Publication: Transforming Our World--Aiming for Sustainable Development: Using Independent Evaluation to Transform Aspirations to Achievements
Loading...
Published
2015
ISSN
Date
2015-10-19
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
The year 2015 is pivotal in international development. In the lead-up to 2000, the global community came together at various conferences to agree on, for the first time in known history, shared development goals. The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set 18 targets that were aimed at significantly reducing disease, illiteracy, gender inequality, hunger, and poverty, and improving access to water and sanitation by 2015. Leading up to this point where the era of the MDGs concludes, progress has been monitored and discussions started well ahead of this momentous year to define and meet the more ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), building on and bringing to fruition what has been started under the MDG agenda. Much progress has been made toward achieving the MDGs. The world reached the poverty reduction target five years ahead of schedule, and progress has been reported in a number of other areas. However, considerable challenges remain: even while declaring success on MDG1, roughly a billion people remained in poverty. A large number of MDG targets will not be met by the end of 2015, and progress remains uneven among the different countries. Moreover, new challenges to progress are emerging deriving from natural and manmade calamities. To deliver on the twin goals and the post-2015 agenda, the Bank Group would benefit from a clearly articulated role, approach, and expected contribution to the SDGs, both externally for enhancing partnerships and internally to facilitate prioritization and synergies. As this paper has shown, the World Bank Group works actively in many areas relevant to the SDGs, actually many more than covered here, but various evaluations have pointed to the importance of multi-sector integrated approaches that challenge countries and their partners to find new ways of working. The challenges that the SDGs aim to address, and the SDGs themselves, are complex, and solutions will have to be tailored to context, bring together multiple actors, and benefit from dynamic, constantly adjusted planning and execution that is informed by ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Independent Evaluation Group. 2015. Transforming Our World--Aiming for Sustainable Development: Using Independent Evaluation to Transform Aspirations to Achievements. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/22781 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 World Bank for Results 2011(Washington, DC, 2011)This first World Bank for Results report provides the Bank's shareholders, partners, and external stakeholders with an integrated view of results and performance in recent years. It serves as a companion to the World Bank Corporate Scorecard. Aggregating results that countries have achieved with Bank support against the backdrop of global development results, the report also assesses operational and organizational performance at the corporate level. This report is consistent with the Corporate Scorecard's four-tier structure for reporting on results and performance (Figure 2). It describes how global development progress is being measured relative to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other global development indicators (Tier I); highlights development results achieved with Bank support (Tier II); provides data on the effectiveness of Bank operations and services (Tier III); and assesses whether the Bank is functioning and adapting successfully to support countries in achieving results (Tier IV).Publication Connecting Sectors and Systems for Health Results(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-12)Strengthening public health, that is, improving the health of whole populations through action across all relevant sectors is at the heart of the World Bank's mission. This policy note takes stock of the global progress in public health over the past decade; lays out the challenges that must be addressed for this progress to be sustained and accelerated; and proposes an approach for the Bank to maximize its contribution to public health in the years ahead. This note comes at a critical juncture, given the important gains made in public health over the past decade. Key global indicators, including life expectancy at birth, under-five mortality and maternal mortality, have shown steady improvement, while initiatives such as the scale-up of polio vaccination and the distribution of bed nets to combat malaria have saved millions of lives. The Bank is proud to have worked with countries and development partners to contribute to these achievements. The note emphasizes that the Bank will need to root its future public health efforts in its areas of comparative advantage, including its capacity to analyze the economic and development impact of health investments, and its extensive experience in working across sectors for health results. The Bank finances investments in all the sectors that impact health, including education, social protection, infrastructure, water and sanitation and transportation, to name a few, and is well placed to help mobilize such sectors through coordinated, population-based interventions to improve health and accelerate development. Given its analytic capability, the Bank has a potentially critical role to play in focusing finite budgets on the most cost-effective actions, particularly in prevention and health promotion.Publication Universal Health Coverage for Inclusive and Sustainable Development : Country Summary Report for