Zunia.org

Look much younger than yourself now

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:47:09 -0400

Say good bye to the aging wrinkles and its ugly appearance using BioGeniste instant wrinkle reducer. This is a very effective formula which works with immediate effect on your skin. It restores the beauty of your skin.

SME Finance, How to Reach the Missing Middle?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:38:25 -0400

NPM Platform for Inclusive Finance is pleased to announce that this years conference will be held on 12 September 2013 at Korzo Theatre, The Hague. The conference on financing small and medium enterprises is organised and hosted by FMO, Triple Jump and NPM.

Chinese 'container hospitals' ready to deploy in Africa

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:39:58 -0400

"Africa's first 'container hospital', developed by Chinese scientists, could be ready for use by the end of the month (June), following two years of development.

"It will be located in either Cameroon or Namibia, depending on government approval.

"Its developers say that the hospital's ten component containers can be slotted together in different configurations, like toy blocks, depending on individual countries' needs.

"Each hospital consists of ten containers with rooms for general clinics, waiting patients, treatments, a pharmacy and back-up power supply. The hospitals developers say they can be used for decades if properly maintained, and are intended for long-term service. It is hoped that several African countries will eventually benefit."

Li Jiao, SciDev.Net, 13 June 2013

UT Financial Services fast tracks SME funding in South Africa

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:23:39 -0400

UT Financial Services South Africa (UTFS SA) has launched a new range of services for small-to-medium enterprises (SME) that cut finance approval to 48 hours.
Specifically designed for entrepreneurs and SMEs, the new services differ from those of traditional banks by giving SMEs faster access to capital based on a carefully managed partnership approach.

A one-stop financial credit centre for SMEs in Malaysia

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:07:29 -0400

Most small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are looking for access to financing and one convenient way is to get themselves introduced to one-stop centres (ONC) for financiers and other credit grantors.
Without such facilities, some SMEs find it difficult to stay in business and therefore a need for them to access user-friendly platforms to stay relevant and remain competitive in the local market.

Lending to SMEs is more complex than micro financing in Nigeria

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:27 -0400

SMEs/start-ups expert, Tunde Popoola, managing director/CEO, CRC Credit Bureau, in this interview with Osa Victor Obayagbona, compares the intricacies of lending to SMEs with micro-financing and other issues in SME financing.

Global Economic Prospects, Volume 7, June 2013 : Less Volatile, but Slower Growth

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:52:55 -0400

Abstract:The global economy appears to be transitioning toward a more stable period. Although acute risks have diminished, real-side activity remains sluggish especially in high-income Europe. Most developing countries have fully recovered from the crisis. Although growth is slower than during the boom period, it is in line with underlying potential, and output is projected to pick up only gradually to around 5.8 percent by 2015. High unemployment and spare capacity remain pressing problems in developing Europe and the Middle East and North Africa. With a more stable external environment, new risks and challenges are gaining prominence, including the potential impact on exporting countries of a faster than anticipated decline in commodity prices, the possibility that the eventual withdrawal of quantitative easing exposes vulnerabilities in developing countries, and the need to resort increasingly to supply-side rather than demand stimulus policies to achieve stronger growth.Citation:World Bank. 2013.Global Economic Prospects, Volume 7, June 2013 : Less Volatile, but Slower Growth. Washington, DC.

A Deeper Dive for Open Data: Josh Goldstein on Code 4 Kenya

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:44:33 -0400

As each of us knows from our daily lives, we are most likely to use the tools that fit within our constraints, make complicated tasks easier, and help us reach mission-critical goals in our jobs and personal lives. How can we design experiences that promote active citizenship around critical public issues, while meeting our own high standards as users?

One answer is to create a fellowship that places technologists inside government, civil society and media organizations to help these organizations achieve their core goals while providing a better experience for citizens. The World Bank, African Media Initiative and Kenya ICT Board recently came together to test this model through the Code 4 Kenya program, a 6 month fellowship that placed fellows and developer teams in the largest media companies in Kenya. The team worked with iHub Research and Strathmores iLab Africa as research and outreach partners, respectively.

Code 4 Kenya, loosely inspired by Code for America (a fellowship that places technologists in American city governments), built on momentum of Kenyas Open Data Initiative, a program launched in 2011 to bring over 400 data sets related to issues like health, education and water into the public via an online portal. Code for Kenya fellows helped media companies translate this data into stories and services that are relevant to all Kenyans. Further, the fellows helped these media companies open up their own data, sometimes going back decades or more.

Zunia talked with Josh Goldstein, a World Banker who advised the design and implementation of the first iteration of the Code 4 Kenya program, and about the upcoming class of fellows focusing on responsive service delivery.

Zunia: Can you tell us about some of the considerations that went into launching Code4Kenya. Why Kenya? What are some ofthe benefits and drawbacks of the technology environment in Kenya as a location for the experiment?

JG: Kenya is the perfect place to test this model because there is such an exciting tech community there. Kenya leads in building mobile tech in the African context. The idea behind Code4Kenya was to get that really exciting tech community into civic technology. We wanted to engage that tech talent into public sector problems that matter to citizens. Kenya also recently launched an open data initiative, making them leaders in open data. This really gave us an opportunity to make data matter in peoples day to day lives. Thats why media was so important to reach out to in the pilot; they are the intermediary between government and citizens. So we reached out to large media companies to make this type of data use a part of their culture.

Zunia: The host organizations play a critical role to support the integration of data into society through accepted social mediums. Can you speak a little bit more about the host organizations that were selected, how they were chosen, and why these organizations were eventually selected to participate?

JG: Across the world media companies are trying to figure out how to become data companies. They already had a hunger to integrate data into their core work. The World Bank worked with African Media Initiative, a consortium of leaders in African media, and essentially said, if you can make it a point to tell the stories inherent in this data we will provide top talent to make it useful. So we went with organizations that were already hungry to do this work.

Zunia: This experiment was basically the pilot portion of a larger program. There is no doubt many challenges and obstaclespresented themselves over the six month implementation. What was the biggest unforeseen obstacle encountered by theCode4Kenya teams? How can/will that obstacle be overcome during the implementation of the full program?

JG: The biggest thing to focus on in the next class (launching in the fall around the theme of Responsive Service Delivery) is to make sure that the fellows are working on hard problems that can scale. The challenge with fellows working with organizations is that they get locked into the organizations own focus, and maybe not the real core problems. The next round will be working in a different context. They will be working with organizations focused on responsive service delivery as well as actual government units. So there will be more of a focus on how can these organizations and government entities use technology to deliver services that really matter, like health, education, water and so on.

Zunia: Similarly, were there any unforeseen successes of the initiative?

JG: The biggest one was some really exciting spillover effects. Changing the culture of some of these organizations actually had an effect on other organizations in the ecosystem. We had a fellow working with Twaweza, and they built a tool to look at school performance. The fellow actually ended up attending meeting with Ministry of Education that looked at what would happen if the Ministry of Education opened up more of their data. It has broadened the whole sectors approach. We had under-valued the scope of the culture change that it would have on the whole sector.

Zunia: Many lessons have been gleaned through Code for Kenya and experiment about expanding awareness of open data. Howcan the format of this experiment be transitioned to other countries with open data platforms? Specifically whatcultural/infrastructure/capacity considerations need to be considered?

JG: The code4 model is really context specific but has some underlining core infrastructure that can be shared. You can have a Code4Uganda, a Code4Rwanda, etc., that exist on their own, but that share same core lessons and technology and are strengthened through a network. African Media Initiative is actually working in other countries to start this. You can look up Code4Africa to see what theyre doing now.

Zunia: The Code 4 Kenya experiment was subsidized by outside actors. We know that technologys success is always limitedwithout sustainable funding. What can we learn from this experiment to about making projects like this sustainable?

JG: The Code4Kenya business model is mixed. There are some components that always need external funding, but some resources are provided by the host themselves. A host would actually pay to host the fellow for a year because they see the important value in the culture change and the network/brand they are buying into.

