The electricity sector is vulnerable to a broad range of risks that can threaten development effectiveness. Risks can spring from the magnitude of the sector’s capital investments, opportunities for discretionary decision making and rent seeking by stakeholders, weak policy and regulatory frameworks, capacity w eaknesses of sector entities, and inefficient systems. Governance risk vulnerabilities can cut across policy formulation, regulation, planning, financial management, procur ement, and sector operations. This guidance note aims to explain key features of the electricity sector and identify entry points for mapping governance risks.

The electricity sector is vulnerable to a broad range of risks that can threaten development effectiveness. Risks can spring from the magnitude of the sector's capital investments, opportunities for discretionary decision making and rent seeking by stakeholders, weak policy and regulatory frameworks, capacity weaknesses of sector entities, and inefficient systems. Governance risk vulnerabilities can cut across policy formulation, regulation, planning, financial management, procurement, and sector operations. This guidance note aims to explain key features of the electricity sector and identify entry points for mapping governance risks.

The urban water supply sector is vulnerable to a broad range of risks that can threaten development effectiveness. Risks can spring from the involvement of multiple institutions in water governance, capital intensity, large-scale procurement contracts for goods and services that lend themselves to corruption, interface between public and private sectors, and political pressure on tariffs. Additional factors include weak capacity of sector agencies, high demand for water services, water scarcity, and dispersed water provision in poorly planned urban communities. This guidance note aims to explain key sector features of urban water supply and identify entry points for mapping governance risks. This guidance note aims to explain key sector features of urban water supply and identify entry points for mapping governance risks.

Political economy analysis facilitates understanding on how incentives, institutions, and ideas shape political action and development outcomes in ADB’s developing member countries (DMCs). These factors can inform assessments of feasibility of policy reform and institutional change, the contribution that ADB and other development partners can realistically make, and the risks involved. A political economy analysis can, therefore, strengthen the design of more effective support, leading to better development results. While important for all DMCs, political economy considerations especially matter in DMCs with fragile and conflict-affected situations. This guidance note develops a definition and parameters for political economy analysis to ensure consistency; and to guide country, sector, and project teams in analysis. It provides ADB staff with guidance on how political economy analysis can be used to inform the design and implementation of ADB operations for more feasible and sustainable development outcomes.

This revised edition offers updated information and an expanded range of tools to support ADB staff and stakeholders to implement participatory approaches effectively. The updated content reflects ADB's new business processes and highlights key opportunities for participation in policy dialogue and throughout the project cycle, and advises on methods and approaches, as well as pitfalls to avoid. In this edition, special attention is given to safeguards, gender, governance, HIV/AIDS and infrastructure, and water and sanitation. A wealth of participation resources developed by a wide range of organizations exists online; this guide includes an inventory of references for those seeking further information.

From 2007 to 2016, disasters triggered by natural hazards caused around 322,000 fatalities, affected 1.7 billion people, and resulted in direct physical damage totaling $487 billion in the developing member countries (DMCs) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) alone. At the same time, many development actions provide opportunities to strengthen disaster resilience. Integration of disaster risk reduction into development is one of the key principles of ADB's Operational Plan for Integrated Disaster Risk Management. This guide supports the application of this principle by providing technical advice on the integration of disaster risk considerations in ADB country partnership strategy (CPS) preparation. The CPS provides opportunities to initiate a dialogue with DMCs on disaster risk management issues, and to factor disaster risk management considerations into ADB assistance.