bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social Exclusion in Education in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Marshall Jeffery H. , Calderón Valentina
Published: March 2024

This study provides detailed accounting of the current levels of social exclusion in education and factors contributing to them. It provides a quantitative and qualitative accounting and profiling of social exclusion in education in the region. Drawing from the micro-data of household surveys, it produces a state of the art inventory of indicators and contextual factors intervening in the delivery of a quality education at all levels to socially excluded groups, particularly ethnic and racial minorities and the poor. Included here are detailed analyses of the education profile these populations exhibit relative to other populations, their access to a quality education and the levels of attainment they achieve, and the extent to which specific targeting mechanisms are effective in mitigating structural inequities in opportunity.
Teacher Training in Latin America: Innovations and Trends
Authors: Verdisco Aimee , Navarro Juan Carlos
Published: March 2024

On average, teachers' qualifications in Latin America fall short of what is needed to implement and sustain the education reforms under way in most countries. Large investments in teacher training, both pre-service and in-service have been made and will continue to be made by the governments of the region in recognition of this fact, often with the support of the IDB and other international organizations. This paper responds to the growing demand for new approaches to the design of teacher training components in education reforms. This demand reflects widespread disappointment with the effectiveness of traditional methods and the principles upon which they are organized. The paper builds on the existing literature on the subject around the world but draws its conclusions from eight case studies on innovations in teacher training in Latin America. The cases include both in-service and pre-service programs, in rural and urban environments and public as well as private initiatives, in different countries.
Forest Clusters: A Competitive Model for Latin America
Authors: Bonita Manuel , Correa Fernando , Ahveninen Harri , Veijalainen Pertti
Published: March 2024

contribute to success in the forest business. These include sound macroeconomic and long-term forest policies, secure land tenure, support from related education and technology programs, and cooperation among the various industries involved in producing and marketing forest products and services. The basic objective of this document is to examine the potential for creating forest clusters in Latin America. These clusters are based on the experience of Nordic countries and on studies of six natural resource-based clusters, identified by ECLAC/CEPAL. Specifically, this study aims to: 1) Identify issues and opportunities for forestry and the forest industry as a vehicle for development in Latin America; 2) Define lessons for forest cluster development in Latin America in the light of good-practice experiences in the Nordic countries; 3) Formulate policy recommendations for the selected Latin American countries on how to develop and environmentally manage different types of forest clusters.
Innovative Financial Instruments for Natural Disaster Risk Management
Authors: Andersen Torben
Published: March 2024

This technical paper provides us with an in-depth explanation of how losses due to catastrophes are insured and who absorbs the costs of compensating the insured assets. In the absence of an effective insurance market, the government often becomes the de facto financier of postdisaster rehabilitation efforts. Alternatively, governments can encourage the local insurance industry to engage in risk financing arrangements through insurance pools that, in turn, may cover higher exposures in the global reinsurance and capital markets. This study takes a closer look at how this type of international risk financing scheme might be developed. This paper is an insider's primer on insurance, reinsurance and new capital market instruments that make it possible to continue to respond to the impacts of recurrent natural disasters.
Planning and Financial Protection to Survive Disasters
Authors: Tyson Justin , Keipi Kari
Published: March 2024

While the occurrence of natural events can not be prevented, there is a possibility to reduce the vulnerability of populations through risk management. The IDB Action Plan for natural disaster risk reduction of 2000 included recommendations in two important areas: (i) planning with the purpose of the identification and reduction of risk by integrating prevention and mitigation measures into development plans and programs and (ii) financial protection, provided by the transferring of risk to others or spreading it in time. This paper deals with both of these aspects.
Network for Biodigesters in Latin America and the Caribbean: Case Studies and Future Recommendations
Authors: Garwood Anna
Published: March 2024

As a result of renewed regional interest in biogas technology, the Network for Biodigesters in Latin America and the Caribbean (RedBioLAC) was formed to increase dialogue concerning: a) Promotion and management of biogas projects; and b) Innovations in the field. The network has exemplified the productivity of having a forum of opportunities to tackle and share valuable innovations in materials, marketing, and approach to a project's management and finances. Currently, RedBioLAC is building momentum by beginning development of a web-based project information sharing and management platform. This document aims to provide a snapshot of the current reality and synthesize conclusions on the economic, institutional, cultural, and technical factors that need to be addressed. Finally, the emerging RedBioLAC is presented as a forum for exchanging experience and strengthening biodigester programs in Latin America.
Integrated Financial Supervision: Experiences in Selected Countries
Authors: Demaestri Edgardo C. , Sourrouille Diego
Published: March 2024

