Phases of Rural Development in Malaysia: Shifting Towards Human Resource Development and Well-being (UUM Press)

Phases of Rural Development in Malaysia: Shifting Towards Human Resource Development and Well-being (UUM Press)

Author: Kalthum Hassan

Publisher: UUM Press

Published: 2021-11-28

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 9672486685

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The rural development approach should be flexible and dynamic to correspond with the transformation of the rural economy and society. Therefore, the phases of rural development in Malaysia illustrate the transformation of rural development approaches in Malaysia and how these approaches have changed the overall rural landscape. Different from other books on rural development, this book presents discussion and analysis on rural development approaches since after independence until during the COVID-19 pandemic. The content of the book is a mixture of primary and secondary information gathered from literature reviews, interviews, and on-site observation. It provides a diverse and rich discussion on various aspects of rural development approaches. The early phase of development approach which was at macro level targeting the mass of rural poverty since the poverty incidence was high. The goal of rural development was two prongs; to develop the economy, infrastructure and facility of the rural areas and to alleviate poverty. As the incidence of poverty has reduced remarkably, the development approach has separated from the poverty alleviation programmes. Development initiatives was more to provide basic urban infrastructure and facilities, to develop human resources through skill-training and improve level of education of the rural residents. In addition, rural development provides employment opportunities through decentralization of industrial sector to rural areas and fosters entrepreneurship activities. Meanwhile, the poverty alleviation programmes are tackled at micro level, that is more towards individual or a household level. The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic alters the approach of rural development focusing on providing facilities, services and assistance to preserve the well-being of rural community, especially the low-income group.


Ten Steps to a Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation System

Ten Steps to a Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation System

Author: Jody Zall Kusek

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2004-06-15

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 0821382896

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An effective state is essential to achieving socio-economic and sustainable development. With the advent of globalization, there are growing pressures on governments and organizations around the world to be more responsive to the demands of internal and external stakeholders for good governance, accountability and transparency, greater development effectiveness, and delivery of tangible results. Governments, parliaments, citizens, the private sector, NGOs, civil society, international organizations and donors are among the stakeholders interested in better performance. As demands for greater accountability and real results have increased, there is an attendant need for enhanced results-based monitoring and evaluation of policies, programs, and projects. This Handbook provides a comprehensive ten-step model that will help guide development practitioners through the process of designing and building a results-based monitoring and evaluation system. These steps begin with a OC Readiness AssessmentOCO and take the practitioner through the design, management, and importantly, the sustainability of such systems. The Handbook describes each step in detail, the tasks needed to complete each one, and the tools available to help along the way."


Evaluating the Malaysian Economy 2009 – 2018: Growth, Development and Policies (UUM Press)

Evaluating the Malaysian Economy 2009 – 2018: Growth, Development and Policies (UUM Press)

Author: Irwan Shah Zainal Abidin

Publisher: UUM Press

Published: 2020-03-01

Total Pages: 219

ISBN-13: 9672363141

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Malaysia was once on the cusp of becoming one of the ‘Asian Tigers’ as a result of the impressively high growth rates recorded in the early 1990s. From 1990 until 1997, the growth rate was above 9 percent per annum on average. This performance came to an end when the economy was struck by the 1997/98 Asian Financial Crisis, the worst economic crisis Malaysia has ever experienced since independence. Things eventually worsened with the onslaught of the 2008/09 Global Financial Crisis, which dragged the Malaysian economy yet into another round of a recession with the growth rate contracting at 1.5 percent in 2009. On hindsight, these two events, which have had a substantial impact on the state of the Malaysian economy, pointed to several urgent calls for economic reforms, such as the need to address structural weaknesses of the economy and to have a growth target which is both sustainable as well as inclusive. When Datuk Seri Najib Razak became the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia from April 2009 until May 2018, it was clear that a new approach to economic development for Malaysia had to be crafted. Towards this end, he introduced the National Transformation Policy (NTP), so that the economy can be transformed into one that is of high-income and developed status by the year 2020. He also set a new vision for Malaysia, also known as the 2050 National Transformation, or TN50, which is meant to chart a new course for Malaysia to move into the second half of the 21st century. How successful is this transformational agenda? What are the other issues and challenges which need to be addressed? What important lessons can we learn from this transformational journey? This book is an attempt to address these specific questions by assessing Najib’s economic plans, policies, programmes and vision which evolved during the nine years of his term as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia.


Assessing Aid

Assessing Aid

Author:

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13: 9780195211238

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Assessing Aid determines that the effectiveness of aid is not decided by the amount received but rather the institutional and policy environment into which it is accepted. It examines how development assistance can be more effective at reducing global poverty and gives five mainrecommendations for making aid more effective: targeting financial aid to poor countries with good policies and strong economic management; providing policy-based aid to demonstrated reformers; using simpler instruments to transfer resources to countries with sound management; focusing projects oncreating and transmitting knowledge and capacity; and rethinking the internal incentives of aid agencies.


Handbook on Poverty + Inequality

Handbook on Poverty + Inequality

Author: Jonathan Haughton

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2009-03-27

Total Pages: 446

ISBN-13: 0821376144

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For anyone wanting to learn, in practical terms, how to measure, describe, monitor, evaluate, and analyze poverty, this Handbook is the place to start. It is designed to be accessible to people with a university-level background in science or the social sciences. It is an invaluable tool for policy analysts, researchers, college students, and government officials working on policy issues related to poverty and inequality.


