The Committee on Development Effectiveness met to consider the Independent Evaluation Group report entitled Learning in World Bank Lending and the draft management response. 

The committee commended the report for its assessment of learning within World Bank lending operations, its high-quality analysis, and its focus on explicit and implicit knowledge, and welcomed its recommendations. There was a strong consensus on the importance of improving knowledge management within the World Bank. Members particularly appreciated suggestions to improve the use of existing learning opportunities and to better coordinate knowledge and learning across the institution. However, some voiced concerns about the persistent issues highlighted in the report, including overreliance on tacit and informal knowledge, fragmented knowledge ecosystems, and underresourcing of knowledge and learning staff, which are still present despite previous efforts at reform. Several members emphasized the need for a more systematic approach to knowledge management, such as improved mechanisms for capturing and disseminating knowledge—particularly tacit knowledge and lessons learned from failed projects. The committee suggested focusing on incentivizing knowledge sharing and learning, especially during project implementation, and on overcoming a potential “culture of fear” that seems to surround the reporting of mistakes. Members also highlighted the role of country offices in contextualizing global knowledge and the importance of incorporating knowledge from the Global South. 

The committee asked management how they envisioned the implementation of recommendations and emphasized the need for regular reporting to the Board of Executive Directors on its progress, with clearly defined outcomes and timelines. They sought clarifications from management on its plans to address the fragmentation and underresourced nature of the World Bank’s knowledge ecosystem, requested more details on the role of the new Knowledge and Learning Department, and pointed to increased potential for leveraging technology and AI. Some noted that they would have welcomed more information about client learning and capacity building as well as knowledge sharing with other multilateral development banks; however, they recognized this was out of this evaluation’s scope. Members expressed interest in expanding the evaluation to include International Finance Corporation and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency operations, and in exploring the potential for the South-to-North knowledge exchange. The need for robust metrics to measure the impact of knowledge initiatives was also noted.