Industry Overview - The report focuses on the implementation of Digital Personalized Learning (DPL) platforms in the Dominican Republic, specifically through the Prográmate project, which aims to enhance secondary school students' math skills using adaptive learning technology [6][17] - DPL refers to the use of technology to tailor educational experiences to individual student needs, preferences, and learning styles, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where teaching quality is a challenge [6][16] - The Dominican Republic has made significant investments in education, including expanding school infrastructure, increasing teacher salaries, and implementing digital initiatives like República Digital, which provided devices and internet connectivity to schools [18][19] Key Findings - Students who used the DPL platform more frequently showed improved performance in both platform exercises and national standardized exams, with mastery of math topics increasing by 9% to 11% over two months [7][27] - Engagement with the DPL platform varied across schools and students, influenced by factors such as access to devices, internet connectivity, and teacher support [7][8] - Teachers found the platform valuable for monitoring student progress and learning new teaching strategies, but many felt overwhelmed by the additional workload and lack of alignment with their daily lesson plans [9][10] Implementation Challenges - Access to reliable internet, electricity, and devices was a major constraint, particularly in rural and remote communities, where technological infrastructure was often inadequate [11][68] - Teachers and students faced challenges with digital skills and navigating the platform, with some teachers reporting insufficient training and support to effectively integrate DPL into their teaching [9][83] - The timing and duration of the project implementation were limited, with most cohorts lasting only 1-3 months, which hindered the ability of teachers and students to fully benefit from the platform [24][62] Recommendations for Future DPL Programs - Co-design DPL programs with teachers and education personnel to ensure alignment with school conditions and teacher workloads, enhancing uptake and integration [14][105] - Ensure adequate timing and duration of project implementation, considering academic calendars and extracurricular activities to maximize impact [14][106] - Provide ongoing support to teachers, including initial training and continuous professional development, to help them effectively use the platform and support students [14][107] - Diversify learning content by incorporating multiple modalities (e g, audio, video, images) to accommodate students with low literacy levels and improve understanding [14][109] - Fund and conduct more research on DPL implementation in formal school settings, particularly in LMICs, to build a stronger evidence base for future interventions [14][110]

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry under study. Core Insights - The paper presents a methodology for generating experimental small area estimates of poverty in four West African countries: Chad, Guinea, Mali, and Niger, by integrating household-level survey data with grid-level geospatial data, which enhances the frequency and granularity of poverty reporting [3][9][24] - The methodology demonstrates that in the absence of recent census data, small area estimation using publicly available geospatial covariates is feasible and can significantly improve the efficiency of poverty estimates compared to direct estimation methods [3][19][22] Summary by Sections Introduction - The paper introduces small area estimation (SAE) as a statistical method to improve survey estimates by integrating survey data with geographically comprehensive auxiliary data, which is crucial for targeting interventions in impoverished areas [9][10] Data Sources and Geospatial Data Integration - The report utilizes geospatial covariates due to outdated census data in the focus countries, with the most recent censuses conducted between 2009 and 2014 [24][25] - The integration process involves matching survey households to grid cells and dropping households without geocoordinates, ensuring a robust dataset for analysis [26][27] Small Area Estimation Methodology - The methodology employs the Empirical Best Predictor (EBP) under a nested error regression model, focusing on household-level data while using geospatial covariates at the grid cell level [30][32] - The model selection process incorporates Lasso to avoid overfitting and includes regional dummy variables to enhance predictive accuracy [37] Evaluation Exercise - An evaluation using recent census data from Burkina Faso serves as a benchmark to compare estimates produced with geospatial covariates against those derived from census data, revealing a high correlation of 0.799 overall, with in-sample areas showing a correlation of 0.879 [48][51] - The evaluation highlights the challenges of out-of-sample predictions, particularly in remote areas not covered by surveys, which may lead to lower predictive accuracy [51][55]

