Commerce, in its pre-industrial form, consisted overwhelmingly of one-to-one relationships. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, however, technological and political advances led to the outsourcing and offshoring of many of the activities necessary for the production of goods....

Over five decades of economic and technical assistance to the countries of Africa and the Middle East have failed to improve the life prospects for over 1.4 billion people who remain vulnerable. Billions of dollars have been spent on such assistance and yet little progress has been made....

<P>This book explains the necessary building blocks of economic coherence. It then develops a diagnostic approach to demonstrate how to identify impediments to the efficient functioning of essential economic processes. Finally, the book contains an extensive treatment of the policy-reform process,...</p>

1. From convergence to coherence : the new development opportunity -- 2. On economic coherence -- 3. Contending with economic incoherence : the notional state -- 4. Creating coherence : the role of institutions -- 5. Policy reform as institutional innovation -- 6. The diagnostic imperative -- 7....