Zunia: Previous Hackathons have produced a diverse array of mobile applications generated over a similar time period. Do youthink that the approach of Code4Kenya is more effective than the brute-force, quick-fix implementation style of a Hackathon?

JG: Hackathon have a very different role than this type of program. A hackathon is important for helping transform the host organization themselves. Which seems counterintuitive, but its largely about exposing World Bank, for example, to the fact that they can do things differently. There are great wins from hackathons, but there are is also an organizational change. Code4Kenya is more sustained engagement. You see more by the end of the year, picture it as a deeper dive, while a hackathon is a toe in the water.

Zunia: As evidenced by this experiment, simply making data public does not guarantee an impact on local communities. Cansome of the lessons learned from Code4Kenya be applied to the growing push behind the open data movement? Why should thepublic be aware of initiatives like ODP/Code4Kenya?

JG: Initiatives like this are what make open data relevant. If you dont have an intermediary you arent going to get very far with your data, its just not very strategic without it. An infomediary is the link between the data that gets released and what comes from it. This is the type of program that is key for those that are interested in actualizing the hope that open data can improve development.

crowdfunding breaks the mold

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:29:08 -0400

A new paper by Ajay Agrawal, Avi Goldfarb and Christian Catalini of the University of Toronto seeks to understand how crowdfunding disrupts the typical pattern for early stage financing. Heretofore this was almost always done by local investors, countering information problems and the need for "high touch" support. They discuss how "reputation signalling", rules and regulations, and "crowd due diligence" all help overcome assymmetric information barriers between entrepreneurs and funders, and control opportunistic behavior by entrepreneurs after they raise capital. A "provisioning point mechanism", where funds aren't liberated for the entrepreneur until the pre-set target is achieved, avoids the free-rider problem. So crowdfunding could challenge the "hub" pattern that has characterized much early stage investment to date (Silicon Valley, etc) - though it's early to say, as the authors note, as true equity crowdfunding is still quite rare.

The authors feel that certain types of ventures are more likely to benefit from crowdfunding, such as consumer products where the value proposition can be easily communicated via text and video (see CircleUp's operation for a good example here, and Proctor and Gamble already has bought a stake in this outfit). They also note that the data trail being created by crowdfunding platforms will yield new "big data" opportunities to refine both risk management and policy development in this field.

Lots of useful data on Kickstarter's history also in this piece.

Bioinformatics Market By Sector, Segment & Application 2017

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:03:42 -0400

Bioinformatics is a scientific discipline that deals with the retrieval, storage, processing, analysis, and management of biological information through computational techniques. It uses mathematics, biology, and information technology to understand the biological importance of an extensive variety of data. Bioinformatics technologies are used in various pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. It is majorly used in the medical sector, driven by the increasing use of bioinformatics for the drug discovery and development process.

The global bioinformatics market was valued at $2.9 billion in 2012 and is poised to reach $7.5 billion by 2017 at a CAGR of 20.9%. The growth of the bioinformatics market is driven by decrease in cost of DNA sequencing, increasing government initiatives and funding, and growing use of bioinformatics in drug discovery and biomarkers development processes. It is expected that the market will offer opportunities for bioinformatics solutions manufacturers with the introduction and adoption of upcoming technologies such as nanopore sequencing and cloud computing. However, factors such as dearth of skilled personnel to ensure proper use of bioinformatics tools and lack of integration of a wide variety of data generated through various bioinformatics platforms are hindering the growth of the market. Manufacturers of bioinformatics solutions will face further challenges with regard to industry consolidation and management of high volume data.

Complete Report Copy @http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/bioinformatics-market-by-sector-molecular-medicine-agriculture-research-forensic-segment-sequencing-platforms-knowledge-management-tools-data-analysis-services-application-genomics-pro-market-report.html

North America accounted for the largest market share of the bioinformatics market, followed by Europe, in 2012. However, Asian and Latin American countries represent emerging markets, owing to a rise in research outsourcing by pharmaceutical giants, increasing number of Contract Research Organizations (CROs), rise in public and private sector investment, and growing industry -academia partnerships. The major players in the bioinformatics market are Accelrys, Inc. (U.S.), Affymetrix, Inc. (U.S.), Life Technologies Corporation (U.S.), Illumina, Inc. (U.S.), and CLC bio. (Denmark).

Scope of the Report

This research report categorizes and analyzes the global bioinformatics market on the basis of sectors, product and services, and applications. These markets are further divided into segments and sub-segments, to provide exhaustive value market analysis for the years 2010, 2011, 2012, and forecast to 2017. Each market is comprehensively analyzed at a granular level by geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World) to provide in-depth information on the global scenario.

Request a Sample Copy @ http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/request-sample?rname=102532

Global Bioinformatics Market, By Sector

Medical Biotechnology , Drug Development, Clinical Diagnostics, Molecular Medicine, Personalized Medicine, Preventive Medicine, Gene Therapy, Reproductive Biotechnology, Academics, Animal Biotechnology, Agriculture Biotechnology, Crop yield Improvement, Pests resistance, Improvement of plant resistance against abiotic stresses, Nutritional Quality Improvement, Others, Environmental Biotechnology, Waste Clean-Up, Alternative Energy Sources, Climate Change Studies, Forensic Biotechnology, Others

Global Bioinformatics Market, By Products & Services

Bioinformatics Knowledge Management Tools, Generalized Tools, Specialized Tools, Bioinformatics Platforms, Sequence Analysis Platforms, Sequence Alignment Platforms, Sequence Manipulation Platforms, Structural & Functional Analysis Platforms, Others, Bioinformatics Services, Sequencing Services, Database & Management, Data Analysis, Others

Global Bioinformatics Market, By Application

Genomics, Chemoinformatics & Drug Design, Proteomics, Transcriptomics, Metabolomics, Molecular phylogenetics, Others

Bioinformatics Market, By Geography

North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Rest of the World

Buy a Report Copy @ http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/purchase?rname=102532

Table of Content

3 Market Overview

3.1 Introduction
3.2 Evolution
3.3 Market Segmentation
3.3.1 Bioinformatics Market, By Sectors
3.3.2 Bioinformatics Market, By Product & Services
3.3.3 Bioinformatics Market, By Applications
3.4 Market Dynamics
3.4.1 Drivers
3.4.1.1 Decreasing Cost Of DNA Sequencing
3.4.1.2 Increasing Funding From Government And Private Organizations
3.4.1.3 Rise In Initiatives By Research Institutes
3.4.1.4 Growing Information Technology (IT) Support
3.4.1.5 Fostering Nucleotide Sequences Submissions In EMBL, GenBank And DDBJ
3.4.1.6 Technological Advancements
3.4.1.7 Growing Applications Of Bioinformatics In The Drug Discovery And Development Process
3.4.1.8 Bioinformatics Support Biomarker Discovery To Develop Safer Drugs
3.4.1.9 Continuous Influx Of New Market Players
3.4.1.10 Bioinformatics Support The Development Of Clinical Diagnostics And Personalized Medicine
3.4.2 Restraints
3.4.2.1 Dearth Of Common Data Format For Integration Of Data
3.4.2.2 Shortage Of Adequate Bioinformatics Professionals
3.4.2.3 Dearth Of Well-Defined Standards
3.4.2.4 Lack Of Interoperability Among Data Formats
3.4.2.5 Pitfalls In Bioinformatics Patent Applications
3.4.2.6 High Complexity Of Data
3.4.2.7 Lack Of Adequate User-Friendly Tools
3.4.3 Opportunities
3.4.3.1 Nanopore Sequencing Technology
3.4.3.2 Cloud Technology
3.4.3.3 Emerging Markets (India, China And Brazil)
3.4.4 Challenges
3.4.4.1 Management Of High Volume Data
3.4.4.2 Industry Consolidation
3.5 Market Share Analysis
3.5.1 Bioinformatics Market, By Sector
3.5.2 Bioinformatics Market, By Products & Services
3.5.3 Bioinformatics Market, By Application
3.5.4 Bioinformatics Market, By Geography

9 Company Profiles (Overview, Financials, Products & Services, Strategy, & Developments)

9.1 Accelrys, Inc.
9.2 Active Motif, Inc.
9.3 Affymetrix, Inc.
9.4 Agilent Technologies, Inc.
9.5 Biomatters, Ltd.
9.6 Biomax Informatics Ag
9.7 Clc Bio
9.8 Ocimum Biosolutions, Ltd.
9.9 Geneva Bioinfromatics (Genebio) Sa
9.10 Id Business Solutions Ltd.
9.11 Illumina, Inc.
9.12 Instem Plc
9.13 Integromics S.L.
9.14 Kinexus Bioinformatics Corporation
9.15 Knome, Inc.
9.16 Life Technologies Corporation
9.17 Nonlinear Dynamics Ltd.
9.18 Partek, Incorporated
9.19 Perkinelmer, Inc.
9.20 Textco Biosoftware, Inc.

