Improving the World Bank's            Development Effectiveness : What Does Evaluation Show?

World Bank Operations Evaluation Department

Improving the World Bank's Development Effectiveness : What Does Evaluation Show?

Autores

World Bank Operations Evaluation Department

Editor

Washington, DC: World Bank

Descripción

The pace of change in the overall performance of the developing world has not altered markedly over the past 20 years. The number of people living in extreme poverty declined from 1.5 billion in 1980 (40 percent of population), to 1.2 billion in 1990 (28 percent of population), to 1.1 billion in 2001 (21 percent of population). Growth per capita has followed much the same profile. In the 1980s, only about two-thirds of developing countries showed positive per capita income growth, and this percentage remains unchanged. Life expectancy and literacy indicators show overall improvements, but some regions show worrisome trends. There has been slow and steady progress in overall development outcomes during the period, but the speed and scale of change remain static. These averages, of course, mask huge differences across regions, with very worrisome increases in poverty and continued low growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Bank has transformed itself significantly in the past 10 years, and should be ready for further adjustments to current climate of rapid change. Greater selectivity, more flexibility, and improved efficiency within its chosen areas of intervention are needed going forward if a global institution such as the Bank is to remain useful and relevant and show concrete results in a fast-changing world.

Palabras clave

ACCESS TO FINANCING, ACCESS TO INFORMATION, ACCESS TO RESOURCES, ACCOUNTABILITY, ADJUSTMENT LENDING, ADJUSTMENT LOANS, ADVISORY SERVICES, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, AID COORDINATION, ANNEXES, ARREARS, ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, BANK LENDING, BANK LOANS, BANK SERVICES, BORROWER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, CAPACITY BUILDING, CAS, CASS, CONFLICT, CONSOLIDATION, CORRUPTION, COUNTRY ASSISTANCE, COUNTRY ASSISTANCE STRATEGIES, COUNTRY ASSISTANCE STRATEGY, COUNTRY PROGRAM, COUNTRY PROGRAMS, COUNTRY PROJECT, COUNTRY PROJECTS, COUNTRY STRATEGIES, CRITERIA FOR LENDING, DEBT, DECENTRALIZATION, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT BANK, DEVELOPMENT FINANCE, DEVOLUTION, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC POLICY, EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, ENTREPRENEURS, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, ESW, EXTREME POVERTY, FINANCES, FINANCIAL INSTITUTION, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, FINANCIAL SECTOR ASSESSMENT, FINANCIAL SECTOR REFORM, FINANCIAL SECTOR REFORMS, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, FISCAL CONSTRAINTS, FISCAL DECENTRALIZATION, FISCAL REFORMS, FLEXIBILITY, FUNDING SOURCES, GLOBAL POVERTY, GLOBAL PUBLIC GOODS, GREATER ACCESS, GUARANTEE AGENCY, HEALTH PROGRAMS, HEAVILY INDEBTED POOR COUNTRIES, HIPC, IMPACT ON POVERTY, INCOME, INCOME GROWTH, INCOME POVERTY, INEQUALITY, INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY, INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL BANK, INTERNATIONAL FINANCE, INTERVENTION, INVENTORY, INVESTMENT LOANS, LEARNING, LINES OF CREDIT, LIVING STANDARDS, LOAN, LOCAL COUNCILS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, M&E ACTIVITIES, MACRO STABILIZATION, MACROECONOMIC SHOCKS, MACROECONOMIC STABILIZATION, MDB, MISSIONS, MORAL HAZARD, MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS, NUTRITION, OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, OUTCOME INDICATORS, OUTSTANDING DEBT, PARTICIPATORY M&E, PER CAPITA INCOME, PHYSICAL ASSETS, POLITICAL ECONOMY, POOR, POOR PEOPLE, POVERTY ERADICATION, POVERTY FOCUS, POVERTY HEADCOUNT INDEX, POVERTY IMPACT, POVERTY INDICATORS, POVERTY LEVELS, POVERTY LINE, POVERTY REDUCTION, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGIES, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY PAPER, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY PAPERS, POVERTY-REDUCING GROWTH, PRIVATE INVESTMENTS, PROGRAM IMPACTS, PROJECT PERFORMANCE, PROPERTY RIGHTS, PUBLIC FUNDS, PUBLIC POLICY, RECESSION, REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, REPAYMENT, REPAYMENT RATES, RURAL, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, RURAL SECTOR, SANITATION, SERVICE DELIVERY, SOCIAL ASSISTANCE, SOCIAL FUNDS, SOCIAL INCLUSION, SOCIAL INDICATORS, SOCIAL SERVICES, SOFT LOANS, SOURCES OF FINANCE, STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT, STRUCTURAL POLICIES, SUBLOANS, SUBSIDIARY, TASK MANAGERS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRANSPARENCY, TRANSPORT, TRUST FUNDS, URBAN DEVELOPMENT, VOUCHER, VOUCHER PRIVATIZATION, WAR, WATER SUPPLY