This paper represents one of the first comparative analyses of experiences of integrated supervision. It discusses how several countries around the world have developed the processes of integrating financial regulation and supervision, and covers numerous relevant technical issues as well as the policy options. It describes the scope of the activities, institutions, responsibilities, and regulatory powers that integrated supervisors are expected to cover. Issues related to the organizational structures and the management of staff resources are also considered. In particular, the paper discusses how the supervisory agencies have dealt with three important aspects: the treatment of financial conglomerates, the risk assessment process, and crisis management.
Upgrading in Clusters and Value Chains in Latin America: The Role of Policies
Authors: Pietrobelli Carlo , Rabellotti Roberta
Published: March 2024

This study focuses on how Latin America¿s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can participate in global markets in a way that provides for sustainable growth. In addition, it study analyzes the impact of collective efficiency on clusters upgrading and undertakes an investigation of the impact of different patterns of governance within the chain on the possible forms of upgrading. Concerning the methodology, this three-dimensional analysis is based on the collection of original data from twelve new clusters in Latin America and on an extensive literature review of cluster studies. Finally, this study analyzes the relevance of sectors to take into account the different learning patterns of the groups of industries considered in the typology proposed.
Women's Entrepreneurship in Latin America: An Exploration of Current Knowledge
Authors: Seiler Danielle , Weeks Julie R.
Published: March 2024

This report intends to introduce the discussion of gender gaps in entrepreneurship development and to explore possible actions that could effectively foster women's entrepreneurship. With this purpose in mind, the authors searched for results of recent fieldwork on women entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean, and found very useful quantitative studies for a limited number of countries that allow us to start the analysis of the existing gender gaps among entrepreneurs. This study focuses on formal women-owned small businesses.
Pension Funds in Infrastructure Project Finance: Regulations and Instrument Design
Authors: Vives Antonio
Published: March 2024

This paper discusses infrastructure investment and the need for private financing, in turn with the trend of pension fund reform. This paper outlines the conditions under which sources and uses of long-term resources can meet and focusing the attention of both parties to the benefits of a properly structured relationship. There are benefits for both parties that can be exploited through a better mutual understanding of the needs of the other party. Private infrastructure investment instruments must be structured so that they fit into the investment strategies of private pension funds, while appropriate changes in the pension fund regulatory framework should be encouraged.
Power Sector Reform in Latin America: Accomplishments, Failures and Challenges
Authors: Millán Jaime
Published: March 2024

In this technical paper, the author addresses pertinent issues that affect reform in the power sector and the status of current efforts. The objective of the paper is such: 1) It explains the difficulties in achieving a separation of the roles of the State in an environment in which it continues to play an important role as entrepreneur, and the difficulties of providing adequate regulation in an institutional and resource-constrained environment; 2) It discusses the stranded costs arising from the impossibility of following the correct sequence of reforms and the constraints imposed by this failure; 3) It provides an analysis of the difficulties encountered in achieving competition while assuring long-term resource adequacy; 3) It looks at the regulation of noncompetitive segments and the elusive goal of achieving cost recovery while addressing the needs of the poor.
Can Reforms be Made Sustainable?: Analysis and Design Considerations for the Electricity Sector
Authors: Benavides Juan
Published: March 2024

This document discusses and proposes a new framework to improve the quality of programs supporting such reforms in Latin America. Firstly, it responds to the risk that the reforms in the region might be reversed, which might originate in the lack of public support for privatization and the succession of crises and events in the recent past (problems of supply in Chile and Brazil; price peaks in the spot market in El Salvador; the commercial unsustainability of the pool in Colombia; the ENRON/Andersen scandal, and the Argentine crisis among others), that have provided the enemies of reform with new political space. Secondly, it responds to evidence that the consolidation of sector reforms is not automatic, involving as it does the simultaneous creation of traditions of respect for the rights of investors and consumers. Finally, this paper partly builds upon the experience gathered from a project supporting the sustainability of electricity reform in Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras.
The Effects of Motherhood on Wages and Labor Force Participation: Evidence from Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru
Authors: Ripani Laura , Piras Claudia
Published: March 2024

