World Bank - Middle East and North Africa

The project Building Citizens’ Capacities and State Responsiveness for an Open and Transparent Democracy has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

2014-09-10T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-10T04:00:00.000ZTunisiaP147887TNClosedCHANGE

The project Additional Financing II for SFD IV has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The second additional financing of the Social Fund for Development Phase IV Project for Yemen will help finance the costs associated with continuing activities under the project's established and successful Community and Local Development Program. Over the remainder of the project period, the second additional financing will improve access to basic services through delivery of poverty-targeted improvements in community infrastructure and building local capacity. The expected outcomes, based on performance of the program to date, include: (a) increased school enrolment, especially of girls; (b) improved access to water; (c) increased agricultural productivity and incomes; (d) access to improved public health services; and (e) reduced travelling time owing to rural road improvements. The second additional financing does not present any implications for the results framework as it supports only existing project activities within the project's existing budget framework and associated targets. However, the results framework for the project as a whole was reviewed and is being revised. Some revisions and clarifications regard how to measure some of the project development objective indicators; in addition, some of the intermediate indicators and targets will be modified to better capture the project results. The original project development objectives are to: (i) improve access to basic services; (ii) enhance economic opportunities; and (iii) reduce the vulnerability of the poor. The objectives, which remain highly relevant, are supported through four components. The first component concerns the Community and Local Development Program. The CLDP activities, to be supported through the proposed second additional financing, are directed to improving access of the poor to basic services. The activities include community-driven small infrastructure projects targeted to poor communities, primarily in the education, water, roads, health, and agriculture sectors. They also include interventions targeted towards the poorest communities and special needs groups as well as local-level capacity building. The second component concerns the Small and Micro Enterprise Development Program which aims to strengthen and build capacity of local microfinance providers and to actively promote entry into the market by creating an enabling environment and by encouraging the establishment of new financial service providers. The third component concerns the Capacity Building Program which supports the other three programs through a focus on capacity-building of local entities, including local and central government bodies, NGOs, and communities, as well as supporting strengthening of the project's own institutional capacity, to include for example monitoring and evaluation, management, and transparency. The fourth component concerns the Labor-Intensive Works Program, providing a cash-for-work safety net to targeted households to bridge their consumption gap during shocks and stagnation of agricultural seasons, while increasing the productive assets of communities and households.2014-08-06T04:00:00.000Z2014-08-06T04:00:00.000ZYemen, Republic ofP148474RYActiveCHANGE

The Political Economy Community of Practice and
the Governance & Public Sector Management Group 

invite you to a Book Launch:

Problem-Driven Political Economy Analysis:
The World Bank's Experience
Editors: Verena Fritz, Brian Levy, Rachel Ort 

Thursday, January 9, 2014
12:30 - 2:30 pm | MC Building MC2-800

*Click here to download a copy of the volume*
For streaming details contact Rachel Ort ()

CHAIR 
Stefan Koeberle
Director, OPSOR

PRESENTERS
Verena Fritz
Senior Public Sector Specialist, AFTP2

Brian Levy
Senior Adjunct Professor of International Development
Johns Hopkins SAIS

Tom Carothers
Vice President for Studies
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 

Problem-Driven Political Economy Analysis: The World Bank’s Experience 
Edited by Verena Fritz, Brian Levy, and Rachel Ort 

Problem-driven political economy analysis can help development practitioners identify policies and strategies that are most likely to overcome difficult development challenges. This volume takes stock of the World Bank's experiences applying this approach.  The eight good practice cases presented in this volume illustrate recent Bank achievements and cover examples from Mongolia, Morocco, Dominican Republic, Zambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.  The cases show how political economy analysis can be applied to specific development challenges and opportunities from different sectors, highlight the range of empirical evidence that can be used and discuss the types of recommendations and follow up actions that resulted.

2014-01-06T15:19:40.000Z2014-01-06T15:19:40.000Z

The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund (MMMF) brings you:

MMMF International Arts & Crafts Fair

Tuesday, November 12 – Thursday, November 14

9:45am – 4:00pm

World Bank Main Complex (Main Glass Lobby and Preston Auditorium)

Featuring vendors selling handmade pottery, South American chocolate, Canadian treats, children's clothing, tablecloths, designer clothes, soap and beauty products, painted eggs from Eastern Europe, handbags, jewelry, hand-woven shawls, Haitian artifacts, and much more. Public welcome; please bring photo ID.