ALNAP M&E resources added to SEA Change CoP resource library

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:49:43 -0400

The Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action (ALNAP - http://www.alnap.org/) is a learning network that supports the humanitarian sector to improve humanitarian performance through learning, peer-to-peer sharing and research. The following resources are some of M&E related publications ALNAP has developed to contribute to improving the quality and accountability of humanitarian actions.

March 2013: Evaluation of humanitarian action pilot guide (!!)

As humanitarian evaluation practice becomes ever more vital in an increasingly diverse and complex system, this guide offers urgently needed support for evaluation specialists and non-specialists alike. Evaluation practice has evolved considerably, and much technical guidance already exists.

This ALNAP pilot guide consolidates much of the current knowledge about every stage of a humanitarian evaluation: from initial decision to final dissemination.

http://seachangecop.org/node/2025

June 2011: Harnessing the power of evaluation in humanitarian action An initiative to improve understanding and use of evaluation

ALNAP commissioned a process of action research focusing on strengthening institutional understanding, capacities, and processes in order to better harness the power of Evaluations of Humanitarian Action (EHA). It is hoped that by illuminating the range of significant factors involved, it will help ALNAP members interested in strengthening their evaluation efforts to identify priority areas of concern, share ideas about what has and has not worked, and develop new strategies for tackling long-standing issues.

http://seachangecop.org/node/2026

July 2009: 8th review of humanitarian action Chapter 1: Counting what counts Performance and effectiveness in the humanitarian sector

This study looks at the current status of performance approaches in the humanitarian system, in the context of the evolution and use of performance in other sectors. In this chapter authors focus on providing an illustrative overview, to highlight the key issues, gaps and challenges facing approaches to performance in the humanitarian sector. A series of recommendations are offered to improve and strengthen performance approaches across and within humanitarian organizations.

http://seachangecop.org/node/2028

July 2009: 8th review of humanitarian action Chapter 2: Improving humanitarian impact assessment bridging theory and practice

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of current debates, issues and challenges concerning humanitarian impact assessment, while its overall goal is to clarify issues relating to the application and use of impact assessment as a tool for promoting accountability and learning in the sector.

http://seachangecop.org/node/2029

July 2009: 8th review of humanitarian action Chapter 3: Innovations in international humanitarian action

This part of the study is devoted to exploring the reality in practice, using the three key dimensions of innovations already highlighted: focus and scope of innovations, innovations process and contextual factors. At the heart of this exploration is a case study-based review which uses the five stage process to explore specific examples of humanitarian innovation in more depth.

http://seachangecop.org/node/2030

March 2006: Evaluating humanitarian action using the OECD-DAC criteria An ALNAP guide for humanitarian agencies

This guide provides a practical support on how to use the OECD Development Assistance Committee (OECD/DAC) criteria in evaluation of humanitarian action (EHA). It covers the following areas:

1. Key themes and issues current in EHA, particularly lesson-learning, accountability and evaluation

2. Clear definitions for the OECD DAC criteria, issues to consider, examples of good practice, and

3. Very brief guidelines for good practice in methods for the evaluation of humanitarian action.

http://seachangecop.org/node/2027

International Finance Corporation - Banking on Women

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:12:08 -0400

IFCs Banking on Women Program is playing a catalyzing role working with partners and financial institutions worldwide to profitably and sustainably serve businesses owned and run by women. Through leveraging the branch network and SME services of relationship financial institutions, IFC is working with local financial institutions to enhance offerings that increase access to finance for women entrepreneurs.

World Bank - Female Entrepreneurship Resource Point

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:04:46 -0400

The Female Entrepreneurship Resource Point responds to increasing demands for best practices and tools to integrate gender in private sector development and entrepreneurship promotion programs, and address the needs and constraints faced by female entrepreneurs. It is designed to have two functionsprovide practical guidance and recommendations, and serve as a clearinghouse of programs, emerging research and data on the topic.

Do VC firms really add value? new NBER paper suggests not...

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:52:10 -0400

see the link to a new working paper for the National Bureau for Economic Research from Michael Ewens of Carnegie Mellon and Matthew Rhodes-Kropf of Harvard Business School. they suggest that individual partners' human capital is 2 to 5 times more valuable than the VC firm's organizational capital in explaining investment performance. they focus in particular on skill transfer and exit styles. the authors also suggest that this is why VC firms tend to cap investment at about a few hundred million dollars of assets under management, as over that size it's too much demand on partners' time. they also note this is why we see few mergers and acquisitions between VC firms.

further comments welcome...paper is available for free, following the link below.

matt

Guidelines on Open Government Data for Citizen Engagement - 2nd Edition

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:09:43 -0400

Over the last decade an increasing number of citizens around the world have demanded that their fundamental right to engage in policy making and policy implementation be recognized and that their governments become more transparent and accountable. Responding to recognition of the rights of citizens, governments across the world have embraced the concept of Open Government including three core elements: transparency, participation, and collaboration. Thus open government has become a major trend in Public Sector Reform.

Governments become more transparent by proactively publishing timely, relevant, and comprehensive information and data on the Internet. This is done so that it can be easily accessed, analysed, reused, and combined with other data by anyone for any purposes free of charge and without any restrictions. Open data provides the foundation to enable citizens to better understand how their government works, how their tax money is spent, and how decisions and laws are made. Better understanding through increased access to information can be beneficial to governments, citizens, and society as a whole.

How ICT tools are promoting citizen participation in Uganda

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:06:02 -0400

During Ugandas February-March 2011 elections, ICT tools were used broadly, for campaigning, tallying results, monitoring the actions of political groups and the electoral body, for civic education, and for activism. The tools included mobile phones, automated calls, crowdsourcing platforms, radio and television, as well as social media. All these may have contributed to transparency in the elections, if not necessarily to the voter turn-out. Worryingly, many Ugandans do not participate in civic matters, thereby undermining efforts to promote transparency in the conduct of public affairs. Many never take part in any community activities or debates on governance, and a big number do not register to vote, or do not turn up to cast their ballot even when they are on the voters roll. For instance, only 59% of registered voters cast their ballots in the February 2011 presidential election.

Furthermore, surveys show that only 10% of Ugandan households have a member that participates in local governance, with the poor access to information largely responsible for this low level of participation. The proliferation of ICT means there are now more ways in which those who otherwise are indifferent to civic affairs could participate. As the recent elections exemplified, numerous tools have been embraced by Ugandans, which promise to enable new ways of civic participation and democracy monitoring. In Uganda, market penetration for voice stands at 45% with a population coverage of close to 100%. Mobile accounts for more than 90% of new connections, with 910,000 new subscribers being added each year.

The potential for using ICT in Uganda is continuing to grow, fuelled by reductions in mobile tariffs and bandwidth prices, greater availability of fibre optics bandwidth, increased ICT literacy, and supportive government-led ICT initiatives such as the second Rural Communications Development policy. This presents an opportunity to leverage on ICT to reach wider sections of Ugandans and play a more crucial role in enabling civic participation.