This study asks a simple question that has significant implications for gender equality. After decades of increasing female participation in the labor market, advances in the labor legislation and persistent gender wage gaps, what are the effects of motherhood on labor force participation and wages in Latin America? The data presented in this report show that mothers with children under 7 years of age participate less in the labor market than those with no children, except for single mothers. Another interesting result is that female labor force participation generally increases with age and decreases with family responsibilities. In contrast to the evidence found in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Germany, where mothers earn lower wages than women with no children, the results for Latin America do not show a homogeneous impact of motherhood on wages. While in Peru there exists a penalty for mothers of children under 7, in Bolivia and Brazil there is a premium for being a mother. Ecuador shows no significant effects. This heterogeneity is further investigated by considering public and private sectors, educational levels and age groups. The study finds that wage penalties and premiums are not borne equally among all mothers.
Corporate Social Responsibility in Latin America: Responsible Solutions to Business and Social Problems
Authors: Peinado-Vara Estrella
Published: March 2024

Socially and environmentally responsible business practices contribute to poverty relief and business success. This report presents some examples and lessons from private initiatives to solve business and social problems. Included are case studies of Procter & Gamble in Venezuela and Energía Social in Colombia.
Resource Requirements to Fight HIV/AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This report examines the resource needs for mounting a comprehensive HIV/AIDS program in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and provides information on estimated changes in the cost of selected prevention, treatment and care interventions. In addition, it gives an estimate of the annual financing gap for HIV/AIDS programs in LAC. The report fills a gap in knowledge of region-specific cost estimates for HIV/AIDS, and provides a baseline for evaluating changes in the cost and priorities of HIV/AIDS pro-grams in LAC. The report was prepared based on input from LAC economists, and national AIDS program personnel, at two sub-regional workshops held in 2002, as well as a background report prepared by the Futures Group International and the Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica of Mexico.
Causes of Violence
Authors: Buvinic Mayra , Morrison Andrew
Published: March 2024

This document is the one of a series of technical notes that describe the nature and magnitude of violence in the region, its causes and effects, and how it can be prevented and controlled. The notes provide useful information on designing programs and policies to prevent and deal with violence. This note focuses on the causes of violence. The authors hold that violence is a complex phenomenon that has not one but many causes. Hence there is no single solution or response. In order to decrease the incidence of violence, one needs to identify the numerous factors that are associated with the phenomenon and implement a set of solutions designed to address the different root causes. The point of departure in the search for solutions must be an analysis of the factors that promote violence (risk factors) as well as the factors that inhibit violence (protection factors). This is the main task of this document.
School-Based Violence Prevention
Authors: Alda Erik
Published: March 2024

School is one of the most important socializing environments for children, since it is where they spend a great deal of time interacting with teachers and peers. However, the persistent spillover of community socioeconomic conditions and violence means that schools and their surroundings are no longer protected places, but share in the day-to-day violence of the urban space. As a result, school violence has increased correspondingly. Although students may handle situations at school through violent behaviors, schools remain a place where they can learn not to make use of such behaviors. What can educators, policymakers, and civil society do to revert or reduce violence in schools? How can schools use their unique potential as a locus for violence prevention? This technical note attempts to shed light on these issues by describing approaches that have proven successful in addressing this problem.
Health Financing Innovations in the Caribbean: EHPO© and the National Health Fund of Jamaica
Authors: Barrett Raphael D. , Lalta Stanley
Published: March 2024

This paper describes the conceptualization, development and implementation of the National Health Fund in Jamaica. Established in 2003, the NHF provides direct assistance to patients for drug purchases and funding support to private and public organizations for approved projects. The NHF marks a new strategic approach to the introduction of national health financing schemes utilizing the EHPO© analytical model. EHPO© (Evaluating Health Policy Options) helps policymakers develop strategies and options and includes an interactive, dynamic computer model that is used to evaluate benefit coverage options and their financial risks. The paper examines the desirable features of national health financing systems, the Jamaica public policy context and the role of EHPO© in analyzing health benefits and coverage, financial risk and liability. It suggests lessons to other countries for the design of healthcare benefits coverage, financing, provider payment mechanisms and public policy implementation.
Health and Poverty in Brazil: Estimation by Structural Equation Model with Latent Variables
Authors: Giuffrida Antonio , Iunes Roberto F. , Savedoff William D.
Published: March 2024

