Accelerating Development: Ideas for Impact

💰 Ghana doubled property-tax collections with digital tools, Ethiopia increased VAT revenue by almost 50%, and Sierra Leone raised tax payments by 20% by showing taxpayers what local services their taxes supported.
This episode explores *Raising Revenue Right: A Roadmap for Domestic Resource Mobilization* and asks what makes tax systems work better. Through examples from Mexico, Ghana, Ethiopia, Argentina, and Sierra Leone, we examine how better diagnosis, technology, transparency, and trust can help governments raise revenue more efficiently, fairly, and sustainably.
Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.
Read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/raising-revenue-right
 

Nearly 70% of the indicators used to assess public financial management reforms in Malawi measured changes in form—not whether the system actually worked. This episode, the second on the series from The Government Analytics Handbook, explores how misleading metrics can create an illusion of success and even harmful incentives. Learn how balanced data, qualitative evidence, leadership, and strong review routines can help governments turn analytics into better decisions and meaningful action. Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.Read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/government-analytics
 

$10 billion in annual savings. A potential 40% increase in tax revenue. A 32% greater chance of completing public projects. This episode explores how governments can unlock these gains by using the administrative data they already collect. Drawing on *The Government Analytics Handbook*, it examines how analytics can improve management, strengthen public services, identify fiscal risks, and turn existing records into better decisions.
 
Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.
 
Read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/government-analytics
 

South Asia remains the world’s fastest-growing region, but growth is expected to slow from 7.0 percent in 2025 to 6.3 percent in 2026 as global energy disruptions create new pressures. This episode explores how trade reforms and industrial policy could shape the region’s next phase of growth. From India’s new trade agreements and Sri Lanka’s tariff reforms to targeted industrial policies, AI-related labor market shifts, and persistent regional wage gaps, we examine what governments can do to strengthen competitiveness, create jobs, and build resilience—while working within limited fiscal space. Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.
 
Read more at https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/44482
 

Nearly 1/3 of rural schools in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa lack reliable electricity, while more than two-thirds lack consistent internet access. This episode explores what developing countries need to turn AI’s potential into inclusive growth. Drawing on the World Development Report 2026, it examines why infrastructure, skills, data, and institutions matter—and how governments can act as enablers, users, and regulators of AI. Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.Read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2026
 

Only 20 percent of monitored days met the WHO’s PM2.5 guideline—and children’s exposure varied sharply across cities, schools, homes, and commutes. This episode explores how personal sensors, GPS tracking, and socioeconomic data can reveal the hidden geography of air pollution. From paved school grounds that reduced exposure by 37.2 percent to the complex relationship between pollution and wealth, discover how more precise measurement can support cleaner and more equitable policies. Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.Read more at:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-39797-4
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-023-01254-x
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352186425005796
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(23)00261-4/fulltext
 

For just $0.69 per student, a six-session program reached more than 2,000 schools in Indonesia. While it did not raise national exam scores, it strengthened students’ belief in effort, improved self-management habits, and created a more supportive classroom climate—especially in lower-performing schools. It also unexpectedly shifted teachers’ views of failure as a learning opportunity. This episode explores why education programs should be judged by more than test scores and how low-cost interventions can support more equitable classrooms.
Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.
Read more at https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/592601591155353057

Can countries escape the debt trap? As global growth slows to 2.5% and government debt in developing economies has climbed from under 40% to over 70% of GDP since 2010, policymakers face increasingly difficult choices. This episode explores the findings of the latest Global Economic Prospects, June 2026 report, examining why borrowing becomes more expensive as debt rises, how commodity-dependent economies remain vulnerable to boom-and-bust cycles, and why strong institutions matter just as much as fiscal rules. Discover the practical lessons for building resilience, creating fiscal space, and supporting sustainable growth in an increasingly uncertain global economy.
 
Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.
 
Read more at https://www.susannaberkouwer.com/WMHB_donorprocurement.pdf
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/73585fa4-6742-4a96-8f9a-ffc1c5b6b8fa
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fQPQAw4bACvJITv08UjpcRwKqeS3cXT_/view
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099912211102516982/pdf/IDU-8c8b805d-8bc2-47fe-853c-65967651a3a6.pdf
 

Can countries escape the debt trap? As global growth slows to 2.5% and government debt in developing economies has climbed from under 40% to over 70% of GDP since 2010, policymakers face increasingly difficult choices. This episode explores the findings of the latest Global Economic Prospects, June 2026 report, examining why borrowing becomes more expensive as debt rises, how commodity-dependent economies remain vulnerable to boom-and-bust cycles, and why strong institutions matter just as much as fiscal rules. Discover the practical lessons for building resilience, creating fiscal space, and supporting sustainable growth in an increasingly uncertain global economy. 
Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.
Read more at https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/b5f5a90f-3229-482f-b8c5-d3c4e9ecbad5

Health misinformation is now ranked among the world's 32 most severe global risks, with an estimated economic cost of US$78 billion in 2019. But what if governments could help people recognize misleading information before they encounter it? In this episode, we explore a randomized study from Jordan that tested a WhatsApp chatbot game designed to build resistance to health misinformation. We discuss why interactive "prebunking" outperformed passive information campaigns, how it improved people's ability to distinguish credible from misleading content, and what policymakers can learn about designing scalable digital interventions that strengthen public trust.
Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.
Read more at: https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099227409302412051