The private sector contributes to economic development by generating jobs and incomes, as well as through investments, new technologies, knowledge transfer, and enhanced productivity. This is particularly true in Asia and the Pacific, where much of the recent success in reducing poverty has been due to robust economic growth stimulated by the private sector. The development challenges and investment needs of the region remain large and diverse. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) helps address these challenges and investment needs by assisting the private sector through the Private Sector Operations Department. This fifth annual report on the development effectiveness of ADB's private sector operations reviews how the Private Sector Operations Department has contributed to promoting ADB's development effectiveness agenda. The report features the direct and indirect impact of private sector assistance. It considers the value added by this assistance, highlighting performance trends and identifying actions required to improve results.

Jobs provide higher earnings and better benefits as countries grow, but they are also a driver of development. Poverty falls as people work their way out of hardship and as jobs empowering women lead to greater investments in children. Efficiency increases as workers get better at what they do, as more productive jobs appear, and less productive ones disappear. Societies flourish as jobs bring together people from different ethnic and social backgrounds and provide alternatives to conflict. Jobs are thus more than a byproduct of economic growth. They are transformational —they are what we earn, what we do, and even who we are. High unemployment and unmet job expectations among youth are the most immediate concerns. But in many developing countries, where farming and self-employment are prevalent and safety nets are modest are best, unemployment rates can be low. In these countries, growth is seldom jobless. Most of their poor work long hours but simply cannot make ends meet. And the violation of basic rights is not uncommon. Therefore, the number of jobs is not all that matters: jobs with high development payoffs are needed. Confronted with these challenges, policy makers ask difficult questions. Should countries build their development strategies around growth, or should they focus on jobs? Can entrepreneurship be fostered, especially among the many microenterprises in developing countries, or are entrepreneurs born? Are greater investments in education and training a prerequisite for employability, or can skills be built through jobs? In times of major crises and structural shifts, should jobs, not just workers, be protected? And is there a risk that policies supporting job creation in one country will come at the expense of jobs in other countries? The World Development Report 2013: Jobs offers answers to these and other difficult questions by looking at jobs as drivers of development—not as derived labor demand—and by considering all types of jobs—not just formal wage employment. The Report provides a framework that cuts across sectors and shows that the best policy responses vary across countries, depending on their levels of development, endowments, demography, and institutions. Policy fundamentals matter in all cases, as they enable a vibrant private sector, the source of most jobs in the world. Labor policies can help as well, even if they are less critical than is often assumed. Development policies, from making smallholder farming viable to fostering functional cities to engaging in global markets, hold the key to success.

The Development Effectiveness Review 2008 Report is the second annual corporate performance report of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It assesses progress in implementing ADB's long-term strategic framework 2008-2020 (Strategy 2020) using specific performance indicators, baselines, and targets presented in ADB's results framework. The review measures ADB's contribution to development in Asia and the Pacific and performance as an organization. It pinpoints areas where ADB has been successful, where challenges remain, and where corrective action is required.

The Mutual Review of Development Effectiveness is an exercise in mutual accountability undertaken jointly by ECA and the OECD following a request of NEPAD Heads of State and Government in 2003.

This publication outlines the performance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in achieving the goals of Strategy 2030, the institution’s long-term strategic framework. It is the 14th in the series of annual reports that tracks development progress in Asia and the Pacific, assesses ADB's development effectiveness, and identifies areas where the institution's performance needs to be strengthened.

This book examines the conceptual foundations of the participatory approach to local development, assesses the evidence of its efficacy, and draws key lessons for policy.

This publication outlines the performance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in achieving the goals of Strategy 2030, the institution's long-term strategic framework. It is the 13th in a series of annual reports that tracks development progress in Asia and the Pacific, assesses ADB's development effectiveness over the years, and identifies areas where the institution's performance needs to be further strengthened.