Publication: Influential Evaluations: Detailed Case Studies
Loading...
Published
2005-01
ISSN
Date
2021-12-09
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
This volume is intended to illustrate the potential benefits from evaluation. It presents eight case studies where evaluations were highly cost-effective and of considerable practical utility to the intended users. The case studies comprise evaluations of development projects, programs and policies from different regions and sectors. The report's central message is that well-designed evaluations, conducted at the right time and developed in close consultation with intended users, can be a highly cost-effective way to improve the performance of development interventions.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2005. Influential Evaluations: Detailed Case Studies. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/36700 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Uruguay : Strengthening Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation of Social Policy(Washington, DC, 2007-06-22)The Uruguay Non-lending Technical Assistance (UY NLTA) for Uruguay was undertaken at the request of the Government of Uruguay's Ministry of Social Development (MIDES). Following a devastating financial and macroeconomic crisis in 2002, MIDES was established with a view to coordinating social programs and providing a safety net program for Uruguayans affected by the crisis: the National Assistance Plan of Social Emergency (PANES), which was established in 2005. The objectives of the UY NLTA are to: (i) evaluate the impact of PANES social emergency programs; (ii) inform a dialogue about the future role of social emergency programs and of MIDES as the lead authority responsible for the coordination and oversight of social policy in Uruguay, and (iii) strengthen MIDES capacity to assess, monitor and evaluate social policy in Uruguay, with considerable weight on participatory approaches to monitoring and evaluation.Publication Building Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity in Young Systems : The Experiences of Rwanda, Vietnam, and Yemen(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2014-06)This study is funded by the Governance Partnership Facility to better understand country experiences with building monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity to identify paths to success and obstacles to reform. For every country, whether recently emerging from conflict, low-income, or Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), M&E is critical to evidence-based policymaking, budget decisions, management, and accountability, all elements of good governance. Building M&E capacity in fragile and conflict-affected states is not a well-documented topic, although analysts generally agree that even in these challenging contexts, countries can set up monitoring capabilities, albeit with heavy donor support. This study aims to strengthen the knowledge base by synthesizing and comparing the experiences of Rwanda, Vietnam, and Yemen in building capacity for their recently established M&E systems. The study also draws comparisons with Mexico's more well-developed M&E system. This paper is directed to policymakers, development workers, donors, and other supporters of M&E research, operations, and activities. The author envision that providing country case studies on implementing M&E programs in difficult circumstances will contribute to a South-South knowledge exchange for key stakeholders who are working to advance newly established M&E systems in their own countries.Publication Burkina Faso - Public Expenditures Review : Rural Water and Sanitation Sector(Washington, DC, 2008-03)The review aims at supporting efforts of the government in water and sanitation sector in rural and semi-urban areas. It carries out analysis of sector expenditures evolution during the period 2001-2006 and proposes recommendations likely to help better cope with the current and future challenges. The present review covers only public expenditures of the Ministry of Agriculture, Hydraulics, and Halieutics Resources (MAHRH) to the profit of Rural Water and Sanitation Supply (RWSS). Expenditures of other ministries (education, and health), as well as projects of local development, from Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), and private individuals, for whom data are not available, are excluded. The review of public expenditure in RWSS shows that RWSS sector has experienced dramatic development and that performance in terms of creation of water points is relatively satisfactory during the 2001-2006 periods in Burkina Faso. The annual volume of new water points is about 1.950 points. Facilities realized during this period theoretically made it possible to supply more than three million Burkinabe and the rate of access of populations to drinking water was 60 percent in 2006, according to official sources. RWSS analysis highlights several challenges. These challenges concern primarily: the availability of coherent data, obstacles slowing down the capacity of absorption and negatively affecting efficiency of expenditures, problems related to the sustainability of investments and equipments, huge gap between ambitions and reality on the ground with regard to devolution, decentralization and harmonization of interventions of main technical and financial partners which deserves to be reinforced.Publication The Government Monitoring and Evaluation System in India : A Work in Progress(Independent Evaluation Group, World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2013-10)This paper is discusses the evolution of India s approach to monitoring and evaluation of government programs. It is organized into 8 sections. (1) Describes the Indian government structure and sets the context for the challenges of building a government-wide M&E system in India. (2) Outlines a short history of the evaluation system under the planning commission and its stages of development. (3) Examines the demand side of evaluation the sources of demand for accountability, especially in recent years, and for evaluation in particular, and the locus of decisions regarding the selection of which programs to monitor and evaluate. (4) Discusses supply-side and operational issues such as staffing and capacity, and technical approaches (including the type or range of methodology applied). This section also examines the role of the private sector, think tanks, and civil society. (5) Examines the new institutional arrangements M&E. This section also examines the state of management information systems (MISs), outcome budgeting encouraged by the Ministry of Finance, and the performance management system as it operates in India. (6) Discusses the new Independent Evaluation Office (which became functional recently, in 2013). (7) Highlights the fiscal issues underpinning the emerging accountability and effectiveness processes. It outlines the current system of fiscal transfers from the center to the states and the highly centralized central-state fiscal relations, and how they may affect performance and evaluation. (8) Concludes with some observations about ways forward.Publication Evaluation of Government Performance and Public Policies in Spain(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2010-05)This paper covers selective aspects of Spain's experience in evaluating government performance and public policies. Rather than a cohesive evaluation system, there is instead a constellation of organizations, with evaluation mandates and/or practices, which are not interrelated. These organizations and their respective practices have been evolving without coordination over the past three decades. An evaluation culture is slowly emerging, amid different conceptual approaches used by different organizations that are managing and/or conducting evaluations. Evaluation activity has been taking place in Spain for years, with a marked acceleration and qualitative shift since 2005. Despite Spain's standing as an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country as well as a European Union (EU) country, it still has not developed a consolidated evaluation system. This fact points out how long-term and complex is the task of institutionalizing an evaluation system. Finally, this paper contains several website addresses where readers can obtain additional information on aspects of the paper that most interest them and to follow the Spanish experience as it unfolds.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Kyrgyz Republic Country Climate and Development Report(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-03)This Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) on the Kyrgyz Republic aims to support the country’s development goals amid a changing climate. The CCDR considers two policy scenarios up to 2050: the business-as-usual (BAU) and high-growth scenarios. As it quantifies the likely impacts of climate change on the Kyrgyz economy between now and 2050, the report highlights key government actions to best prepare for and adapt to climate impacts (referred to as “with adaptation” measures), with a particular focus on the time horizon up to 2030. The CCDR also outlines a path to net zero emissions by 2050 (referred to as “with mitigation” measures, “decarbonization,” or, simply, “net zero 2050”), highlighting associated development co-benefits.Publication Mongolia Country Climate and Development Report(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-22)Mongolia’s development prospects are uniquely challenged by both the impacts of climate change and the global shift toward a low-carbon economy. The country’s efforts toward decarbonization pose significant challenges given the structurally high-emission intensity of its economy. While challenging, climate action also presents Mongolia with opportunities to achieve important development benefits. The effects of climate risks and the shift away from coal will have diverse impacts across different regions, communities, and socioeconomic levels. The report assesses the critical interconnections between Mongolia’s development ambitions and climate change action and identifies ways to transition to a more economically diversified, inclusive, and resilient development path. It highlights key climate and transition risks affecting Mongolia’s future development and presents a pathway to enhance climate mitigation and adaptation. The report also makes a case for strengthening policies to enhance resilience to climate change and ensure a just transition, particularly for the most vulnerable. The report is structured as follows: section 1 gives introduction. Section 2 delves into the linkages between development and climate in Mongolia and presents model-based findings on the economic and poverty impacts of climate change under different scenarios. Section 3 covers four in-depth sectoral analyses. The first two mainly focus on adaptation to climate change in the agriculture and water sectors. The third considers prospects for the extraction sector, while the fourth sectoral analysis focuses on decarbonizing power and heat generation. Section 4 shifts the focus to how the government can boost resilience for climate-vulnerable populations. Section 5 outlines options for mobilizing private and public financing and private investments to support the green transition. Section 6 examines the existing institutional and governance structure for climate action and presents recommendations to improve its effectiveness, and section 7 concludes with a framework for prioritizing the policy actions outlined in this report.Publication Comoros Country Climate and Development Report(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-06-18)The Union of the Comoros (The Comoros) has significant vulnerability to climate change-related risks but has considerable opportunities to strengthen preparedness and resilience against these challenges. According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index, the Comoros is the 29th-most vulnerable country to climate change and the 163rd most ready to adapt (out of 191). The Comoros archipelago is exposed to many natural hazards that adversely affect the country’s natural capital, people, and physical infrastructure. In 2014, the economic cost of climate-related disasters was estimated at 5.7 million dollars annually, equivalent to 9.2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Between 2018 and 2023, as many as 11 tropical depressions or cyclones impacted the country, with Cyclone Kenneth causing the greatest damage, equivalent to 14 percent of GDP, resulting in total economic growth falling from 3.6 percent in 2018 to 1.9 percent in 2019. More than 345,000 people (40 percent of the population) were affected by the cyclone, with 185,000 people experiencing severe impacts and 12,000 people displaced. However, there is an opportunity for the country to grow more robust and shock-responsive, and to establish pre-positioned funding mechanisms to enhance future crisis response efforts. For the Comoros, adaptation and climate-resilient development are the key climate change focus areas, with the country projected to face 836 