It was therefore important to examine the ways in which ICT-for-democracy could be deployed to give it a higher chance of meeting its objectives. Who the actors are, the main challenges, success factors, and opportunities for intervention, were also issues this research investigated.

In this study, the participative activities considered were broad, and included demanding for social services such as education, contacting leaders, taking part in discussions, asking for accountability and transparency in the conduct of public affairs, campaigning, voting/electing, and voicing opinions. The ICT based tools included online media, crowd sourcing platforms, SMS, web and mobile based voter registers, electronic votes tallying systems, and automated calls.

The Philippines to use Blue Gene Supercomputer for weather forecasting

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:02:45 -0400

By the end of 2013, the Philippines will be the first country in South East Asia to acquire an IBM Blue Gene Supercomputer to improve its weather forecasting system and genomics research. The Blue Gene supercomputer opens many doors for the country and reduces our uncertainty (in R&D). Our vision for a Smarter Philippines needs breakthrough instruments such as this, to propel us toward advancement, said Department of Science and Technology Secretary Mario G. Montejo.

Considered as one of the fastest and most powerful computers in the world, the Secretary said it will enable local scientists to perform highly technical and scientific calculations in the areas of weather and climate modelling, and genomics.

Aside from greatly enhancing our climate change scenarios or modeling, we can make more accurate area-specific weather forecasts and extend our prediction from three days to up to seven days, he said.

ICT for Development Institution Building

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:00:20 -0400

This APCICT knowledge resource is the inaugural issue of the Knowledge Sharing Series (KSS). The resource explores the importance of institution building to effectively develop ICT capacity for national socio-economic development. It outlines the necessity of developing a common vision and strategies, directing and securing resources, defining roles and responsibilities, and promoting coordinated efforts and partnerships that makes ICTD possible and effective.

The KSS is intended to complement APCICT's Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders (Academy), a comprehensive ICT for development (ICTD) capacity development programme. The KSS was developed as a result of strong demand by APCICT partners for thematic learning materials that can offer a practical, action-oriented insight into the broad ICTD-policy framework provided by the Academy modules. The specific contents covered in the KSS include step-by-step guidelines, concrete strategies, best practices, and case studies.

Prepared with the support of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance of the Republic of Korea, each issue in the Series focuses on a specific ICT for Development (ICTD) theme, programme or project, and offers an end-to-end road map that can help policymakers in their planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes.

The Economist Intelligent Unit: Expert Views on the UN E-Government Survey

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:50:24 -0400

This report focuses on e-government trends in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and also looks at the role of the biennial United Nations survey of e-government development. The report draws on desk research and interviews with experts and policymakers.

The lower cost and greater efficiency promised by e-government - the digital transformation of the public sector are particularly appealing in a time of budget cutbacks and economic uncertainty. Yet the benefits of e-government go well beyond cost savings and improved efficiency. They include promoting social inclusion, expanding the digital economy, enabling broader engagement between citizens and their governments, and supporting the wider goals of sustainable economic development.

The study focuses in particular on e-government trends in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). It considers the promise of e-government and concludes with an assessment of the role of the UN survey in e-government development in the region.

Open Government Grants: Apply Now!

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:45:41 -0400

We know how challenging fundraising can be. You start an innovative project using technology to make government more open and accessible and halfway through -- you run out of money. Or maybe you know someone who is collecting municipal data and wants to make a cool app to help residents understand how local government works, but they dont have funding.

If you are developing an open source tool and are looking for funds to jumpstart the project, apply now for an OpenGov Grant from the Sunlight Foundation. We are offering one-time grants in the range of $5,000 to $10,000 to help you fulfill your vision of making government more transparent and accountable. Discover how we will take your project to its next stage of development.

Open Data Institute (ODI) launches new certificates to help everyone discover, understand, and use open data

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:40:37 -0400

The ODI recently launched Open Data Certificates to help everyone find, understand and use open data that is being released. The new certificates are being announced by CEO Gavin Starks at a G8 Summit event: Open for Growth.

The certificates have been created in response to business, government, and citizen needs to bring rigour to the publication, dissemination and usage of open data. Over the last six months, ODI has been collaborating with dozens of organisations around the world to define the certificates. Today sees their first Beta release.

Gavin Starks, ODI CEO, said: Were entering an era where open is the new default. Much like the global web of documents has grown over the last 20 years, we are seeing the emergence of a global web of data.

The certificates will help to create the right conditions for innovation: making open data easier to find, share and use. We want to give confidence to people to invest their time, energy, and money: to build sustainable services that meet user needs, and improve peoples lives.

Power Grid System Market In Subsea, By Offshore Power, Components, and Geography 2018

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:03:34 -0400

The report covers the global power grid system market in subsea which includes different components of subsea power grid system, types of power supply sources for subsea power grid system, and other related segments. It studies the extent of end use of subsea power grid solutions in different application areas with respect to different regions. It also analyses the market with respect to drivers, opportunities, and winning imperatives related to the industry.

The qualitative analyses of power grid system in subsea with respect to its concept, components, technical knowhow, innovations, and power supply sources are done in an elaborative manner. It mainly highlights the components such as cables, variable speed drives (VSDs), transformers, switchgears, others; and power supply sources such as captive generation, wind power, and other. The subsea power grids system are gaining worldwide importance as the oil field operators are heading towards deep and ultra deep waters for the hunt of oil and gas. In these deep waters a continuous power supply source is required in order to keep the various equipments such as pump, compressors, heating coils etc. running. Furthermore, the shifting focus towards renewable energy generation is also triggering the companies to generate energy from renewable sources such as offshore wind power, tidal power, and solar power. The demand of subsea power grid solutions is driven due to its necessity in transmission the power in offshore areas.

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The continuous depletion of existing oil reserves are forcing oilfield E&P companies to operate in deeper offshore environments making it a huge potential market for power grid system in subsea. According to BP statistical report, the worlds energy demand increased by 2.5% in 2011. To satisfy this increasing demand of oil and gas, oil companies are seeking to unlock the full potential of wells in deeper offshore environments. Hence, subsea power grid systems are vital to transmit the power to the required equipment.

The power grid system market in subsea is also analyzed with respect to the Porters five forces model. Different market forces such as bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, degree of competition, and threat from substitutes and new entrants are analyzed with respect to the subsea power grid industry. This report also provides insights about the patent analysis by various market players for last three years and the market share analysis for different regions including Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. There are very few market players which lead the major market share. Africa represents the largest market supplemented by the rapid development of offshore fields. In Europe, there are few players with significant market share. Markets in other regions are currently emerging and industry is operated by companies based in these regions.

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The report also provides competitive landscape of major market players with its developments, mergers &; acquisition, expansion & investments, agreements & contracts, new services & technologies developments, and others. Number of developments is spotted by the key industry players which suggest the growth strategy of these companies as well as overall industry.

The global power grid system market in subsea is segmented firstly on the basis of its components such as cables, variable speed drives, transformers, switchgears, and other components. ;Secondly, it is segmented on the basis of source of power supply such as captive generation, wind power, and other power generation sources. Lastly, the market is segmented on the basis of geography such as Africa, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, and Rest of World. Each region has been analyzed with respect to its market trends, growth, and future prospective of the power grid system market in subsea. The data has been analyzed over a period of 2011 to 2018. The quantitative data regarding all the above segmentation is given in value ($million).

Furthermore, the major participants within the power grid system market in subsea are profiled in the report. This gives details about the company which include company overview, financial details, services & products, strategy, and recent developments.

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India and China Smart Cards Market Analysis Reports at RnR Market Research

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:15:41 -0400

In technology terms, smart cards resemble similar to dumb" magnetic stripe cards, but with one major difference: embedded in them is a computer chip, either to process data held on the card, or to act as an access key to data that is held remotely. Smart cards are more secure than simple plastic or magnetic stripe cards and are more versatile, being able to store more data and operate multiple applications.

