Safeguards and Sustainability Policies in a Changing World (FTB)
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This is a Fast Track Brief for the Safeguards and Sustainability Policies in a Changing World. This evaluation aims to inform ongoing reviews of the environmental strategy of the World Bank and Performance Standards of IFC to enhance the effectiveness of future support. The coverage of the environmental policies across the Bank Group is similar in scope, but the World Bank's social safeguards are Show MoreThis is a Fast Track Brief for the Safeguards and Sustainability Policies in a Changing World. This evaluation aims to inform ongoing reviews of the environmental strategy of the World Bank and Performance Standards of IFC to enhance the effectiveness of future support. The coverage of the environmental policies across the Bank Group is similar in scope, but the World Bank's social safeguards are more limited than those of IFC and MIGA. The frequency with which the safeguard policies and Performance Standards are triggered is an indication of their relevance to the portfolio. About two thirds of World Bank investment projects approved since 1999 triggered environmental assessment. One fourth triggered the involuntary resettlement policy, other safeguards occurring more rarely. IFC's suite of Performance Standards was found to be more relevant to the portfolio: four of them â including the standards on labor and working conditions, and on community health, safety, and security â applied to half of IFC's total portfolio and to 90 percent of all projects with high or substantial risk. The evaluation concludes that the World Bank Group's safeguards and Performance Standards play a critical role in ensuring adequate attention to environmental and social outcomes. Given the changing nature of its clients and portfolios, the challenge is to ensure the continued relevance and effectiveness of the World Bank Group's environmental and social policies while complementing the emphasis on compliance with effective implementation. The evaluation points to the need for a systems approach, balancing upfront risk assessment with implementation support to increase effectiveness; policy consolidation with more comprehensive, balanced thematic coverage to ensure adequate upfront regulations while providing for better supervision, monitoring and evaluation, verification, and disclosure; and partnership with clients, third parties, and local communities to enhance ownership and results, integrating elements of the Bank's safeguards with some of the practices under IFC's Performance Stan-dards.
Congo, Republic of - Completion and Learning Review : IEG Review
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The Republic of Congo is a lower middle-income country with a GNI per capita (Atlas method in current $) of $1,480 in 2017. Oil production had been the main driver of growth and source of government revenues, with average annual GDP growth of 5.8 percent during 2008-2012. The poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 per day (2011 PPP, percent of population) had been declining, from 50.2 percent in 2005 Show MoreThe Republic of Congo is a lower middle-income country with a GNI per capita (Atlas method in current $) of $1,480 in 2017. Oil production had been the main driver of growth and source of government revenues, with average annual GDP growth of 5.8 percent during 2008-2012. The poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 per day (2011 PPP, percent of population) had been declining, from 50.2 percent in 2005 to 37 percent in 2011. However, poverty reduction occurred mainly in urban areas, with rural areas experiencing an increase in the poverty rate. There was little change in the Gini coefficient between 2005 and 2011. During the CPS period, oil prices dropped, resulting in a decline in average annual GDP growth to 1.4 percent during 2013-2017. The Systematic Country Diagnostic (2018) for the Republic of Congo estimated the poverty rate to have declined further to 35 percent in 2016. The human development index improved from 0.57 in 2012 to 0.61 in 2017. The overarching objectives of the CPS were to promote economic diversification and improve outcomes in public services with three pillars: (i) competitiveness and employment; (ii) vulnerability and resilience; and (iii) capacity building and governance.
IDA Internal Controls: Evaluation of Management's Remediation Program (FTB)
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This is the Fast Track Brief for the IDA Internal Controls: Evaluation of Management's Remediation Program. In response to a review of IDA's Internal Controls, World Bank management prepared a Five-Point Action Plan (FPAP) designed to address and remedy the controls weaknesses uncovered by the review. Following its analysis of how the FPAP has addressed the Material Weakness and the six Show MoreThis is the Fast Track Brief for the IDA Internal Controls: Evaluation of Management's Remediation Program. In response to a review of IDA's Internal Controls, World Bank management prepared a Five-Point Action Plan (FPAP) designed to address and remedy the controls weaknesses uncovered by the review. Following its analysis of how the FPAP has addressed the Material Weakness and the six Significant Deficiencies, IEG finds that there has been substantial progress in addressing all of the Significant Deficiencies. IEG concludes on this basis that the Material Weakness should be downgraded to a Significant Deficiency, and, of the six original Significant Deficiencies, two (which relate to generic weaknesses in fiduciary controls and certain weaknesses in information technology controls) should be removed and four should remain pending implementation and testing of stated actions. Thus, the result of the FPAP so far has been to move from one Material Weakness and six Significant Deficiencies to five ongoing Significant Deficiencies: controls over fraud and corruption; currency of OP/BPs; re-tention and accessibility of operational documents; manage-ment oversight and staff incentives; and risk management. The extensive review of internal controls has been a positive experience and has strengthened IDA and the Bank. Management should periodically conduct such reviews, with modifications to fit the circumstances. IEG has noted the next steps that management described in its report to emphasize the monitoring of key aspects of the Bank's quality assurance, financial management, and procurement systems and to strengthen still further the Bank's risk management systems.
