Economics & Development

Human capital - people’s knowledge, skills, and health - drives productivity and growth. The Human Capital Index Plus (HCI+) measures the human capital a child born today can expect to accumulate over their working life, extending the original HCI by incorporating tertiary education and work experience. This brief summarizes Morocco's HCI+ score and its performance in building human capital.

Malawi’s mining sector has the potential to transform the country’s economy, with projected exports exceeding US$30 billion between 2026 and 2040, more than doubling current export levels. Seven advanced-stage mining projects, including uranium, rutile, and rare earth developments, are ready for investment; however, under business-as-usual conditions, only three are likely to proceed, limiting government revenue to around US$400 million annually by 2040. Coordinated, whole-of-government reforms could unlock additional projects, raising annual revenues to approximately US$600 million. Reliable electricity supply emerges as the most binding constraint, alongside weak transport infrastructure, macroeconomic instability, skills shortages, and governance gaps. Addressing these challenges requires accelerated power generation, regional energy integration, cost-reflective tariffs, improved logistics corridors, predictable foreign exchange regimes, and strengthened regulatory frameworks. Strong environmental and social governance is essential to ensure mining expansion benefits local communities and avoids conflict and degradation. Fiscal systems must prioritize predictable, progressive revenue instruments over state equity participation, while guarding against premature spending based on unrealized revenues. Building domestic skills, adopting realistic local content policies, and fostering value addition through market-aligned approaches are critical for job creation. Implementing this roadmap will require approximately US$5 billion in investment, largely from the private sector, supported by concessional and blended finance, robust coordination, and regional cooperation. Decisive action can position Malawi as a responsible supplier of energy transition minerals and convert mineral wealth into inclusive, sustainable development.

Human capital- people’s knowledge, skills, and health- drives productivity and growth. The Human Capital Index Plus (HCI+) measures the human capital a child born today can expect to accumulate over their working life, extending the original HCI by incorporating tertiary education and work experience. This brief summarizes United Kingdom’s HCI+ score and its performance in building human capital.

Human capital - people’s knowledge, skills, and health - drives productivity and growth. The Human Capital Index Plus (HCI+) measures the human capital a child born today can expect to accumulate over their working life, extending the original HCI by incorporating tertiary education and work experience. This brief summarizes Ghana’s HCI+ score and its performance in building human capital.

Human capital - people’s knowledge, skills, and health - drives productivity and growth. The Human Capital Index Plus (HCI+) measures the human capital a child born today can expect to accumulate over their working life, extending the original HCI by incorporating tertiary education and work experience. This brief summarizes Haiti’s HCI+ score and its performance in building human capital.

Ratings of the Anhui Road Maintenance Innovation and Demonstration Project for China were as follows: outcome was highly satisfactory; Bank performance was satisfactory; M&E quality was substantial. Early and sustained government engagement is crucial to shape a comprehensive design, align innovations with policy and budgeting processes, and embed tools such as a Road Asset Management System (RAMS) into routine planning and resource allocation, which eases implementation and supports postproject knowledge sharing. Targeted capacity building is essential when introducing innovative procurement such as Output and Performance Based Road Contract (OPBRC) models because both public agencies and contractors may lack experience and face forecasting and risk pricing challenges; using external experts to train the project management office and offering open, public training to prospective contractors through industry associations can build shared understanding, reduce perceptions of favoritism, and improve subsequent implementation and contract management. Stable team composition preserves institutional memory and accelerates problem solving during implementation; identifying and retaining key personnel in project plans helps maintain coordination and continuity despite organizational changes. Contract handover risks can be mitigated through early transition arrangements that ensure sustainability beyond loan closing, particularly because OPBRC contracts can outlast the typical project cycle; securing government budget commitments, clarifying oversight responsibilities, and structuring a phased shift from Bank supervision to client-led contract management should be confirmed prior to restructuring and maintained through final contract completion. Future operations should allocate sufficient time for OPBRC preparation because a one-year window proved inadequate; building a longer preparation runway into the initial design will improve document quality, market readiness, and contract performance.