World Development Report 2017

World Development Report 2017

Author: World Bank Group

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2017-01-23

Total Pages: 605

ISBN-13: 1464809518

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Why are carefully designed, sensible policies too often not adopted or implemented? When they are, why do they often fail to generate development outcomes such as security, growth, and equity? And why do some bad policies endure? World Development Report 2017: Governance and the Law addresses these fundamental questions, which are at the heart of development. Policy making and policy implementation do not occur in a vacuum. Rather, they take place in complex political and social settings, in which individuals and groups with unequal power interact within changing rules as they pursue conflicting interests. The process of these interactions is what this Report calls governance, and the space in which these interactions take place, the policy arena. The capacity of actors to commit and their willingness to cooperate and coordinate to achieve socially desirable goals are what matter for effectiveness. However, who bargains, who is excluded, and what barriers block entry to the policy arena determine the selection and implementation of policies and, consequently, their impact on development outcomes. Exclusion, capture, and clientelism are manifestations of power asymmetries that lead to failures to achieve security, growth, and equity. The distribution of power in society is partly determined by history. Yet, there is room for positive change. This Report reveals that governance can mitigate, even overcome, power asymmetries to bring about more effective policy interventions that achieve sustainable improvements in security, growth, and equity. This happens by shifting the incentives of those with power, reshaping their preferences in favor of good outcomes, and taking into account the interests of previously excluded participants. These changes can come about through bargains among elites and greater citizen engagement, as well as by international actors supporting rules that strengthen coalitions for reform.


The Informal Economy Revisited

The Informal Economy Revisited

Author: Martha Chen

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-07-14

Total Pages: 323

ISBN-13: 0429575386

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This landmark volume brings together leading scholars in the field to investigate recent conceptual shifts, research findings and policy debates on the informal economy as well as future challenges and directions for research and policy. Well over half of the global workforce and the vast majority of the workforce in developing countries work in the informal economy, and in countries around the world new forms of informal employment are emerging. Yet the informal workforce is not well understood, remains undervalued and is widely stigmatised. Contributors to the volume bridge a range of disciplinary perspectives including anthropology, development economics, law, political science, social policy, sociology, statistics, urban planning and design. The Informal Economy Revisited also focuses on specific groups of informal workers, including home-based workers, street vendors and waste pickers, to provide a grounded insight into disciplinary debates. Ultimately, the book calls for a paradigm shift in how the informal economy is perceived to reflect the realities of informal work in the Global South, as well as the informal practices of the state and capital, not just labour. The Informal Economy Revisited is the culmination of 20 years of pioneering work by WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing), a global network of researchers, development practitioners and organisations of informal workers in 90 countries. Researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and advocates will all find this book an invaluable guide to the significance and complexities of the informal economy, and its role in today’s globalised economy. The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780429200724, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license


Alternatives to Privatization

Alternatives to Privatization

Author: David A. McDonald

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-04-23

Total Pages: 495

ISBN-13: 113650947X

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There is a vast literature for and against privatizing public services. Those who are against privatization are often confronted with the objection that they present no alternative. This book takes up that challenge by establishing theoretical models for what does (and does not) constitute an alternative to privatization, and what might make them ‘successful’, backed up by a comprehensive set of empirical data on public services initiatives in over 40 countries. This is the first such global survey of its kind, providing a rigorous and robust platform for evaluating different alternatives and allowing for comparisons across regions and sectors. The book helps to conceptualize and evaluate what has become an important and widespread movement for better public services in the global South. The contributors explore historical, existing and proposed non-commercialized alternatives for primary health, water/sanitation and electricity. The objectives of the research have been to develop conceptual and methodological frameworks for identifying and analyzing alternatives to privatization, and testing these models against actually existing alternatives on the ground in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Information of this type is urgently required for practitioners and analysts, both of whom are seeking reliable knowledge on what kind of public models work, how transferable they are from one place to another and what their main strengths and weaknesses are.


From Farm to Firm

From Farm to Firm

Author:

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0821386239

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The process of rural-urban transformation presents both opportunities and challenges for development. If managed effectively, it can result in growth that benefits everyone; if managed poorly, it can lead to stark welfare disparities and entire regions cut off from the advantages of agglomeration economies. The importance of rural-urban transition has been confirmed by two consecutive World Development Reports: WDR 2008 Agriculture for Development; and WDR 2009 Reshaping Economic Geography. Focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, this book picks up where the WDRs left off, investigating the influence of country conditions and policies on the pace, pattern, and consequences of rural-urban transition and suggesting strategies to ensure that its benefits results in shared improvements in well-being. The book uncovers vast inequalities, whether between two regions of one country, between rural and urban areas, or within cities themselves. The authors find little evidence to suggest that these inequalities will automatically diminish as countries develop: empirical and qualitative analysis suggests that spatial divides are mainly a function of country conditions, policies and institutions. By implication, policymakers must take active steps to ensure that rural-urban transition results in shared growth. Spatially unbiased provision of health and education services is crucial to ensuring that the benefits of transition are shared by all. But connective infrastructure and targeted interventions also emerge as important considerations, even in countries with severely constrained fiscal and administrative capacity. The authors suggest steps for navigating the tricky political economy of land reforms. And they alert readers to potential spillover effects that mean that policies designed for one space can have unintended consequences on another. Policymakers and development experts, as well as anyone concerned with the impact of rural-urban transition on growth and equity, will find this book a thought-provoking and informative read.


Development and Modern Industrial Policy in Practice

Development and Modern Industrial Policy in Practice

Author: Jesus Felipe

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2015-04-24

Total Pages: 425

ISBN-13: 1784715549

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Development and Modern Industrial Policy in Practice provides an up-to-date analysis of industrial policy. Modern industrial policy refers to the set of actions and strategies used to favor the more dynamic sectors of the economy. A key aspect of moder