Knowledge and capacity building: Ensure sufficient quantity and quality of Bank AAA and IFC advisory services in agriculture-based economies, link them closely to lending, and use them to build counterpart commitment and to address constraints along the production chain. Establish mechanisms to confirm ex ante if project M&E frameworks are adequate, with clear, relevant, and realistic objectives; thorough cost-benefit analysis; appropriate indicators; and adequate baseline data. Review the human resource base and skill gaps (also in light of the increased lending) and develop and implement a strategic plan to enhance the technical and policy skills of Bank and IFC staff working in the agriculture sector, particularly in agriculture-based economies.
Original Response:
Agree Management agrees with this recommendation and notes that the number of Bank analytical products declined from a peak of 183 in 2000 to 131 by 2008, which was a period when lending more than doubled. As the number of agricultural sector staff has remained relatively constant, more time spent on project preparation and supervision to meet rising demand and improve portfolio quality has reduced the resources available for analytical work. This trend has actually worsened since the end of the IEG review period and requires further attention. The issue will be addressed in part through the staff review highlighted in response to item 10.3
Ongoing/Agree Management agrees that this is clearly an area where it is possible to do better, while noting that considerable progress has been made. Bank management has introduced core implementation status and result (ISR) indicators which serve to both standardize and improve indicator quality. Core ISR indicators for agricultural research and extension, irrigation and drainage, and land administration have also been prepared and will soon be introduced. Furthermore, baseline data are now required to be included in the first ISR and, finally, economic analysis courses are being offered regularly. As for IFC, the tracking of financial, economic and environmental outcomes has progressively been built into the appraisal of new investments and monitoring of the portfolio since IFC deployed its Development Outcome Tracking System (DOTS)9. For new investments, coverage of IFCs standardized agribusiness indicators is at 100 percent. Monitoring and evaluation of development impacts is an area of priority for IFC, and indicators will continue to be reviewed and improved continuously for their relevance. In particular, agribusiness indicators will be adjusted as part of IFCs forthcoming implementation of its Corporate Development Goals.
Agree Management shares the concerns about the proportion of Bank subsector technical specialists relative to broader agricultural sector generalists within the Banks agriculture and rural development sector family. One factor driving this shift has been the increase in decentralizing staff to country offices where the need for generalists is often considered higher (to engage on multiple sector topics with government and other in-country development partners). The trend toward decentralization has increased since the end of the IEG review period, and will remain a challenge unless overall staff numbers increase and/or changes are made in terms of how staff are recruited and managed. This balance between generalists and technical staff in a decentralized organization is being addressed by the Board paper New World, New World Bank Group: (II) The Internal Reform Agenda; March 22, 2010. To mitigate these challenges in the shorter term, the Regions and the anchor will: (a) conduct a Bank-wide ARD strategic staffing exercise to determine more precisely staffing gaps, especially in the context of current 3-5-7 senior staff rotation exercise, and; (b) consider targeted cluster recruitment, based on lessons learned from the current Social Development pilot cluster recruitment exercise.
AAA in agriculture based economies. During the first two years of the MAR period attention to AAA was constrained by competing demand for preparation of projects to address the global food price crisis, these constraints have been alleviated and evidence has been provided to show that the annual expenditure on AAA in agriculture based countries, the countries the recommendation was concerned with, has increased. But is it not clear if the increase in expenditure translates to increased number of products. Management reports that client engagement surveys have been used as a tool to measure the overall quality of agricultural AAA and this has increased during the MAR period. In FY13 80 percent of projects were rated somewhat effective or better for achieving their objectives, increasing to 88 percent in FY15. Disaggregated data was not available to confirm if this trend holds for AAA in agriculture based countries. An Action Plan was also prepared in FY15 to improve quality of AAA activities in areas where feedback from client surveys indicated that Ag GP was lacking. This is expected to improve the quality of all AAA, including those prepared in agriculture based countries, but it is too soon to verify implementation of the action plan implementation and whether AAA quality improves as a result. On the link between AAA and projects, management notes that the percent of project appraisal documents approved in agriculture based countries that mention drawing on AAA for design has increased during the MAR period from 48% in FY13 to 50 % in FY14, data not yet available for FY 15. But no information was provided to explain what was done to bring about this result.
