STEP BY STEP RESTORING THE BALANCE

Restoring Global Balance Together Fifth Annual Staff Exchange Program & Knowledge Sharing Conference and Expo June 28–29, 2004 SPONSORED BY: STEP BY STEP: RESTORING THE BALANCE The 5th Annual Staff Exchange Program and Knowledge Sharing Program launched yesterday, as an array of speakers shared perspectives on how knowledge sharing might best be used to restore global balance. Keynote Speaker Honorable Yaw OsafoMaafo, Ghana’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning spoke via videoconference, touching on various issues, including corruption, conflict, and lack of capacity. “You can only climb to the top of the development ladder by first learning to climb,” he said. He urged industrialized economies to help developing countries climb that ladder through fair trade, especially by reducing agricultural subsidies to their own farmers. He also stressed the importance of foreign direct investment, regional integration to achieve economies of scale, and industry and research institutes that collaborate to build countries’ capacity. Carlos Cruz Limòn, Rector of the Universidad Virtual, Tec de Monterrey in Mexico, described the success of his university in addressing educational imbalances in Mexico and increasingly, the rest of Latin America through innovations in distance learning. “Tec de Moneterry is an example of what one institution can do for its country,” said Cruz Limòn. The university—which has 33 campuses with over 95,000 students—has hundreds of community-learning centers in isolated and poor communities that have educated more than 70,000 people. Geoff Parcell, a Knowledge Management Advisor for UNAIDS on secondment from BP, described how he is using a private sector approach to knowledge management in UN efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. His technique in working with affected communi- Announcements Events launch at 9am in Preston. The Expo opens at 12:30 in the MC-Atrium. In this issue TRENDS IN OUTSOURCING EXPO: UNDERCOVER Geoff Parcell, a Knowledge Management Advisor for UNAIDS on secondment from BP. ties outlined the importance of facilitating leadership; self-assessment to assess strengths; and knowledge sharing to learn from others. “I don’t believe there is such a thing as best practice,” Parcell said. “We all have different backgrounds and sets of experience and we can talk together and gain insights. But a real exchange of knowledge only occurs when we take action.” Promotional Don’t miss the Reception at 4:00 in the MC-Atrium — a perfect place for networking with colleagues and partners. Q&A NEIL FANTOM Statistics Advisor, UK Department for International Development Neil Fantom came to the Bank Group’s Development Economics Data Group two years ago as a senior statistician. He is on secondment from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) where he served as a statistics advisor, both at headquarters and in the field in Malawi and Botswana, and through another secondment with the European Commission. With one more year still to go at the Bank, Fantom describes his work and his views on sharing knowledge. TODAY’S SCHEDULE 8:00 Registration MC Lobby Continental Breakfast Preston Auditorium Preston Auditorium Lobby 9:00 Using Storytelling to Spark Organizational Transformation Preston Auditorium 9:45 Enabling Agile Governments in a World without Boundaries 10:30 Coffee/Tea Break Preston Auditorium Lobby CONCURRENT SESSIONS MC4-W150 SESSION A3: Increasing Knowledge Flows Through Global Research Networks Senior Statistician Neil Fantom describes STATCAP, the new lending program designed to support statistical capacity building. pressing needs. The Bank Group, however, 10:45 MC2-800 SESSION B3: The Challenges of Innovation Preston Auditorium Describe your position at the Bank. My specialty is statistical capacity building: helping client countries with their ability to produce data. Recently, I have been working on STATCAP, a new program designed to give client countries easier access to Bank lending for statistical capacity building. does see the importance in enhancing the data available in developing countries. What are your thoughts on the Staff Exchange Program (SEP)? In my case, the SEP has been well structured, with a defined strategy. The Bank Group supports an international consortium, called Paris21, which is a partnership of policymakers, analysts, and statisticians from around the world aimed at boosting statistical capacity and fostering national statistical systems in developing countries. That’s one reason the Bank Group sees the strategic value in its partnership with DFID. “The Bank Group does see the importance in enhancing the data available in developing countries.” How important is knowledge sharing? If you are in Africa and want to improve your statistics, where do you go? You look to an institution that specializes in that area. Not many agencies focus on statistical capacity building. DFID has historically been strong in this field and so my work here is to try to strengthen the Bank Group’s capacity in this area. SESSION C3: Knowledge-Sharing Across Differing Views — Working With Labor Unions Expo MC Atrium Lunch Break 12:15 CONCURRENT SESSIONS MC2-800 SESSION A4: Tackling Urban Challenges Through Professional Networks Have you encountered difficulties in your work? Statistics are important to determine a country’s development needs. Yet it’s not easy to give importance to this kind of work because it’s not a sexy topic—meaning it is hard to show why it’s necessary when there are other 1:30 MC4-W150 SESSION B4: Lessons from the Staff Exchange Program Preston Auditorium SESSION C4: E-Development for Better Public Service Delivery MC Atrium 3:00 Closing Remarks : James Wolfensohn – President, The World Bank Group 4:00 Reception MC Atrium Restoring Global Balance Together Fifth Annual Staff Exchange Program & Knowledge Sharing Conference and Expo SPONSORED BY: MARIE ANGE SARAKA-YAO Jean-Louis Sarbib, VP of Human Development; Larry Cohen, President of UNI Telecoms; Lael Brainard, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution. “This isn’t about U.S. workers vs. the rest of the world,” Cohen said with the fire and conviction of an activist, “but about how all of us look at these three factors to see what kind of development we are really promoting.” In the afternoon, concurrent sessions focused on key topics, highlighting the work of leading practitioners around the world. In Tapping the Potential of Social Networks, Ver- Senior Financial Officer, PSI Ivorian Marie Ange Saraka-Yao, a senior financial officer who has been working at the World Bank Group for eight years in the area of private participation and infrastructure finance, left