Brazil is characterized by large inequalities in income, access to health care, and health status. This paper uses data from the 1998 Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios to analyze the complex relationships among health, income, health insurance and health care utilization to gain a better understanding of the various factors determining differences in the health of the population, especially between the poor and non-poor. The authors use a structural equation model in which health, wealth and access to health care are specified as latent variables.
Innovation and Employment Growth in Costa Rica: A Firm-level Analysis
Authors: Monge-González Ricardo , Rodríguez-Álvarez Juan Antonio , Hewitt John , Orozco Jeffrey , Ruiz Keynor
Published: March 2024

This paper studies the degree to which innovation by Costa Rican manufacturing firms creates or displaces employment, how different innovation strategies affect employment, and how these effects vary by firm size and type of employment demand characteristics (skills and gender). In particular the research focuses on the differential effects of product and process innovations on employment growth. Particular attention is paid to identifying innovation impacts on employment generation by SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).
Innovation, Firm Size, Technology Intensity, and Employment Generation in Uruguay: The Microeconometric Evidence
Authors: Aboal Diego , Garda Paula , Lanzilotta Bibiana , Perera Marcelo
Published: March 2024

The aim of this paper is to analyze the relationship between innovation and employment, in terms of both its quantity and quality, in Uruguay. The effect of product and process innovation on employment growth and on employment composition in terms of skills was studied, using data from manufacturing firms' innovation surveys, matched against economic activity surveys. The impact of different innovation strategies was also analyzed, particularly producing technology vs. sourcing technology externally. The results revealed that product innovation is associated with employment growth. There is (weaker) evidence that process innovation displaces labor. Product innovation is not more complementary to skilled than to unskilled labor. Producing technology in-house has the biggest positive impact on employment, followed by the make-and-buy strategy. Similar results are found for small firms and firms belonging to the low- and high-tech sectors. Interviews carried out with innovation agents support the view that in general innovation does not lead to job losses and that it generates greater demand for a more qualified labor force.
Housing Finance in Mexico: Current State and Future Sustainability
Authors: Paulín-Hutmacher Agustín , Abreu-Lastra Raúl , López-Silva Marco A. , Saracho-Martínez Alberto
Published: March 2024

In 2001, Mexico introduced a comprehensive federal housing policy package. The results have been quantitatively impressive; however, there are qualitative concerns. It is also uncertain whether current subsidy programs have negative financial implications for participating mortgage issuers, as poorer applicants with lower job stability are injected into the pool of borrowers. This paper addresses that question by analyzing a large database provided by INFONAVIT, Mexico¿s principal mortgage issuer, which contains information on borrowers¿ repayment behavior. It is found that borrowers who received subsidies do not show higher default rates than borrowers who received no financial assistance. Borrowers receiving subsidies actually take longer to show their first default than borrowers not receiving subsidies. Therefore, current subsidy programs do not seem to have negative financial implications for participating mortgage institutions.
Firm Size, Knowledge Intensity and Employment Generation: The Microeconometric Evidence for the Service Sector in Uruguay
Authors: Aboal Diego , Garda Paula , Lanzilotta Bibiana , Perera Marcelo
Published: March 2024

The employment impact of innovation in the heterogeneous universe of services was studied using data from the 2004-2009 Uruguayan service innovation surveys. The empirical evidence shows that the impact of product innovation on employment is positive, while process innovation appears to have no effect. The effect varies according to the skill level of the labor force, across sectors, and the type of innovation strategy pursued by firms. Process innovation activities tend to substitute low-skilled jobs with higher-skilled jobs, while product innovation allows for more gains in efficiency in the production of new products with unskilled labor and no gains with the skilled labor force. Producing technology in-house has in most cases no impact on employment, while the combined strategy of acquiring technology outside the firm and producing it in-house has strong positive effects. The results found for knowledge-intensive business services and small firms, with some exceptions, are similar to the ones found for whole sample.
Impact Evaluation of the Traz.ar Program in Sante Fe, Argentina: Case Study
Authors: Galiani Sebastián , Jaitman Laura
Published: March 2024

TRAZAR program (from traceability in English) is a very successful example of the application of ICT methods in rural areas to increase the efficiency and potentialities of small/medium-scale cattle farmers. This program took place in Santa Fe province, Argentina, between 2004 and 2006 and consisted of using ICT to track the production cycle of cow herds. TRAZAR is a software that stores all the information related to the identified animals and can be accessed and managed through the internet by its users. The project involved developing the software, promoting the system in workshops and finally applying it to the beneficiaries that auto-selected to the program.
Ecosystem Services and Agricultural Production in Latin America and Caribbean
Authors: Martinelli Luiz Antonio
Published: March 2024

