Biblioteca Digital

Municipalities in Mozambique were established by law in 1997 and elected in 1998 for the first time, only a few years after the peace agreement. Most inherited archaic and dysfunctional remnants of colonial and central government systems and infrastructure, and as such limited progress was achieved in transforming them into functioning local governments during the first mandate (1998-2002). During the second mandate (2003-2008), however, significant improvements were seen as municipalities began to grasp the nettle of local governance and some service delivery challenges. By the end of their first decade most municipalities have reorganized themselves to some extent and a number have undertaken initiatives that are beginning to bear fruit. There remains a long way to go, however, before municipalities will be robust enough to deliver quality local services to meet growing demand. There is a danger that the pace of municipal technical and financial capacity development will be overtaken by the growing municipal population and by transfers of additional mandates. Municipalities...

Municipalities in Mozambique were established by law in 1997 and elected in 1998 for the first time, only a few years after the peace agreement. Most inherited archaic and dysfunctional remnants of colonial and central government systems and infrastructure, and as such limited progress was achieved in transforming them into functioning local governments during the first mandate (1998-2002). During the second mandate (2003-2008), however, significant improvements were seen as municipalities began to grasp the nettle of local governance and some service delivery challenges. By the end of their first decade most municipalities have reorganized themselves to some extent and a number have undertaken initiatives that are beginning to bear fruit. There remains a long way to go, however, before municipalities will be robust enough to deliver quality local services to meet growing demand. There is a danger that the pace of municipal technical and financial capacity development will be overtaken by the growing municipal population and by transfers of additional mandates. Municipalities...

The main objective of the Country Environmental Analysis (CEA) in Nepal is to identify opportunities for enhancing the overall performance of select environmental management systems through improvements in the effectiveness of institutions, policies, and processes. CEA has been built upon the following three primary study components: (a) an examination of the environmental issues associated with infrastructure development, focusing on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in priority growth sectors; (b) an analysis of environmental issues linked to rapid urbanization, focusing on the growing problems of solid waste, poor air quality, and industrial pollution, and the resulting impacts on environmental health; and (c) an analysis of the policy and institutional underpinnings related to key environmental management systems at the national and local levels. This report provides the basis for a discussion of the challenges and options facing Nepal in regard to improving the performance of key environmental management systems and institutions to support its growth and poverty alleviation agenda.

The main objective of the Country Environmental Analysis (CEA) in Nepal is to identify opportunities for enhancing the overall performance of select environmental management systems through improvements in the effectiveness of institutions, policies, and processes. CEA has been built upon the following three primary study components: (a) an examination of the environmental issues associated with infrastructure development, focusing on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in priority growth sectors; (b) an analysis of environmental issues linked to rapid urbanization, focusing on the growing problems of solid waste, poor air quality, and industrial pollution, and the resulting impacts on environmental health; and (c) an analysis of the policy and institutional underpinnings related to key environmental management systems at the national and local levels. This report provides the basis for a discussion of the challenges and options facing Nepal in regard to improving the performance of key environmental management systems and institutions to support its growth and poverty alleviation agenda.

This report develops and discusses a new analytical framework to understand the functions of civil society in peace building. In theory and practice, there is a wide variety of ways to categorize civil society contributions to development and peacebuilding. Donors tend to employ actor-oriented perspectives, focusing on supporting activities of different types of civil society organizations in a given situation. This report proposes to move toward a functional perspective, centered on the roles that different actors can play in conflict situations. The analysis shows that civil society can make numerous positive contributions and have unique potential to support peacebuilding and conflict mitigation. It can do so independently as actor in its own right, or in relation to peacebuilding processes and programs led by Governments or the international community. Despite many successful initiatives on the ground, however, civil society should not be considered a panacea. The existence of civil society per se cannot be equated with the existence of peacebuilding actors. Similarly...

Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a prominent role in conflict-affected and fragile states. In the absence of capable or credible public institutions due to conflict or weak policy environments, CSOs tend to substitute for public institutions and become primary providers of basic social services. At the same time, the international donor community has increased its involvement in countries affected by conflict and instability, often relying increasingly on CSOs to reach the poor. While the prominent role of CSOs in social service delivery and other development activities is often seen as an interim solution, it may extend for years, even decades. Recognizing that reliance on CSOs is likely to prevail for the foreseeable future in many countries, there is a need to consider how to make CSO engagement more effective and sustainable. The objective of this report is to identify approaches to more effectively engage CSOs in the context of weak public institutions in conflict-affected and fragile states. The report will: 1) Examine the roles, strengths, and weaknesses of CSOs in terms of service delivery, community development, advocacy, peace building, and governance; 2) Identify the factors that influence CSO effectiveness in performing these functions; 3) Assess donor influence on CSOs and their indirect influence on governance by supporting CSOs; and 4) Discuss the relationship between CSOs and government including their changing roles...

The Horn of Africa (HoA) region has many security and development challenges whose origins and consequences go well beyond the borders of individual countries. It is also a region with many human assets and resource endowments, and some of the most dynamic economies in the world. Despite its numerous challenges, the Horn of Africa offers significant potential to address cross-border issues that can help transform its countries and the region. This paper describes a World Bank Group (WBG) initiative to address some of the key drivers of instability in the HoA and promote development in the area. The initiative is intended to build on and complement the large country and regional programs the WBG and other partners are already supporting in the HoA, bringing value by addressing a number of issues which demand cross-border collaborative solutions to reducing fragility and instability. The central rationale to this initiative is that WBG cannot effectively support the elimination of extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity in the region without engaging more intensively and creatively in addressing very difficult development problems...

This report was produced for the Global Program on Forced Displacement and describes why and how to conduct political economy analysis (PEA) of forced displacement. It also illustrates how PEA may contribute to understanding forced displacement crises with nine case studies: Casamance (Senegal), Colombia, Cote dapos;Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe. Forced displacement is understood here as a situation where persons are forced to leave or flee their homes due to conflict, violence, or human rights violations. The key elements of forced displacement PEAs include: i) a review of the historical context and displacement characteristics; ii) durable solutions prospects; iii) environmental, geographic, social, political, and economic drivers, constraints and opportunities; (iv) needs of the displaced and hosts; v) existing policies, government/institutional context, and operations; and vi) recommendations. Recommendations on development policies and programs that result from a PEA characteristically fall into at least four categories...

CONTENTS: EDITOR'S NOTES, page 3. FEATURES: Making good news happen for Papua New Guinea / Father Jan Czuba, page 4. Clever people solving difficult problems: Perspectives on weakness of the state and the nation in Papua New Guinea / Anthony J Regan, page 6. COMMUNITY-LEVEL AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT - Agriculture in Papua New Guinea: More good news than bad / R Michael Bourke, page 13. Blue Corner Farm Business Group: A successful model of community development / Steven Pupune, page 17. Development of Pacific Spices: A small producer, buyer and exporter spice venture / Theresa Arek, page 19. Marketed fresh food: A successful part of the Papua New Guinea economy / R Michael Bourke, page 22. Marketing fresh food in Papua New Guinea: The Alele story / Graeme Ross, page 25. How Papua New Guinea villagers survived the 1997 drought and frosts / R Michael Bourke, page 27. SELF-RELIANCE IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH - Models for successful rural development / Hartmut Holzknecht, page 30. Nanak mutuk: Development through self-reliance in the Burum Valley / Tingneo Mandan with Hartmut Holznecht, page 33. Sustainable rural development: Lower Waria shows the way / Sasa Zibe Kokino, page 37. Incorporated land groups: A step towards rural development? / Lorna Brew...

To follow up country work supported by the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing, the World Bank Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support projects to scale up the promotion of handwashing with soap (HWWS) in Peru, Senegal, Tanzania, and Vietnam. The major project objectives of the handwashing Initiative are: (i) inculcate the HWWS habit among millions of mothers and children in these countries; (ii) use a strong monitoring and evaluation (M&E) component to enhance the conceptualizing and management of such programs; and (iii) establish sustainable programs that will continue and expand after this four-year grant ends. Evaluation of actual impact on knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding HWWS shows some positive and some inconclusive findings. However, the study team feels that much excellent groundwork for the expanded program in Peru has been solidly laid by efforts to date and that, in combination with strong political will from the national government and a certain level of guaranteed funding...

