Robert Lensink – författare

Contemporary Issues in Development Finance provides comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of theoretical and policy issues in development finance from both the domestic and the external finance perspectives and emphasizes addressing the gaps in financial markets.

The chapters cover topical issues such as microfinance, private sector financing, aid, FDI, remittances, sovereign wealth, trade finance, and the sectoral financing of agricultural and infrastructural projects. Readers will acquire both breadth and depth of knowledge in critical and contemporary issues in development finance from a philosophical and yet pragmatic development impact approach. The text ensures this by carefully integrating the relevant theoretical underpinnings, empirical assessments, and practical policy issues into its analysis. The work is designed to be fully accessible to practitioners with only a limited theoretical economic background, allowing them to deeply engage with the book as useful reference material. Readers may find more advanced information and technical details provided in clear, concise boxes throughout the text. Finally, each chapter is fully supported by a set of review questions and by cases and examples from developing countries, particularly those in Africa.

This book is a valuable resource for both development finance researchers and students taking courses in development finance, development economics, international finance, financial development policy, and economic policy management. Practitioners will find the development impact, policy, and conceptual analysis dimensions insightful analysing and designing intervention strategies.

Contemporary Issues in Development Finance provides comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of theoretical and policy issues in development finance from both the domestic and the external finance perspectives and emphasizes addressing the gaps in financial markets.

The chapters cover topical issues such as microfinance, private sector financing, aid, FDI, remittances, sovereign wealth, trade finance, and the sectoral financing of agricultural and infrastructural projects. Readers will acquire both breadth and depth of knowledge in critical and contemporary issues in development finance from a philosophical and yet pragmatic development impact approach. The text ensures this by carefully integrating the relevant theoretical underpinnings, empirical assessments, and practical policy issues into its analysis. The work is designed to be fully accessible to practitioners with only a limited theoretical economic background, allowing them to deeply engage with the book as useful reference material. Readers may find more advanced information and technical details provided in clear, concise boxes throughout the text. Finally, each chapter is fully supported by a set of review questions and by cases and examples from developing countries, particularly those in Africa.

This book is a valuable resource for both development finance researchers and students taking courses in development finance, development economics, international finance, financial development policy, and economic policy management. Practitioners will find the development impact, policy, and conceptual analysis dimensions insightful analysing and designing intervention strategies.

In 1998 the World Bank published a report entitled "Assessing Aid: What Works, What Doesn''t and Why". This report presents the results of an extensive investigation into the effectiveness of development aid. The main message of the text of the report is that development aid helps, but only when there is a good policy environment in the recipient countries, that is when there is sound macroeconomic management and when robust government institutions exist. It stresses that it is a myth to think that good policies can be bought by giving development aid: giving aid conditional on policy reforms does not lead to improved economic policies. The conclusion of the World Bank report is that aid flows should be directed only to countries with sound policies and that it should be focused more on supporting governments in reforming entire sectors, rather than on specific development projects. The "Assessing Aid" report has led to heated debates, both among academics and policy-makers, about development aid and aid policies. Many have questioned the methodology used, the results and the policy conclusions of the report. This book aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the future of development aid. In particular, it re-examines a number of issues that are crucial to the analysis and to the conclusions of the World Bank report. In this study the authors aim to put the discussion on the future of development aid into perspective and summarise the main findings of the other studies in this collection. They focus on two issues: the aid effectiveness debate before and after the Assessing Aid report, and the discussion on policy conditionality and good governance. Section II provides a brief survey of past research on aid effectiveness, that is, before publication of the Assessing Aid report and summarises the main findings of the World Bank report on aid effectiveness. In this study the authors aim to put the discussion on the future of development aid into perspective and summarise the main findings of the other studies in this collection. They focus on two issues: the aid effectiveness debate before and after the Assessing Aid report, and the discussion on policy conditionality and good governance. Section II provides a brief survey of past research on aid effectiveness, that is, before publication of the Assessing Aid report and summarises the main findings of the World Bank report on aid effectiveness.

In 1998 the World Bank published a report entitled "Assessing Aid: What Works, What Doesn''t and Why". This report presents the results of an extensive investigation into the effectiveness of development aid. The main message of the text of the report is that development aid helps, but only when there is a good policy environment in the recipient countries, that is when there is sound macroeconomic management and when robust government institutions exist. It stresses that it is a myth to think that good policies can be bought by giving development aid: giving aid conditional on policy reforms does not lead to improved economic policies. The conclusion of the World Bank report is that aid flows should be directed only to countries with sound policies and that it should be focused more on supporting governments in reforming entire sectors, rather than on specific development projects. The "Assessing Aid" report has led to heated debates, both among academics and policy-makers, about development aid and aid policies. Many have questioned the methodology used, the results and the policy conclusions of the report. This book aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the future of development aid. In particular, it re-examines a number of issues that are crucial to the analysis and to the conclusions of the World Bank report. In this study the authors aim to put the discussion on the future of development aid into perspective and summarise the main findings of the other studies in this collection. They focus on two issues: the aid effectiveness debate before and after the Assessing Aid report, and the discussion on policy conditionality and good governance. Section II provides a brief survey of past research on aid effectiveness, that is, before publication of the Assessing Aid report and summarises the main findings of the World Bank report on aid effectiveness. In this study the authors aim to put the discussion on the future of development aid into perspective and summarise the main findings of the other studies in this collection. They focus on two issues: the aid effectiveness debate before and after the Assessing Aid report, and the discussion on policy conditionality and good governance. Section II provides a brief survey of past research on aid effectiveness, that is, before publication of the Assessing Aid report and summarises the main findings of the World Bank report on aid effectiveness.

Taking a detailed tour through the emerging economic field of financial inclusion, this timely book charts the subtle conceptual shifts that gave rise to the focus on inclusivity in development finance, and provides an overview of key concepts, issues, and empirical findings. Diving into the crucial interaction of financial inclusion with gender, further chapters present new conceptual frameworks for thinking about these interactions, as well as discussing the impacts of gendered financial exclusion on both economic and empowerment outcomes.

Key Features:

Discussing what is known about the economic impacts of financial inclusion and what is still to be discovered, this book is an ideal companion for students and researchers of development finance and economics. It aims to inspire current and future cohorts of researchers and policymakers, as well as practitioners with an interest in financial inclusion.