Organization
IFC
Report Year
2015
1st MAR Year
2017
Accepted
Yes
Status
Active
Recommendation

Help staff understand that project objectives pertaining to innovating, piloting, and testing are feasible and that projects with such objectives are rated appropriately, provided the project development objective and indicators are set in the right way (applies to World Bank and IFC and has implications for IEG).abc

Recommendation Adoption
IEG Rating by Year: mar-rating-popup N NT NT NT Management Rating by Year: mar-rating-mng-popup N NT NT NT
CComplete
HHigh
SSubstantial
MModerate
NNegligible
NANot Accepted
NRNot Rated
Findings Conclusions

Measuring and rating project outcomes at closing against objectives stated at design years earlier has become a source of tension and perceived rigidity, given that the quality assurance of results frameworks at the time of project design is insufficient and that the options of restructuring and adaptive project management have not taken root.

Original Management Response

World Bank Management agrees with the need to promote a flexible and more "adaptive project management" approach in which course corrections occur as frequently as needed. In reforming the ICR, Management will discuss ways to tailor the evaluation of innovative or pilot projects for instance, by emphasizing the validity and relevance of lessons learned from the pilot rather than the measurable outcomes that the pilot had intended to achieve.

IFC Management welcomes the recommendation and appreciates IEG's having included itself as part of the solution to improve IFC's self-evaluation system. IFC continues to encourage operational teams to develop projects that innovate or pilot approaches and will further explore adjustments in guidelines and procedures to signal flexibility in setting targets and business plans.

Action Plans
Action 1
Action 1 Number:
0386-01
Action 1 Title:
IFC Management and staff will develop projects that aim to innovate, pilot, and test a new approach and ii) those projects will
Action 1 Plan:

IFC Action 2.1: Define “projects with objectives that are innovating, piloting and testing (a new approach)”
Timeline: FY18

IFC Action 2.2: Adapt IFC’s existing guidelines (such procedures as: Investment Operations-New Business, Approval Board Papers, XPSRs, PCRs and DOTS) as relevant to facilitate the projects defined in Action 2.1.
Timeframe: FY18

Action 2
Action 3
Action 4
Action 5
Action 6
Action 7
Action 8
2020
IEG Update:
No Updates
Management Update:
No Updates
2019
IEG Update:
No Updates
Management Update:
No Updates
2018
IEG Update:
No Updates
Management Update:
No Updates
2017
IEG Update:

Actions on IFC pilot projects and the systems and procedures for their self-evaluation remain to be defined and implemented.

Management Update:

In FY17, IFC Corporate Strategy (CSSSP) identified the responsible parties for the necessary actions. IFC Management and staff will begin discussions this FY18 on how to implement this action based on the context of IFC 3.0.