Regional financial markets guidebook

project officers implement activities in financial markets development (FMD), this guidebook also summarizes A.I.D."s policy context for FMD and its experience to date. The guidebook is structured in four parts. Part One discusses the international evolution of financial markets and provides a brief summary of markets in the Near East and Asia. The heart of the guidebook -- Chapter 3 of Part One -- examines potential areas for FMD activities. The areas examined include macroeconomic policy, commercial banking, expansion of securities markets, quality of information, other financial institutions, privatization, and informal financial markets. Part Two examines the FMD policies and programs of A.I.D. and other major multilateral donors and U.S. Government agencies. It begins by looking at the policy framework for FMD in the U.S. Government and A.I.D. and then examines the types of interventions A.I.D. Missions have undertaken over the past decade. A key theme of this part of the guidebook is how A.I.D."s policy and programs have evolved over time and how they continue to evolve. Key trends and directions for future programming are identified, as are areas for collaboration between A.I.D. and other institutions. Part Three describes how to conduct a financial sector assessment, a critical first step in defining options for FMD programming. It also provides some general guidelines for the design and evaluation of FMD programs. Part Four provides an illustrative list of technical assistance and training resources, a calendar of upcoming events focusing on financial markets, and an annotated bibliography of sources of information on FMD. (Author abstract, modified)