Proceeds support MMMF Educational Grants to women from developing countries.

The MMMF is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded and is administered by WBFN staff and volunteers.

www.mmmf-grants.org

2013-11-11T19:57:43.000Z2013-11-11T19:57:43.000Z

Washington, September 3, 2013 – The World Bank transferred today an amount of about US$72.2 million to the Palestinian Authority from the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan Trust Fund (PRDP-MDTF), a multi-donor budget support mechanism administered by the Bank.

The funds contributed by the governments of Kuwait, Australia and the United Kingdom will help support the urgent budget needs of the Palestinian Authority (PA), providing inter alia support for education, health care and other vital social services for the Palestinian people and for the economic reforms currently underway. 

The World Bank PRDP Trust Fund was established on April 10, 2008, through an agreement signed between the World Bank and the Palestinian Authority during the 2008 World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings.  It is a central component of a World Bank’s effort to support the ongoing Palestinian Reform and Development Plan.  Currently, the PRDP-MDTF donors are the governments of Australia, France, Kuwait, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

With the new tranche release, the PRDP-MDTF will have disbursed about US$1.1 billion.

For further information on the PRDP MDTF and the World Bank’s program in the Palestinian Territories, please visit:  www.worldbank.org/we

Contact:
In the Palestinian Territories: Mary Koussa, (972) 2-2366500,

 

2013-09-04T12:00:00.000Z2013-09-04T12:00:00.000Z

Ramallah, September 2, 2013 – A new project will improve access to solid waste management services in the West Bank. 840,000 Palestinians in Hebron and Bethlehem governorates will have access to better quality and more affordable waste collection. The World Bank, administrator for the Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA), will support the Palestinian Authority with the US$8.3million grant for the project.

“Unsanitary waste collection and disposal is a serious issue in Hebron and Bethlehem, particularly for the poor living close to unregulated dumpsites at the edge of towns and villages. The grant will improve the quality and the efficiency of the solid waste management system and consequently will help protect the environment and health of citizens,” said Mariam Sherman, World Bank Country Director for the West Bank and Gaza.

Subsidies will be provided to the service providers - Municipalities and Village Councils, the Joint Services Councils for Planning and Development, the Joint Services Council of Hebron as well as of Bethlehem - to improve the solid waste management collection services and to promote financial sustainability of the solid waste management system.

“The project is one of the first to use the output-based aid approach (OBA) - the OBA subsidy will serve as an incentive to the service provider who will receive it if they meet performance targets. The grant will provide much needed support to the local authorities and will foster sustainable solid waste management services,” said Carmen Nonay, Manager, GPOBA. 

Hebron and Bethlehem are the poorest governorates in the West Bank and generate 20 percent of the area’s total solid waste. While primary service collection is carried out, the fiscal and institutional constraints significantly affect the quality and the sustainability of the system. The project aims to improve the quality and cost-recovery of waste management, including sanitary disposal and treatment.

The OBA approach provides well-designed incentives to increase service quality which in turn will affect customer willingness to pay and gradually recover costs borne by the service providers. The OBA subsidy will phase out after four years of the newly constructed landfill’s operations at Al Minya, when user revenues will sufficiently cover the increased costs of adequate service delivery.

“The performance mechanism provides incentives to achieve efficient collection, transportation, proper use of disposal facilities, and appropriate planning and monitoring through a modern integrated Management Information System for affordable and safe management of waste, including dangerous waste. The performance scorecard system will systemically track progress and will help our member municipalities to learn from one another, and possibly others in the region,” said Dr. Daoud Zaatari, Mayor of Hebron, Chairman, Joint Services Council for Hebron and Bethlehem.

The OBA pilot is part of the larger Southern West Bank Solid Waste Management Project, supported by the World Bank, the European Union and other donors, following the successful implementation of a similar project in the Northern West Bank. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is supporting JSC-H&B through a public-private partnership to manage the new sanitary landfill and related facilities. IFC is also providing technical support to JSC-H&B to assist with the start-up and implementation of both the World Bank and GPOBA-funded projects.