Results and Performance 2010: The World Bank Group (FTB)
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This is the Fast Track Brief for the Results and Performance 2010: The World Bank Group. This joint report discusses recent activities and results of the WBG and focuses on select issues in development effectiveness at each institution. Additionally, a separate volume of this report contains a detailed review and rating of management response and actions regarding recommendations from the Show MoreThis is the Fast Track Brief for the Results and Performance 2010: The World Bank Group. This joint report discusses recent activities and results of the WBG and focuses on select issues in development effectiveness at each institution. Additionally, a separate volume of this report contains a detailed review and rating of management response and actions regarding recommendations from the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) from recent years.
Together with other international financial institutions, the WBG has sharply boosted financing for developing countries to limit economic contraction and contagion -a goal that appears to have been achieved. Despite deterioration in economic and social results, developing countries have largely maintained access to markets, and many are on a path to recovery â though that upturn remains sluggish and very uneven. Country and thematic reviews bring out a highly variable picture of outcomes. A first but only partial measure of WBG performance is project outcomes. Current performance has fallen relative to long-term trends in areas such as health, nutrition, and population and even in transport. Project rating declines relative to long-term trends are reflected in both development policy loans and investment lending. IFC's investment projects that have reached maturity achieved satisfactory or higher development outcome ratings when compared with market benchmarks, on a three-year rolling average basis. This is in line with levels in recent years. Year-on-year development outcome ratings remain stable relative to the preceding year (75 percent in 2008 compared to 74 percent in 2009). Environmental and social effects improved during the evaluation period. On project performance, at MIGA, 58 percent of recently evaluated projects had satisfactory or better development outcome ratings. A second and broader picture of performance and results emerges from country and thematic reviews, which show a variable picture of outcomes across sectors and themes and across countries and regions.
Climate Change and the World Bank Group: Phase II: The Challenge of Low-Carbon Development
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This study reviews the World Bank's efforts in mitigating climate change, which have expanded rapidly in recent years. Seeking lessons on what works and what doesn't, the report stresses five measures that offer attractive local benefits while fighting climate change: energy efficiency; forest protection; appropriate project finance; technology transfer; and accelerated learning. The IEG report Show MoreThis study reviews the World Bank's efforts in mitigating climate change, which have expanded rapidly in recent years. Seeking lessons on what works and what doesn't, the report stresses five measures that offer attractive local benefits while fighting climate change: energy efficiency; forest protection; appropriate project finance; technology transfer; and accelerated learning. The IEG report recommends that the World Bank Group rebalance its efforts toward higher-impact sectors and instruments, with relatively greater emphasis on energy efficiency, such as lighting and improvements in electricity transmission and distribution. The report also emphasizes the need for the Bank to actively assist clients to move away from coal, using energy-system-wide analyses to find cleaner, more cost-effective and financeable alternatives. It urges the Bank Group to take a public venture capital approach, incubating a portfolio of promising investments and rapidly scaling up the successful ones.
