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Results and Performance of the World Bank Group 2022

Chapter 6 | Advisory Services and Analytics in Country Programs

Highlights

Analysis of Completion and Learning Review (CLR) Reviews for a random sample of 50 countries found a good match in more than 80 percent of cases between advisory services and analytics (ASA) topics and government policies and programs and between ASA topics and CPF objectives/development outcome and World Bank operations.

Less than half of the CLR Reviews reported on higher levels of ASA influence (such as ASA influence on policy dialogue, uptake in government programs and policies, and uptake in World Bank Country Partnership Framework objectives and World Bank operations). In those CLR Reviews that did report on higher levels of ASA influence, ASA were found to be influential in most cases.

The CLR Reviews for the random sample of 50 countries reported, on average, on only about one-third of the ASA program in terms of use or influence.

CLR Reviews do not seem to report on ASA that are not used. Examining the reasons for the likely nonuse of ASA—particularly any institutional constraints within the Bank Group that hamper their use—may provide lessons for enhancing ASA use in the future.

A historical lack of ASA monitoring raises questions about the Bank Group’s ambitions to be a “knowledge bank” and its ability to strategically use ASA to improve country-level impact.

This chapter presents a qualitative analysis of the use or influence of ASA based on the CLR Reviews for this RAP’s random sample of 50 countries (budgetary trends are shown in appendix L).1 Unlike IFC, the World Bank does not conduct a self-evaluation of each ASA; therefore there is no validation by IEG.

The World Bank spends significant amounts of money on ASA: the annual ASA expenses in absolute terms have increased from $498 million in FY13 to $783 million in FY22, reaching a peak of $811 million in FY19.2 ASA expenses as a share of total World Bank project expenses (both actual) were within the 40–50 percent range during FY13–22, with a peak of 50 percent in FY17.

In this context, the examination of the CLR Reviews for this RAP’s random sample of 50 countries indicated that CLR Reviews reported, on average, on about one-third of the ASA program in terms of use or influence. The findings presented must be interpreted with this caveat in mind.

The examination of ASA in this RAP is based on criteria distilled from a number of IEG sources (box 6.1).

Box 6.1. Criteria for the Examination of Advisory Services and Analytics

ASA and Development Outcome

  • Match between ASA topics and topics of government policies and programs
  • Extent to which ASA facilitated policy dialogue with government
  • ASA uptake in government programs and policies
  • ASA uptake in World Bank Group CPFs or World Bank operationsa or both

ASA and Bank Performanceb

  • Match between ASA topics and topics of CPF objectives or World Bank operations or both
  • Extent to which ASA facilitated client and stakeholder ownership and engagement
  • Extent to which ASA were disseminated by the World Bank
  • An additional element of Bank performance: monitoring and evaluation and results frameworks for ASA

Sources: Criteria derived from World Bank 2018 and other Independent Evaluation Group work. The derived criteria reflect the varied objectives and channels of ASA influence, which this Results and Performance of the World Bank Group report emphasizes need to be explicitly stated and put in place up front, then implemented and monitored.

Note: ASA = advisory services and analytics; CPF = Country Partnership Framework.a. Two other criteria that are important—that is, the extent to which ASA help convene stakeholders in different agencies both internally and among donors, and the extent to which ASA influence knowledge and policy approaches in other countries—are not used in this Results and Performance of the World Bank Group report because the Completion and Learning Review (CLR) Reviews contain limited information on them.b. Two other criteria that are important—that is, the quality of the ASA and the World Bank inputs and processes pertaining to ASA—are not used in this Results and Performance of the World Bank Group report because the Completion and Learning Review (CLR) Reviews contained virtually no information on them.

Advisory Services and Analytics and Development Outcome

Figure 6.1 presents the findings from the qualitative analysis of ASA and development outcome based on the criteria outlined in box 6.1.

Figure 6.1. Reporting of Development Outcome in Advisory Services and Analytics

Image
A bar graph showing the good influence of advisory services and analytics on criteria for development outcome.

