Publications & Documents

This edition of the Reader’s Companion accompanies Skills Matter: Additional Results from the Survey of Adult Skills that reports the results from the 39 countries and regions that participated in the 3 rounds of data collection in the first cycle of PIAAC, with a particular focus on the 6 countries that participated in the third round of the study (Ecuador, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Peru and the United States). It describes the design and methodology of the survey and its relationship to other international assessments of young students and adults. The Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), was designed to provide insights into the availability of some key skills in society and how they are used at work and at home. The first survey of its kind, it directly measures proficiency in several information-processing skills – namely literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments.

How can assessment and evaluation policies work together more effectively to improve student outcomes in primary and secondary schools? The country reports in this series provide, from an international perspective, an independent analysis of major issues facing evaluation and assessment policy to identify improvements that can be made to enhance the quality, equity and efficiency of school education. Turkey’s education system stands out internationally as a success story. In recent decades, participation has been vastly expanded, becoming universal at lower levels of schooling and outperforming other middle-income countries in upper secondary education. However, the education system is also marked by disparities, with only around half of 15-year olds acquiring the essential competencies they need for life and work. This review, developed in co operation with UNICEF, suggests how student assessment can be used more effectively to better support all students to do well. It provides recommendations for enhancing teachers’ classroom assessments, assessing a broader range of skills through national examinations and using the new national assessment to support improvements in learning and teachers’ assessment practice.

Robust SME sectors are critical to the prosperity of the six Western Balkan economies and Turkey, accounting for over 70% of those employed in the business sector and generating 65% of value added in these seven economies. Yet their potential remains untapped, as SMEs across the region grapple with numerous challenges that hamper their growth and productivity. They are still under-represented in international trade, and their contributions to value-added remain comparatively low as they have difficulties in moving or expanding into high value-added activities. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the implementation of the ten principles of the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA) in the seven EU pre-accession economies over the period 2016-18. It monitors progress against similar assessments performed over the past decade and identifies the outstanding challenges affecting SMEs. It also provides targeted recommendations to remove barriers to SME development and unleashing their potential for driving inclusive economic growth.

La Turquie est l’économie de l’OCDE qui affiche la plus forte croissance et voit ses émissions de gaz à effet de serre progresser rapidement. Depuis 2008, ses émissions atmosphériques, sa consommation d’énergie et d’eau et sa production de déchets ont été découplées en termes relatifs de la croissance économique. Ces pressions environnementales continueront néanmoins d’augmenter dans l’absolu en raison de la forte intensité d’utilisation de ressources de l’économie et de sa dépendance à l’égard des énergies fossiles. Pour améliorer ses performances environnementales, le pays devra réaliser des progrès plus importants dans la transition vers une économie circulaire et peu émettrice de carbone. Ceci est le troisième Examen environnemental de la Turquie. Il évalue les avancées du pays en matière de développement durable et de croissance verte, et comporte des chapitres spéciaux consacrés au changement climatique et à la gestion des eaux usées urbaines. Cette version abrégée contient le résumé, ainsi que l’évaluation et les recommandations officielles du rapport, issues des trois chapitres sur les tendances et développements récents, la gouvernance, la croissance verte, ainsi que des deux chapitres détaillés sur le changement climatique et la gestion des eaux usées urbaines.

Under Action 14, countries have committed to implement a minimum standard to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of the mutual agreement procedure (MAP). The MAP is included in Article 25 of the OECD Model Tax Convention and commits countries to endeavour to resolve disputes related to the interpretation and application of tax treaties. The Action 14 Minimum Standard has been translated into specific terms of reference and a methodology for the peer review and monitoring process. The minimum standard is complemented by a set of best practices. The peer review process is conducted in two stages. Stage 1 assesses countries against the terms of reference of the minimum standard according to an agreed schedule of review. Stage 2 focuses on monitoring the follow-up of any recommendations resulting from jurisdictions' stage 1 peer review report. This report reflects the outcome of the stage 1 peer review of the implementation of the Action 14 Minimum Standard by Turkey.