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry Core Insights - The accumulation and utilization of human capital are critical for economic development, with significant disparities across countries and stages of life [4][8] - Effective use of human talent in production processes mediates the impact of human capital on development and drives further accumulation [4][11] - The interplay between human capital accumulation and utilization is essential for adapting to global challenges such as climate change and urbanization [4][11] Summary by Sections Section 1: Introduction - Human capital has been a central element in economic development, with significant increases in education and health globally, yet gaps persist between rich and poor countries [8][9] - The paper aims to review how human capital is accumulated and utilized, addressing challenges faced by countries at different development stages [9] Section 2: Human Capital Accumulation - Human capital accumulates throughout the life cycle, influenced by investments in early childhood, adolescence, and adulthood [12][13] - Barriers to accumulation in low-income countries are particularly detrimental, affecting cognitive and non-cognitive skills, health, and overall productivity [10][12] - Early childhood investments, such as nutrition and health interventions, have long-term benefits for educational attainment and labor market outcomes [16][17] - Formal schooling is a key determinant of productivity, with an extra year of schooling correlating with approximately 10% higher wages [19][20] - Quality of education and learning outcomes vary significantly across countries, impacting economic development [21][24] Section 3: Human Capital Utilization - The effective utilization of human capital is crucial for economic growth, with disparities in talent allocation across sectors and firms [48][50] - Structural transformation is driven by the movement of educated workers from agriculture to skill-intensive sectors, enhancing productivity [54][56] - Returns to education are generally higher in non-agricultural sectors, emphasizing the need for policies that facilitate labor market absorption of educated workers [51][56] Section 4: Future Outlook - Human capital will play a vital role in addressing global challenges, with increasing demand for specialized skills in response to climate change and demographic shifts [11][12]

Policy Research Working Paper 10890 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Sustaining Poverty Gains A Vulnerability Map to Guide the Expansion of Social Registries Oscar Barriga-Cabanillas Thomas Bossuroy Paul Andres Corral Rodas Carlos Rodríguez-Castelán Emmanuel Skoufias Poverty and Equity Global Practice September 2024 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Policy Research Working Paper 10890 Abstract Poverty maps are a useful tool for targeting social programs on ar ...

Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized r-tm Measuring welfare when it matters most Public Disclosure Authorized A typology of approaches for real-time monitoring f unive | --- | --- | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------| | Introduction | 7 | | 1 Methods for Nowcasting Welfare—With a Focus on Monetary Poverty | 17 | | 1.1 Nowcasting Welfare Using Survey and Other Non-surv ...

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry. Core Insights - Telework has the potential to increase women's labor force participation in Mexico, especially among college-educated women, as many remain outside the labor market despite their qualifications [4][18] - Family responsibilities significantly influence women's decisions to work, with caring for children and partners being a primary factor [4][17] - Policies promoting part-time and hybrid work arrangements, along with improved childcare and internet access, are essential to enhance female workforce engagement [4][18] Summary by Sections Introduction - The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated gender gaps in labor force participation in Mexico, with women's participation dropping more than men's [9] - By the first quarter of 2021, women's participation rate was 41.7 percent compared to 74.2 percent for men [12] Telework and Gender Dynamics - Telework provided flexibility for women to manage work and household responsibilities during the pandemic [10][11] - A significant percentage of women working from home reported handling domestic chores, highlighting the unequal burden of household tasks [10] Theoretical Framework - The report utilizes a model that considers fixed costs associated with working on-site versus the benefits of teleworking, which allows for joint production of income and household work [27][28] Data and Empirical Strategy - The analysis is based on data from the National Survey on Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Households (ENDUTIH) conducted in 2020 [36][37] - The study categorizes individuals into five states: out of the labor force, salaried working on-site, self-employed working on-site, salaried teleworking, and self-employed teleworking [41] Results - The findings indicate that women with higher education are more likely to telework, which helps them balance work and caregiving responsibilities [17][18] - The presence of children in the household negatively impacts women's labor force participation, while it has the opposite effect for men [17][40] Policy Implications - The report suggests that telework should be viewed as a tool for workplace flexibility that can support women with caregiving responsibilities [18] - Additional policies are needed to address the lack of reliable childcare, as telework alone cannot substitute for it [18]

Public Disclosure Authorized CHOOSING OUR FUTURE: Education for Climate Action Shwetlena Sabarwal, Sergio Venegas Marin, Marla Spivack, and Diego Ambasz Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized © 2024 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpreta ...