Figure 6.1. Reporting of Development Outcome in Advisory Services and Analytics

 

Source: Independent Evaluation Group.

Note: This figure shows the number of Completion and Learning Review (CLR) Reviews. ASA = advisory services and analytics; CLR = Completion and Learning Review; CPF = Country Partnership Framework. Criterion discussed with respect to ASA means the CLR Review mentions specific criterion. Good influence of ASA on criterion means that the CLR Review provided information or examples showing that a specific criterion was addressed.

Match between Advisory Services and Analytics Topics and Topics of Government Policies and Programs

Of the 50 randomly sampled countries for this RAP, CLR Reviews for 49 of the countries reported on this criterion. Of these 49 CLR Reviews, 43 suggested a good match between ASA topics and the topics of government policies and programs (figure 6.1). For example, the ASA discussed in the CLR Review for Argentina reported that the World Bank expanded ASA after the 2015 election to provide analytical support in the government’s priority areas of infrastructure, agriculture, and the environment. In Bulgaria, the provision of knowledge and advisory services in innovation, education, public finance and administration, competitiveness, green growth, and social inclusion aimed to further the government’s National Reform Programme goals. An increase in the number of ASA in Kazakhstan came from the government’s demand for policy advice and technical assistance during the macroeconomic crisis.

The World Bank delivered 126 items of ASA in the Philippines, encompassing in-depth sector diagnostics that focused on the key constraints to poverty reduction and economic growth, in line with the government program. ASA were critical in filling knowledge gaps in Myanmar, where ASA covered a broad range of topics, particularly topics related to inclusion that were highly relevant after the 2016 Rakhine crisis. In Guyana, the proposed program of analytic and advisory activities (AAA) included on-demand economic monitoring and analysis of policy options to manage the impact of the crisis. The analytics were congruent with the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper in Rwanda, as noted in the CLR Review. The ASA program reported in the CLR Review for the Comoros helped close a significant part of the knowledge gap by delivering core diagnostic tasks, including PERs, poverty assessment, and debt sustainability analysis.

Extent to Which Advisory Services and Analytics Facilitated Policy Dialogue with Government

This RAP’s analysis found that the CLR Reviews for 21 of the 50 sampled countries mentioned policy dialogue with government (figure 6.1). Of these 21, 19 suggested that ASA facilitated good policy dialogue. ASA were used to engage the (new) government in Argentina, for example, on important policy issues such as increasing agricultural productivity and sustaining dialogue to enable longer-term engagement on complex reforms. The CLR Review for Belarus notes that technical assistance supported policy dialogue with the government after the preparation of the 2014 Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability report, which approved a public finance management reform strategy in the areas of medium-term budgeting, program budgeting, treasury, debt management, and accounting. In Kenya, the World Bank, with support from the Australian Agency for International Development (now Australian Aid), ran a large AAA program to provide policy and institutional reform advice to the government on the transition from a centralized to a more decentralized structure. The CLR Review for Poland notes that the ASA program benefited from strong dialogue with the authorities, and 19 of the ASA products were RAS. In Nicaragua, ASA provided the basis for country dialogue, which then helped the government and donors develop rural development strategies. In Rwanda, ASA provided the basis for policy dialogue in social protection and in agriculture. In China, the CLR Review noted that joint flagship reports between the government and the World Bank were important for deepening the dialogue on policies and World Bank programs. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, economic and sector work (ESW) was the main instrument to engage the government on policy issues in the areas of economic diversification, public expenditure management (including in the human development area), and mining. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, in addition to informing and stimulating debate on policy priorities, AAA products were designed to help maintain policy dialogue and World Bank presence in areas where the lack of policy consensus ruled out lending.3 The CLR Reviews for Panama and Nepal note that policy notes formed the basis for dialogue with the government, providing the basis for discussion on noncommunicable diseases in the former and on investment, infrastructure, and inclusion for the latter. In two of the CLR Reviews, the reporting of ASA noted that although IDA used ASA products as a basis for country dialogue (in Guinea), there was no information on which products were used, especially because no core diagnostic analyses were produced during the CPS period. In Burundi, the CLR Review noted that policy notes lost traction because of the political crisis; thus the opportunity for dialogue was lost.