********
GPOBA is a global partnership program established in 2003 and administered by the World Bank. It is a multi-donor trust fund used to develop OBA approaches across a variety of sectors including infrastructure, health, and education. Its portfolio of 36 OBA pilot projects, for which a cumulative total of $92.5 million in disbursements has been made, has provided access to basic services to more than four million poor beneficiaries.

Contacts:
GPOBA in Washington: Saúl E. González, tel. (+1) 202 473 2378,
World Bank in West Bank and Gaza: Mary Koussa, tel. + (972) 2-2366500,

For more information on GPOBA, please visit:  www.gpoba.org

For more information on the World Bank’s work in the West Bank, please visit:
www.worldbank.org/we

2013-09-02T22:00:00.000Z2013-09-02T22:00:00.000Z

Washington, July 8, 2013 – Kuwait and the World Bank signed today a US$50 million grant agreement to support the ongoing Palestinian Reform and Development Program (PRDP). This amount is in addition to the $230 million that Kuwait has provided to the PRDP World Bank-administered multi-donor trust fund since 2008.

The agreement was signed by Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Ambassador of Kuwait in Washington, DC, and Inger Andersen, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa region. Merza Hasan, World Bank Executive Director and Dean of the Executive Board witnessed the signing.

“The State of Kuwait is committed to support the Palestinian Authority, as it has always done, and will remain engaged and committed to ensure the social and economic well-being of its citizens,” said Ambassador Al-Sabah.

The contribution will help support urgent budgetary needs that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is facing, providing inter alia support for education, health care and other vital social services for the Palestinian people and for the economic reforms currently underway. 

“The PRDP Trust Fund is central in supporting Palestinian reforms and development plans. We are proud of these joint donor efforts to ensure continuity of Palestinian institution building and better public service delivery,” said Andersen.

“This support from the State of Kuwait will help the Palestinian to bolster reforms to strengthen its fiscal positions and improve public financial management. These are critical building blocks for a future Palestinian state,” said Merza Hasan.   

The World Bank PRDP Trust Fund was established on April 10, 2008, when an agreement was signed between the World Bank and the Palestinian Authority. In addition to Kuwait, the governments of Australia, France, Norway, UK and Japan regularly contribute to this fund.  With the new contribution from Kuwait, the trust fund will have channeled closed to US$1.3 billion.

In addition, the World Bank has contributed $200 million of its own resources (through five Development Policy Grants) to support the budget of the Palestinian Authority.

Contacts:
West Bank and Gaza: Mary Koussa, (972) 2-2366500,
Washington: Lara Saade, (202) 473-9887,

2013-07-09T12:24:58.000Z2013-07-09T12:24:58.000Z

The World Bank-IMF Chorus is presenting it's spring concerts of favourite choruses from around the world on:

- Tuesday, May 7 at 1pm in IMF HQ2 Conference Hall
- Wednesday, May 8 at 1pm in the WB MC Atrium

Admission is free  - guest passes needed for non-Bank & IMF badge holders.

http://www.wbimfchorus.org/

2013-05-01T17:00:00.000Z2013-05-01T17:00:00.000Z

http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2013/04/12/water-sanitation-results-profile

2013-04-12T14:45:00.000Z2013-04-12T14:45:00.000Z

http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2013/04/15/water-resources-management-results-profile

2013-04-12T11:30:00.000Z2013-04-12T11:30:00.000Z

2014-09-27T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-27T04:00:00.000ZYemenErsado,LireEnglishYemen, Republic of - Yemen Household Budget Survey : P143819 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 02Implementation Status and Results ReportEnglishYemen

