The Development Potential of Regional Programs : An Evaluation of World Bank Support of Multicountry Operations

This evaluation examines the track record of the regional development programs that the World Bank has supported over the past 10 years. While these are relatively few in number, together they offer valuable lessons for how such programs can be des...

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Main Author: Independent Evaluation Group
Format: Publication
Language:English
en_US
Published: Washington, DC: World Bank 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/01/7712956/development-potential-regional-programs-evaluation-world-bank-support-multicountry-operations
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6673
id okr-10986-6673
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-66732021-04-23T14:02:26Z The Development Potential of Regional Programs : An Evaluation of World Bank Support of Multicountry Operations Independent Evaluation Group ACCOUNTABILITY ADB BORDER CROSSINGS CAPACITY BUILDING CAS CENTRAL AMERICA CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS CORPORATION CORRUPTION COUNTRY ASSISTANCE STRATEGIES DISPUTE RESOLUTION ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION EVALUATION CAPACITY FLOW OF TRAFFIC GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS HIGHWAY ICR IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES INSURANCE LAND USE LEARNING LEGAL FRAMEWORK LIMITED LOAN FINANCING MIDDLE EAST NATURAL RESOURCES PARTNERSHIP POLICY CHANGES POVERTY REDUCTION PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS PROGRAM INTERVENTIONS PROGRAM OUTCOMES PROGRAMS REGIONAL STRATEGIES REGIONAL TRANSPORT RESOURCE MOBILIZATION RIDER ROUTE SAMPLE SIZE SOUTH AMERICA STAKEHOLDERS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA SUBSIDIARY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THE GAMBIA TRANSIT TRANSPORT TRANSPORT FACILITATION TRANSPORT POLICY TRANSPORTATION TRUCKS TRUE UNION This evaluation examines the track record of the regional development programs that the World Bank has supported over the past 10 years. While these are relatively few in number, together they offer valuable lessons for how such programs can be designed and implemented to deliver good outcomes. This evaluation, which assesses World Bank support for regional development programs over fiscal years 1995-2005, finds that a majority of the programs evaluated have been or appear likely to be effective in achieving most of their development objectives. Even stronger results could be achieved if support for regional programs were better developed as an international aid practice. These findings are based on evaluations of 19 regional programs and a review of the Bank's total portfolio of some 100 regional operations. The IEG report assessed the World Bank's support for regional development programs active between fiscal years 1995 and 2005. These accounted for less than 1 percent of total Bank financing during this period. Three key findings are: (i) regional programs can deliver strong results; (ii) success and sustainability depend on strong ownership of all participating countries; and (iii) the Bank has been particularly effective in fostering country interest in regional programs through analytical work and resource mobilization, and less effective in helping countries deal with their conflicting interests and plan for sustainable activities. The evaluation identified five design features that have proven critical to the success of regional programs: strong country commitment, scope of objectives matched to national and regional capacities, clear delineation and coordination of the roles of national and regional institutions, accountable governance arrangements, and planning for sustainability. The evaluation concluded that the Bank has an opportunity to adopt a potentially bigger role, building on examples of successful experience. To do so, the evaluation recommended that the Bank: (i) establish regional program strategies and integrate them into Country Assistance Strategies (CASs); (ii) work with partners to put together grant and loan financing packages for individual regional programs; (iii) give more attention to improving the impact of Bank support for regional partnerships; and (iv) strengthen corporate incentives and capacities to provide effective regional program support. 2012-05-30T18:18:04Z 2012-05-30T18:18:04Z 2007 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/01/7712956/development-potential-regional-programs-evaluation-world-bank-support-multicountry-operations 0-8213-6904-0 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6673 English en_US CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank Washington, DC: World Bank Publications & Research :: Publication Publications & Research :: Publication
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic ACCOUNTABILITY
ADB
BORDER CROSSINGS
CAPACITY BUILDING
CAS
CENTRAL AMERICA
CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS
CORPORATION
CORRUPTION
COUNTRY ASSISTANCE STRATEGIES
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
EVALUATION CAPACITY
FLOW OF TRAFFIC
GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS
HIGHWAY
ICR
IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT
INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES
INSURANCE
LAND USE
LEARNING
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
LIMITED
LOAN FINANCING
MIDDLE EAST
NATURAL RESOURCES
