The adequacy of retirement incomes is a central goal of all types of pension system. In defined contribution pension plans, the benefit depends on the amount of money paid in, the investment returns earned, and the amount fund managers charge for administering accounts and investing the assets....

There is a widespread perception that public pension systems in richer countries are in crisis. As schemes mature and the population ages, the burden of financing pensions has grown and, on current policies, will rise much further. Developing countries are younger and pension systems relatively...

Somalia has lacked a recognized government since 1991-an unusually long time. In extremely difficult conditions the private sector has demonstrated its much-vaunted capability to make do. To cope with the absence of the rule of law, private enterprises have been using foreign jurisdictions or...

This Note looks at systems some governments have used to transform unsolicited proposals for private infrastructure projects into competitively tendered projects. It focuses on the policies that Chile, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and South Africa have adopted for managing such...

The handwashing handbook advocates handwashing-with-soap programs to fight the spread of disease. It covers the following components: laying the foundation for a National Handwashing Program; understanding the consumer; and implementing the program. The handbook explains how to research consumer...

This report evaluates the role, operational models and identifies good practices of programs that seek to accelerate innovative entrepreneurship by managing, nurturing and leveraging social and business networks. The report discusses the role of venture acceleration networks, using networks to...

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...

The five main lessons for Southern Africa from our review of the experiencewith cross-border power trading in other regions of the work are that: Security of supply concerns need to be explicitly addressed and understood by the parties to proposed cross-border transactions. Regional entities...

This report discusses Mongolia's increasing dependence on mining revenues and the associated vulnerability to boom and bust economic cycles, and calls for special attention to governance in mining resource management. It seeks to identify can be learned from the experiences of other mineral...

In today's global environment, countries face various shocks, such as natural hazards, economic and health crises, conflict, violence, and forced displacement. Disasters triggered by natural hazards cause billions of dollars in damage per year, and these disasters, and their costs, are...