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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Strategic Environmental Assessment : Improving Water Resources Governance and Decision Making

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-04) Hirji, Rafik ; Davis, Richard

The overall goal of this report is to assist water resources and environment professionals within the Bank and client countries to use Strategic environmental assessment (SEAs) to effectively implement the principles of Integrated water resources management (IWRM). It (a) delineates environmental issues related IWRM; (b) identifies opportunities for SEAs to addressing these environmental issues; (c) uses the literature and ten Bank and non-Bank case studies to identify procedural and substantive factors and institutional drivers that lead to effective SEAs in the water sector at the policy, strategy, program, and plan levels; (d) reviews four national and state water policies to understand the inclusions of environment; (e) observes the introduction of SEAs in a developing country as an in-depth pilot study to identify practical issues arising from the introduction of SEAs for the water sector; and (f) recommends how the Bank can expand the use of SEAs to improve the integration of environmental issues in water resources investments.
Improving Women’s Access to Land and Financial Resources in Tajikistan

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009) Shahriari, Helen ; Danzer, Alexander M. ; Giovarelli, Renee ; Undeland, Asyl

Since independence in 1991, the Government of Tajikistan has embarked on a land reform program, which includes extensive farm restructuring. Given the demography of rural households in Tajikistan where the phenomenon of female-headed households is quite significant, women ‘s access to land and credit assumes special importance. To date, however, no thorough gender analysis of access to land and finance in Tajikistan has been conducted. As a result, there is insufficient gender disaggregated data to inform policy. It is not clear how effective the reforms are in addressing factors inhibiting women ‘s access to land and their ability to benefit from any changes. In addition, due to the lack of data, no comprehensive microeconomic study on access to finance has been done. Many Tajik women are sole heads of households and caretakers of their families as a direct consequence of war and migration. Migration in particular has a great impact on gender relations, gender division of labor, and gender roles with the possible empowerment or disempowerment of women left behind. Households headed by women in Tajikistan are 28.6 percent more likely to be poorer than those headed by men. Improving and securing access to land and ensuring the gender sensitivity of land reforms, therefore, has potential for improving the conditions of these vulnerable households. The reports propose several areas of action. While fostering women ‘s access to agricultural production can be considered a policy for improving basic welfare, access to finance is an important ingredient for increased productivity and farm growth (i.e., professionalization and potentially commercialization). Financial access opens up opportunities to diversify income generation beyond farming activities. Complementary initiatives for women ‘s empowerment support their access to productive assets and entrepreneurial standing in society, and may simultaneously lift women ‘s self-constraints in demand for finance.
Transport on a Human Scale

(World Bank, 2009-01-01) World Bank

An efficient and affordable access to jobs, education and services is considered a fundamental element for development. However, the mobility conditions in the cities have deteriorated because of the increasing motorization and urbanization. The number of new cars that enter the cities every year outpaces the construction of new roads, aggravating the existing congestion issues. Therefore, the urban models that revolve around highways and private vehicles are frequently questioned. These models ignore the individual and humane factors as the primary structure of the city. Nowadays, the public transport systems and the non-motorized modes are considered to be the pillars of mobility, connectivity and accessibility. The National Urban Transport Program (NUTP) in Colombia is focused in developing public transport systems as the central element of urban mobility. A mass transport that is fast, comfortable, clean and safe will increase urban productivity and improve the quality of life. Based on this hypothesis, and through the NUTP, the Central Government provides financial and technical support to cities of 600,000 or more inhabitants in order to implement brand new mass transport systems. The program is supported on a solid base formed by the Central Government, the Municipalities and the private sector. Transport on a human scale shows a different dimension of the impacts of a program such as the NUTP. This impact is illustrated from the perspective of testimonials. The book shows, on each of the 'stations', different elements that illustrate the creation of more humane and inclusive cities. Moreover, it portrays the experiences and thoughts of leaders, experts and users through a wide array of graphics and texts.
Public-Private Partnership Units: Lessons for their Design and Use in Infrastructure

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2007-10) World Bank and PPIAF

This report originated as part of a joint initiative between the Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) and the East Asia and Pacific Sustainable Development Department of the World Bank. This paper defines a public-private partnership (PPP) as an agreement between a government and a private firm under which the private firm delivers an asset, a service, or both, in return for payments contingent to some extent on the long-term quality or other characteristics of outputs delivered. It uses a broad definition of PPP because of the different goals of each country's PPP strategy. This paper seeks to answer the question of whether specialist public-private partnership (PPP) units have contributed to successful PPPs.
Ethiopia : Legal and Judicial Sector Assessment

(Washington, DC, 2004) World Bank

The judicial and legal sector of Ethiopia presents a variety of significant challenges. The legal system as it exists today combines elements of both civil and common law1 with traditional practices, resulting in multiple layers intermingling and superimposing distinct types of modern, traditional, and religious laws and processes. This report provides an overview of Ethiopia's current legal system focusing on four key issues: judiciary, access to justice, commercial justice, and sequencing of reform efforts. Other issues are commented upon briefly to provide context and elucidate interconnections between issues. The report focuses mainly on the formal legal system as established by the 1995 Constitution.
Slovak Republic : Legal and Judicial Sector Assessment

