The implementation and metamorphosis of the BDS concept

This publication is a product of a Task Force of GTZ’s network. It traces the metamorphosis of thinking in the enterprise development community and more specifically within GTZ over the last 10 years. It shows how an organization that embraces change is able to significantly contribute to the emergence of a new agenda based on market development approaches to increasing the access of the private sector to better and more effective services from public and private organizations. We hope that you will appreciate this candid and analytical reflection of our learning process.

http://www.bdsknowledge.org/dyn/bds/bdssearch.details?p_phase_id=525&p_lang=en&p_phase_type_id=6

Colonialism, Socialism and Democratization in São Tomé and Príncipe

This secon edition of Comrades, Clients and Cousins by Gerhard Seibert analyses the course of political and economic changes in postcolonial São Tomé and Príncipe. The central issue of the book is towhich extent institutional changes based on externalmodels altered local patterns of political culture and of doing politics. In addition, it examines theoutcome of the consecutive economic policies and development approaches patterned on theses models. This second edition has been completely revised and updated for the period of 1998-2005, including the recent developments in the country’s emerging oil sector.http://seibert.gulli.to

Value Chain Program Design: Promoting Market Solutions for MSMEs

Thailand , Sep 11 – Sep 15, 2006 / Action for
Enterprise (AFE) Action for Enterprise (AFE) is offering a five-day training workshop that presents the latest methodologies and practice for designing subsector and value-chain programs that incorporate strategies for sustainable impact. Participants will learn how to design programs that result in market solutions to MSME constraints such as market access, input supply, technology/product development, management training, policy reform, and access to finance. Examples will be used from enterprise development programs and practitioners worldwide. The training targets those who wish to improve their facilitation skills and design programs that respect the latest thinking in value chain and market development principles.http://www.actionforenterprise.org/training.htm

Building Financial Systems for the Poor: How Donors Can Make a Difference

Bamako, Mali, Oct 30 -Nov 2, 2006 / Training course by CGAP and UNCDF The training is specifically designed for development professionals, policy makers, and staff who work for international NGOs and investors who would benefit from a deeper understanding of microfinance. The course targets development and government specialists who focus on areas such as pro-poor policies, poverty reduction, economic development, private sector and business development, livelihoods, employment promotion, and gender. It is equally useful for specialists in crisis prevention and recovery, environment, and health who seek a better understanding of how financial services are related to their spheres of work. The training will be held in French. Info: Natasa Goronja, ngoronja@worldbank.org, Gretel Guzma, gguzman@worldbank.org http://cgap.org/direct/docs/MaliDonorCourseBrochure_2006_fr.pdf

Good Governance – KfW Topic of the Year

The principle of good governance implies a good political framework, the rule of law and the responsible use of political power and public resources by the state. These are the most important factors to support a sustainable development and successfully combat poverty. Given the huge importance and topicality of the subject KfW Entwicklungsbank has put its focus for the year 2006 on “good governance“ and wants to give impetus to the discussion.http://www.kfw-entwicklungsbank.de/EN_Home/Topics/Good_Governance/Events36/index.jsp

New reading list: Market institutions and economic growth

Countries need appropriate institutions to sustain and consolidate the move to market-led growth. But which specific institutions will contribute to economic growth? What are the channels through which these institutions positively influence economic development?The empirical literature on economic growth has developed substantially over the past two decades, drawing on larger and richer databases and utilizing better econometric tools to explain how institutions relate to cross-country differences in growth performance. This reading list highlights some of this research and focuses on the concepts of New Institutional Economics, the link between pro-market institutions and growth, the effects of governance on economic development, and the relationship between democracy and growth.http://rru.worldbank.org/PapersLinks/Institutions-and-Growth/

Towards an EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership

South Africa : On 28 June 2006, the European Commission published a communication entitled ‘‘Towards an EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership’‘; this proposes a long-term framework for political cooperation between
South Africa and the EU http://ec.europa.eu/comm/development/body/tmp_docs/com_2006_347_en.pdf#zoom=100

Online discussion at World Bank: Technology and the African entrepreneur

The upswing in African cell phone usage is impressive. Yet for Africa to fully reap the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICT), investment in broadband Internet and other robust technology is also necessary. Should African governments focus on expanding low-cost technologies that are easily adopted in both rural and urban areas, such as mobile phones? Or should they target more robust ICT services, such as Broadband and fiber-optic cable, that require heavy infrastructure investment? Are ICT-specific development projects required to enable infrastructure build-out or can ICT needs be met through mainstream financing programs for businesses? How should ICT investment be prioritized in relation to other pressing development needs in Africa? http://rru.worldbank.org/Discussions/topics/topic74.aspx

2005 Annual Report by KfW Entwicklungsbank and DEG released

The Report, which is entitled “Good governance means fair play“, shows what good governance means to people in development cooperation and how it is actually implemented.

http://www.kfw-entwicklungsbank.de/EN_Home/KfW_Entwicklungsbank/News/Annual_Report.jsp

Reform of German Development institutions

German Development Cooperation Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul wants to streamline the country’s institutional structure in order to make cooperation more efficient, flexible, and manageable. The Minister now published a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers on models for joining the technical cooperation agency GTZ with the Development Bank KfW. A decision on the merger will be taken later this year.http://www.bmz.de/de/presse/aktuelleMeldungen/20060707_pwc1/index.html