Kazakhstan - Completion and Learning Review : IEG Review
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The Republic of Kazakhstan is a land-locked upper middle-income country with a nominal GNI per capita of $7960 in 2017. The country depends on oil, with production and exports of hydrocarbon accounting for 21 percent of GDP and 62 percent of exports in 2017. Average annual GDP growth declined from 6.5 percent during 2006-2011 to 3.6 percent during the CPS period (2012-17), primarily due to Show MoreThe Republic of Kazakhstan is a land-locked upper middle-income country with a nominal GNI per capita of $7960 in 2017. The country depends on oil, with production and exports of hydrocarbon accounting for 21 percent of GDP and 62 percent of exports in 2017. Average annual GDP growth declined from 6.5 percent during 2006-2011 to 3.6 percent during the CPS period (2012-17), primarily due to deteriorating oil prices after 2013. The fall in oil prices reduced the growth of non-oil activities and the associated gains in wages and employment. Per capita GDP grew at 2.1 percent during the CPS period and contributed to reduce the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line from 5.5 to 2.5 percent of the population between 2011 and 2017. Income distribution improved, with the Gini index falling from 0.28 in 2011 to 0.275 in 2017. The Human Development Index improved from 0.765 in 2010 to 0.800 in 2017. Kazakhstan key development challenges and goals set in the Strategy 2030 and Strategy 2050 include strengthening macroeconomic management (including strengthening of non-oil sources of revenues), reducing the state presence in the economy, strengthening regional economics through infrastructure and agricultural value chains, ensuring equal access to high quality education, enhancing social protection, managing natural resources, policy regarding water resources and improving governance and public sector capacity.
The World Bank Group Partnership with the Philippines, 2009–18
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This Country Program Evaluation (CPE) assesses the development effectiveness of the World Bank Group program in the Philippines between 2009 and 2018.This Country Program Evaluation (CPE) assesses the development effectiveness of the World Bank Group program in the Philippines between 2009 and 2018.
IDA Internal Controls: Evaluation of Management's Remediation Program
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The key purpose of the International Development Agency's (IDA) internal control system is to assure its stakeholders that IDA complies with its articles and policies and that the funds it provides for development purposes are used as intended and show measurable results.
This evaluation, which started in 2005, was the first of its kind done by any international development finance institution. Show MoreThe key purpose of the International Development Agency's (IDA) internal control system is to assure its stakeholders that IDA complies with its articles and policies and that the funds it provides for development purposes are used as intended and show measurable results.
This evaluation, which started in 2005, was the first of its kind done by any international development finance institution. It was carried out over several stages and resulted in three major reports, at each stage including a detailed management self-assessment, a review by the Bank's Internal Auditing Department (IAD), and a comprehensive independent evaluation by IEG.
At the end of the process, a senior outside advisory panel (three distinguished former Auditor-Generals) validated IEG's approach and conclusions.
IEG found at the time that, overall, IDA's internal controls framework operated effectively and with high standards, but with some important qualifications.
Most importantly, IEG identified one important weakness (classified as a Material Weakness) in the complex of controls to manage the risk of fraud and corruption in IDA-supported operations. This finding was based on the identification of the risk that fraud and corruption may occur rather than on an assessment of actual occurrences.
IEG also identified six Significant Deficiencies (SDs)â these are also important issues but do not rise to the level of a Material Weakness.
Philippines - Completion and Learning Review : IEG Review
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The Philippine economy has been growing rapidly over the past decade. However, performance on poverty reduction, inequality and human development has been persistently low. The country is also a natural disaster hotspot, with frequent typhoons, tropical storms and earthquakes. It has also been affected by internal unrest, predominantly the protracted conflict and violence on the southern island Show MoreThe Philippine economy has been growing rapidly over the past decade. However, performance on poverty reduction, inequality and human development has been persistently low. The country is also a natural disaster hotspot, with frequent typhoons, tropical storms and earthquakes. It has also been affected by internal unrest, predominantly the protracted conflict and violence on the southern island of Mindanao. The 2014 Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) was well aligned with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-16 that aimed at reducing poverty and improving the lives of the poorest segments of the population. The subsequent PDP 2017-22 shifted some emphasis to major infrastructure investments – where the WBG has not been particularly active – but also seeks to lift about six million citizens from poverty, achieve upper-middle income status by 2022, and to deliver a comprehensive agenda for peace and development in conflict-affected areas. The WBG program as adjusted in the 2017 PLR was therefore well aligned with significant aspects of the current PDP. The CPS set out a program that was divided in five focus areas: Transparent and Accountable Government; Empowerment of the Poor and the Vulnerable; Rapid, Inclusive and Sustained Economic Growth; Climate Change, Environment, and Disaster Risk Management; and Peace, Institution-Building, and Social and Economic Opportunity – all these areas were of high priority for the country and under the PDP.
Evaluation Capacity: Central to Achieving the SDGs
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Now that the International Year of Evaluation (EvalYear) is drawing to a close, what's next?
Now that the International Year of Evaluation (EvalYear) is drawing to a close, what's next?