[afro-nets] Consulting Directory + Useful Links

[Philip Coticelli <pcoticelli@gmail.com>]

Consulting Directory + Useful Links
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Some potentially useful websites

Websites of the Month

DOCON 2006 Directory of Consulting Firms
http://www.docon.info

The DOCON is a list of consulting firms active in international
development cooperation, sorted by country of origin or regis-
tration. Direct links take you to their Websites. Here you can
find consultants, consortium partners or employers. This infor-
mation is compiled from public short-list of the World Bank, the
ADB, the EuropeAid Coordination Office, consulting associations
and other public sources. Weitzenegger & Partner keep the list
as reliable as possible. You can also add companies to the di-
rectory.


itrain Online - an online resource for using the Internet
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/elearning/rc/ItemDetail.do~358028?intcmp=907&intcmp=907

Six international organizations have joined forces to create
ItrainOnline, a technology resource centre for people who want
to learn how to use the Internet effectively for social justice
and sustainable development. ItrainOnline responds to the need
to bring such resources together in one place - an interactive
multilingual website containing the best and most relevant com-
puter and Internet training content. Topics covered range from
computer and Internet basics to more advanced subjects such as
building online communities and incorporating audio and video
into websites. The site also includes training events and educa-
tional resources for Internet trainers.


Doha Development Agenda Trade Capacity Building Database (TCBDB)
http://tcbdb.wto.org/

The TCBDB has been established by the WTO jointly with the OECD
to provide information on trade-related technical assistance and
capacity building projects. It covers national as well as re-
gional projects. It is an on-going activity and the 2005 Joint
WTO/OECD Report on Trade-Related Technical Assistance and Capac-
ity Building was circulated in December 2005. At present, the
period of coverage is 2001 to 2004 and partial 2005 and beyond.
Data is reported from bilateral donors and multilateral/regional
Agencies. A search of the database can be performed either by
trade category or beneficiary country or donor country or
agency. The statistical analysis option allows quantitative
analysis of trade capacity building data by these categories.


The Alternative Finance Website
http://www.alternative-finance.org.uk/en/

This is another example of e-learning on microfinance. The de-
finitive source of 'grey literature' and information on all as-
pects of alternative and microfinance in English and Spanish. It
is possible to search and download microfinance literature in
pdf, rtf, html and text formats. This enables easy access to the
information and makes it simple to download what you need no
matter what system you are using. The website provides a forum
for MFI practitioners and researchers and gives improved access
to applied research, provides innovative microfinance training
tools, and facilitates the exchange and dissemination of devel-
opment finance resources. And in partnership with the Rural Fi-
nance Learning Centre they offer a new distance learning micro-
finance e-learning training programme.


The MIX MARKET?, by The MIX (Microfinance Information eXchange)
http://www.mixmarket.org/

  The global information exchange for the microfinance industry
The MIX Market strives to facilitate exchange and investments
flows, promote transparency and improve reporting standards in
the microfinance industry Create a free MIX Market membership
account to take advantage of the site's customizable features.


EQxIS for social development data in Latin America
http://www.iadb.org/xindicators

The IDB has launched an initiative which measures progress in
achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Latin America and
the Caribbean. The system, called EQxIS, helps to identify dis-
parities in achievement of development goals among different
groups of the population. Estimations for four points in time
starting from 1990 to the latest available year, use microdata
from the Household Surveys Databank of the MECOVI Program and
definitions of indicators from the United Nations for monitoring
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Indicators are disag-
gregated by income quintile, gender, urban/rural area and
race/ethnicity to help identify discrepancies in the achievement
of development goals within different groups of population. Sta-
tistical significance and methodological details on definitions,
methods of calculation, relevant facts about sources of informa-
tion and complete access to the programs for calculating the in-
dicators are included throughout the website.


Projects of the European Investment Bank
http://www.eibprojects.org/

The European Investment Bank, the most secretive multilateral
bank of all, puts more money in big projects around the world
than any other public bank. Information on these projects is
rarely accessible. Find out from this new web site which pro-
jects in Asia, Africa, the Mediterranea and Latin America are
financed by the EIB! You can browse by sector or by country and
we invite you to send us information on the impact of these pro-
jects.


