Growth and Productivity in Agriculture and Agribusiness
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Enhanced agricultural growth and productivity are essential if we are to meet the worldwide demand for food and reduce poverty, particularly in the poorest developing countries. Between 1998 and 2008, the period covered by this evaluation, the World Bank Group provided $23.7 billion in financing for agriculture and agribusiness in 108 countries (roughly 8 percent of total World Bank Group Show MoreEnhanced agricultural growth and productivity are essential if we are to meet the worldwide demand for food and reduce poverty, particularly in the poorest developing countries. Between 1998 and 2008, the period covered by this evaluation, the World Bank Group provided $23.7 billion in financing for agriculture and agribusiness in 108 countries (roughly 8 percent of total World Bank Group financing), spanning areas from irrigation and marketing to research and extension. This was, however, a time of declining focus on agricultural growth and productivity by both countries and donors. The cost of inadequate attention to agriculture, especially in agriculture-based economies, came into focus with the food crisis of 2007â 08. The crisis added momentum to an emerging renewal of attention and stepped-up financing to agriculture and agribusiness at the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC), as well as at several multilateral and bilateral agencies.
Safeguards and Sustainability Policies in a Changing World: An Independent Evaluation of World Bank Group Experience
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Recent global financial and environmental crises demonstrate the need to create and implement regulatory frameworks that balance private and social benefits and costs. The World Bank Group (WBG) instituted safeguards and sustainability policies to prevent and mitigate adverse impacts of its projects on people and the environment IEG's study on safeguards and sustainability policies is the first Show MoreRecent global financial and environmental crises demonstrate the need to create and implement regulatory frameworks that balance private and social benefits and costs. The World Bank Group (WBG) instituted safeguards and sustainability policies to prevent and mitigate adverse impacts of its projects on people and the environment IEG's study on safeguards and sustainability policies is the first comprehensive evaluation of all the safeguard policies and performance standards of WBG implemented in projects. The evaluation finds that the policies have helped avoid or mitigate large-scale social and environmental risks. However, for more successful and effective implementation in the future, IEG notes that the WBG must more thoroughly supervise and monitor results and ensure client ownership.
A Pivotal Year for Monitoring and Evaluation
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Building and improving monitoring and evaluation capacity worldwide is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals within ten years. Building and improving monitoring and evaluation capacity worldwide is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals within ten years.
Cost-Benefit Analysis in World Bank Projects
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Historically, the World Bank's reputation for rigorous analysis was built on its use of cost-benefit analysis. Such analysis served to demonstrate its commitment to measuring results and ensuring accountability. It was the Bank's answer to the results agenda long before that term became popular.
IEG's evaluation reveals that the percentage of World Bank projects justified by cost-benefit analysis Show MoreHistorically, the World Bank's reputation for rigorous analysis was built on its use of cost-benefit analysis. Such analysis served to demonstrate its commitment to measuring results and ensuring accountability. It was the Bank's answer to the results agenda long before that term became popular.
IEG's evaluation reveals that the percentage of World Bank projects justified by cost-benefit analysis has been declining for several decades, due to both a decline in adherence to policy and difficulty in applying cost-benefit analysis. This study highlights that the Bank needs to revisit the policy for cost-benefit analysis to account for difficulties in quantifying benefits yet preserve a high degree of rigor in justifying projects. The study recommends that the Bank implement reforms to ensure quality, rigor, and objectivity in its cost-benefit analysis, and use the results to influence decisions and improve develpment assistance.
India - Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State Community-Based Tank Management Project
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This Project Performance Assessment Report assesses the development effectiveness of India’s Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State Community-Based Tank Management Project, which was approved in 2007 and closed in 2016. The development objectives of the project were to (i) improve agricultural productivity with the assistance of selected tank-based producers; and (ii) improve the management of tank Show MoreThis Project Performance Assessment Report assesses the development effectiveness of India’s Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State Community-Based Tank Management Project, which was approved in 2007 and closed in 2016. The development objectives of the project were to (i) improve agricultural productivity with the assistance of selected tank-based producers; and (ii) improve the management of tank systems with the assistance of selected water user associations.
