bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the 2004 Project Completion Reports (PCRs) Produced under the Bank's New PCR Guidelines
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The Project Completion Reports (PCRs) are an IDB self-evaluation instrument written upon project completion. The Bank and the Executing Agencies share the responsibility for the achievement of the project's development objectives, and the PCR is intended to document this achievement. Thus the PCR is intended to play a key role in the accountability of the Bank and the Executing Agencies' actions. In 2004, the Bank produced and launched the New PCR Guidelines. Each PCR contains self-ratings regarding project performance on aspects such as: the achievement of development objectives (DO), project implementation (IP), and sustainability (S). The objective of this evaluation (RE-315) is to provide an independent validation of PCR self-ratings, and to assess compliance with the Guidelines.
Evaluation of the Public Utilities Policy as Applied to the Electricity Sector (PUP-E)
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This report (RE-326) evaluates the Public Utilities Policy governing Bank operations in the electricity sector (PUP-E). The evaluation covers all Bank activities between 1997 and 2005 that were directed toward the electricity sector, either wholly or in part, as well as operations prior to the PUP's approval (1990-1996) that incorporated its underlying principles. The methodology included an analysis of: documents produced for approved operations, the Bank's monitoring and oversight reports (Project Performance Monitoring Reports, Project Completion Reports), and pre-existing OVE evaluations. It also included a comprehensive literature review, as well as a comparative analysis of the reform process in the individual countries' electricity sectors, the scale of Bank intervention, and attainment of PUP development objectives.
Country Program Evaluation: Venezuela (1999-2007)
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This country program evaluation (CPE) of Venezuela (RE-351) for the period 1999-2007 was prepared following the guidelines of a pre-established protocol that has made it possible to develop an independent, long-term view of the Bank's relationship with Venezuela, the results of which are presented as an input for the Bank's Management in its process of preparing the future country strategy with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The CPE found that from 1999 to 2007, the Bank program had proposed an ambitious set of 81 development objectives that, in practice, despite their relevance to the country's development, far exceeded the Bank's effective capacity to act in Venezuela. This paper offers a set of recommendations including: 1) Increase technical-cooperation activities and studies; 2) Develop an active niche strategy in the Bank's areas of technical expertise; 3) Increase the evaluability of the program and operations; 4) Unleash the potential of the Bank's new organization and tools; 5) Generate activities in the infrastructure and productive sectors, emphasizing optimization of social impacts.
Innovation for Economic Performance: The Case of Latin American and Caribbean Firms
Authors: Arias Ortiz Elena , Vargas Fernando , Zuñiga Pluvia , Crespi Gustavo , Tacsir Ezequiel
Published: March 2024

In this note, a wide range of innovation indicators are analyzed in order to describe the innovation behavior of manufacturing firms in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region using the recently released Enterprise Surveys 2010. The Enterprise Surveys define innovation rates as the share of firms introducing product and process innovations. The survey also measures the proportion of firms investing in research and development (R&D) and filing for intellectual property rights (IPRs). The aim of this note is to understand the main characteristics of innovative firms and to gather new evidence with regard to the nature of the innovation process in the region. Statistics about the performance of LAC firms are provided using different types of indicators to measure firms' innovative behavior. In particular, differences in innovation performance and effort by country, sector, and key firm characteristics, such as being a multinational or exporter, are explored. Those firms in the region that are top R&D performers are identified, and the analysis closes with an exploration of firm characteristics that strongly correlate with the probability of being a top R&D performer in the region.
Design and Establishment of National Observatories on Freight Transport and Logistics
Authors: Guerrero Pablo , Abad Julieta
Published: March 2024

This paper presents an indicative guide and practical considerations for the establishment of national observatories freight and logistics.
IDB-9: Assessment of the Social Strategy for Equity and Productivity
Authors: Raw Silvia
Published: March 2024

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB, or Bank), as part of its Ninth General Capital Increase (IDB-9), committed to prepare strategic documents for one of its priority areas, social policy for equity and productivity. This paper assesses whether that requirement was implemented fully and effectively. The analysis concludes that the requirements were implemented fully, as a Strategy and sectoral guidelines for education were presented to the Board of Directors within the required timeframe. The assessment of the extent to which the documents represent an effective response to the IDB-9 mandate is more complex. The emphasis on "investing in people" is highly relevant to the Region, though the diagnoses and analyses in specific sectors as well as of country needs and priorities are uneven. The depth of the Bank's experience and expertise in the social sectors and the lessons to be gained from its previous experience are not fully reflected in the Strategy. The Results Framework, prepared for the IDB-9 Report prior to the Strategy, does not adequately reflect the priorities proposed, and targets could be met even if the priorities within each sector are not implemented. In addition, the Strategy does not identify specific actions to meet its objectives. The 2012- 2015 Action Plan, prepared in response to a request from the Board, details some of these actions, but it falls short of identifying staffing and budgeting requirements and intermediate milestones for monitoring. Further dissemination of the Strategy and broader discussion of its contents, both internally and externally, would help make the strategy more relevant, and updating the Action Plan would help to guide future implementation. In addition, an effort by the Board and IDB Management to lay out clear guidelines for future strategy exercises would help to clarify expectations and ensure a more meaningful and effective strategy setting process for IDB and its borrowing countries.
Indicators of Disaster Risk and Risk Management
Authors: Cardona Omar D. ,   Inter American Development Bank,   Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Published: March 2024