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the fiscal policy in China, but it indicates that there is significant room for improvement in the redistributive capacity of the fiscal system [17][18]. Core Insights - Fiscal policy in China effectively reduces inequality by approximately 10.3 Gini points, positioning China around the median of upper-middle-income countries in terms of redistribution achieved [17][18]. - The primary drivers of inequality reduction are in-kind benefits from education and health spending, while cash transfers play a smaller role [18]. - The report suggests enhancing the progressivity of the fiscal system by increasing revenues from progressive taxes and cash-based social benefits [18]. Summary by Sections Overview of Fiscal System - The fiscal system's redistributive power is influenced by its size and progressivity, with total fiscal revenue in China amounting to 26,197 billion RMB in 2018, representing 29.1% of GDP [20][22]. - Tax revenues account for nearly 60% of total revenue, with the largest components being value-added tax (VAT), corporate income tax, and personal income tax [20][22]. Revenue and Expenditure - Total public expenditure in 2018 was 22,090 billion RMB, or 24.5% of GDP, with social expenditure comprising about 37% of this total [32][35]. - Education and health expenditures are significant components of social spending, accounting for 14.6% and 7.1% of total expenditure, respectively [34][35]. Inequality and Redistribution - The analysis indicates that while the fiscal system reduces inequality, it also highlights the burden of user fees in health care, which may limit access for lower-income families [18]. - The report emphasizes the need for a more progressive tax structure to better address income inequality, particularly through personal income taxes and increased cash transfers [18]. Data and Methodology - The study utilizes data from the 2018 China Family Panel Study, combining household survey data with administrative sources to assess the impact of fiscal policy on inequality [40][41]. - The methodology follows the Commitment to Equity framework, allowing for a detailed analysis of how taxes and transfers affect household income distribution [41][42].

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry. Core Insights - The report emphasizes the importance of government analytics in improving public administration by leveraging existing data to enhance effectiveness and efficiency [18][21][36]. - It highlights the significant potential for data-driven decision-making in public sectors across Europe, suggesting that better measurement leads to better outcomes [25][26]. - The report outlines the challenges faced by governments in adopting analytics, including data access issues and the complexity of public administration [27][38]. Summary by Sections Chapter 1: The Power of Measurement and Analytics for Better Public Administration - Government analytics is defined as the use of existing data to assess and improve public administration [18]. - The report argues that despite being data-rich, governments often fail to utilize data effectively for performance improvement [21][22]. - It stresses the need for careful measurement to inform decision-making and enhance public service delivery [24][25]. Chapter 2: Understanding Public Administration from Administrative Data - Governments are producing more data than ever, which can be repurposed for analytics to understand and improve their operations [23]. - The chapter discusses the importance of administrative data in providing insights into public administration performance [34]. Chapter 3: Understanding Public Administration from Surveys of Public Servants - Surveys of public servants can reveal insights into management quality and employee motivation, which are critical for effective public administration [30]. - The chapter emphasizes the role of employee feedback in assessing and improving public sector performance [29]. Chapter 4: Understanding Public Administration through Impact Evaluations - Impact evaluations are presented as a method to test and refine public policies and programs based on real-time data [36]. - The chapter discusses how these evaluations can lead to better policy choices and improved public administration outcomes [37]. Chapter 5: Understanding Public Administration from the Outside - The report highlights the importance of external data sources in understanding government outcomes and the relationship between public and private sectors [23]. - It discusses the need for a comprehensive approach to data analytics that includes both internal and external data [34]. Case Studies - The report includes case studies from Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, and the Slovak Republic, illustrating the application of government analytics in different contexts [23]. - These examples demonstrate the successes and challenges of implementing analytics in public administration across various European countries [23].

Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Policy Research Working Paper 10886 Spilling Over The Benefits of Public Works Projects for Groundwater in India A. Patrick Behrer Hemant Pullabhotla Development Economics Development Research Group September 2024 Public Disclosure Authorized Policy Research Working Paper 10886 Abstract Depletion of groundwater is a major challenge in India. This paper examines how a major rural public works program (Mahatma Gandhi Nation ...