Ratings for this review are as follows: Outcome was satisfactory, Risk to development outcome was substantial, Bank performance was moderately satisfactory, and Borrower performance was moderately satisfactory. Lessons from this review include: (i) The potential economic benefits from improved irrigation infrastructure cannot be adequately realized by beneficiaries without the coordinated and ongoing support of multiple government agencies and research extension services in agriculture. (ii) Continued support to WUAs in terms of resources and social intermediation, such as through nongovernmental organizations, is key to enhancing their capacity for improved water management in drought-prone areas. (iii) Benefits from increased water availability can be further increased if cropping decisions by smallholder farmers in drought-prone areas are informed by water budgeting and collective governance principles for sustainable use.
Climate Change and The World Bank Group: The Challenge of Low Carbon Development (FTB)
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This is the Fast Track Brief for the Climate Change and the World Bank Group: The Challenge of Low Carbon Development.
This evaluation reviews a broad range of WBG activity in the adoption and diffusion of emissions-reducing technologies and practices. It addresses three main concerns. What actions will deliver the greatest overlap between GHG mitigation and local development? Where and how does Show MoreThis is the Fast Track Brief for the Climate Change and the World Bank Group: The Challenge of Low Carbon Development.
This evaluation reviews a broad range of WBG activity in the adoption and diffusion of emissions-reducing technologies and practices. It addresses three main concerns. What actions will deliver the greatest overlap between GHG mitigation and local development? Where and how does the WBG have the highest leverage in promoting those actions? And how best can the WBG use feedback from ongoing experience to im-prove performance? Because the range of activities is great, because most have not yet been subject to a final evaluation, and because most do not generate consistent and accessible data on impacts, the evaluation is selective, yet covers the bulk of evaluable WBG experience. Within each of the main GHG-emitting sectorsâ energy, transport, and forestryâ it examines specific issues that capture a large part of the relevant WBG portfolio (such as support for energy efficiency via financial intermediaries), illuminate sectorwide issues (such as the role of finance for grid-connected renewables), or pioneer novel approaches (such as payment for ecosystem services). It also addresses three special issues: technology transfer, the WBG's carbon funds, and the role of the WBG in coal power. The evalua-tion looks at how the WBG has diagnosed barriers to tech-nology adoption, on the effectiveness of prescribed interven-tions, and on the likely economic and mitigation impacts. The previous volume of this evaluation looked at WBG support for key areas of policy reform. This volume focuses on two other areas of intervention: development, transfer, and demonstration of technical and financial innovations; and finance and implementation. This IEG evaluation concludes that the WBG should maximize its leverage in promoting low-carbon development. This will require a strategic approach to portfolio choice, instruments deployed, and technology policy. And it means scaling up what works and redesigning what does not, using learning to unlock value for its clients and for the world.
Jamaica - Social Safety Net Project, National Community Development Project
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This is the Project Performance Assessment Report for two investment loans to Jamaica. The Social Safety Net Project was financed through IBRD Loan 70760 in the amount of US$40 million. This project was approved by the Bankâ s Board on September 4, 2001, with a midterm review on March 26, 2004, and closed on March 31, 2009, nearly 3 years later than planned. The National Community Development Show MoreThis is the Project Performance Assessment Report for two investment loans to Jamaica. The Social Safety Net Project was financed through IBRD Loan 70760 in the amount of US$40 million. This project was approved by the Bankâ s Board on September 4, 2001, with a midterm review on March 26, 2004, and closed on March 31, 2009, nearly 3 years later than planned. The National Community Development Project was financed through IBRD Loan 71480 in the amount of US$15 million. It was approved by the Bankâ s Board on May 30, 2002, with a mid-term review on January 9, 2006, and closed on June 30, 2008, 6 months later than planned. Both loans were fully disbursed. The two projects were part of the Bankâ s overall social protection and development support to Jamaica albeit applying different approaches. Both were classified under the Bankâ s social safety net theme. Therefore, the projects were chosen for review to feed into the forthcoming IEG evaluation of Bank support to social safety nets worldwide.