million dollars 2050 in additional costs due to climate-related impacts. Current plans to adapt to the impacts of climate change in the Comoros include efforts to improve water management, strengthen coastal protection, and develop climate-smart agriculture practices. Given the country’s reliance on its natural resource base for economic growth and mobility, protection of these resources from climate change will be essential for promoting resilient growth and development. In addition to growing the adaptive capacity of the country’s natural resource sectors, strategic economic diversification will be important to help minimize future climate impacts, and development activities will need to be undertaken in such a way as to attract low-carbon co-benefits. The Union of the Comoros is committed to addressing climate change through its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and national priorities. The country’s NDC (which was revised in 2021 for a ten-year horizon) sets ambitious targets, with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 23 percent by 2030. The country also plans to significantly increase the share of renewable energy in its energy portfolio, reaching 33 MW by 2030. This will not only promote low-carbon development but also reduce the country’s dependency on imported oil and coal, which currently make up 95 percent of the energy mix. Additionally, the Comoros has declared its intention to increase CO2 removals by 47 percent by 2030, compared to BAU.Publication Jobs in a Changing Climate: Insights from World Bank Group Country Climate and Development Reports Covering 93 Economies(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-05)The World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs) provide a crosscutting look at how countries’ development prospects, and the job opportunities they offer to their people, can be threatened by climate impacts and supported by climate policies. Climate change and policies affect jobs through impacts on productivity, energy and material efficiency, and physical, human, and natural capital. They can also transform employment opportunities, especially through complementary measures that help workers and firms adapt to and benefit from new technologies and production practices. Prepared by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), CCDRs integrate country perspectives, climate science and economic modeling, private sector information, and policy analysis to assess how countries can successfully grow and develop their economies and create jobs despite increasing climate risks and while achieving their climate objectives and commitments. Each CCDR starts from the country’s development priorities, opportunities, and challenges, and is developed in close consultation with governments, businesses, and civil society, ensuring the recommendations reflect national priorities. By combining evidence on adaptation, resilience, and emissions pathways, CCDRs highlight where climate action can reinforce development and job creation, and where targeted policies are needed to manage risks and smooth labor market transitions. Taken together, these elements can help create local jobs, ensure economic transitions are just and inclusive, and equip workers and firms to navigate the disruptions and opportunities of a changing climate and changing technologies.Publication Guinea-Bissau Country Climate and Development Report(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-23)Guinea-Bissau is endowed with a wealth of natural resources, with the highest natural capital per capita in West Africa (US3,874 dollars per capita), which could be leveraged for sustainable and resilient growth. However, Guinea-Bissau faces significant development hurdles, such as high poverty rates, political instability, and economic challenges, including an over-reliance on cashew nuts. Rural poverty has increased, and the nation's infrastructure, education, and health care systems are underdeveloped. Climate change poses a severe threat, potentially impacting agriculture, fisheries, and infrastructure. Without adaptation, it could lead to a significant cut in real GDP per capita (minus 7.3 percent by 2050) and increase in poverty (with up to over 200,000 additional poor by 2050, that is, 5 percent of the expected population, in the worst scenario). The country's low greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise, mainly due to agriculture and land-use changes, with deforestation being a major contributing factor. Although Guinea-Bissau is a low emitter, it has high mitigation ambitions, targeting a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The Nationally Determined Contribution outlines significant climate actions, with initiatives focused on forest conservation, sustainable agriculture, and community development. However, the country's political instability, institutional weaknesses, and limited financial resources pose challenges to implementing these climate commitments, which depend heavily on external funding. The financial sector's underdevelopment and vulnerability to external shocks limit its ability to support green investments, though reforms could enhance resilience. Guinea-Bissau must consider its climate financing as development financing and vice-versa, engage the private sector, and integrate climate goals with national development plans to ensure a sustainable future. Concessional climate financing is vital due to the underdeveloped financial sector and the government’s limited borrowing capacity. Addressing Guinea-Bissau's vulnerability to climate change and its structural issues requires a cohesive approach that integrates development and climate strategies. This could involve improving governance, diversifying the economy, protecting natural capital, developing human capital, and investing in sustainable agriculture and infrastructure. The transition to a more sustainable and inclusive development pathway that supports economic growth is possible, but requires focusing on key strategic sectors, enhancing institutional capacity, and creating the conditions to mobilize finance. As a highly vulnerable country, there are myriad needs in the different sectors; however, to be more efficient and effective, Guinea-Bissau should prioritize actions in a few sectors, especially actions on biodiversity, agriculture, and social protection. Low carbon development, especially in energy and forestry sectors, could provide cost-efficient solutions and attract climate finance, including from the private sector, which will support the overall development agenda.