Management notes that following the restructuring they are now in a better place to institute the ex- ante review of ME frameworks and that the AG GP is strengthening its attention to the reporting on results frameworks during project implementation and at restructuring. All three of the GPs to which agriculture projects have been mapped (AG, ENV, and Water) have put in place mechanisms for review of the ME framework between PCN and decision making. However, it is not clear how this differs from the review mechanisms in place prior to the reorganization. In addition, a group of ME experts is being set up in the GPSOS for GPs to access when needed. The Ag GP is also instituting a 12 point technical review system to aid Global Lead and OPS quality assurance staff in advising project teams during preparation, which will include attention to economic analysis in AGR GP projects. While these measures are expected to raise the quality of ME, it is too early to validate the extent to which they are in fact leading to ME Frameworks with increasingly relevant and realistic objectives, appropriate outcome level indicators, and adequate baseline data or more thorough cost benefits analysis.
In past MARs management identified a number of factors that contributed to the low ratio of technical specialist to generalists in the sector. The new GP structure is now expected to allow greater movement of technical staff across regions. While this does not address the low ratio of technical to generalists, it is expected to allow for a better matching of the existing supply of technical specials with demand. Global technical leads have also been put in place to lead technical work and improve staff knowledge in strategic areas of climate smart agriculture, food quality and agriculture value chains. Joint GP work is also expected to allow movement of technical staff across GPs. Additional efforts to enhance the technical capacity include the signing of an MOU with Wageningen University to provide technical training to select AG GP staff and reliance on secondment programs with technical partners to bring in deeper technical knowhow in climate smart agriculture, agribusiness policy and nutrition. There is no evidence yet to determine whether the gap of technical skills is satisfied with these new measures.
- Ensure sufficient quantity and quality of Bank AAA and IFC advisory services in agriculture-based economies, link them closely to lending, and use them to build counterpart commitment and to address constraints along the production chain. Annual expenditure on agricultural AAA in agriculture-based countries increased from a low of $2.7 million in FY09 to $3.4 million in FY12 to $4.0 million in FY13, $3.7 million in FY14 and $3.6 million in FY15. As reflected in the previous MAR, this increase was facilitated by the easing of constraints faced during the food price crisis when staff time and budgets were focused on the needed rapid response to deliver more projects for our clients. The higher level of AAA has been used to guide project design, and help build counterpart commitment, as demonstrated by its incorporation in appraisal documents. Forty-eight percent of new projects with agriculture components in agriculture-based economies made references to analytical work in support of project design in FY13 and 50 percent did so in FY14 (FY15 data is not yet available.). Among these, 33 percent of projects with components that addressed production chain constraints (i.e. those with agriculture markets, trade and agribusiness sub-sector codes) in agriculture-based economies referred to analytical work in FY13 and 50 percent did so in FY14. The overall quality of Bank agricultural AAA as measured by the FY13 client survey, indicates that 80 percent were rated somewhat effective or better for achieving their objectives, while 88 percent did in FY15 (the FY15 survey covered only AAA with completion summaries archived from March 2015 to June 2015.) This feedback survey is a Bank mechanism to systematically gather clients opinions on knowledge and advisory services. Building on the results of client-feedback surveys, together with feedback from CMUs and the Practice Managers, Global Leads, and Practice Leadership Team, an Action Plan to improve the quality of our Advisory Services and Analytical Activities (ASA) was also prepared in FY15. It covers ASAs in all regions, including agriculture-based countries. The main focus of the action plan is to improve areas where the feedback surveys indicated our ASA work was lagging other GPs and/or our financing work. Specifically the action plan focuses on strengthening: (i) Client and CMU engagement: through closer collaboration, from identification/PCN through to dissemination; (ii) Strategic relevance: through alignment with client priorities, strategic engagement with CMUs, realism on budgets, and effective use of Global Leads; (iii) Technical quality: through an improved peer review process, particularly at the front-end of the work (improved PCN content, composition and continuity of reviewers, and incorporation of reviewer feedback); (iv) Collaboration with other GPs/CCSAs: through doing more joint GP/CCSA identification, and implementation of ASAs; and (v) Timeliness: through ensuring ASAs are done both at an opportune time, and within realistic milestones (less slippage).
(Negligible)
Ensure sufficient quantity and quality of Bank AAA and IFC advisory services in agriculture-based economies, link them closely to lending, and use them to build counterpart commitment and to address constraints along the production chain.
