Publication: The World Bank Group and Public Procurement : An Independent Evaluation
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2014
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2014
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Good public procurement practices are a major determinant of the effectiveness of public expenditure. Effective policies enable better use of government budgets and are therefore an essential element of the poverty reduction focus of the World Bank. More effective public procurement in countries may also allow procurement practices in the World Bank lending to be unified and harmonized with other donors. Two overarching questions form the core of this evaluation: To what extent has the World Bank helped countries develop better procurement capacity and improve their public procurement systems? And to what extent does the application of World Bank procurement policies in its investment lending help support its own development objectives? World Bank contributions to the procurement process in countries have taken the form of both advisory services and support through lending. IEG reviews the nature and quality of diagnostic work as well as loans focused on procurement reform — and the impact in terms of results. IEG’s findings lead to a number of recommendations that focus on developing plans and projects in the context of country strategies and implementing changes along prevailing best practices. The recommendations are specific to World Bank systems, although the challenges and issues of effective and transparent procurement are not. Lessons from this evaluation can be applied to improve procurement practices in any system.
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“Independent Evaluation Group. 2014. The World Bank Group and Public Procurement : An Independent Evaluation. © http://hdl.handle.net/10986/21434 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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Publication The World Bank Group and Public Procurement--An Independent Evaluation : Volume 2: Achieving Development Effectiveness through Procurement in Bank Financial Assistance(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2014)Good public procurement practices are a major determinant of the effectiveness of public expenditure. On behalf of their citizens, governments typically spend as much as 5-20 percent of their gross domestic product on procurement of goods and services, and effective procurement policies enable better use of government budgets. Good national procurement practices are therefore an essential element of the poverty reduction focus of the Bank. Good procurement in Bank projects is also associated with better development outcomes. Equally, sound public procurement in client countries is a prerequisite for the success of the Bank's newly introduced program for results lending instrument. The Bank seeks to ensure that its funds are used for the purpose intended and that they support development effectively and efficiently. Thus, the twin issues that underpin this Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) evaluation are first, how effectively has the World Bank helped build well-functioning public procurement systems in client countries and second, how well have Bank procurement policies and procedures for its investment lending supported the development effectiveness of Bank lending? The evaluation parallels an intensive review by Bank management of the institution's procurement function, motivated by the need to respond to a range of internal and external changes in the Bank's procurement environment. Several evaluations point to the value of coordination between procurement and public expenditure reforms, but also to the difficulties of realizing such coordination. Finally, there are queries related to the adaptability of current Bank procurement guidelines to new contexts, such as public-private partnerships (PPPs); technology loans; and small, fragile, or conflict-affected states. These questions have also contributed to the evaluation's design and coverage.Publication The World Bank Group and Public Procurement--An Independent Evaluation : Volume 1. Building Procurement Capacity and Systems(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2014)Good public procurement practices are a major determinant of the effectiveness of public expenditure. On behalf of their citizens, governments typically spend as much as 5-20 percent of their gross domestic product on procurement of goods and services, and effective procurement policies enable better use of government budgets. Good national procurement practices are therefore an essential element of the poverty reduction focus of the Bank. Good procurement in Bank projects is also associated with better development outcomes. Equally, sound public procurement in client countries is a prerequisite for the success of the Bank's newly introduced program for results lending instrument. The Bank seeks to ensure that its funds are used for the purpose intended and that they support development effectively and efficiently. Thus, the twin issues that underpin this Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) evaluation are first, how effectively has the World Bank helped build well-functioning public procurement systems in client countries and second, how well have Bank procurement policies and procedures for its investment lending supported the development effectiveness of Bank lending? The evaluation parallels an intensive review by Bank management of the institution's procurement function, motivated by the need to respond to a range of internal and external changes in the Bank's procurement environment. Several evaluations point to the value of coordination between procurement and public expenditure reforms, but also to the difficulties of realizing such coordination. Finally, there are queries related to the adaptability of current Bank procurement guidelines to new contexts, such as public-private partnerships (PPPs); technology loans; and small, fragile, or conflict-affected states. These questions have also contributed to the evaluation's design and coverage.Publication The World Bank Group and Public Procurement--An Independent Evaluation : Appendixes to Volume 2(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2014)Good public procurement practices are a major determinant of the effectiveness of public expenditure. On behalf of their citizens, governments typically spend as much as 5-20 percent of their gross domestic product on procurement of goods and services, and effective procurement policies enable better use of government budgets. Good national procurement practices are therefore an essential element of the poverty reduction focus of the Bank. Good procurement in Bank projects is also associated with better development outcomes. Equally, sound public procurement in client countries is a prerequisite for the success of the Bank's newly introduced program for results lending instrument. The Bank seeks to ensure that its funds are used for the purpose intended and that they support development effectively and efficiently. Thus, the twin issues that underpin this Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) evaluation are first, how effectively has the World Bank helped build well-functioning public procurement systems in client countries and second, how well have Bank procurement policies and procedures for its investment lending supported the development effectiveness of Bank lending? 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On behalf of their citizens, governments typically spend as much as 5-20 percent of their gross domestic product on procurement of goods and services, and effective procurement policies enable better use of government budgets. Good national procurement practices are therefore an essential element of the poverty reduction focus of the Bank. Good procurement in Bank projects is also associated with better development outcomes. Equally, sound public procurement in client countries is a prerequisite for the success of the Bank's newly introduced program for results lending instrument. The Bank seeks to ensure that its funds are used for the purpose intended and that they support development effectively and efficiently. 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These questions have also contributed to the evaluation's design and coverage.Publication World Bank Group Assistance to Low-Income Fragile and Conflict-Affected States : An Independent Evaluation(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-01)Fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS) have become an important focus of World Bank Group assistance in recent years as recognition of the linkages between fragility, conflict, violence, and poverty has grown. Addressing issues of recurring conflict and political violence and helping build legitimate and accountable state institutions are central to the Bank Group's poverty reduction mission. This evaluation assesses the relevance and effectiveness of World Bank Group country strategies and assistance programs to FCS. The operationalization of the World Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security, and Development (2011 WDR) is also assessed, to see how the framework has been reflected in subsequent analytical work, country assistance strategies, and the assistance programs. The evaluation framework was derived from the concepts and priorities articulated in recent WDRs, policy papers, and progress reports issued by Bank Group management, to draw lessons from FCS. The framework is organized around the three major themes emerging from the 2011 WDR: building state capacity, building capacity of citizens, and promoting inclusive growth and jobs. The evaluation focuses on International Development Association (IDA)-only countries, which are deemed to have certain characteristics such as very low average income and no access to private finance, making them eligible for special finance tools and programs. 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