According to IEG’s 2014 CPE for Brazil, the Bank Group made significant contributions when it served as a trusted adviser, providing analytical inputs and exchanging views on immediately relevant policy issues.4 IEG’s 2013 CPE for Afghanistan pointed out that ASA were an effective complement to lending. Knowledge services were an important part of Bank Group support and showed the value of analytical work, even in areas where the Bank Group may opt out of direct project financing.

Advisory Services and Analytics Uptake in Government Programs and Policies

This RAP’s analysis found that the CLR Reviews for just 14 of the 50 sampled countries mentioned the uptake of ASA in government programs and policies. All of these reported the uptake as being good (figure 6.1). In the Bulgaria CLR Review, AAA recommendations were incorporated into the government’s higher education strategy, and Bulgaria’s National Roma Integration Strategy was prepared through the RAS and disseminated in the country. In Mauritius, World Bank AAA helped the government in developing a new proxy means test for social assistance, and a social registry was launched to improve the information on clients of social assistance. In China, the World Bank’s ASA work on access to finance contributed to advances in financial inclusion, including in rural areas.5 On energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions, ASA contributions in China helped integrate climate change considerations into energy regulation and develop energy efficiency financing mechanisms, including working with banks to finance energy efficiency and with client companies to reduce their carbon imprint. In Belarus, the ASA on directed lending helped guide the establishment of a comprehensive database at the central and local government levels.

The CLR Review for Côte d’Ivoire reported that the World Bank’s analytical work was crucial in helping the government design and implement the economic recovery and growth policies after many years of civil strife. In addition, it noted that considerable technical assistance helped the country reach its heavily indebted poor countries completion point. In the Arab Republic of Egypt, the AAA on education led to the development of new approaches to university entrance and secondary education graduation exams. In São Tomé and Príncipe, the production of the Country Economic Memorandum provided the core analytical underpinnings for the preparation of the second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. Furthermore, the ASA assessing the government’s debt management capacity provided support for the development of a debt management reform plan, leading to strengthened fiscal controls. In Pakistan, World Bank AAA addressed social safety net issues by focusing on the design of cash transfers and consolidating and integrating various social protection instruments.

In the low-income country of Nepal, the ASA program informed the development of the country program by helping to prepare the scaling up of hydropower development and informing the financial sector agenda. In Burundi, the technical assistance on social protection covered social protection policy and operational aspects and helped expand safety nets.

The uptake of ASA findings in government programs and policies can be helped by integrating ASA with other World Bank support (box 6.2).

Box 6.2. Importance of Integrating Advisory Services and Analytics with Other Bank Support

Helping governments effectively achieve policy reforms typically takes sustained World Bank Group lending and nonlending support. A World Bank report noted that sustained follow-up (beyond one-off events) in the form of lending or nonlending technical assistance is a factor that improves the effectiveness of World Bank economic and sector work and technical assistance (World Bank 2008). The World Bank (2016c) recommended that the Bank Group ensure appropriate links among economic and sector work, nonlending technical assistance, and projects. The World Bank (2010) also recommended that the integration of the Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (a form of advisory services and analytics) into the World Bank’s country assistance program be improved. Similarly, the World Bank (2021c) found that a growing body of analytical work on aging is only partially reflected in the Systematic Country Diagnostics and Country Partnership Frameworks of countries that are aging. One reason for the fragmentation of advisory services and analytics on aging was the lack of coordination and collaboration across Global Practices such that issues and risks were often considered in isolation.