This document is the summary report of the IDB-sponsored system of disaster risk and risk management indicators presented at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan, 2005. The indices estimate disaster risk loss, distribution, vulnerability and management for 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The objective of this program is to facilitate access to relevant information on disaster risk and risk management by national decision-makers, thus making possible the identification and proposal of effective policies and actions. The system of indicators herein proposed permits the benchmarking of each country in different periods, from 1980 to 2000, and cross-national comparisons in a systematic and quantitative fashion allowing the identification of its essential economic and social characteristics. It assists the move toward a more analytically rigorous and data driven approach to risk management decision-making.
Taxation in the MERCOSUR and Coordination Possibilities
Authors: Villela Luiz Arruda , Barreix Alberto Daniel
Published: March 2024

This paper analyzes the evolution and structure of taxation in the Mercosur countries. Specifically, it covers taxes on goods and services, including general excise taxes and excises taxes, and income taxes, both corporate and personal. It also discusses the role of the tax administration and the appellate process, and concludes with suggestions for tax policy coordination among Mercosur countries.
Strengthening the Center of Government for Results in Chile: The Experience of the Ministry of the Presidency and its President's Delivery Unit (2010-13)
Authors: Dumas Víctor , Parrado Salvador , Lafuente Mariano
Published: March 2024

This Technical Note analyzes how Chile's Center of Government (CoG) institutions have operated between 2010 and 2013. During this period, the Ministry of the Presidency took on a more prominent role in the strategic management of the overall government program by coordinating government action, monitoring the delivery of government priorities, and enhancing accountability to citizens. This study examines in detail the experience of the President's Delivery Unit created in 2010, which has enhanced the strategic coherence of the government program and oriented it towards results. Furthermore, the paper identifies opportunities for improvement in developing the core CoG functions, and gathers lessons learned from other countries in the region that have also shown interest in strengthening these capacities.
How is the IDB Serving Higher-Middle-Income Countries?: Borrowers' Perspective
Authors: Alonso Pablo , Kavalsky Basil , Sembler Jose Ignacio , Conroy Hector , Schiavo-Campo Salvatore , Puerta Juan Manuel , Huppi Monika , Beuermann Diether , Elías Carlos , Pires Jose Claudio Linhares , Vera Diego , Soriano Alejandro
Published: March 2024

This evaluation assesses how well IDB's current mode of engagement meets the needs and expectations of countries that have relatively higher income levels and increasing access to diverse funding sources.For the purpose of this evaluation OVE selected 10 countries as case study countries using three objective indicators: (a) income level, (b) level of access to international financial markets, and (c) the weight of the country in IDB's lending portfolio. The countries, labeled higher middle income countries (HMICs) in this evaluation, are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The evaluation finds that IDB remains a valued and trusted development partner in the vast majority of the HMIC case study countries. It is still financially competitive, even in countries with investment-grade sovereign risk ratings, and is particularly so during times of international turbulence. IDB's counterparts particularly value the following aspects of their cooperation with the Bank: the discipline IDB helps impart to project design and execution, along with capacity building related to project management; the opportunity that IDB provides to learn from other experiences in the Region; the seal of approval that IDB's project financing can help provide through its social, environmental, and fiduciary safeguards; and IDB's ability to facilitate medium-to long-term project continuity across political cycles. However, the evaluation also finds that several aspects require further consideration as IDB moves forward, regarding the usefulness of country strategies; engagement with subnational governments; streamlining of IDB's different private sector windows; fine-tuning of some lending instruments; speed of project preparation and implementation; knowledge creation and sharing; and the introduction of fee-based services. The evaluation provides five recommendations to help IDB strengthen its engagement with High-Middle Income Countries.
Evaluation of the Fund for Special Operations during the Eighth Replenishment (1994-2010): Part I
Authors: Iunes Roberto F.
Published: March 2024