A-Z Freight Gateway
http://www.azfreight.com

Links to hundreds of airline cargo companies and dozens of
freight forwarders and package delivery services. If you ship a
lot for your business, you should bookmark this site. At the
home page, click on ''Track and Trace'' in the left column, and
you'll find the list of links. You can also click on ''Country
Index'' to find shipping professionals in countries worldwide.
(Source: FITA)


Trade Information Center
http://www.trade.gov/td/tic/

The TIC of the U.S. Department of Commerce has links to informa-
tion that U.S. (and other) exporters will find valuable, includ-
ing: country and regional trade statistics; trade agreements;
tariff and import fees by country; worldwide trade events list-
ings; industry- specific information on U.S. exports; explana-
tions of free trade agreements; exporting guides; trade leads;
and much more. (Source: FITA)


Industrial Search - Thomas Global
http://www.thomasglobal.com

The most complete, up-to-date directory of global industrial
suppliers and product information. Browse through our detailed
list of industrial products and services to access companies
within these and many other categories. (Source: FITA)


KfW: Poverty and transport
http://www.kfw-entwicklungsbank.de/EN_Home/Service/Onlinelibr23/Medienkoop.jsp

Consistent transport concepts benefit all population strata. Ex-
perience shows that they are a special priority of poor people.
Only those models that include maintenance can function on a
sustained basis. The experiences gained in this area have since
been put to use in cooperation with the magazine Development +
Cooperation.


Microfinance institutions working with remittances
http://www.bannock.co.uk/PDF/CapturingMarketShareFull.pdf

This paper by Cerstin Sander (Bannock Consulting) looks at mi-
grant remittances to and in Africa and the link with the micro-
finance industry as a provider of money transfer or ancillary
financial services to remittance senders and recipients. It ex-
plores what transfer services microfinance institutions cur-
rently do or could provide and discusses the opportunities and
challenges of such services for MFIs in Africa.


Developing countries create their own competition rules for
global markets
http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/ditcclp20051_en.pdf

Equitable trade deals require competition rules, and developing
countries stand to gain from such rules. This is the main mes-
sage of a new analysis of competition rules in regional trade
agreements published by UNCTAD. The book, entitled Competition
Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements: How to Assure Develop-
ment Gains and prepared with the support of the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, draws on the ex-
pertise of the UNCTAD secretariat, lead practitioners and schol-
ars around the world.


Global Investment Prospects Assessment (GIPA) 2005-2008
http://www.unctad.org/fdiprospects

Global Investment Prospects Assessment (GIPA) 2005-2008, pub-
lished by UNCTAD, features detailed analyses of trends in for-
eign direct investment (FDI) expected to occur over the next
three years, as well as reviews of the strategies of transna-
tional corporations and of policy developments expected to in-
fluence such investment. The Assessment's findings are based on
global surveys of large transnational firms, international ex-
perts in FDI, and national investment promotion agencies. They
also result from analyses of key factors affecting FDI.


Monthly Bulletin of Statistics and MBS On-line
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mbs

Provides monthly statistics on 50 subjects from over 200 coun-
tries and areas, together with special tables illustrating im-
portant economic developments. Quarterly data for significant
world and regional aggregates are included regularly.


Ten Steps to a Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation System
http://www-
wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2004/08/27/00
0160016_20040827154900/Rendered/PDF/296720PAPER0100steps.pdf

This handbook is primarily targeted toward officials who are
faced with the challenge of managing for results. Developing
countries in particular have multiple obstacles to overcome in
building M&E systems. However, as we shall see, results-based
M&E systems are a continuous work in progress for both developed
and developing countries. As we have learned, when implemented
properly these systems provide a continuous flow of information
feedback into the system, which can help guide policymakers to-
ward achieving the desired results. Seasoned program managers in
developed countries and international organizations­where re-
sults-based M&E systems are now in place - are using this ap-
proach to gain insight into the performance of their respective
organizations.


