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                             World Bank Support to Early Childhood Development
                                      and Draft Management Response

                   Report to the Board from the Committee on Development Effectiveness
                                          Sub-Committee Report


                                             Meeting of April 29, 2015


       The Sub-Committee (SC) of the Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE) considered
IEG’s evaluation entitled, World Bank Support to Early Childhood Development (CODE2015-0016) and
Draft Management Response (CODE2015-0024).

          The Committee welcomed IEG’s timely review and its emphasis on the importance of having a
multisectoral and holistic view of Early Childhood Development (ECD). Members broadly concurred with
the conclusions and recommendations of the report and called for more effective collaboration across the
WBG, including within the Global Practices (GP) and IFC. They underscored the need for the WBG to take
a leadership role and increase collaboration efforts with external partners, including but not limited to
UNICEFF, WHO, UNFPA and ILO. Members discussed the report's finding of a fragmentation in the
Bank's ECD approach, yet recognized the complexity of trying to fit ECD within a GP or Ministry structure
(that is organized by sector) particularly given that that ECD demands the attention of the education, health
and social protection practices, et alia. Members noted that ECD work carried out in the Bank is
multisectoral in nature and appreciated Management's confirmation that the ECD Global Solutions Group
that is being formed will work across sectors. Members were pleased to learn that Management was also
working across governmental institutions to address ECD issues and that the Education, Health and
Nutrition and Social Protection GPs had developed a guide for WBG staff on 25 essential ECD
interventions.

         The Committee commended the Bank on its ECD work, particularly in knowledge work and in
operations, to advance the discussion beyond child survival to child thriving. They inquired about the
WBG’s plans going forward in the areas of quality of child care, labor force participation by women,
maternal health care and parenting skills. They underscored the importance of focusing on the most
vulnerable children in low-income countries, including in Fragile and Conflict-affected States. Members
highlighted the importance of ECD diagnostic work in preparation of Systematic Country Diagnostics
(SCD) to assess and identify key challenges and opportunities of the client country and recognized that
ECD analysis should not be mandatory, noting that Management should have clear criteria of when ECD
analysis should be carried out. Members welcomed Management's assurance that WBG teams take a holistic
look at what is needed in the country context, including an overall assessment of ECD needs, and that
emphasis will be placed on working with governments to illustrate that ECD is the right investment.
Members highlighted the need to better articulate capacity building of client and service providers and
overall ownership of clients. They were encouraged that ECD impact evaluations recently approved under
the strategic Impact Evaluation Fund will be providing cost-effectiveness evidence, including benefits of
scaling up pilot ECD interventions, which will be key to further promote early childhood development in
client countries





    This report is not an approved record.