The Inter-American Development Bank is unique among the multilateral banks in the sense that it has provided concessional funding for its member countries since its inception, with the institution of the Fund for Special Operations (FSO) in the 1959 Agreement that established the Bank. The objective of this evaluation is to provide the Board of Executive Directors, when the Bank is engaging in a new increase of its capital, with an assessment of the performance of the Bank's concessional lending instrument, the FSO loan program during the period of the Eighth Replenishment (IDB-8: 1994-2010). In this sense, it does not discuss the Intermediate Financing Facility (IFF), nor the non-reimbursable technical cooperation financed with FSO resources. This is a timely exercise, for increases in the Bank¿s capital represent critical moments for replenishing the Fund. The concessional nature of the FSO, lower interest rates and longer amortization period, implies that its resources cannot be obtained from the capital markets, but rather have to come (mostly) from the contributions of member countries, and from the income that can be generated from its loans: from investment liquidity and from the interest collected. This evaluation consists of two papers that, given their content and length, are presented separately. This first paper evaluates issues related to FSO allocation, approval and execution. The second document assesses financial and development results.
Country Program Evaluation: Bolivia (2008-2010)
Authors: Fryer Michelle
Published: March 2024

This Country Program Evaluation (CPE) is an independent assessment of the effectiveness of the Bank's program with the Plurinational State of Bolivia (Bolivia) over the span 2008-2010. This Country Program Evaluation (CPE) is an independent assessment of the effectiveness of the Bank's program with the Plurinational State of Bolivia (Bolivia) over the span 2008-2010. OVE evaluated the programming exercise's intent, its relevance to stated country and Bank priorities, country program delivery efficiency, coherence of the products used by the program, and the ultimate development impact of the Bank's actions. Broadly, OVE recommends that the Bank continues to work in line with the main points of the previous CPE (document RE-340); assess it personnel and resource allocation, as well as, reviews and updates its incentives package; and assess its programming strengths and configure its support accordingly.
Country Program Evaluation: Nicaragua (2002-2007)
Authors: Sedlacek Guilherme Luis
Published: March 2024

This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the Bank's Nicaragua country program for 2002 to 2007. First, the report provides an account to the Bank's Directors regarding the results achieved by the Bank in the country. Second, the report provides input for reflection and lesson learning regarding how the Bank can improve the effectiveness of its future operations in the country.
Country Program Evaluation: Belize (2008-2012)
Authors: Ramirez-Goldin Ana , Schijman Agustina , Conroy Hector , Palma Alejandra , Ramos Johanna
Published: March 2024

This Country Program Evaluation (CPE) for Belize: 2008-2012 is the third time the Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE) has evaluated the work of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB, or Bank) with Belize. The main goal of the CPE is to provide information on Bank performance at the country level that is credible and useful, and that enables the incorporation of lessons and recommendations that can be used to improve the development effectiveness of the Bank's overall strategy and program of country assistance. Chapter 1 briefly describes the social and macroeconomic context in which the Bank's program was executed. Chapter 2 describes the main objects of the evaluation the Country Strategy and its associated program and discusses their relevance for Belize's economic development in light of the issues raised in the previous chapter. Chapter 3 assesses the efficiency of the Bank's work in Belize relative to its work in other countries and tries to identify the factors that contribute to it. Chapter 4 is concerned with the results of some of the operations executed during the period. The operations evaluated are those that closed between 2008 and 2012 or that progressed sufficiently in their execution as to be able to show some results.
Land Regularization and Administration Projects: A Comparative Evaluation
Authors: Ramos Piracoca Johanna , Ramirez-Goldin Ana , Conroy Hector , Tang Li
Published: March 2024

The main objective of this evaluation is to identify elements that have contributed to the greater or lesser success of a number of land regularization and administration projects; it also seeks, on the basis of these, to identify aspects of both design and execution that warrant special attention in order to make these projects more efficient, effective, and sustainable. The secondary objective is to provide information on the performance and outcomes of the projects evaluated. The evaluation is based on a number of selected projects that are not representative of the full range of Bank activities in this area, and its conclusions are limited to the scope of those projects. The evaluation does not, therefore, claim to offer conclusions that can be extrapolated to all such activities, or to make any judgment about the future relevance of land administration projects in the region.
Approach Paper: Country Program Evaluation: Chile (2011-2013)
Authors: Aulet María , Tetreault Alayna , Sembler Jose Ignacio , Huppi Monika
Published: March 2024

As part of its 2014 annual work plan, the Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE) is preparing the evaluation of the country program with Chile for the period 2011-2013. This approach paper defines the scope of that evaluation. This CPE seeks to examine the Bank's relationship with the country from an independent and comprehensive perspective, particularly the relevance and effectiveness of the program, including both financial and nonfinancial products offered by the Bank during the analysis period. This evaluation is expected to serve as input for the new country strategy document being prepared by the Bank.
How to Select an Instrument for Assessing Student Learning
Authors: Covacevich Catalina
Published: March 2024

