This publication aims to help donors, creditors and investors evaluate the performance, condition and risk of individual microfinance institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, in hopes of strengthening the microfinance industry and building the microenterprise sector. It provides concrete...

The purpose of this paper is fourfold. First, it seeks to highlight the general characteristics of the microenterprise sector and the microfinance industry in the Anglophone Caribbean. Second, it will examine the main factors that help explain the differences in the development of sustainable...

This paper discusses the main ideas of the cluster literature and the more established modern economic thought. Based on the economic analysis, it proposes an evaluation methodology with a strong emphasis on the economic impact of the programs. The paper provides an additional set of indicators...

Cement manufacturing is an energy-intensive process, requiring high fuel consumption to operate cement kilns, which in turn generates carbon dioxide (CO2). These Guidelines aim to provide clear and quantitative Minimum Climate Change Performance Criteria necessary for IDB to support projects, as...

This paper discusses the conditions under which policy-based lending may further economic development within a Latin American and Caribbean context, given the current state of financial markets in most countries of the region. The discussion is intended as a conclusion to the articles presented...

The purpose of this paper is to analyze a program that extends credit cards to agricultural input suppliers and rural producers in Costa Rica and to determine whether this program is financially viable and potentially replicable in other rural areas of Latin America. A credit card program is...

This paper discusses infrastructure investment and the need for private financing, in turn with the trend of pension fund reform. This paper outlines the conditions under which sources and uses of long-term resources can meet and focusing the attention of both parties to the benefits of a...

The central objective of this discussion paper is to present a simple explanation of recent financial crises and, on that basis, to discuss some policy options for individual countries. Systemic policies are not discussed. More emphasis is put on understanding the nature of these crises than on...

This paper emphasizes that the label PPP (public-private partnerships) covers almost all arrangements, as there is always some private and public involvement. PPP is a continuum of options that accommodate the public and private contributions. This paper emphasizes the different structures that...

This paper seeks to measure the impact on small businesses in Chile of the Seed Capital Program implemented by Chile's Technical Cooperation Services (Servicio de Cooperación Técnica SERCOTEC). The results are mixed. On the one hand, the impact of sales is positive but its statistical...