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on Project, Program and Portfolio Management |
| By: | Shona Warren (Center for Global Development); Nicole Pagan (Center for Global Development); Helen Dempster (Center for Global Development) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines six projects that link green-skilled training with international labour migration, looking at lessons learned in terms of design, implementation, and scale. Drawing on a literature review, stakeholder interviews, and a roundtable of experts, it identifies five factors crucial to success: political and financial buy-in; strong multi-stakeholder collaboration embedded in the project structure; private-sector engagement; effective skills mapping and training; and support for migrant workers. Public-funded pilot projects dominated the landscape, with emerging private-sector innovations offering scalable models. Projects enhanced institutional capacity; built trust foundational for working relationships between countries and institutions; and demonstrated the potential for how linking training and migration can effectively expand the global stock of green-skilled workers while supporting equitable development. However, complex governance, financing challenges, subsequent size-limited project structures, and fluctuating employer demand continue to constrain scale. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for designing sustainable partnerships that balance labour needs, development objectives, and green transition goals across countries of origin and destination. |
| Date: | 2026–02–19 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cgd:ppaper:378 |
| By: | Teresa Corzo Santamaria; Jose Portela; Eduardo S. Schwartz |
| Abstract: | Geopolitical tensions, supply-chain concerns and policy risk have moved to the forefront of the pharmaceutical industry. This paper develops a real options valuation model of drug R&D that captures sequential clinical investment with technical failure, stochastic costs, uncertain cash flows, and optimal abandonment. We incorporate two regulatory shocks: a reduction in effective exclusivity period and a price-control shock that reduces net cash flows. Calibrating to an incremental CNS program, we find that project value at initiation is highly right-skewed: the mean is USD 69.6m but the median is negative, so expected value is driven by rare high-upside outcomes. Regulatory risk mainly compresses this upside. Both reductions in effective exclusivity and price-based interventions substantially weaken investment incentives, even when they occur with moderate probability. Value is strongly convex in exclusivity length, with the final years carrying the highest marginal value. We introduce iso-value maps that summarize how time-based and price-based policies substitute in their impact on project valuation, to clarify the trade-offs inherent in regulatory design: losing two years of exclusivity is comparable to roughly a 30% cash-flow contraction. Using a standard revenue-to-R&D elasticity, these valuation effects imply a 10% to 25% long-run contraction in investment. The framework provides a transparent mapping from policy design to project value and investment incentives. |
| JEL: | G1 I18 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34863 |
| By: | David Popp; Myriam Gregoire-Zawilski; Lizhen Liang; Daniel Acuna |
| Abstract: | Does government funding influence the choice of research topics? Novel grant-making modalities such as the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program aim to encourage scientists to take on difficult-to-solve, wicked societal problems such as clean energy. Yet little causal evidence exists linking funding and research direction, with most existing studies focusing on health sciences. We provide new evidence on the effect of funding on clean energy research, addressing two questions: (1) Do scientists change the focus of their research in response to targeted government funding opportunities? (2) If so, what types of calls for funding best attract new researchers? Using data on grants from the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, we combine text and regression analyses to compare the publication trajectories of funded scientists to a set of matched controls. After funding, the research of funded scientists becomes more similar to the grant topic than that of the matched controls. The effect is largest for ARPA-E, which explicitly aims to attract new scientists to clean energy research, suggesting that agency efforts to attract new researchers to a topic area can succeed. General calls for funding such as offered by traditional NSF directorates generate less movement. |
| JEL: | O38 Q48 Q55 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34856 |
| By: | Rohan Sweeney (Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School, Monash University); Farzana Hossain (Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School, Monash University, The Superpower Institute, Melbourne); Jumriani Ansar (Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University, Makassar); Indra Dwinata (Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University, Makassar); Sitti Andriani Anwar (Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University, Makassar); Arlyani Risal (Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University, Makassar); Gang Chen (Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School, Monash University, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne); Michaela F. Prescott (Faculty of Art Design & Architecture, Monash University); S Fiona Barker (School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University); Karin Leder (School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University); Ansariadi Ansariadi (Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University, Makassar); David W. Johnston (Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School, Monash University) |
