The Commonwealth

Reality Check

John Nellis

Throughout the 1990's, privatization of inefficient state-owned enterprises was strongly embraced in developing and transitional economies. Little attention has gone to the distributional implications of the privatization movement, a particularly surprising oversight given the current backlash in many settings against further privatization. This book offers a comprehensive set of country-specific studies on the effects of privatization on people—winners and losers in different income, employment, and education groups. The studies analyze the changes in public tax revenue from privatized enterprises, shifts in pension and other liabilities, and changes in income of different groups. Contributors include David McKenzie (Stanford University), Dilip Mookherjee (Boston University), Gover Barja (Universidad Católica Boliviana, La Paz), Miguel Urquiola (Columbia University), Samuel Freije (Universidad de Las Américas in Puebla, Mexico), Luis A. Rivas (Ministry of Finance and Central Bank of Nicaragua), Máximo Torero, Enrique Schroth, and Alberto Pasco Font (Group of Analysis for Development [GRADE], Lima), Roberto Macedo (University of São Paulo, Presbyterian Mackenzie University, and Foundation Institute of Economic Research, São Paolo), Antonio Estache (World Bank), Michael Bleyzer and Edi Segura (SigmaBleyzer Corporation), Gary H. Jefferson, (Brandeis University), Su Jian (Brandeis and Peking Universities), Jiang Yuan and Yu Xinhua (National Bureau of Statistics, Beijing), and Malathy Knight-John and P.P.A. Wasantha (Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka).

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781933286006
• Publication Date: Oct 2005
• Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5-7 Working Days

Overcoming Stagnation in Aid-Dependent Countries

Nicolas van de Walle

In this book, Nicolas Van de Walle identifies 26 countries that are extremely poor and grew little if at all in the 1990s. His sample excludes North Korea and countries where civil war explains some of their failure to grow (Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tajikistan and others). The 26 countries have limited infrastructure and human capital and the small size of their markets deter private savings and investment. Aid was meant to help overcome these problems, and these countries received a lot. Yet they have failed to grow. What is wrong? Is foreign aid a solution or part of the problem? What changes might make aid more effective? Given these countries require the financial and technical resources of the West, why haven't aid programs made a difference? Van de Walle blames their economic failure mostly on the venality and incompetence of their political leadership. He analyzes the contradictions and tensions faced by the aid community in poorly run countries, providing a sobering analysis of the perverse effects of aid where the politics is all wrong. Too often, resources provided by foreign aid keep the wrong government in office, and undermine adoption of economic as well as political reforms. Bad government combined with aid, in short, hurts poor countries – and particularly the poorest people in those countries. Despite good intentions, little progress has been made in implementing announced "reforms" of the aid business itself. A constituency for reform is lacking, in the donor countries and in the recipient countries, where those in power benefit from the status quo.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781933286013
• Publication Date: Mar 2005
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Making Markets for Vaccines

Ruth Levine

Making a commitment in advance to buy vaccines if and when they are developed would create incentives for industry to increase investment in research and development. New commercial investment would complement funding of research and development by public and charitable bodies, accelerating the development of vital new vaccines for the developing world. This report presents the proposal from theory to practice, by showing how a commitment can be consistent with ordinary legal and budgetary principles. By creating arrangements that devote the same scientific effort to diseases of the poor as we put into diseases of the rich, we can make a lasting contribution to the defeat of poverty.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781933286020
• Publication Date: Apr 2005
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Short of the Goal

Nancy Birdsall

Failed states are at greatest risk for collapse and pose an urgent threat to international security. Yet, ironically, new U.S. foreign assistance programs such as the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) routinely bypass these poorly performing countries, while providing increased aid to so-called good performers. This volume provides a lucid account of failed states that are ineligible for this new assistance, thus residing "on the other side of the MCA." The first part analyzes U.S. policy toward the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Indonesia, Yemen, Myanmar, and Central America in order to examine the fundamental causes of poor performance. The second part examines the role of specific U.S. policy instruments in building state capacity to prevent deterioration and collapse. Uncovering one of the most recognizable, yet poorly understood, trends in the developing world, Short of the Goal sets an important agenda for increased American engagement with failed states to promote both development and security in the developing world.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781933286051
• Publication Date: May 2006
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Africa's Private Sector

Vijaya Ramachandran

Why is business performance lagging in Africa? To provide answers, this volume focuses on the day-to-day problems that private sector managers and entrepreneurs there encounter. Through enterprise surveys conducted in several African countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, these businesspeople identify poor infrastructure—particularly the lack of a reliable source of power—as a huge constraint on private sector activity.Politics also plays a key role in limiting the success of African businesses. Many countries there have private sectors that are ethnically segmented or dominated by ethnic minorities or both. Segmented networks in already sparse economic environments limit competition, encourage an ambivalent attitude toward facilitating a good business environment, and constrain the growth of firms outside the dominant network. Consequently, Africa has yet to see the emergence of a broad-based business class. Africa's Private Sector identifies several solutions to address both the infrastructure and political economy constraints hampering business growth in Africa.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781933286280
• Publication Date: Jan 2009
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Performance Incentives for Global Health

