The journey of economic inclusion programs has been remarkable, marked by significant strides in creating job opportunities and building resilience for poor and vulnerable populations. The State of Economic Inclusion Report 2024: Pathways to Scale highlights the progress and challenges of scaling up government-led programs, as well as the vital interplay with nongovernment actors and the private sector. The report draws on the 2023 Landscape Survey of Economic Inclusion Programs and on the operational insights garnered through the Partnership for Economic Inclusion's (PEI's) collaboration with its partners, summarizing emerging evidence from government-led programs, highlighting significant knowledge gaps, and offering insights for future programmatic approaches. This report offers a comprehensive overview of the evolving landscape, global footprint, and key design features of economic inclusion programs. Comparisons with The State of Economic Inclusion Report 2021 provide valuable insights into shifts and trends over the past 3 years, including those for the economic empowerment of women and youth, for collaborative efforts across different stakeholders, and for resilience to climate change. The current report complements the earlier report by exploring efforts to scale up policy and programming, including progress and challenges around government-led programs and the interplay with nongovernment actors and the private sector. This report analyzes shifts in the global landscape, including the degree to which economic inclusion programs are being customized in vastly different contexts and the growing role of economic inclusion in building resilience and providing job opportunities to the poor population in the context of overlapping crises. Scaling up programs that empower poor and vulnerable populations to access economic opportunities, enhance food security, and build both short- and long-term resilience can contribute to more-inclusive and more-sustainable growth that leaves no one behind. This report provides policy makers with key recommendations for expanding coverage, strengthening outcomes for women and youth, maintaining program quality, continuing to build an evidence base, and designing programs for sustainable impacts. Data from the report are available on the PEI Data Portal, www.peiglobal.org, where users can explore and submit data.

The Report identifies principles for growth to enable middle-income countries to transition to high-income, applying a framework that proposes how the forces of creation (from both entrants and incumbent firms), destruction (of outdated arrangements), and preservation (of existing norms and institutions) can be balanced to speed up progress.

Economic inclusion improves refugee financial autonomy and reduces the need for humanitarian assistance. It thus leads to savings which can be invested in Jordan's development. This book studies the case of Syrian refugees in Jordan in detail.

Poverty, Prosperity, and Planet Report 2024, the latest edition of the series formerly known as Poverty and Shared Prosperity, reveals that a new approach to development policy is essential to eradicate poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. Growth remains key, but it needs to be faster, more inclusive, and greener.

The ability of firms to finance investments in physical and human capital and innovate through digital, green, and other technologies is central to productivity and economic growth. Yet a myriad of distortions and frictions can prevent the efficient allocation of financial resources to firms, negatively impacting their growth and productivity. Drawing from a newly constructed Orbis data set for 2.5 million private firms, 'Unleashing Productivity through Firm Financing' shows that misallocation of finance stifles aggregate productivity. This volume focuses on the links among firm financing, financial constraints, and firm performance, using comprehensive and underexploited firm-level data for emerging market and developing economies. This work explores both the effects of firms' access to finance and the composition of finance (equity versus debt) on firm performance. It also provides a novel, quantitative assessment of the extent of constraints in debt and equity financing for private firms of different sizes and the impact of such constraints on aggregate growth and productivity. The findings provide robust analytical underpinnings for existing, practical knowledge in supporting access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging market and developing economies.

The earliest decisions that lead to development projects are among the most critical in determining long-term success. This phase of project development transforms exciting ideas into project proposals, setting the stage for a variety of actions that will eventually lead (if all goes well) to desirable results. From deciding to propose a sanitation project in South Asia to selecting approaches that strengthen school management in South America, these decisions are the starting place of development. This book is your guide to having assessing needs and then making essential decisions about what to do next Needs assessments support this early phase of project development with proven approaches for gathering information and making justifiable decisions. Filled with practical strategies, tools, and guides, you will find that this book covers both large-scale formal needs assessments, as well as less-formal assessments that guide daily decisions. Included in the book is a blend of rigorous methods and realistic tools that can help you make informed and reasoned decisions. Use the tools featured in the book to conduct focus groups, develop surveys, prioritize needs, and lead group decision-making; developing a comprehensive, yet realistic, approach to identifying needs and selecting among alternative ways forward.

