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on Project, Program and Portfolio Management |
| By: | Elsässer, Joshua Philipp; Fuhr, Harald; Fünfgeld, Anna; Lederer, Markus; Marquardt, Jens; Banerjee, Aparajita; Yi, HyunAh |
| Abstract: | Renewable energy has seen rapid uptake, particularly in the Global South. Solar energy projects have boomed in recent years, but uptake by countries is uneven. Beyond geophysical conditions, technological innovation, market dynamics and donor-driven "lighthouse projects", political institutionalisation has played a critical role in decarbonisation. In this policy brief, which is based on extensive research from Global South case studies, we argue that political institutionalisation is key to determining whether and how innovative solar initiatives become stabilised, scaled up, and mainstreamed. Drawing on the research project Institutionalizing Low Carbon Development in the Global South (INLOCADE) and expert contributions from a follow-up IDOS workshop, this policy brief synthesises comparative policy-relevant findings on how institutionalisation unfolds in various emerging economies of the Global South, including Brazil, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and South Africa. Key messages: * Political institutionalisation - understood here as an enduring change of formal and informal rules and practices towards low-carbon development - is essential for making renewable energy projects sustainable by embedding them in conducive, stable governance frameworks. Isolated, donor-driven initiatives are at risk of provoking resistance and backlash, and of fading away once external support ends. * Multiple pathways for institutionalisation exist. State leadership, subnational action, alliances between development partners and communities, and crisis-driven coalitions can enable institutionalisation under different conditions. Policies should be tailored to the institutional realities of each context rather than using one-size-fits-all models. Similarly, development partners should assess local realities and adapt their strategies accordingly. * Distributive justice and participation must be actively supported. Political institutionalisation can lead to inequitable outcomes and reinforce exclusionary practices. Development partners should take a proactive role by aligning their interventions with inclusive and equitable approaches to ensure support for marginalised groups leads to socially just transitions, not just box-ticking. * Crises can be opportunities. Energy shortages and climate shocks can disrupt fossil-fuel lock-ins and open the door to innovation. Development partners need flexible instruments and strategies to help translate crisis-driven experiments into durable institutional change. * Development partners are catalytic, not deci-sive. They can accelerate change by providing finance, technical expertise, and legitimacy, especially when working with domestic actors beyond national governments. German and EU development cooperation should place greater emphasis on strengthening domestic institutional enviro-ments, including regulatory stability, administrative capacity, and actor coalitions that embed projects in lasting policy and organisational change. This helps ensure donor interventions contribute to sustained low-carbon transitions beyond initial project cycles. |
| Keywords: | Agenda 2030, energy, development financing and public finance, climate change, climate change mitigation, Global South |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:idospb:340851 |
| By: | Jorgenson, Armin |
| Abstract: | This report provides a comparative analysis of development project siting in the City of San Mateo before and after the implementation of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) policies mandated by California Senate Bill 743 (SB 743) in 2020. The purpose of this comparison is to determine whether or not the policy changes have successfully influenced new projects to be located in more VMT-efficient areas, which is a core objective of the policy. This research used archived lists of development projects provided on the City of San Mateo’s website to construct a pair of two-year samples to represent pre- and post-SB 743 projects. The C/CAG VMT Screening Tool was used to test each project to determine if the location was in a Transit Priority Area and/or a Low-VMT Area, two commonly used metrics in VMT analysis. The research found that, following the implementation of SB 743 requirements, the proportion of projects in Transit Priority Areas increased from 69.4% to 80.0%, and among approved projects, increased from 58.8% to 87.5%. However, the proportion of projects located in Low-VMT Areas did not show the same patterns. The results suggest that SB 743 is effectively encouraging development near transit, but falls short in steering projects to the most VMT-efficient areas, potentially limiting its emissions-reduction impact. The steering of projects towards TPAs may be the result of multiple overlapping incentives. This paper is intended for planners and policymakers evaluating the on-the-ground effects of SB 743. |
| Date: | 2026–04–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:gkuz4_v1 |
| By: | Maria Eugenia Heyaca; Andrea Pallotta |
| Abstract: | This paper examines how public audit institutions are exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen oversight and improve audit processes. Drawing on consultations with 15 institutions across 14 countries and the European Union, it reviews emerging AI applications in areas such as anomaly detection, document processing, knowledge management and predictive risk assessment. The findings show that while AI adoption in public audit remains at an early stage, experimentation is expanding and many institutions are integrating AI within broader digital transformation efforts. However, a gap remains between pilot projects and scalable operational deployment. Key challenges include fragmented data systems, limited internal technical expertise and evolving governance frameworks. Strengthening data governance, digital infrastructure and internal development capacity will be critical for audit institutions seeking to responsibly scale AI while maintaining transparency, accountability and public trust. |
| Keywords: | Artificial Intelligence, Audit, Oversight, Public integrity |
| Date: | 2026–05–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:comaaa:58-en |
| By: | de Nicola, Francesca; Tan, Shawn W.; Tang, Aaron |
| Abstract: | Industrial robots are rapidly changing global production processes, with large implications for patterns of foreign direct investments. The impact is ambiguous a priori. On the one hand, robotization may boost foreign direct investments since firms that have invested in robots increase their demand for complementary inputs. On the other hand, robotization may dampen foreign direct investments since firms have weaker incentives to outsource selected inputs and/or tasks. This paper finds that robotization at home boosts foreign direct investments, based on bilateral foreign direct investments data from 2003–21 across 65 countries. To uncover the underlying mechanism, the effect on foreign direct investments is decomposed into three components: capital per job (or capital intensity), jobs created per project (or labor intensity), and number of foreign direct investments projects. The positive effect of robotization in the source country on foreign direct investments is driven by increases in the number of projects and capital intensity, but not labor intensity. Decomposing foreign direct investments by business function reveals that this effect operates primarily through efficiency-seeking manufacturing investments rather than market-seeking activities, indicating that automation enhances firms' ability to establish complementary production networks abroad. |
| Date: | 2026–04–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11362 |