| Abstract: | This study employs two discrete choice experiments (DCEs) conducted with two sample groups in Indonesia to investigate the informal settlement upgrading priorities of residents (sample 1) and explore how they align with public taxpayers’ preferences (sample 2). The first DCE explores the relative importance placed upon common planning and public health priorities, such as water security, drainage, and diarrhoea in children, alongside local economic development priorities. The second DCE investigates the relative importance placed upon project implementation design considerations, including project completion time and community consultation. Our findings reveal that residents particularly prioritise improvements in water quality and economic development. While informal settlement upgrading interventions often prioritise improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) to reduce diarrhoea and other water-borne disease, our study highlights that residents also highly value economic empowerment, underscoring the need for integrated upgrading approaches that address both health and livelihood concerns. Taxpayer perspectives were well-aligned on upgrading outcome priorities, but diverged slightly on project implementation. Whereas residents prioritized minimizing project duration and were less concerned with significant community consultation, taxpayers emphasized generating employment opportunities for residents within project designs. Both groups expressed an aversion to residents bearing full responsibility for resourcing ongoing operations and maintenance, preferring government or shared responsibility, highlighting the need for sustainable funding models. The study highlights the value of DCEs as a tool to support locally-led development, informing upgrading strategies that are more likely to be both politically feasible and successfully appropriated into urban livelihood practices of residents. |
| Keywords: | informal settlements, slum upgrading, infrastructure appropriation, locally-led development, discrete choice experiment |
| JEL: | O18 H41 I15 O12 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mhe:chemon:2026-02 |
| By: | Mohamad Fadl Haraké; Évelyne Lande (CEREGE [Poitiers, La Rochelle] - Centre de recherche en gestion [UR 13564] - UP - Université de Poitiers = University of Poitiers - ULR - La Rochelle Université - Excelia Group | La Rochelle Business School, MPT [Cerege] - Management Public et Territoires [Équipe du Cerege] - CEREGE [Poitiers] - Centre de recherche en gestion [UR 13564] - UP - Université de Poitiers = University of Poitiers); Hasina Rasolonjatovo (INSCAE - Institut national des sciences comptables et de l’administration d’entreprises [Madagascar] = National Institute of Accounting Science and Business Administration [Madagascar]) |
| Abstract: | This study explores the transformative potential of service learning as a tool for developing social entrepreneurship in France. The study highlights the role of higher education entities as incubators of innovation and social entrepreneurship. Stakeholders (academic officials, public servants, legislators, and students) were interviewed between 2022 and 2023, revealing a distinct French model. This model emphasises collaboration among academia, the government, private enterprises, and NGOs to institutionalise service-learning initiatives within policy frameworks. The findings identify a hybrid system that fosters the recognition of skills and abilities acquired through student participation in voluntary operational projects supported by public administrations. The study underscores the importance of academia as a driver of civic engagement and public policy innovation, producing social entrepreneurs who act as agents of transformative change in their communities. |
| Abstract: | Cet article explore le potentiel de transformation de l'apprentissage par le service à la communauté en tant qu'outil de développement de l'entrepreneuriat social en France. L'étude met en évidence le rôle des établissements d'enseignement supérieur en tant qu'incubateurs de l'innovation et de l'entrepreneuriat social. Les parties prenantes — responsables universitaires, fonctionnaires, législateurs et étudiants — ont été interrogées entre 2022 et 2023, révélant un modèle français distinct. Ce modèle met l'accent sur la collaboration entre les établissements d'enseignement supérieur, le gouvernement, les entreprises privées et les ONG afin d'institutionnaliser les initiatives d'apprentissage par le service au sein des politiques publiques. Les résultats montrent que cela se traduit par un système hybride qui favorise la reconnaissance des compétences et des aptitudes acquises par les étudiants lors de projets volontaires et opérationnels, soutenus par les administrations publiques. L'étude souligne l'importance de l'enseignement supérieur en tant que moteur de l'engagement civique et de l'innovation en matière de politique publique, produisant des entrepreneurs sociaux qui agissent en tant qu'agents de changement transformateur dans leurs communautés. |
| Keywords: | civic engagement, public policy development, higher education, social entrepreneurship, service-learning, service-learning social entrepreneurship higher education public policy development civic engagement, apprentissage par le service, entrepreneuriat social, enseignement supérieur, élaboration des politiques publiques, engagement civique |
| Date: | 2025–12–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05515045 |
| By: | Ahmed Iqbal (Consultant); Helen Dempster (Center for Global Development) |
| Abstract: | This policy paper examines the scale and composition of donor investment in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), with a particular focus on green skills, using OECD Creditor Reporting System data from 2013–2022. By applying a broader methodology that captures TVET across 14 training-related purpose codes and identifying projects through keyword searches, the analysis provides a more comprehensive estimate of official development assistance to the sector. It finds that donors disbursed approximately US$7.5 billion to TVET over the decade, with funding highly concentrated among a small group of donors—led by Germany, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the World Bank—and directed primarily toward large emerging economies and selected low-income countries. Despite this, TVET accounts for less than 2 percent of total aid. Green TVET represents a small but growing share of this portfolio, rising from a very low base to around 2–2.5 percent in recent years, with most projects focused on renewable energy—especially solar photovoltaics. The paper highlights significant measurement challenges arising from the absence of a harmonised definition of TVET and fragmented reporting practices, which obscure the true scale of investment and limit impact assessment. It argues that agreeing a common definition and improving donor reporting systems would strengthen comparability, support evidence generation, and help unlock greater and more effective investment in skills for the green transition. |
