4. Strengthen World Bank and IFC support for skills development (including ICT skills development) in client countries to promote the use and production of ICT applications.abc
- ICT skills development is emerging as an important constraint to ICT diffusion and applications, but has received little attention in World Bank Group operations.
- World Bank support for ICT-related skill development has played a small role, with limited results, thus far.
- ICT skills development was supported by 9 percent of the analytical and advisory activities through programs such as the New Economy Skills for Africa, which is testing new approaches and partnerships between universities and the ICT industry.
Original Response: IFC will increase its efforts to invest in ICT companies that support the creation, use, and development of ICT skills.
Pursue interventions that directly and indirectly support the creation, use, and development of ICT skills.
Indicator: Employment in IT/ITES supported by IFC
Baseline: To be determined--Baseline to be set by end of FY13 in line with the timeline for determining baselines for Tier 2 results framework in the WBG ICT strategy
Target: To be determined--Target to be set by end of FY13 in line with the timeline for determining targets for Tier 2 results framework in the WBG ICT strategy
Timeline: To be determined--Timeline to be set by end of FY13 in line with the timeline for determining timelines for Tier 2 results framework in the WBG ICT strategy
Management has not submitted an update of implementation during FY16. Progress is therefore rated as negligible as in the previous year.
As in last year's assessment of the Management Update, IEG notes that this action lacks baselines and targets, and requests that IFC add these. In the absence of such indicators, it is not possible to observe any progress in implementing the recommendation. IEG also requests that IFC provide a disaggregated list of incremental skilled employment in IT and ITES investments noted above.
In FY15, IFC invested in 13 IT and IT-related projects worth USD71 million. The expected skilled employment creation or preservation is estimated to be 9,237 jobs. For the entire IT/IT-related portfolio as of FY15-end, the number comes at about 60490 jobs.
(note: Omar Chaudry has reviewed and cleared the update and ratings for this recommendation as a Reviewing Manager and has authorized Kris Luniku to clear in the system on his behalf. Kris Luniku is clicking in the system on Omar's behalf).
The management update notes the number of people employed in IT and IT-related companies but does not address the main recommendation about increasing support to IFC support for skills development (including ICT skills) to promote the creation, use and production of ICT applications, as noted in the management response. IEG requests IFC to provide this information.
IFC would also need to define a baseline and targets against which to assess progress, and provide information on the source for the numbers cited above and extent to which they are attributable to IFC commitments.
In FY14, IFCâs IT and IT-related portfolio companies employed about 49,000 people of which roughly 17,000 were female. New IT commitments in FY14, expect to employ 2,715 people over the next five years.
(IEG Rating 2013: Negligible)
(Response from 2013. First MAR follow-up will be in 2014)
The management update notes the number of jobs using ICT skills in companies IFC invested in. IEG requests management to provide the assumptions of determining jobs using ICT skills, and the project level data used in calculating this reach indicator for validation. The data does not allow to assess whether IFC has "increased its efforts to invest in ICT companies" and whether it has supported the creation and development of local ICT skills, in addition to their use.
(Management Rating 2013: Medium)
(Response from 2013. First MAR follow-up will be in 2014)
In FY13 IFC invested in companies creating 4271 jobs using ICT skills.
Status: Active