World Bank Group Engagement in Small States
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The Cases of the OECS, Pacific Island Countries, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Cabo Verde, and Djibouti - Clustered Country Program EvaluationThe Cases of the OECS, Pacific Island Countries, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Cabo Verde, and Djibouti - Clustered Country Program Evaluation
Cluster Country Program Evaluation on Small States: Pacific Island Countries Program Evaluation (FY05–15 - Volume 1)
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This evaluation assesses the Bank Group’s relevance and effectiveness in the PICs as satisfactory. The World Bank made effective use of budgetary, IDA, and trust fund resources to support significant transformational changes in the region, and had a key role in persuading Australia and New Zealand to adopt temporary migration programs that yielded major benefits to participating countries. In Show MoreThis evaluation assesses the Bank Group’s relevance and effectiveness in the PICs as satisfactory. The World Bank made effective use of budgetary, IDA, and trust fund resources to support significant transformational changes in the region, and had a key role in persuading Australia and New Zealand to adopt temporary migration programs that yielded major benefits to participating countries. In addition, the World Bank persuaded a number of PICs governments to scale back their departments for infrastructure maintenance and to outsource this maintenance to the private sector. It also increased awareness of the need to build climate resilience into infrastructure design and enabled major improvements in communications through enhanced connectivity. Looking forward, the evaluation emphasizes collaboration between the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation to more effectively support private sector development; increasing the focus on education’s role in providing the skills needed for developing tourism, agriculture, and fisheries; and providing better preparation for temporary and permanent migrants.
Cluster Country Program Evaluation: Mauritius Country Case Study (FY07–15), Enhancing Competitiveness and Private Sector Development
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After nearly two decades of strong economic growth, in 2005 the economy was in difficulties. The loss of trade preferences in textiles in 2005, the anticipation of prospective reform to the European Union’s sugar protocol for 2006–10, and higher international oil prices had contributed to a slow-down in growth, rising unemployment and widening fiscal and current account deficits. A new government Show MoreAfter nearly two decades of strong economic growth, in 2005 the economy was in difficulties. The loss of trade preferences in textiles in 2005, the anticipation of prospective reform to the European Union’s sugar protocol for 2006–10, and higher international oil prices had contributed to a slow-down in growth, rising unemployment and widening fiscal and current account deficits. A new government was elected in 2005 which implemented a series of bold economic reforms (such as the elimination of the export processing zone (EPZ) regime, a progressive liberalization of the foreign trade and investment regime and simplification of labor laws) to redress the macro-economic imbalances and enhance competitiveness to facilitate efficient restructuring of the economy. This was achieved in large measure. Good policies also allowed the government to deal effectively with the global financial crisis of 2008. Following elections in 2010, a new (and fragile) coalition government was elected which emphasized fiscal stimulus and the pace of reforms slowed. Following a period of political instability, a new government was elected in 2014 with an overwhelming majority. However, as fiscal pressures mount, a sense of policy drift continues, threatening the gains achieved in recent years.
Cluster Country Program Evaluation on Small States: Pacific Island Countries Program Evaluation (FY05–15 - Volume 2)
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This is the appendix to the evaluation that assesses the Bank Group’s relevance and effectiveness in the PICs as satisfactory. The World Bank made effective use of budgetary, IDA, and trust fund resources to support significant transformational changes in the region, and had a key role in persuading Australia and New Zealand to adopt temporary migration programs that yielded major benefits to Show MoreThis is the appendix to the evaluation that assesses the Bank Group’s relevance and effectiveness in the PICs as satisfactory. The World Bank made effective use of budgetary, IDA, and trust fund resources to support significant transformational changes in the region, and had a key role in persuading Australia and New Zealand to adopt temporary migration programs that yielded major benefits to participating countries. In addition, the World Bank persuaded a number of PICs governments to scale back their departments for infrastructure maintenance and to outsource this maintenance to the private sector. It also increased awareness of the need to build climate resilience into infrastructure design and enabled major improvements in communications through enhanced connectivity. Looking forward, the evaluation emphasizes collaboration between the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation to more effectively support private sector development; increasing the focus on education’s role in providing the skills needed for developing tourism, agriculture, and fisheries; and providing better preparation for temporary and permanent migrants.