Furthermore, the outcome orientation pilots, presented in World Bank Group 2021c, revealed that pairing lending programs with technical assistance, impact evaluations, and dialogue was successful in Punjab, Pakistan. The World Bank followed an indirect pathway, pairing World Bank lending with high-level dialogue and technical support and impact evaluation, thus helping the government of Punjab bring about a long-term impact in Punjab’s education system. In the first phase, the World Bank’s analytical work on private school subsidies, a Public Expenditure Review, and an impact evaluation on conditional cash transfers for girls’ enrollment fed into government policies and built evidence for implementing new strategies. A longitudinal panel survey the World Bank financed also helped provide a deep understanding of the challenges in school enrollment and quality. In the second phase, the World Bank shifted to investment loans but continued impact evaluations on school vouchers in public-private partnership schools, private school participation, and teacher incentives that led to evidence-based strategies.

Source: World Bank 2008, 2010, 2016c, 2021c

Advisory Services and Analytics Uptake in World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework Objectives and World Bank Operations

This RAP’s analysis found that the CLR Reviews for just 15 of the 50 sampled countries discussed the uptake of ASA in in Bank Group CPF objectives or World Bank operations. Of these, uptake was reported to be good in 9 countries (figure 6.1).

The CLR Review for Bosnia and Herzegovina noted that the World Bank had undertaken a series of core diagnostic ESW reports in the 18–24 months before preparation of the CPS, helping inform CPS priorities and, in some cases, the design of individual lending projects. Delivery of half of the CPS objectives for Poland was supported exclusively by ASA products, and the CLR Review also notes that a number of these were quite innovative in the areas of fiscal rules and tax administration. In Argentina, ASA contributed to new operations and technical assistance projects in agriculture and the environment, augmenting the IPF operations in supporting CPS objectives. In Jamaica, ESW provided the analytical underpinning of many operations.

Sector-level ASA work in education, health, poverty, and social protection in the Madagascar CPF paved the way for the preparation of the new CPF for the postcrisis period. In Nepal, ASA work on governance and fiscal issues (Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability) informed the preparation of the fiscal reform development policy credit, while the ASA work on the financial sector (Financial Sector Assessment Program) aided the design and implementation of the financial sector development policy credit support project. A review of urbanization and work on urban development informed the design of new urban projects, as reported in the CLR Review for Senegal.

In a few cases, the ASA program was not as effective. The CLR Review for Bhutan noted that the large ASA program required to support the CPS results areas and build the knowledge base to strengthen policies and institutions lacked focus. In Mauritius, major obstacles to long-term development that had been identified in the analytical work were not included in the CPS and PLR. In Tunisia, the CPE noted that project design was often flawed because critical bottlenecks identified in ESW were not addressed; many of the operations delivered change that was necessary but insufficient to accomplish Bank Group objectives without supporting reforms to remove core obstacles.

Timeliness is an important factor for uptake but proved a negating factor in a few cases. There were concerns about the timeliness of ASA in Brazil, Kazakhstan, Rwanda, and Sri Lanka. In Brazil, the ASA program matched well with the CPS focus areas, but ASA’s attention to structural issues was belated, discouraged by weak government demand, and it was conducted only in the final two years of the CPS period. The CLR Review notes that this belated attention may have reduced the Bank Group’s preparedness for addressing the impacts of recession on operations. In Kazakhstan, the CLR Review notes that the World Bank did not act in a timely fashion to reduce capacity risk, which it addressed only when the crisis exploded by stepping up efforts to ensure that officials could implement the projects better, faster, and with fewer mistakes, but this was probably too little, too late. In Sri Lanka, the CLR Review notes that timeliness is a key determinant of the effectiveness of AAA. Some of the AAA tasks (PER, revenue analysis note) came too late to make a substantial contribution to the CPS cycle. The development policy loan had to be delayed because the AAA was not being undertaken until FY15 and FY16, and the policy dialogue on reforms had to be deferred beyond the CPS period. In Rwanda, the CPE emphasized the need to use analytical work more strategically to draw timely attention to insufficiently addressed binding constraints or policy errors that will need to be overcome if Rwanda is to continue smoothly and sustainably on its path toward becoming a middle-income country and eventually achieving high-income country status.

Advisory Services and Analytics and Bank Performance

Figure 6.2 presents the findings from the qualitative analysis of ASA and Bank performance based on the criteria outlined in box 6.1.

