Examines how the Mesoamerican region can realise its economic potential through regional policies that exploit its many comparative advantages and better governance at mesoregional, national and local levels.

Assesses the comprehensive SME policies introduced by the Mexican Government during the past six years aimed at improving the efficiency and competitiveness of Mexican SMEs by reducing barriers to entrepreneurial activity.

This book provides an overview of governance and development in the Mesoamerican Region (MAR), the design and scope of the Plan Puebla Panamá (PPP), its relationship to pre-existing regional organisms and its transformation into Proyecto Mesoamérica. The PPP was introduced as a holistic project that would reverse the cycles of poverty in Mesoamerica. However, the plan incited huge opposition from many groups within Mesoamerica, and throughout its duration few of its objectives were met. The author analyses the plan and describes the regional setting and precursors, as well as the US policy towards the Mesoamerican countries. Using this approach with an analysis of governance in Mesoamerica, this monograph shows a more complete picture of why this ambitious development project did not reach its goals and draws applicable insights to other regions where governance is complex.

This review analyses key areas of public governance in Costa Rica, identifying opportunities to improve the performance of the state in order to ensure more effective and efficient service delivery for all.

This book is a handy reference guide to the regional policies of OECD countries and a broader analysis of trends in regional policies, based on sound, comparable information.

Examines how the Mesoamerican region can realise its economic potential through regional policies that exploit its many comparative advantages and better governance at mesoregional, national and local levels.