Input subsidy programs carry support as
instruments to increase agricultural productivity, provided
they are market-smart. This requires especially proper
targeting to contain the fiscal pressure, with decentralized
targeting of input vouchers currently the instrument of
choice. Nonetheless, despite clear advantages in
administrative costs, the fear of elite capture persists.
These fears are borne out in the experience from the 2008

This note builds on the proactive
measures taken by the Government of China as announced in:
(i) the Decree of the state council of the people's
Republic of China, issued on 9 June 2008, providing
regulations on post-Wenchuan earthquake reconstruction; (ii)
the Directive on Counterpart Assistance (Directive) of 11
June 2008; and (iii) the land policies to support the
reconstruction of Wenchuan (land policies) of 11 June 2008

This report presents an analysis of
the Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs and policies
which affect young children in Sierra Leone. This report is
part of a series of reports prepared by the World Bank using
the SABER-ECD framework. The country report includes
analysis of early learning, health, nutrition and social and
child protection policies and interventions in Sierra Leone,
along with regional and international comparisons. The

The sustainable development of ger areas
in Ulaanbaatar (UB), the capital city of Mongolia, is one of
the critical development issues facing the country. The
transitions to a market economy and a series of severe
winters (called zud) have resulted in the large-scale
migration of low-income families into the ger areas of UB.
The city represents 40 percent of the nation's
population and generates more than 60 percent of

This briefing note examines
intergenerational aspects of community involvement, trust,
and authority, and dispute participation/resolution in
Timor-Leste, using findings from the justice module included
in an extension of the 2007 Timor-Leste Survey of Living
Standards (TLSLS2) and a review of relevant social-science
literature. It is hoped that this report will be a valuable
resource for civil servants, civil society organizations,

This briefing note examines perspectives
on trust, authority, and responsibility for decision making
in Timor-Leste, using findings from the justice module
included in an extension of the 2007 Timor-Leste Survey of
Living Standards (TLSLS2) and a review of relevant
social-science literature. It is hoped that this report will
be a valuable resource for civil servants, civil society,
and donor agencies working in Timor-Leste. This note

This report describes theTransforming
Settlements of the Urban Poor in Uganda. A Secondary Cities
Support Program (TSUPU), is the first national initiative
within the Cities Alliance's global programme, Land,
Services and Citizenship for the Urban Poor (LSC). The first
premise of the Medium Term Strategy is that the Cities
Alliance should prioritise working with those governments
already committed to change and reform over time for three

In 2006-07, the Water and Sanitation
Program (WSP) initiated research to identify barriers to
service delivery for the urban poor. The findings of the
research have been presented in the Guidance Notes on
Improving Water Supply and Sanitation Services to the Urban
Poor in India. The Urban Global Practice Team of WSP decided
to expand the ambit of this research to a global context as
the learnings were relevant to experiences across Africa,

The objective of this paper is to
present a succinct and up-to-date review of the urban sector
in Egypt, with a focus on issues for which there is new
insight or emerging government interest. The two main themes
of the report are the challenges facing the urban sector and
the policy implications at various levels of government.
Some of the reports mains findings are: urbanization in
Egypt takes on forms and processes which are not well

Ethiopia's second poverty reduction
strategy, the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development
to End Poverty (PASDEP) outlines a strategy of complementing
a continued strong focus on increasing agricultural
productivity with an increased emphasis on urban
development. In this context it highlights the importance of
facilitating accelerated employment generation to address
the issue of high levels of urban unemployment. This report

Poverty reduction on a large scale
depends on empowering those who are most motivated to move
out of poverty-poor people themselves. But if empowerment
cannot be measured, it will not be taken seriously in
development policy making and programming. Building on the
"Empowerment and Poverty Reduction Sourcebook,"
this volume outlines a conceptual framework that can be used
to monitor and evaluate programs centered on empowerment

The topic of this paper is, in the words
of one reviewer, 'one of the most discussed
sociological and societal issues in African studies: the
relationship between traditional institutions and new
institutions'. Often in such discussions, the
'traditional' and 'modern' are framed as
if in opposition to one another, and debate centers on
whether and to what extent tradition should cede to
modernity, or modernity should yield to the dictates of