(Washington, DC, 2003-06) World Bank

The purpose of this legal and judicial sector assessment is to evaluate Slovak Republic's legal and judicial systems and institutions, and identify their strengths and weaknesses. The assessment serves as a flexible tool for application across countries and legal systems, applying a broad based, demand driven and bottom-up methodology. This report is divided into two parts. The first part, which concentrates on the Slovak Judicial Sector, identifies areas where court performance could be improved through better management. It begins with a description of the courts then turns to an analysis of the overall management of the court system and the courts' performance. The second part of the report concentrates on the Legal Services provided by attorneys and commercial lawyers. It analyzes the appropriateness of the framework in which legal services are supplied, including the self-regulation of the legal profession, to ensure adequate access to legal services for all users. The government's role in regulating the legal services markets to ensure that all citizens, including underprivileged groups, are afforded adequate access to legal services, is discussed. The report relies on a combination of data sources, including surveys, interviews, expert assessments, and statistics, all of which provide a basis for cross-reference. A major source of information was the findings of a World Bank-U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) survey that analyzed the level of corruption in Slovakia. Court statistics were used with care, owing to potential problems with their collection and organization. European Union (EU) standards and practices were used as benchmarks in analyzing the legal services market.
Republic of Tunisia : Information and Communications Technology Contribution to Growth and Employment Generation, Volume 2. Technical Report

(Washington, DC, 2002-03) World Bank

This policy note is the first of two volumes, drafted in conjunction with a more detailed technical report. It was prepared in response to a request by the Government of Tunisia for Bank assistance to formulate an ICT development strategy, in accordance with the targets set in the Government of Tunisia's 10th development plan. The policy note highlights current constraints to ICT sector development and proposes measures to eliminate them. It should be read in conjunction with the broader strategy report (volume two: technical report), which contains complementary data and technical information. The Government objectives were conveyed to the World Bank team in May 2001. The strategy is aimed at bolstering the country's emerging ICT sector and maximizing its ability to compete in local, regional, and global markets. In this context, the major objectives of the ICT strategy are to: (a) maximize the ICT contribution to growth and employment generation; (b) position Tunisia in the global ICT market; and (c) integrate ICT into the Tunisian economy. Indirect issues of the ICT impact on productivity and competitiveness are marginally treated in this note. The report compares the state of ICT development in Tunisia that of other economies, taking into account Tunisia's relative strengths and weaknesses in developing a competitive and robust ICT industry. The report outlines the pillars of a strategy and specifies measures to be implemented by the Government, the private sector, and other stakeholders.
Republic of Tunisia : Information and Communications Technology Contribution to Growth and Employment Generation, Volume 1. Policy Note

(Washington, DC, 2002-03) World Bank

This policy note is the first of two volumes, drafted in conjunction with a more detailed technical report. It was prepared in response to a request by the Government of Tunisia for Bank assistance to formulate an ICT development strategy, in accordance with the targets set in the Government of Tunisia's 10th development plan. The policy note highlights current constraints to ICT sector development and proposes measures to eliminate them. It should be read in conjunction with the broader strategy report (volume two: technical report), which contains complementary data and technical information. The Government objectives were conveyed to the World Bank team in May 2001. The strategy is aimed at bolstering the country's emerging ICT sector and maximizing its ability to compete in local, regional, and global markets. In this context, the major objectives of the ICT strategy are to: (a) maximize the ICT contribution to growth and employment generation; (b) position Tunisia in the global ICT market; and (c) integrate ICT into the Tunisian economy. Indirect issues of the ICT impact on productivity and competitiveness are marginally treated in this note. The report compares the state of ICT development in Tunisia that of other economies, taking into account Tunisia's relative strengths and weaknesses in developing a competitive and robust ICT industry. The report outlines the pillars of a strategy and specifies measures to be implemented by the Government, the private sector, and other stakeholders.
City Development Strategy : Colombo

(Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2000-11) Municipal Council of Colombo

The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), in collaboration with the World Bank, UNDP, UNCHS (HABITAT) and the Western Provincial Council (WPC) in Sri Lanka, launched a project in February 2000 to formulate a comprehensive strategy framework and a perspective plan of action for development of the city. The purpose was to identify key areas and issues that need systemic and planned attention of the Council and other major stakeholders and to develop appropriate strategies to address them. A Senior Consultant was assigned to the CMC by the sponsors to help formulate the strategy through a consultative process. In formulating the strategy framework, the CMC consulted a wide variety of stakeholder groups through a series of formal and informal consultations. They included civil society partners such as NGOs and CBOs, representatives of the poor; senior municipal officials; and leading private sector representatives, i.e., major investors, realtors, developers and Chambers of Commerce & Industry. Their views, ideas and suggestions were reviewed and those compatible with the development vision and thrust identified by the CMC task forces and stakeholder consultations are incorporated in this strategy framework. All stakeholders, particularly the private sector, considered the opportunity as an unprecedented move by the CMC and WPC. They welcomed the offer to join in this unique partnership-building exercise in city management and have assured the city administration of their wholehearted cooperation.
City Development Strategy South Asia Region : Progress Report

(Washington, DC, 2000-07) World Bank

This report highlights the discussion, processes, lessons learned in examining innovative options for participation by all stakeholders in seeking new social and economic contracts between civil society and urban governments. The improvement in relationships is geared towards providing better services for urban poor and directly contributing to urban poverty alleviation. The report attempts to capture the new wave of enthusiasm and entrepreneurial inclination to city management that is more transparent and responsive to citizens as 'customers'.