The Report identifies principles for growth to enable middle-income countries to transition to high-income, applying a framework that proposes how the forces of creation (from both entrants and incumbent firms), destruction (of outdated arrangements), and preservation (of existing norms and institutions) can be balanced to speed up progress.

As one of the pioneering works in this field, this book examines thousands of cyber incidents in the last decade, uncovering the threat landscape across nations, and the economic and developmental ramifications. With an evidence-based approach, it offers actionable policy recommendations aimed to bring efficiency into cybersecurity approaches.

Steadily increasing demand for water poses a threat to sustainable development, and an increasing number of regions are chronically short of water. Putting caps on water consumption, increasing water use efficiencies, and supporting improved sharing of water resources are now critical to reducing the perils posed by water scarcity to biodiversity and human welfare. Although freshwater demand in oil and gas operations is a small fraction of global water demand, oil and gas fields are commonly clustered in smaller areas, where their operations often dominate freshwater

abstraction and wastewater discharge. At the same time, oil production generates large amounts of produced water that may be used to reduce freshwater abstraction and possibly serve beneficial purposes outside the petroleum sector.

In the most advanced countries, regulation promotes the sound use of freshwater in the oil and gas industry and incentivizes the reuse or beneficial use of treated produced water. Regulation is also used to prevent the contamination of freshwater resources from the disposal of unproperly

treated produced water. In many developing and emerging economies, however, regulation to prevent water contamination is often lacking or nonexistent or, when present, is poorly enforced.

Optimal policy and regulation of the use of freshwater and the reuse of water generated by oil and gas operations depend on a range of geographic, geological, technical, and economic factors. Water Management in Oil and Gas Operations: Industry Practice and Policy Guidelines for Developing Countries identifies common policy principles organized around key regulatory functions and critical links of the oil and gas value chain. This report offers practical solutions to guide policy makers and regulators seeking to minimize the environmental impacts of oil and gas perations,

to promote sustainable cross-sectoral economic linkages, and to reduce competition and potential confl icts over access to and use of water resources.

TRaditionally, mini grids have been viewed as off-grid+? systems that are built and operated solely for communities without electricity. The reality, however, is that millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa and India who are connected to the main grid suffer from poor grid reliability (weak grid+?), sometimes with a power supply of less than 4 to 8 hours daily and with frequent disputes over the accuracy of billing. As a backstop, these poorly served customers often find themselves forced to rely on small fossil fuel+powered generators that are noisy, polluting, and expensive to operate.

Mini Grid Solutions for Underserved Customers: New Insights from Nigeria and India explores another option: undergrid mini grids. These are mostly solar hybrid+powered mini grids built and operated by private companies in areas already connected with the main electricity grid but facing poor technical and commercial service. This comprehensive book examines how undergrid mini grids can create win-win-win outcomes for retail customers, distribution enterprises, and mini grid developers. Drawing on extensive discussions with pioneering developers, the book showcases detailed case studies from Nigeria and India, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities of interconnected and non-interconnected undergrid mini grids.

The authors address technical issues of grid interconnection and delve into the policy and regulatory considerations crucial for the financial sustainability and success of undergrid mini grids. The book is an invaluable resource for policy makers, energy practitioners, and researchers seeking practical insights to bridge the electricity access gap, empower communities with reliable and affordable electricity, and drive environmentally and commercially sustainable development.

- The report is rich with insight, not least because the authors have been able to contrast the Nigeria and India approaches taken by the respective private sectors in each country. The five case studies are very valuable. The authors have powerfully illustrated the importance of the policy and regulatory framework and how that translates into investor behavior.+?

- Mohua Mukherjee, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Institute of Energy Studies

- This great report represents a pivotal turning point in the history of energy and has global implications for the role of mini grids for communities that have been poorly served by main grid utilities.+?

