  About Investment Climate Assessments    Completed Investment Climate Assessment Reports Â
About Investment Climate Assessments (ICAs) The objectives of an Investment Climate Assessment are to:       The methodological approach consists of conducting a survey of firms in the manufacturing (and other sectors). About 400 firms are surveyed from the population of firms; these firms are sampled scientifically in order to maintain a statistically rigorous approach to the data generated by the survey. The survey questionnaire enables an analysis of six key areas: |  | The determinants of firm productivity, including the productivity of labor and capital | |  | Firms' access to finance | | Characteristics of the labor market including investment in training and skill-building | | The impact of HIV/AIDS on the private sector and | | The business environment, including regulatory and administrative barriers that impact the cost of doing business and | |  | Obstacles to increasing exports in the regional and international marketplace. |
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     The Investment Climate Assessment can be used in several ways. Most importantly, it can be used to facilitate a dialogue with the government regarding private sector policies, and can be used by the private sector as a tool in its own dialogue with the government. The ICA can also provide useful input into the Bank's own dialogue; parts of the analysis can be incorporated into Country Economic Memoranda or other Bank products that are central to the Bank's work.
The mandate of the Regional Program on Enterprise Development is to carry out Investment Climate Assessments for the Africa Region. The data from these ICAs can be compared with data from other regions in order to benchmark the competitiveness of the private sector in any given country or region. Surveys carried out every 3-5 years will help determine whether the private sector is growing and whether government policies have had a positive impact on firm productivity. RPED has thus far carried out surveys in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal, and Mauritius. See also: Â Africa Private Sector Development Business Plan
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 Presentation on Investment Climate Assessments (207 kb, ppt) Completed Investment Climate Assessment Reports Investment Climate Assessments have been completed for the following Africa countries and more are underway:          Â
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Evaluate the state of the private sector
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