A Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) is a national plan of action for tackling poverty. It is generally the basis for IMF and World Bank lending to poor countries. It involves addressing poverty through a process of ample participation of beneficiaries, which should result in greater aid effectiveness. The document highlights some of the benefits of this approach, in the form of country ownership, institutional reforms and donor behaviour. The paper outlines both the technical basics and the political dimension of this approach
FAO, DFID and ODI undertook a study in 2001/2 to analyse the role of information in livelihoods, and make recommendations on how agencies can capitalise on and integrate the best elements of traditional communication methods and new information and communication (ICT) technologies within the livelihoods approach. This publication provides the results of the initial literature review, comprised of a 30 page paper followed by 20 pages of heavily annotated references. The key conclusions were that information and communications systems are most likely to improve livelihoods in rural areas if they: share costs appropriately; ensure equitable access to all; contain a high proportion of local or appropriately localised content; build on existing systems; build capacity; use realistic technologies; and build knowledge partnerships
Although foreign direct investment (FDI) contributes to growth in developing countries, there is evidence that the benefits are not equally distributed. Foreign-owned firms tend to pay higher wages in developing countries, but skilled workers tend to benefit more than less-skilled workers. This conclusion is based on new research conducted into the effects of FDI on wages in five east Asian economies and the effects of foreign ownership in five African countries. While FDI may support development in the aggregate, more attention should be focused on the distribution of gains from FDI, notably effects on wage inequality