- Peter Lilienthal, Founder HOMER Energy

- This is a tremendous addition to the literature on mini grids and an important guide for all of us practitioners working in this area.+?

- James Sherwood, Director of Research & Innovation, RMI Global South Program

- This refreshingly honest and open report provides an excellent overview of interconnected and isolated mini grids, as well as a thorough analysis of key ground-level implementation issues in regulation, business, and engineering.+?

- Joanis Holzigel, Chief Operating Officer, INENSUS

Ethiopia has long prioritized creating more and better jobs as core to its sustainable and inclusive development. However, steady growth in the gross domestic product and gains in agricultural productivity in recent decades have not translated into better opportunities nor increased earnings for much of the population. The 2021 Labor Force Survey data reveal labor trends since 1999 and underscore these realities. Moreover, COVID-19 and other shocks have reinforced the disconnect between positive macroeconomic trends at a national level and stagnant incomes at the household level.

Working Today for a Better Tomorrow in Ethiopia: Jobs for Poor and Vulnerable Households outlines how Ethiopia can leverage its social safety

net programs to help poor and vulnerable workers earn more in today's labor market. The government's latest development planning policies focus on private sector growth and structural transformation to create more and better jobs. While these long-term reforms take hold, the jobs agenda also must include near-term measures to improve worker productivity in and connect people to jobs that already exist. Complementing cash transfers with capital, training, and other services can help workers earn more in their current work, diversify into new types of employment, or connect to available wage jobs.These investments can have an immediate impact for poor people in Ethiopia while also contributing to sustainable and inclusive development.

Women, Business and the Law is a World Bank Group project which measures the laws and regulations restricting women's economic opportunities. WBL informs research and policy discussions about the state of women's economic empowerment and emphasizes the work still to be done to ensure economic empowerment for all.

This book seeks to enhance the understanding of migration in Europe and Central Asia, and to propose policy solutions tailored to the diversity of migration experiences and challenges in the region, to better leverage labor mobility for all parties.

Governments in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region face significant developmental and institutional challenges, such as slowing growth, fiscal constraints, and inefficiencies in the public sector. At the same time, governments have invested significantly in government technologies (GovTech), making LAC a global pioneer in management information systems (MISs). This investment creates an opportunity for governments to leverage MIS data to strengthen the functioning of government and achieve development goals--that is, government analytics. This report provides a conceptual framework to assess and provide guidance on the regional government analytics agenda and how to harvest the benefits of GovTech investments. It examines how government analytics can inform policy making and improve accountability and efficiency, drawing on survey data and successful applications of government analytics. The report also explores the enabling conditions for government analytics--data infrastructure and analytical capabilities--and how to strengthen them. Finally, it provides practical guidance on how to develop a holistic government analytics agenda. Data for Better Governance: Building Government Analytics Ecosystems in Latin America and the Caribbean is part of the Government Analytics collection, which began with The Government Analytics Handbook (2023). This growing series features frontier evidence and expert insights on how to leverage data to improve government performance.

The Government Analytics Handbook presents frontier evidence and practitioner insights on how to leverage data to strengthen public administration. Covering a range of microdata sources-such as administrative data and public servant surveys-as well as tools and resources for undertaking the analytics, it transforms the ability of governments to take a data-informed approach to diagnose and improve how public organizations work.

Readers can order the book as a single volume in print or digital formats, or visit worldbank.org/governmentanalytics for modular access and additional hands-on tools. The Handbook is a must-have for practitioners, policy makers, academics, and government agencies.

Governments have long been assessed using aggregate governance indicators, giving us little insight into their diversity and how they can practically be improved. This pioneering handbook shows how microdata can be used to give scholars and practitioners granular and real insights into how states work, and practical guidance on the process of state-building.+?

-Francis Fukuyama, Stanford University, author of State-Building: Governance and World Order in the 21st Century

The Government Analytics Handbook is the most comprehensive work on practically building government administration I have ever seen, helping practitioners to change public administration for the better.+?