PARTNERSHIP
POLICY CHANGES
POVERTY REDUCTION
PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
PROGRAM INTERVENTIONS
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
PROGRAMS
REGIONAL STRATEGIES
REGIONAL TRANSPORT
RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
RIDER
ROUTE
SAMPLE SIZE
SOUTH AMERICA
STAKEHOLDERS
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
SUBSIDIARY
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
THE GAMBIA
TRANSIT
TRANSPORT
TRANSPORT FACILITATION
TRANSPORT POLICY
TRANSPORTATION
TRUCKS
TRUE
UNION
spellingShingle ACCOUNTABILITY
ADB
BORDER CROSSINGS
CAPACITY BUILDING
CAS
CENTRAL AMERICA
CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS
CORPORATION
CORRUPTION
COUNTRY ASSISTANCE STRATEGIES
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
EVALUATION CAPACITY
FLOW OF TRAFFIC
GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS
HIGHWAY
ICR
IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT
INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES
INSURANCE
LAND USE
LEARNING
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
LIMITED
LOAN FINANCING
MIDDLE EAST
NATURAL RESOURCES
PARTNERSHIP
POLICY CHANGES
POVERTY REDUCTION
PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
PROGRAM INTERVENTIONS
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
PROGRAMS
REGIONAL STRATEGIES
REGIONAL TRANSPORT
RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
RIDER
ROUTE
SAMPLE SIZE
SOUTH AMERICA
STAKEHOLDERS
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
SUBSIDIARY
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
THE GAMBIA
TRANSIT
TRANSPORT
TRANSPORT FACILITATION
TRANSPORT POLICY
TRANSPORTATION
TRUCKS
TRUE
UNION
Independent Evaluation Group
The Development Potential of Regional Programs : An Evaluation of World Bank Support of Multicountry Operations
description This evaluation examines the track record of the regional development programs that the World Bank has supported over the past 10 years. While these are relatively few in number, together they offer valuable lessons for how such programs can be designed and implemented to deliver good outcomes. This evaluation, which assesses World Bank support for regional development programs over fiscal years 1995-2005, finds that a majority of the programs evaluated have been or appear likely to be effective in achieving most of their development objectives. Even stronger results could be achieved if support for regional programs were better developed as an international aid practice. These findings are based on evaluations of 19 regional programs and a review of the Bank's total portfolio of some 100 regional operations. The IEG report assessed the World Bank's support for regional development programs active between fiscal years 1995 and 2005. These accounted for less than 1 percent of total Bank financing during this period. Three key findings are: (i) regional programs can deliver strong results; (ii) success and sustainability depend on strong ownership of all participating countries; and (iii) the Bank has been particularly effective in fostering country interest in regional programs through analytical work and resource mobilization, and less effective in helping countries deal with their conflicting interests and plan for sustainable activities. The evaluation identified five design features that have proven critical to the success of regional programs: strong country commitment, scope of objectives matched to national and regional capacities, clear delineation and coordination of the roles of national and regional institutions, accountable governance arrangements, and planning for sustainability. The evaluation concluded that the Bank has an opportunity to adopt a potentially bigger role, building on examples of successful experience. To do so, the evaluation recommended that the Bank: (i) establish regional program strategies and integrate them into Country Assistance Strategies (CASs); (ii) work with partners to put together grant and loan financing packages for individual regional programs; (iii) give more attention to improving the impact of Bank support for regional partnerships; and (iv) strengthen corporate incentives and capacities to provide effective regional program support.
format Publications & Research :: Publication
author Independent Evaluation Group
author_facet Independent Evaluation Group
author_sort Independent Evaluation Group
title The Development Potential of Regional Programs : An Evaluation of World Bank Support of Multicountry Operations
title_short The Development Potential of Regional Programs : An Evaluation of World Bank Support of Multicountry Operations
title_full The Development Potential of Regional Programs : An Evaluation of World Bank Support of Multicountry Operations
title_fullStr The Development Potential of Regional Programs : An Evaluation of World Bank Support of Multicountry Operations
title_full_unstemmed The Development Potential of Regional Programs : An Evaluation of World Bank Support of Multicountry Operations
title_sort development potential of regional programs : an evaluation of world bank support of multicountry operations
publisher Washington, DC: World Bank
publishDate 2012
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/01/7712956/development-potential-regional-programs-evaluation-world-bank-support-multicountry-operations
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6673
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