Sunday, November 25, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
AGEG WIRAM NEWS NETWORK
This Newsletter is a summary and analysis of trends in economic development in
international co-operation policy. This is a public version of the file sent to
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Economic Development Department. Please circulate this newsletter to other interested
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Best regards from Sao Paulo, Karsten Weitzenegger, Editor
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CONTENT
1. World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development
2. OECD: Migration can help fight global poverty
3. Worldwide Remittance Flows to Developing Countries
4. EC to reinforce development of micro-credit in Europe
5. Microfinance Profits: Yunus challenges Compartamos bank
6. World Bank calls for broader access to finance
7. The EC allocates € 97.4 million for Mediterranean area
8. Draft Practice Guidance for Development Agencies
9. Training and Events
10. Publications
11. Websites of the Month
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1. World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development
The WDR 2008 calls for placing the sector at the center of the development agenda if
the goals of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 are to be realized. The last
time a WDR on agriculture was published was in 1982, making this a landmark report
that comes when many are calling for an African agricultural revolution. While 75
percent of the world’s poor live in rural areas in developing countries, only 4
percent of official development assistance goes to agriculture. In Sub-Saharan Africa,
a region heavily reliant on agriculture for overall growth, public spending for
farming is also only 4 percent of total government spending and the sector is still
taxed at relatively high levels. The report finds that for the, poorest people, GDP
growth originating in agriculture is about four times more effective in raising
incomes of extremely poor people than GDP growth originating outside the sector. The
,authors argue that a dynamic ‘agriculture-for-development’ agenda can benefit the
estimated 900 million rural people in the developing world who live on less than $1 a
day, most of whom rely on agriculture for a living. http://go.worldbank.org/ZJIAOSUFU0
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2. Migration can help fight global poverty, according to new OECD report
Better and more coherent migration policies can contribute to the fight against global
poverty. This is the main conclusion of ''Migration and Developing Countries'', a new
report by the OECD Development Centre that was presented at the German Ministry for
Economic Co-operation and Development.
People, goods and capital move across international borders: this is what
globalisation really means. The effects of trade and capital flows have been measured
and quantified by the OECD and others and are widely known. Flows of people and their
impact on development, however, are much less understood. By focussing on the costs
and benefits of the movement of people Migration and Developing Countries shows how
all parties can benefit from migration: migrants’ countries of destination, their home
countries, and migrants themselves. Emigration, say the book’s authors, can reduce
unemployment for low-skilled workers in migrant-sending countries, while remittances
fuel consumption and investment, helping to reduce poverty.
While migration can contribute to development, development does not immediately halt
international migration. International development assistance – aid – is not
necessarily; therefore, a means of influencing migration flows. For this reason,
Migration and Developing Countries calls for mutually reinforcing aid and migration
policies. In this way, say the authors, developing countries can derive greater
economic benefits from the mobility of their citizens. One example could be to link
policies facilitating the recruitment of skilled workers to aid policies underpinning
training and capacity building in the sending country. To unlock the development
potential of international migration, policy makers in rich and poor countries must
recognise that neither migration policies nor aid policies alone are enough in
isolation to stimulate and maintain the momentum of development. OECD countries need
to consider the development impact of their migration policies, while migrant-sending
countries must rethink their development policies in the light of labour mobility.
Moreover, migrants’ associations, enterprises and banks dealing with migrants and
their families all play a role in increasing the development pay off of international
migration.
http://www.oecd.org/document/46/0,3343,en_2649_33731_39207662_1_1_1_1,00.html
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3. Sending Money Home: Worldwide Remittance Flows to Developing Countries
Remittances, the portion of migrant workers' earnings sent back ome to their families,
have been a critical means of financial support for generations. But, for the most
part, these flows have historically been ''hidden in plain view'', often uncounted and
even ignored. All that is now changing - as the scale of migration increases, the
corresponding growth in remittances is gaining widespread attention. Today, the impact
of remittances is recognized in all developing regions of the world, constituting an
important flow of foreign currency to most countries and directly reaching millions of
households, totalling approximately 10 per cent of the world's population. The
importance of remittances to poverty alleviation is obvious, but the potential
multiplier effect on economic growth and investment is also significant. The driving
force behind this phenomenon is an estimated 150 million migrants worldwide who sent
more than US$300 billion to their families in developing countries during 2006,
typically US$100, US$200 or US$300 at a time, through more than 1.5 billion separate
financial transactions. These funds are used primarily to meet immediate family needs
(consumption) but a significant portion is also available for savings, credit
mobilization and other forms of investment. In other words, the world's largest
poverty alleviation programme could also become an effective grass roots economic
development programme, particularly in the rural areas that present some of the
greatest challenges to financial inclusion. http://www.ifad.org/events/remittances/maps
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4. EC proposes new options to reinforce development of micro-credit in Europe
Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner presented an initiative which seeks to
improve access to finance for small businesses and for socially excluded people, also
ethnic minorities, who want to become self-employed. This initiative, in line with the
Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs, aims to make small loans, or micro-credit, more
widely available in Europe to satisfy unmet demand. Micro-credit has been used very
successfully in less developed countries, and there has already been some action in
this field in the EU, both at Community and at national level. In the EU, demand for
this type of finance – typically, loans averaging around €7,700 – is overwhelmingly
from people setting up small companies in the service sector. Be it services to
businesses, individuals or households, they range from personal computer wizards to
window cleaners, gardeners, or carers for people or pets – micro-credit can help make
a business of an individual's skills and abilities.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1713&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
_____________________________________________________________________
5. Microfinance Profits: Muhammad Yunus challenges Compartamos bank
Is it ok to make a big profit from lending to the poor? Where does microcredit end and
loan sharking begin? Carlos Danel and Carlos Labarthe, the CEOs of Compartamos, a
nonprofit-cum-commercial bank which charges an annual interest rate of nearly 100
percent, believe that only the lure of profits will motivate people to lend to the
poor. Today Compartamos reaches 700,000 borrowers and 88 percent of its clients come
back for more loans. In 2006, it was rated as Mexico's most profitable bank. Muhammad
Yunus, the Nobel laureate who pioneered the movement three decades ago and has made
loans to some 7 million borrowers in Bangladesh, disagrees. Poor people's willingness
to pay high interest is not a justification for charging it, he says. Compartamos is
not microcredit, it's ''raking in money off poor people desperate for cash.''
http://psdblog.worldbank.org/psdblog/2007/10/muhammad-yunus-.html
_____________________________________________________________________
6. World Bank calls for broader access to finance
Between 50 and 80 percent of adults in many developing countries have inadequate
access to financial services, finds a new World Bank policy research report entitled
''Finance for All? Policies and Pitfalls in Expanding Access”. According to the
report, failure to provide more households and small and medium enterprises with the
financial services they need acts as a brake on development. While noting the
microfinance industry’s progress in delivering credit to poor people, the report calls
for a broader financial strategy that delivers services to all excluded people and
firms. Inclusive financial systems ultimately benefit the poorest people and the
smallest firms the most, by creating more jobs, raising incomes, and generating more
opportunities for small businesses. The report says that governments should strengthen
institutions and adopt new technologies to bring down transaction costs. Research
suggests that governments should also encourage competition—including foreign bank
entry—and provide the right regulatory incentives. In contrast, direct interventions
by governments, such as through credit subsidies or government-owned financial
institutions, can be counter-productive, reducing incentives for the private sector to
deliver services to the poor.
http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTPRRS/EXTFINFORALL/0,,menuPK:4099731~pagePK:64168092~piPK:64168088~theSitePK:4099598,00.html
_____________________________________________________________________
7. The EC allocates € 97.4 million for its neighbours from the Mediterranean area
€ 97.4 million have been allocated to the Mediterranean region under the 2007 ENPI
Regional Action Programme for the South adopted by the European Commission (EC) on 24
October. Eight regional projects and programmes will be financed in a wide range of
domains such as peace, disaster prevention, investment promotion, support to the
private sector, intercultural dialogue, gender equality and information and
communication. This Regional Action Programme for the Southern partners is a key
document which describes the regional programmes and projects financed by the EU under
the 2007 budget. It covers the Southern countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy
namely Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories,
Syria and Tunisia.
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/regional-cooperation/enpi-south/index_en.htm
_____________________________________________________________________
8. Comment now on the Draft Practice Guidance for Development Agencies
Comments are invited on the current draft, by 21st December. After that date, the
document will be finalised, and published in February 2008. While it may be further
revised in due course, the current opportunity to provide feedback is clearly
important. As indicated on the cover of the document, you can provide feedback to
Simon White at simon@blueprintgoup.co.za and Andrei Mikhnev at amikhnev@worldbank.org.
