The 2020 Africa Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) report covers the period from January to December 2019. The addition of Somalia brought the number of the region's International Development Association (IDA)-eligible countries to 39. The overall CPIA score for the region's 39...

Moldova, like many other countries in the region, is facing rapid economic and demographic transitions. Employers report that inadequate levels of workforce skills hamper their productivity. Recognizing the importance of workforce development to improve the country's socioeconomic prospects, the...

Demand-driven training (DDT) and results-based contracting (RBC) are two mechanisms used to enhance the effectiveness and impact of skill training programs. DDT links skills development explicitly with the job market, typically through employer engagement. Private sector employers define what...

This paper interprets case studies, and theory on community involvement in beneficiary selection, and benefit delivery for social safety nets. Several considerations should be carefully balanced in assessing the advantages of using community groups as targeting agents. First, benefits from...

There is a growing consensus among development practitioners that participatory mechanisms are necessary in securing the success of development projects. Through the lens of social funds this paper looks at the concept of social capital in order to explain why participation is crucial for...

The objective of this ASA was 'to develop policy recommendations for the Russian Federation based on a detailed analysis of the returns to education and identification of feasible pathways for robust growth in Russia's human capital wealth'. The second part of identifying feasible pathways was...

Human capital is a crucial factor of economic development. As stated in Mongolia's vision 2050, the country has so far relied heavily on its natural resources for development. It puts the human development in the center of its strategy, envisioning that children and youth will be educated at...

Niger earns its foreign exchange mainly from uranium and gold, which has limited domestic economic linkages. Distant second, livestock export also provide important revenue to the country. Overall, most of the labor force is employed in a low productivity and shock prone rainfed agricultural...

This report provides an up-to-date, holistic reference on the state of women in Lebanon against the broader perspective of general development outcomes while taking into consideration the multiple crises the country is facing. The report presents a data-driven analysis of three key dimensions of...

This poverty assessment aims to inform poverty-focused policymaking in Chad. The report examines recent trends in poverty, inequality, and other social indicators and identifies key constraints on poverty reduction. Although agriculture, pastoralism, and related activities provide livelihoods...