Rena Eichler

This volume demonstrates how incentives can improve the delivery and use of health services in low- and middle-income countries. The authors describe the rationale for introducing incentives tied to achievement of specific health-related targets, and they provide clear guidance about designing, implementing, and evaluating programs that provide incentives to health care providers and patients. A set of case studies focuses on recent uses of incentives addressing a range of health conditions in diverse countries. In particular, these studies emphasize how explicit incentives can be used to strengthen weak health systems.The book will be of use to policymakers and program managers in both developing countries and the donor community interested in improving health outcomes through the strategic use of performance-based incentives.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781933286297
• Publication Date: Apr 2009
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Beyond Lending

Guillermo Perry

When he began this book in early 2008, Guillermo Perry argued that developing countries remained highly vulnerable to external risks such as commodity price declines, capital flow reversals, and natural disasters. The economic crisis that has since ensued confirmed Perry's analysis. It has also made his proposal more important than ever: multilateral development banks (MDBs) should move beyond lending to provide innovative risk-management tools for developing countries to manage volatility. The risk that MDBs will fall into complacency as the short-term demand for traditional loans increases during the crisis should not deter innovations to ensure long-term stability.Contents1. Causes and Consequences of High Volatility in Developing Countries2. The Role of Financial Insurance and Hedging3. Dealing with Liquidity Shocks and the Procyclicality of Private Capital Flows4. Dealing with Currency Risks5. Dealing with Commodity Price, Terms of Trade, and Output Risks6. Dealing with Natural Disaster Risks7. Why Multilateral Development Bank Practices Are So Far from Their Potential8. An Agenda Going Forward

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781933286327
• Publication Date: May 2009
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Oil to Cash

Todd Moss

What should a country do if it suddenly discovers oil and gas? How should it spend the subsequent cash windfall? How can it protect against corruption? How can citizens truly benefit from national wealth? With many of the world's poorest and most fragile states suddenly joining the ranks of oil and gas producers, these are pressing policy questions. Oil to Cash explores one option that may help avoid the so-called resource curse: just give the money directly to citizens. A universal, transparent, and regular cash transfer would not only provide a concrete benefit to regular people, but would also create powerful incentives for citizens to hold their government accountable. Oil to Cash details how and where this idea could work and how policymakers can learn from the experiences with cash transfers in places like Mexico, Mongolia, and Alaska.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781933286693
• Publication Date: Jun 2015
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Youth Work in the Commonwealth

Youth Work in the Commonwealth: A Growth Profession aims to help countries learn from good practices, and assess gaps in establishing youth work as a recognised profession in diverse contexts.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781849291736
• Publication Date: Sep 2017
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Changing the Law

Changing the Law: A Practical Guide to Law Reform is designed to provide practical assistance to users seeking to deliver high standard law reform outcomes. Using examples and experience from around the Commonwealth and beyond, it guides users through each phase of a successful reform, from initiation to final implementation.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781849291743
• Publication Date: Nov 2017
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Judicial Resource Book on Violence Against Women for Asia

Niaz A. Shah

The Judicial Resource Book on Violence Against Women for Asia deepens our understanding of the forms of VAWG and raises awareness of the role that the judiciary can play in tackling them. It can be used by judicial officers and other professionals to promote justice and fairness in the judicial process for women who have been victims of violence.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781849291750
• Publication Date: Mar 2018
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Small States Economic Review and Basic Statistics, Volume 20

Small States: Economic Review and Basic Statistics is a flagship publication of the Commonwealth Secretariat highlighting the development indicators of small states and disseminating knowledge on their economic performance.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781849291774
• Publication Date: Apr 2018
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A Handbook for Gender-Inclusive Elections in Commonwealth Africa

A Handbook for Gender-Inclusive Elections in Commonwealth Africa: Achieving 50:50 by 2030 reviews the systems, legislation and best practice that will need to be implemented and effectively monitored to get more women into politics and help to realise Sustainable Development Goal 5 – achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781849291781
• Publication Date: Apr 2018
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Key Principles of Public Sector Reforms

Joan Nwasike

This book contains case studies from Cameroon, Ghana, Grenada, India, Kenya, Rwanda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania and Trinidad and Tobago on the policy reforms, strategies and methodologies that support national priorities and greater policy coherence for sustained development and growth.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781849291811
• Publication Date: Aug 2018
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The Economic Cost of Violence Against Women and Girls

A framework to assess the economic cost of violence against women and girls that captures linkages and secondary effects to assess the full impact of VAWG. Data gathered will be useful for reporting on SDG5 and SDG16, assess national statistical systems, and measure progress across all of the SDGs in a manner that is inclusive and fair.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781849291873
• Publication Date: Jul 2019
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Least Developed Country Transition

Jodie Keane

Progress made in the Least Developed Counties (LDCs) in the Commonwealth will contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To this end, this book identifies areas in which international support measures could be improved to reduce economic vulnerability in Bangladesh, Mozambique and Solomon Islands.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781849291910
• Publication Date: Mar 2020
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