Alternatively, or in addition, you can post comments on the dedicated blog at
http://DonorGuidance.blogspot.com.
http://www.enterprise-development.org/resources/download.asp?id=468
_____________________________________________________________________
9. Training and Events
Accra Conference: Business environment reform: Syntheses, Conferences papers
http://www.businessenvironment.org/dyn/be/besearch.details?p_phase_id=142&p_lang=en&p_phase_type_id=6
Most of the Papers and Presentations from the Conference have now been posted to the
Business Environment Working Group of the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development.
Of particular importance is the draft BE Donor Guidance, under b); your comments are
invited at the dedicated blog at http://donorguidance.blogspot.com. In due course, the
remaining Papers and presentations from the Conference (including more documents in
French) will also be posted.
ICEG's Annual Conference on Factor Flows in the World Economy
http://www.icegec.hu/annual2007
Budapest, 29-30 November 2007
The purpose of the conference is to discuss the key factors shaping capital flows and
labour migration. The conference makes a comparative assessment of the current
developments in factor movements – relocation, outsourcing, offshoring services,
migration, labour mobility, etc. - in Europe in comparison with other regions,
especially Latin America and Asia. The language of the conference is English.
Community-Managed Microfinance: Sustainable Financial Services Beyond the Frontier
http://www.mdi-sa.org
Zanzibar, Tanzania, 3 Dec 2007
The community-managed microfinance course deals with providing sustainable financial
services for the very poor. Although MFIs are well-established, they have mostly
failed to penetrate remote rural areas because the costs are too high and the demand
for credit too small. Meanwhile, over the last 15 years, massive, sustainable
programmes have emerged that reach this target group at very low cost, based on
autonomous, small-scale savings and loan associations. Course Fee: US $1,500.
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on China’s Involvement in Africa
http://www.izo.uni-frankfurt.de/Aktuell.html
Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 14-15 Dec. 2007, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University
China’s growing involvement on the African continent evokes both contentment and
apprehension. While the benefits for the Chinese side seem to be obvious, the impact
of China’s African engagement on the continent’s development prospects is less clear.
The upcoming conference is aimed at fostering the interdisciplinary dialogue with
regard to current developments and possible ways of approaching these analytically.
Special attention will be given to speakers from Africa and China.
MDF & HPC jointly offer the course Value Chain Concepts for the sixth time
http://www.mdf.nl
The Netherlands, 21-25 January 2008, Five Day Course
The training approach will be experience-based with emphasis on practical examples.
MDF/HPC staff and external resource persons will facilitate, deliver lectures,
exercises and discussions, complemented by exploring real-life cases chosen from cases
proposed by the participants. The course fee includes a DVD with a large number of
policy and research papers with respect to sectoral approaches. Given the innovative
stage Value Chain Development is in, much attention will be given to presenting and
discussing recent trends, cases and developments in the field of Value Chain
Development. The course fee is 1800 EURO excluding lodging, which can be arranged at
discounted and reasonable rates. You are kindly invited to register as soon as
possible at Registration@mdf.nl to enable logistical preparations. Info:
hans@hposthumus.nl.
SDC Conference and Workshop on Working with the Private Sector
http://www.sdc.admin.ch/en/Home/Themes/Employment_and_the_economy/Employment_Income/E_I_Conference_and_Workshop_2008
Switzerland, 9-11 January 2008
Public Private Partnerships for Development. The deadline for registrations is 30th
November 2007.
12th EADI General Conference
http://eadi.org/gc2008
Geneva, 24-28 June 2008,
The conference deals with the overarching theme: ''Global Governance for Sustainable
Development: The Need for Policy Coherence and New Partnerships'' and will be hosted
by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Geneva.
The deadline for abstract submission is 28 November 2007.
Studying-Development.org is a voluntary initiative.
http://www.studying-development.org
Find study and training courses in International Development and Humanitarian Aid. The
site aims to help orientate those wishing to enter, or already active in Development
and Humanitarian Aid. This course directory is international in scope and covers
professional training, as well as university degree courses in the UK.
Studying-Development.org is an initiative set up by a small group of former LSE
development students.
Clear, concise writing for development professionals
http://www.eldis.org/go/display&type=Document&id=33799
Writing clearly is important to ensure that your reader understands and is convinced
by your ideas. This practical guide is laid out as a learning module. It provides
tools for measuring readability, exercises on how to identify writing that will
confuse and slow readers down and techniques for tackling the elements of writing
which cause this.
USAID Value Chain Training
www.microLINKS.org/vctraining
The value chain training curriculum is designed to train USAID and project
practitioners in the value chain approach and its applications. Following this
training, participants are able to use the value chain approach as a tool for
understanding trends in globalized markets and conditions under which micro- and small
enterprises can contribute to and benefit from the increased systemic competitiveness
that globalization requires.
_____________________________________________________________________
10. Publications
Donor Interventions in Value Chain Development, SDC VCRD CoP 2007
http://www.bdsknowledge.org/dyn/bds/docs/detail/622/6
These guidelines highlight the most important issues that development agencies need to
consider when they engage in value chain development in rural areas. The paper offers
guiding principles for development practitioners and policy makers, and points to
further useful material. This paper is based on the insights gained during the online
debate on the forum ''Value Chains in Rural Development” operated by SDC starting in
December 2004, with its various and sometimes contradicting examples, cases,
perceptions and discussions. Over 120 persons, from around 35 countries joined and
discussed practically relevant topics during 9 debate cycles. In this paper the main
highlights of the work so far are pulled together and presented for
discussion.Individual syntheses from each of the 9 debate cycles are available. The
most recent addition is the Info Flash from November 2007.
News weekly service: EPA negotiations: Where do we stand?
www.acp-eu-trade.org/epa
At a time when the pace of the EPA negotiations has increased in all regions, and the
state of play is ever changing, accessing the latest information available on these
wide-ranging agreements is of essence. Pursuing its efforts to increase the
transparency of the highly sensitive EPA negotiations, ECDPM has decided to set up
dedicated pages for each ACP region negotiating an EPA with the EU at
www.acp-eu-trade.org/epa . (The same content is also accessible at www.ecdpm.org/epa
.) French versions of the updates are available for Central Africa, West Africa and ESA .
Addressing the Meta-Level: New Approaches to Private Sector Development
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/SV_PWF_Meta-Level_Tools_0407.pdf
This GTZ/BMZ Discussion Paper aims to deliver concrete concepts and models for
development practitioners to address the meta-level within private sector development
initiatives. The ultimate objective is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
development work.
Entrepreneurship: New Data on Business Creation and How to Promote It
http://rru.worldbank.org/documents/publicpolicyjournal/316Klapper_Delgado.pdf
The World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Survey continues to extend our knowledge of the
importance of entrepreneurship for a dynamic economy. In its second year, with more
countries participating, the survey again shows a strong relationship between
entrepreneurship, the business environment, and governance. New data shed light on how
the distribution of businesses among sectors varies by level of development. And
analysis of new data on business registration suggests that automation can greatly
reduce the barriers to starting a business. This finding makes a strong case for
pursuing e-government initiatives to spur entrepreneurship.
Guidelines to Evaluate Social Performance
http://publications.accion.org/insight/IS24EN.pdf
This ACCION InSight describes a framework that microfinance institutions can use to
assess and report on their social performance. ACCION has applied this framework to
analyze how six leading microfinance institutions adhere to these social performance
criteria. The results of this application inform this InSight.
Developing Economies Locally Through Action and Alliance (DELTA)
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTLED/Resources/339650-1122490529659/DELTA_Evaluation.pdf
The World Bank's DELTA program (Developing Enterprises Locally through Alliance and
Action) focuses on building institutions within municipal governments and exploiting
private sector resources that can foster and support policy reform for private sector
development. The World Bank Group Small and Medium Enterprise Department, together
with Open Society Institute Local Government and Public Sector Reform Initiative
(OSI/LGI), has piloted this program with the goal of addressing institutional and
policy reforms at the local level. The program was developed in great part using the
best practices of the OECD from countries in which OECD had engaged in Strategic
Planning for Local Economic Development. It was also based partially on several World
Bank LED projects across Eastern Europe.
Tools for Economic Recovery in Post-Conflict Situations: A Brief Literature Review
http://www.bdsknowledge.org/dyn/bds/docs/632/USAID%20Tools%20Economic%20Recovery%2007.pdf
This USAID microNote is intended for practitioners, donors, governments,and business
representatives working on economic recovery in conflict-affected countries. It serves
as a reference for guidance and best practices on pro-gramming for conflict-affected
countries. First it outlines the definitions and methodology used in the literature
review then provides a brief summary of each tool and an index of the tools reviewed.
The 25 tools reviewed come from a wide variety of sources including the ILO,
International Alert, USAID, DFID, World Bank, CARE, IDRC, OECD and ARC.