| Date: | 2026–02–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cgd:ppaper:381 |
| By: | Federico M. Accursi; Raul Bajo-Buenestado |
| Abstract: | Mini-grids are emerging as a key solution to electrify access-deficit communities, yet their effectiveness in improving energy access and household welfare remains underexplored. This paper provides novel evidence from Tanzania, where a policy reform doubled the number of mini-grids since 2008. Exploiting spatial and temporal variation created by the distance to the households in proximity to mini-grids and the timing of their deployment, and using data from two different nationally representative surveys, we find that mini-grids increase local electrification rates by 10-23 percentage points — a result corroborated by a surge in nighttime light intensity near newly deployed projects. We also show that mini-grids reduce reliance on polluting fuel-based lighting and drive the uptake of electric-powered devices. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest the surplus generated by renewable-based mini-grids nearly offsets their costs. |
| Keywords: | energy access, mini-grids, nighttime light, energy poverty, Sub-Saharan Africa, sustainable development |
| JEL: | L94 O13 Q48 Q56 Q58 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12453 |
| By: | Alice Guittard (ICRE8); Isabelle La Jeunesse; Ebun Akinsete (ICRE8); Maria Tziva; Ana Lorena Barrueto Munoz; Alicia Blanchi-Sic; Alexandra Spyropoulou; Phoebe Koundouri |
| Abstract: | Climate change impacts in Europe are accelerating, creating urgent adaptation needs across diverse local contexts. This paper presents the implementation of a Systems Innovation Approach (SIA) through living labs to co-design climate resilience strategies in nine European case studies. SIA provides a structured, participatory framework for systemic change through a stepwise approach enabling the development of tailor-made sustainability strategies by co-designing a portfolio of short, mid, and long-term innovative solutions. Living labs can successfully support open innovation ecosystems by enabling knowledge exchange, trust-building, and co-creation of tailored innovation pathways for adaptation. Results demonstrate that through the SIA, living lab can enhance stakeholder networks and capacity building, co-create knowledge and mutual understanding across a diversity of stakeholders while fostering actionable strategies. However, challenges remain regarding sustaining living labs beyond project funding, maintaining engagement, and bridging planning-to-implementation gaps. The paper concludes with recommendations for institutionalizing living labs within governance frameworks to accelerate Europe's transition toward climate resilience. |
| Keywords: | Living Lab, System Innovation Approach, Climate Change Adaptation, Stakeholder Engagement, System Thinking |
| Date: | 2026–02–19 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aue:wpaper:2605 |
| By: | Leone de Castris, Arcangelo; Laher, Shakir; Ostmann, Florian |
| Abstract: | A significant barrier to AI adoption in the business world is the scarcity of clear, accessible information on how to leverage AI to enhance organisational productivity. Understanding the practical applications of AI is a prerequisite for companies to identify relevant opportunities and develop a strategy to operationalise them. To address this need, the AI Governance and Regulatory Innovation team at The Alan Turing Institute is pursuing a research project to illuminate how businesses in the four BridgeAI priority sectors of agriculture, forestry and fishing, construction, creative industries, and transportation and storage can leverage AI to be more productive. The first milestone of this project is the publication of a framework for categorising and analysing business applications of AI and a brief analysis of sector-specific AI use cases. Our findings are published as a series of five documents: four sector-specific briefings complemented by this paper presenting a framework to categorise and analyse AI use cases. The sector-specific briefings can be accessed from here. The paper on the framework presents the tool that we developed to categorise and analyse AI use cases in a business context. In addition to providing the hermeneutical structure underpinning our research, this tool provides a valuable resource for businesses trying to identify relevant AI opportunities. Companies can use this framework as a starting point to build on and develop their bespoke methodology to identify, select, and implement the right AI solutions. The second milestone of this project will be to refine the framework based on feedback collected after the publication of this first exploratory version and expand its scope to include information about the risks connected to each AI use case and the mitigation strategies that can be adopted to address those risks in that specific context. |
| JEL: | R14 J01 |
| Date: | 2025–01–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:137290 |
| By: | Zhengyi Yu |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the impact of AI on productivity and inequality by focusing on the introduction of AlphaFold2. This AI algorithm can accurately predict protein structures, which were traditionally characterized by structural biologists through experiments. To capture the impact of AI on structural biologists at scale, I implement a difference-in-differences strategy comparing them to life scientists in other fields. While structural biologists did not change their overall number of publications with the availability of AlphaFold2, they experienced a 10% increase in citations to their new projects, a 4% rise in publications in high-impact journals, and a shift from their original research trajectory. However, the emergence of AI intensifies citation polarization between highly cited and less-cited researchers. Consistent with this growing inequality, highly cited scientists are twice as likely to incorporate AlphaFold2 successfully into their research as their less-cited peers. In addition, AI affects the next generation of researchers: the average years of experience of leading authors in protein structure papers increase after the emergence of AI. |
| Keywords: | AI, technology, labor productivity, inequality |
| JEL: | J21 J24 O33 D63 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12462 |