World Bank: 627 books

The book contributes to answering the questions raised by mayors, governors, and federal government officials in Brazil: "What can cities do to improve economic performance and create jobs?" The question is approached through a review of theories and policy options for city competitiveness, preliminary...

The Broadband Strategies Handbook is a guide for policymakers, regulators, and other relevant stakeholders as they address issues related to broadband development. It aims to help readers, particularly those in developing countries, by identifying issues and challenges in broadband development, analyzing...

High fertility and declining mortality rates have led to a very young population in most Sub-Saharan African countries. The region?s labor force is expected to increase by 11 million people per year over the next 10 years. Most of this increase will be new entrants seeking their first job. While the...

The Municipal Finance Handbook aims to help local government practitioners, particularly staff of medium and large cities, improve strategic management of municipal finances. The demands for pragmatic knowledge are fueled in part by decentralization and fiscal pressures, as transfer of responsibilities...

This survey assembles recent theoretical and empirical advances in the literature on economic informality and analyzes the causes and costs of informality in developed and developing economies. Using recent evidence, the survey discusses the nature and roots of informal economic activity across countries,...

Performance-based financing (PBF) approaches have expanded rapidly in lower-and middle income countries, and especially in Africa. The number of countries has grown from three in 2006 to 32 in 2013. PBF schemes are flourishing and cause considerable demand for technical assistance in executing these...

Promoting women's economic empowerment is increasingly seen as one of the most important driving forces behind economic growth and the fight against poverty. Women's economic participation as entrepreneurs, employees, and leaders is recognized as a measure of a country's dynamism and viability.This main...

Poverty reduction is deemed to be a centerpiece of the Doha Development Agenda currently being negotiated under the auspices of the WTO. Yet there is considerable debate about the poverty impacts of such an agreement. Some are convinced it will increase poverty, while others are equally convinced that...

For humanitarian reasons and the concern for households' economic and health security, the health sector is at the center of global development policy. Developing countries and the international community are scaling up health systems to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and are improving...

The authors examine the challenges facing Africa's youth in their transition from school to working life, and propose a strategy for meeting these challenges. Topics covered include the effect of education on employment and income, broadening employment opportunities, and enhancing youth capabilities....

For anyone wanting to learn, in practical terms, how to measure, describe, monitor, evaluate, and analyze poverty, the Handbook is the place to start. Designed initially to support training courses on poverty analysis, it consists of explanatory text with numerous examples, interspersed with multiple-choice...

Education is often seen as a fundamental means to improve economic prospects for individuals from low income settings. However even with increased emphasis on basic education for all many individuals fail to achieve basic skills to succeed in life. The book presents evidence that one core reason is that...

Early childhood development outcomes play an important role throughout a person's life, affecting one's income-earning capacity and productivity, longevity, health, and cognitive ability. The deleterious effects of poor early childhood development outcomes can be long-lasting, affecting school attainment,...

This study analyzes the current educational attainment and school enrollment status of youth, as well as the formal and informal post-secondary educational and training opportunities available to them. The study uses the results of a simulation model that incorporates enrollment in alternative education...