Water Utilities Need Good Data — Here’s Why and How

An estimated 2.6 billion people gained access to improved drinking water between 1990 and 2015, yet municipalities around the world still struggle to deliver safe and consistent water because of inefficiencies and cost recovery concerns. The World Bank estimates that only 15 percent of utilities in developing countries generate enough revenue to cover operating and maintenance (O&M)…

Getting the Right People on the Bus

At the USAID Annual Small Business Conference, Jackie Robinson-Burnette, the deputy associate administrator of government contracting and business development at the Small Business Administration, stated, “Successful leadership is an inclusive leadership. In other words, getting the right people on the bus.” Jackie was emphasizing that you have to include the right people to your team,…

3 Questions with Maram Khalil and Al’a Ghazi Hussain Essa: Economic Opportunity for Youth

In this blog series highlighting youth economic opportunity, Maram Khalil and Al’a Ghazi Hussain Essa reflect on their experience with Jordan BEST’s Pathways to Professionalism Program. Can you tell us about your career goals and experience as a young professional in Jordan? Maram Khalil: I am establishing my career in the hospitality industry and hope to…

Re-imagining the Small-Scale Trader in Ugandan Value Chains

Middleman — the very term itself is associated with extra hoops to jump through, farmers being cheated, and limited value being offered to farmers and value chains generally. The idea of cutting out the middleman is frequently thought of as a selling point, casting these intermediaries as the “bad guys” of the value chain, worth…

Pandemic Preparedness: African Solutions to Global Problems

Ebola has a case fatality rate of approximately 50 to 70 percent. Although it has been more than 40 years since the first-ever case of the Ebola virus in humans was diagnosed, there is still no licensed, specific treatment for the disease. The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa took the lives of thousands, left…

4 Top ICT Trends and Tools for Development

Information and communication technology (ICT) is crucial for many projects. I see this firsthand working on the USAID E-PESO activity, which contributes to broad-based growth and financial inclusion in the Philippines by accelerating the shift to digital payments. The project aims to increase digital payments from 2 percent to 20 percent of payments by 2020 by…

What World Breastfeeding Week Means for These Women

It’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), so I should probably start by saying: I’m a huge advocate of breastfeeding. It can be a lovely way for a mother and baby to bond, and it offers a wonderful source of nutrition to a growing infant. It appears to have many benefits to mothers and babies and a positive impact on…

Tourism Can Be an Engine of Economic Growth — If It’s Done Right

Tourism is an industry with the capability to transform international development. Tourism is the largest service industry globally, accounting for nearly 10 percent of global GDP. Nearly 293 million jobs, or one in eleven jobs around the world, are within the tourism sector. Tourism is currently featured in three of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),…

3 Questions with Gratian Nareeba and Fatuma Namutosi: Economic Opportunity for Youth

In this blog series highlighting youth economic opportunity, these young entrepreneurs reflect on their experience with youth-led private sector development. Can you tell us about your background working in youth development and your career goals? Gratian Nareeba: As an entrepreneur and a market systems development scholar, I am passionate about inclusive growth and market-driven social…

Q&A with Christy Sisko on the Revenue Capital Approach (Part 2 of 2)

This post is the second of a two-part blog series, originally featured on Microlinks, showcasing a question and answer session with Christy Sisko, technical manager for Asia and Middle East Economic Growth Best Practices at Chemonics, on the revenue capital approach and its revolutionary effect on the small and medium enterprise (SME) financing world. This…