Promoting Pro-Poor growth: A Practical Guide to ex-ante Poverty Impact Assessment
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/46/39/38978856.pdf
Enabling poor women and men to participate in, contribute to and benefit from growth
is critical to creating a path out of poverty and meeting the Millennium Development
Goals. Yet without ex ante assessment of likely impacts, policies and programmes often
fail to achieve the desired pro-poor impacts. To help donors and partner countries
identify the consequences of their interventions, the DAC Network on Poverty Reduction
(POVNET) has developed a modular, ex ante Poverty Impact Assessment (PIA) approach.
This practical guide will help staff in development agencies and their partners to
plan and execute PIA, and to interpret the findings it produces. OECD DAC Guidelines
and Reference Series.
Innovation clusters: A statistical analysis and overview of current policy support
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/document.cfm?action=display&doc_id=559
Clusters can be powerful engines of regional economic development and drivers of
innovation. They enable companies to integrate in clusters where they can collaborate
with and learn from research institutions, suppliers, customers and competitors. The
Cluster Report published by Directorate General Enterprise and Industry offers an
overview of the main statistical findings obtained so far by the European Cluster
Observatory. The Report also describes the main Community instruments in support of
cluster development giving particular emphasis on the aspects of trans-national
cooperation.
ETF Yearbook 2007: Quality in Vocational Education and Training and Modern Learning
Processes
http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/EmbedPub_EN?OpenDocument&emb=/pubmgmt.nsf/(WebPublications%20by%20yearR)/99A3FE3CFCB5F455C125736200526A24?OpenDocument
The ETF Yearbook 2007 identifies qualification as the pivot connecting national
qualification frameworks, schools, headmasters, teachers and trainers, and learning
processes. Different components of quality development are analysed in six chapters
that assess how they contribute to increased quality learning.
Practitioner’s guide: business consultancy fund
http://www.eldis.org/go/display&type=Document&id=34049
This manual outlines a process for the establishment of a Business Consultancy Fund
(BCF) in order to improve access to the resources and services offered by business
development centres (BDCs). The manual also provides a number of templates that could
be used in the establishment of a BCF.
Policy Coherence for Development - Migration and Developing Countries
http://www.oecd.org/document/46/0,3343,en_2649_33935_39207662_1_1_1_1,00.html
What are the costs and benefits of migration for developing countries? How can
migration flows be better organised to yield greater benefits for all parties
concerned—migrant-sending countries, migrant-receiving countries, and the migrants
themselves? This OECD book seeks to answer these questions, taking stock of what we
know about the effects of migration on development, and distilling from that knowledge
a set of policy recommendations for sending and receiving countries. It draws on a
large number of country and regional case studies co-ordinated by the OECD Development
Centre to illustrate the mechanisms that link migration and development: labour-market
effects, the brain drain, remittances, diaspora networks and return migration.
Migrant-receiving countries are encouraged to look at their migration policies through
a development lens; migrant-sending countries, conversely, should look at their
national development policies through a migration lens. Interlinking migration and
development policies promises a more effective pursuit of the objectives of both sets
of policies. This volume provides the basis for a productive debate surrounding policy
innovations maximising the overall benefits of international migration.
Rural Credit and Microenterprise Development
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/microfinance/rc/filedownload.do?itemId=1119420
This is a descriptive report by Bandeth Rosdrawn from various literature to indicate
the roles of microcredit and microfinance in rural development. This is an assignment
to fulfill one of my paper (International Rural Development Paper)
Monitoring Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)
www.ecdpm.org/dp79
By Sanoussi Bilal, Franziska Jerosch, Niels Keijzer, Christiane Loquai and Francesco
Rampa, ECDPM Discussion Paper 79, October, Maastricht: European Centre for Development
Policy Management
Linking social protection and the productive sectors
http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/briefing/bp_oct07_social_protection.pdf
This ODI Briefing Paper, based on a collaboration between the ODI and the UK
Department for International Development’s Renewable Natural Resources and Agriculture
Team, sets out current practice and future prospects in respect of how social
protection and agriculture (broadly defined to include crops and livestock) relate to
each other.
Rural employment and migration: In search of decent work
http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/briefing/bp_rural_employment_oct07.pdf
This ODI Briefing Paper by Steve Wiggins and Priya Deshingkar looks at new thinking on
rural employment which is needed to create more and better rural jobs. Growth in
agriculture is essential, and growth in the rural non-farm economy is especially
important. Job prospects improve as education, skills, health and early nutrition
levels rise. Rural-urban migration (whether temporary or permanent) opens new
opportunities and also helps tighten rural labour markets. With rising productivity
and wages, it becomes easier to push for better labour standards, to reduce child
labour and correct gender inequalities.
Determinants of Corruption in Developing Countries
http://www.hwwi.de/uploads/tx_wilpubdb/HWWI_Research_Paper_2-11.pdf
This HWWI study concludes that government should focus the economic factors to curb
the level of corruption.
Financing small businesses: recommendations for action
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/financing/docs/profile_sheet_2007.pdf
What are the best ways of improving the flow of finance to small firms? The European
Commission, the Member States and finance professionals have recently looked at ways
that promise to improve the situation of many SMEs. This summary presents the key
conclusions of five reports that have reviewed both loan and equity finance and
complements the conclusions on seed investment.
Public-Private Dialogue in Developing Countries - Opportunities and Risks
http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?sf1=identifiers&lang=EN&st1=9789264028845
Putting aside the euphoria of supporters of public-private dialogue and the doom
prophecies of its detractors, this analysis identifies the advantages that it can
bring, while cautioning against the very real dangers it can present to fragile states
and relatively recent democracies. The type of state involved, the level of
organisation within the national private sector and the kind of support offered by
donors all have an influence on the potential and real success of PPD.
Impact Analysis on the Application of the Nucleus Approach in Sri Lanka
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/ESSP_SL_Nucleus_Impact_Analysis_2007.pdf
This GTZ document by Rainer Mueller-Glodde and Simone Lehmann presents the results of
the application of the Nucleus Approach 5 years after its introduction. The Nucleus
Approach interlinks capacity building in business associations and chambers with the
promotion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and lobbying aiming at improving the
business environment. It was first developed in Brazil and is currently applied in Sri
Lanka, Uruguay and Algeria. The Nucleus impact analysis is based on interviews of 852
entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka. The impact caused by the introduction of the Nucleus
Approach in business chambers clearly led to significant changes in the Nucleus
enterprises and the chambers. Broad effects have been reached: At the end of 2006, the
participating chambers had organized about 180 Nuclei with 2,700 entrepreneurs. The
introduction of the approach in Sri Lanka started 2002.
Integrated Financial Supervision: An Institutional Perspective for the Philippines
http://www.adbi.org/discussion-paper/2007/10/25/2381.integrated.financial.supervision/
This ADB paper looks at the issue of reforming financial regulatory structures from
the New Institutional Economics perspective. In particular, it examines how the
broader institutional environment in developing countries like the Philippines may
affect the institutional arrangements for financial regulation, and how these might be
taken into consideration when designing or reforming financial regulatory structures.
The paper argues that the state of financial conglomerates in the Philippines does not
warrant a shift toward integrated financial supervision. Instead, any effort to reform
the financial supervisory structure must explicitly address the country’s most
fundamental need: to strengthen institutions and governance structures.
Microfinance in Mozambique: Achievements, Prospects & Challenges
http://www.microfinancegateway.org/files/38648_file_10microfinance_in_mozambique_report_2006.pdf
This report by Fion de Vletter traces the development of microfinance activity in
Mozambique. It also assesses the current status of microfinance sector in Mozambique.
_____________________________________________________________________
11. Websites of the Month
International Development Knowledge Platform
http://www.comminit.com
The CI has recently launched its new digital knowledge sharing, networking and
interaction platform. It includes over 35,000 knowledge summaries of programme action,
strategic thinking, planning models, evaluation/research results, change theories etc
across the full range of DEVELOPMENT ISSUES including Children, Conflict, Democracy
and Governance, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Gender, HIV/AIDS,
Health, Natural Resource Management, New Technologies Rights and others.
The Trade Knowledge Network
http://www.tradeknowledgenetwork.net
The Trade Knowledge Network (TKN) is the collaboration of research institutions in
developed and developing countries located in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
The Trade Knowledge Network is aimed at building long-term capacity to address issues
of trade and sustainable development in developing country research institutions,
non-governmental organizations and governments through increased awareness, knowledge
and understanding of the issues. The TKN links network members and consolidates new
and existing research on trade and sustainable development.
BetterAid on Aid Effectiveness
http://betteraid.org
This is a campaign website that aims to provide information and updates on aid
effectiveness issues, framing in the basic development issues; provide support for
advocacy purposes; and provide opportunities to conduct web-based
advocacy/campaigning. The network is keen to develop awareness of the aid
effectiveness agenda at the local and national level and sees the Ghana HLF as an
important opportunity for bringing about discussion and debate and the engagement of
CSOs on the said agenda. Published by the CSO Parallel Process to the Ghana High Level
Forum Network, involving many international partners.
