Development Policy Centre Podcast

Papua New Guinea recently completed its second national household consumption survey, potentially enabling poverty comparisons with baseline estimates from 14 years earlier. But the methods used by the recent 2009/10 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) differ in important ways from those of the 1996 PNG Household Survey (PNGHS) which makes poverty comparisons more difficult. This talk describes the two surveys and the poverty estimates derived from them, and discusses the apparent trends from the poverty comparisons that are possible. Special attention is paid to the poverty situation in Port Moresby, for which longer term comparisons are possible (by also using the Urban Household Survey of the 1980s) that are less affected by changes in survey methods. John Gibson is a Professor in the Department of Economics, University of Waikato and a Senior Research Associate of Motu Economic and Public Policy Research. Since receiving his PhD from Stanford University he has worked in Cambodia, China, Fiji, P

Two important trend reversals have taken place in global inequality over the last 25 years: the inequality between countries has started to decrease after two centuries of steady increase and the inequality within many countries has started to rise after a long period of stability, in particular in developed countries. After documenting this evolution, Francois Bourguignon, former Chief Economist at the World Bank, focused on two sets of questions. First, is globalisation the main cause behind this paradoxical change in global inequality? Second, if it is the case, what should be done to prevent further rises in within-country inequality that could derail the process of globalisation and, at the same time, the progress towards less unequal standards of living across countries? Francois Bourguignon is professor of economics at the Paris School of Economics and at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. He is a specialist in the economics of development, public policy, income distribution and

People with disability are among the poorest and most marginalised in developing countries. One estimate is that there are one billion people with disability worldwide, including 20% of the world’s poorest. The challenge of making development disability-inclusive has traditionally received little attention, but that is now changing. AusAID has been playing a leadership role with its Development for All strategy (2009-2014). Members of AusAID’s Disability-Inclusive Development Reference Group will be reflecting on their own personal stories, on reforms and programs they have been involved in, and on what is needed to obtain a fair go for people with disability in developing countries. Is disability-inclusive development just the latest aid fad? Can poor countries afford to look after their citizens with disability? What can donors do? What have they achieved? This esteemed panel addressed these questions and many more in what turned out to be a very rich and insightful discussion from the leaders in this impor

Having achieved historically unprecedented economic growth over recent years, African countries now face the challenge of structurally transforming their economies. However, the politics of how to do this remains controversial. The standard international advice on good governance and the adoption of a ‘golden thread’ of sound institutions is not supported by historical and comparative evidence. The key thing is not getting the right institutions but having a political settlement that allows economic rents to be harnessed to development purposes rather than used to cement a pragmatic bargain among ethically or otherwise divided elites. In view of the likely predominance in Africa of competitively clientelistic trajectories, attention should be focused on creative ways of mitigating their negative implications for economic transformation. These are among the headline findings of Africa Power and Politics Program (APPP) a five-year research program led by ODI with research teams in Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda,

Ume Wainetti is National Coordinator of the PNG Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee (FSVAC), the body charged with coordinating the national response to gender-based violence.She has years of experience in leading PNG’s response to gender-based violence. In this public forum, Ume Wainetti explored the gains made, the promising approaches, and the challenges ahead for an effective response to gender-based violence in PNG. In particular, she argued for the critical need to fill the missing gap in case management to ensure that survivors in PNG have a better chance of getting the services and support they need. Presentation slides are available from the Devpolicy events page: https://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/event-extra/past

In his universally acclaimed and award-winning book The Bottom Billion, Paul Collier argues that fifty failed states-home to the poorest one billion people on earth-pose the central challenge of the developing world in the twenty-first century. In this public lecture, Professor Collier explored how the private sector can engage to help the bottom billion. [Note: Variable sound level as Professor Collier paced at varying distances from recorder during presentation]

The annual aid budget is the most important event for the aid sector. And it is a time when the entire sector converges on Canberra for the budget lock up. Devpolicy seized this opportunity to host a morning-after aid budget breakfast at the ANU where we provided fresh but in-depth analysis on what the budget means for the sector. Devpolicy's Tony Swan and Stephen Howes delivered their analysis. We also heard from Angus Barnes, a member of the executive at IDC Australia, and the new head of Oxfam Australia Helen Szoke. This podcast includes Q&A from the event. Presentation slides are available from the Devpolicy events page: https://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/event-extra/past