Figure 6.2. Advisory Services and Analytics and Bank Performance

Image
A bar graph showing the good influence of advisory services and analytics on criteria for Bank performance

Figure 6.2. Advisory Services and Analytics and Bank Performance

 

Source: Independent Evaluation Group.

Note: The figure shows the number of Completion and Learning Review (CLR) Reviews. Criterion discussed with respect to ASA means the CLR Review mentions the specific criterion. Good performance relating to ASA on criterion means the CLR Review provided information or examples that the specific criterion was addressed.

Match between Advisory Services and Analytics Topics and Topics of Country Partnership Framework Objectives or World Bank Operations

All CLR Reviews from the 50 randomly sampled countries for this RAP discussed the match between ASA topics and CPF objectives or World Bank operations, and a good match was noted for 41 of the countries (figure 6.2).

The ASA mentioned in the CLR Review for Kazakhstan covered topics that corresponded with the CPS and PLR objectives, and their distribution corresponded with that of World Bank operations, with the program intensive in areas where financing was small. In Jordan, the CLR Review noted that the CPS was generally selective, with the focus areas and interventions chosen and designed based on analytical work. The CLR Review for Armenia reported that completed ASA activities corresponded with most areas where the World Bank provided operational support.6 In Pakistan, AAA corresponded with all the pillars of the CPS, particularly the governance pillar.7 In Nigeria, ASA overall followed a programmatic approach for the main themes of engagement that were clearly identified in the CPS, indicating strong matching between the ASA program and the CPS pillars. Similarly, as noted in the CLR Review for Bhutan, the ASA covered issues that were related to the CPS objectives. The CLR Review for Kenya noted that the AAA included major reports covering the range of sectors covered by lending.

Where the match was not as good, the CLR Reviews commented on an absence of core ASA documents, such as a Country Economic Memorandum to update growth analyses and an assessment of political economy risks (CLR Review for Burundi), and an absence of the Country Economic Memorandum or poverty assessment (CLR Review for Guinea). In addition, the CLR Review for Burundi reported that the ASA added during the program (for example, on debt management) did not closely match the Country Assistance Strategy objectives, and similarly, the ASA on trade did not closely match the Country Assistance Strategy objective on private investment. Planned ASA were dropped for Guinea, and the CLR Review noted that at least one planned task, the agricultural growth and competitiveness task, might have provided relevant input into CPS efforts to raise productivity. The CLR Review for Guinea also noted that the CLR paid inadequate attention to the role of ASA, while the CLR Review for the Comoros noted that the ASA program was too fragmented, with about half of the ASA not linked to any CPS objective. The CLR Review for the Marshall Islands noted that more robust analytical work was required given that it was the World Bank’s first direct engagement in the country.

Extent to Which Advisory Services and Analytics Facilitated Client and Stakeholder Ownership and Engagement

This RAP’s analysis of CLR Reviews for the random sample of 50 countries found that just 11 discussed the extent to which ASA facilitated client and stakeholder ownership and engagement. Of these, 8 reported that ASA had good client and stakeholder ownership and engagement (figure 6.2). The CLR Reviews reported on good coordination and cooperation between the World Bank and development partners in technical assistance work and producing joint analytical work. The CLR Review for Jordan reported on the coordination with development partners for several technical assistance projects. In Kosovo, the CLR Review noted that the World Bank worked with other development partners (the Danish International Development Agency and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) on joint analytical work and with bilateral and multilateral donors in Lesotho. The CLR Review for Panama noted good coordination on analytical work between the World Bank and other development partners in areas where there was overlap. In Pakistan, the World Bank worked with the government of Pakistan and development partners (African Development Bank, the EU, and the United Nations) in carrying out the postconflict needs assessment. In Bulgaria, World Bank ASA directly supported the Ministry of Finance in identifying expenditure optimization programs that supported the government in tackling public sector wages and employment, leading to a sharp reduction in the fiscal deficit.