for Tunisia in December to serve as deputy director of the newly formed Joint Africa Institute. Saraka-Yao describes the challenges she has faced in her new position. TRENDS IN OUTSOURCING, EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL NETWORKS Recent political tumult and media coverage is unwise and unnecessary,” Brainard said, whose rapid-fire presentation was valuable for what it was—a US-centric perspective. She suggested that policymakers address competitiveness policies, such as education, unsustainably expensive health care, and inevitably incompatible regulatory issues. Larry Cohen, President of the Union Network International World Telecom Committee examined three public policy areas essential to healthy development: sustainability, workers’ rights, and the quality of jobs and services. made yesterday’s panel discussion on outsourcing especially timely as noted policy analyst Lael Brainard and union president Larry Cohen led more than 200 conference participants in an animated discussion. Brainard, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, said outsourcing of services was growing fast, causing 2 percent of U.S. voluntary job losses per year. “I believe open trade is vital for the U.S. economy and the global economic system, but the ‘let-it-rip’ approach na Allee, author of` “The Future of Knowledge: Increasing Prosperity through Value Networks and the Knowledge Evolution,” described changes in social networking within organizations and how managers can tap into it by encouraging a community of sharing, as well as offering rewards for it. Education experts shared their experiences in using technology to connect with hardto-reach communities and revolutionize teaching, from Jordon to Mexico. “With traditional education, you need more books, building, and libraries, but technology can change the direct relationship between capacity and cost imposed by traditional teaching,” said Carlos Casasùs of the Corporaciòn Universitaria para el Dasarollo del Internet in Mexico. What is the Joint Africa Institute? The JAI is a partnership between the World Bank Group, the IMF, and the African Development Bank, formed to focus on capacity building and enhancement for African client countries. It was formed in 1999 in Côte d’Ivoire, but political instability caused it moved to Tunisia in 2003. How have you transitioned into your new position? When I came, it was like launching the project anew. We had no office space or staff. We wanted our program to meet the needs of the African continent, but each partner was initially doing its own program and had its own working culture. “I got a better understanding of what it’s like on the ground.” How is the exchange going now? We have managed to find a common ground and the Program is on track for the first time since its inception. We have developed a program to support capacity building in infrastructure, featuring innovative African financing models specifically tailored for the continent. We planned three learning events focusing on infrastructure financing with 20 countries participating. We also developed a health insurance curriculum in West Africa. EXPO: UNDERCOVER In a sun-drenched MC-Atrium yesterday, Bank staff and SEP partners milled around an eclectic 33-booth expo, exchanging ideas, chitchat, business cards, and—walk-a-pets? Clear winners in the giveaway-promotions game, the Knowledge and Learning Environment kiosk attracted a long queue of staff waiting for their very own sponge animals, while simultaneously introducing them to the new joint undertaking of WBI, HRS, and ISG. “Training is good for the institution as a whole and, at a personal level, is valuable and fun,” explained HRS’ Moira Sutherland, who was at the center of the maelstrom. “So these pets are just a symbol of that fun. We’ve had an amazing reaction, with a lot of smiles. And that’s a good thing.” Around the corner, past kiosks for Siemens, Sumitomo Chemical, and the Swedish Development Cooperation, staff and SEP partners were talking with reps from BP, IE Singapore, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAGO), and Nippon Keidanran. Toni Lawless from the UK’s Department for International Development said the conference was an excellent networking opportunity for her. “Our goal is really to build up a coherent program of exchange with the World Bank and send more staff on secondments.” At the booth for the Industrial Development Agency of Ireland, Patricia Cronin was back, a year after completing her own staff exchange at WBI. “Our current theme is fitting—Ireland: knowledge is in our nature,” said Cronin. “There are a lot of lessons we can contribute from Ireland’s economic development, experiences that may be valuable for developing countries.” What about the knowledge exchange? Knowledge from the Bank Group has helped to define the mission of the JAI. The Bank Group did not play a very visible role within the JAI previously. I was able to bring visibility and an identity to this partnership. In turn, I’ve developed managerial skills in a difficult environment. At the Bank Group, you get a lot of help, resources, and information, but here we’ve started from scratch. So I got a better understanding of what it’s like on the ground. TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS Speakers headlining today’s sessions include Stephen Denning, former director of Knowledge Management at the Bank. Denning describes how storytelling can be an agent of change in Using Storytelling to Spark Organizational Transformation, at 9am in the Preston Auditorium. Thomas Shirk, President of Global Public Services for SAP, is next up with a discussion on how countries can use innovative technology platforms to increase transparency and improve their existing technology systems. MENA Knowledge Coordinator Omer THE WORLD BANK Karasapan, who will be one of the panelists for Knowledge Sharing Across Differing Views, said the Bank has an abiding interest in reaching out to organizations such as labor unions “to enrich both their and our understanding of complex realities. One doesn’t reach consensus always, but grounds can be found for working together,” Karasapan said. In Tackling Urban Challenges through Professional Networks, panelists will showcase successful regional and national communities of practice. It runs concurrently with Lessons from the Staff Exchange Program, in which SEP partners, participants, and managers will exchange ideas. Staff are encouraged to actively participate in all sessions. 5th Annual Conference & Expo Staff Exchange Program The World Bank Group 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433 www.worldbank.org/ks/sepks04/ email: share@worldbank.org Produced by Dorst MediaWorks