Additional financing for the Water Supply and Sewage Systems Improvement Project for West Bank and Gaza will rehabilitate and reconstruct existing and damaged water and wastewater systems, and also enhance the capacity of the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility to sustain water and wastewater services. This ESIA/ESMF is being amended to include additional financing that will help finance the cost associated with the scaling-up of project activities in response to circumstances arising during implementation. Specifically, it will finance rehabilitating water and wastewater infrastructure damaged in Gaza as a result of bombardments and ground incursions by Israeli armed forces in the period of July 5 to August 26, 2014. The additional financing is requested by the Palestinian Water Authority in consultation with the Gaza Coastal Municipal Water Authority to finance civil works, goods, consulting services, non-consulting services, training, operating costs and recurrent costs to: (i) conduct the most urgent repairs to damage water and wastewater systems in order to restore basic water and wastewater services; and (ii) restore and enhance the capacity of the CMWU to deliver these services. Overall damage to water and wastewater systems are assessed in the order of US$34 million, with the proposed operation covering approximately 40 percent of the required repairs. Environmental negative impacts include air quality, land use and transportation, agricultural resources and use, biological habitat and species, and solid waste. Social impacts include population and housing, employment and income, and future water and fairness distribution. This report includes a matrix identifying the issues, mitigation measures, responsibility for carrying out the mitigation measures, and the approximate cost estimates for the actions.2014-09-26T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-26T04:00:00.000ZWater Supply and Sanitation|Water ResourcesTown Water Supply and Sanitation|Water and Industry|Water Conservation|Water Supply and Sanitation Governance and Institutions|Water Supply and SystemsMiddle East and North AfricaEngineering and Management Consulting CenterEnvironmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) and environmental and social management plan (ESMP)EnglishWest Bank and GazaWater Supply and Sanitation|Water ResourcesTown Water Supply and Sanitation|Water and Industry|Water Conservation|Water Supply and Sanitation Governance and Institutions|Water Supply and SystemsE4646West Bank and GazaEnglishEnvironmental AssessmentMiddle East and North Africa

Additional financing for the Water Supply and Sewage Systems Improvement Project for West Bank and Gaza will rehabilitate and reconstruct existing and damaged water and wastewater systems, and also enhance the capacity of the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility to sustain water and wastewater services. This ESIA/ESMF is being amended to include additional financing that will help finance the cost associated with the scaling-up of project activities in response to circumstances arising during implementation. Specifically, it will finance rehabilitating water and wastewater infrastructure damaged in Gaza as a result of bombardments and ground incursions by Israeli armed forces in the period of July 5 to August 26, 2014. The additional financing is requested by the Palestinian Water Authority in consultation with the Gaza Coastal Municipal Water Authority to finance civil works, goods, consulting services, non-consulting services, training, operating costs and recurrent costs to: (i) conduct the most urgent repairs to damage water and wastewater systems in order to restore basic water and wastewater services; and (ii) restore and enhance the capacity of the CMWU to deliver these services. Overall damage to water and wastewater systems are assessed in the order of US$34 million, with the proposed operation covering approximately 40 percent of the required repairs. Environmental negative impacts include air quality, land use and transportation, agricultural resources and use, biological habitat and species, and solid waste. Social impacts include population and housing, employment and income, and future water and fairness distribution. This report includes a matrix identifying the issues, mitigation measures, responsibility for carrying out the mitigation measures, and the approximate cost estimates for the actions.2014-09-26T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-26T04:00:00.000ZWater Supply and Sanitation|Water ResourcesTown Water Supply and Sanitation|Water and Industry|Water Supply and Sanitation Governance and Institutions|Water Conservation|Sanitation and SewerageMiddle East and North AfricaEngineering and Management Consulting CenterEnvironmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) and environmental and social management plan (ESMP) : executive summaryEnglishWest Bank and GazaWater Supply and Sanitation|Water ResourcesTown Water Supply and Sanitation|Water and Industry|Water Supply and Sanitation Governance and Institutions|Water Conservation|Sanitation and SewerageE4646West Bank and GazaEnglishEnvironmental AssessmentMiddle East and North Africa

2014-09-25T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-25T04:00:00.000ZPublic Sector Development|Social Development|Finance and Financial Sector Development|Private Sector DevelopmentE-Business|Bankruptcy and Resolution of Financial Distress|Public Sector Corruption & Anticorruption Measures|Debt Markets|Community Development and EmpowermentMiddle East and North AfricaJordan - Badia Ecosystem and Livelihoods Project : procurement planEnglishJordanPublic Sector Development|Social Development|Finance and Financial Sector Development|Private Sector DevelopmentE-Business|Bankruptcy and Resolution of Financial Distress|Public Sector Corruption & Anticorruption Measures|Debt Markets|Community Development and Empowerment90912JordanEnglishProcurement PlanMiddle East and North Africa