This document discusses Latin America's dual role as a conservator of natural resources and producer of agricultural services. The author addresses the expansion of agriculture across the region and intensification of agriculture in Latin America. The environmental impact of this expansion and intensification is a major focus of this study as well as an assessment of agricultural and ecosystem services.
The Natures of Progress: Land Use Dynamics and Forest Trends in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Hecht Susanne B.
Published: March 2024

Catastrophic deforestation and environmental degradation have become habits of thought about forest landscapes in Latin America's tropics. Yet these truisms blind analysts to three surprising changes. First, deforestation has slowed dramatically. Next, forest resurgence-largely a function of natural regeneration-is widely documented throughout the region on previously deforested lands. Finally, the importance of tree systems and complex environmental mosaics in working landscapes to produce livelihoods and environmental services and as supporting matrices for conservation is increasingly recognized. These dynamics over the last decade would have been unimaginable in the 1980s, the period that most shaped Euro-American perceptions of tropical forest trends. Deforestation "hot spots", each with a different political ecology, remain and command attention, but it is important to recognize that platforms for alternatives exist. Latin America has become an innovator in tropical environmental policy, institutions, incentives, and practices that support forested landscapes. These dynamics and other related issues will be further elucidated in this document.
Guidance Note on Landfill Gas Capture and Utilization
Authors: Willumsen Hans , Terraza Horacio
Published: March 2024

As part of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) strategy to promote good practices in municipal solid waste (MSW) management and knowledge sharing activities in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the IDB Water and Sanitation Division (INE/WSA) is developing a MSW management working paper series. The first paper, which focuses on landfill gas (LFG) capture from MSW and utilization, is included in this Guidance Note.
Management Response to the Final Report of the Independent Advisory Group on Sustainability: From Managing Risks to Embracing New Opportunities
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The IAG presented its Final Report to the Committee of the Whole and to the Management in February 2011. The report concluded that the environmental and social safeguards provided for in the Environment and Safeguard Compliance Policy were adequate. However the report recommended a number of additional measures in order to strengthen the Bank's capacity to meet the commitments of IDB-9 and maintain a leadership role in the region. These recommendations mainly seek to mainstream sustainability considerations in the Bank's work and ensure better effectiveness in the implementation of the safeguards. In response to the recommendations included in the report, Management created an internal working group to determine, with the benefit of independent expertise, the best way to incorporate appropriate activities for this purpose. This document presents the working group's response to the recommendations of the report. Following a summary of the IAG Sustainability report, this document describes the mandate and work of the IDB Working Group on Sustainability and presents the action plan and implementation strategy developed by the Working Group.
Women in Business
Authors: Castillo-Ruiz Paz
Published: March 2024

Women account for 66% of the global workforce and earn 10% of the income. They produce 50% of the food globally and own 1% of the property. Besides, women represent the majority of the global poor, 70%, and it has been proven that ownership is one of the most effective means of improving their economic well-being. Therefore, promoting women economic opportunities and equal participation in the labor market is the right thing to do. But it is also good business. This reference note discusses the role that gender plays in labor market participation, access to finance, training and education, and other legal and social barriers. This document then goes on to describe policies and promising practices for promoting real economic opportunity for women.
Managing the Environmental and Social Impacts of a Major IDB Financed Road Improvement Project in Panama: The Case of Darién
Authors: Redwood John
Published: March 2024

The Environment and Safeguards Group (ESG) of the IDB has examined how potential environmental and social risks of major Bank-supported road improvement investments in natural resource rich and socio-culturally diverse "frontier" regions have been identified and addressed in various parts of South and Central America. The present paper presents the findings and recommendations for selected ongoing and/or completed IDB-financed road and road related projects in Panama. To the extent possible, the experience and lessons learned from all major parts of the project cycle - design/preparation, up-front environmental assessment, implementation/supervision, and monitoring and evaluation - are considered, as are the analysis and management of direct, indirect and cumulative environmental and social impacts.
Managing the Environmental and Social Impacts of Major IDB-Financed Road Improvement Projects in the Brazilian Amazon: The Case of BR-364 in Acre
Authors: Redwood John
Published: March 2024

