In 1983 Korea dramatically changed the way it managed the largest and most important group of its public enterprises, or GIEs. The reforms increased enterprise autonomy, changed managerial selection procedures, and began systematically to evaluate performance and provide incentives on the basis...

As cities in developing countries grow, the need to meet increasing demand for urban infrastructure services has become an important policy problem. Failure to respond adequately affects productivity and the quality of life in those cities. In order to make the Bank's lending programs in this...

Roughly 100 public enterprises in developing countries are using contract plans - negotiated performance agreements between the government/owner and the enterprises'managers or directors. Contract plans have not improved the financial performance of public enterprises dramatically. The process...

Just as the steam engine was the driving force behind the Industrial Revolution, broadband Internet is today seen as critical to the transition to knowledge-intensive economies across the world. As a general purpose technology, broadband Internet is considered as a fundamental driver of economic...

This report aims to provide an objective assessment of the condition of Rwanda's infrastructure sectors and of the institutional and policy frameworks that are associated with them. It also provides a clear route map for infrastructure sector reform, as well as highlighting both the...

The Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) reference guide seeks to provide advice on what PPP practitioners should know, rather than provide advice on what to do. The guide sets out the main topics, looks at the key issues that must be addressed, and provides what we consider the most important...

The purpose of this handbook is to bring together in a single source guiding principles and tools that will promote sustainable microfinance and create viable institutions. It provides a comprehensive source for the design, implementation, evaluation, and management of microfinance activities....

The development story in Vietnam in recent years has been one of remarkable progress (Dollar 2002). Over the 1990s, the economy doubled and the incidence of poverty declined by half. Although these are indeed notable achievements, they are but the first steps across a difficult terrain. About 30...

The International Financial Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries. This report summarizes IFC’s role in helping the private sector create jobs and opportunity in...

This annual report of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) summarizes the innovation and leadership roles in the private sector during fiscal year 2012. The IFC invested a record $20.4 billion in 103 developing countries, reflecting a doubling of annual commitments over the last five...