The handloom weaving project is an undertaking of the women of Dayawan, Marawi City of Philippines, implemented by the Philippine Foundation for Resource Management (PFRM) with financial support from the Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program (PACAP) in cooperation with the local government and the department of trade and industry. The project is a unique venture strengthening both the private sector development and women's empowerment. It has also contributed to the peace and development initiatives in the autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao. Handloom weaving has now become the center of today's thriving local economy of Dayawan. This home-based handloom weaving project has revived, preserved, and further developed a centuries-old tradition and industry. But in order for this cultural heritage to guarantee a living, concrete economic benefits should be felt by the weavers and their families. This project has proved its economic viability and financial profitability. Slowly it is being mainstreamed into the market. It has diversified its products and mainstreamed its product base to more utilitarian and consumer items such as bags...

This Country Economic Memorandum is the first economic report in a decade. It gives priority to updating knowledge about the evolution of social and economic developments during the 1990s. It reviewareas of progress in macroeconomic reforms and the lack of success in governance and institutional reforms. Substantial reforms were undertaken in this period , but the civil war continued to have a serious negative impact on Sudan's people and its economic prospects. While the results of the reforms have been promising, particularly in the area of macroeconomic stabilization and liberalization, the distribution of economic wealth needs to improve. Although there has not been any national household survey since 1978, social indicators point to low levels of welfare throughout Sudan, with some indicators well below those in Sub-Saharan Africa. among the many issues facing the Sudanese economy are these: There has been high growth but skewed distribution. Stabilization has been costly in social terms: expenditures were cut by more than 50 percent relative to gross domestic product (GDP)...

This Country Economic Memorandum is the first economic report in a decade. It gives priority to updating knowledge about the evolution of social and economic developments during the 1990s. It reviewareas of progress in macroeconomic reforms and the lack of success in governance and institutional reforms. Substantial reforms were undertaken in this period , but the civil war continued to have a serious negative impact on Sudan's people and its economic prospects. While the results of the reforms have been promising, particularly in the area of macroeconomic stabilization and liberalization, the distribution of economic wealth needs to improve. Although there has not been any national household survey since 1978, social indicators point to low levels of welfare throughout Sudan, with some indicators well below those in Sub-Saharan Africa. among the many issues facing the Sudanese economy are these: There has been high growth but skewed distribution. Stabilization has been costly in social terms: expenditures were cut by more than 50 percent relative to gross domestic product (GDP)...

The purpose of this report is to provide the reader with an overview of some of the issues relating to women and information and communication technology (ICT) in the developing world in contrast to the developed world. Where possible, men's engagement will be added also as a contrast, but the focus of this working paper is on women, not gender. This is not to suggest that a focus on gender is not of value, it is. But understanding the unique perspectives of women is the first step in addressing the larger issues of diversity and, specifically, gender, which has started to receive much attention from other organizations. This paper presents how and why ICT impact women and men differently and the implications of women's lack of engagement, participation, and leadership in the knowledge society through ICT for business and development. The paper will also highlight examples of best practices and weaknesses in assumed best practices to provide opportunities for full scale execution of efforts to achieve measurable outcomes in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). An important focus is the need to move many of the carefully incubated gender policies and initiatives...

This report presents the results of the study on the demobilization and reinsertion of excombatants from illegal armed groups in Colombia. The report describes and analyzes the Colombian case, compares it with international experience, discusses critical issues of the current program, and presents options to improve its design and implementation. The study responds to a request by the Colombian government to conduct an assessment of the previous and current approaches to demobilization and reinsertion in Colombia and, in light of national and international experience, to present options to improve the program. This study relied principally on secondary data and information from existing studies, essays, and press articles produced by government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, United Nations and bilateral agencies, specialized analysts, and media. The analysis also used primary information collected for the study, including: (1) information from interviews with government and non-government sources about the current condition of individuals demobilized during the 1990s; (2) the profiles of a sample of young excombatants (18-26 years old) enrolled in the current reinsertion program in Medellin and Bogota; (3) the assessment of the demobilization and reinsertion experience of the 1990s as viewed by leaders of existing foundations from four of the demobilized groups; and (4) a special work session held with 50 representatives from diverse private-sector associations and businesses. This study assesses Colombia's experience using a framework of five interwoven phases from armed conflict to peace: prevention...

