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A new generation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is finding a small foothold among poor, small-scale farmers in developing countries. Even so, many barriers still prevent poor rural people from accessing, using, and benefiting from new ICT tools and platforms, and those barriers are arguably higher for rural women. The relationship between gender and agriculture has been studied intensively over the years, and many agricultural interventions now include gender as a crosscutting issue or mainstream gender throughout their operations. Studies of the relationship between gender and the use of ICTs in agriculture have started to appear only quite recently, however. The Africa Region of the World Bank views ICTs as potentially transformative technology for rural development and seeks to incorporate the use of ICTs throughout its portfolio of projects. The present study was designed to examine the feasibility of integrating ICTs into two large investment programs: the Irrigation Development and Support Project (IDSP) in Zambia and the Kenya Agricultural Productivity and Agribusiness Project (KAPAP). The specifi c goal was to examine how ICT-based interventions might be designed to strengthen women s participation in commodity value chains under the two projects.

Banks in emerging markets are increasingly providing non-financial services to their SME clients, typically consisting of information sharing, training and consultancy. This study, published by IFC in partnership with the Austrian Government, is the first to explore reasons behind this trend, finding that banks' key motivations include attracting and retaining customers, and strengthening portfolio quality. The report consists of an overview followed by case studies of three banks, namely Türk Ekonomi Bankasý (TEB), Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), and ICICI Bank. It is estimated that there are 365 to 445 million formal and informal micro, small, and medium enterprises, with a subset of 25 to 35 million formal SMEs, in the developing world. Of these, 70 percent do not use external financing from financial institutions, although they are in need of it. Approximately 85 percent suffer from credit constraints.

Although a number of m-money businesses have emerged around the world, few have reached significant scale. Overall, m-money uptake is limited when contrasted with its apparent promise of reaching the unbanked and underserved, servicing existing banking clients, and being a means for realizing a cashless society. This study examines the following in more detail: existing major money flows and the critical mass of low-value, high-volume payment transactions and whether m-money can be used for them (i.e., potential demand); regulatory environment and major obstacles for m-money uptake; business models of partnering institutions; payment behavior of users and nonusers (banked and unbanked), in particular where they receive funds and how they use money, including alternative means; and existing and potential agents networks, their requirements to run m-money as a viable business, and their training needs. This report provides detailed information on Thailand regarding five main topics, business models, money flows and demand, potential user perceptions and behavior, regulation, and agent networks.

International aid flows are equivalent to almost half of Solomon Islands' economy, making it one of the most aid-dependent countries in the world. Around US$250 million of non-military aid enters the country, but only 15-20 percent of this amount is spent locally through local procurement or staff expenditure. Solomon Islands are currently highly reliant on logging for export receipts, Government revenues, and employment. But existing stocks of natural forest logs are expected to be entirely exhausted by 2014. The Solomon Islands Government approached the World Bank Group to identify alternative sources of revenue, foreign exchange receipts, and employment in the absence of logging. In responding to this request, the World Bank Group has undertaken extensive analytical work examining short and medium-term prospects for economic growth in Solomon Islands, under the sources of growth project. This report contributes to the sources of growth work, and is informed by its findings. A key conclusion arising from sources of growth analysis is that aid is likely to remain a key part of the Solomon Islands economy for the near future. The existence of an international security guarantee, backed by the presence of an international peacekeeping force, is paramount for security, and investment certainty. In the absence of clear or certain alternatives to logging, and in the context of rapid population growth, current levels of service delivery will continue to depend on high levels of aid expenditure.

This assessment of Zambia's investment climate highlights some of the impediments to growth and export diversification in the current business environment in the country. It is based on an analysis of enterprise survey data specifically collected for the purpose, namely, the World Bank's Zambia Enterprise Survey of 2008. The report is in two volumes. Volume I is an overview, while Volume II is the final report, whose introductory chapter sets the stage for the analysis of microeconomic aspects of business environment in the following chapters. Chapter 2 analyzes manufacturing productivity in an international perspective as a proximate determinant of manufactured exports. Chapter 3 discusses key business environment variables as underlying factors in manufacturing employment and productivity, and draws the main policy implications of the assessment. Chapter 4 is a more in-depth analysis of disparity in access to finance across firms and sectors as a major source of market distortions and allocative inefficiency. Chapter 5 discusses labor market issues with a focus on labor regulation, wage formation and on-the-job training.