The Environment and Safeguards Group (ESG) of the IDB has examined how potential environmental and social risks of major Bank-supported road improvement investments in natural resource rich and socio-culturally diverse "frontier" regions have been identified and addressed in various parts of South and Central America. The present paper presents the findings and recommendations for selected ongoing and/or completed IDB-financed road and road related projects in Brazil. To the extent possible, the experience and lessons learned from all major parts of the project cycle -- design/preparation, up-front environmental assessment, implementation/supervision, and monitoring and evaluation -- are considered, as are the analysis and management of direct, indirect and cumulative environmental and social impacts.
Managing the Freshwater Impacts of Surface Mining in Latin America
Authors: Rosales Judith , Ouboter Paul E. , Hammond David S.
Published: March 2024

This paper provides a brief overview of the linkages between the primary factors driving gold mining, how these interact with regional geology to concentrate impacts on specific river basins, and the primary environmental and social impacts that can erode the economic benefit delivered from gold production if it is left unmanaged. We consider these impacts in the context of operational scale and the regional differences in background hydrological conditions with a view to identifying freshwater systems that are most inherently vulnerable to the effects of mining and that thus have the greatest impact of additionality. The paper concludes by considering ways in which these impacts might be averted or mitigated through a mix of approaches aimed at normalizing mining processes, structures, and relationships through tailored, incentive-based policies and actions.
Port-centric Development: Strategic Logistics Investments
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

After analyzing logistics links between the ports of Cartagena (Colombia), Veracruz (Mexico) and Panama (Balboa and Colon) and their hinterlands, this study describes infrastructure restrictions as well as operational and institutional challenges for logistics development in Latin America and the Caribbean, and proposes guidelines and policy recommendations.
Community Consultation, Sustainable Development and the Inter-American Development Bank: A Concept Paper
Authors: Deruyttere Anne , Schwartz Norman
Published: March 2024

This paper presents a framework for discussing community consultation in the context of the Inter-American Development Bank's projects and offers suggestions on the opportunities, risks, costs, methods, and techniques of community consultation. After discussing some of the links between consultation, development, equity, civil society and the current IDB policy framework, the paper analyzes the terms "consultation", "participation", "community" and "stakeholder" in relation to each other and to the development process. It will discuss reasons for promoting community consultation and identify opportunities for doing so in the context of the project cycle. Emphasis is made on: (1) community consultation rather than the broader concept of community participation; (2) consultation with communities targeted by Bank projects as opposed to all the stakeholders involved; and (3) consultation at the project design and execution level, rather than at the policy and country programming stage.
Road Impact Assessment Using Remote Sensing Methodology for Monitoring Land-Use Change in Latin America: Results of Five Case Studies
Authors: Grossman Denny , Suding Paul Hugo , Coca Alejandro , Navarrete Carolina , Villalba Alberto , Argote Karolina , Jarvis Andy , Reymondin Louis
Published: March 2024

The present publication is a summary of the results from the five case studies including an overview of the methodology. VPS/ESG is further examining the possibilities of this methodology to use it for prospective purposes, as the basis for land use management and other potential applications in the development of infrastructure projects. The potential value of the methodology examined is based on being able to take into account the specific conditions of the respective cases, relevant drivers and their strength and the potential enabling effect of a project. This work complements other ex post analyses of infrastructure projects based on project documents, published as IDB Technical Notes titled "Managing the Environmental and Social Impacts of Major IDB-Financed Road Improvement Projects." VPS/ESG will further explore the use in its work of remote sensing and, in addition, study the options of modeling land use and land cover change.
The Role of the Center of Government: A Literature Review
Authors: Alessandro Martín , Santiso Carlos , Lafuente Mariano
Published: March 2024

This Technical Note presents a literature review on the Center of Government (CoG). This term refers to the institution or group of institutions that support a country's chief executive (president or prime minister) in leading the political and technical coordination of the government's actions, strategic planning of the government's program, monitoring of performance, and communication of the government's decisions and achievements. These institutions are becoming more and more relevant in a context where an increasing number of crosscutting issues demand whole-of-government approaches and coherent responses. In several countries, the CoG is also increasingly involved in promoting innovations to improve government performance and support departments and agencies in achieving results. This review discusses the conceptual definitions of CoG in the literature; presents their main functions; describes the organization, structure, and management styles of the units typically performing those functions; and analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the current literature to inform an action-based agenda of CoG strengthening in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Policy Benchmarking for Productivity and Growth: Review and Proposed Framework for the Caribbean
Authors: D'Acosta Michael , Melgarejo Karl Alexander , Mercer-Blackman Valerie
Published: March 2024

