Approach Paper: Evaluation of Regional Programs at the IDB

Date
Nov 2011
This approach paper presents the framework for the evaluation of IDB's regional operations between 2000 and 2011. The objective of the evaluation is to assess the IDB's role in identifying and contributing to the coordinated solution of transnational challenges. In this context, the evaluation will pay special attention to the role of the Regional Public Goods (RPG) Initiative. Since this evaluation comes at a time when the IDB is increasing its financial involvement in regional and global integration, it will focus on distilling lessons from the strategic and operational experience of the IDB. In areas where this experience is scant, the evaluation will be complemented by an analysis of activities of other multilateral development banks. The evaluation will use the standard OECD-DAC criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. The desk review analysis of IDB's involvement with RPG suggests that issues of both internal organization and beneficiary demand are recurrent in regional projects. Therefore, the evaluation will consider the additional ad hoc evaluative criterion of "incentives." In addressing sustainability, the evaluation will pay special attention to the role of the IDB in supporting long-term institution building for regional cooperation.