As part of the World Bank’s overarching effort to promote private sector development, the Subnational B-READY assesses the business environment in select cities within measured economies to delineate the geographic variation. These assessments adopt a holistic view of the private sector as they take into account perspectives from all private sector development stakeholders—existing firms, potential entrants, and citizens at large—and consider key aspects such as transparency and environmental requirements.
Subnational B-READY uses the methodology established by the Global B-READY report, adapting it to project-specific contexts according to client needs. The assessments are based on primary data collected by the Subnational B-READY team.
Subnational B-READY assessments target topics that are part of the firm life cycle and relevant at the subnational level, taking local priorities into account. These topics include, but are not limited to: Business Entry, Business Location, Utility Services, Dispute Resolution, and Business Insolvency. Across all topics, the assessments explore cross-cutting areas of digital adoption, environmental sustainability, and gender.
Subnational B-READY Most Common Topics
Certain regions or economies may benefit from more tailored, bespoke evaluations of business regulations applicable to specific industries or prominent economic sectors. In this case, and upon the clients’ request, the Subnational B-READY unit can conduct assessments beyond the scope of the global B-READY project, covering areas including, among others, government procurement, special industries, and natural resources.
Each Subnational B-READY topic rests on three pillars: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. The Regulatory Framework Pillar comprises the rules and regulations firms must follow when they open, operate, and close a business. The Public Services Pillar encompasses the facilities governments provide to support compliance with regulations and the institutions and infrastructure enabling business activities. Public services are limited to the business environment areas related to the life cycle of the firm. The Operational Efficiency Pillar assesses both ease of compliance with the regulatory framework and the effectiveness of public services directly relevant to firms.
The Subnational B-READY methodology compiles a large set of indicators for each pillar within each topic, following the Global B-READY categorizations. The selection of indicators is based on their relevance, value added, and complementarity. These indicators have five major characteristics: they are indicative of established good practices; they are quantifiable and actionable through policy reforms; they seek to balance de jure and de facto measures within topics; they are comparable across locations and representative within each economy; and they span the most relevant aspects of each topic.
The Subnational B-READY studies differ from Global B-READY in the following ways:
For more details on the Subnational B-READY methodology and assessment processes, please refer to the Subnational B-READY Manual and Guide.