BiD Network's Links to websites on business in development
http://www.bidnetwork.org/listpublish-13015-en.html
The link database is worth a new visit. It has 400 entries in a searchable database.
The BiD Network and the BiD Challenge are growing into a movement. Since January 2007
they are joined into a new entity, the BiD Network Foundation.
KIT's Information portal on Value Chains for Development
http://portals.kit.nl/Value_Chains_for_Development
This VC4D portal and provides access to free, full-text electronic documents on the
VC4D approach, both as an analytical concept and a development tool. The target
audience is formed by professionals, researchers, policy-makers and students, who are
active in the field of pro-poor value chain development. Furthermore, the portal
provides access to newsletters, discussion groups, websites, bibliographic databases,
and directories of organizations and projects. Subtopics include business development
services, finance, governance, learning & innovation, public-private partnerships,
standards & regulations, and sustainable procurement.
EcoFair Trade Dialogue
http://www.ecofair-trade.org
This Dialogue is a project carried out by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and Misereor in
cooperation with the Wuppertal Institute. The overall aim of the project is to enrich
and influence the debate on the reform of the current multilateral regime of
international agricultural trade through the development and advancement of forward
looking guidelines and instruments which respond to the 21st century’s social and
ecological challenges to global agriculture.
IFC SME Entrepreneurship Database
http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/sme.nsf/Content/Entrepreneurship+Database
The 2007 World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Survey measures entrepreneurial activity in
84 developing and industrial countries over the period 2003-2005. The database
includes cross-country, time-series data on the number of total and newly registered
businesses, collected directly from Registrar of Companies around the world. In its
second year, this survey incorporates improvements in methodology, and expanded
participation from countries covered, allowing for greater cross-border compatibility
of data compared with the 2006 survey. This joint effort by the IFC SME Department and
the World Bank Developing Research Group is the most comprehensive dataset on
cross-country firm entry data available today.
Making Cents International
http://www.makingcents.com
Making Cents International is committed to creating a legacy of improved skills and
economic opportunities at the individual, community and global levels. It is a
specialized consulting and training firm based in Washington, D.C. that equips youth
and adults with the vision, confidence, and skills to create and grow their own
businesses. Making Cents is also a leader in building the youth microenterprise
sector. Through the organization of learning opportunities and networks, Making Cents
inspires youth, practitioners, policy makers, and funders to more effectively share
and develop partnerships, programs and policies that support youth entrepreneurs.
The World Bank mapped
http://geo.worldbank.org
Here you can click on a country, and you'll get access to World Bank facts and figures
about that country, plus news and information about World Bank projects. You can
either target a country on the map, or select it from the drop-down list. There are
also links to other pages at the World Bank site, where you can browse a virtual
library, create your own country report, and more. (Source: FITA)
Business Environment Snapshots
http://rru.worldbank.org/besnapshots/
Another new World Bank site, Business Environment Snapshots present measurable
indicators across a wide range of business environment issues and over time. This new
web-enabled tool compiles many data, indicators, and project information on the
business environment for each country in an easily accessible, consistent and usable
format.
ACCION International announced the launch of its new website
http://www.accion.org
ACCITION's new website offers major enhancements in functionality, appearance,
resources and accessibility. The new site is a continuing expression of ACCION’s goal
to bring the best possible tools to bear on the fight against global poverty. Its new
features include ‘ACCIONconnect’, a new online community for users who want to engage
with microfinance and ACCION on a deeper level; a Flash video library, and a more
comprehensive ‘Products & Services’ section.
Global Compact Critics
http://www.globalcompactcritics.net
This is an informal network of organizations and people with concerns about the UN
Global Compact. On this blog we gather and share information about the Global Compact,
partnerships between the United Nations and companies, and corporate accountability.
It is not a database, but rather a collection of opinions, news items and background
information. SOMO will keep this blog updated.
UN Human Security Gateway
http://ochaonline.un.org/humansecurity
The Human Security Unit at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs is pleased to announce the launch of its new website, which
serves as a platform for the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS),
the Advisory Board on Human Security (ABHS) and for the work of the Unit as focal
point on human security within the UN system. The site has been entirely redesigned in
order to enhance the user's experience, and includes new and upgraded features
including a photo gallery, sitemap, as well as a worldwide overview of UNTFHS projects.
World Customs Journal
http://www.worldcustomsjournal.org/
The World Customs Journal provides a forum for customs professionals, academics,
industry researchers, and research students to contribute items of interest and share
research and experiences to enhance its readers' understanding of all aspects of the
roles and responsibilities of customs. The World Customs Journal is published
electronically, free of charge, twice a year.
Small Biz Tools at Traderoots
http://www.traderoots.org
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has branches in more than 91 countries, and it's an
organization that has long been committed to international trade. Now the Chamber has
come up with a great new Web site focused completely on trade. Click on ''Trade
Toolbox'' and you'll find statistics, market reports, country profiles, contacts,
business directories, exchange rates, conversion tables, an export glossary, and much
more. (Source: FITA)
Governance & Anti-Corruption
http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/governance
This site summarizes the WorldBank Groups's governance and anti-corruption initiatives.
Skills Development Trust Fund, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
http://www.sdtf.org.pg
SDTF is an autonomous institution providing sustainable finance for community-based,
short-term, income oriented and demand-driven skills training delivered by training
providers. The SDTF encourages training providers already active in the field of
non-formal skills training, as well as those wishing to become active in delivering
approved training.
Red de Investigadores Latinoamericanos de EconomÃa Social y Solidaria
http://www.riless.org
RILESS es un proyecto conjunto de la MaestrÃa en EconomÃa Social (MAES/ICO-UNGS de
Argentina), del Grupo de Investigación sobre EconomÃa Solidaria de la Cátedra UNESCO /
UNISINOS, de RÃo Grande do Sul (Brasil), del Colegio Mexiquense, y de FLACSO-Ecuador.
Asimismo, con este proyecto colabora URBARED (ICO-UNGS/IISUNAM México). Objetivo es
desarrollar una Red de Investigadores Latinoamericanos que trabaje dentro de un marco
plural, contribuyendo a la elaboración de proyectos, intercambios y diversas formas de
cooperación, facilitando y promoviendo trabajos multidisciplinarios, con el fin de
fortalecer las iniciativas colectivas por otra economÃa, otra sociedad y otra polÃtica
en América Latina.
OECD-MENA Initiative on Governance and Investment for Development
https://www.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_34645207_34645466_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
The Initiative on Governance and Investment for Development is a regional effort,
initiated and led by countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It promotes
broad reforms to enhance the investment climate, modernise governance structures and
operations, strengthen regional and international partnerships, and promote
sustainable economic growth throughout the MENA region.
Downloadpedia points you to the best free software
http://downloadpedia.org
Downloadpedia calls itself ''a Web-based, free content software encyclopedia'', along
the lines of Wikipedia, and it's an all-volunteer effort. Just click on a category
(''Best Free Software'', ''Best Freeware Utilities'', etc.), and you'll see scores of
free software reviews, with links to the sites where you can download the programs. I
was amazed at what was available -- just about any program you can run on your
computer is available free somewhere. (Source: FITA)
Everything about flight at airtimetable.com
http://www.airtimetable.com
Airtimetable is a portal to a wide variety of this airline and travel information,
where you can find everything in one place. You can check routes, compare fares, book
a flight, scan airplane seat maps, locate an airport, find a discount airline, read
reviews of airline food, track a flight in real time, get a weather report, look at a
map, read a guide to your destination, and much more. (Source: FITA)
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AGEG-WiRAM/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AGEG-WiRAM/join
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mailto:AGEG-WiRAM-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com Re. Ageg Wiram. thank you ti sign my guestbook. as well your Info is forwarded in our weblogs. Mr. Alemi Junior and Family, in Vancouver, Western Canada. Nov. 23rd,2007.
