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 working plan was developed, and an ATI multi-stakeholder working group was established.

Challenge

The governments of Cameroon and Ghana wanted to use oil and gas revenues more effectively to promote economic growth and reduce poverty. They also wanted to improve transparency and accountability in the sector. However, Cameroon and Ghana, as well as many other African countries, have had difficulty managing and sustaining the windfall wealth and savings from their natural resources.

The Government of Ghana has made private investment in infrastructure and services through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) a development priority. This commitment is in response to a major infrastructure deficit, a narrow fiscal space, and a legacy of inefficient public service delivery. Improved infrastructure services are critical to economic growth. Ghana will draw on the private sector for new sources of capital and more effective service delivery mechanisms. One area needing reform is agricultural services, which includes irrigation.

With one of the largest silver deposits in the world as well as other important minerals, Tajikistan is trying to make full use of its mineral sector to encourage economic growth. However, Tajikistan’s geological information is outdated, the mining sector is only now starting to attract significant foreign investment, and the many government agencies involved in the sector are unorganized and so not prepared to advance it as a sustainable economic driver.

Like other cities in rapidly industrializing Vietnam, fast-growing Ho Chi Minh City must invest in urban transportation, including new and better roads, a metro network, and a modern bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Lacking the full knowledge and skills needed to plan, build, and maintain such a transport network, Vietnam sought the help of the World Bank.

The Mission Convergence (MC) or “Samajik Suvidha Sangam” in Hindi is an initiative by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) that aims to alleviate poverty and improve government social programs. GNCTD officials needed help and information on how to incorporate multiple poverty reduction programs into an improved program.

Haiti’s garment industry, responsible for 88 percent of Haitian exports,¹ received a crippling blow from the January 12, 2010 earthquake. The Government of Haiti (GOH) gave a high priority to the sector, which is the country’s largest employer, and wanted to attract investment to revitalize exports and create jobs. Through the World Bank’s ongoing Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) project,² the GOH approached the Bank to facilitate a knowledge exchange with Brazil and Korea, well known for the competitiveness of their garment sectors.

St. Lucia and many of its Caribbean neighbors face a growing problem with keeping boys out of trouble. From leaving school, turning to crime, and abusing drugs and alcohol, the risky behaviors caused by unemployment and poverty contribute to social tensions and threaten tourist industry growth, which is so vital to Caribbean island economies. Lacking experience with programs to help “at-risk” boys, the Government of St. Lucia (GOS) reached out to the World Bank, which provided a South-South Facility funded grant to support St. Lucia’s participation in two related knowledge exchanges. St.

Poverty and inequality are harsh realities in Bolivia. In spite of targeted social programs, 59 percent of the indigenous and 62 percent of rural populations still live in extreme poverty.¹ Looking to improve social programming for these groups, a special unit in Bolivia’s Ministry of Planning—Unidad de Análisis de Políticas Sociales y Económicas (UDAPE)—approached the World Bank for a knowledge exchange.

When Moldova decided to reform the quality of its teaching force as part of measures to address poor student learning results, it wanted to learn from other countries that have successfully dealt with a similar situation. It therefore turned to Chile and Brazil, countries among those that have shown important improvements in international assessments over the last decade.

Challenge