Evaluation of the Quality of Economic Analysis for Projects Approved 1997-2006

Date
Jun 2009
The Bank has put more emphasis both on ensuring the quality of its economic analysis and on optimizing its performance in terms of results. In keeping with this shift, OVE took on the task of evaluating the quality of economic analysis. To do so, it developed an instrument that established a series of performance indicators for economic analysis, based on international best practices. These were analyzed in a sample of 190 projects approved between 1997 and 2006 that are proportionally representative of the Bank's universe of projects in the period by sector and country. The findings of this analysis were supplemented through surveys and interviews of Bank staff and their government counterparts in an attempt to identify possible explanations. This document (RE-346-2) presents the framework for the evaluation, and its primary results and findings.