Management notes a slight increase in the number of analytic products produced in the years following the IEG evaluation but it is not clear what the trend is for AAA in agriculture-based economies. No information is provided on the quality of Bank AAA. IEG shares management's concern that resources available for AAA have declined as the demand for lending has increased, while the number of agriculture staff has remained constant. There is ongoing analysis of the Bank's AAA on agriculture but it is too soon to assess action from this exercise. No evidence is provided to show that AAA products are being utilized to build counterpart commitment or address constraints along the production chain. Adoption of this sub-recommendation is rated negligible.
Establish mechanisms to confirm ex ante if project M thorough cost-benefit analysis; appropriate indicators; and adequate baseline data.
Progress towards adoption of this recommendation has been limited to the release of core indicators for two subsectors in an effort to standardize and improve indicator quality, and a learning event offered in FY11, entitled Introduction to Quantitative Risk Analysis, which addressed risk from uncertainty in project variables in cost benefit analysis of agriculture projects. The sector also participated in the Bank's Development Impact Evaluation Initiative program on impact evaluations for Agriculture Adaptations. While these efforts may contribute to enhancing individual segments of an M&E framework, there is still a long way to go towards the establishment of mechanisms that confirm that overall project M&E frameworks are adequate. No evidence has been provided that M&E frameworks increasingly have relevant and realistic objectives, that cost-benefit analysis has become more thorough, or that and increasing share of projects have adequate baseline data. Adoption of this sub-recommendation is rated negligible.
Review the human resource base and skill gaps (also in light of the increased lending) and develop and implement a strategic plan to enhance the technical and policy skills of Bank and IFC staff working in the agriculture sector, particularly in agriculture-based economies.
Management notes that the trend toward decentralization has continued over the review period and this has been driving a shift towards a greater proportion of agricultural sector generalists relative to subsector technical specialists. The trend is not expected to change unless overall staff numbers increase or changes are made in recruitment and HR management. Two efforts are ongoing to mitigate staffing challenges in the short term: (1) a Bankwide ARD strategic staffing exercise to determine staffing gaps in the context of the 3-5-7 senior staff rotation, and (2) implementation of targeted cluster recruitment, based on the experience of the Social Development pilot cluster recruitment exercise. Other than through recruitment, however, no evidence has been provided of a plan to enhance the technical and policy skills of Bank staff working in the agriculture sector, particularly in agriculture-based economies. Adoption of this sub-recommendation is rated medium.
Bank AAA advisory services. The annual number of related Bank analytical products has increased since the end of the IEG review period, from 131 in FY08, to 139 in FY10 and 145 in FY11. Management continues to note that, as the number of agricultural staff has remained relatively constant, more time spent on project preparation and supervision to meet rising demand and maintain portfolio quality has reduced the resources available for analytical work. There is ongoing analysis of the Bank's AAA on agriculture.
M (b) undertaking targeted cluster recruitment, based on lessons learned from the current Social Development pilot cluster recruitment exercise.
IFC RESPONDING SEPERATELY ON HR ISSUES
Ensure sufficient quantity and quality of Bank AAA and IFC advisory services in agriculture-based economies, link them closely to lending, and use them to build counterpart commitment and to address constraints along the production chain:Management notes that the annual number of analytical products for the ARD sector as a whole has increased since the end of the IEG review period and that expenditures on AAA products in FY12 was higher than expenditures in the final year of the evaluation period. But no information is provided to demonstrate whether the trend of AAA produced in agriculture based economies has increased. Moreover, in past updates management was candid in noting that resources available for AAA have declined as the demand for lending has increased, while the number of agriculture staff has remained constant. No information has been provided on whether this constraint has been alleviated in the past year. With respect to the quality of analytical work, Management reports that it is more explicitly monitoring quality of AAA Bank wide. But it is unclear what is being done differently from the evaluation period. With respect to linking analytical work to lending, Management reports that 53 percent of appraisal documents approved in FY 12 referred to analytical work used in design and 37 percent referred to Bank analytical work. But no information is provided specifically for agriculture based economies. Expenditure on analytical work related to constraints along the production chain (agriculture markets, trade and agribusiness) is reported to have increased from $2 million in FY08 to $4.1 million in FY12. No information is provided on the trend for agriculture based economies or to show the extent to which AAA has been used to build counterpart commitment. Adoption of this sub-recommendation remains negligible.
