Books by Elsa de Morais Sarmento
The Global Handbook of Impact Investing: Solving Global Problems Via Smarter Capital Markets Towards A More Sustainable Society, 2020

Wiley, 2020
The Global Handbook of Impact Investing: Solving Global Problems Via Smarter Capital Markets Towa... more The Global Handbook of Impact Investing: Solving Global Problems Via Smarter Capital Markets Towards A More Sustainable Society is an insightful guide to the growing world-wide movement of Impact Investing. Impact investors seek to realize lasting, beneficial improvements in society by allocating capital to sources of impactful and sustainable profit.
This Handbook is a how-to guide for institutional investors, including family offices, foundations, endowments, governments, and international organizations, as well as academics, students, and everyday investors globally. The Handbook´s wide-ranging contributions from around the world make a powerful case for positive impact and profit to fund substantive, lasting solutions that solve critical problems across the world.
Edited by two experienced and distinguished professionals in the sustainable investing arena and authored by two dozen renowned experts from finance, academia, and multilateral organizations from around the world, the Global Handbook of Impact Investing educates, inspires, and spurs action towards more responsible investing across all asset classes, resulting in smarter capital markets, including how to:
· Realize positive impact and profit
· Integrate impact into investment decision-making and portfolio
· Allocate impactful investments across all asset classes
· Apply unique Impact Investing frameworks
· Measure, evaluate and report on impact
· Learn from case examples around the globe
· Pursue Best Practices in Impact Investing and impact reporting
While other resources may take a local or limited approach to the subject, this Handbook gathers global knowledge and results from public and private institutions spanning five continents. The authors also make a powerful case for the ability of Impact Investing to lead to substantive and lasting change that addresses critical problems across the world.
Presentation to the European Evaluation Society.

This Handbook aims to support policy-makers, national
governments, national and regional public a... more This Handbook aims to support policy-makers, national
governments, national and regional public administrations, PPP
officers, practitioners, international institutions, development
agencies, financial institutions, academia and the evaluation
community, in the design, implementation and assessment of
appropriate responses to foster PPPs uptake in the context of
developing and emerging economies. It aims to be a valuable
information resource and a practical guide, not only by docu-
menting the key role of PPPs in developing and emerging coun-
tries, but also by exposing cross-country diversity in respect to
their institutional and governance framework, strategic resources
and business environment. These dimensions are particularly
relevant as PPPs are also affected by barriers and inefficiencies in he business environment and market failures in the knowledge-
based economy.
This Handbook resulted from highly valuable contributions of
a diverse range of authors originating from three international
organizations (African Development Bank Group, United Nations
and World Bank Group), the Brazilian Development Bank (Banco
Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social) and the
Instituto Brasileiro de Administração Municipal (IBAM), and aca-
demic institutions from 12 countries (China, India, Italy, Latvia,
Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Portugal, Slovenia, Turkey,
the United States, and the United Kingdom).

Over the last few decades, evaluation methods have shifted from the dominance of narrow experimen... more Over the last few decades, evaluation methods have shifted from the dominance of narrow experimental approaches to include a wider range of quantitative designs, the development of more participatory-based consultative models and the application of more sophisticated qualitative and interpretative approaches. In this context, the argument for impact evaluation (IE) has gained traction as it can provide clear evidence free of ideological or political bias and thus help raise the quality of evidence used to make program and policy decisions
This issue of eVALUation Matters discusses some of the “hot” topics [in impact evaluation] and provides an overview of the frontline research in the field. It starts with a set of interviews with prominent experts. This is followed by a discussion on context and methodology, institutionalization of IE, and impact evaluations in three key developmental areas: rural development, education and corruption. Rakesh Nangia, AfDB Evaluator General

Economies that thrive most on their ambitions, innovative and productive firms are due to grow an... more Economies that thrive most on their ambitions, innovative and productive firms are due to grow and develop. Our motivation is thus to uncover who are these fast-growing firms and where they operate. These interrogations provide the foundation for an exploration into what are the different choices for policy, and an opportunity to engage afresh with why and if they ought to receive support in the first place, infusing the discussion as to when and how it could be provided and what could the intended results be. We use the dataset Quadros de Pessoal to provide a stronger twofold measurement, according to the employment and turnover growth criteria. We find among Portugal’s distinctive characteristics its high share of SMEs in the population of fast-growing firms, the narrowing down of the difference between measurements according to the employment and turnover criteria and the disproportionate amount of employment generated by the largest segment of fast-growing firms. We find that gazelles are outstanding job creators, having a disproportionately larger impact in job creation than high-growth firms. Accordingly, it is the rapid growth of a few large firms, combined with the entry of a higher number of firms of a higher average size that generates positive net job creation in Portugal. A more thorough understanding of fast-growing firms ought to lead to adjustments in government policies to heighten their exceptional contribution to economic growth. We provide a conceptual framework for tapping into how to design policies for firms which are growing at a faster pace and a roadmap for tackling some of its most controversial issues.
In the constant challenge economies face to grow and adapt, entrepreneurship and innovation are c... more In the constant challenge economies face to grow and adapt, entrepreneurship and innovation are considered key factors. This book shows the complementary and decisive role that education, access to an efficient financial system, and regulation may have in creating an entrepreneurial society.

