Eight lessons from three years working on transparency I’ve spent the last three years working on aid transparency. As I’m moving on to a very exciting new role (watch this space for more details) this seems a good time to reflect on what I’ve learned in the last three years. This is a self-indulgently long essay about the importance of aid transparency, and the priorities for how it should be achieved. Busy readers may want to read the 8-point summary below. UNESCO Culture and development Measuring how culture contributes to economic development The Hangzhou Declaration of May 2013 was a key step in UNESCO’s advocacy for the role of culture in sustainable development. In this context, understanding the contribution of cultural employment to the economy is vital.
How USAID Can Track “Ghost” Schools The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), John Sopko has been taking aim at US government spending on education, asking the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) if they knew how accurate Afghan Ministry of Education (MoEd) numbers were when it came to things like numbers of students and teachers in the country. Considering past history on the subject, that answer’s probably gonna be some variety of “no.” Accountability’s a problem in a country where the security situation’s deteriorating faster than reasons to keep gays single, which makes it tough for qualified Afghan Western inspectors to take a look at American funded projects. There’s a solution for this that’s sustainable, scalable, and cost effective. The only catch is that it means turning these inspections over to the Afghans.
Aid Effectiveness : Center for Global Development : Research Topics The Center’s work on aid effectiveness focuses on the policies and practices of bilateral and multilateral donors. It includes analyzing existing programs, monitoring donor innovations, and designing and promoting fresh approaches to deliver aid. CGD researchers also investigate how foreign aid and other aspects of development—such as trade, migration, investment, and climate change policies—undermine or complement each other. Specific work includes:
World Development Indicators The primary World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially-recognized international sources. It presents the most current and accurate global development data available, and includes national, regional and global estimates. TypeTime seriesPeriodicityAnnualLast Updated01-Feb-2017Economy CoverageWLD, EAP, ECA, LAC, MNA, SAS, SSA, HIC, LMY, IBRD, IDAGranularityNational, RegionalNumber of Economies217TopicAgriculture & Rural Development, Aid Effectiveness, Climate Change, Economy & Growth, Education, Energy & Mining, Environment, External Debt, Financial Sector, Gender, Health, Infrastructure, Labor & Social Protection, Poverty, Private Sector, Public Sector, Science & Technology, Social Development, Trade, Urban DevelopmentUpdate FrequencyQuarterlyUpdate ScheduleApril, July, September, DecemberContact Detailsdata@worldbank.orgAccess OptionsAPI, Bulk download, Mobile app, Query toolAttribution/citationWorld Development Indicators, The World BankCoverage1960 - 2016
Have your say: guidelines for writers and contributors It is not wrong to assume that most development professionals are passionate about their work. Many are also good writers. But for those who need a little help to communicate their passion clearly in writing, this guide may be helpful. Practically, our content is usually about 800 words long. Food and Agriculture : Center for Global Development : Research Topics More than a billion people in developing countries suffer from chronic hunger. Long a neglected topic, the role of agriculture in promoting pro-poor growth is attracting renewed attention in the United States and internationally. CGD’s work in this area focuses on how rich countries’ agricultural policies and practices impact people and economic development in the poor world. Three out of four people in the developing world live in rural areas and depend on agriculture to support themselves and their families. Yet, since development traditionally involves moving people from subsistence farming into higher-productivity activities in manufacturing and services, governments and donors have neglected agriculture for decades.
Global Economic Prospects Source: World Bank. Notes: e = estimate; f = forecast. EMDE = emerging market and developing economy. World Bank forecasts are frequently updated based on new inform... Notes: e = estimate; f = forecast. Zero Link Building - How To Rank A Site Without Building Links I love experimenting with things when it comes to SEO and the best SEO advice I can give to anyone is that you should never believe anything you read until you have tested it for yourself. You might not have realised it, but this blog is an experiment… UPDATE: Track the performance of this experiment here. You’ll be shocked. You can also read the follow up post – How I Built A Top 100 Blog.
An Agricultural Peace Dividend In northern Uganda, home to one of Africa’s longest and most brutal civil conflicts, organic farming is producing economic growth and stability. (Illustration by Justin Gabbard) “ The hardest part is reopening the land,” says Stella Atimango, an agricultural extension worker standing in a former battle zone beside neat rows of recently planted cotton on a one-acre farm in northern Uganda. Beyond Atimango, the tiny cotton field was surrounded by an abandoned countryside, the result of two decades of fighting between the Ugandan military and the Lord’s Resistance Army. Today, smallholder farmers use hand hoes and oxen to reclaim their land. The famine in East Africa is lending even greater urgency to Atimango’s work.
Give a man a fish and feed him for life? Experimental evidence on the long-term effects of grants on Sri Lankan Microenterprises Typical policies to improve the incomes of poor households and their businesses are based on the sustained provision of services – be it microfinance with multiple loan cycles and regular meetings; conditional cash transfers with regular transfers over a period of years; or business training programs which are based on the idea that capital along is not enough – as in the proverb “give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he can feed himself for life”. In a new paper with Suresh de Mel and Chris Woodruff, published online today in Science, we ask whether the much simpler policy of giving a one-time grant to small business owners has any long-term effect. [An aside to World Bank/IFC readers, I am delighted that our library now finally has arranged full-text online access to Science – and the paper is short, so click through!]. Key long-term impacts · The grants continue not to have any impacts on female-owned microenterprises in the long-run. Multiple Measurements
Nourishing the Planet Share By Kristen Thiel Iroko trees are native to the west coast of Africa. Sometimes called Nigerian teak, their wood is tough, dense, and very durable. Their hardwood is so sought after that the trees are often poached and are now endangered in many regions of Africa. BRIDGE - Global Resources Global Resources Welcome to the Global Resources Database. This library contains over 3,000 specially selected gender documents picked from over 1,500 sources. It covers longstanding concerns and debates as well as emerging issues. It provides access to research, reports and policy documents, as well as records of good practice, lessons learnt and case studies, amongst other things. Each resource has been summarised providing a brief overview, key findings and recommendations, to help you save time deciding which resources you really want to read.