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on Project, Program and Portfolio Management |
| By: | John M. Kelsey; Dr Steve Kadivar |
| Abstract: | Hydropower is an important source of renewable energy, but large hydropower multipurpose river basin projects can displace communities and have serious adverse effects on the local environment and livelihoods. The Sardar Sarovar Dam in India and other similar projects have provoked local and international protest culminating in the temporary withdrawal of the World Bank from large hydropower project finance. It would appear to be a better option for powerful stakeholders to engage seriously with weaker ones. As well as ethical concerns, economic theory would suggest that there is a flawed basis for costbenefit analysis which omits input from local stakeholders, particularly that of indigenous peoples who also have a role to play in project design. It is argued that the Kaldor-Hicks criterion should be abandoned and that decisions should be made based on a multi-criteria analysis of which cost-benefit analysis is but one component. It is suggested that full stakeholder engagement could best be conducted through participatory role-playing games which are being increasingly found in use as a means of exploring and resolving stakeholder conflicts. Such use is still relatively recent and safeguards such as a neutral moderator, advocates and ethical gaming rules are required to protect weaker and non-expert stakeholders. |
| Keywords: | Hydropower; Environmental damage; Indigenous Peoples; Cost-benefit analysis; Participatory Stakeholder Gaming |
| JEL: | C72 C78 D61 D63 F63 |
| Date: | 2020 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:crn:wpaper:crn2005&r=all |
| By: | Pollermann, Kim; Fynn, Lynn-Livia; Schwarze, Stefan |
| Abstract: | Fostering innovation-driven regional development has become a major priority for public policy. Thus innovation is a crucial issue in Rural Development Programmes (RDP) to overcome challenges like economic development and demographic change. One part of RDP funded by the European Union, which explicitly addresses innovation, is LEADER: a bottom-up-oriented, participatory approach which relies on cooperation between local actors in the sense of a Community-led local development (CLLD). Stakeholders of different institutions and origins come together in a Local Action Group (LAG) to decide on the projects to be financed. Previous research provides evidence that rural communities are innovative when they have the necessary space and power to act. There is, however, little knowledge about the factors, which are crucial for the power to act, and about the policy framework that provides the necessary space in CLLD-context. The aim of the paper is hence to identify factors, which influence the implementation of innovative projects. Our analysis builds on surveys among LAG-managers, LAG-members and beneficiaries in 115 LEADER areas in four federal states in Germany (Hesse, Lower-Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein). Since the explanatory is a dummy variable we used logit models for the analysis. Overall, 56% of the beneficiaries classified their own project as innovative. There are, however, large differences between the different federal states. Our econometric results suggest that origin of the project idea and the type of beneficiary significantly influence the likelihood of innovation. The expectation that heterogeneity fosters innovative ideas is not supported by our analyses.Fostering innovation-driven regional development has become a major priority for public policy. Thus innovation is a crucial issue in Rural Development Programmes (RDP) to overcome challenges like economic development and demographic change. One part of RDP funded by the European Union, which explicitly addresses innovation, is LEADER: a bottom-up-oriented, participatory approach which relies on cooperation between local actors in the sense of a Community-led local development (CLLD). Stakeholders of different institutions and origins come together in a Local Action Group (LAG) to decide on the projects to be financed. Previous research provides evidence that rural communities are innovative when they have the necessary space and power to act. There is, however, little knowledge about the factors, which are crucial for the power to act, and about the policy framework that provides the necessary space in CLLD-context. The aim of the paper is hence to identify factors, which influence the implementation of innovative projects. Our analysis builds on surveys among LAG-managers, LAG-members and beneficiaries in 115 LEADER areas in four federal states in Germany (Hesse, Lower-Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein). Since the explanatory is a dummy variable we used logit models for the analysis. Overall, 56% of the beneficiaries classified their own project as innovative. There are, however, large differences between the different federal states. Our econometric results suggest that origin of the project idea and the type of beneficiary significantly influence the likelihood of innovation. The expectation that heterogeneity fosters innovative ideas is not supported by our analyses. |
| Keywords: | Innovation,Rural development,LEADER,evaluation |
| JEL: | R1 |
| Date: | 2021 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esconf:228489&r=all |