O Livro "Casos de Desenvolvimento Regional" foi lançado em Setembro de 2011.
Esta obra foi coorde... more O Livro "Casos de Desenvolvimento Regional" foi lançado em Setembro de 2011.
Esta obra foi coordenada pelo Prof. Doutor Rui Nuno Baleiras, sob a chancela do Observatório do QREN, tendo contado com o contributo de vários autores.
Num tempo em que, cada vez mais, se tornam claros os riscos de valorização excessiva do curto prazo, vale a pena dar atenção aos temas e aos processos que condicionam a melhoria sustentável da qualidade de vida. É disso que o desenvolvimento regional cuida.
Casos de Desenvolvimento Regional é um livro diferente. No conteúdo e na forma. Concentrado na economia e na política do desenvolvimento regional, estabelece uma ponte entre teoria e prática que visa preencher uma falha no mercado editorial.
Foi escrito para satisfazer dois públicos-alvo: inúmeras disciplinas de ensino superior no espaço lusófono e ibérico que versam sobre questões de desenvolvimento económico e social e profissionais ligados à formulação de políticas e à dinamização de acções colectivas visando a competitividade e a coesão dos territórios.
Adopta a metodologia de “casos de estudo”, com exercícios propostos no final de cada capítulo. Possui alguns textos em inglês para viabilizar a sua utilização com estudantes não fluentes em português. Os contributos foram escolhidos através de um processo competitivo para reunir experiências profissionais complementares, da academia à execução operacional, passando pelas formulação e avaliação de políticas e pela dinamização de actores .
In the constant challenge economies face to grow and adapt, entrepreneurship and innovation are c... more In the constant challenge economies face to grow and adapt, entrepreneurship and innovation are considered key factors. This book shows the complementary and decisive role that education, access to an efficient financial system, and regulation may have in creating an entrepreneurial society.
Papers by Elsa de Morais Sarmento

Revista Portuguesa De Estudos Regionais, Sep 10, 2011
Classificação JEL codes: C14, C41, L25, L26, R11 Este estudo aborda a capacidade de sobrevivência... more Classificação JEL codes: C14, C41, L25, L26, R11 Este estudo aborda a capacidade de sobrevivência de empresas na região Norte de Portugal, de 1985 a 2007, fornecendo comparações regionais e nacionais, com recurso a funções de risco e sobrevivência e a métodos não paramétricos e semi-paramétricos. A análise assenta na criação de uma base de dados de empreendedorismo baseada na informação dos Quadros de Pessoal, ao qual foi aplicada a metodologia da OCDE e do Eurostat patente no "Manual Estatístico da Demografia das Empresas". Os resultados apontam para um encerramento precoce da actividade empresarial no Norte, sendo a duração mediana da vida das empresas inferior à das restantes regiões. A elevada taxa de turbulência de entrada e saída de empresas no mercado é apontada como a variável com o efeito mais significativo nas probabilidades de sobrevivência.
Anales De Economia Aplicada 2010 2010 Isbn 978 84 92954 15 5, 2010

