Strengthening the Regional Community-Driven Development Network in Africa in Fragility, Conflict and Violence Contexts Building upon a knowledge exchange that took place from 2017 to 2018, this knowledge exchange – with an extended scope and regional participation – had as objective to (a) deepen learning and the ties forged between Guinea and Cameroon CDD project teams, while extending the knowledge network to Burundi and across linguistic boundaries to Nigeria…

Health Sector Reform in Paraguay Paraguay operates a fragmented health care system with three major health provider networks namely the Ministry of Health, the Institute for Social Security and thirdly, a range of private sector providers. This fragmentation has led to inefficient resource allocation, duplication in service delivery and inequality in health service utilization…

Learning About School Leadership in Latin America and the Caribbean In the ongoing reforms of the education sector in Guatemala and Dominican Republic (DR), there have been challenges in achieving clarity and consensus on the role and responsibilities of school principals. Both Guatemala and DR also face challenges with capacity and technical knowledge needed to professionally develop school principals and school…

Strengthening Procurement Audit and Inspection of Public Investment Projects in Vietnam In the light of rapid economic growth and increasing investments, the Inspectorate Department of Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPII) faced challenges arising from an increased workload as well as integrity issues including fraud and corruption. Vietnam requested support from the World Bank in strengthening their procurement…

Participatory Local Development and Service Delivery in Francophone Africa The Governments of Cameroon, Guinea and Senegal (“the Governments”) have been pursuing a strategy of decentralization in tackling challenges of poverty, weak institutional capacity, and fragility. While these Governments have been considerably successful in supporting bottom-up local development in ongoing World Bank-funded projects, they have…

Improving eGovernment Services in Uzbekistan: Knowledge Exchange with Malaysia to Develop Policy and Regulatory Capacity The Government of Uzbekistan wanted to improve e-services to its citizens, businesses, and government for greater efficiency, data availability, and transparency. However, the Government lacked the appropriate regulatory and policy framework. Malaysia, among the leading countries in the developing world to embark upon implementing e-government…

Strengthening the Public Internal Control System and the Internal Audit Function in Brazil The economic recession in 2015 in Brazil was exacerbated by a weak public sector internal control system (PIC), which was not strong enough to curb corruption. Brazil, whose democratic constitution stemmed only from 1988, needed to learn to how to approach strengthening PIC. In response to Brazil’s request for assistance, the World Bank organized…

Decentralization and Local Government Development Exchange between Tunisia and Turkey The Government of Tunisia sought to move forward its decentralization agenda in response to citizens’ demands for more accountable, effective, and efficient government. To gain knowledge on how to best operationalize an ambitious agenda for decentralization and local government empowerment, the Government participated in a knowledge exchange with…

Promoting Accountable and Inclusive Institutions in Paraguay: Learning from Access to Information in Brazil, Chile and Uruguay With Paraguay’s Access to Information (ATI) Law recently approved, coordination of its implementation fell under the responsibility of the ATI Directorate of Paraguay. In order to address capacity gaps, this knowledge exchange with agencies from Brazil, Chile and Uruguay enabled the ATI Directorate to learn good practices. As a result, a strategic…

Fostering Information and Communication Technologies for Public Sector Reforms in Tajikistan The Government of Tajikistan aimed to develop a more transparent, accountable, and cost-effective government through the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) and turned to the World Bank’s South-South Facility for help.  India, Moldova, and Georgia were well on their way in developing their e-government systems and processes…

Strengthening Service Delivery by State-Owned Enterprises in Paraguay Paraguay undertook an exchange program with Chile and Peru to enhance the knowledge and skills of its decision-makers and technical staff to serve as input to develop an efficient state-owned enterprises (SOE) oversight system. Having learned from two of the most advanced oversight units of the SOE sector in Latin America, Paraguay is currently…

Improving Performance Audit Capacity in Indonesia: Toward a More Effective and Efficient Government Indonesia sought to improve performance audit capacity of its Supreme Audit Institution (BPK) by sharpening staff skills, revamping training modules, and building relationships with more developed auditing institutions. Indonesian delegates visited with counterparts in South Africa to discuss policies, guidelines, and training curricula; and…

Accelerating Economic Development through Improved Land Administration in Nicaragua Strong property rights crucial Uncertainty over land tenure can have several negative conse­quences. It hampers potential investments and land market transactions; generates conflict; and disproportionately affects poor rural farmers, indigenous communities, and especially poor women. Recognizing the importance of land tenure issues in…

Establishing e-Government Procurement in Vietnam: A Learning Tour with Chile on the Public-Private Partnership Process The Government of Vietnam wanted to establish e-government procurement (eGP) using a public-private partnership (PPP) model to improve government transparency.  However, Vietnam lacked the know-how for contracting with service providers who could install the e-system. Additionally there were no adequate regulations in place to govern the system.…

Strengthening Management of State-Owned Enterprises in Bolivia What was the objective of the South-South exchange? : The Bolivian Government sought to improve the management and regulation of state-owned enter­prises (SOE), which provide services in key sectors such as energy, transport, and communication. Boliv­ian officials approved in 2013 a Public Corporation Law establishing a legal framework for state-…

