Small States

This book studies two policy areas of great importance to small states: the use of outsourcing as a mean to improve quality of some public services and the use of informations and communications technology to improve connectivity with the rest of the world. It does so through eight case studies, based on interviews with government officers and citizens, on what some small states have done in these areas.

Small States, Smart Solutions: Improving Connectivity and Increasing the Effectiveness of Public Services - Favaro, Editor, 2008.  World Bank Group.

Other Relevant Publications:

• Small States: Meeting Challenges in the Global Economy - Report of the Commonwealth Secretariat / World Bank Joint Task Force on Small States - 2000.
• Economic Growth and the Integration of Small States into the World Economy - Concept Paper: World Bank, AusAid project on Small States - 2005.
• Brain Drain and Productivity Growth: Are Small States Different? - Schiff and Wang, 2008.  This paper examines the impact of North-South trade-related technology difusion on TFP growth in small and large states in the South.
• Brain Drain and its Determinants: A Major Issue for Small States - Beine, Docquier and Schiff, 2007.  This paper examines the relationship between the brain drain and country size, as well as the extent of small states' overall loss of human capital.
• The Medical Brain Drain from Small States- Docquier and Schiff, 2007.  This paper is concerned with the measurement of the medical brain drain, with a particular focus on the situation of small states.
• Measuring Skilled Emigration Rates: The Case of Small States- Docquier and Schiff, 2007. This paper describes the construction of a data base on skilled emigration rates for small states.
• Lessons from Europe for Economic Policy in Small States: A Focus Study on Estonia, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg and Slovenia- Thomas and Pang, 2007.  This paper examines performance and policies in Europe’s small independent states – Iceland, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Estonia, and Slovenia – plus (stretching our definition) Ireland, looking for lessons for other small states and suggesting case studies.
• Growth in African Small States- Domeland and Gil Sander, 2007.  GDP growth of African small states exceeded the average growth rate of sub-Saharan countries.  Stronger performance may be associated to less ethnical fractionalization.
• Caribbean Small States: Growth Diagnostics- Kida.  This paper reviews the growth performance of the Caribbean small states in the past two and a half decades and considers key constraints to their improving productivity and competitiveness.
• Obstacles to Economic Growth in Six Pacific Island Countries- Duncan and Nakagawa.  This report presents the results of an investigation into the sources of, and obstacles to, economic growth in the small Pacific island economies.