Publication: Investment Promotion Essentials : What Sets the World’s Best Investment Facilitators Apart From the Rest
Loading...
Published
2009-09
ISSN
Date
2012-08-13
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
More than 70 percent of investment promotion intermediaries may be missing out on foreign investment by failing to provide investors with accurate and timely information, according to the global investment promotion benchmarking 2009 report. This function, known as 'investment facilitation,' is one of the simplest and most cost effective, yet it is neglected at many agencies. A new survey by the investment climate advisory services of the World Bank Group has identified 14 common practices of the top-performing agencies in the benchmarking study. Weaker performers can inexpensively implement many of these practices to win a larger share of the trillion-dollar market for foreign investment.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Ortega, Celia; Griffin, Carlos. 2009. Investment Promotion Essentials : What Sets the World’s Best Investment Facilitators Apart From the Rest. Investment Climate in Practice; No. 6. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10526 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Global Investment Promotion Benchmarking Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-05)Many countries are convinced that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) should be an important component of their growth strategy. To encourage FDI, they have improved their business climates, developed various guarantees for investors, and offered incentives. In the real world, Investment Promotion Intermediaries (IPIs) face tight budget and human resource constraints. Allocating scarce resources among the various possible activities is a major component of developing an effective promotion strategy. Research, including that covered in this report, suggests that many IPIs are failing to devote enough attention to the most basic-and least costly-promotion function, one that, if it fails, undermines all other promotion activities. Provision of services to potential investors-and particularly the provision of information-is basic to all promotion. Image-building efforts can be hugely expensive. Similarly, targeted missions and personal selling are costly in terms of both time and effort. FDI offers the prospects of growth and jobs to host countries, but attracting it requires a good deal of effort. Effective investment promotion is not only less costly than adding on more incentives for investors; reform and incentives are unlikely to accomplish their goals without promotion. Promotion efforts will, however, fail to attract desired investment if IPIs are not skilled at the most basic function: collecting and providing to potential investors relevant and timely information. Ensuring that this function works well should be the top priority in the promotion strategy and in the development of management systems.Publication Regional Collaboration on IT-Enabled Services(Colombo: World Bank, 2009)The new millennium catalyzed a shift in the focus of South Asian economies to the service sector. The South Asian countries share many common characteristics - a young population, familiarity with the English language, and an emphasis on quantitative skills at the school level. This report on "Regional Collaboration on Information Technology (IT) Enabled Services-Smart Strategies for Jobs and Growth in South Asia" was initiated by the South Asia regional programs and South Asia poverty reduction, economic policy, finance and private sector development unit. It responds to a need expressed by our client countries for World Bank support to build their capability in the IT enabled services sector. The current study was commissioned with a view to facilitate their efforts through regional collaboration. This study suggests collaborative initiatives that could drive the growth of the industry through a two pronged approach: increase business through joint promotional activities, sub-contracting of work, building common standards and world class business practices; and develop supply side resources such as skills, support infrastructure and enabling policies. This study makes practical recommendations for collaborative growth between the countries in South Asia, who aspire to become the region of choice for global outsourcing.Publication Global Investment Promotion Best Practices 2012 : Seizing the Potential for Better Investment Facilitation in the MENA Region(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2013-02)The drop in foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region over the past three to four years stems in part from the aftermath of the recent global economic crisis, and in part from the uncertainties created by the political and social changes in the region that have characterized the so-called Arab Spring. However, the medium-term outlook may be more positive as greater governmental transparency and less cumbersome business environments are expected to foster FDI, stimulate entrepreneurship, and create jobs. The Global Investment Promotion Best Practices (GIPB) 2012 report presents well-timed and useful insights into the capacities of IPIs to perform their investment facilitation function. Thus a careful analysis of GIPB findings can be important in helping MENA Investment Promotion Intermediary's (IPIs) introduce targeted improvements that will enable them to increase FDI flows into the region. The GIPB 2012 assessment also detected a number of procedural hitches, such as difficulty in contacting an IPI or a relevant project manager in spite of repeated attempts, failure to provide acknowledgment of inquiry receipt, and problems locating investor e-mails. Following the recent upheavals experienced in the region, MENA IPIs should take full advantage of the outstanding opportunities offered by online and offline communication tools to mitigate investors' risk perceptions and influence their decisions through the provision of accurate and up-to-date information on the investment location. For the purpose of this report, the analysis of GIPB data has been complemented with qualitative and quantitative information collected through a survey of MENA IPI institutional and operational characteristics, including a number of in-depth telephone interviews with selected IPIs across the region.Publication Information and Communication Technologies at the Service of the Rural Poor of Latin America and the Caribbean(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005-11)This study reviews recent experience applying ICTs in the fight against rural poverty and identifies ways in which donor interventions can make effective use of ICTs to improve the living conditions of rural communities in Latin America and the Caribbean and help reduce poverty.Publication Republic of Tunisia : Information and Communications Technology Contribution to Growth and Employment Generation, Volume 2. Technical Report(Washington, DC, 2002-03)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.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication The Journey Ahead(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-31)The Journey Ahead: Supporting Successful Migration in Europe and Central Asia provides an in-depth analysis of international migration in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and the implications for policy making. By identifying challenges and opportunities associated with migration in the region, it aims to inform a more nuanced, evidencebased debate on the costs and benefits of cross-border mobility. Using data-driven insights and new analysis, the report shows that migration has been an engine of prosperity and has helped address some of ECA’s demographic and socioeconomic disparities. Yet, migration’s full economic potential remains untapped. The report identifies multiple barriers keeping migration from achieving its full potential. Crucially, it argues that policies in both origin and destination countries can help maximize the development impacts of migration and effectively manage the economic, social, and political costs. Drawing from a wide range of literature, country experiences, and novel analysis, The Journey Ahead presents actionable policy options to enhance the benefits of migration for destination and origin countries and migrants themselves. Some measures can be taken unilaterally by countries, whereas others require close bilateral or regional coordination. The recommendations are tailored to different types of migration— forced displacement as well as high-skilled and low-skilled economic migration—and from the perspectives of both sending and receiving countries. This report serves as a comprehensive resource for governments, development partners, and other stakeholders throughout Europe and Central Asia, where the richness and diversity of migration experiences provide valuable insights for policy makers in other regions of the world.Publication Lebanon Economic Monitor, Fall 2022(Washington, DC, 2022-11)The economy continues to contract, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. Public finances improved in 2021, but only because spending collapsed faster than revenue generation. Testament to the continued atrophy of Lebanon’s economy, the Lebanese Pound continues to depreciate sharply. The sharp deterioration in the currency continues to drive surging inflation, in triple digits since July 2020, impacting the poor and vulnerable the most. An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and much needed reforms; this includes prior actions as part of the April 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff-level agreement (SLA). Divergent views among key stakeholders on how to distribute the financial losses remains the main bottleneck for reaching an agreement on a comprehensive reform agenda. Lebanon needs to urgently adopt a domestic, equitable, and comprehensive solution that is predicated on: (i) addressing upfront the balance sheet impairments, (ii) restoring liquidity, and (iii) adhering to sound global practices of bail-in solutions based on a hierarchy of creditors (starting with banks’ shareholders) that protects small depositors.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.