How the private sector is adapting to Covid-19: country-level analysis from the World Bank
BEAM Grab the Mic webinar in collaboration with Marketlinks
Date: 5th November 2020
Speakers from the World Bank:
Filip Jolevski, Enterprise Analysis Unit, Global Indicators Group
Gemechu Ayana Aga, Economist, Enterprise Analysis Unit
Marcio Cruz, Senior Economist, Firms, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Denis Medvedev, Practice Manager, Firms, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Hosted by: Devi Ramkissoon, USAID & Mike Albu, BEAM Exchange
Presenting three World Bank case studies on the behaviour of firms during COVID and how this data can help practitioners adapt existing programming.
The case studies focused on Kenya, Somalia and Bangladesh.
Market systems development seeks to make markets more competitive, inclusive and resilient. Times of crisis create new challenges for achieving this goal. In such cases, development practitioners attempt to understand the new dynamics of the market system in order to pivot and adapt programming accordingly.
Having reliable and valid data is crucial to inform the key decisions that practitioners need to make. The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique crisis in that it affects all aspects of our lives, including the data collection process.
For these reasons, the World Bank’s ongoing research on the behaviour of firms during COVID-19 has important implications for how to adapt and target programming. This research, funded by USAID’s Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment, asks key questions such as:
- How are firms coping during the pandemic?
- What is the liquidity position of firms during a pandemic shock?
- Is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting firms’ operations differently by sector and size?
Speakers from the World Bank’s research team presented their ongoing work, findings thus far, and ways that practitioners can engage directly with the data that they are collecting.