Till recently, the telecom sector has been the only prominent user of smart cards in the country. The picture is now undergoing a radical change. Driven by a number of public and private initiatives, the use of smart cards is getting more and more diversified. During 2013-2018, we expect smart cards to further percolate into a number of other sectors such as credit/debit cards, financial inclusion, public distribution, healthcare, identity management, transportation, etc. The versatile application of smart cards can be further validated from the fact that the telecom sector, which represented the biggest application sector in 2012, accounted for more than 70% of the total market volumes. In contrast, the National Population Register, which is expected to represent the biggest application segment in 2018, is expected to account for less than 31% of the total market volumes by 2018.

Smart Card Markets in China

Chinas demand for smart card has grown at a fast pace in the past decade. In the next five years, both production and demand will continue to grow. This new study examines Chinas economic trends, investment environment, industry development, supply and demand, industry capacity, industry structure, marketing channels and major industry participants. Historical data (2002, 2007 and 2012) and long-term forecasts through 2017 and 2022 are presented. Major producers in China are profiled.

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Smart Card Industry in India

Smart Card Industry in India: SIM, Identity, Banking, Transport, Healthcare, Pay TV, Loyalty & PDS gives a deep insight into the Indian smart cards market. The research study serves as an analytical as well as a statistical tool to understand not only the market trends, structure, drivers and restraints but also the outlook of the market till 2018. This report aims to serve as an excellent guide for investors, researchers, consultants, marketing strategists, and all those who are planning to foray into the Indian smart cards market in some form or the other.

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What We Have Achieved in this Report

Comprehensive situation analysis of the Indian smart cards market and its dynamics.
Identifying all application segments/sub-segments and quantifying their current and future market potential.
Providing a robust long range value and volume forecast for all segments and sub-segments.
Providing an understanding of key drivers and restraints and their impact on current and future market scenario.

Smart Card Application Segments and Sub-segments Covered in this Report

Telecommunication, National Population Register Project, Public Distribution System, Pay TV, Loyalty Cards, Financial Services, Credit / Debit Cards, Financial Inclusion, PAN Cards, Travel Identity, Driving License, Vehicle Registration Certificates, E-Passports, Automated Fare Collection, Metro Rail Projects, Bus Projects, Indian Railways, Healthcare, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna, Other Healthcare Applications

Focus of the Analysis for Each Segment and Sub-segment

Segment/Sub-segment Overview
Smart Card Implementation Scenario
Historical and Future Smart Card Volume Demand
Historical and Future Smart Card Value Demand

Research Methodology

Initial Exploration of the Indian Smart Cards Market: Conducted primary and secondary market research to complement/enhance our current knowledge and to identify key market segments and sub-segments.
Qualitative Market Research: Interviewed various industry stakeholders to gain a comprehensive insight into all major segments and sub segments. This included understanding key metrics and events such as smart card requirements, current and future demand, implementation timelines, success & risk factors, costs, etc.
Quantifying the Current and Future Market Potential: Consolidated our results to quantify the value and volume potential of smart cards in each segment and sub-segment.
Validating Our Results: Collaborated with industry stakeholders to validate our results and findings.

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GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report: Border insecurity in North Africa

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:53:52 -0400

The literature on border security in North Africa has several key themes: security and terrorism; migration; and goods trafficking. These issues are all intertwined. Migration and trafficking tend to follow the same geographical routes, which or may not also include weapons smuggling for extremist groups. In addition, radicalists movements across borders frequently interact with trafficking for profit. All countries in this region are described as having porous borders, particularly those which border the desert.

Governments in this region struggle to control remote and vast border regions. These areas are often dominated by networks of stateless groups, including ethnic clans and ideological groups.

The lack of state authority at desert borders far from the capital means borders are very open to trafficking and illegal migration. Smuggling and migration follow many of the same routes from South to North, and West to East across the Sahara. Key commodities are drugs, cigarettes and weapons. The low levels of employment, socio-economic prospects and opportunities for legitimate trade mean that there are few incentives to desist from smuggling.

A large section of the literature discusses legal and illegal migration from North Africa into Europe. This report discusses the routes up from Sub-Saharan Africa and the attempts by both Europe and North Africa to close their shared border.

Author: Evie Browne

Publication date: 23 May 2013

A memo to the G8: Time to deliver on aid transparency

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 00:43:38 -0400

In the wake of the U.N. High-Level Panel Report on the Post-2015 Framework proposing a transformational agenda on transparency and a Global Data Revolution, there is no time like the present for the G-8 to be the game-changers and mobilise at the forefront of the open government movement.

Much of the hard thinking and political legwork on aid transparency has already been done. The G-8 (and many others), agreed to take action at the High Level Forum on Aid Effectivness in Busan, South Korea in 2011, where they committed to implement a common, open standard for electronic publication of timely, comprehensive and forward-looking information on resources provided through development co-operation, taking into account the statistical reporting of the OECD-DAC and the complementary efforts of the International Aid Transparency Initiative and others.

The format for the common standard has been agreed, and some G-8 members (including the U.K.) have made good progress in publishing to it. But there as some noticeable gaps: France, Italy and Japan are yet to set out their plans to publish the IATI components of the common standard and even though some G-8 countries have made good progress on this front, theres still plenty to be done (see the IATI 2013 Annual Report for a detailed review by country).

At next weeks summit, we urge the G-8 leaders to reaffirm pledges made in Busan that they will fully implement the common standard, including all elements of the International Aid Transparency Initiative, by December 2015. Its imperative that the worlds wealthiest donors meet this goal so they dont fall short on promises they have made to developing countries.

Global Peace Index 2013

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 00:36:01 -0400

The last year has been marked by the rising intensity of the civil war in Syria and its geopolitical ramifications, the continued US withdrawal from Afghanistan alongside persistently weak performances by the major economies. These factors have contributed to the world becoming slightly less peaceful continuing the global slide in peacefulness which has now been in effect for the last six years.

2012 has also seen the continuation of two major contrasting themes for global peacefulness; the increasing intensity of internal conflict and declines in large collective inter-state conflicts. The index has again been topped by Iceland with the ten highest ranking nations in the GPI being all relatively small, stable democracies. Nordic and Alpine countries are particularly well represented. Asia-Pacific is also represented at the top, with New Zealand at 3rd and Japan at 6th.

The most peaceful region of the world continues to be Europe while the least peaceful region is South Asia. Afghanistan this year returns to the bottom of the GPI, partly due to increases in political instability and terrorist activity. It replaces Somalia which experienced a slightly more peaceful year and moved up from the lowest position in the GPI for the first time in two years.

OGP Rules of the Game

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 00:31:41 -0400

Civil society advocates working on Open Government Partnership are making a tactical mistake. The OGP guidance on participation of civil society (which the Independent Reporting Mechanism uses as the standard to measure countries against) is far too broad, weak and focuses only on the drafting of a countrys initial action plan. There are just five basic steps that focus on consultation: we could and should do better. There is so much more we could be doing here, from using platforms like OpenIdeo to co-create action plans, to setting up innovative civil society/government/private sector collaborations to make them happen.

There will always be countries where the finished product the country action plan may be completely off the mark and perhaps not even have much to do with open government at all (e.g. faster marriages for pregnant women, cleaner beaches, tweets about drug traffickers) ! This could happen for a number of reasons (we failed to connect with open government reformers, civil society was not engaged etc.). At present, there is no safeguard: an action plan is finalised and is put into the system, no questions asked. We need a better relevance check.

Basic Statistics 2013

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 00:24:23 -0400

Basic Statistics 2013 contains statistical indicators for 45 economies in the Asia and Pacific Region.

The publication covers the indicators of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) such as the proportion of population living below $1.25 (PPP) a day, infant mortality rate, carbon dioxide emissions.