Firms in many developing countries cite macroeconomic instability and political uncertainty as major constraints to their growth. Economic theory suggests uncertainty can cause firms to delay investments until uncertainty is resolved. A randomized experiment was conducted in post-revolution Egypt to measure the impact of insuring microenterprises against macroeconomic and political uncertainty. Demand for macroeconomic shock insurance was high; 36.7 percent of microentrepreneurs in the treatment group purchased insurance. However, purchasing insurance does not change the likelihood that a business takes a new loan, the size of the loan, or how the loan is invested. This lack of effect is attributed to microenterprises largely investing in inventories and raw materials rather than irreversible investments like equipment. These results suggest that, contrary to what some firms profess, macroeconomic and political risk is not inhibiting the investment behavior of microenterprises. However, insurance may still be of value to help firms cope with shocks when they do occur, but the paper is unable to examine this dimension, because the insurance product did not pay out over the course of the pilot.2014-09-25T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-25T04:00:00.000ZLaw and Development|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentDebt Markets|Climate Change Economics|Access to Finance|Bankruptcy and Resolution of Financial Distress|Insurance LawMiddle East and North AfricaGroh, Matthew|McKenzie, DavidMacroinsurance for microenterprises : a randomized experiment in post-revolution EgyptEnglishEgypt, Arab Republic ofLaw and Development|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentDebt Markets|Climate Change Economics|Access to Finance|Bankruptcy and Resolution of Financial Distress|Insurance LawWPS7048Egypt, Arab Republic ofEnglishPolicy Research Working PaperMiddle East and North Africa

The data in this book are for 2009 -2011 or the most recent years available, unless otherwise noted in the table or the glossary. This data book presents regional tables which is based on the World Bank's analytical regions and may differ from common geographic usage.2014-09-25T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-25T04:00:00.000ZEnergy|Industry|Health, Nutrition and Population|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentPopulation Policies|Oil Refining & Gas Industry|Currencies and Exchange Rates|Energy Production and Transportation|Energy and EnvironmentMiddle East and North AfricaMottaghi, LiliMiddle East and North Africa region : little data bookEnglishMiddle East and North AfricaEnergy|Industry|Health, Nutrition and Population|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentPopulation Policies|Oil Refining & Gas Industry|Currencies and Exchange Rates|Energy Production and Transportation|Energy and Environment90907Middle East and North AfricaEnglishWorking PaperMiddle East and North Africa

The data in this book are based on World Bank's World Development Indicators (WDI) 2011. The data are for 2009 and 2010 or the most recent year unless otherwise noted. Glossary contains definitions of the terms used in the tables.2014-09-25T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-25T04:00:00.000ZEnergy|Industry|Health, Nutrition and Population|Finance and Financial Sector Development|Private Sector DevelopmentPopulation Policies|Currencies and Exchange Rates|Oil Refining & Gas Industry|Energy Production and Transportation|E-BusinessMiddle East and North AfricaMottaghi, LiliMiddle East and North Africa region : little data bookEnglishMiddle East and North AfricaEnergy|Industry|Health, Nutrition and Population|Finance and Financial Sector Development|Private Sector DevelopmentPopulation Policies|Currencies and Exchange Rates|Oil Refining & Gas Industry|Energy Production and Transportation|E-Business90908Middle East and North AfricaEnglishWorking PaperMiddle East and North Africa

2014-09-25T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-25T04:00:00.000ZWest Bank and GazaNadeem,MohammadEnglishOfficial Documents- Amendment to the Administration Agreement with Japan for TF071607AgreementEnglishWest Bank and Gaza

2014-09-25T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-25T04:00:00.000ZWest Bank and GazaNadeem,MohammadEnglishOfficial Documents- Amendment to the Administration Agreement with Norway for Supplemental Contribution No. 16 to TF071607 (Successor to TF071011)AgreementEnglishWest Bank and Gaza

2014-09-25T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-25T04:00:00.000ZWest Bank and GazaNadeem,MohammadEnglishOfficial Documents- Amendment to the Administration Agreement with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for TF071607AgreementEnglishWest Bank and Gaza