Establish mechanisms to confirm ex ante if project ME frameworks are adequate, with clear, relevant, and realistic objectives; thorough cost-benefit analysis; appropriate indicators; and adequate baseline data: There has been limited progress towards adopting this sub recommendation. The review processes cited in this year's MAR as mechanisms that confirm that overall project ME frameworks are adequate are the same mechanisms that were in place when the evaluation was conducted. No evidence has been provided that ME frameworks increasingly have relevant and realistic objectives, or that an increasing share of projects have adequate baseline data. It is reported that 66% of Agriculture and Rural Development projects approved in FY 12 undertook economic analysis but no information is provided to indicate that the quality of this analysis is adequate. A workshop on economic analysis was offered for the third year to staff in the ARD family. Management expects that the share of projects with economic analysis will increase with the release of the new Operational Policy and Bank Procedure (OP/BP) 10.00 Investment Project Financing, which sets out a revised approach to economic analysis in projects and is supported by a detailed guidance note to improve quality. But it is too soon to assess whether these expectations will materialize. Adoption of this sub-recommendation remains negligible.
Review the human resource base and skill gaps (also in light of the increased lending) and develop and implement a strategic plan to enhance the technical and policy skills of Bank and IFC staff working in the agriculture sector, particularly in agriculture-based economies: A strategic staffing exercise was undertaken to determine the skill gaps to deliver the program for FY13 to FY17 and eight rounds of cluster recruitment and rotation occurred to place staff where their technical skills are most needed. A Bank-wide learning needs assessment was conducted by the ARD Sector Board that has informed the sector's ongoing learning program and the number of learning hours provided to staff in FY12 increased over FY11. However, progress on adoption of this sub-recommendation continues to be limited by several factors. The dynamics contributing to the proportion of Bank agriculture and rural development 'subsector technical specialists relative to broader agricultural sector generalists within the Bank's Regional Departments that were noted in Management's prior MAR response remain while constraints to mitigate these issues have increased. In the past, technical staff housed in the Anchor Departments have provided support to those Regions where the likelihood of a full work program for technical staff is low. Recent budget cuts of the Anchor Departments vis-a-vis Regions now make this more difficult. Management notes that this issue will remain a challenge unless overall staff numbers increase and/or changes are made in terms of how staff are recruited and managed. Adoption of this sub-recommendation remains medium.
Ensure sufficient quantity and quality of Bank AAA and IFC advisory services in agriculture-based economies, link them closely to lending, and use them to build counterpart commitment and to address constraints along the production chain.
The quantity of agricultural AAA (expenditure) in agriculture-based economies has increased substantially from its low point in FY10. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa which comprises 84 percent of all agriculture-based economies, agricultural AAA expenditures increased from $2.3m in FY10, to $2.4m in FY11, to $3.4m in FY12. This increase reflects both an easing of the constraints faced during the food price crisis and increased availability of Trust Funds for AAA. During the food price crisis, staff time and budgets were focused on the needed rapid response to deliver more projects for our clients, which came at the cost of less AAA. Since then, there has been a shift in demand away from smaller-scale and short-term food crisis response projects to larger (and by implication, fewer) longer-term agricultural programs. As a result, expenditure on project preparation in Sub-Saharan Africa declined from $8.1m in FY10, to $7.1m in FY11, to $6.1m in FY12. Spending on project supervision has continued to be high, increasing in FY11 and FY12 with many food crisis response projects still under implementation, but still allowing for a higher budget allocation for agricultural AAA in Sub-Saharan Africa. A significant share of Trust Fund resources have been used for AAA, increasing from $0.6m in FY10 to $1.9m in FY12.
The quality of AAA, as measured by client feedback, and self-assessments was rated highly. Seventy-five percent of country agricultural AAA in FY13 (the first year with data available) achieved their objective according to client feedback, and eighty five percent of agricultural AAA in FY12 achieved their objective according to self-assessments. The client feedback measure is a new indicator management is using in an attempt to more closely monitor AAA quality. Two examples of new, extensively reviewed, and timely AAA products in agriculture-based economies are Growing AfricaUnlocking the potential of agribusiness and 'securing Africa's Land for Shared ProsperityA program to Scale Up Reforms and Investments which have been widely referenced and used.
