bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Innovation Policy Design and Implementation in Chile: Directorate for Public Governance and Territorial Development of OECD and Science and Technology Divisi
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This document has been elaborated by the OECD and the IADB with the support and collaboration of the CNIC. The document is part of an effort of the CNIC to support the dynamics of innovation policy making in Chile on the basis of international good practices and peer review mechanisms. The document reviews and supports the process of strengthening institutional capacities for designing and implementing public policies for innovation in Chile.
The Trade Policy-Making Process Level One of the Two Level Game: Country Studies in the Western Hemisphere
Authors:   MUNK Centre for International Studies,   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This publication reports the results of a project on trade policy-making in eight Western Hemisphere nations jointly conducted by the IDB's INTAL and ITD, the University of Toronto's Munk Centre for International Studies, and the Inter-American Dialogue. The project focuses on the question of how best to accommodate the participation of non-state actors in the formulation of national trade policies and negotiating agendas. In early 2001, analysts from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and the United States were invited to prepare short essays describing the trade policy-making process in their countries -with special focus on the nature and structure of consultation mechanisms with private groups. The papers were presented at a June 15 workshop at the IDB with the authors and a small group of outside commentators- and subsequently revised to reflect the discussion. The main conclusions of the entire exercise are set out in the preface prepared by project director Sylvia Ostry of the Munk Center.
Tracking the Propensity of Financial Institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean to Finance Small and Medium Enterprises
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank,   Latin American Federation of Banks (FELABAN),   D'Alessio International Research Online
Published: March 2024

The Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), MIF and the Latin American Federation of Banks (FELABAN) conducted an initial survey in December 2004 of 111 Latin American financial institutions, the purpose of which was to identify the propensity of Latin American and Caribbean banks to finance small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In 2006, the study's second survey was conducted to research the SME funding situation. The present report presents the results of the study's third survey conducted in 2008.
Unmet Needs and Business Solutions for the Majority in Latin America
Authors:   Fundación AVINA,   Inter American Development Bank,   World Resources Institute
Published: March 2024

This report compressed the results of a four-month initiative to identify unmet needs and market opportunities in Colombia, El Salvador, Brazil and Mexico, and present a potential private sector solutions that can address these unmet needs profitably.
Financial Structuring of Infrastructure Projects in Public-Private Partnerships: An Application to Water Projects
Authors: Raymond Peter , Marcus Javier , Quiroga Darío , Paris Angela , Benavides Juan , Vives Antonio
Published: March 2024

This report sets out an approach and a set of tools for the financial structuring of public-private partnership projects, with a particular application to the potable water and sanitation sector. The analytical framework developed here arose from the experience and insight of investors, lenders, governments, advisors and Inter-American Development Bank staff, in the development and financing of infrastructure projects in Latin America.
IDBtv: Positioning the Inter-American Development Bank as the Premier Source of Information on Development Issues in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

IDBtv creates television programming on economic and social development issues in the region and distributes it through partnerships with television outlets in Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States. Content produced by IDBtv is aired on more than 125 television channels. Through a partnership with CNN and TV stations in the region, IDBtv productions bring news about IDB programs and policy priorities to millions of households in 200 countries. Through this programming, IDBtv has helped to position the Bank with decision makers, opinion leaders, and the general public, as one of the greatest sources of information on development issues on the region.
Attaining Progress in Growth and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean: Japanese Funds at the Inter-American Development Bank
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This publication presents ten case studies to provide a sample of the diversity, innovation, and significance of the projects assisted by the Japanese Funds at the IDB. Among them are projects addressing pressing social issues such as violence and the prevention of HIV/AIDS, projects to improve health, education, child welfare, and the environment, and projects to strengthen the functioning of public institutions and promote economic growth for all.
Oil & Debt Windfalls and Fiscal Dynamics in Bolivia
Authors: Navajas Fernando , Catena Marcelo
Published: March 2024

During 2004-06 Bolivia experienced a five-fold increase in oil revenues due to tax/ contractual innovations, higher prices and larger volumes at the same time that a multi-lateral debt reduction initiative trimmed roughly one third of the public external debt. The political economy setting of this environment entails a new hydrocarbons law that automatically decentralize expenditure to local governments and nationalization of the oil industry. This paper presents a model of fiscal dynamics in Bolivia in a stochastic framework and finds that the new status-quo will generate double reversions of primary surplus and a public debt path that may fall short of being pleasant in the presence of unfettered fiscal spending and/or decline in international energy prices and gas demand from its neighbors. The authors conclude that governance of the process of allocations and distribution of the oil rent is essential to the short to medium term sustainability of the new Bolivian model.
The Informal Sector in Jamaica
Authors: Torero Máximo , Robles Miguel , Hernández Manuel , De la Roca Jorge , Webber Maureen , Thomas Desmond
Published: March 2024

