The global knowledge economy is transforming the demands of the labor market in economies worldwide. It is placing new demands on citizens, who need more skills and knowledge to function in their day-to-day lives than can be acquired in formal education systems alone. Lifelong learning from early childhood to retirement is education for the knowledge economy, and it is as crucial in transition and developing economies as it is in the developed world. A roadmap for policymakers in developing countries to the key issues and challenges of education in a knowledge economy, this book explores the...

There are approximately one billion adult illiterates in the world. Adult literacy programs in developing countries are often ineffectual and rather limited outcomes. To improve outcomes, much emphasis has been given to empowering nongovernmental organizations, increasing learner motivation, and reinforcing social benefits. This book summarizes the pertinent cognitive and neuropsychological research using layman terms and attempts to apply it to the acquisition of adult literacy. It presents issues and ideas on designing adult literacy programs that support human memory functions as...

Recent corporate scandals highlight the importance of both public sector initiatives and sound internal company policies in the fight against fraud and corruption. Policymakers, international organizations, and advocacy groups all agree these supply-side anti-corruption efforts are a critical component of the anti-corruption tool kit. This book, based on research conducted by the World Bank and the Conference Board, describes the efforts of Western and Asian companies to develop good standards of business conduct in their East Asian operations. Case studies from a wide range of corporate...

This book, arising from over twenty years experience of working with the world's major faiths, draws extensively upon joint World Bank and ARC (Alliance of Religion and Conservation)/WWF (World Wildlife Fund for Nature) projects world wide. It shows, through stories, land management, myths, investment policies, legends, advocacy and celebration, the role the major faiths have, do and can play in making the world a better place. The major faiths are the oldest institutions in the world and have survived essentially because they are constantly evolving and changing. There is much to be learnt...

Many countries have undertaken public administration reform projects over the last ten to fifteen years. This book analyzes the experiences and outcomes of these reforms. The analysis starts with 'what was broken'; and then moves on to assess what reformers actually did and what they achieved and why reformers faced with similar problems in different countries in fact did very different things. The conclusion is that the level and type of reform activity was determined primarily by the degree of traction available to reformers--the leverage available to reformers and the malleability of basic...

Building Market Institutions in South Eastern Europe - a study of impediments to investment and private sector development in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, and Serbia and Montenegro - yields fundamentally new insights for improving the region's business environment, economic development, and prospects for growth. It focuses on four core topics: - Business competition and economic barriers to entry and exit - Access to regulated utilities and services - Corporate ownership, transparency of business accounts, and...

Ante la explosion demografica de las ciudades de los paises en desarrollo, el control de la gestion urbana se ha vuelto aun mas dificil debido a que las colectividades locales, a menudo no pudieron dotarse de los medios necesarios para hacer frente al crecimiento de la poblacion. En este contexto, los sistemas de identificacion de las vias y las construcciones no han seguido el ritmo de la urbanizacion, y en muchos paises la mayoria de calles no tienen ni nombre ni direccion, principalmente en los barrios mas pobres, produciendose asi una situacion preocupante para el funcionamiento de los...

Education for All, supported by the international community, emphasizes the importance of learning quality. This book focuses on the use of assessment to monitor and evaluate learning in Sub-Saharan African countries. It deals with four major aspects of educational assessment: public (external) examinations, national assessments of educational achievement levels, international assessments, and classroom assessment practices. Coverage of public examinations includes a review of their quality, their potential for leveraging reform, and their positive and negative impacts on the nature of...

The urbanization of Latin America has also lead to the urbanization of its poor. Today about half of the region's poor live in cities. Yet the phenomenon of urban poverty is not one that is well studied or well understood and policy makers across Latin America are increasingly interested in policy advice on how to design programs and policies to tackle poverty. 'Urban Poor in Latin America' argues that the causes of poverty, the nature of deprivation, and the policy levers to fight poverty are to a large extent site-specific. As such, the book looks at strategies to assist the urban poor in...

The Niger River Basin, home to 100 million people, is a vital yet complex asset for West and Central Africa. It is the continent's third largest river basin, traversing nine countries Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. The River embodies both these nations' livelihoods and their geopolitics. It is not simply water but rather an origin of identity, a route for migration and commerce, a source of conflict, and a catalyst for cooperation. Cooperation among decision-makers and users is crucial to address the threats to water resources. The Niger...