The implementation of educational policies and practices is closely linked to the assessment of student learning, as it enables the monitoring of progress and achievements, the improvement of teaching in the classroom, the improvement of policies and the assessment of program effectiveness, among many other objectives. To ensure that assessment achieves its purposes, it is essential to make an appropriate choice of the learning assessment instruments to be used. In this context, teachers, policy implementers, researchers and staff of the ministries of education are frequently faced with the need to select tools for learning assessment, withou necessarily having an extensive knowledge of the subject. Therefore, this technical note is aimed at people working in the education sector who do not have training in the area of learning assessment, and its objective is to provide technical, practical and ethical guidance on the elements that must be taken into account when selecting or constructing a learning assessment instrument.
Energy Reform and Local Content in Mexico: Effects on the Hydrocarbons Sector
Authors: Casas-Alatriste José Antonio , Espinasa Ramón
Published: March 2024

This study results from a need to have more precise knowledge of the recently approved Energy Reform, and its secondary laws and regulations. It identifies opportunities that may arise for implementing policies and practices that affect the percentage of local content of acquisitions and contracting to be undertaken by the various entities and companies in the sector, as well as the real possibilities of stimulating development of productive corridors to ensure the emergence, growth and consolidation of industries, companies and businesses of various types which support the energy sector in Mexico, strengthen the economy and reduce social inequality and poverty. The study includes case studies of the Brazilian, Colombian, Trinidadian, and Indonesian experiences with local content in their hydrocarbon sectors and compares them to Mexico.
Third Independent Evaluation of Expanded Project Supervision Report (XPSR) Exercise
Authors: Pires Jose Claudio Linhares
Published: March 2024

This report evaluates the third exercise of the Expanded Project Supervision Reports (XPSRs), prepared by the Structured and Corporate Finance Department (SCF). The exercise represents a step toward full compliance with the Evaluation Cooperation Group's (ECG) guidelines, which require the validation of the XPSRs the same year they reached Early Operational Maturity (EOM). Based on the agreed schedule between OVE and SCF, this goal should be achieved by the end of 2011. This exercise implies the preparation of 13 XPSRs for all projects that reached EOM in 2008 and 2009. According to this agreed schedule, two additional exercises will be conducted by the end of 2011, one for projects that reached EOM in 2010 and another for projects that will reach EOM in 2011.This report presents the main findings and conclusions from the evaluation exercise. Some specific financial, business or proprietary information has been edited, in compliance with the Bank's Access to Information Policy.
Country Program Evaluation: Panama (2010-2014)
Authors: Soldano Miguel , Fryer Michelle , Linares Ana María , Ramírez Rodríguez Santiago , Fajgenbaum Jose , Tetreault Alayna , Bouillon César P. , Churanek Danya , Sadeghi Patricia , Pires Jose Claudio Linhares , Zeballos Yariela , Guerrero Alejandro , Soriano Alejandro
Published: March 2024

This Country Program Evaluation (CPE) is the third independent evaluation of the country program of the Inter-American Development Bank (the Bank) with Panama. Past evaluations covered the periods 1991-2003 (RE-305), when the country was transitioning to full control of its prime economic asset, the Panama Canal, and the Canal Zone territory and infrastructure, and 2005-2009 (RE-359), a period characterized by extraordinarily good macroeconomic performance and significant fiscal reform. This CPE spans January 2010 to December 2014, years marked by an ambitious public investment program and a strong reduction in unemployment and poverty, although accompanied by income inequality.According to the Bank's Protocol for Country Program Evaluations (RE-348-3), the main goal of a CPE is to provide information on Bank performance at the country level that is credible and useful, and that enables the incorporation of lessons and recommendations that can be used to improve the development effectiveness of the Bank's overall strategy and program of country assistance. Like other CPEs, this evaluation seeks to examine the Bank's relationship with the country from an independent perspective, strengthening accountability and facilitating learning to serve as an input to the new Country Strategy under preparation for 2015-2019. To prepare this document, OVE interviewed the Bank's main counterparts among Panama's authorities, project execution units, civil society and the private sector, multilateral agencies with presence in Panama, and Bank staff in Panama and at Headquarters. OVE also visited Bank-supported projects to assess implementation progress and challenges. The evaluation portfolio includes all operations approved over the review period, together with those approved previously but implemented during the review period. Chapter 1 examines Panamas economic and social development over 2010-2014 and considers the countrys medium-term prospects. Chapter 2 analyzes the strategic and financial relevance of the Bank's program and assesses implementation effectiveness. Chapter 3 discusses the results achieved in the six strategic sectors identified by the 2010-2014 Country Strategy and assesses the use of country systems. Chapter 4 presents concluding remarks and recommendations. The annexes provide details of the portfolio and include figures that support OVE's analysis.
The DNA of Regional Integration: Latin American's Views on High Quality Convergence Innovation Equality and Care for the Environment
Authors: Chelala Santiago , Beliz Gustavo
Published: March 2024