The informal economy plays an important, yet often overlooked, role in economies throughout the world. Informal activities can provide a much needed source of income for a great number of people. At the same time, informality motivated by regulatory distortions, tax evasion, or in the pursuit of illegal activities can be a development trap that deprives governments of needed funds and leaves participants without legal protection. This paper is one output of a broader effort aimed at better understanding the informal sector in Jamaica. Using various techniques, this paper first estimates the size of the informal sector in Jamaica, finding that the informal economy represented a large and growing share of the overall economy, measuring in the vicinity of 40 percent of total economic activity as currently measured. This growing sector represents a diverse group of enterprises and workers, ranging from local peddlers to sophisticated small entrepreneurs. The second component of the paper explores these and other characteristics of the informal sector which should be taken into account when prescribing new policies or programs.
Trade and Integration Sector Note
Authors: Blyde Juan S. , Mesquita Moreira Mauricio
Published: March 2024

This Technical Note seeks to argue that Chile's trade and integration agenda does not lend itself to the traditional kind of policy advice usually given throughout Latin America. Protection is low and uniform, institutions that govern trade policy are strong and well protected from capture by special interest groups and the country has put a lot of effort in opening markets in the region and abroad.
Closing the Gap
Authors: Mayorga Román
Published: March 2024

This technical study discusses the support of the Inter-American Development Bank for higher education and science and technology in Latin America and the Caribbean region. Since the 1960s, the IDB has approved many loans and technical cooperation operations in those fields and for agricultural research and extension activities, middle-level technical education, and job training. This study seeks to explain how the IDB has envisioned and performed its work in science and technology and to offer a conceptual basis for a new strategy, needed to assist the region in tackling the challenges of the twenty-first century with respect to knowledge.
Education Statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: McMeekin Robert W.
Published: March 2024

This report summarizes the results of a study of the education statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), financed by the Ford Foundation and implemented by UNESCO's Regional Office for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO-Santiago). The study is based on two kinds of information inputs. The first is a study of sixteen education statistics systems in a sample of sixteen countries and other entities in LAC. The second set of inputs is a series of consultancy studies. Included in the study is a discussion and analysis on the condition of education statistics in the LAC region, categories of education statistics and indicators, and lessons learned from other regions.
Primary Education in Latin America: The Unfinished Agenda
Authors: Schiefelbein Ernesto , Schiefelbein Paulina , Wolff Laurence
Published: March 2024

This paper asks a deceptively simple question. After over a decade of concern about and investment in primary education, what have been the results and how much further does the region need to go before it has achieved a primary education of quality for all children? The paper creatively reviews available data for four countries (Brazil, Chile, Honduras, and Costa Rica) as well as for the region as a whole. The critical policies and investments identified over ten years ago have only been partially implemented. Their full implementation is still needed. They include building up teacher knowledge, pedagogy, and commitment; increasing enrollment in pre-schooling, especially of at-risk children; providing adequate and appropriate teaching materials; targeting resources to disadvantaged children; articulating clear national learning goals; and improving the technical quality and utilization of testing programs.
Coastal and Marine Resources Management in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Lemay Michele H.
Published: March 2024

This document presents a coastal and marine resources management strategy for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The strategy provides new directions for Bank activities which significantly affect sustainable development of coastal and marine areas in Latin America and the Caribbean. Calling for a renewed, more integrated approach, the strategy is intended to bring the Bank's interventions in sectors such as marine fisheries, tourism, maritime transport and pollution control in line with the fundamental objectives of the 8th Capital Replenishment. Looking beyond these sectoral considerations, the strategy highlights new opportunities for lending and non-lending support in line with the distinct character of coastal and marine areas, their evolving regulatory framework, and the responsibility shared by governments and coastal communities in the Region to manage them.
Good Practices for Urban Greening
Authors: Sorensen Mark , Smit Jac , Barzetti Valerie
Published: March 2024

