Description
About the World Bank Group
Established in 1944, the World Bank Group (WBG) is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
The WBG consists of five specialized institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank is organized into six client-facing Regional Vice-Presidencies, several corporate functions and thirteen Global Practices to bring best-in-class knowledge and solutions to regional and country clients.
IEGโs Role
The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) is responsible for the assessment of the relevance, efficacy, and efficiency of the WBG operational policies, programs and activities, and their contribution to development effectiveness. IEGโs evaluations aim to enhance accountability and learning to inform the formulation of new directions, policies and procedures, country and sector strategies, and programs for the WBGโs work.
IEG is directly responsible for:
* Assessing whether the WBG Institutionsโ operational policies, programs and activities are producing the expected results, including global, regional, and other programs in which the Institution(s) is (are) a participant.* Incorporating evaluation assessments and findings into recommendations designed to help improve the development effectiveness of the WBGโs programs and activities, and their responsiveness to member countriesโ needs and concerns.* Appraising the Institutionsโ self-evaluations of strategies and projects and attesting to their adequacy to the Boards.* Reporting periodically to the Boards on actions taken by the Institution(s) in response to evaluation findings, and on the measures being taken to improve the overall operations evaluation system including dissemination and outreach activities.* Identifying and disseminating evaluation findings and lessons to maximize contributions to the WBGโs learning and knowledge framework and reinforce learning and accountability within the World Bank Group in service of achieving its corporate goals.* Encouraging and assisting developing member countries to build effective monitoring and evaluation associations, capacities and systems.* Working closely with development partners among donors and developing countries in order to foster international evaluation harmonization, to develop evaluation capacity in developing countries, and to encourage best practice in international development evaluation.
Internal and external contexts
IEGโs work is aligned with the changing internal and external contexts. The World Bank is currently undergoing an evolution. A process has been launched to expand and revise the vision of the World Bank and review its operational and financing model to ensure it is ready to meet the changing needs of its clients and address the challenges of the future. Evaluation has an important role to play in this process, not only in keeping the World Bank accountable, but also to ensure that the way forward builds on evidence on what works and what doesnโt. This will require providing evidence both for the longer-term strategic direction but also shorter-term, real-time evidence to help the institution course correct, particularly in times of crisis.
Internally, the WBGโs organization has launched a consultative change process known as the Evolution Roadmap, which recognizes the increasing importance of global challenges in achieving development goals, and that there is a need to sharpen the WBG mission with greater emphasis on sustainability, resilience to shocks, and inclusion, which are also critical for achievement of the twin goals and the SDGs. The provisional vision is to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet, with a mission to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. Externally, the global community has reached consensus on ambitious post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, and client countries and development partners are demanding increased focus on development impact and results.
Consistent with the WBG 2016 Forward Look and subsequent discussions with stakeholders around the Evolution Roadmap, the focus will continue to be on poverty reduction and shared prosperity, while also addressing the interlinkages with global challenges, such as climate change, pandemic risks, and Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV). In this context, and the recent discussions about the financing of the WBG and development more broadly to do more, the independent evaluation can play an important role in helping the WBG achieve greater development effectiveness by assessing what works, and why.
IEG has increasingly moved to a strategic selection process for its major evaluations to ensure greater influence of each individual evaluation, and of all of them collectively. IEG continues to pursue two objectives:
* Achieving the evolving goal and mission of the WBG - What Works and Why? Deepening evidence about the results of WBG programs and activities and their contribution to WBGโs strategic priorities and ultimately its mission goals with:
* Real-Time Feedback on WBG Operational choices: Assessing implementation of, and providing WBG Management and Executive Board with early feedback on, reforms and WBG operational choices to ensure that timely course corrections are made when needed. This objective is addressed mostly through corporate evaluations covering four strategic pillars: i) Assisting All Client Segments; ii) Leading on Global and Regional Issues, iii) Improving the WBG Business Model, and iv) Mobilization: Scaling Up Finance for Development.
IEG is developing a long-term strategy to best contribute to the Evolution Roadmap. This will involve building on the work already underway, with a particular emphasis on strengthening engagement with various stakeholders, using mixed methods and innovating to enhance the quality and rigor of evaluations, while also maintaining the independence of the evaluation function as both a tool for accountability and learning. IEG will also continue to place emphasis on (i) IEGโs value proposition as a contributor to the WBGโs development effectiveness through focused, timely, and impactful evaluative activities, (ii) IEGโs efficiency and value for money, and (iii) IEGโs effective engagement with WBG management and other stakeholders.
IEG operational departments
IEG is led by the Director General, Evaluation (DGE), who reports directly to the Board of Executive Directors through the Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE). IEGโs organizational structure comprises two operational departments: Finance, Private Sector, Sustainable Development and Infrastructure (IEGSP) and Human Development and Economic Growth (IEGHE), which are responsible for leading the evaluation of WBG programs and projects, analytic and advisory products, country strategies, corporate evaluations, and sector, thematic or focused evaluations across the WBG.