European Microfinance Actors ­ Working in Developing Countries ­
Main Topics and Priorities
http://www.ruralfinance.org/servlet/BinaryDownloaderServlet/2887
8_Document.pdf?filename=1132072117890_seminairetableronde_europe
anactors_maint1426075886.pdf&refID=28878

This paper begins by stating that microfinance is evolving in
terms of scale, professionalism, and significance within devel-
opment programmes. As a consequence, an increasing number of
European entities have entered the microfinance sector or have
improved their existing competencies. It argues that this has
led to ad hoc initiatives and topical working groups. The paper
also notes that national microfinance platforms have recently
appeared in several European countries and as a progression from
this, the Luxembourg Round Table on Microfinance decided to try
to create synergies on a European level.


PRSP Sourcebook
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPR
S/0,,contentMDK:20175742~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:384
201,00.html

The Sourcebook is a guide to assist countries in the development
and strengthening of poverty reduction strategies. The Source-
book reflects the thinking and practices associated with the
Comprehensive Development Framework, as well as lessons emerging
from the World Development Report on Poverty, and good interna-
tional practices related to poverty reduction.

International migration, remittances, and the brain drain
http://wdsbeta.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/I
W3P/IB/2005/10/21/000012009_20051021094619/Rendered/PDF/339880re
v.pdf

Knowledge of the economic effects of migration, especially its
impact on economic development, is rather limited. In order to
expand knowledge on migration, and identify policies and reforms
that would lead to superior development outcomes, this volume
presents the results of a first set of studies carried out on
the subject. Current demographic trends in both developed and
developing countries are pointing toward significant, potential
economic gains from migration. The labour forces in many devel-
oped countries are expected to peak around 2010, and decline by
around 5 percent in the following two decades, accompanied by a
rapid increase in dependency ratios. Conversely, the labor
forces in many developing countries are expanding rapidly, re-
sulting in declines in dependency ratios. This imbalance is
likely to create strong demand for workers in developed coun-
tries' labour markets, especially for numerous service sectors
that can only be supplied locally. There are large north-south
wage gaps, however, especially for unskilled and semiskilled la-
bour.


MDGs: Global Monitoring Report 2005
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/GLOBALMONITORING
EXT/0,,pagePK:64022007~theSitePK:278515,00.html

Global Monitoring focuses on how the world is doing in imple-
menting the policies and actions for achieving the MDGs and re-
lated development outcomes. It is a framework for accountability
in global development policy.


Why transparency is good for business
http://www.brandrepublic.com/bulletins/br/article/528638/why-transparency-good-business/

If agencies want to be seen as business partners instead of sup-
pliers, they need to abandon unprofessional practices such as
over-riders, Chris Ingram writes.


OECD: Fostering Innovation in Chile
http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2005doc.nsf/43bb6130e5e86e5fc12569
fa005d004c/a11f52dc6ff82fb4c12570af004364b8/$FILE/JT00192825.PDF

This paper by José-Miguel Benavente, Luiz de Mello and Nanno
Mulder discusses the main obstacles to innovation activity in
Chile and proposes corrective measures. The paper argues that
the level of R&D (Research & Development) spending is low and
heavily reliant on government funds, owing in part to the fact
that risk and venture capital markets are relatively underdevel-
oped in Chile. At the same time, innovation policy is formulated
and implemented in a fragmented manner, which is not conducive
to longer-term, strategic planning. Skilled workers and re-
searchers are also in short supply.