This report seeks to provide the reader with a strong background on the benefits, challenges, and approaches to the development of a sustainable urban greening program. The examples and ideas in the report draw on the expertise and acumen of more than 300 professionals from 23 countries; people who work in all reaches of the private and public sector, with insights on the political, administrative, technical, financial and social aspects of urban greening. Many of these people came together to share their experience and knowledge at the 1996 Mexico City Seminar on Urban Greening sponsored by the Bank, where they also participated in workshops specifically designed to review an earlier draft of this publication. This final report represents the culmination of the efforts of these professionals and the staff of the IDB.
Investing in Biodiversity Conservation: Proceedings of a Workshop
Authors: McNeelly Jeffrey A. , Southgate Douglas , Dourojeanni Marc J. , Newcombe Ken , Smith David C.
Published: March 2024

This document presents the proceedings of a one-day Workshop on Investing in Biodiversity Conservation held at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C., on October 28, 1996. The first part of the workshop was dedicated to the presentation of key topics on biodiversity financing by five leaders in the field. The second part of the workshop was dedicated to a discussion and exchange of ideas on the role of the IDB in investing in biodiversity conservation. Three main recommendations emerged: 1) The Bank should prepare a report on on its experience in biodiversity projects and development programs with biodiversity components; 2) A task force should be formed to work on a bio-diversity policy or strategy; 3) IDB staff should be trained to understand the biodiversity concept and its implications in project preparation and implementation.
Evaluation Tool to Implement Good Practices in the Area of Customer Management for Water and Sewerage Operators
Authors: Jourdain Jean-Loup
Published: March 2024

The following is a tool developed by the Water and Sanitation Division of the IDB for evaluating customer management practices in use by water and sewerage utilities. In order to facilitate the use of this tool, all matters which relate to customer management have been grouped into four main functional areas: the "Billing Factory" (or the recurrent billing and collection activities); Revenue Management; Customer Care (management of contacts with customers); and Customer Marketing, a relatively new activity in water and sewerage companies, which aims to study and propose solutions tailored for various types of customers. The tool is an Excel program, designed to be freestanding. This tool may be used in two major ways, as a support for dialogue between a professional of customer management and an external expert, or directly by the company itself to measure the consistency of different approaches to customer management and perceptions regarding their effectiveness.
MERCOSUR Report No. 15 (2009-2010)
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This report reviews and analyzes key aspects of the bloc's integration process in relation to both the internal and external agendas in the period from July 2009 to June 2010. The opening two chapters respectively analyze the macroeconomic outlook of the economies of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and their trade flows. The MERCOSUR countries' trade flows were not immune to the effects of the recessive state of the international financial crisis, which broke out in September 2008, and registered severe falls in 2009. The main sectoral issues involving MERCOSUR countries were in the area of trade relations between Brazil and Argentina, specifically the disputes affecting the bloc's smaller partners.
The Case for Business Registration Reform in Latin America
Authors: Jansson Tor , Chalmers Geoffrey
Published: March 2024

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for understanding and analyzing how business regulations affect small and microenterprises. In doing so, it also makes a case for why particular attention should be paid to the process of initial registration of businesses and why this is a promising area for improvement and reform. To show what has been done and what can be done in this area, the paper explores the experiences of various countries around the world that have made efforts to streamline this often lengthy and complicated process. Drawing from these experiences, the paper outlines a number of concrete guidelines for how to go about such an undertaking. Finally, the paper brings the topic down to the operational level by describing a recently approved IDB project in Costa Rica. The effort will create a self-sustainable one-stop-shop for business registration by involving the private sector and employing widely available technology in a new way.
Alternatives for Habitat Protection and Rural Income Generation
Authors: Southgate Douglas
Published: March 2024

The key question the research in this paper tries to answer is whether those four activities truly represent a viable economic alternative in Latin America's environmentally fragile hinterlands. Several cases in each line of activity are analyzed to determine the level and distribution of the net financial returns they generate. Special attention was devoted to examining the degree to which net returns flow to local populations, as opposed to other economic agents. In general, examination of the rewards local populations can expect to derive from ecotourism and the harvesting of nontimber forest products suggests that allocating time and effort to those activities is unlikely to be very remunerative since unskilled labor is not particularly scarce in rural areas. In addition, little is to be gained by controlling access to natural resources, which for the most part are abundant. Moreover, making the sector-specific human capital and other investments needed for forest dwellers to capture more of the net returns from ecotourism, genetic prospecting, and so forth would probably not benefit them very much. Instead, furnishing them with education and training
Concept Paper for Bank Support to Pre-Qualification of Oil and Gas Exploration/Production Blocks Andean/Amazon Basin Countries
Authors: Donahue Madeleine
Published: March 2024