This paper contributes to the analysis of the Caribbean's growth performance by setting out a framework for benchmarking indicators of key micro drivers and related structural policies that help explain differentials in productivity and real GDP per capita across the region, and relative to non-regional benchmark countries. The framework is adapted from the OECD's Going for Growth exercises. Its emphasis on micro-drivers in the labor market and the business environment aims to help shift the focus of the current discussions on growth from macroeconomic considerations (e.g. fiscal sustainability, exports) toward an exploration of productivity, which the literature identifies as the principal constraint to growth in the Caribbean and elsewhere. Potential advantages of a benchmarking-for-growth framework include knowledge sharing of the policies and performance indicators related to productivity in the Caribbean and appropriate benchmark countries. This could help stimulate further research and public discussion on the underlying factors behind the divergence in incomes as well as on the policies and environments that contribute to those differentials. An initial exercise highlights issues with restrictions for starting a business, the tax burden, the cost of imports and infrastructure deficiencies as potential barriers to growth.
Public Employment and Pay Policy in Belize
Authors: Lafuente Mariano
Published: March 2024

Due in part to Belize's characteristic as a small state, its public administration is among the most expensive in Central America relative to the size of its economy. This represents a potential risk in a challenging fiscal context. The wage bill's fiscal risk has been flagged as a concern over the years, and it has remained an important issue, which is aggravated by the fact that the relatively high level of spending still does not effectively promote, attract, and retain adequate human capital for the delivery of public services. This Technical Note reviews the current public employment and pay policy in Belize, and proposes short and medium-term measures to achieve important human resource management objectives in the public sector, including to develop a fiscally sustainable wage bill, attract and retain required human capital, and enhance performance orientation in the public sector.
Fossil Fuel Power Plants: Available Technologies and Thermal Plant Prospective Potential in Latin America
Authors: Gomelsky Roberto
Published: March 2024

The general objective of this study is to provide an overview of fossil-fuel-based electric power technologies other than coal-fired technologies (coal-fired technologies are the subject of a specific guideline that has already been adopted by the IDB) and an assessment of the relevance of these technologies in the future power generation mix in Latin America and the Caribbean resulting from new generation and retrofit investment in which the IDB may participate.
The Participation of Mexico in Global Supply Chains: The Challenge of Adding Mexican Value
Authors: Blyde Juan S.
Published: March 2024

There is a general perception that Mexico's insertion in global supply chains has been mostly in assembly operations and that efforts should be made to incorporate additional domestic value in the international production networks in which the country participates. To examine this issue properly one needs to have a measure of the share of domestic value added that is effectively embodied in Mexico's exports. We analyze firm-level data from the IMMEX census which covers all the firms that benefit from the Maquiladora and the PITEX programs. We find that the share of domestic value added as a proportion of the firm's exports has been declining in the last 6 years. We show that the decline is not the result of market share re-allocations; that it persists after controlling for price changes and that is observed across firms of all sizes. The results suggest that more segments of the supply chains are generally not moving into Mexico and that on the contrary there is a trend of falling domestic value added. This result contrasts with that of other countries engaged in similar export processing activities, like China.
Assessing Different Methodologies for the Estimation of Uruguay's Structural Fiscal Balance
Authors: Pizzolon Fiorella , Rasteletti Alejandro
Published: March 2024

This document assesses the advantages and disadvantages of using different methodologies to estimate Uruguay's structural fiscal balance. Results indicate that disaggregated methods or methods with more than one economic cycle are the more appropriate ones, as they are better suited to handle the changes in revenues and expenditures composition observed in recent years. The document also discusses some of the difficulties faced while estimating the temporary components in interest payments and in the primary results of state-owned enterprises. As model-based corrections tend to be unreliable; it might be preferable to deal with the temporary components of these items as one-off corrections.
Water and Sanitation in Belize
Authors: Ducci Jorge , Grau Javier , Navia Díaz María del Rosario , Martin Dougal , Kuratomi Traci , Rihm Alfredo
Published: March 2024