In three other CLR Reviews that discussed client and stakeholder ownership and engagement, the findings were less positive. Client and stakeholder ownership and engagement are important for ensuring that the knowledge generated by ASA actually feeds into decision-making. Without such uptake of ASA in decision-making, the World Bank risks being a “report bank,” not a “knowledge bank.” Becoming a “knowledge bank” calls for the use of knowledge, which stakeholder engagement and dissemination can foster. Beyond this, knowledge translation or knowledge brokering (White 2019) can help country clients determine which knowledge is most relevant to the decisions they face and how best to tailor global knowledge to local circumstances.

Extent to Which the World Bank Disseminated Advisory Services and Analytics

Just 18 of the CLR Reviews reported on the dissemination of ASA by the World Bank, with just 3 indicating good dissemination (figure 6.2). In Nigeria, the CLR Review notes that the Growth and Employment Study set a good practice example in dissemination with extensive seminars and conferences and because the report was serialized in the local press. The CLR Review for Pakistan noted the “good dissemination” of several AAA reports.

Six CLR Reviews note that that ASA were disseminated through the Open Knowledge Repository. Although this alone is a good thing, it does not provide information on usage and thus was considered modest. The CLR Review for Belarus notes that the World Bank could have done more in the consultation and dissemination of ASA to a broader nongovernment audience. Similarly, in Uganda, the CLR Review criticizes the CLR for not describing what had been done to disseminate the ESW.

The Bank Group will need to pay greater attention to the adequacy of knowledge transfer and will need to treat ASA as a process, not just a product, as noted in World Bank (2003). Furthermore, a stronger relationship with the client correlates with more learning and better results as noted in World Bank (2005). The 2003 Guatemala Poverty Assessment was designed as a multiyear program of analytical work and technical assistance involving the establishment of long-term working relations with in-country organizations. Regional staff commented that this collaborative process helped improve the realism of the study’s analysis and the relevance of its recommendations. Moreover, the Bank Group’s convening power as an independent generator and broker of global knowledge allows it to inform development policy makers and take a lead role in setting the agenda for global discussions on development, according to the World Bank Group (2021b). This report also notes that the Bank Group’s involvement in financing and knowledge enables it to generate development solutions, thereby enabling it to become a solutions bank (World Bank Group 2021b).

An Additional Element of Bank Performance: Monitoring and Evaluation and Results Frameworks for Advisory Services and Analytics

The World Bank has introduced some provisions for monitoring the influence of ASA (such as an ex ante identification of the primary clients of the ASA, who can then be surveyed ex post to determine their perception of ASA impact). However, more comprehensive M&E of the use or influence of ASA (beyond perception surveys) will be needed. Evidence from an examination of CLR Reviews for this RAP suggests that M&E are weak aspects of ASA and that the results framework for the World Bank’s ASA needs to be tightened. For example, in Poland, there has been inadequate attention to ASA’s policy impact, which has not been reflected in the results framework. In Romania, the results framework had weak links between stated objectives and their related indicators. The CLR Review finds that “it is important to design the results framework to ensure strong linkages between RAS, CPS objectives, and results and ensure appropriate monitoring and reporting of results. In Egypt, the CLR would have benefited from more evidence on whether particular AAA analyses either influenced in-country thinking on the issues they were designed to illuminate or informed the design of World Bank operations. Several past IEG evaluations have flagged weaknesses in M&E and results frameworks for ASA, indicating that this has been a long-standing issue. For example, the World Bank (2008) pointed out that the World Bank’s results-tracking framework for ESW and technical assistance was poor and recommended it be improved, including by incorporating client feedback. The World Bank (2010) recommended that the Bank Group clarify the operational objectives (that is, objectives relating to intended effects and influence) of each Poverty and Social Impact Analysis, how the Bank Group intended to meet them, and how the achievement of those objectives would be monitored and evaluated. Furthermore, the World Bank (2015a) pointed out that project M&E frameworks—how objectives are defined, indicators are derived, and baselines are deployed—help determine how effectively results are reported. The World Bank (2016c) noted that the monitoring of the results of the World Bank’s knowledge services was weak for both individual activities and country programs.