The higher level of AAA has been used to build counterpart commitment, as demonstrated by its incorporation in appraisal documents. Eighty one percent of agricultural projects in agriculture-based economies made references to analytical work in support of project design in FY12 appraisal documents. Of these projects 58 percent referred to Bank AAA and 23 percent to other work. This has helped address constraints along the production chain, and more specifically, 80 percent of projects with agriculture markets, trade and agribusiness components in agriculture-based economies referred to analytical workhalf of which was to Bank AAA.
Establish mechanisms to confirm ex ante if project ME frameworks are adequate, with clear, relevant, and realistic objectives; thorough cost-benefit analysis; appropriate indicators; and adequate baseline data.
Management notes IEG's assessment showing that the share of projects with 'substantial or better ME quality increased significantly from 36% in FY06-08 to 67% in FY12. In addition, 94% of FY12 ICRs reported key results and among new projects in FY12, 87% had indicators capturing all aspects of the project development objective. These percentages suggest that actions taken by the sector in response to IEG's recommendation to improve ME frameworks are beginning to show results. These actions include ex-ante confirmation of the adequacy of the project objectives and ME frameworks through more rigorous Quality Enhancement Reviews (QERs). A key part of the QER is to confirm clarity, relevance and realism of the project objectives and the applicability and appropriateness of the ME indicators to monitor outcome and outputs. In FY12, two-thirds of agricultural projects approved undertook an economic analysis. The Agriculture and Rural Development family held a well-attended and highly rated workshop on economic analysis in April 2013, the third year of offering in an effort to continue to improve the use and quality of economic analysis in agricultural projects.
Management continues to share the concerns about the proportion of Bank 'subsector technical specialists relative to broader agricultural sector generalists within the Bank's agriculture and rural development sector family. One factor driving this shift continues to be the increase over the past decade in decentralizing staff to country offices where the need for generalists is often considered higher (to engage on multiple sector topics with government and other in-country development partners). Another factor is that Regions are naturally unwilling to hire technical staff unless there is the likelihood of a full work program, and getting more than one Region to "share" a staff member has proved difficult, since, given how staff are currently recruited and managed in the Bank, one Region has to be the formal home and trust that the other Region will, in fact, buy part of the staff member's time over a multi-year period, an arrangement that has been hard to put into practice. Unfortunately, one way used in the past to mitigate this problem, namely to have Anchor Departments house such staff, is now more difficult because of the recent budget cuts of the Anchor Departments vis-a-vis Regions. In any case, the issue will remain a challenge unless overall staff numbers increase and/or changes are made in terms of how staff are recruited and managed. To mitigate these challenges in the short term, the Agriculture and Rural Development family has undertaken a strategic staffing exercise to determine skill gaps. The exercise looked at business priorities, current and future staffing needs and the skills gap to deliver the program for FY13 to FY17. In addition over the last 18 months the family has undertaken 8 rounds of cluster recruitment and rotation to place staff where their technical skills are most needed. In FY12 the ARD Sector Board undertook a Bank-wide learning needs assessment for the sector. The needs assessment has informed the sector's ongoing learning program. In FY12 the sector held 22 informal learning events through the various ARD Thematic Groups; held 7 events with other sectors and institutions, and held 9 formal learning events, which included the ARD Sector Day. In total some 4,300 staff participation hours of learning were provided (compared to 2,600 in FY11).
This rating has been upgraded to medium based on additional progress towards ensuring sufficient AAA in agriculture based economies.
On quantity of AAA, Management has provided information to show that constraints faced during food price crisis that limited the production of AAA in prior years has eased. Disaggregated data has been provided which shows an increase in expenditure on AAA in agriculture based economies from a low of US$2.7 million in FY09 to US$3.4 million in FY12, US$ 4.0million in FY13 and US$3.7 million in FY14. While on the face of it greater spending on AAA in agriculture based economies appears positive, it is not possible to validate whether the greater amount of expenditure has translated into a greater number of AAA products.
On quality of AAA, management reports the overall quality for Bank agriculture AAA, measured in an FY14 external survey of client opinion on knowledge products, reported that 80 percent were rated somewhat effective of better for achieving their objectives, and 70 percent were rated as effective or better.
On the link, Management reports that in FY13 (the last year for which complete data was available) 48 percent of new projects with agriculture components in agriculture based economies made references to analytical work in support of project design. It is not clear if this is an increase over the evaluation period.
No new information has been provided on ME over past MARs.