Trade Electronic Newsletter
http://econ.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=64165259&;
theSitePK=469372&piPK=64165421&menuPK=64166322&entityID=00001200
9_20051021094619

Development Research Group, Volume 4, Issue 33, Winter 2005,
Special Issue on International Migration and Remittances


Tacis Small and medium enterprise (SME)
http://www.tacisinfo.ru/en/broc/en_pdf.htm

The Tacis technical dissemination project has edited some SME
brochures as .pdf files. They were published by the European
Commission:
- How to prepare a business plan
- Manual on Sales Practices - How to improve the efficiency of
your sales forces
- Manual on Marketing Practices - How to introduce marketing in
SMEs
- Restructuring and industrial co-operation: the wood processing
industry example
- Costing methods for decision making: Modern management ac-
counting practices
- Some examples of successful restructuring experiences
- Banks and SME
- New directions in tourism - Tacis-supported tourism develop-
ment projects in the NIS Russian versions are available as well.


UNCTAD's Information Economy Report 2005
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/WebFlyer.asp?intItemID=3591&lang=1

The Report shows that, while in some developing regions the num-
ber of Internet users has grown substantially, overall the gap
between developed and developing countries remains wide. And the
quality of connections is just as important as their number.
While some countries have seen spectacular growth in broadband
access, there are still large variations worldwide. The Report
also examines the impact of information and communication tech-
nologies (ICT) on the economic performance and trade competi-
tiveness of developing countries. There is an urgent need to ex-
plore policies and best practices to help enterprises use ICT to
enhance their competitiveness. Strategies are needed to ease the
transition of developing countries to an information economy, in
which the role of ICT extends beyond e-commerce to embrace a
broad range of social and economic manifestations, including the
Internet and e-business. ICT policy frameworks profoundly affect
growth, productivity, employment and business performance. The
Report also explores policy options that developing countries
might consider in order to maximize the contribution of ICT-
based business and commerce applications to their national de-
velopment goals.


EC Eastern Europe and Central Asia Mailing and Distribution Sys-
tem
http://www.eu-cooperation.info

The EuropeAid Co-operation Office of the European Commission has
built up a database of contacts interested in receiving regular
information and updates on European Union activities in Eastern
Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. This includes communicat-
ing on political events, news, features on Tacis projects, and
highlighting forthcoming events such as political visits, key
conferences and seminars. You can subscribe to the database on-
line.


First global study of high expectation entrepreneurship [22 No-
vember 2005]
http://www.gemconsortium.org/download.asp?fid=444

The first global study published by the global entrepreneurship
monitor of high expectation entrepreneurship has found that just
9.8% of the world's entrepreneurs expect to create almost 75% of
the job generated by new business ventures. The report defines
high expectation entrepreneurship as all start-ups and newly
formed businesses which expect to employ at least 20 employees
within five years. These ventures have far reaching consequences
for the economies in which they operate, particularly because of
their impact on job creation and innovation.


Mapping the shift in Business Development Services. Making mar-
kets work for the poor
http://www.developmentbookshop.com/detail.aspx?ID=506

A new book from Malcolm Harper and Jim Tanburn illustrates the
radical changes that have taken place in the evolution of assis-
tance to small businesses. The editors show how the transforma-
tion has taken place and illustrate some of the critical issues
that are facing business development practitioners today.


Trading on Time
http://www.doingbusiness.org/Main/Trade.aspx

A new study from the World Bank and the International Finance
Corporation (IFC) entitled ''Trading on Time'' concludes that
delaying export hurts the economies of developing countries. Re-
leased in January 2006, the study introduces new trade research
based on the data provided from the Doing Business in 2006: Cre-
ating Jobs report â?'' an annual report cosponsored by the IFC
and the World Bank. The new study finds that each day of delays
reduces a country's export volumes by about 1 percent. For exam-
ple, if Burkina Faso reduced its factory-to-ship time from 71
days to 27 days (the median for the sample), exports may in-
crease by nearly 45 percent. Similarly, if the Central African
Republic reduced its median factory-to-ship time fro m 116 days
to 27 days, exports would nearly double.


Reforming Development Assistance: Lessons from the UK Experience
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/aideffectiveness/rc/ItemDetail.do~1050820?intcmp=700

Since its creation in 1997, the United Kingdom's Department for
International Development (DFID) has been recognized as a global
leader in development. Described by the Economist as being ?a
model for other rich countries?.