This document presents a concept paper, intended to assist the Andean/Amazon Basin countries to develop proposals, in consultation with indigenous organizations, for 1) the financing of consultations with indigenous peoples and 2) the undertaking of a series of environmental, and socio-cultural activities prior to the governments' calls for bids on oil and gas exploration/development blocks. Although the Initiative is restricted to the hydrocarbon sector, it can be applied more broadly to bids on other similar activities such as mining and forestry resource concessions. Accordingly, it can be seen as a model for other activities and government ministries.
Definitions of Selected Financial Terms Ratios and Adjustments for Microfinance
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The primary objective of this document is to put forward standard definitions for the selected financial terms, and suggest a standard method of calculating certain financial ratios. This section defines certain key financial accounts used by MFIs. The definitions are provided in two main sections, (1) those found on the income statement; and (2) those found on a balance sheet. There are additional definitions included that will assist the reader in understanding the formulas for the financial ratios. Most are presented in the order in which they would appear on the financial statement.
Best Practice Case: TC Project number TC9905059: Ticuna Education Project
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The general objective of this project was to improve the quality of education at the Ticuna indigenous schools in the Amazonas state in Brazil through the implementation of a four-course Bilingual Ticuna teacher program in which the indigenous people are the principal actors in the transformation of their education system. The outcomes of this program went beyond its intended objectives of training bilingual Ticuna teachers and developing Ticuna teaching materials, to becoming a vehicle for the Ticuna communities to preserve and maintain Ticuna cultural traditions, language and values.
Infrastructure Financing with Unbundled Mechanisms
Authors: Sheehy Robert , Cohen Remy , Freixas Javier , Trujillo del Valle José Antonio
Published: March 2024

This paper discusses the radical change of the role of the public sector in the financing of infrastructure projects during the nineties. The generalized response to the new environment has taken the form of arrangements in which private initiative is empowered to construct and finance the projects, retaining their ownership temporarily. These arrangements, which are referred to as Build-Lease-Transfer (BLT) and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), respectively, have proved to be an efficient approach to develop infrastructure that the public sector by itself could not undertake. The authors argue that a generalized use of BOT schemes, whose main characteristic is the concentration of all responsibilities (building, management and financing) in a unique private agent (or a joint venture of private agents), could be challenged on the grounds that the unbundling of these responsibilities is a more efficient alternative.
Private Infrastructure and the Inter-American Development Bank Group
Authors: Rivas Jorge , Vives Antonio
Published: March 2024

This report provides a review of IDB Group activities supporting private participation in infrastructure between 1990 and 1997. It is intended to serve as a reference in the development of its infrastructure strategies. By compiling in a single document all the actions that promote private participation in infrastructure, a better appreciation will be developed, inside and outside the IDB Group, for the contribution it has made and the degree to which more action is required. Section II comments on the financial needs and sources of financing for infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the increasing importance of private financing. Section III is the core of the report, describing IDB Group actions for private infrastructure since 1990. This section is divided in four subsections according to the different fronts of activity as follows: (1) the IDB Group strategy, (2) the lending program, (3) the technical assistance program, and (4) nonfinancial activities. Section IV presents some conclusions and highlights that derive directly from a global overview of the Bank¿s seven year experience. Finally, the Annexes provide summary tables and a brief description of each project.
Liberalization of the Gas Sector in Latin America: The Experience of Three Countries
Authors: Fuente Carmen , Beato Paulina
Published: March 2024

This paper is devoted to examining the scope, outcomes and shortcomings of reforms aimed at introducing competition in the production, transport, distribution and retail segments of the gas industry. The experiences of Argentina, Colombia and Mexico are used as examples. The paper includes the following sections: 1) Introduction; 2) Features of a monopolistic model; 3) Analysis of a model with competition at each sector segment; 4) Comparison of different structures of wholesale gas markets; 5) Transportation issues; 6) Distribution and retail competition schemes; 7) Regulatory issues; 8) Lessons learned. A description of the main features of the gas sector in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia is presented in Annexes 1, 2 and 3.
Hurricane Mitch: Women's Needs and Contributions
Authors: Vega Gabriela , Bertrand Mauricio , Truitt Nakata Ginya , Urban Anne-Marie , Buvinic Mayra
Published: March 2024