It also contains data on basic economic indicators such as the gross domestic product (GDP), inflation rate, trade balance, external debt, fiscal balance, and others.

Countries covered include Afghanistan; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; the Peoples Republic of China; Cook Islands; Fiji; Georgia; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Kiribati; the Republic of Korea; the Kyrgyz Republic; the Lao People's Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Maldives; the Marshall Islands; the Federated States of Micronesia; Mongolia; Myanmar; Nauru; Nepal; Pakistan; Palau; Papua New Guinea; the Philippines; Samoa; Singapore; Solomon Islands; Sri Lanka; Taipei, China; Tajikistan; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Tonga; Turkmenistan; Tuvalu; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; and Viet Nam.

Data Act: Why Tech Companies Want it Passed

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 00:19:05 -0400

Everyone cares about federal spending. Conservatives want to cut it; progressives want to expand it, at least for some programs. And everyone hates waste and fraud. So why is it so hard to get a handle on the federal checkbook? Its an Open Data problem, and one that wont be solved by the governments new Open Data Policy. But it could be solved by the DATA Act an imperfect acronym that stands for the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, Act.

The leading advocate for the DATA Act has been Hudson Hollister, a former staffer for Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chair of the House Oversight Committee and the Acts co-sponsor. Hudson has put together the Data Transparency Coalition, which has worked tirelessly to push for the Acts passage. The Coalition includes a number of tech companies who believe the DATA Act will help them build their businesses. With the Coalitions help, the Oversight Committee held an DATA Demo Day on May 16 that brought these companies in to showcase their work.

The DATA Act has broad bipartisan support and is endorsed by good-government groups such as the Center for Effective Government and the Sunlight Foundation. It passed the House unanimously but never got to a vote in the Senate. Now, the good news: On May 21, it was reintroduced by bipartisan co-sponsors in both houses. It passed the House Oversight Committee the following day. Lets hope it keeps moving quickly.

2013 State of Civil Society: Creating an Enabling Environment

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 00:10:28 -0400

The 2013 CIVICUS State of Civil Society report comes within a global context that poses considerable challenges for civil society, as well as offering some opportunities. Economic crisis continues to affect the publics and governments of many countries, not least those of Europe and North America, where it has impacted on their governments engagements with developing countries, and the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and, to a lesser extent, South Africa); it has also fostered food and fuel price volatility, higher unemployment and slides back into poverty, which have unravelled some of the development gains made in earlier years in developing countries, including those in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Middle East and North Africa, and helped to provoke mass dissent and demands for change.

In several European and North American countries, we are seeing increased awareness of the phenomenon of the squeezed middle. Wage stagnation and the eroding of labour standards mean that people who would once have been considered secure feel that although they are working hard and holding down jobs, they are now struggling to make ends meet a feeling long familiar to the worlds poor.

Again, this is fuelling unrest and increasing the likelihood of people turning to political solutions beyond those offered by established parties and platforms, as elections have reflected recently in Greece and Italy. Discourse on inequality has arguably become commonplace, with the 1% vs. the 99% meme entering mainstream public consciousness.

AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 15:45:12 -0400

July 11-12, 2013

About this Meeting: This meeting of the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition will focus on Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which guarantees everyone the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications. Since the launch of the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition in 2009, its core activities have focused on engaging scientists and engineers in an international process to define this right and create opportunities to integrate the right into the activities of scientists, engineers and their professional organizations. The aim of this meeting is to enrich the Coalition's contributions to ongoing discussions about the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress in regional human rights bodies and at the United Nations by exploring challenging conceptual questions about the meaning of the right and its application in practice.

Institutionalizing Monitoring and Evaluation Systems : Five Experiences from Latin America

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:34:55 -0400

Abstract:Many governments in the Latin America and Caribbean region (LAC) have gained an increased understanding of the value of M&E to help both governments and donors alike better understand what public investments and interventions work well, which do not, and the reasons why. Monitoring the performance of public programs and institutions helps increase their effectiveness, provides increased accountability and transparency in how public monies are used, and can inform the budgetary process and the allocation of public resources, thus improving their effectiveness to improve welfare and, consequently, reduce poverty and increase the equality of opportunities.Citation:Burdescu, Ruxandra; del Villar, Azul; Mackay, Keith; Rojas, Fernando; Saavedra, Jaime. 2005.Institutionalizing Monitoring and Evaluation Systems : Five Experiences from Latin America. World Bank, Washington, DC.

Evaluation Systems, Ethics, and Development Evaluation

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:31:31 -0400

Abstract:After some 65 years of international development assistance, it is still difficult to show the effectiveness of aid in ways that are fully convincing. In part, this reflects inadequacies in the evaluation systems of the bilateral, multilateral, and global organizations that provide official development aid. Underlying these weaknesses often are a lack of adequate resources to carry out evaluation, insufficient harmonization of evaluation systems to allow aggregation and comparisons, and data limitations. Capacity constraints in both developing countries and aid organizations hinder the quality of evaluations. In addition, evaluation too frequently is not used by donor agencies or recipient countries to improve development effectiveness. All of these issues raise ethical concerns about the efficient use of donor resources, the opportunity costs for developing countries, and most important the effects on the intended beneficiaries of aid.URI:http://hdl.handle.net/10986/5360Date:2010Journal:American Journal of Evaluation31:540-548Author(s):Thomas, V

The Road to Results : Designing and Conducting Effective Development Evaluations

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:27:56 -0400

Abstract:The analytical, conceptual, and political framework of development is changing dramatically. The new development agenda calls for broader understandings of sectors, countries, development strategies, and policies. It emphasizes learning and continuous feedback at all phases of the development cycle. As the development agenda grows in scope and complexity, development evaluation follows suit. Development evaluator are moving away from traditional implementation and output-focused evaluation models toward results-based evaluation models, as the development community calls for results and embraces the millennium development goals. As the development community shifts its focus away from projects in order to comprehensively address country challenges, development evaluators are seeking methods with which to assess results at the country, sector, theme, policy, and even global levels. As the development community recognizes the importance of not only a comprehensive but also a coordinated approach to developing country challenges and emphasizes partnerships, development evaluators are increasingly engaged in joint evaluations. These joint evaluations, while advantageous in many respects, add to the complexity of development evaluation (OECD 2006). Additionally, development evaluators increasingly face the measurement challenge of determining the performance of an individual development organization in this broader context and of identifying its contribution. This text is intended as a tool for use in building development evaluation capacity. It aims to help development evaluators think about and explore the new evaluation architecture and especially to design and conduct evaluations that focus on results in meeting the challenges of development.Citation:Morra Imas, Linda G.; Rist, Ray C.. 2009.The Road to Results : Designing and Conducting Effective Development Evaluations. World Bank.

Sourcebook for Evaluating Global and Regional Partnership Programs : Indicative Principles and Standards

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:22:52 -0400

Abstract: At the March 30-31, 2006, meeting of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)/Development Assistance Committee (DAC) network on development evaluation, representatives of the World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) presented their observations on the growing need to develop consensus principles and standards for the evaluation of Global and Regional Partnership Programs (GRPPs), based on their recent reviews of a sample of such programs and their evaluations. The meeting was attended not only by members from the evaluation units of 23 bilateral agencies and development cooperation ministries, but also by representatives of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Asian Development Bank (AsDB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Participants at the meeting expressed broad support for the development of such principles and standards, and requested that IEG play a leading role in developing them. The present sourcebook of indicative principles and standards for evaluating GRPPs is the result of IEG response to this request. The purpose of the indicative principles and standards contained in this sourcebook is to improve the independence and quality of program-level evaluations of GRPPs in order to enhance the relevance and effectiveness of the programs.