Bangladesh(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2014-09)Bangladesh is a low-income country with gross national income of $1,940 per capita in purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2011. It has made great strides in economic and social development outcomes, particularly in health, and is on track to achieving most of the health-related Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets. Under-five mortality has been cut by half in the last decade (to 46 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2011). It has also strongly invested in and promoted family planning programs since the 1950s. Fertility rates have fallen sharply to 2.2 births per woman in 2011. But despite this drop, its population is projected to grow to 202 million by 2050 (Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat 2013). About one-third of the population is still poor. Bangladesh spends about 3.8 percent of GDP on health, while public spending accounts for one-third of total health expenditures (THE). Out-of-pocket (OOP) spending constitutes about 60 percent of THE, with evident implications for financial protection, especially among the worse off. The country faces multiple challenges in improving efficiency and quality across health, human resources for health (HRH) being a key bottleneck at all levels. However, it provides an example of a country that is in the initial phases of exploring mechanisms to improve health services coverage and financial protection to its population, with a commitment to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) by 2032, and one that has innovative approaches to addressing key health care issues, including equity and citizen engagement.Publication Situational Analysis(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-01)The World Bank and The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) jointly developed this report to calculate the potential human and economic benefits to be gained from increasing nutrition investments in the Kyrgyz Republic. This report provides compelling evidence of the potential to improve health and economic outcomes through scaling up effective nutrition interventions and introducing new proven interventions to reduce the direct causes of under nutrition in order to support the Kyrgyz government's commitment to the well-being and prosperous future of the Kyrgyz people. This situational analysis examines and quantifies the scope of under nutrition in the Kyrgyz Republic by presenting: (1) the epidemiology of under nutrition; (2) an estimate of the health consequences of under nutrition in terms of mortality and disability adjusted life years (DALYs), and the economic losses due to lost workforce and productivity; (3) the health, social protection, and agriculture and food intervention systems relevant to delivering interventions for improving nutrition; (4) the current coverage of nutrition interventions; and (5) the potential economic gains achievable by scaling up effective nutrition interventions. The current context is very favorable for scaling up nutrition interventions in the Kyrgyz Republic. Investing in nutrition has increasingly proven to have excellent development and health returns. The international development community has recognized (1) the need to scale up nutrition interventions; (2) the potential for public-private partnerships; and, (3) a growing consensus around a common framework for action. Reducing under nutrition worldwide is a priority for the World Bank and UNICEF, and also critical to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).Publication Situational Analysis Improving Economic Outcomes by Expanding Nutrition Programming in Tajikistan(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-02-08)Undernutrition in Tajikistan remains an important public health challenge, albeit a hidden problem. Stunting, iodine deficiency, and maternal and child anemia represent the largest burden of undernutrition in Tajikistan. In 2009, around 29 percent of children in all regions of the country were stunted. Iodine deficiency was observed in 53 percent of children and in 58.6 percent of women. The national prevalence of anemia in children was 28.8 percent; however, rates were as high as 39.8 percent in Ghorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province and in 32 percent directly ruled districts (DRD). The prevalence of anemia among mothers was 24.2 percent. The long-term effects of these conditions negatively affect the health of adults throughout their life, as well as their potential productivity in the work force and possible economic contribution to the nation. The highest priority interventions will improve infant and young child feeding. Strengthening and scaling up breastfeeding promotion will save lives and help to reduce stunting as would complementary feeding for babies six months and older. Promoting exclusive breastfeeding for infants under six months is the most efficacious intervention to save lives, averting nearly 20 percent of deaths in children under-five. Effective programs need to be designed to make more women aware of the benefits of breastfeeding and sound nutrition. A comprehensive, multi-sector approach is needed to ensure success of these interventions. This report also makes several other recommendations including: supplementing pregnant women with either iron folic acid or multiple micronutrients, maintain twice-annually vitamin A supplementation, implementing a deworming program, support for flour fortification, scale up and maintain zinc for the management of diarrhea, and address the underlying and basic causes of undernutrition through other sectors.
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.