This report examines evidence from post-Mitch Central America and disasters in other parts of the world to identify the ways disasters affect women and to highlight women's participation in prevention, relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts. This report is based on background papers prepared on the effects of Mitch and past disasters on women, and inputs from a technical meeting with government and NGO representatives of the four countries directly affected by Mitch -El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua- and Costa Rica, which suffered indirect impacts. The report was prepared for and presented at the meeting of the Consultative Group for the Reconstruction and Transformation of Central America which took place in Stockholm, Sweden on May 25th-27th, 1999.
An Inventory of Poverty Lines for Latin America and the Caribbean: 1985-1997
Authors: Mejía-Guerra José Antonio
Published: March 2024

The tables in this document present an inventory of some of the available poverty lines for all IDB member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The listed poverty lines are expressed as per capita monthly amounts of nominal local currency and are estimated based on the reference (fieldwork) period of the survey to which they apply. For example, Mexico's INEGI poverty line for 1994 is given in pesos for the 4th quarter of 1994. The only exceptions are the IDB/Poverty Targeted Investments (PTI) poverty lines, which are estimated by using the yearly average of the general consumption price index so that their reference period is mid-year. The appendix presents a more detailed explanation of how the IDB/PTI poverty lines are estimated. In order to review the origin of the rest of the lines, the reader is referred to their original sources, which are listed after each table. All sources are included as footnotes to the tables.
Is Anybody Listening?: Ignoring Evidence in the Latin American Health Reform Debates
Authors: Savedoff William D.
Published: March 2024

Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, countries are in the midst of debates about their health systems. Frequently, the characteristics of reforms in one country are used to promote or criticize particular proposals in another. Despite the great importance and potential from learning from external models, evidence frequently makes very little difference to the way models are perceived and described in the political and social arena. To illustrate this point, the author takes Chile as an example, a country whose health reform has been widely decried as the most horrible of neo-liberal health reforms. However, the author states that Chile has one of the most progressive health systems in the world when measured by the combination of tax incidence and public health spending.
Violence as an Obstacle to Development
Authors: Buvinic Mayra , Morrison Andrew
Published: March 2024

This document is 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 economic and non-economic costs of violence. The authors show how violence impedes economic development. From a macroeconomic point of view, violence reduces foreign and domestic investment as well as domestic savings, thus hindering prospects for long term growth. From the microeconomic standpoint, one of the effects of violence is to dissuade individuals from investing time and money in education; it may deter some people from attending night school out of fear of becoming a victim of violent crime, or it may even induce some individuals to turn to a life of crime instead of completing their education. Domestic violence against women and children is also a stumbling block to economic development. Tending to the consequences of both domestic and social violence cuts into the scarce resources available to society.
Preventing Violence
Authors: Buvinic Mayra , Morrison Andrew
Published: March 2024

This document is 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 preventing violence. The authors hold that because of its multiple causes and consequences, addressing violence requires implementing measures in several different sectors. No single formula can be applied to all situations of violence. A myriad of proposals for action have been put forth, many have been shaped by the author's discipline. These proposals can be divided up into two major groups: actions geared towards violence control and actions geared towards violence prevention.
Health Policies and Economic Blocks
Authors: Barros Weaver Bernardo , Medici André
Published: March 2024

This paper analyzes the roles of health goods and services markets within the regional integration process. It is a known fact that the consolidation of integrated markets is slower regarding social goods and services (as health and education) than among other goods and services (e.g. durable and non-durable consumption goods). The paper discusses the nature of the health sector and its global dimension, showing the peculiar features of health goods and services marked by economic complexity and (according to Arrow) information asymmetry. Despite that, the paper emphasizes old and new reasons that place health as a prerequisite to commercial integration. It approaches the role played by the State in health financing, provision and regulation and the commercial integration process.
Monitoring Urban Markets: The Experience of Latin American Cities
Authors: Rojas Eduardo
Published: March 2024

This Urban Sector present Dissemination Note reports on the presentations made and discussions held in the Seminar organized by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy of Cambridge, MA, on the Latin American experience in monitoring urban land markets. The Seminar gathered 10 representatives of private firms that, as part of their business, systematically gather data and sale information about urban real estate markets. Systematic information about urban land and real estate transactions play a significant role in improving the operation of urban markets. Further, this information is a valuable input for public decision making concerning infrastructure investment, zoning and other land use planning decisions, and for scientific research on urban issues.
Poverty and the Employment Problem in Argentina
Authors: Morley Samuel A. , Márquez Gustavo
Published: March 2024