Economia Global E Gestao, Sep 1, 2012
ABSTRACT The development of better regulation policies in Portugal has been integrated in the Sta... more ABSTRACT The development of better regulation policies in Portugal has been integrated in the States reform and modernization effort, geared towards the accomplishment of the compromises portrayed in the Lisbon Agenda. Based on the World Banks «Doing Business 2011» report, we appraise the Portuguese performance comparatively to a selection of relevant countries, in three key dimensions of the regulatory environment: bureaucratic procedures, costs and delay, considered determinants to the doing business environment and citizens quality of life. This comparative analysis shows that despite the notable improvement of the last few years, there is still progress to be made, concerning not only improving regulation in itself, but also the functioning of the Public Administration and the State, calling for a more efficient and prompt resolution of administrative and judicial processes. It is particularly urgent to curb the excessive procedural delay in international transactions of goods, licensing, tax payments, judicial resolution of commercial disputes and firm bankruptcy.
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Books by Elsa de Morais Sarmento
This Handbook is a how-to guide for institutional investors, including family offices, foundations, endowments, governments, and international organizations, as well as academics, students, and everyday investors globally. The Handbook´s wide-ranging contributions from around the world make a powerful case for positive impact and profit to fund substantive, lasting solutions that solve critical problems across the world.
Edited by two experienced and distinguished professionals in the sustainable investing arena and authored by two dozen renowned experts from finance, academia, and multilateral organizations from around the world, the Global Handbook of Impact Investing educates, inspires, and spurs action towards more responsible investing across all asset classes, resulting in smarter capital markets, including how to:
· Realize positive impact and profit
· Integrate impact into investment decision-making and portfolio
· Allocate impactful investments across all asset classes
· Apply unique Impact Investing frameworks
· Measure, evaluate and report on impact
· Learn from case examples around the globe
· Pursue Best Practices in Impact Investing and impact reporting
While other resources may take a local or limited approach to the subject, this Handbook gathers global knowledge and results from public and private institutions spanning five continents. The authors also make a powerful case for the ability of Impact Investing to lead to substantive and lasting change that addresses critical problems across the world.
governments, national and regional public administrations, PPP
officers, practitioners, international institutions, development
agencies, financial institutions, academia and the evaluation
community, in the design, implementation and assessment of
appropriate responses to foster PPPs uptake in the context of
developing and emerging economies. It aims to be a valuable
information resource and a practical guide, not only by docu-
menting the key role of PPPs in developing and emerging coun-
tries, but also by exposing cross-country diversity in respect to
their institutional and governance framework, strategic resources
and business environment. These dimensions are particularly
relevant as PPPs are also affected by barriers and inefficiencies in he business environment and market failures in the knowledge-
based economy.
This Handbook resulted from highly valuable contributions of
a diverse range of authors originating from three international
organizations (African Development Bank Group, United Nations
and World Bank Group), the Brazilian Development Bank (Banco
Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social) and the
Instituto Brasileiro de Administração Municipal (IBAM), and aca-
demic institutions from 12 countries (China, India, Italy, Latvia,
Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Portugal, Slovenia, Turkey,
the United States, and the United Kingdom).
This issue of eVALUation Matters discusses some of the “hot” topics [in impact evaluation] and provides an overview of the frontline research in the field. It starts with a set of interviews with prominent experts. This is followed by a discussion on context and methodology, institutionalization of IE, and impact evaluations in three key developmental areas: rural development, education and corruption. Rakesh Nangia, AfDB Evaluator General
Esta obra foi coordenada pelo Prof. Doutor Rui Nuno Baleiras, sob a chancela do Observatório do QREN, tendo contado com o contributo de vários autores.
Num tempo em que, cada vez mais, se tornam claros os riscos de valorização excessiva do curto prazo, vale a pena dar atenção aos temas e aos processos que condicionam a melhoria sustentável da qualidade de vida. É disso que o desenvolvimento regional cuida.
Casos de Desenvolvimento Regional é um livro diferente. No conteúdo e na forma. Concentrado na economia e na política do desenvolvimento regional, estabelece uma ponte entre teoria e prática que visa preencher uma falha no mercado editorial.
Foi escrito para satisfazer dois públicos-alvo: inúmeras disciplinas de ensino superior no espaço lusófono e ibérico que versam sobre questões de desenvolvimento económico e social e profissionais ligados à formulação de políticas e à dinamização de acções colectivas visando a competitividade e a coesão dos territórios.
Adopta a metodologia de “casos de estudo”, com exercícios propostos no final de cada capítulo. Possui alguns textos em inglês para viabilizar a sua utilização com estudantes não fluentes em português. Os contributos foram escolhidos através de um processo competitivo para reunir experiências profissionais complementares, da academia à execução operacional, passando pelas formulação e avaliação de políticas e pela dinamização de actores .
Papers by Elsa de Morais Sarmento
This Handbook is a how-to guide for institutional investors, including family offices, foundations, endowments, governments, and international organizations, as well as academics, students, and everyday investors globally. The Handbook´s wide-ranging contributions from around the world make a powerful case for positive impact and profit to fund substantive, lasting solutions that solve critical problems across the world.
Edited by two experienced and distinguished professionals in the sustainable investing arena and authored by two dozen renowned experts from finance, academia, and multilateral organizations from around the world, the Global Handbook of Impact Investing educates, inspires, and spurs action towards more responsible investing across all asset classes, resulting in smarter capital markets, including how to:
· Realize positive impact and profit
· Integrate impact into investment decision-making and portfolio
