Compounded Impacts of Climate Change: Emerging Health Risks to the World’s Most Vulnerable Populations

This post originally appeared on Climatelinks. The direct consequences of climate variability and change on the health of vulnerable populations are fairly well established, but there is emerging evidence that the indirect consequences are just as insidious, detrimental, and widespread. Which populations are the most vulnerable? Those who may be more susceptible to disease, have preexisting health conditions,…

Investing in Youth Entrepreneurs: De-Risking a Risky Business

Every year, the World Bank brings together youth entrepreneurs to share their projects and ideas at the World Bank Youth Summit. At this year’s gathering, one critical question was repeatedly discussed: What is the most important thing the World Bank Group should do to support young people? The youth entrepreneurs responded with a resounding consensus that,…

Where’s the Money? A New Technology Solution Will Track Constituency Project Funds in Nigeria

In democratic countries where constituency project systems are practiced, they are implemented to bring needed infrastructure and development to communities. Constituency projects were created by the Nigerian National Assembly in response to demands by their constituents around development and the lack of federal presence in communities. Projects are nominated into the national budget by a legislator…

Top 10 Blog Posts of 2017

From thinking and working politically to going viral with a shipment of watermelons, Chemonics’ staff have shared diverse opinions, insights, and technical approaches on our blog. Here are the 10 most popular blog posts in 2017: 10. Politics Matter: How Implementers Can Do Development Differently by Jennifer Swift-Morgan, director in Chemonics’ West and Central Africa and Haiti Division…

How Critical is PFM in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals?

Effective public financial management (PFM) is a “cornerstone of good governance.” PFM, or the ability of governments to efficiently collect revenue and spend it in an accountable and transparent manner, is instrumental for nations seeking to expand their economic growth and increase available resources to pursue national objectives, including those relating to the United Nations’…

3 Questions with Kreshnik Kurtishi and Liridon Shurdhani: Helping Kosovo’s Citizens Know Their Rights

The USAID Kosovo Partnerships for Development (PFD) project recently won Chemonics’ Technology for Development (Tech4Dev) contest with a database and mobile app that lets citizens access all of Kosovo’s laws in one place. Deputy Chief of Party Kreshnik Kurtishi and Legal and Regulatory Specialist Liridon Shurdhani explain. How are you increasing transparency in Kosovo? A fundamental element of good…

3 Questions with Angélica Medina: Breaking Social Inclusion Barriers in Colombia

Angélica Medina is the gender and vulnerable populations expert for the USAID Human Rights Activity (HRA) in Colombia. HRA responds to a history of human rights violations in Colombia by promoting a culture of human rights. Why is social inclusion important for the development of Colombia? Inequality in Colombia has largely overshadowed women’s progress to…

E-Payments Modeling: From Zero to Hero

Building working models for evaluation and learning is important to assess the long-term impact and performance of a project. Models can range from conceptual frameworks to algorithms in electronic spreadsheets — or to more sophisticated computer-aided visual simulations. But how do we build a model from scratch when data is sparse to begin with? What methods can…

Close to Home: Everyday Human Rights in Latin America

On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a bold manifesto: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document enshrined a series of principles that would be the birthright of every human on Earth and would change the way our global society thinks about human interaction. In the years since the…

Finding Balance: Cultural Preservation and Tourism

The tourism industry plays a pivotal role in global economies. Today, tourism is the largest employer and generator of foreign exchange — this is especially vital for the economic growth of developing countries that strive to attract visitors from all around the world to explore their cultural and natural treasures. However, the importance of tourism…