This paper discusses poverty and unemployment in Argentina, beginning with the turbulent years since 1980. Argentina suffered a 25 percent reduction in per capita income, two bouts of hyperinflation and a sharp rise in poverty during the 1980s. In 1990, the Menem government began a profound restructuring of Argentine economy. A centerpiece of the new program was a plan designed to control inflation once and for all. Other elements of the program were a control of the government deficit, privatization, reduction in tariff barriers, and a reform of social spending. What was the effect of all these changes on the level of poverty, employment and social equity? These are the questions the authors address in this paper. The work is divided into three parts. In the first one, they examine movements in poverty and distribution, and their causes. In the second, the labor market is examined. In final one the authors draw some conclusions on Argentina's experience for the general debate on how to create a sustainable growth strategy that can reduce poverty and unemployment without hyperinflation.
Employment Generation, Firm Size and Innovation: Microeconometric Evidence from Argentina
Authors: Stucchi Rodolfo , Giuliodori David , De Elejalde Sheila
Published: March 2024

This paper provides evidence about the relationship between innovation and employment in Argentina. In particular, it quantifies the impact of different types of innovations (process or product innovations) on employment growth and skill composition (skilled-unskilled labor) and the impact of different innovation strategies (buy or make) on employment growth, and analyzes whether these impacts depend on firm size or technology intensity. To answer these questions a model proposed in Harrison, Jaumandreu, Mairesse, and Peters (2008) was estimated using an IV approach with data from the Innovation Surveys for Argentina for the period 1998-2001. The results suggest that product innovations have a positive impact on employment growth while process innovations have no significant impact on employment growth. In addition, there is some evidence that product innovations are skill-biased, and that a mixed innovative strategy of make and buy has a larger impact on employment growth than a buy-only strategy. Finally, similar impacts for small firms but differential impacts for low-tech and high-tech sectors were found.
Building in an Evalualtion Component for Active Labor Market Programs: A Practitioner's Guide
Authors: Villa Juan Miguel , Card David , Ibarrarán Pablo
Published: March 2024

The guide outlines the main evaluation challenges associated with Active Labor Market Programs (ALMPs), and shows how to obtain rigorous impact estimates using two leading evaluation approaches. The most credible and straightforward evaluation method is a randomized design, in which a group of potential participants is randomly divided into a treatment and a control group. The second approach is a difference in differences design that compares the change in outcomes between the participant group and a selected comparison group from before to after the completion of the program. The change in the outcome gap between the two groups yields a reliable estimate of the program impact. This guideline reviews the various steps in the design and implementation of ALMPs, and in subsequent analysis of the program data, that will ensure a rigorous and informative impact evaluation using either of these two techniques.
IPC Guide for Small Business Lending
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank,   Internationale Projekt Consult GmbH
Published: March 2024

Specialized financial institutions (SFIs) have a clear interest in tapping the small business lending market, but frequently lack the know-how for doing so in a sustainable manner. This guide outlines the key conditions and steps SFIs need to take in order to set up and develop sustainable small business lending. These recommendations are based on IPC's substantial experience in assisting FIs in various regions around the world in implementing small business lending operations.
Public Programs, Innovation, and Firm Performance in Chile
Authors: Cuevas Conrado , Crespi Gustavo , Alvarez Roberto
Published: March 2024

This paper evaluates the impact of two public programs, FONTEC and FONDEF, aimed at fostering innovation in Chilean firms. With the cooperation of several public agencies, participants and non-participants in these programs during the period 1995-2000 were identified from a large panel of firms in the manufacturing sector. From this information, the effect of the programs could be determined using propensity score matching (PSM) and differences in differences (DID) in a multiple treatment setting. Results show that these programs have generally been associated with increases in employment and productivity, but the impact is heterogeneous across programs and indicators of firm performance.
Innovation Strategies and Employment in Latin American Firms
Authors: Crespi Gustavo , Zuñiga Pluvia
Published: March 2024

This study examines the impact of innovation strategies on employment growth in four Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Uruguay) using micro-data for manufacturing firms from innovation surveys. Building on the model proposed by Harrison et al. (2008), we relate employment to three innovation strategies: make only (R&D), buy only (external R&D, licensing of patents and know-how, technical assistance, and other external innovation activities) and make and buy (mixed strategy). Firms that conduct in-house innovation activities ("make only") have the greatest impact on employment; the "make and buy" strategy comes in second. Similar results are found for small firms. These results highlight the importance of fostering in-house technological efforts not only for innovation per se, but also to promote growth in firm employment. The impact of "make only" strategies is greater in high-tech industries, whereas "make only" and "make and buy" have a similar impact on employment in low-tech industries. Finally, the study provides evidence of the mechanisms through which innovation strategies affect employment. The findings show that innovation strategies enhance technological innovation, but their impact differs between product and process innovation. Product innovation is mainly motivated by in-house technology investments, followed by mixed strategies, whereas process innovation is basically driven by "buy" strategies.
Corporate Governance in Water and Sanitation Enterprises
Authors: Cuéllar Boada Fidel H.
Published: March 2024

