It is generally believed that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can empower teachers and learners, promote change and foster the development of '21st century skills, but data to support these beliefs are still limited. There is widespread belief that ICTs can and will empower...

Client feedback surveys in Africa indicate that the Bank's performance requires strengthening with regard to (a) respect for local cultures, (b) adaptation of knowledge to the local context and (c) incorporation of local knowledge into development efforts. They would like to see greater...

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) include benchmarks related to children's health and sanitation. Government and non-governmental organizations working to meet these goals by 2015 continue to face many challenges. Learning about effective approaches that result in sustainable behavior...

This learning note prepares policymakers to engage with their technical experts and staff in designing and implementing an evidence-informed response to the challenges of existing and future slum settlements. To that end, the note discusses a set of indicators and data analysis techniques needed...

People in many parts of North Macedonia are exposed to more toxic particulate matter air pollution than their neighbors in Western Europe. The burning of solid fuels for heating in homes and other buildings is a main driver of high ambient concentrations of particulate matter air pollution,...

People in many parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) are exposed to more toxic particulate matter (PM) air pollution than their neighbors in Western Europe. This is especially true for residents in urban areas, such as Sarajevo. The burning of solid fuels - often of poor quality - for domestic...

The main objective of this report is to present the Government of Chile with policy options related to the institutional distribution of roles and responsibilities for effective quality assurance in education. Following the introduction, the report is structured as follows. Chapter II presents...

The study sought to assist governments in introducing school-focused programming into reforms of primary education. The included: (i) an assessment of how well 26 World Bank-assisted project designs for primary education met criteria for educational effectiveness; (ii) the preparation of a...

The paper is part of a program to provide support to a major recommendation in the Philippine Review of Standards and Codes on Accounting and Auditing (ROSC-A&A). The ROSC-A&A brought out that there were major improvements in the accounting and auditing scene since the last assessment made in...

Bulgaria has undertaken several significant health sector reforms during the past decade, but a large unfinished policy agenda remains. Compared to other EU countries, the share of out-of-pocket spending is significantly higher in Bulgaria, while government spending on health is relatively low....