Citation: Independent Evaluation Group. 2007. Sourcebook for Evaluating Global and Regional Partnership Programs : Indicative Principles and Standards. Washington, DC : World Bank

Impact Evaluation : Techniques for Evaluating Active Labor Market Programs

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:13:57 -0400

Abstract: Over the past 40 years, "active" labor market programs (ALMPs) have emerged as an important employment policy tool. Their objective is primarily economic - to increase the probability that the unemployed will find jobs or that the underemployed will increase their productivity and earnings. ALMPs include job search assistance, training and retraining, and job creation programs (public works, micro-enterprise development, and wage subsidies). With economic reform, increasing liberalization of markets and growing concerns about the problems of unemployment, ALMPs have increasingly become an attractive option for policymakers. Expenditure on these programs has, however, not increased substantially over the 1990s, remaining fairly constant at around 0.7% of GDP. This reflects to some extent the ambivalence of policymakers about the effectiveness of ALMPs. A frequently asked question is, "Are these programs effective?" This note will focus on impact evaluations of ALMPs. It will discuss the objectives and importance of rigorous evaluations, highlight commonly used impact evaluation techniques, and discuss who should conduct evaluations.

Citation:Dar, Amit. 2002.Impact Evaluation : Techniques for Evaluating Active Labor Market Programs. World Bank, Washington, DC.

Why Higher Education is Essential to the Post MDGs Agreement

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:51:38 -0400

This post was originally published by theCouncil on Foreign Relations. The post-Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) framework is currently being negotiated among governments and civil society participants around the world. Unlike the previous goals, which emphasized universalprimary educationas a key aim, it is essential that any successor targets ensure a concomitant focus on tertiary education.The youth bulge is growing: young people between the ages of ten and twenty-four now constitute25 percent of the global population, with most in the global south, and these youth must have the skills to manage governments, businesses, and civil society bodies. If they do not, political and economic transitions will be unsustainable.

Encouragingly, a university, college, or vocational education is also increasingly seen by young people to be one of the most important opportunities available to them. It is a means to generate higher income, a way to better make sense of the world, and a step up on the ladder of social mobility. More and more young people are enrolled in tertiary education than ever before. The total is expected to rise to262 million by 2025, according to Australian researchers, with nearly all of this growth in the developing world.

The Himalayan country of Nepal is no exception. Over 55 percent of the population is under the age of 25 according to a recentcensus, and in the current academic year a massive 370,000 students enrolled at various levels of study atTribhuvan University, the main public institution of higher education in the country. This should be a positive development; there is an infectious desire for learning among young Nepalis, and students have played a positive role in many of the key political changes that have defined Nepals historical progress. These have included the movement that led to democracy in 1990 and the Peoples Movement in 2006 through which the monarchy was replaced with a republic.

A closer look at current trends in higher education in Nepal is deeply worrying, however, and holds important lessons for the region, where similar dynamics are apparent in countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh. Universities are woefully under-equipped to handle the size and the needs of the student body. At Tribhuvan University, there are often power cuts of up to twelve hours a day. There is no drinking water, clean bathrooms, or internet access on the main campus. There are not nearly enough classrooms to accommodate the huge number of students; libraries are sparse and completely outdated; and buildings are regularly burned down by disaffected groups. The bloated roster of professors means many are unpaid and unmotivated, and students are deeply unhappy.

These problems are the result of the politics that has come to dominate the university system, with all hiring made on a political basis. As a result, many administrators act with impunity, refusing to deal with the most basic of problems, showing up to work late or not at all, and favoring certain students over others in everything from the awarding of scholarships to the allocation of housing. Politics can become deeply unaccountable and coercive, with university positions providing opportunities for patronage and corruption by political parties. These parties use students for their own ends, including frequent bandhs (strikes), which at times can shut down entire cities and lead to the frequent cancellation of classes, often indefinitely. Student elections were recently cancelled due to widelyreportedincidents of vote-buying, illegal admissions, and intimidation. Violence is also common, with hardline positions encouraged by larger political parties that reinforce stereotypes among frustrated Nepali students.

In an environment of this sort, dialogue has been replaced with non-negotiable demands and common concerns are no longer amenable to collective action. The government has commissioned various reports about universities problems without much follow-up. Donors like theWorld Bankhave some discreteprojects, but conversations on campus indicate that these are seen as supply-driven and ownership by the universities is low. Other donors have largely stayed away, preferring to focus on high school education. This situation is a disservice to current students, who should be the next generation of Nepali leaders. Many are now deciding that the time and money needed to attend public colleges are not worth the low level of knowledge attained as a result.

Through theAccountability Labwe have conducted hundreds of formal and informal meetings over the past year with student leaders, professors, administrators, and political parties at Tribhuvan University. It is clear that an initial four-step process is needed to address the problems that currently exist. First, the political parties must summon the courage to allow the university to become a de-politicized space for students to learn. Second, they must work with the university administration, student bodies, and professors to form a dialogue center through which issues can be discussed peacefully and constructively. Third, a durable code of conduct must be developed to govern behaviors on campus, with strong enforcement mechanisms. And fourth, a process must be put in place to streamline the university staff, ensure that hiring and promotion decisions are made on a transparent and fair basis, and provide authorities with the mandate and funds to carry out the universitys educational mission.

These are not easy changes to make, of course, but it is essential that the focus of universities and collegesin Nepal and elsewhereis not politics or patronage but constructive learning. The MDGs got the focus on primary education right, but educated youngsters soon grow up to demand clear and fair opportunities for further study, which benefits both themselves and their societies. In the post-2015 era, we ignore them at our peril.

GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report: Interventions to increase levels of trust in society

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 05:16:58 -0400

Key findings

It is possible to discern that interventions concerned with transforming state-society relations necessarily involve or require raising trust levels within society and/or between state-society. However, only a few of these interventions present trust-building as a central or explicit objective.
In contrast, descriptions of trust deficits in fragile states abound in governance and institutional reform programme documents.
It appears some development agencies treat trust as a cross-cutting dimension that enters into discussions around related themes such as social cohesion, inclusion, accountability, and resilience.
Some interventions do track levels of trust (within society, between state-society), sometimes as a (proxy) indicator of building social cohesion or social capital, but measuring trust levels and trust-building is challenging, and techniques are still nascent.
Illustrative cases of interventions that have involved building and/or measuring trust levels in society have been found in four areas: 1) social accountability, 2) community driven development, 3) tax-related interventions and 4) transformative social protection. The report summarises key points found from each approach.

Author: Becky Carter

Publication date: 14 May 2013

GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report: Multi-donor support mechanisms for civil society

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 05:08:59 -0400

The experience of multi-donor support mechanisms for CSOs is mixed. There are a number of potential advantages for donors engaging in pooled funding strategies, including working with donors who have a stronger presence and a track record in a particular context, and reducing transaction costs in the medium- to long- term. However, experts indicate that the difficulties of providing support to CSOs can be compounded when multiple donors are involved. There can be a tendency to 'over-manage'. Further, the choice of management intermediaries and the application procedures for CSOs seeking support require careful consideration.

While there are a range of programmes identified in this report, details on results are limited. Much of the project literature is descriptive rather than evaluative in nature, with limited mention of outcomes and results. In addition, many of the pooled funding programmes for CSOs are fairly recent, accounting for the lack of available evaluations. From the available literature, some of the identified programmes and results achieved include:

The Deepening Democracy Fund in Uganda was used by seven parliamentary committees to commission 15 reports on various topics, and to provide resources to inform issues of electoral reform
Samata in Bangladesh achieved notable results in its Land Rights Programme, including the recovery and redistribution of over 90,000 acres of resources (land and water resources) among over 1.9 million landless families, and the election of 458 landless men and women group members to local government (Union Parishad)
The Civil Society Support Programme to Ethiopia deepened its direct relationships with CSO partners and indirect relationships with CSO partners through Learn and Share Events

Author: Risn Hinds

Publication date: 13 May 2013

Co-creating a SMART Rwanda, SMART Africa and SMART World

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:57:36 -0400

Rwanda is steadily moving towards its vision of becoming an information-rich and knowledge-based economy and society, and an ICT hub in the region. This ambition is reflected in our Vision 2020, the subsequent mid-term economic development and poverty reduction strategy (EDPRS II), and the ICT Sector Strategic Plan 2013-2018.