The World Bank Group's Response to the Global Economic Crisis
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The global economic crisis that began in 2008 threatened to erase years of progress in developing countries. In response, the World Bank Group (World Bank, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency) increased lending to unprecedented levels. But Increases in financing volume must be matched by quality to achieve sustained economic results. Quality-at-entry Show MoreThe global economic crisis that began in 2008 threatened to erase years of progress in developing countries. In response, the World Bank Group (World Bank, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency) increased lending to unprecedented levels. But Increases in financing volume must be matched by quality to achieve sustained economic results. Quality-at-entry indicators have generally been positive. But certain areasâ the financial sector specifically and results on the ground more generallyâ are a cause for concern, particularly given continued tight budgets. This IEG study is a real- time assessment of ongoing activities. As such, it evaluates the immediate results and serves as an input to the WBG's continuing efforts to address the effects of the crisis. The evaluation of the development impact of WBG's response will be taken up at a later stage.
New Collaboration to Address Global Gaps in Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity
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For information, contact William Stebbins
email: wstebbins@worldbank.org | tel: +1 (202) 458-7883
New York City, NY, January 13, 2020 – The World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) and the Independent Evaluation Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today marking the first step towards establishing a global partnership Show MoreFor information, contact William Stebbins
email: wstebbins@worldbank.org | tel: +1 (202) 458-7883
New York City, NY, January 13, 2020 – The World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) and the Independent Evaluation Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today marking the first step towards establishing a global partnership to support evaluation capacity development.
The IEG-UNDP collaboration comes at a time when the global demand for support to strengthen monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems and capacities is high. Countries need effective M&E systems and capacities in order to track the progress on their national development strategies. The support to meet this demand, while growing, is often limited by scale and a lack of coordination. As part of this new collaboration, IEG and UNDP aim to pool resources, share knowledge and expertise, and leverage the comparative advantages of each institution for scaling up current initiatives and coordinating global efforts on building M&E systems and capacity.
“This collaboration comes at a pivotal moment, as the ten-year countdown toward the Sustainable Development Goals begins,” said Indran Naidoo, UNDP Director of the Independent Evaluation Office. “Effective systems of monitoring and evaluation are critical for reaching the goals, as they allow countries to base policies on what has proven to work, and to monitor their progress to ensure no one is left behind.”
“No single institution has the resources to address the current global gaps in monitoring and evaluation capacity,” said Alison Evans, World Bank Vice President and IEG Director-General. “Addressing the scale of the need will require coordinated efforts by broad coalitions, and this collaboration is a step in that direction, providing a foundation that can be built on.”
Along with coordinating activities and sharing resources, the two organizations will seek to expand their collaboration globally to include the range of countries and institutions involved in developing the capacity for monitoring and evaluation.
Read more about the current challenges in global M&E capacity and the need for joint action in a recent #WhatWorks blog post by IEG Director-General Alison Evans.
Results and Performance of the World Bank Group 2010
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This review is IEG's first Bank Group-wide annual evaluation. It looks at select issues of current relevance related to development results. Regarding the World Bank, this report considers the importance of decentralization but, based on limited data, does not find any association with project performance. At IFC, a number of projects show gaps in quality at entryâ a specific ratingâ relative Show MoreThis review is IEG's first Bank Group-wide annual evaluation. It looks at select issues of current relevance related to development results. Regarding the World Bank, this report considers the importance of decentralization but, based on limited data, does not find any association with project performance. At IFC, a number of projects show gaps in quality at entryâ a specific ratingâ relative to the institution's credit review guidelines. For MIGA to deliver on its development mandate and improve project development outcomes, strengthening the quality of underwriting is critical.
Emphasizing these synergies, Part I of this report discusses recent activities and results of the World Bank Group; Part II focuses on select issues in development effectiveness at each institution. A separate volume contains a detailed review and rating of management response and actions regarding recommendations from IEG from recent years.