international co-operation policy. This is a public version of the file sent to
professionals of the German cooperative AGEG Consultants eG (www.ageg.de) by its
Economic Development Department. Please circulate this newsletter to other interested
people and encourage them to join our newsletter group by sending an email to:
AGEG-WiRAM-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Current and back issues may be accessed at
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Best regards from Sao Paulo, Karsten Weitzenegger, Editor
_____________________________________________________________________
CONTENT
1. World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development
2. OECD: Migration can help fight global poverty
3. Worldwide Remittance Flows to Developing Countries
4. EC to reinforce development of micro-credit in Europe
5. Microfinance Profits: Yunus challenges Compartamos bank
6. World Bank calls for broader access to finance
7. The EC allocates € 97.4 million for Mediterranean area
8. Draft Practice Guidance for Development Agencies
9. Training and Events
10. Publications
11. Websites of the Month
_____________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________
1. World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development
The WDR 2008 calls for placing the sector at the center of the development agenda if
the goals of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 are to be realized. The last
time a WDR on agriculture was published was in 1982, making this a landmark report
that comes when many are calling for an African agricultural revolution. While 75
percent of the world’s poor live in rural areas in developing countries, only 4
percent of official development assistance goes to agriculture. In Sub-Saharan Africa,
a region heavily reliant on agriculture for overall growth, public spending for
farming is also only 4 percent of total government spending and the sector is still
taxed at relatively high levels. The report finds that for the, poorest people, GDP
growth originating in agriculture is about four times more effective in raising
incomes of extremely poor people than GDP growth originating outside the sector. The
,authors argue that a dynamic ‘agriculture-for-development’ agenda can benefit the
estimated 900 million rural people in the developing world who live on less than $1 a
day, most of whom rely on agriculture for a living. http://go.worldbank.org/ZJIAOSUFU0
_____________________________________________________________________
2. Migration can help fight global poverty, according to new OECD report
Better and more coherent migration policies can contribute to the fight against global
poverty. This is the main conclusion of ''Migration and Developing Countries'', a new
report by the OECD Development Centre that was presented at the German Ministry for
Economic Co-operation and Development.
People, goods and capital move across international borders: this is what
globalisation really means. The effects of trade and capital flows have been measured
and quantified by the OECD and others and are widely known. Flows of people and their
impact on development, however, are much less understood. By focussing on the costs
and benefits of the movement of people Migration and Developing Countries shows how
all parties can benefit from migration: migrants’ countries of destination, their home
countries, and migrants themselves. Emigration, say the book’s authors, can reduce
unemployment for low-skilled workers in migrant-sending countries, while remittances
fuel consumption and investment, helping to reduce poverty.
While migration can contribute to development, development does not immediately halt
international migration. International development assistance – aid – is not
necessarily; therefore, a means of influencing migration flows. For this reason,
Migration and Developing Countries calls for mutually reinforcing aid and migration
policies. In this way, say the authors, developing countries can derive greater
economic benefits from the mobility of their citizens. One example could be to link
policies facilitating the recruitment of skilled workers to aid policies underpinning
training and capacity building in the sending country. To unlock the development
potential of international migration, policy makers in rich and poor countries must
recognise that neither migration policies nor aid policies alone are enough in
isolation to stimulate and maintain the momentum of development. OECD countries need
to consider the development impact of their migration policies, while migrant-sending
countries must rethink their development policies in the light of labour mobility.
Moreover, migrants’ associations, enterprises and banks dealing with migrants and
their families all play a role in increasing the development pay off of international
migration.
http://www.oecd.org/document/46/0,3343,en_2649_33731_39207662_1_1_1_1,00.html
_____________________________________________________________________
3. Sending Money Home: Worldwide Remittance Flows to Developing Countries
Remittances, the portion of migrant workers' earnings sent back ome to their families,
have been a critical means of financial support for generations. But, for the most
part, these flows have historically been ''hidden in plain view'', often uncounted and
even ignored. All that is now changing - as the scale of migration increases, the
corresponding growth in remittances is gaining widespread attention. Today, the impact
of remittances is recognized in all developing regions of the world, constituting an
important flow of foreign currency to most countries and directly reaching millions of
households, totalling approximately 10 per cent of the world's population. The
importance of remittances to poverty alleviation is obvious, but the potential
multiplier effect on economic growth and investment is also significant. The driving
force behind this phenomenon is an estimated 150 million migrants worldwide who sent
more than US$300 billion to their families in developing countries during 2006,
typically US$100, US$200 or US$300 at a time, through more than 1.5 billion separate
financial transactions. These funds are used primarily to meet immediate family needs
(consumption) but a significant portion is also available for savings, credit
mobilization and other forms of investment. In other words, the world's largest
poverty alleviation programme could also become an effective grass roots economic
development programme, particularly in the rural areas that present some of the
greatest challenges to financial inclusion. http://www.ifad.org/events/remittances/maps
_____________________________________________________________________
4. EC proposes new options to reinforce development of micro-credit in Europe
Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner presented an initiative which seeks to
improve access to finance for small businesses and for socially excluded people, also
ethnic minorities, who want to become self-employed. This initiative, in line with the
Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs, aims to make small loans, or micro-credit, more
widely available in Europe to satisfy unmet demand. Micro-credit has been used very
successfully in less developed countries, and there has already been some action in
this field in the EU, both at Community and at national level. In the EU, demand for
this type of finance – typically, loans averaging around €7,700 – is overwhelmingly
from people setting up small companies in the service sector. Be it services to
businesses, individuals or households, they range from personal computer wizards to
window cleaners, gardeners, or carers for people or pets – micro-credit can help make
a business of an individual's skills and abilities.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1713&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
_____________________________________________________________________
5. Microfinance Profits: Muhammad Yunus challenges Compartamos bank
Is it ok to make a big profit from lending to the poor? Where does microcredit end and
loan sharking begin? Carlos Danel and Carlos Labarthe, the CEOs of Compartamos, a
nonprofit-cum-commercial bank which charges an annual interest rate of nearly 100
percent, believe that only the lure of profits will motivate people to lend to the
poor. Today Compartamos reaches 700,000 borrowers and 88 percent of its clients come
back for more loans. In 2006, it was rated as Mexico's most profitable bank. Muhammad
Yunus, the Nobel laureate who pioneered the movement three decades ago and has made
loans to some 7 million borrowers in Bangladesh, disagrees. Poor people's willingness
to pay high interest is not a justification for charging it, he says. Compartamos is
not microcredit, it's ''raking in money off poor people desperate for cash.''
http://psdblog.worldbank.org/psdblog/2007/10/muhammad-yunus-.html
_____________________________________________________________________
6. World Bank calls for broader access to finance
Between 50 and 80 percent of adults in many developing countries have inadequate
access to financial services, finds a new World Bank policy research report entitled
''Finance for All? Policies and Pitfalls in Expanding Access”. According to the
report, failure to provide more households and small and medium enterprises with the
financial services they need acts as a brake on development. While noting the
microfinance industry’s progress in delivering credit to poor people, the report calls
for a broader financial strategy that delivers services to all excluded people and
firms. Inclusive financial systems ultimately benefit the poorest people and the
smallest firms the most, by creating more jobs, raising incomes, and generating more
opportunities for small businesses. The report says that governments should strengthen
institutions and adopt new technologies to bring down transaction costs. Research
suggests that governments should also encourage competition—including foreign bank
entry—and provide the right regulatory incentives. In contrast, direct interventions
by governments, such as through credit subsidies or government-owned financial
institutions, can be counter-productive, reducing incentives for the private sector to
deliver services to the poor.
http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTPRRS/EXTFINFORALL/0,,menuPK:4099731~pagePK:64168092~piPK:64168088~theSitePK:4099598,00.html
_____________________________________________________________________
7. The EC allocates € 97.4 million for its neighbours from the Mediterranean area
€ 97.4 million have been allocated to the Mediterranean region under the 2007 ENPI
Regional Action Programme for the South adopted by the European Commission (EC) on 24
October. Eight regional projects and programmes will be financed in a wide range of
domains such as peace, disaster prevention, investment promotion, support to the
private sector, intercultural dialogue, gender equality and information and
communication. This Regional Action Programme for the Southern partners is a key
document which describes the regional programmes and projects financed by the EU under
the 2007 budget. It covers the Southern countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy
namely Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories,
Syria and Tunisia.
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/regional-cooperation/enpi-south/index_en.htm
_____________________________________________________________________
8. Comment now on the Draft Practice Guidance for Development Agencies
Comments are invited on the current draft, by 21st December. After that date, the
document will be finalised, and published in February 2008. While it may be further
revised in due course, the current opportunity to provide feedback is clearly
important. As indicated on the cover of the document, you can provide feedback to
Simon White at simon@blueprintgoup.co.za and Andrei Mikhnev at amikhnev@worldbank.org.
Alternatively, or in addition, you can post comments on the dedicated blog at
http://DonorGuidance.blogspot.com.
http://www.enterprise-development.org/resources/download.asp?id=468
_____________________________________________________________________
9. Training and Events
Accra Conference: Business environment reform: Syntheses, Conferences papers
http://www.businessenvironment.org/dyn/be/besearch.details?p_phase_id=142&p_lang=en&p_phase_type_id=6
Most of the Papers and Presentations from the Conference have now been posted to the
Business Environment Working Group of the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development.