This report is the outcome of an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)regional public good (RPG) that different Latin American and Caribbean countries helped to create by identifying the information they needed to perfect the decision-making process on matters of trade and integration. The mechanism that the IDB foresaw is a three-way process, in which decisions are made in partnership with technical institutions and countries, which share their experience and knowledge of social demands. In this case, the countries of the region played a key role in designing an opinion poll on trade and integration, the results of which we compare with national statistical indicators. This was made possible by the strategic partnership between the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (IDB/INTAL), part of the Integration and Trade Sector, and Latinobarómetro, marking the start of the dialogue between two databases with very specific features. The first of these is the highly complete information on trade and integration that INTAL has acquired over its 51-year history. The second, the public perceptions that Latinobarómetro, a pioneering public opinion poll, has been measuring in the region for over two decades. Cross-referencing the results of over 20,000 exclusive surveys that were carried out in 18 Latin American countries with national statistics has helped create a powerful tool for designing integration and trade strategies. Comparing citizens' opinions and national statistics allows researchers to find correlations and asymmetries between public perceptions and the region's actual performance, thus contributing to improving planning and impact assessment in public policy design. We believe that integration processes should reflect both dimensions: they must not overlook classic indicators but they also need to include the voice of the people of Latin America, which is an essential part of any regional strategy seeking to construct a form of governance that is underpinned by the demands of society.
Country Program Evaluation: Guatemala 2012-2016
Authors: Hernández María José , Torres Mauricio , Rivera Johanan , Jansson Maya , Sembler Jose Ignacio , Huppi Monika , Pires Jose Claudio Linhares , Rodrigo Maria Fernanda , Azuara Herrera Oliver
Published: March 2024

This Country Program Evaluation (CPE) for Guatemala covers the period 2012-2016. It is the fourth occasion on which OVE has evaluated the Bank's program with the country. The previous evaluations covered the periods 1993-2003 (document RE-304-2), 2004-2007 (document RE-352), and 2008-2011 (document RE-404). In the context of the 2016 merger of the Bank's private sector windows (the Structured and Corporate Financing Department and the Opportunities for the Majority Sector) with the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), OVE has also been given the mandate of evaluating all operations financed by the IIC. This evaluation looks at the IDB Group's relationship with the country from an independent perspective, with particular reference to the relevance and effectiveness of the program. The evaluation is organized into four chapters, plus annexes. Chapter I assesses the general context of the country. Chapter II provides a general analysis of the Bank's program in 2012-2016, with particular reference to the relevance of the country strategy and the program as actually implemented. Chapter III analyzes, from a sector perspective, the implementation, effectiveness, and sustainability of the operations, and of progress toward the strategic objectives proposed by the Bank in its country strategy. Chapter IV presents conclusions and recommendations.
Evaluation of the Bank's Support for Gender and Diversity
Authors: Rose Jonathan , Alonso Pablo , Crespo Anna Risi Vianna , Carpanelli María del Mar , Rivera Johanan , O'Donnell Megan , Jansson Maya
Published: March 2024

The objective of the evaluation is to assess how well and to what extent the IDB’s activities to date have promoted gender equality, women’s empowerment, and development with identity. The evaluation focuses on three key aspects: (i) the relevance of the Bank’s approach (its policy framework and the implementation of that framework) to promoting gender equality, women’s empowerment, and development with identity; (ii) the extent of its activities to support gender and diversity; and (iii) the institutional factors that influence these activities. Findings seek to identify factors that affect the success of various types of operations in different contexts, and to provide recommendations on how the Bank can enhance its support for gender and diversity.
Approach Paper: Assessing Impacts of Productive Development Programs at the Firm Level in Brazil
Authors: Pires Jose Claudio Linhares , Lodato Simon , Jacinto Paulo , Berg Claudia
Published: March 2024

As part of the Office of Evaluation and Oversight's (OVE) Work Program, OVE will conduct a comparative analysis of the main types of firm productivity enhancement-oriented programs (or productive development programs, PDPs) supported by the IDB Group (or Bank) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region and specifically implemented by Brazilian institutions. Rather than evaluating Bank projects, the evaluation will examine whether and how Bank-supported approaches implemented by Brazilian institutions affect firm level outcomes, with the main indicator being productivity. The assessment will also measure program results on employment, real wages, exports (value-range) and innovation (patents and trademarks registration). The overarching objective of this exercise is to provide insight for future strategic decisions regarding the targeting of Bank support to productive development in the Region.
Informe MERCOSUR No 19 (2013-2014) Segundo Semestre 2013 - Primer Semestre 2014
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