In the last decade, Belize has seen major improvements in access to water, but it is behind in achieving universal access to improved sanitation facilities. Belize has also made progress in terms of the disposal of solid waste in the central and western regions, including in the largest urban area, Belize City. Despite these developments, there is a need to further improve the performance of these sectors, especially in terms of wastewater collection and treatment in urban areas throughout the country and solid waste collection and final disposal in the northern (Corozal and Orange Walk districts) and southern (Stann Creek and Toledo districts) regions of the country. This Technical Note was prepared to support the policy dialogue between the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Belize. It provides an analysis of the current situation of the water and sanitation and solid waste sectors in Belize, and makes recommendations on immediate actions to assist in further improving coverage and the quality of the services provided.
Societal Benefits from Renewable Energy in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Gómez José Ramon , Rios Ana R. , Alves Leandro , Vergara Walter , Isbell Paul
Published: March 2024

Population growth and advances in quality of life in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will require the region to rapidly increase its energy supply, even if major improvements in energy efficiency are attained. The region is characterized by a low-carbon power matrix and a potential to produce over 78 PWh from non-traditional renewable energy technologies (NRETs). However, bias toward fossil fuels and the perceived cost disadvantages prevent further market entry of renewable energy. Additional (societal) benefits of employing renewables are considerable but typically left out of cost comparisons. A consideration of these benefits may offer a rationale to promote investment and support regulations that would contribute to the deployment of these NRET technologies. We quantify societal benefits in terms of avoided costs (climate change avoided costs, avoided pollution control costs, avoided energy security costs) and economic benefits (improvements in the balance of payments and job creation). Results indicate that societal benefits are sufficiently large enough to compensate the cost disadvantage of solar and wind energy against fossil alternatives, justifying the eventual wholesale entry of these options.
Potential for Energy Storage in Combination with Renewable Energy in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Gischler Christiaan , Balza Lenin , Servetti Gianmarco , Miller Sebastián J. , Janson Nils
Published: March 2024

Can energy storage (ES) increase the share of renewable energy (RE) in total generation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)? The rationale for using ES in combination with RE in the LAC region is that it can enable a larger scale deployment of cost-saving intermittent RE, with which the region is highly endowed, without threatening grid stability or the ability to meet electricity demand. To test this rationale, the paper considers three case studies that represent the key market types in LAC: a small off-grid town, a small island country, and a large interconnected market. ES technologies can increase the share of intermittent RE in total generation by: (i) providing backup power at times when intermittent RE technologies cannot generate power (to maintain grid stability); and/or (ii) providing energy management services that allow system operators to forecast when they will be able to use electricity from intermittent RE (to maintain the ability to meet electricity demand at all times).
A Business to Call Her Own: Identifying, Analyzing and Overcoming Constraints to Womens' Small Businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Magnoni Barbara , Powers Jennifer
Published: March 2024

This study identifies key barriers to women's businesses globally and evaluates the degree to which they constrain women's business growth in Latin America. These barriers include a lack of access to financial products and services, risk aversion, social conventions, family responsibilities, education and training and technology.
Freight logistics in Latin America and the Caribbean: An agenda to improve performance
Authors: Barbero José A.
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this Technical Note is to identify the main obstacles to logistics performance in Latin America and the Caribbean (the Region) and to offer an agenda for action. The note includes a didactic presentation of the conceptual foundations of freight logistics for those interested in the formulation of public policies across the diverse areas covered by this topic. The document studies the relative position of Latin America¿s logistics performance by reviewing the main available indicators and analyzing the probable causes of the performance gap between the Region and other countries. The study¿s methodology includes: an in¿depth review of the most critical components that contribute to the weak regional performance, and an examination of documents that assess the logistics situation of 10 countries in the Region. Based on the results, a public policy agenda is formulated, to improve the Region's performance and identify country clusters with different requirements.
Status of Incorporation of Disaster Risk Management in National Public Investment Systems: Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

In 2012 the Inter-American Development Bank developed a methodology to assess the status of and progress in the incorporation of disaster risk management (DRM) in the national public investment systems (NPIS) of its borrowing countries. The methodology includes a total of 23 parameters that categorize five (5) main criteria viz. institutional capacity for NPIS; development of conceptual models, methodologies and tools to incorporate DRM in PIP; dissemination, training, technical support and information on the incorporation of DRM in NPIS; political consensus and follow up on the gradual adoption of technical tools for the incorporation of DRM in NPIS; and mechanisms of control. This Technical Note presents the results of the application of the methodology in two Caribbean countries: Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. The Note includes an explanation of the model that served as the basis for the study, including the criteria, parameters and a description of the data and information collection process. The findings of theassessment for each of the two countries are presented along with recommendations for the more effective incorporation of DRM in NPIS.