Publication: Annual Review of Development Effectiveness 2008 : Shared Global Challenges
Date
2008-09
ISSN
Published
2008-09
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
Reducing poverty in any individual
country is increasingly intertwined with making progress on
shared global challenges fostering global public goods
(GPGs) such as climate protection and communicable disease
control. This year's Annual Review of Development
Effectiveness (ARDE) tracks Bank performance in part one and
examines the Bank's work in fostering GPGs in part two.
Development outcomes from Bank lending have improved over
the medium term. But in FY07 over-optimism in the
Bank's ongoing assessment of project performance rose
sharply, while the share of projects rated moderately
satisfactory or better dropped to 76 percent from 83 percent
a year earlier. Vigilance is needed to identify problem
projects in real-time and ensure that the FY07 drop in
performance does not foreshadow a persistent decline.
Practical steps can be taken to better use monitoring and
evaluation (M&E) in projects and programs, including
proper baseline information and clearer links between
outputs and outcomes. The Bank's country-based model
has worked relatively well in fostering global public goods
when national and global interests dovetail and grants
support country investments. But the greatest challenges,
such as climate change, arise where local, national and
global benefits actual or perceived diverge significantly.
Here the country model comes under considerable strain. To
more effectively bridge the gap between global needs and
country concerns, the Bank should consider: creating
dedicated budgets and better incentives for country teams to
work on GPGs; better deploying its global knowledge
networks; and more powerfully using its standing to give
greater voice to developing countries in the governance of
global programs.
Citation
“World Bank. 2008. Annual Review of Development Effectiveness 2008 : Shared Global Challenges. IEG Fast Track Brief. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/aef4a0b1-b553-52f1-b7c2-4bd6a57a90a1 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”