle income countries. Female labor force participation in Lebanon is 37 percent compared to 84 percent for men and according to the Lebanese national survey of household living condition (2004), which includes information on 20,000 individuals across Lebanon, female employers account for only one percent of total economically active females compared to almost seven percent of males who are categorized as employers. There are some clear indications that women business owners contribute positively to private sector employment in addition to investment. However, there remain limited availability of in depth information about women entrepreneurs and the dimensions that male and female entrepreneurs play on private sector employment, particularly for women. Chapter one covers the characteristics of female and male entrepreneurs. Chapter two focuses on the workers and their characteristics in terms of age, experience, education, skills, and marital status. Chapter three quantifies the level of the gender gap and identifies its sources in view of the different demographic characteristics of the worker. Finally, chapter four lays down the conclusions, examines the related policy and regulatory environment, and provides recommendations.
Energy Efficiency Study in Lebanon

(Washington, DC, 2009-12) World Bank

The purpose of this report is to assess the status of past and current energy efficiency initiatives in Lebanon and, in conjunction with key stakeholders, prepare an Energy Efficiency Action Plan, implementation of this Action Plan in the near future. The identified EE programs have been developed based on available data and information gathered during our one-week field mission and the best practices in similar countries with comparable backgrounds. The savings and investments for each proposed program have been evaluated outlining the impacts of the expected emission reductions and of the expected primary energy savings. The major design phases of each program, their implementation, monitoring plans, and evaluation have been defined. Program financing sources have been recommended and enumerated for possible consideration during the development phase. The role of the various stakeholders has also been determined for each program with general recommendations and suggestions for the successful implementation of the programs. Actions plans are recommended, and it is recommended to begin with the short-term action plan, however the other proposed plans could be started, especially in the case where related actions have already been initiated, to ensure their continuity and the effective development of the proposed programs.
Concessionary Financing Programs for the Water and Sanitation Sector in China

(Washington, DC, 2009-12) World Bank

China's water and sanitation sector faces challenges from rapid urbanization and industrialization, urban diversification, large investment needs, water scarcity, water pollution, and ecological degradation. This policy note addresses 'concessionary finance.' It is intended to provide a briefing for Chinese government officials who formulate policies for the water and sanitation sector. This note is not intended to provide recommendations on which policies to adopt, but rather to facilitate understanding of the policy options, how to choose among them, and where and how various options have been used in practice. Good water and sanitation services are essential for economic growth, public health, and environmental protection. However, these services can be difficult to finance. When utilities do not have sufficient capital, they under-invest and this will adversely affect the quality of services the utilities provide. Many governments run targeted concessionary financing programs as a method of helping utilities raise the needed capital. International experience has shown that well designed concessionary financing programs can additionally be employed as incentives to successfully improve utility efficiency, sector governance, or both. This policy note draws on successful case studies from concessionary finance programs in other countries.
Mapping Bulgaria's Future : Inclusive Growth and Productive Jobs

(Washington, DC, 2009-12) World Bank

The newly elected government takes office at a time of stark economic challenges. The outfall of the global economic crisis threatens to undo many of the achievements of the recent past, derail convergence with the European Union (EU), and heighten social vulnerability. The election of a strong government offers a timely opportunity to restore and broaden the economic reform agenda which had been initiated before EU accession and but lost some momentum since 2007. Decisive action could shorten the length and reduce the depth of the crisis by restoring market confidence and improving economic prospects. Restoring the health of the economy and returning to the convergence path requires concerted policy actions to unwind economic imbalances and advance much needed structural reforms. The two-way policy response would aim to: 1) bring about fiscal consolidation and restructure public finances, strengthen financial stability, and mitigate the social impact of the crisis in the short-run; 2) and step up structural reform to address deep seated economic problems which both magnify the impact of the international crisis and hamper longer-term convergence prospects in the medium-run. The World Bank stands ready to support the structural transformation of Bulgaria. The Government is strongly committed to maintaining the currency board with the euro adoption as an exit strategy. Yet, a continued worsening in private and public sector balance sheets could trigger a loss of confidence in the currency board. As international investors take a closer look at the vulnerabilities of emerging economies, there is a large premium on strong domestic policies. While financial markets may have under-priced the risks relative to the fundamentals in Bulgaria and other countries in the region prior to the crisis, this under-pricing has now disappeared. The pendulum is now likely to swing into the opposite direction.