This technical note contains a methodology to promote the use of good corporate governance practices for water and sanitation enterprises (especially SOEs) in Latin America and the Caribbean, based on IDB experiences and other relevant cases from network utilities. The methodology evaluates how corporate governance practices are currently being applied in those firms, and facilitates progressive advancement in successive stages. The methodology is rooted in theory in order to ensure that the governance of water and sanitation enterprises contributes to the efficient and sustainable use of resources, so that the social investment in water and sanitation in the region may play a part in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
The Demand for Mortgages under Macro Volatility: The Argentine Case
Authors: Bebczuk Ricardo N. , Moya Ramiro , Auguste Sebastián
Published: March 2024

This paper analyzes mortgage loan demand in Argentina using a new survey administered in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area. It finds that recurring macro volatility and violation of financial property rights have increased demand for real estate as an investment, which in turn boosts housing prices and makes it more difficult for consumer households to meet minimum income requirements for obtaining a mortgage. Affordability thus seems to offer a better explanation than standard supply side constraints for the small size of the mortgage market in Argentina. Overall, the shallow mortgage market has not posed a major impediment to home ownership in Argentina and the small (and shrinking) mortgage market has more to do with lack of demand than credit supply constraints.
Decentralization in Bolivia
Authors: Huntzinger Hervé , Prud'homme Rémy , Guelton Sonia
Published: March 2024

This document presents a global view of the intergovernmental relationships that prevail in Bolivia. It analyzes the importance, functions, revenues, and problems of communes and attempts to do the same thing for prefectures. It then examines the specific transfers and the loans made to communes and prefectures, and looks at three important sectors of public activity (indeed, the three most important sectors in many ways): education, health and transportation, and sees how the different levels of government and institutions intervene in these sectors.
The Fiscal Impact of the International Financial Crisis on Latin American and Caribbean Economies
Authors: Villela Luiz Arruda , Fretes Cibils Vicente
Published: March 2024

The main objective of this Technical Note is to provide a simple framework to determine the short-term fiscal impact of the international financial crisis on Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries, i.e., fiscal financing needs/gap by country (or fiscal liquidity impact). In addition, it will provide a framework to evaluate fiscal sustainability by country (or fiscal solvency impact). In both cases, and depending of the particular country under analysis, transmission mechanisms (variables) will be identified, and sensitivity analysis will be carried out to determine the robustness of their impact. Given that LAC economies are quite heterogeneous, the standard framework will require adjustments to reflect each individual case under analysis. The Note also proposes to start the analysis on those countries with relatively weakest initial conditions as defined by countries with primary and overall fiscal deficits.
Recognizing and Managing the Tropical Agricultural Revolution in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Nepstad Daniel
Published: March 2024

In this technical note, the author discusses the implications of the rapid growth in agriculture in tropical Latin America and how new global and regional initiatives can support effective management of the ensuing environmental and social risks. The consequences of the tropical agricultural revolution for Latin America and the Caribbean vary greatly across nations and regions. The anticipated growth of the agricultural sectors in many nations could lead to higher rates of economic growth, more jobs, and higher export revenues.
Inter-Fuel Competition in Electricity Generation
Authors: Bailey Jed
Published: March 2024

This study compares the levelized cost of electricity generated with fossil fuels (including coal, natural gas, fuel oil, and diesel) and renewable or carbon-free energy sources (including hydro, wind, solar, nuclear and geothermal). A meta-study of power generation technology capital costs determined the range of capital costs across the various technologies as well as the range of cost estimates for each individual technology from the various data sources that were examined. Applying these capital costs to a range of operating assumption (such as fuel price and plant utilization rate) resulted in a range of levelized cost of electricity for each technology. In addition, the study examined how the cost of electricity was affected by applying a cost for CO2 emissions and a cost to build new transmission infrastructure to link the power plant in question to the national grid. Finally, the study examined the potential investment cost and benefits in reducing CO2 emissions and levelized costs of electricity by repowering existing thermal power plants or switching high-carbon fuels to lower carbon alternatives. This analysis included two case studies: repowering an older natural-gas fired combustion turbine unit in Peru and repowering and fuel switching an oil-fired steam turbine unit to natural gas in Nicaragua.
Managing for Development Results in the Dominican Republic
Authors: Martínez Guzman Juan Pablo
Published: March 2024