Desde 1996, el Instituto para la Integración de América Latina y el Caribe del BID (BID-INTAL) ha publicado la edición anual del Informe MERCOSUR, con el objeto de documentar los aspectos más importantes del desarrollo económico y comercial de esta entidad regional, haciendo un recuento ordenado de los principales aspectos de su evolución durante el período del estudio. Este Informe Nº 19, corresponde al período comprendido entre el segundo semestre de 2013 y el primer semestre de 2014, y al igual que aquéllos que le precedieron, se inscribe dentro de un ámbito más amplio de actividades realizadas por el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) orientadas a analizar y fortalecer los procesos de integración regional y multilateral de América Latina y el Caribe, como el del Mercado Común del Sur (MERCOSUR), creado por el Tratado de Asunción y suscrito en 1991, que presentamos en esta oportunidad.
Experiencias de parques lineales en Brasil: Espacios multifuncionales con potencial para brindar alternativas a problemas de drenaje y aguas urbanas
Authors: Mayorga Mora Natalia
Published: March 2024

Este documento ofrece un análisis sobre el concepto de parques lineales, partiendo de una revisión de literatura y de investigación de terreno de proyectos finalizados o en curso, y rescata elementos claves de algunas experiencias internacionales e identifica aspectos relevantes de contexto, concepción, gestión y manejo de proyectos de parques lineales en tres ciudades brasileñas. Se ejecutó en perspectiva del trabajo que viene adelantando la División de Agua y Saneamiento del BID en Brasil que a través de sus proyectos ve el potencial de los parques lineares como respuesta a problemas de drenaje y aguas urbanas. A partir de una exploración analítica de elementos claves de experiencias internacionales y nacionales el documento concluye con la proyección de un cuadro de directrices para la implementación y manejo de parques lineales en el contexto brasileño. Estas directrices están enfocadas a resaltar el rol multifuncional de estos espacios, su importancia dentro de la agenda multisectorial de planeación urbana y el papel clave que puede desempeñar el sector privado y la ciudadanía en su conservación, manutención y promoción en perspectiva del crecimiento verde en ciudades.
Informe MERCOSUR No. 18 (2012-2013) Segundo Semestre 2012 - Primer Semestre 2013
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

Desde 1996, el Instituto para la Integración de América Latina y el Caribe del BID (BID-INTAL) ha publicado la edición anual del Informe MERCOSUR, con el objeto de documentar los aspectos más importantes del desarrollo económico y comercial de esta entidad regional, haciendo un recuento ordenado de los principales aspectos de su evolución durante el período del estudio. Este Informe Nº 18, corresponde al período comprendido entre el segundo semestre de 2012 y el primer semestre de 2013, y al igual que aquéllos que le precedieron, se inscribe dentro de un ámbito más amplio de actividades realizadas por el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) orientadas a analizar y fortalecer los procesos de integración regional y multilateral de América Latina y el Caribe, como el del Mercado Común del Sur (MERCOSUR), creado por el Tratado de Asunción y suscrito en 1991, que presentamos en esta oportunidad.
Practical Steps for Marketing Tourism Certification
Authors: Bien Amos , Honey Martha , Rome Abigail , Russillo Aimee
Published: March 2024

This guide is part of a series of practical, how-to handbooks on sustainable tourism certification. These handbooks are based on research and reports done by the Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD) and The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) as part of a certification project directed by the Rainforest Alliance and funded by the IDB/MIF.
Approach Paper: Evaluability Review of Bank Projects 2012
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

In 2011 OVE began using the DEM and the self-evaluation system as a way to assess the evaluability of the Bank's portfolio by validating the DEMs of a sample of projects. The first exercise was used as pilot to set the standards OVE would use and to inform the Board and Management of the new approach. Since the DEM's criteria and process had just been revised in early 2011, OVE also used this pilot exercise to assess the DEM as an evaluability tool. The main findings of the first validation exercise were that OVE's evaluability scores were similar to Management's scores for sovereign-guaranteed (SG) operations, while OVE was unable to validate the scores of non-sovereign-guaranteed (NSG) projects. OVE recommended a full revision of the NSG DEM, and some refinements in the SG DEM. Management has worked on OVE's recommendations; as a result, a few changes will be implemented in the SG DEM in January 2013, and a new DEM is being developed for NSG projects. Since the NSG DEM is under development, OVE will wait until the new instrument is implemented to include NSG projects in the evaluability review exercises and be able to describe the evaluability of the Bank's overall portfolio. The new tool is expected to be launched in the second quarter of 2013.
Promoting Private Sector Participation in Low-Income Housing Finance: Diagnosis and Policy Recommendations for Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Gerli Beatrice , Koutsoupakis Dimitrios , Sisti Elena , Cohen Remy , Dana Joe
Published: March 2024

