The Time is Now to Accelerate Women's Public Procurement: Snapshot: Gender Climate, Legal and Institutional Reform — An Ecosystem Analysis

This diagnostic enables USAID Missions to develop an evidence-based approach for determining the degree of development of a country's private sector, the status of commercial law reforms in a country, and the root causes of gaps in implementation or enforcement of reforms. The insights gained from this analysis aim to inform new approaches to sustainable, cost-effective interventions addressing commercial, legal, and institutional reform in a given country. The CLIR diagnostic is a versatile tool that can be tailored to specific sectors and is relatively quick to conduct, requiring only two to three weeks in-country. The assessment is carried out by a team of experts who conduct in-depth desk research and in-person interviews with government officials, private sector companies, and other stakeholders. The tool has been used in various contexts, including the Feed the Future program, and has undergone several iterations, including the development of BizCLIR, which mirrored the Doing Business themes. The CLIR methodology has been adapted to other sectors, including agriculture (AgCLIR), health (HealthCLIR), and gender (GenderCLIR). The GenderCLIR diagnostic, in particular, has been used to examine the business-enabling environment for women in countries such as Rwanda and Vietnam. This diagnostic assesses various aspects of women's participation in the economy, including their role in society, their involvement in the private sector, and their access to property and trade. The evaluation of the BizCLIR project found that 92 percent of respondents considered the assessments to be useful. The CLIR methodology has been praised for its holistic approach to rule of law indicators, which takes into account the legal framework, related institutions, and social dynamics of reform. The World Bank's Doing Business project has also incorporated a gender component, recognizing the importance of addressing the conditions faced by women in trying to set up a business. The GenderCLIR diagnostic has been used to identify key issues and challenges faced by women in the business environment, including their limited access to finance, property, and trade. The diagnostic has also highlighted the importance of addressing cultural and social norms that hinder women's participation in the economy. The findings of the GenderCLIR diagnostic have informed policy recommendations and interventions aimed at promoting women's economic empowerment. The CLIR methodology has been widely used by USAID and other development agencies to assess the business-enabling environment in various countries. The tool has undergone several iterations and adaptations, including the development of GenderCLIR, which has been used to examine the business-enabling environment for women. The CLIR methodology has been praised for its holistic approach to rule of law indicators and has informed policy recommendations and interventions aimed at promoting women's economic empowerment.