The objective of this economic sector work (ESW) is to address these gaps by piloting a methodology capable of quickly and cost-effectively introducing into adaptation planning processes an appreciation of the significance of climate change impacts for poor people in informal urban settlements. Specifically in the two case study sites (Mombasa in Kenya and Esteli in Nicaragua) sought to: a) make visible climate change impacts of various kinds on poor people; b) illustrate what poor households, small businesses and groups in communities are doing to cope with such climate change impacts (experienced as increasingly variable and capricious weather patterns); and c) identify how policy and institutional systems can best build on local realities to develop pro-poor urban climate change adaptation actions, particularly relating to resilience. The report introduces an asset-based framework to analyze the vulnerability of urban poor people to severe weather events whose frequency or intensity climate change may be increasing...

This document presents the recently elected Colombian administration with a set of policy notes meant to enrich the debate around critical issues affecting the country's development. These notes build mostly upon existing research and represent the Bank's independent view on topics which are either at the crux of ongoing policy discussions or merit a more prominent place in this dialogue. This window of opportunity provides a very favorable setting for advancing aggressive interventions to further alleviate poverty and inequality. Even as a country with a long history of solid growth and stable democratic institutions, poverty remains a critical issue for Colombia. Years of consistent economic growth throughout the 1980s and early 1990s lifted many out of poverty, but the macroeconomic crisis at the end of the 1990s eradicated more than a decade of progress. The notes have been grouped around four strategic issues: challenges and constraints for the reform process, investing in people, laying the foundations for competitiveness...

This World Bank Annual Report for FY2006 notes that the past year saw both progress and continued challenges in the global fight against poverty and inequality. The Report discusses the following topical highlights: Debt relief for the poorest countries; targeting development in Africa; addressing governance and anticorruption issues globally; improving partnerships with the international community; quick responses to potential avian flu outbreaks; and disaster relief. There were 112 IBRD projects totaling $14.1 billion. The top three sectors for lending were Law and Justice and Public Administration; Transportation; and Energy and Mining. As for IDA concessional lending, 167 projects totaled $9.5 billion. The top three Sectors were Law and Justice and Public Administration; Transportation; and Health and Other Social Services. Non-lending Activities comprises 307 technical assistance activities; and 601 economic and sector work products. There were 16 major evaluations by the Independent Evaluation Group reviewing the Bank's performance on a range of activities including country assistance...

Presented in this study are nine development initiatives in six less developed countries - Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Timor Leste and Uganda. The cases show that development initiatives, which engage local communities and local level governments, are often able to have significant impact. However, for more substantial improvements to take places, localized gains need to be scaled up either horizontally (other localities) or vertically (to higher levels). Given the advantages of working at the local level and the difficulty of working through mainstream bureaucratic agencies at higher levels in these countries, donors often prefer to create 'parallel-agencies' to reach out to larger numbers of beneficiaries. However, this may in the long run weaken the legitimacy of mainstream government institutions, and donor agencies may therefore choose to work as closely as possible with government officials from the beginning to build trust and demonstrating that new initiatives are non-threatening and help prepare the eventual mainstreaming of parallel agencies.

El presente trabajo es un estudio de caso simple sobre el programa Iniciativas Locales de Paz de la Pastoral Social de Soacha. La investigación se realizó con un enfoque de género, mediante la aplicación del modelo de Construcción de Paz de Jean Paul Lederach y bajo la conceptualización de Paz Positiva de Johan Galtung. El estudio es de carácter cualitativo y se realizó con el fin de identificar los factores que producen el desarrollo del programa, la participación única de mujeres en él y los alcances del proceso para marcar una diferencia en la vida de sus participantes y su comunidad.; This work is a simple case study about the Pastoral Social Soacha s program Iniciativas Locales de Paz. The research was conducted with a gender focus, by applying Jean Paul Lederach s Peace Building model and under Johan Galtung s conceptualization of positive peace. The study is qualitative and it was conducted in order to identify the factors that enable the development of the program, the only women's participation and the scope of the process to make a difference in the lives of its participants and their community.