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Actions 1 A, B, C, and D have been adopted, as noted previously by IEG. Further implementation in 2016 is detailed below. In FY17, a new Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) product line was launched to improve governance, give teams more flexibility, and provide more user-friendly systems. It combines various knowledge services for external clients (i.e. ESW, TA, TE, IE, and PA) in a single product line. Consolidating these five discrete ASA product lines into a single product line reflects a fundamental shift from an output-based approach to Bank knowledge services to a more solutions-based or results-focused approach. A new customizable results framework for ASA was introduced in the new Operations Portal (3.0). Accountability and Decision Making (ADM) roles for Regions and GPs were hardwired in the new Portal to ensure improved quality oversight. A new operational framework for RAS will be issued in FY18 to facilitate greater flexibility in engaging with different client countries and refine the quality assurance process, among other things. In FY 16, ASA Standard Reports were introduced that provide indicators to improve corporate and unit level monitoring and reporting on ASA tasks Three indicators in particular have been identified to enhance corporate portfolio management: Estimated Portfolio Capacity indicator, and deviations from it Planned versus actual delivery rate and Outliers (i.e., tasks requiring management attention).
New ASA quality guidance, which has been prepared and will be issued in FY18, focuses on key ASA quality issues highlighted by IEG evaluations, client or stakeholder feedback, and internal consultations. It presents a synthesis of relevant lessons and good practices drawn from an array of Bank sources, as well as a review of the practices of other knowledge-based institutions such as the OECD and other published materials. It presents an overview of the principal dimensions of ASA quality, including strategic relevance, client engagement, technical quality, and timeliness and process management. The quality guidance also examines key opportunities in the ASA lifecycle and mechanisms for ensuring quality, including quality at entry, peer review, and quality enhancement reviews.
New guidance on ASA results management will also be issued in FY18, focusing on the most critical ASA results management issues. It presents a synthesis of lessons and good practices drawn from an array of Bank sources, including IEG resource materials and evaluations, as well as a review of the results management practices of other knowledge-based institutions such as the OECD and other published materials. Three key considerations are to help teams ensure that their ASA results management practices: (i) can provide a sound basis for managing implementation to achieve the ASA’s development outcome (ii) will inform assessment of ASA effectiveness at completion, as well as lessons from the ASA experience and (iii) are consistent with the expectations of key stakeholders such as the TF donor community and the Board.
The results management guidance provides an overview of results management throughout the ASA lifecycle. It lays out the fundamentals of results management, from setting out a theory of change to monitoring arrangements, and examines alternative approaches to the design of results frameworks and selection of indicators. The guidance offers advice for results monitoring and adaptive management during implementation, and explores the requirements for ASA completion, including how to assess outcomes and draw lessons
The ASA guidance on results management is complemented by a new guidance document on trust funds results management, which will also be issued in FY18. OPCS, IEG, and the Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice are also collaborating to determine evaluation criteria for Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA).
The new ASA Directive/Procedure includes procedures on client engagement. Further guidance on client engagement is being provided through new ASA training and guidance materials. Modules on client engagement for RAS were developed and rolled out as part of the new RAS Academy, as well as a specific one day course on RAS client engagement. New RAS training and guidance materials will be issued along with the new operational framework. The Global Delivery Initiative (GDI) learning program and case studies are also strongly focused on client engagement training and case studies continue to be delivered to and with an expanding roster of partners within and beyond the Bank. GDI has finalized and published 28 Case Studies, which were prepared with 8 GPs finalized and published 29 Delivery Notes, prepared from case studies of external organizations and edited 19 hypermedia video testimonials. It has also developed a training program emphasizing case-writing skills and adaptive learning approaches for practitioners. A number of new GDI products have also been introduced that are helping to advance more adaptive practice: the GDI knowledge-sharing platform a text analytics data base on implementation challenges -DeCODE- from 5,000 ICRs documents a toolkit depository of 40 tools for adaptive implementation and practitioners profiles of more than 90 experts.
The available evidence of the impact of these efforts is promising. The World Bank Client Satisfaction Survey contains two questions related to mobilizing global knowledge and tailoring that knowledge to local circumstances: (i) the World Bank brought global expertise to support this activity, which recorded an average client score of 4.3 out of a possible maximum of 5 in FY16-FY17 and (ii) the World Bank’s expertise was tailored to my country context, with an average client score of 4.1 in FY16-FY17.