Of particular importance is the draft BE Donor Guidance, under b); your comments are
invited at the dedicated blog at http://donorguidance.blogspot.com. In due course, the
remaining Papers and presentations from the Conference (including more documents in
French) will also be posted.
ICEG's Annual Conference on Factor Flows in the World Economy
http://www.icegec.hu/annual2007
Budapest, 29-30 November 2007
The purpose of the conference is to discuss the key factors shaping capital flows and
labour migration. The conference makes a comparative assessment of the current
developments in factor movements – relocation, outsourcing, offshoring services,
migration, labour mobility, etc. - in Europe in comparison with other regions,
especially Latin America and Asia. The language of the conference is English.
Community-Managed Microfinance: Sustainable Financial Services Beyond the Frontier
http://www.mdi-sa.org
Zanzibar, Tanzania, 3 Dec 2007
The community-managed microfinance course deals with providing sustainable financial
services for the very poor. Although MFIs are well-established, they have mostly
failed to penetrate remote rural areas because the costs are too high and the demand
for credit too small. Meanwhile, over the last 15 years, massive, sustainable
programmes have emerged that reach this target group at very low cost, based on
autonomous, small-scale savings and loan associations. Course Fee: US $1,500.
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on China’s Involvement in Africa
http://www.izo.uni-frankfurt.de/Aktuell.html
Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 14-15 Dec. 2007, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University
China’s growing involvement on the African continent evokes both contentment and
apprehension. While the benefits for the Chinese side seem to be obvious, the impact
of China’s African engagement on the continent’s development prospects is less clear.
The upcoming conference is aimed at fostering the interdisciplinary dialogue with
regard to current developments and possible ways of approaching these analytically.
Special attention will be given to speakers from Africa and China.
MDF & HPC jointly offer the course Value Chain Concepts for the sixth time
http://www.mdf.nl
The Netherlands, 21-25 January 2008, Five Day Course
The training approach will be experience-based with emphasis on practical examples.
MDF/HPC staff and external resource persons will facilitate, deliver lectures,
exercises and discussions, complemented by exploring real-life cases chosen from cases
proposed by the participants. The course fee includes a DVD with a large number of
policy and research papers with respect to sectoral approaches. Given the innovative
stage Value Chain Development is in, much attention will be given to presenting and
discussing recent trends, cases and developments in the field of Value Chain
Development. The course fee is 1800 EURO excluding lodging, which can be arranged at
discounted and reasonable rates. You are kindly invited to register as soon as
possible at Registration@mdf.nl to enable logistical preparations. Info:
hans@hposthumus.nl.
SDC Conference and Workshop on Working with the Private Sector
http://www.sdc.admin.ch/en/Home/Themes/Employment_and_the_economy/Employment_Income/E_I_Conference_and_Workshop_2008
Switzerland, 9-11 January 2008
Public Private Partnerships for Development. The deadline for registrations is 30th
November 2007.
12th EADI General Conference
http://eadi.org/gc2008
Geneva, 24-28 June 2008,
The conference deals with the overarching theme: ''Global Governance for Sustainable
Development: The Need for Policy Coherence and New Partnerships'' and will be hosted
by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Geneva.
The deadline for abstract submission is 28 November 2007.
Studying-Development.org is a voluntary initiative.
http://www.studying-development.org
Find study and training courses in International Development and Humanitarian Aid. The
site aims to help orientate those wishing to enter, or already active in Development
and Humanitarian Aid. This course directory is international in scope and covers
professional training, as well as university degree courses in the UK.
Studying-Development.org is an initiative set up by a small group of former LSE
development students.
Clear, concise writing for development professionals
http://www.eldis.org/go/display&type=Document&id=33799
Writing clearly is important to ensure that your reader understands and is convinced
by your ideas. This practical guide is laid out as a learning module. It provides
tools for measuring readability, exercises on how to identify writing that will
confuse and slow readers down and techniques for tackling the elements of writing
which cause this.
USAID Value Chain Training
www.microLINKS.org/vctraining
The value chain training curriculum is designed to train USAID and project
practitioners in the value chain approach and its applications. Following this
training, participants are able to use the value chain approach as a tool for
understanding trends in globalized markets and conditions under which micro- and small
enterprises can contribute to and benefit from the increased systemic competitiveness
that globalization requires.
_____________________________________________________________________
10. Publications
Donor Interventions in Value Chain Development, SDC VCRD CoP 2007
http://www.bdsknowledge.org/dyn/bds/docs/detail/622/6
These guidelines highlight the most important issues that development agencies need to
consider when they engage in value chain development in rural areas. The paper offers
guiding principles for development practitioners and policy makers, and points to
further useful material. This paper is based on the insights gained during the online
debate on the forum ''Value Chains in Rural Development” operated by SDC starting in
December 2004, with its various and sometimes contradicting examples, cases,
perceptions and discussions. Over 120 persons, from around 35 countries joined and
discussed practically relevant topics during 9 debate cycles. In this paper the main
highlights of the work so far are pulled together and presented for
discussion.Individual syntheses from each of the 9 debate cycles are available. The
most recent addition is the Info Flash from November 2007.
News weekly service: EPA negotiations: Where do we stand?
www.acp-eu-trade.org/epa
At a time when the pace of the EPA negotiations has increased in all regions, and the
state of play is ever changing, accessing the latest information available on these
wide-ranging agreements is of essence. Pursuing its efforts to increase the
transparency of the highly sensitive EPA negotiations, ECDPM has decided to set up
dedicated pages for each ACP region negotiating an EPA with the EU at
www.acp-eu-trade.org/epa . (The same content is also accessible at www.ecdpm.org/epa
.) French versions of the updates are available for Central Africa, West Africa and ESA .
Addressing the Meta-Level: New Approaches to Private Sector Development
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/SV_PWF_Meta-Level_Tools_0407.pdf
This GTZ/BMZ Discussion Paper aims to deliver concrete concepts and models for
development practitioners to address the meta-level within private sector development
initiatives. The ultimate objective is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
development work.
Entrepreneurship: New Data on Business Creation and How to Promote It
http://rru.worldbank.org/documents/publicpolicyjournal/316Klapper_Delgado.pdf
The World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Survey continues to extend our knowledge of the
importance of entrepreneurship for a dynamic economy. In its second year, with more
countries participating, the survey again shows a strong relationship between
entrepreneurship, the business environment, and governance. New data shed light on how
the distribution of businesses among sectors varies by level of development. And
analysis of new data on business registration suggests that automation can greatly
reduce the barriers to starting a business. This finding makes a strong case for
pursuing e-government initiatives to spur entrepreneurship.
Guidelines to Evaluate Social Performance
http://publications.accion.org/insight/IS24EN.pdf
This ACCION InSight describes a framework that microfinance institutions can use to
assess and report on their social performance. ACCION has applied this framework to
analyze how six leading microfinance institutions adhere to these social performance
criteria. The results of this application inform this InSight.
Developing Economies Locally Through Action and Alliance (DELTA)
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTLED/Resources/339650-1122490529659/DELTA_Evaluation.pdf
The World Bank's DELTA program (Developing Enterprises Locally through Alliance and
Action) focuses on building institutions within municipal governments and exploiting
private sector resources that can foster and support policy reform for private sector
development. The World Bank Group Small and Medium Enterprise Department, together
with Open Society Institute Local Government and Public Sector Reform Initiative
(OSI/LGI), has piloted this program with the goal of addressing institutional and
policy reforms at the local level. The program was developed in great part using the
best practices of the OECD from countries in which OECD had engaged in Strategic
Planning for Local Economic Development. It was also based partially on several World
Bank LED projects across Eastern Europe.
Tools for Economic Recovery in Post-Conflict Situations: A Brief Literature Review
http://www.bdsknowledge.org/dyn/bds/docs/632/USAID%20Tools%20Economic%20Recovery%2007.pdf
This USAID microNote is intended for practitioners, donors, governments,and business
representatives working on economic recovery in conflict-affected countries. It serves
as a reference for guidance and best practices on pro-gramming for conflict-affected
countries. First it outlines the definitions and methodology used in the literature
review then provides a brief summary of each tool and an index of the tools reviewed.
The 25 tools reviewed come from a wide variety of sources including the ILO,
International Alert, USAID, DFID, World Bank, CARE, IDRC, OECD and ARC.
Promoting Pro-Poor growth: A Practical Guide to ex-ante Poverty Impact Assessment
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/46/39/38978856.pdf
Enabling poor women and men to participate in, contribute to and benefit from growth
is critical to creating a path out of poverty and meeting the Millennium Development
Goals. Yet without ex ante assessment of likely impacts, policies and programmes often
fail to achieve the desired pro-poor impacts. To help donors and partner countries
identify the consequences of their interventions, the DAC Network on Poverty Reduction
(POVNET) has developed a modular, ex ante Poverty Impact Assessment (PIA) approach.