The IEGSP department comprises three units: IEGFS, IEGSD and IEGFP.
The IEGFS unit evaluates the work of the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) on finance, private sector, infrastructure and sustainable development. In these areas, the IEGFS unit conducts thematic evaluations as well as Synthesis evaluation products (Evaluation Insight Notes, EIN) and Learning Engagements (LE). The IEGSD and IEGFP units are responsible for evaluating World Bank projects (IEGSD) and IFC and MIGA projects (IEGFP). Both IEGSD and IEGFP also conduct EINs and LEs, as well as Project Performance Assessment Reviews (PPARs). The three units have staff working across both micro and macro work.
Macro work or thematic evaluations, under IEGFS workprogram are multi-level, multi-project evaluations which rely on mixed methods designs that usually combine synthetic analyses at the overall portfolio level with in-depth analyses at country, project or program levels. Within the framework of thematic evaluations, IEG employs a range of methodological approaches such as portfolio analyses, structured literature reviews, surveys and case study analyses.
EINs generate new insights from existing evidence to address knowledge gaps and contribute to enhanced operational learning. An EIN draws from existing knowledge applying synthesis approaches. EINs systematically organize evidence from disparate IEG evaluations, validations and other work, and may be supplemented by selected additional analysis.
LEs are structured series of activities aimed to support WBG management, staff, and clients in absorbing and applying knowledge from IEG evaluations. They aim to lead to early course-correction, identifying and filling gaps in existing knowledge. They are co-owned by IEG and WBG management, with outputs jointly created between IEG and operational counterparts.
Examples of thematic evaluations recently completed by the IEGFS unit include IDA Private Sector Window, Private Financial Inclusion, Creating an Enabling Environment for Private Sector Climate Action or Private Capital Mobilization, Municipal Solid Waste Management and Energy Efficiency. An example of an IEGFS EIN is the Synthesis of Lessons Learned from Crisis to Support the Private Sector in Response to COVID-19. The Assessment of the Effectiveness of World Bank Investment Financing to support Private Public Participation is an example of an IEGFS LE.
Duties and Accountabilities
The Manager of IEGFS reports to the IEGSP Director and is a member of IEGSP Leadership Team as well as of IEGโs Extended Leadership Team (ELT). The Manager is accountable for performing the responsibilities, modeling the behaviors, and maintaining the technical competencies listed below. Accountability means being answerable for managing quality, risks, results, institutional initiatives, and compliance with WBG policies and procedures.
Specifically, the manager of IEGFS has the following responsibilities:
Business and Work Program Management
* Leads development of the work program in IEGFS, identifying strategic priorities and deliverables that promote accountability and learning under the guidance of the IEGSP Department Director. * Oversees and coordinates effective and efficient delivery of the Unit work program, including but not limited to thematic and sectoral evaluations, EINs, Les, PPARs or micro product related work. * Exercises quality control over such work, in line with IEG quality assurance standards and processes, including ensuring appropriate methods and data are used (in collaboration with the Methods Head) and reviewing outputs and providing feedback at appropriate stages of the evaluation process. * Supports the IEGSP Director in making mid-course corrections of Departmental strategy and approaches, and refines and implements the Unit strategy and approaches, in line with IEG strategic directions and results framework, approved work program, and Board guidance. * Is an active member of the IEGSP leadership teams. The IEGSP leadership team comprises the three managers of IEGSP and two technical leads (of the Finance and Private sector area and the Sustainable Development and Infrastructure area, respectively). In this role, IEGFS manager is expected to collaborate closely with all members of the IEGSP management and leadership teams and to take responsibility for selected cross-department activities, including for example leading the preparation of IEGSP inputs to IEGโs quarterly reports to the Board and the organization of department retreats.* Works regularly with the Managers of other IEG units outside of IEGSP to ensure coordinated delivery of the main responsibilities of IEG.* Provides intellectual leadership across IEG on the issues covered by IEGFS, including for example leading or assisting in the preparation of just in time notes for relevant stakeholders in the areas covered by the IEGFS unit and the IEGSP department.* Contributes to cross-IEG work and initiatives.
People and Talent Management
* Manages a team of 14 professional evaluation staff, supported by more than two dozen consultants and various collaborators in various engagements. This includes work program assignment, recruitment of suitably qualified and experienced new team members, supervising and guiding teams, motivating, mentoring and coaching staff, managing performance and career and talent in accordance with IEG and WBG norms. * Maintains the appropriate skills mix to lead IEG evaluations, through recruitment, retention and placements, and ensures balanced work loads of staff, while building a diverse and inclusive Unit where staff are motivated to deliver high quality and high-impact products.* Promotes a culture of staff learning, effective teamwork, client engagement, and synergy and collaboration with the other departments in IEG; promotes WBG core values within IEGSP.
Resource Management
* Helps plan Departmental budget and manages a $5.4 million budget efficiently and effectively, and in full compliance with IEG and WBG fiduciary standards and operating procedures.