This document explores viable solutions to mitigate the impact of risks that are preventing private lenders from expanding their involvement in housing finance in selected countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. It is based on available housing diagnostics and studies in the region, and complemented with information gathered by the consultants from public sources and correspondence with appropriate regulators and national statistical offices. This analysis provides basis for the policy and program recommendations to support a more effective, nonbiased housing financing framework in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Economic Effects of Employment Protection: Evidence from International Industry-Level Data
Authors: Micco Alejandro , Pagés Carmen
Published: March 2024

This paper examines the economic effects of employment protection legislation in a sample of developed and developing countries. Implementing a difference-in-differences test lessens the potentially severe endogeneity and omitted variable problems associated with cross-country regressions. This test is based on the hypothesis that employment protection regulations are more binding in sectors of activity exposed to higher volatility in demand or supply shocks. The analysis indicates that more stringent legislation slows down job turnover by a significant amount, and that this effect is more pronounced in sectors that are intrinsically more volatile. The paper also finds that employment and value added decline in the most affected sectors, and employment and output effects are driven by a decline in the net entry of firms. In contrast, average employment per plant is not significantly affected.
Reforming Higher Education in Europe: From State Regulation Towards New Managerialism?
Authors: Merrien François X.
Published: March 2024

The present study describes the changes in the traditional European model of higher education, its successes as well as failures. The remarkable expansion of higher education in Europe during the postwar period was the result of a shared belief in the virtue of higher education per se. The traditional model of higher education assumes a stable relationship of fair exchange between the State and the academics: the State gives power to the academics in the belief that in this way it will receive in return the forms of knowledge, basic research, and advanced education that will be of most value to itself. In Europe-as was the case in Latin America-the policy of developing the higher education sector was supported by the elite and by the middle classes, both of whom considered higher education to be a means for training professional workers and a way to enhance economic development and social mobility. The 1980s marked the beginning of some radical changes on the two continents in terms of higher education. This evolution can be associated with a shift from a more interventionist, Keynesian welfare state to a more neoliberal and supervisory State. This shift meant diminution of the belief that bureaucratic institutions could respond correctly to society's needs and increased currency of the belief in the virtues of markets or quasi-markets. The aim of the study is not to compare trends in Europe with those in Latin America. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that from the beginning of the 1970s radical changes were also introduced into the Latin American systems of higher education, partially for economic and political reasons.
Parental Actions and Siblings' Inequality
Authors: Gaviria Alejandro , Dahan Momi
Published: March 2024

The model presented in the paper generates important implications concerning how the allocation of resources between children varies across income groups. In the model, poor and middle-income families tend to channel their resources into a few children whereas rich families (and perhaps very poor families as well) tend to allocate resources more evenly. As a result, poor and middle- income families tend to generate more inequality relative to richer families.
Schooling Investments and Aggregate Conditions: A Household Survey-Based Approach for Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Behrman Jere R. , Székely Miguel , Duryea Suzanne
Published: March 2024

Schooling is a major factor in economic development. There is extensive empirical literature on what determines schooling attainment. But most of this literature uses micro data to explore connections between schooling attainment and family background and experiences, local markets, local schools and other community characteristics. These studies generally have not linked schooling attainment closely to changes in aggregate economic conditions. This paper uses a new high quality data set for 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries to assess the effects of macro conditions on schooling attainment. Household survey data are used to construct a quasi panel with information on attainment for birth cohorts born between 1930 and 1970, which is merged with country-specific aggregate data. We use the data to document schooling progress in Latin America and estimate multivariate relations for schooling attainment by birth cohorts as related to sets of variables for macroeconomic stability, factor endowments, demographic developments, institutions and culture and religion. These estimates are used to decompose the change in schooling progress by decade, and to explore the causes of the slowdown in schooling accumulation in the region since the 1980s debt crisis.
How Do Social Security and Income Affect the Living Arrangements of the Elderly?: Evidence from Reforms in Mexico and Uruguay
Authors: Shinkai Naoko
Published: March 2024