This practical guide will help staff in development agencies and their partners to
plan and execute PIA, and to interpret the findings it produces. OECD DAC Guidelines
and Reference Series.
Innovation clusters: A statistical analysis and overview of current policy support
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/document.cfm?action=display&doc_id=559
Clusters can be powerful engines of regional economic development and drivers of
innovation. They enable companies to integrate in clusters where they can collaborate
with and learn from research institutions, suppliers, customers and competitors. The
Cluster Report published by Directorate General Enterprise and Industry offers an
overview of the main statistical findings obtained so far by the European Cluster
Observatory. The Report also describes the main Community instruments in support of
cluster development giving particular emphasis on the aspects of trans-national
cooperation.
ETF Yearbook 2007: Quality in Vocational Education and Training and Modern Learning
Processes
http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/EmbedPub_EN?OpenDocument&emb=/pubmgmt.nsf/(WebPublications%20by%20yearR)/99A3FE3CFCB5F455C125736200526A24?OpenDocument
The ETF Yearbook 2007 identifies qualification as the pivot connecting national
qualification frameworks, schools, headmasters, teachers and trainers, and learning
processes. Different components of quality development are analysed in six chapters
that assess how they contribute to increased quality learning.
Practitioner’s guide: business consultancy fund
http://www.eldis.org/go/display&type=Document&id=34049
This manual outlines a process for the establishment of a Business Consultancy Fund
(BCF) in order to improve access to the resources and services offered by business
development centres (BDCs). The manual also provides a number of templates that could
be used in the establishment of a BCF.
Policy Coherence for Development - Migration and Developing Countries
http://www.oecd.org/document/46/0,3343,en_2649_33935_39207662_1_1_1_1,00.html
What are the costs and benefits of migration for developing countries? How can
migration flows be better organised to yield greater benefits for all parties
concerned—migrant-sending countries, migrant-receiving countries, and the migrants
themselves? This OECD book seeks to answer these questions, taking stock of what we
know about the effects of migration on development, and distilling from that knowledge
a set of policy recommendations for sending and receiving countries. It draws on a
large number of country and regional case studies co-ordinated by the OECD Development
Centre to illustrate the mechanisms that link migration and development: labour-market
effects, the brain drain, remittances, diaspora networks and return migration.
Migrant-receiving countries are encouraged to look at their migration policies through
a development lens; migrant-sending countries, conversely, should look at their
national development policies through a migration lens. Interlinking migration and
development policies promises a more effective pursuit of the objectives of both sets
of policies. This volume provides the basis for a productive debate surrounding policy
innovations maximising the overall benefits of international migration.
Rural Credit and Microenterprise Development
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/microfinance/rc/filedownload.do?itemId=1119420
This is a descriptive report by Bandeth Rosdrawn from various literature to indicate
the roles of microcredit and microfinance in rural development. This is an assignment
to fulfill one of my paper (International Rural Development Paper)
Monitoring Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)
www.ecdpm.org/dp79
By Sanoussi Bilal, Franziska Jerosch, Niels Keijzer, Christiane Loquai and Francesco
Rampa, ECDPM Discussion Paper 79, October, Maastricht: European Centre for Development
Policy Management
Linking social protection and the productive sectors
http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/briefing/bp_oct07_social_protection.pdf
This ODI Briefing Paper, based on a collaboration between the ODI and the UK
Department for International Development’s Renewable Natural Resources and Agriculture
Team, sets out current practice and future prospects in respect of how social
protection and agriculture (broadly defined to include crops and livestock) relate to
each other.
Rural employment and migration: In search of decent work
http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/briefing/bp_rural_employment_oct07.pdf
This ODI Briefing Paper by Steve Wiggins and Priya Deshingkar looks at new thinking on
rural employment which is needed to create more and better rural jobs. Growth in
agriculture is essential, and growth in the rural non-farm economy is especially
important. Job prospects improve as education, skills, health and early nutrition
levels rise. Rural-urban migration (whether temporary or permanent) opens new
opportunities and also helps tighten rural labour markets. With rising productivity
and wages, it becomes easier to push for better labour standards, to reduce child
labour and correct gender inequalities.
Determinants of Corruption in Developing Countries
http://www.hwwi.de/uploads/tx_wilpubdb/HWWI_Research_Paper_2-11.pdf
This HWWI study concludes that government should focus the economic factors to curb
the level of corruption.
Financing small businesses: recommendations for action
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/financing/docs/profile_sheet_2007.pdf
What are the best ways of improving the flow of finance to small firms? The European
Commission, the Member States and finance professionals have recently looked at ways
that promise to improve the situation of many SMEs. This summary presents the key
conclusions of five reports that have reviewed both loan and equity finance and
complements the conclusions on seed investment.
Public-Private Dialogue in Developing Countries - Opportunities and Risks
http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?sf1=identifiers&lang=EN&st1=9789264028845
Putting aside the euphoria of supporters of public-private dialogue and the doom
prophecies of its detractors, this analysis identifies the advantages that it can
bring, while cautioning against the very real dangers it can present to fragile states
and relatively recent democracies. The type of state involved, the level of
organisation within the national private sector and the kind of support offered by
donors all have an influence on the potential and real success of PPD.
Impact Analysis on the Application of the Nucleus Approach in Sri Lanka
http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/doc/ESSP_SL_Nucleus_Impact_Analysis_2007.pdf
This GTZ document by Rainer Mueller-Glodde and Simone Lehmann presents the results of
the application of the Nucleus Approach 5 years after its introduction. The Nucleus
Approach interlinks capacity building in business associations and chambers with the
promotion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and lobbying aiming at improving the
business environment. It was first developed in Brazil and is currently applied in Sri
Lanka, Uruguay and Algeria. The Nucleus impact analysis is based on interviews of 852
entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka. The impact caused by the introduction of the Nucleus
Approach in business chambers clearly led to significant changes in the Nucleus
enterprises and the chambers. Broad effects have been reached: At the end of 2006, the
participating chambers had organized about 180 Nuclei with 2,700 entrepreneurs. The
introduction of the approach in Sri Lanka started 2002.
Integrated Financial Supervision: An Institutional Perspective for the Philippines
http://www.adbi.org/discussion-paper/2007/10/25/2381.integrated.financial.supervision/
This ADB paper looks at the issue of reforming financial regulatory structures from
the New Institutional Economics perspective. In particular, it examines how the
broader institutional environment in developing countries like the Philippines may
affect the institutional arrangements for financial regulation, and how these might be
taken into consideration when designing or reforming financial regulatory structures.
The paper argues that the state of financial conglomerates in the Philippines does not
warrant a shift toward integrated financial supervision. Instead, any effort to reform
the financial supervisory structure must explicitly address the country’s most
fundamental need: to strengthen institutions and governance structures.
Microfinance in Mozambique: Achievements, Prospects & Challenges
http://www.microfinancegateway.org/files/38648_file_10microfinance_in_mozambique_report_2006.pdf
This report by Fion de Vletter traces the development of microfinance activity in
Mozambique. It also assesses the current status of microfinance sector in Mozambique.
_____________________________________________________________________
11. Websites of the Month
International Development Knowledge Platform
http://www.comminit.com
The CI has recently launched its new digital knowledge sharing, networking and
interaction platform. It includes over 35,000 knowledge summaries of programme action,
strategic thinking, planning models, evaluation/research results, change theories etc
across the full range of DEVELOPMENT ISSUES including Children, Conflict, Democracy
and Governance, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Gender, HIV/AIDS,
Health, Natural Resource Management, New Technologies Rights and others.
The Trade Knowledge Network
http://www.tradeknowledgenetwork.net
The Trade Knowledge Network (TKN) is the collaboration of research institutions in
developed and developing countries located in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
The Trade Knowledge Network is aimed at building long-term capacity to address issues
of trade and sustainable development in developing country research institutions,
non-governmental organizations and governments through increased awareness, knowledge
and understanding of the issues. The TKN links network members and consolidates new
and existing research on trade and sustainable development.
BetterAid on Aid Effectiveness
http://betteraid.org
This is a campaign website that aims to provide information and updates on aid
effectiveness issues, framing in the basic development issues; provide support for
advocacy purposes; and provide opportunities to conduct web-based
advocacy/campaigning. The network is keen to develop awareness of the aid
effectiveness agenda at the local and national level and sees the Ghana HLF as an
important opportunity for bringing about discussion and debate and the engagement of
CSOs on the said agenda. Published by the CSO Parallel Process to the Ghana High Level
Forum Network, involving many international partners.
BiD Network's Links to websites on business in development
http://www.bidnetwork.org/listpublish-13015-en.html
The link database is worth a new visit. It has 400 entries in a searchable database.