| By: | Jaraite, Jurate (CERE - the Center for Environmental and Resource Economics); Kurtyka , Oliwia (Univ. Grenoble Alpes); Olliver, Hélène (Paris School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | This study examines the causal impacts of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) on the environmental performance of Indian manufacturing firms, as measured by their energy use, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and respective intensities. The impacts of CDM projects are estimated by combining statistical matching with the difference-in-differences approach. We found that CDM projects significantly reduced firms' CO2 emission intensity and energy intensity, but had no effect on total CO2 emissions. These results reveal that CDM projects led to an emission-reducing technique effect (decreased CO2 intensity) and to a positive scale effect (increased sales), and that the latter effect muted the impacts of the former. One of the channels of the technique effect rests on participating firms increasingly generating their electricity on site and relying more on renewable energies. Our results suggest that CDM projects improved firms' environmental performance, even though firm-level absolute CO2 emissions did not decline. |
| Keywords: | additionality; carbon offsets; CDM projects; CO2 emissions; firms environmental performance; India; micro level data |
| JEL: | D22 Q53 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2021–01–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:slucer:2021_001&r=all |
| By: | International Monetary Fund |
| Abstract: | This Technical Assistance paper assesses Slovak Republic’s public investment management framework using the IMF’s Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) methodology and advises the authorities on options to strengthen further the management of public investment. State-owned enterprises are major investors in infrastructure but are subject to little central oversight of their operational or financial performance. The report makes seven recommendations aimed at strengthening PIM institutions and reducing the identified efficiency gap. These recommendations focus on key bottlenecks and challenges in the investment process. Issues that warrant the authorities’ primary attention include introducing a strategic planning framework for public investment; developing a fully-operational pipeline of major projects, based on clear and robust selection criteria; and improving the credibility of the annual budget and medium-term budget ceilings. It also recommends establishing a national strategy and norms for routine and capital maintenance budgeting that will enhance the quality of strategic existing infrastructure. |
| Keywords: | Public investment and public-private partnerships (PPP);Public investment spending;Budget planning and preparation;Capital spending;Infrastructure;ISCR,CR,government,subnational government,establishment,country,expertise involvement |
| Date: | 2019–10–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfscr:2019/330&r=all |
| By: | International Monetary Fund |
| Abstract: | This Technical Assistance report on Mexico discusses public investment management assessment (PIMA). It evaluates 15 key institutions in terms of their institutional strength and effectiveness across the planning, allocation, and implementation phases of the PIM cycle, identifies strengths and weaknesses in the existing PIM framework, and produces an action plan to improve PIM. This assessment found that most of Mexico’s institutions scored as medium strength in terms of institutional design and effectiveness. It is recommended to include a medium-term target for the public sector borrowing requirement, introduce an independent body to review and assess the quality of the macro-fiscal projections, and amend the fiscal rule’s escape clause so it is only used in exceptional circumstances. In addition, expand the economic assumptions report to include more information on fiscal strategy and analyses of medium-term fiscal parameters. It is also recommended to develop mechanisms for coordination of public investment plans at federal and subnational levels to enhance efficiency and synergies of planning and investment prioritization. |
| Keywords: | Public investment and public-private partnerships (PPP);Public investment spending;Budget planning and preparation;Capital spending;Infrastructure;ISCR,CR,capital stock,government assets,historical cost,investment project,General government investment |
| Date: | 2019–11–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfscr:2019/339&r=all |
| By: | MARTENS, David |
| Abstract: | The impact of data science in our society is undeniable, both in generating cost-efficiencies and in o ering better services and products. As data science often involves making decisions for humans, from deciding on whether to give credit or not, to a self-driving car deciding how to drive, the manner in which companies conduct data science will have large implications for humans (including their customers) too. The interest in the ethical aspects of data science is growing, and have become an increased focus point in both research and practice. Data science ethics looks at what is right and what is wrong when conducting data science. This goes beyond what is legal, and considers aspects as privacy, discrimination against sensitive groups, the ability to explain predictions, and accountability. This paper provides a framework in which concepts, techniques and cautionary tales related to data science ethics can be placed. Companies can use the framework to think about the ethical aspects of their own data science projects, be it at the start of a project or to review current data science practices. It provides guidance on what the important concepts are, how techniques can be used to improve on their data science, and what cautionary tales exist in domains that might be similar to their own. The FAT Flow framework looks at three dimensions: (1) the role of the humans involved in the project, being data subject, data scientist, manager and model applicant; (2) the stage of the data science project: from data gathering to model deployment; and (3) the FAT evaluation criteria: Fair, Accountable and Transparent. |
| Date: | 2020–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ant:wpaper:2020004&r=all |