Unlocking Growth: Overcoming Constraints on Private Enterprise
Organized by the Private Sector Development Research Network
Hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Moderated by Zeinab Partow, Lead Economist, Economic Policy and Market Research Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Friday, 30 May 2025 from 9-10am EDT
ABOUT THE SEMINAR
This research seminar will examine the revised Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD) methodology and its evidence-based approach to identifying private sector growth opportunities. The presentation will analyze how CPSDs leverage data and economic analysis to pinpoint regulatory barriers and market failures that constrain private investment in high-potential sectors.The reports identify targeted policy interventions to unlock private capital for development while addressing market inefficiencies. The analytical framework combines firm-level insights with macroeconomic and sectoral data to produce actionable recommendations for both policymakers and investors. The seminar will highlight key research findings from the Zambia and Paraguay CPSDs, showcasing how this methodology identifies empirically-grounded pathways for sustainable and inclusive private sector-led growth.
The first report in the new generation of CPSDS covered Zambia and can be found here.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Jeffrey Allen Chelsky
Manager, Private Sector Diagnostics, Economic Policy and Market Research Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Jeffrey manages the Private Sector Diagnostics Unit in the Economic Policy and Market Research Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Since joining the World Bank in 2008, he has held various positions including Lead Economist in the Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice, Coordinator for the Bank’s relationship with the G20, and Manager in both the Operations Policy and Country Services VPU and the Independent Evaluation Group. He co-chaired the World Bank Group’s Working Group on the Mobilization of Private Finance, for which he was awarded the President’s Award for Excellence for contributing to the development of the shared MDG methodology for measuring the mobilization of private investment. Prior to joining the Bank, Jeffrey held several positions at the IMF, including Senior Advisor to the Executive Director representing Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean, country economist in the European Department and Senior Economist in the IMF’s Independent Evaluation Group. He has also work for Canada’s Departments of Finance and Industry. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Queen’s University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto.
Ernesto Lopez Cordova
Lead Economist, Economic Policy and Market Research Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Ernesto joined the World Bank Group in June 2016. His work has focused on SME-support policies, entrepreneurship, international trade, and private sector development more broadly. Prior to joining the WBG, Ernesto worked at the Mexican Ministry of Finance, where he served as Head of the Economic Productivity Unit and as Technical Secretary of Mexico’s National Productivity Council, working closely with private sector organizations and other public agencies in the design and implementation of public policies aimed at raising productivity in an inclusive manner. He served as first co-chair of the OECD’s Global Forum on Productivity. Earlier in his career, he was Lead Country Economist for Mexico at the Inter-American Development Bank; Program Manager at the WBG’s Enterprise Analysis Unit; and Director for Market Access Negotiations at Mexico’s Ministry of Trade and Industry. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from UC Berkeley, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from MIT. He has written about the business environment and its impact on firm performance; entrepreneurial ecosystems; the social and economic impact of trade liberalization; and the development implications of international remittances; among other topics.