An Evaluation of the World Bank Group’s Support to Rwanda (2009–17)
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This evaluation assesses the development effectiveness of the World Bank Group's country program in Rwanda over the period FY09-17. This evaluation assesses the development effectiveness of the World Bank Group's country program in Rwanda over the period FY09-17.
An Independent Evaluation of the World Bank Group’s Support to Mexico (2008–17)
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This evaluation assesses the development effectiveness of the World Bank Group’s country program in Mexico between 2008 and 2017.This evaluation assesses the development effectiveness of the World Bank Group’s country program in Mexico between 2008 and 2017.
Albania Country Program Evaluation
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The primary goal of the evaluation is to assess the Bank Group’s development effectiveness in Albania during the period FY11-19 and to inform the design and implementation of its future activities in Albania. The Country Program Evaluation (CPE) will place strong emphasis on assessing World Bank Group strategic positioning and program delivery to help Albania achieve its development goals, Show MoreThe primary goal of the evaluation is to assess the Bank Group’s development effectiveness in Albania during the period FY11-19 and to inform the design and implementation of its future activities in Albania. The Country Program Evaluation (CPE) will place strong emphasis on assessing World Bank Group strategic positioning and program delivery to help Albania achieve its development goals, notably that of European Union (EU) accession. The selection of Albania is motivated by the important challenges the country has faced since the 2008 financial crisis in sustaining the major development gains achieved following the opening of the economy in the early 1990s. The report seeks to provide inputs for the next Country Partnership Framework (CPF), scheduled for Board discussion in FY21. While the CPE is primarily aimed at informing future WBG support to Albania, the evaluation findings are expected to provide lessons for WBG programs in countries that share similar characteristics and aspirations—for example, other small-size, middleincome countries seeking to achieve high rates of growth and poverty reduction, facing the challenge of employment creation, or aspiring to join the EU.
The Philippines Country Program Evaluation (Approach Paper)
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This Country Program Evaluation (CPE) aims to assess the development effectiveness of the World Bank Group (WBG) program in the Philippines between FY10‐18. It will assess the WBG’s contributions to the country’s development in each of the WBG group priority areas of engagement as defined in the 2010‐2012 Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) and the 2014‐2019 Country Partnership Strategy (CPS). At Show MoreThis Country Program Evaluation (CPE) aims to assess the development effectiveness of the World Bank Group (WBG) program in the Philippines between FY10‐18. It will assess the WBG’s contributions to the country’s development in each of the WBG group priority areas of engagement as defined in the 2010‐2012 Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) and the 2014‐2019 Country Partnership Strategy (CPS). At the same time, it will look into the extent to which the WBG took advantage of potential synergies between the financial, knowledge and convening services that the WBG institutions offered across its various engagement areas, as well as the factors that could have limited or constrained the scale of the WBG engagement in the country.
China CLR Review FY13-17
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China, with a population of 1.4 billion, is an upper middle-income country with a GNI per capita of $8,690 in 2017. During 2013-2017, the economy grew annually at 7.1 percent on average, slower than the previous CPS period of 11.0 percent. A long period of economic growth put pressure on the environment and raised serious sustainability challenges. China is now contributing around 30 percent to Show MoreChina, with a population of 1.4 billion, is an upper middle-income country with a GNI per capita of $8,690 in 2017. During 2013-2017, the economy grew annually at 7.1 percent on average, slower than the previous CPS period of 11.0 percent. A long period of economic growth put pressure on the environment and raised serious sustainability challenges. China is now contributing around 30 percent to the world’s GHG emissions, partly because it is the largest consumer of carbon for electricity. Significant gains in poverty reduction continued during the CPS period. Absolute poverty, measured at $1.90 per day (2011 PPP), dropped from 1.9 percent in 2013 to 0.5 percent in 2018. Poverty and vulnerability in China are concentrated in rural areas and lagging regions in Central and Western China. The welfare of the bottom 40 percent of the income distribution has increased steadily. The Gini coefficient dropped to .46 in 2015 after having risen to a high of .5 in 2008. China’s Human Capital Index (HCI) stands at 0.67 and ranks 45th amongst 158 countries. The CPS had two focus areas: (i) supporting greener growth; and (ii) promoting more inclusive development as well as a cross-cutting theme of advancing mutually beneficial relations with the world.