· Allocate impactful investments across all asset classes
· Apply unique Impact Investing frameworks
· Measure, evaluate and report on impact
· Learn from case examples around the globe
· Pursue Best Practices in Impact Investing and impact reporting
While other resources may take a local or limited approach to the subject, this Handbook gathers global knowledge and results from public and private institutions spanning five continents. The authors also make a powerful case for the ability of Impact Investing to lead to substantive and lasting change that addresses critical problems across the world.
governments, national and regional public administrations, PPP
officers, practitioners, international institutions, development
agencies, financial institutions, academia and the evaluation
community, in the design, implementation and assessment of
appropriate responses to foster PPPs uptake in the context of
developing and emerging economies. It aims to be a valuable
information resource and a practical guide, not only by docu-
menting the key role of PPPs in developing and emerging coun-
tries, but also by exposing cross-country diversity in respect to
their institutional and governance framework, strategic resources
and business environment. These dimensions are particularly
relevant as PPPs are also affected by barriers and inefficiencies in he business environment and market failures in the knowledge-
based economy.
This Handbook resulted from highly valuable contributions of
a diverse range of authors originating from three international
organizations (African Development Bank Group, United Nations
and World Bank Group), the Brazilian Development Bank (Banco
Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social) and the
Instituto Brasileiro de Administração Municipal (IBAM), and aca-
demic institutions from 12 countries (China, India, Italy, Latvia,
Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Portugal, Slovenia, Turkey,
the United States, and the United Kingdom).
This issue of eVALUation Matters discusses some of the “hot” topics [in impact evaluation] and provides an overview of the frontline research in the field. It starts with a set of interviews with prominent experts. This is followed by a discussion on context and methodology, institutionalization of IE, and impact evaluations in three key developmental areas: rural development, education and corruption. Rakesh Nangia, AfDB Evaluator General
Esta obra foi coordenada pelo Prof. Doutor Rui Nuno Baleiras, sob a chancela do Observatório do QREN, tendo contado com o contributo de vários autores.
Num tempo em que, cada vez mais, se tornam claros os riscos de valorização excessiva do curto prazo, vale a pena dar atenção aos temas e aos processos que condicionam a melhoria sustentável da qualidade de vida. É disso que o desenvolvimento regional cuida.
Casos de Desenvolvimento Regional é um livro diferente. No conteúdo e na forma. Concentrado na economia e na política do desenvolvimento regional, estabelece uma ponte entre teoria e prática que visa preencher uma falha no mercado editorial.
Foi escrito para satisfazer dois públicos-alvo: inúmeras disciplinas de ensino superior no espaço lusófono e ibérico que versam sobre questões de desenvolvimento económico e social e profissionais ligados à formulação de políticas e à dinamização de acções colectivas visando a competitividade e a coesão dos territórios.
Adopta a metodologia de “casos de estudo”, com exercícios propostos no final de cada capítulo. Possui alguns textos em inglês para viabilizar a sua utilização com estudantes não fluentes em português. Os contributos foram escolhidos através de um processo competitivo para reunir experiências profissionais complementares, da academia à execução operacional, passando pelas formulação e avaliação de políticas e pela dinamização de actores .
This presentation will provide guidance and examples about how to structure a policy document of this type and go about conceiving, setting-up and implementing Monitoring and Evaluation Policies.
In developing countries in particular, the private sector has recognizably become an important driver of development. Multilateral development banks (MDBs), other IFIs and donors can no longer ignore the private sector as a key partner in development.
Developing and applying new and more appropriate evaluation methodologies and practices for evaluating private sector development interventions is an ongoing effort. This roundtable will focus on its recent developments and on how these evaluation methodologies and practices have influenced and driven institutional innovation, thus transforming the development landscape.
Abstract of the Roundtable
The Roundtable intends to deal with the following main questions, in both a multilateral and bilateral development:
Have outcomes of private sector evaluations fostered important innovations in development finance institutions and other development institutions?
Which are the new issues/methodologies raised by the recent SME and public-private partnerships (PPPs) evaluations?
Other questions that can be addressed are:
What are the differences regarding the pace of innovation in the private sector and what are bilaterals and multilaterals doing differently?
What are the most recent financial instruments for private sector support?
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in MDBs is part of these institutions drive for enhanced learning, accountability, but also has a role in the innovation process, through lessons learned made available from projects, strategies and policies´ M&E processes.
Further, a characterization of the innovation process within the MDB´s context during the last 20 years would not be complete without an account of the developments taking place in the Evaluation Cooperation Group (ECG[1]). The ECG was created to enhance collaboration among different MDB´s evaluation functions and ease learning. One of its initial objectives was to develop a wide range of good practice standards for public sector evaluation, private sector evaluation, evaluation of country´s strategies, amongst others. Further details will be presented on ECG recent developments, thereby describing the process of preparing evaluation good practice standards, in particular those for the private and public sector evaluation.
Abstract
During the workshop several themes will be presented:
The evolving experience of the ECG and MDBs evaluation systems and whether this has enhanced innovation within these institutions;
Examples of good practice standards and how relevant they are for other development finance institutions;
ECG benchmarking exercises of good practice standards, its importance in assuring that innovation takes off at the level of evaluation functions;
Performance rating systems for public as well as private sector evaluation, driving institutional learning and the importance of holding MDBs accountable.
The enhanced focus on learning lessons and how this has driven change and innovation in MDBs.