It has been shown that the social security system and other sorts of government transfers have helped poor elderly people, such as widows, to live alone in the U.S. This paper investigates whether government financial support contributed to the increase in the probability of the vulnerable elderly living alone in Latin American countries as well. Specifically, the countries that in the 1980s experienced government reforms favorable to the vulnerable elderly, Mexico and Uruguay, are examined. It is concluded that the improvement of educational attainment was mainly responsible for helping the elderly poor to live alone in rural areas in Mexico, and not the government system. On the other hand, in Uruguay, for unmarried elderly females, the increase in social security income explains most of the increase in the probability of living alone.
What Drives Differences in Inequality across Countries?
Authors: Hilgert Marianne , Székely Miguel
Published: March 2024

This paper presents microeconomic simulation techniques to examine what drives differences in inequality across countries. The simulation decomposes cross-country inequality differences into the importance of individual decisions, such as fertility, mating, labor force participation, and household structure, while at the same time including information on the importance of different income sources. The decomposition is applied to household survey data from 35 countries from 6 regions in the world. The empirical results provide insights into the transmission mechanisms through which inequality is generated.
Is Economic Growth Good for the Poor?: Tracking Low Incomes Using General Means
Authors: Foster James E. , Székely Miguel
Published: March 2024

In this paper we propose the use of an alternative methodology to track low incomes based on Atkinson's (1970) family of "equally distributed equivalent income" functions, which are called "general means" here. We provide a new characterization of general means that justifies their use in this context. Our method of evaluating the effects of growth on poor incomes is based on a comparison of growth rates for two standards of living: the ordinary mean and a bottom-sensitive general mean. The motivating question is: To what extent is growth in the ordinary mean accompanied by growth in the general mean? A key indicator in this approach is the growth elasticity of the general mean, or the percentage change in the general mean over the percentage change in the usual mean. Our empirical analysis estimates this growth elasticity for a data set containing 144 household surveys from 20 countries over the last quarter century. Among other results, we find that the growth elasticity of bottom sensitive general means is positive, but significantly smaller than one. This suggests that the incomes of the poor do not grow one-for-one with increases in average income.
Credit Constraints in Latin America: An Overview of the Micro Evidence
Authors: Schiantarelli Fabio , Galindo Arturo
Published: March 2024

This paper summarizes and discusses new evidence on the nature, extent, evolution and consequences of financing constraints in Latin America; this evidence is drawn from a recent series of papers. The countries covered are Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and Uruguay. All the new contributions share the characteristics of being based on micro data. Most of the data sources are firms balance sheets. For Argentina information on debt contracts and credit history is also available, while for Costa Rica personal information on entrepreneurs was also collected. Some of the papers investigate the determinants of firms financing choices, and the consequences of access or debt composition on performance. Other papers attempt to assess the severity of financing constraints, by focusing on firms investment choices. All the papers (but one) were part of the project Determinants and Consequences of Financial Constraints Facing Firms in Latin America and the Caribbean, financed by the IADB. However, other recent micro-econometric contributions are discussed as well. The results suggest that access to credit (and its cost) depends not only upon favorable balance sheet characteristics, but also upon the closeness of the relationship between firms and banks as well as credit history. Access to long-term loans and to loans denominated in foreign currency is positively related to the size and tangibility of firms assets and negatively related to measures of country risk. Moreover, firms that have foreign participation appear to be less financially constrained in their investment decisions. The same is true for firms that are associated with business groups. On the whole, it appears that financial liberalization tends to relax financial constraints for firms that were previously constrained, while financial crises tighten them. However, firms that have more access to external sources of finance via, for instance, exports or ownership links, appear to suffer less in the post-crisis period. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of these results.
Credit Frictions and "Sudden Stop" in Small Open Economies: An Equilibrium Business Cycle Framework for Emerging Markets Crises
Authors: Arellano Cristina , Mendoza Enrique G.
Published: March 2024

Financial frictions are a central element of most of the models that the literature on emerging markets crises has proposed for explaining the Sudden Stop phenomenon. To date, few studies have aimed to examine the quantitative implications of these models and to integrate them with an equilibrium business cycle framework for emerging economies. This paper surveys these studies, viewing them as ability-to-pay and willingness-to-pay variations of a framework that adds occasionally binding borrowing constraints to the small open economy real-business-cycle model. A common feature of the different models is that agents factor in the risk of future Sudden Stops in their optimal plans, so that equilibrium allocations and prices are distorted even when credit constraints do not bind. Sudden Stops are a property of the unique, flexible-price competitive equilibrium of these models that occurs in a particular region of the state space in which negative shocks make borrowing constraints binding. The resulting nonlinear effects imply that solving the models requires non-linear numerical methods, which are described in the survey. The results show that the models can yield relatively infrequent Sudden Stops with large current account reversals and deep recessions nested within smoother business cycles. Still, research in this area is at an early stage, and this survey aims to stimulate further work.