During the past 11 years, the Dominican Republic has introduced dozens of new laws and regulations aimed at modernizing its national management systems. The new rules represent a step forward in the implementation of Managing for Development Results (MfDR) techniques that will improve the effectiveness of public spending in the country. The implementation of the new legal framework, however, is still in an early stage. This Technical Note analyzes the new legal framework, focusing on the relationship between its components, the inconsistencies or contradictions of the framework, and the status of its implementation. The results of the analysis show that the framework provides a great starting point for MfDR, but that further action is still needed. The Technical Note ends with a list of recommendations that, if followed, should help increase the effectiveness of public expenditure in the Dominican Republic.
Addressing Climate Risk Management in IDB Operations: Options for Project Screening and Analysis, based on Emerging International Guidance and Practice
Authors: van Aalst Maarten
Published: March 2024

The paper intends to explain how ex ante climate proofing in the project cycle relates to other bank activities concerning adaptation to climate change, such as: (i) accounting and analysis for IDB reporting with respect to climate change, (ii) incorporating adaptation in country and sector-level programming, (iii) local and project-level pilot or case studies to gain practical experience, and (iv) capacity development within the IDB and its client countries.
Strengthening the Center of Government in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Alessandro Martín , Santiso Carlos , Lafuente Mariano
Published: March 2024

There is a growing interest in Latin America and the Caribbean in strengthening the strategic Center of Government (CoG). Stricto sensu, the CoG refers to the institution or group of institutions that provide direct support to the Chief Executive (President or Prime Minister) in the management of government. This paper provides a conceptual framework of the CoG, describing its principal purpose, core functions, and typical structures. In addition, it presents exploratory empirical evidence to analyze to what extent the CoGs in Latin America and the Caribbean are performing these functions. Based on an analysis of the regional trends that will be presented herein, this paper will outline a possible work agenda for CoG strengthening in the region. Finally, the paper proposes an Institutional Development Matrix (IDM) as a tool that can help countries diagnose the capacity gaps between what CoGs are doing and what they should be doing to achieve their stated goals.
Pre-Feasibility Study of the Potential Market for Natural Gas as a Fuel for Power Generation in the Caribbean
Authors: Espinasa Ramón , Bailey Jed , Janson Nils
Published: March 2024

This study analyses the feasibility of introducing natural gas in 14 countries in the Caribbean. The current dependence on fuel oil in the countries in the Caribbean has led to high generation costs and electricity prices. Introducing natural gas would decrease both the cost and price of electricity - mainly due to the lower price of natural gas. Additionally, natural gas plants emit less carbon dioxide (CO2) per ton than fuel oil plants. Therefore, the net benefits of natural gas would be seen in lower financial and economic (environmental) costs. It is important to note that upon introducing natural gas, not all renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) technologies that are viable in the current scenario - a scenario in which most electricity is generated with fuel oil - will still be viable. Furthermore, though natural gas proves viable under the current situation - where the price of natural gas is lower than that of fuel oil- there is no guarantee that this will always be the case. Lastly, there are some factors that need to be considered closely to fully assess if they will affect the viability of introducing natural gas in the Caribbean. For example, the introduction of natural gas may be hard to organize due to market structure disparities for each country. Additionally, it may not be feasible to completely phase out fuel oil. This report explains the above mentioned topics in further detail. Section A of this report assesses the potential of natural gas as a generation source, and presents the costs of supplying natural gas to the Caribbean. Section B analyses the implications of introducing natural gas on generation costs, electricity prices, and the viability of RE and EE technologies. Section B also includes a cost-benefit analysis that compares the savings in net benefits of three alternatives scenarios to the costs of the current scenario.
Chemical Plants GHG Emissions: Reconciling the Financing of Chemical Plants with Climate Change Objectives
Authors: Suding Paul Hugo
Published: March 2024

This technical note presents orientation for project teams and clients on how to reconcile the financing of chemical plants with climate change objectives. In lieu of minimum performance criteria, it provides quantitative benchmarks by which to prioritize levels of attention. It also provides guidance on assessing and encouraging the reduction of projects' greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the best available appropriate technologies. The present document in form of a technical note, therefore, conveys an approach to financing chemical plants in a manner consistent with the IDB's commitment to protecting the environment and reducing adverse impacts on the global climate, as established in its Environment and Safeguards Compliance Policy.