The surveys conducted in Afghanistan and other challenging environments tend to polarise opinions, with either too much or too little confidence often being placed in the findings. This paper examines three concerns regarding perception surveys in Afghanistan: that the responses are unreliable that the samples are unrepresentative of the populace that the data is ...» more
Library
This e-library contains more than 4500 external publications on governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian issues. It includes academic and grey literature selected for its basis in good quality research and coverage of a range of perspectives. Policy-oriented summaries of each document are provided, plus links to the full text.
Looking Like a State: Techniques of Persistent Failure in State Capability for Implementation
There are multiple dimensions to ‘development’, one of which is the acquisition of administrative capability, which in the standard characterisation of the modernisation process is the acquisition of state capability. Enhancing this capability, especially in fragile states, is a long-term task. This paper aims to explain how developing countries and international agencies ...» more
Escaping Capability Traps through Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA)
This paper argues that many reform initiatives in developing countries fail to achieve sustained improvements in performance because governments and organisations pretend to reform by changing what policies or organisations look like rather than what they actually do. The flow of development resources and legitimacy without demonstrated improvements in performance undermines ...» more
Monitoring and Accountability Practices for Remotely Managed Projects Implemented in Volatile Operating Environments
Remote management approaches to project implementation are increasingly used to reach vulnerable populations in conflict-affected regions while safeguarding the security of organisational personnel. This report highlights the need for organisations to engage fully with the principles of remote monitoring and accountability and with the planning required to ensure they are ...» more
Empowering Women: Legal Rights and Economic Opportunities in Africa
Strengthening the incentives and abilities to pursue opportunities expands women’s economic empowerment, and property rights are central in this process because they ensure that people can reap the benefits of their efforts. Yet despite the importance of property rights, this World Bank publication is the first study to look systematically across Sub-Saharan Africa to examine ...» more