The BiD Network and the BiD Challenge are growing into a movement. Since January 2007
they are joined into a new entity, the BiD Network Foundation.
KIT's Information portal on Value Chains for Development
http://portals.kit.nl/Value_Chains_for_Development
This VC4D portal and provides access to free, full-text electronic documents on the
VC4D approach, both as an analytical concept and a development tool. The target
audience is formed by professionals, researchers, policy-makers and students, who are
active in the field of pro-poor value chain development. Furthermore, the portal
provides access to newsletters, discussion groups, websites, bibliographic databases,
and directories of organizations and projects. Subtopics include business development
services, finance, governance, learning & innovation, public-private partnerships,
standards & regulations, and sustainable procurement.
EcoFair Trade Dialogue
http://www.ecofair-trade.org
This Dialogue is a project carried out by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and Misereor in
cooperation with the Wuppertal Institute. The overall aim of the project is to enrich
and influence the debate on the reform of the current multilateral regime of
international agricultural trade through the development and advancement of forward
looking guidelines and instruments which respond to the 21st century’s social and
ecological challenges to global agriculture.
IFC SME Entrepreneurship Database
http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/sme.nsf/Content/Entrepreneurship+Database
The 2007 World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Survey measures entrepreneurial activity in
84 developing and industrial countries over the period 2003-2005. The database
includes cross-country, time-series data on the number of total and newly registered
businesses, collected directly from Registrar of Companies around the world. In its
second year, this survey incorporates improvements in methodology, and expanded
participation from countries covered, allowing for greater cross-border compatibility
of data compared with the 2006 survey. This joint effort by the IFC SME Department and
the World Bank Developing Research Group is the most comprehensive dataset on
cross-country firm entry data available today.
Making Cents International
http://www.makingcents.com
Making Cents International is committed to creating a legacy of improved skills and
economic opportunities at the individual, community and global levels. It is a
specialized consulting and training firm based in Washington, D.C. that equips youth
and adults with the vision, confidence, and skills to create and grow their own
businesses. Making Cents is also a leader in building the youth microenterprise
sector. Through the organization of learning opportunities and networks, Making Cents
inspires youth, practitioners, policy makers, and funders to more effectively share
and develop partnerships, programs and policies that support youth entrepreneurs.
The World Bank mapped
http://geo.worldbank.org
Here you can click on a country, and you'll get access to World Bank facts and figures
about that country, plus news and information about World Bank projects. You can
either target a country on the map, or select it from the drop-down list. There are
also links to other pages at the World Bank site, where you can browse a virtual
library, create your own country report, and more. (Source: FITA)
Business Environment Snapshots
http://rru.worldbank.org/besnapshots/
Another new World Bank site, Business Environment Snapshots present measurable
indicators across a wide range of business environment issues and over time. This new
web-enabled tool compiles many data, indicators, and project information on the
business environment for each country in an easily accessible, consistent and usable
format.
ACCION International announced the launch of its new website
http://www.accion.org
ACCITION's new website offers major enhancements in functionality, appearance,
resources and accessibility. The new site is a continuing expression of ACCION’s goal
to bring the best possible tools to bear on the fight against global poverty. Its new
features include ‘ACCIONconnect’, a new online community for users who want to engage
with microfinance and ACCION on a deeper level; a Flash video library, and a more
comprehensive ‘Products & Services’ section.
Global Compact Critics
http://www.globalcompactcritics.net
This is an informal network of organizations and people with concerns about the UN
Global Compact. On this blog we gather and share information about the Global Compact,
partnerships between the United Nations and companies, and corporate accountability.
It is not a database, but rather a collection of opinions, news items and background
information. SOMO will keep this blog updated.
UN Human Security Gateway
http://ochaonline.un.org/humansecurity
The Human Security Unit at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs is pleased to announce the launch of its new website, which
serves as a platform for the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS),
the Advisory Board on Human Security (ABHS) and for the work of the Unit as focal
point on human security within the UN system. The site has been entirely redesigned in
order to enhance the user's experience, and includes new and upgraded features
including a photo gallery, sitemap, as well as a worldwide overview of UNTFHS projects.
World Customs Journal
http://www.worldcustomsjournal.org/
The World Customs Journal provides a forum for customs professionals, academics,
industry researchers, and research students to contribute items of interest and share
research and experiences to enhance its readers' understanding of all aspects of the
roles and responsibilities of customs. The World Customs Journal is published
electronically, free of charge, twice a year.
Small Biz Tools at Traderoots
http://www.traderoots.org
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has branches in more than 91 countries, and it's an
organization that has long been committed to international trade. Now the Chamber has
come up with a great new Web site focused completely on trade. Click on ''Trade
Toolbox'' and you'll find statistics, market reports, country profiles, contacts,
business directories, exchange rates, conversion tables, an export glossary, and much
more. (Source: FITA)
Governance & Anti-Corruption
http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/governance
This site summarizes the WorldBank Groups's governance and anti-corruption initiatives.
Skills Development Trust Fund, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
http://www.sdtf.org.pg
SDTF is an autonomous institution providing sustainable finance for community-based,
short-term, income oriented and demand-driven skills training delivered by training
providers. The SDTF encourages training providers already active in the field of
non-formal skills training, as well as those wishing to become active in delivering
approved training.
Red de Investigadores Latinoamericanos de EconomÃa Social y Solidaria
http://www.riless.org
RILESS es un proyecto conjunto de la MaestrÃa en EconomÃa Social (MAES/ICO-UNGS de
Argentina), del Grupo de Investigación sobre EconomÃa Solidaria de la Cátedra UNESCO /
UNISINOS, de RÃo Grande do Sul (Brasil), del Colegio Mexiquense, y de FLACSO-Ecuador.
Asimismo, con este proyecto colabora URBARED (ICO-UNGS/IISUNAM México). Objetivo es
desarrollar una Red de Investigadores Latinoamericanos que trabaje dentro de un marco
plural, contribuyendo a la elaboración de proyectos, intercambios y diversas formas de
cooperación, facilitando y promoviendo trabajos multidisciplinarios, con el fin de
fortalecer las iniciativas colectivas por otra economÃa, otra sociedad y otra polÃtica
en América Latina.
OECD-MENA Initiative on Governance and Investment for Development
https://www.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_34645207_34645466_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
The Initiative on Governance and Investment for Development is a regional effort,
initiated and led by countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It promotes
broad reforms to enhance the investment climate, modernise governance structures and
operations, strengthen regional and international partnerships, and promote
sustainable economic growth throughout the MENA region.
Downloadpedia points you to the best free software
http://downloadpedia.org
Downloadpedia calls itself ''a Web-based, free content software encyclopedia'', along
the lines of Wikipedia, and it's an all-volunteer effort. Just click on a category
(''Best Free Software'', ''Best Freeware Utilities'', etc.), and you'll see scores of
free software reviews, with links to the sites where you can download the programs. I
was amazed at what was available -- just about any program you can run on your
computer is available free somewhere. (Source: FITA)
Everything about flight at airtimetable.com
http://www.airtimetable.com
Airtimetable is a portal to a wide variety of this airline and travel information,
where you can find everything in one place. You can check routes, compare fares, book
a flight, scan airplane seat maps, locate an airport, find a discount airline, read
reviews of airline food, track a flight in real time, get a weather report, look at a
map, read a guide to your destination, and much more. (Source: FITA)
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AGEG-WiRAM/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AGEG-WiRAM/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:AGEG-WiRAM-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:AGEG-WiRAM-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com Re. Ageg Wiram. thank you ti sign my guestbook. as well your Info is forwarded in our weblogs. Mr. Alemi Junior and Family, in Vancouver, Western Canada. Nov. 23rd,2007.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
KOLOLO DEMARCATED FOR CHOGM DEMOSTRATION
THE Government has designated the Independence Grounds (Kololo airstrip) as the official venue for demonstrations during the Commonwealth meeting (CHOGM). More...
Business
Business
Thursday, November 8, 2007
EU DELEGATION CHIEF BLASTS OPPOSITION
National
EU delegation chief blasts opposition
THE main opposition parties yesterday came under criticism for boycotting an EU-sponsored workshop on strengthening multi party democracy and electoral reforms. More...
LRA's Martin Ojul gets lost at home
THE leader of the LRA peace delegation, Martin Ojul, on Wednesday failed to locate his father’s home in Koch-Goma, Amuru district, which he visited for the first time in 22 years. More...
Business
EU delegation chief blasts opposition
THE main opposition parties yesterday came under criticism for boycotting an EU-sponsored workshop on strengthening multi party democracy and electoral reforms. More...
LRA's Martin Ojul gets lost at home
THE leader of the LRA peace delegation, Martin Ojul, on Wednesday failed to locate his father’s home in Koch-Goma, Amuru district, which he visited for the first time in 22 years. More...
Business
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
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