Devpolicy Research Associate Tess Newton Cain sits down with Sina Retzlaff, Samoa country representative for the Pacific Leadership Program. A full transcript is available here: http://devpolicy.org/pacific-conversations/3.%20Transcript%20of%20interview%20with%20Sina%20Retzlaff.docx Blog post available here: http://devpolicy.org/in-conversation-with-sina-retzlaff-20130522-2/

Devpolicy Research Associate Tess Newton Cain sits down with Sir Mekere Morauta, Review Leader of the 2013 Pacific Plan Review. A full transcript is available here: http://devpolicy.org/pacific-conversations/2.%20Transcript%20of%20interview%20with%20Sir%20Mekere%20Morauta.doc Blog post available here: http://devpolicy.org/in-conversation-with-sir-mekere-morauta-20130408/

Rachel Kyte, Vice President for Sustainable Development at the World Bank, spoke recent at the Development Policy Centre about the risk a 4 degree warmer world poses for development and the impact of sea-level rise, heat waves and extreme weather events globally, and in Australia and Oceania. Everyone will be affected by the changing climate, but the poor and vulnerable will suffer most. She argued that we must avoid a 4 degree warmer world and prepare for 2 degrees, and highlights action that would make the biggest difference. However, while climate change is a major threat, inclusive green growth is an opportunity. Ms Kyte outlined the World Bank Group’s efforts to catalyze climate-smart development and green growth. Rachel Kyte became Vice President of Sustainable Development at the World Bank in September, 2011. As such, she has overall responsibilities for the organization’s global work in agriculture, environment, energy, infrastructure, urban, and social development, along with global public goods issu

Frank Jotzo, Senior Lecturer at the ANU's Crawford School of Public Policy, sits down with Rachely Kyte, Vice President for Sustainable Development at the World Bank. In this brief but wide ranging interview they discuss the risk a 4 degree warmer world poses for development, Australia's approach to combating climate change (in particular its price on carbon emissions), and the World Bank's role in combatting climate change.

Few would argue that a country’s development trajectory is not crucially influenced by its government’s ability to manage public resources. The stability of the economy, the delivery of basic services such as education and health - even the legitimacy of the state itself - all greatly depend on effective and equitable public finance management. In fragile and conflict-affected states, public finance reforms have been high on the agenda for both donors and governments alike -- and a key part of the picture has been how aid is delivered and managed. But what kinds of reforms and what kind of instruments have proved the most successful? And how can the international community best support the governments of fragile states? This seminar will explore these questions from the perspectives of both research and practice. Marcus Manuel and Alastair McKechnie will talk on the lessons emerging from ODI’s Budgets Strengthening Initiative, a project which provides ‘arms-length’ support to the governments of fragile states

Devpolicy Research Associate Tess Newton Cain sits down with Peter Forau, Director General of the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat, discussing their successes throughout 25 years of operation. A full transcript is available here: http://devpolicy.org/pacific-conversations/1.%20Transcript%20of%20interview%20with%20Peter%20Forau.docx A blog post is available here: http://devpolicy.org/peter-forau-on-why-the-melanesian-spearhead-group-is-a-success-20130305/

In this podcast Devpolicy Director Stephen Howes sits down with Michael Clemens, a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Global Development and migration expert. The main topics covered were: The US Seasonal Workers Program Skilled vs. unskilled migration Fostering skilled migration The Australia Pacific Technical College

One of the biggest growth opportunities in the world economy lies not in the mobility of goods or capital, but in the mobility of labour. Many people born in low-income countries would like to leave those countries, but barriers prevent their emigration. Those barriers, according to economists’ best estimates to date, cost the world economy much more than all remaining barriers to the international movement of goods and capital combined. Yet economists spend a great time studying the movement of goods and capital, and when they study migration at all, they focus on the effects of immigration on nonmigrants in destination countries. Dr Michael Clemens investigated why this is the case and sketched a four-point research agenda on the effects of emigration. Barriers to emigration, Dr Clemens argued, deserve a research priority that is commensurate with their likely colossal economic effects. Michael Clemens is a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development where he leads the Migration and Development initi