-Francisco Gaetani, Special Secretary for State Transformation, Government of Brazil

The machinery of the state is central to a country's prosperity. This handbook provides insights and methodological tools for creating a better shared understanding of the realities of a state, to support the redesign of institutions, and improve the quality of public administration.+?

-James Robinson, University of Chicago, coauthor of Why Nations Fail

In Uganda, conditions in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) remain the primary drivers of morbidity and

mortality, accounting for 60 percent of years of life lost. The high burden of these conditions can be attributed to a poor quality of care resulting from inadequate financial, human, and material resources compounded by weak multisectoral coordination. Moreover, the country's high population growth rate and a young population imply that RMNCAH service delivery will continue to dominate health sector reforms-even with the increasing prevalence of noncommunicable and infectious diseases.

Over the past two decades, Uganda has focused on improving the quality of RMNCAH service delivery, leading to declines in the maternal, infant, and under-five mortality ratios and the increased use of modern contraception among married women. However, the neonatal mortality and teenage pregnancy rates have stagnated, and the low civil registration of births and deaths remains challenging.

Investing in Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health in Uganda: What Have We Learned, and Where Do We Go from Here?

1. comprises 12 studies conducted as part of the RMNCAH Operational Research Program drafted between 2019 and 2021 and finalized and disseminated in October 2022 across 45 districts of Uganda with funding from Sweden and the World Bank. These studies underscore important lessons learned and offer suggestions for enhancing the delivery of RMNCAH interventions. Each chapter represents one study and discusses service delivery, the health workforce, financing, health information systems, and governance and leadership. Two appendixes summarize key findings and recommendations and explain the roles of key stakeholders in the RMNCAH Operational Research Program.

For more than five decades, the World Bank's premier annual publication on debt, now titled the International Debt Report (IDR), along with the associated International Debt Statistics (IDS) database, has helped shape policies in development finance by sharing timely and comprehensive external debt data and analysis with the international community. Drawing on data collected through the World Bank's Debtor Reporting System, this publication has kept pace with evolving borrowing patterns and new lending instruments, measured the impact of initiatives to relieve debt burdens, and promoted best practices in debt recording and reporting. Each year the report presents analysis of evolving trends in external debt stocks and flows of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as well as issues and challenges for development finance. The IDS database provides comprehensive information on external debt stocks and flows of public and private borrowers in LMICs (by borrower and creditor), the terms on which external loans are contracted, current and future debt service, and debt indicators in relation to key economic variables. IDR 2024 encompasses - analysis of external debt stocks and flows for 2013-23; - the macroeconomic and debt outlook for 2024 and beyond; - the debt transparency agenda; and - one-page summaries per country, plus global, regional, and incomegroup aggregates showing debt stocks and flows, relevant debt indicators, and metadata for 5 years (2019-23). For more information on IDR 2024 and related products, please visit the World Bank's Debt Statistics website at www.worldbank.org/debtstatistics.

This report sheds light on public transport's role in women's access to economic opportunities in select MNA cities. It examines the links among mobility, gender, and access to economic opportunities. It provides evidence of gender differences in mobility patterns and travel behavior, as well as the barriers and challenges women face.

Changing how we produce our food can be a huge win in overcoming climate change, argues 'Recipe for a Livable Plane'. This may sound hard to achieve. But the authors show that the solutions are affordable and readily available. We can heal our planet by acting now.

This report aims to introduce a novel way of positioning water as an engine for growth and equity by highlighting the deep associations between water and inclusive growth. The report will identify risks and opportunities within the global water sector that affect shared prosperity to promote more active international dialogue on water challenges and solutions. To that end, it will synthesize existing evidence and generate new empirical evidence based on the most recent data available on the intricate interplay between water and shared prosperity. The report will also discuss the policy implications to underscore the need for comprehensive governance frameworks, investment strategies, technology and innovation, and community engagement to achieve shared prosperity through sustainable water management. This is a joint publication of the Government of Indonesia and the World Bank