Unplanned ASA can be beneficial to the country program when responding to changed circumstances, but it also needs to be monitored. The flexibility adopted at the Country Assistance Strategy Progress Report stage in Sri Lanka through adding unplanned AAA enabled the country program to refocus its attention on core AAA. The AAA portfolio witnessed a great deal of volatility, with 11 planned AAA dropped at the Country Assistance Strategy Progress Report stage and an additional 15 unplanned AAA tasks added, including core AAA that were essential for informing strategy choices. In Pakistan, the CPS planned on completing 36 nonlending tasks, and the Country Partnership Strategy Progress Report dropped 5 of these and added an additional 26. In total, about 85 actual tasks were delivered. The World Bank addressed the flood that occurred at the beginning of the CPS period through reallocation of existing disaster funding and an increase in project and AAA disaster prevention and management activities. In Bulgaria, a number of new AAA were added during the CPS period and appear to have been consistent with the objectives of the CPS and the priorities laid out in the National Reform Programme. In Lesotho, the World Bank also provided several analytical pieces and technical assistance in response to the government’s request.

At the same time, unplanned ASA added or dropped during the CPF without adjusting the results framework risked reducing relevance. In Panama, the number of ASA was increased at the PLR stage in response to government requests, but the impact of these—especially the stand-alone AAAs—was not clear because they were not incorporated into the results framework. In Nicaragua, unplanned ASA covered some of the areas targeted by the CPS objectives as well as areas that were not part of the CPS, with even some critical ASA (poverty assessments) dropped. In Romania, the expanded RAS program at the PLR stage caused the program to lose some of its earlier focus and selectivity.8 In The Gambia, only one of the six technical assistance delivered was in the original list. Other planned ASA—such as the ESW on energy and technical assistance on trade logistics, public-private partnership, human development, financial sector, and social protection—did not materialize, and no explanation was given in the CLR Review. The World Bank (2016c) noted that demand-driven, knowledge-based programs can be useful instruments for strengthening partnerships. However, their effectiveness can be limited by an inadequate M&E framework, a lack of disclosure of policy recommendations, and insufficient engagement by local partners. Furthermore, the resulting ASA program encompassing unplanned ASA can also lead to a fragmented ASA program. This was noted in several CLR Reviews. For example, in the Comoros, the ASA program was fragmented, with about half of the products not linked to any specific CPS objectives. The CLR Review for South Africa noted the absent to weak role of ASA in providing a knowledge base for government policies and described the ASA program as relatively scattered. Appendix M provides the reasons for unplanned ASA. Stronger M&E and results frameworks can help avoid these risks.

  1. During the sample period FY13–22, advisory services and analytics (ASA) also covered economic and sector work or analytic and advisory activities (AAA). These terms are used interchangeably in this RAP. The RAP’s coverage of ASA follows the World Bank’s identification, so, for example, if the World Bank tagged project-specific ASA as “ASA,” this RAP included it.
  2. The project expense data are extracted from the Enterprise Data Catalog’s Project Expenses Details data set and aggregated at an annual level.
  3. A lack of policy consensus that ruled out lending included, for example, public expenditure reform, public financial management, and financial sector reform. The most important was the public expenditure reform, where a planned development policy loan series had been dropped, but the dialogue was maintained through a number of analytic and advisory activities, such as a Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes, support for debt management on social spending, and smart safety nets.
  4. Examples are support for Bolsa Família, student learning outcomes, pension reforms, and subnational results-based management systems.
  5. The World Bank supported the People’s Bank of China in the preparation of the Financial Sector Inclusion Plan.
  6. In addition to other topics not linked to Country Partnership Strategy objectives (that is, tasks on gender dynamics and vulnerability), although relevant from a broader development perspective
  7. According to the CLR Review, the impact of ASA was not assessed in a meaningful way except for noting its role in governance and disaster risk.
  8. Changes in the Performance and Learning Review witnessed a sharp reduction in lending because of changing government priorities and a strong preference for reimbursable advisory services.