No further progress has been made to address the human resources skills gap. Factors constraining progress in past MARs remain. In FY13 and the ARD family undertook a strategic staffing exercise to look at business priorities, current and future staffing needs and skills gaps to deliver the FY13 to 17 work program. But it is too early to tell if global practices will alleviate the structural constraints that have contributed to the low ratio of technical staff versus generalists.
FY13-14: Ensure sufficient quantity and quality of Bank AAA and IFC advisory services in agriculture-based economies, link them closely to lending, and use them to build counterpart commitment and to address constraints along the production chain. As reflected in the previous MAR, the constraints faced during the food price crisis when staff time and budgets were focused on the needed rapid response to deliver more projects for our clients, have now eased with more expenditures and staff time available for AAA in agriculture-based countries. This is illustrated by annual expenditure on agricultural AAA in agriculture-based countries, which has increased from a low of $2.7 million in FY09 to $3.4 million in FY12 to $4.0 million and $3.7 million in FY13 and FY14 respectively. The higher level of AAA has been used to guide project design, and help build counterpart commitment, as demonstrated by its incorporation in appraisal documents. Forty-eight percent of new projects with agriculture components in agriculture-based economies made references to analytical work in support of project design in FY13 (FY14 data is not yet available.). Among these, 33 percent of projects with components that addressed production chain constraints (i.e. those with agriculture markets, trade and agribusiness sub-sector codes) in agriculture-based economies referred to analytical work in FY13. Although it is not possible to disaggregate the data for only agriculture-based countries, the overall quality of Bank agricultural AAA as measured by the FY14 external survey, indicates that 80 percent were rated somewhat effective or better for achieving their objectives (with 70 percent rated as effective or better). This feedback survey is a Bank mechanism to systematically gather client's opinions on knowledge and advisory services.
Establish mechanisms to confirm ex ante if project ME frameworks are adequate, with clear, relevant, and realistic objectives; thorough cost-benefit analysis; appropriate indicators; and adequate baseline data. As described in previous MARs, actions taken by the sector in response to IEG's recommendation to improve ME frameworks are beginning to show results: for instance in FY13, 97 percent of Implementation Completion Reports (ICRs) of agricultural projects reported key results, and 100 percent of new agricultural projects included indicators capturing all aspects of the project development objective (FY14 results are not yet available.) In addition 84% of new agricultural projects that were approved in FY13 undertook an economic analysis.
Review the human resource base and skill gaps (also in light of the increased lending) and develop and implement a strategic plan to enhance the technical and policy skills of Bank and IFC staff working in the agriculture sector, particularly in agriculture-based economies. As indicated in the last MAR, Management continues to share the concerns about the proportion of Bank 'subsector technical specialists relative to broader agricultural sector generalists within the Bank's agriculture and rural development sector family. One factor driving this shift continues to be the increase over the past decade in decentralizing staff to country offices where the need for generalists is often considered higher (to engage on multiple sector topics with government and other in-country development partners). Another factor is that Regions are naturally unwilling to hire technical staff unless there is the likelihood of a full work program, and getting more than one Region to "share" a staff member has proved difficult, since, given how staff are currently recruited and managed in the Bank, one Region has to be the formal home and trust that the other Region will, in fact, buy part of the staff member's time over a multi-year period, an arrangement that has been hard to put into practice. Unfortunately, one way used in the past to mitigate this problem, namely to have Anchor Departments house such staff, is now more difficult because of the recent budget cuts of the Anchor Departments vis-a-vis Regions. These latter issues may ease within the new Agriculture Global Practice. The Agriculture and Rural Development family had undertaken a strategic staffing exercise to determine skill gaps. The exercise looked at business priorities, current and future staffing needs and the skills gap to deliver the program for FY13 to FY17. In FY13 AES (agriculture and environment) held 24 informal learning events through the various AES and other Bank-wide Thematic Groups; held 2 events with partner institutions; held 19 formal learning events, which included the AES Sector Day; and held one field based training event in the LCR region in collaboration with CATIE (Centro Agron¢mico Tropical de Investigaci¢n y Ense¤anza). In total some 18809 staff participation hours of learning were provided (compared 4300 in FY12). In FY14 AES (agriculture and environment) held 21 informal learning events through the various AES and other Bank-wide Thematic Groups; held 4 events with partner institutions; held 9 formal learning events for a total of some 1868 participant hours. This was in addition to the Forum 2014 during which AES organized 44 distinct sessions.