The World Bank has always supported us in achieving our ICT ambitions. In 2011, we successfully wrapped up the eRwanda project, for which we had received a US$10 million grant from IDA. The project helped improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our governments internal processes, and the delivery of applications and services. Through this project, the World Bank is helping us reduce the cost of international capacity by extending the geographic reach of Rwandas broadband networks, giving Rwanda capacity and access to broadband connectivity in the process.

Today, the World Bank is considering providing more support to Rwanda through the SMART Rwanda initiative, which will be the implementation vehicle for initiatives under our ICT Sector Strategic Plan. We are grateful that experts from the Banks ICT Unit took up the initiative to assist our local experts in developing the SMART Rwanda Concept.

Improving Public Contracting with Civil Society - BBL Event

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:51:39 -0400

Governments around the world spend an estimated US $ 9.5 trillion every year through contracts. Yet, contracting information is often unavailable for public scrutiny. Adding to the problems stemming from lack of transparency, the resources spent through these contracts are often poorly managed or misappropriated. Open contracting, effective disclosure and participation around how public funds are generated and spent can serve to address these challenges.

The World Bank is working with select countries to make procurement more transparent and accountable, such as in Mongolia, where government and CSOs have collaborated in drafting a new procurement law that places Mongolia at the forefront of disclosure and participation in public procurement.

This BBL will showcase how the World Bank works with civil society to promote open contracting. In addition to sharing country experiences, the discussion will feature the results of the 2013 Open Contracting Book Sprint. The Book Sprint was a race to collaboratively write and publish a how to guide on contract monitoring in five days.

Welcome and Opening remarks by Sanjay Agarwal, Senior Social Development Specialist, SDV

Presentations:CSO participation in procurement monitoring in Mongolia

Zahid Hasnain, Senior Public Sector Specialist, EAP PREM
Otgonjargal Norovjav (Otgoo), Procurement Expert, Public Procurement Partnership in Mongolia

Book Sprint, bringing people together to collaboratively produce an OC book in 5 days

Adam Hyde, Founder, Book Sprints
Claire Schouten, Programme Director of the Network for Integrity in Reconstruction, Integrity Action

Open Space Discussions:

1.Monitoring tools and approaches: Redempto Santander Parafina (Dondon), Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in East Asia and the Pacific

2.Coalition building: Gilbert Sendugwa, Africa Freedom of Information Centre

3.Book Sprints: Adam Hyde, Book Sprints

e-DIRAP Google+ Hangout on Climate Change and ICTs

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:22:09 -0400

Five panelists from five different countries will bring different perspectives on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to address climate change challenges. The purpose of the Hangout is to:

- Introduce the roles ICTs play in climate change monitoring, adaptation and mitigation
- Get an update of the state of ICT deployment and innovations in addressing climate change issues
- Discuss the challenges and way forward for harnessing ICTs to achieve adaptation and mitigation goals at regional, national and local levels in Asia and the Pacific

e-DIRAP brings together a diversity of voices to report on the status and trends of ICT for development (ICT4D) issues, and also tell their stories of ICT4D innovation and learning. Policymakers, planners and project managers will find the latest on ICT4D policies, applications and research in Asia Pacific.

UK: Innovative SMEs Stifled by Lack of Funds

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:21:41 -0400

Two new reports from the think tank Big Innovation Centre, have warned that the failure of banks to lend to SMEs is stifling UK's most innovative businesses

Women's Leadership in SMEs: Gaps and Opportunities, Elena Bardasi, The World Bank

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:52:45 -0400

In this video, Elena Bardasi of the World Bank summarizes her discussion of the current gaps in research on women's entrepreneurship and what opportunities look most promising.

SEA Change bi-weekly newsletter - 2013 06 13

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:09:22 -0400

The bi-weekly newsletter looks the same as the weekly newsletter, with the only change being you guessed right; it will be sent to you bi-weekly! Between bi-weekly newsletters you will now receive a two-page update to make sure you will not miss anything!

We start this newsletter with a call for evidence by the Commonwealth Secretariat on improving frameworks for climate finance. Topic 2 showcases the Australian Evaluation Society upcoming conference. We already showcased this event, but be aware that the application deadline of grants support will close 24th June 2013. The Environmental Evaluators Network Forum of their Pacific branch is showcased in Topic 3.

Topic 4 presents a collection of resources added to the SEA Change CoP resource library on ICT in M&E and the M&E of ICT. More resources in Topic 5 from ALNAP; The Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action.

We end this newsletter with an UNICEF vacancy for a individual consultant to be based in Cambodia Topic 6.

Enjoy the read!

This weeks topics are as follows:

Topic 1: [Event] Commonwealth Secretariat call for evidence: Improving frameworks for climate finance for small and vulnerable states
Topic 2: [Event] Australasian Evaluation Society (AES) 2013 International Conference
Topic 3: [Event] Environmental Evaluators Network (EEN) Networked learning for sustainable systems
Topic 4: [Resources] ICT in M&E and the M&E of ICT added to SEA Change CoP resource library
Topic 5: [Resources] ALNAP M&E resources added to SEA Change CoP resource library
Topic 6: [Vacancy] UNICEF Cambodia: Individual Consultancy - System Design for Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Monitoring and Evaluation System

Enjoy the read!

Best wishes, Dennis Bours

Team leader SEA Change CoP

A pdf version of each week's newsletter/update can be downloaded or read online: http://www.seachangecop.org/newsletters/

At the bottom left of the newsletter page you will find the RSS-button to subscribe to our newsletters/updates through RSS-feed (http://www.seachangecop.org/feeds).

SEA Change bi-weekly newsletter - 2013 06 13

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:43:02 -0400

We end this newsletter with an UNICEF vacancy for a individual consultant to be based in Cambodia Topic 6.

Enjoy the read!

This weeks topics are as follows:

Topic 1: [Event] Commonwealth Secretariat call for evidence: Improving frameworks for climate finance for small and vulnerable states
Topic 2: [Event] Australasian Evaluation Society (AES) 2013 International Conference
Topic 3: [Event] Environmental Evaluators Network (EEN) Networked learning for sustainable systems
Topic 4: [Resources] ICT in M&E and the M&E of ICT added to SEA Change CoP resource library
Topic 5: [Resources] ALNAP M&E resources added to SEA Change CoP resource library
Topic 6: [Vacancy] UNICEF Cambodia: Individual Consultancy - System Design for Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Monitoring and Evaluation System

Enjoy the read!

Best wishes, Dennis Bours

Team leader SEA Change CoP

A pdf version of each week's newsletter/update can be downloaded or read online: http://www.seachangecop.org/newsletters/

At the bottom left of the newsletter page you will find the RSS-button to subscribe to our newsletters/updates through RSS-feed (http://www.seachangecop.org/feeds).

Credit and the Crisis: Access to finance for innovative small firms

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:00:33 -0400

Since the 2008 financial crisis there has been a significant tightening in credit conditions and a dramatic reduction in bank lending to small firms. Government policy such as the new Business Bank has been focused on addressing this problem. A consensus has emerged that access to finance to small firms is one of the key factors holding back the national economy.

Yet only a minority of small firms will actually drive the economic recovery most small firms have little impact on job creation. In a time of limited resources, government policy needs to prioritise the needs of innovative small firms: firms which bring new products and processes to market and which are more likely to grow. The success of these firms will be vital for the long-term health of the UK economy.

Two Spheres That Dont Touch: The relationship between British finance and British innovation

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:45:44 -0400

According to the report, between 2010 and 2012 as many as a third of SMEs said that they did not obtain any of the funding they required - that is triple the number in the period 2007-2008 just before the global economic crisis hit.

The report's author, Hiba Sameen, has identified that this restriction of funds is a systemic problem which is, in turn, keeping the UK economy from growing.