Bringing Global Portable Knowledge to Development

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Bringing Global Portable Knowledge to Development
Accessing International Transportation
Information Resources Worldwide July 29-August
1, 2001 St. Petersburg, Florida USA
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The World Bank Group Countries Regions
Africa
East Asia the Pacific
Europe Central Asia
Latin America the Caribbean
Middle East N. Africa
South Asia
10,000 staff members in over 100 countries
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Transport at the World Bank
Projects under Preparation FY00-01
90
Projects under Supervision FY00
180
35
Sector Other Work
Total Commitments
Approx. US3-5 billion/p.a.
Portfolio Commitments
US20 billion.
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WB Knowledge Mission and objectives

• improve the identification, design and
  implementation of donor-financed projects and
  programs
• facilitate the economic and social development of
  the World Banks developing and transition member
  countries, and
• generally promote sound transport policies
  worldwide

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Target Audiences

• World Bank staff
• consultants working directly for the World Bank
• government officials in client countries, partner
  institutions
• staff in other donor agencies
• academic and professional organizations,
  researchers, and students
• commercial organizations

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Basic Principle Global and Portable

• meet the needs of sector specialists, as well as
  generalists outside the transport sector
• accessible on an unrestricted basis from anywhere
  in the world through the worldwide web, e-mail,
  CDs, and other media
• based on global good practice from
  industrialized, developing and transition
  countries

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Management

• Five regional transport operational units (and
  field offices), supported by secretariat
• Transport Sector Boardwith representatives from
  across World Bank
• Thematic Groupsgenerate knowledge and animate
  knowledge sharing
• Ports, rail, aviation and logistics
• Rural Transport and Highways
• Economics and Sector Policy
• Urban Transport
• Senior staff in secretariat act as animators and
  provide technical leadership

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Knowledge Resources

• technical knowledge
• lessons from transport lending
• databases
• selected terms of reference
• related transport Web sites
• partnership information
• discussion spaces
• information on training and events

All available on-line at www.worldbank.org/transpo
rt
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Transport Sector Helpdesk

• accessible by phone or e-mail (transport_at_worldbank
  .org)
• supports the work of the transport sector staff
  and clients
• assist users find their way around the sectors
  existing knowledge resources
• when a question relates to an issue not included
  in current knowledge resources, and the question
  appears likely to produce lessons of wider
  applicability, the Help Desk will attempt to find
  the answer

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Electronic Knowledge Sharing

• Electronic distribution lists facilitates
  technical exchanges between World Bank staff and
  with outside resource persons
• Acts as virtual network for gathering tacit
  knowledge, vehicle for sharing global
  information, and rapid response help desk
• In-House. internal electronic network confined to
  World Bank staff.
• External. external network consisting of
  technical specialists outside the World Bank

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Knowledge ResourcesPublications

• WB Working and Technical Papers
• Infrastructure Notes
• Topic Notes and Viewpoints
• Publications CD--Fifty-five World Bank
  publications dealing with transport have been
  placed on a CD in a searchable PDF format. The
  CD contains frequently used transport reference
  material and key readings. Copies are provided
  free to staff and field offices

Our clients depend on paper copiesbut are
increasing able to use CDs. Internet access is
still expensive or difficult for most.
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Other knowledge resources

• The World Bank InfoShop (pic_at_worldbank.org)
• Available electronically or in hard copy through
  the Transport Help Desk
• From a public library worldwide (WB repository
  library system)

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Summary

• To have impact, knowledge must be global and
  portable
• Globalrepresents the latest knowledge from
  around the world
• Portablestaff and clients can access it in a
  timely manner from wherever they are in the world
• Key instruments
• Electronic mediaincluding virtual discussions
  and networks
• Helpdesk
• World Wide Web
• Publicationspaper and electronic

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For more information
Transport at the World Bank www.worldbank.org/tran
sport www.ifc.org/infrastructure/transport/index.h
tml www.miga.org

• Public-Private Partnerships
• Global Road Safety Partnership
• http//www.grsproadsafety.org
• Global Facilitation Partnership for
  Transportation and Trade
• www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/transport/ports/tr_faci
  l.htm

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End