Building Efficient Municipal Enterprises for Better Delivery of Basic Public Services in Quito, Ecuador The commitment of the Metropolitan Municipality of Quito (MMQ) to provide access to adequate sustainable public services has been undermined by its inefficient and financially dependent enterprises. Through an exchange, the Municipality of Medellin and Empresas Públicas de Medellin (EPM) shared best practices and lessons learned from their…

Improving Land Administration in Ethiopia To speed the transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, Ethiopia recognized that it needed to reform its land administration. However, the country’s mechanisms for enforcing property rights, lowering transaction costs, and encouraging investment in land were weak. To build institutional capacity, Ethiopia requested World Bank help…

Implementing Multidimensional Measures of Well-being in Bolivia: Learning from Bhutan, Ecuador, and Mexico The Exchange gathered experts from Bhutan, Ecuador, and Mexico to share knowledge with Bolivian government officials on “measuring” the concept of buen vivir (literally, living well) across monetary and nonmonetary dimensions of social development. Approaches used included two conferences in La Paz Bolivia, and videoconferences among participating…

Strengthening Decentralization and Local Governance in the State of Kerala in India What was the objective of the South-South exchange? What has happened so far? What results have been achieved? What was the objective of the South-South exchange? In line with India’s 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amend­ment, the state of Kerala has, since the mid-1990s, embraced decentralization reforms aimed at devolv­ing greater…

Strengthening Land Administration in Honduras   Challenges in land administration, such as weak property rights and unequal distribution, have threatened the pace of economic growth in Honduras. The Government has prioritized improving land administration services, which included adopting a unified cadaster and land registration system. Through the Second Phase of its Land Administration…

Strengthening Infrastructure Knowledge and Capacity in Nepal’s National Identification System The Government of Nepal needed to address the organizational effectiveness of its National Identification Management Center (NIDMC), specifically with focus on operational efficiency, effective communications, stakeholder relations, and results. Pakistan had implemented a similar program with success.  Through the exchange, Nepal set out to learn…

Strengthening Bolivia’s National Science, Technology, and Innovation System with Learning from Argentina and Uruguay To increase its limited knowledge, skills, and implementation know-how with regards to science, technology, and innovation (STI) systems, the Government of Bolivia engaged in an exchange with the more experienced Argentina and Uruguay. The Bolivian experts learned the importance of a proper regulatory framework and sectoral collaboration that…

Output and Results-Based Approach for Local Government Programs: Vietnam learns from Indonesia The Government of Vietnam wanted to strengthen its delivery in rural water supply and sanitation projects by promoting the use of a results-based approach at the local government level. Through help from the World Bank, a Vietnamese delegation consisting of key government officials visited Indonesia to exchange knowledge and share experiences on…

South-South Exchange on Population and Agricultural Censuses in Bolivia Bolivia recognized during the preparation and implementation of the National Population and Housing Census (NPHC) and the National Agricultural Census (NAC), that there was a need to strengthen its statistical and information systems for monitoring and accountability. With help from the World Bank an exchange was organized that focused on…

Decentralizing Urban Local Government for Effective Service Delivery in Ghana The Government of Ghana created a specific unit to handle its new Local Government Capacity Support (LGCS) Project. However, this unit had limited capacity and operational experience. Local government officials from Ethiopia and Ghana shared experiences on design and implementation issues. A mix of technical staff from central and local government…

Strengthening Open Government in Tunisia In the wake of the Jasmine revolution, the Government of Tunisia made it a priority to improve government accountability and openness.  One way it sought to do so was through information and communication technologies (ICT). In 2011, the Government considered joining the Open Government Partnership (OGP). Chaired by Brazil, this platform of over…

Promoting Open Government in Macedonia Macedonia sought to develop and implement an Open Government Plan as part of its effort for government transparency, as well as to meet EU online service requirements. The exchange helped to raise awareness and understanding of the e-Government agenda among Macedonian officials and helped to establish data sets in each ministry appropriate for e-…

Improving Land Acquisition and Resettlement in Uganda Development in Uganda, especially in the energy and mineral sectors, increasingly involves land acquisition and involuntary resettlement, which can lead to loss of assets and livelihoods.  The Ugandan Government had developed and approved a new land policy, but inadequate guidance on processes and procedures of resettlement led to inconsistent…

Strengthening Local Governance in India India’s national and state governments sought to build their capacity to decentralize funding and responsibilities to local governments and monitor CDD programs providing grants to communities. Indian delegates engaged in a nine-day study tour to Indonesia to learn about the structure and operations of Indonesia’s National Program for Community…

Improving local government services in Sri Lanka With support of a Bank project, Sri Lankan officials sought to strengthen local governments’ capacity to provide roads, schools, and other infrastructure, and to involve citizens in development planning and programs. Through exchanges with counterparts in the Indian provinces of Kerala and Karnataka, officials enhanced their skills in local…

Engaging the Indigenous in Honduras’ Development In Honduras, Afro-descendent and indigenous groups are among the poorest in the country, and lack a voice in development. The government approved a plan to involve them in development, and also created a Ministry to promote their welfare. However, indigenous groups were unclear about their needs and priorities, and public agencies did not have…

Enhancing the quality of Uzbekistan’s exports To ensure its exports are competitive on international markets, the Government of Uzbekistan sought to upgrade its national quality infrastructure (NQI), supporting standardization, accreditation, certification, and metrology (measurement). Through an exchange with Croatia, Uzbekistani officials increased their awareness of policy options and…