This book focuses on identifying the potential benefits of a holistic, cross-sectoral development driven approach to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and how it relates to economic development and competitiveness for Sri Lanka. This volume, the first of two about moving e-Sri Lanka...

While each country's judiciary is unique in its individual needs, capabilities and contexts, the lessons learned from Singapore's success can help guide judicial reform initiatives regionally as well as globally. No one would suggest that Singapore's strategy is a magic formula that if followed...

This book contributes to the debate about the role of agriculture in poverty reduction by addressing three sets of questions: Does investing in agriculture enhance/harm overall economic growth, and if so, under what conditions? Do poor people tend to participate more/less in growth in...

This book argues for the urgent need for countries to move forward aggressively on adopting and upgrading quality and standards. The focus is on developing countries, many of which are lagging in the race for standards adoption, and within that category, on middle-income countries. The book...

This edited volume brings together the papers presented at the conference, "Rethinking the Role of Jobs for Shared Growth," held in Washington, DC, in June 2006. The common theme is that of mobility in the labor market. As growth is related to sectoral shifts in economic activity, the mobility...

Increasing access to rural finance is often the last frontier for financial sector development in developing countries. Financial institutions aiming to operate in rural areas in these countries usually have to deal with high transaction costs, low population densities, remote areas, and a heavy...

Today, one of the central tenets of development is the necessity for learning about and building upon stakeholders' and beneficiaries' insights, needs, culture, social organization, resources and active participation. This publication clarifies the myriad approaches to social research being used...

Following the 1998 financial crisis, four out of every ten people slipped into poverty, not able to meet basic needs. Luckily, post-crisis economic rebound was impressive and broad-based, albeit uneven across sectors and regions. This title explores the nature of poverty, both nationally and...

The overall goal of this report is to give strategic focus to implementation of the agricultural water management (AWM) components of the corporate strategies. Its specific objectives are to set out the changing context of demand and supply for agricultural water; to identify the policy,...

Over the past two decades China's growth has been rapid, social indicators have improved, and poverty levels have inched downward. However, widening inequality, increasing resource and financial imbalances, and growing environmental concerns provide China with daunting challenges in improving...