Timor-Leste, which gained its independence in 2002, is one of the world's youngest countries. Born out of a history of violence and poverty, in recent years Timor-Leste has experienced both social stability and rapid growth, and its development prospects have strengthened considerably. Timor-Leste has also been a pioneer in establishing the g7+, a group of 17 fragile states, which was formed in 2010 as a country-owned and country-led global mechanism to monitor, report and draw attention to the unique challenges faced by fragile states. The New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States represents the first time in history that conflict-afflicted states have taken the lead in designing an aid architecture for and by themselves. The Harold Mitchell Development Policy Annual Lecture Series, of which this is the first, has been created to provide a new forum at which the most pressing development issues can be addressed by the best minds and most influential practitioners of our time. Emilia Pires has been Finance Mi

Jorgen Randers, Professor of Climate Strategy from the BI Norwegian Business School, is one of the world's most respected and rigorous global systems experts. Forty years ago he co-authored the best-selling environmental book of all time -- The Club of Rome's 1972 Limits to Growth, which set out different scenarios, including ones of overshooting and collapse, out to 2100. Now, 40 years later, Randers asks the question: What will the world look like in another 40 years? His answer is in his new book, 2052 - A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years. His forecasts contain good news and bad. We will see impressive advances in resource efficiency, and an increasing focus on human well-being rather than on per capita income growth. But this change might not come as we expect. Future growth in population and GDP, for instance, will be constrained in surprising ways by rapid fertility decline as result of increased urbanisation, productivity decline as a result of social unrest, and continuing global poverty. The

This full day forum examined recent experience and explore the potential for further aid investment in partnership with business in four areas: inclusive business ventures, service delivery, pro-poor supply chains for internationally-traded products, and product development partnerships in health and agriculture. Session 4 (Product development partnerships) speakers: Dr Mary Moran, Director, Policy Cures, Sydney. George Jagoe, Executive VP, Global Access, Medicines for Malaria Venture. Dr Wayne Best, Managing Director, Epichem Pty Ltd. Dr Gabrielle Persley, Research Study Director, Crawford Foundation, Adjunct Professor, Global Change Institute, University of Queensland and Chair, The Doyle Foundation. Presentation slides are available from the Devpolicy events page: https://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/event-extra/past

This full day forum examined recent experience and explore the potential for further aid investment in partnership with business in four areas: inclusive business ventures, service delivery, pro-poor supply chains for internationally-traded products, and product development partnerships in health and agriculture. Session 3 (Pro-poor supply chains for internationally traded products) speakers: Dr Dan Evans, Principal, Executive Compass and Deputy Chairman, B4MD. Rachel Levine, Producer Support and Relations Officer, Fairtrade ANZ. Sandra Mendez, Producer Support and Relations Officer, Fairtrade ANZ. Dr Joshua Bishop, National Manager – Markets, Sustainability and Business Partnerships, WWF-Australia. Michael Toliman, Coffee Extension Coordinator Morobe Province PNG Coffee Industry Association. Tim Wilson, Director of Climate Change Policy and the IP and Free Trade Unit, Institute of Public Affairs. Presentation slides are available from the Devpolicy events page: https://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/event-e

This full day forum examined recent experience and explore the potential for further aid investment in partnership with business in four areas: inclusive business ventures, service delivery, pro-poor supply chains for internationally-traded products, and product development partnerships in health and agriculture. Session 2 (Partnerships for service delivery) speakers: Annmaree O’Keeffe, Research Fellow, Lowy Institute for International Policy. Ross Hutton, Manager Health Services, Oil Search Health Foundation, Port Moresby. James Ensor, Director of Public Policy and Outreach, Oxfam Australia. Andrea Iffland, Director, Pacific Department, Asian Development Bank. Presentation slides are available from the Devpolicy events page: https://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/event-extra/past