World Bank- Civil Society Engagement Review of Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006 World Bank- Civil Society Engagement Review of Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006 ©2006 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433 USA This material may be copied, translated, and disseminated (as long as no profit is derived there from) The finding, interpretations, and conclusions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank. For further information or to order printed copies of the Civil Society Review, contact the Civil Society Team at www.worldbank.org/civilsociety or by email at civilsociety@worldbank.org or by mail at Civil Society Team The World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W. Mail Stop: MC3-309 Washington, D.C. 20433 USA Phone: (202) 473-1840 Fax: (202) 522-7131 E-mail: civilsociety@worldbank.org Table of Contents Foreword vii Preface ix Abbreviations and Acronyms xi Executive Summary xiii 1. Bank Policy Dialogue and Consultation with Civil Society 1 Bank Polices on Engaging Civil Society 1 Policy Dialogue at the Global Level 3 Global Policy Forum 4 Infrastructure 5 Debt 7 Other Policy Issues 7 Consultation on Bank Operational Policies and Sector Strategies 9 Social Development Policy 9 Loan Conditionalities 10 Extractive Industries 10 Poverty Reduction Strategies 11 Country Systems 11 Inspection Panel 12 Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman 13 2. Civic Engagement and Participation 15 Improving Civil Society Consultation in Country Assistance Strategies 15 Encouraging Civil Society Participation in Poverty Reduction Strategies 16 Research on Enabling Environment for Civic Engagement 19 Budget Monitoring 21 3. Operational Collaboration and Institutional Partnerships 23 Mainstreaming Civil Society Involvement in Bank-Funded Projects 23 Bank and CSOs Join Efforts to Support Post-Tsunami Reconstruction 26 Supporting Civil Society Organization Initiatives through Grant Funding 27 Development Marketplace 29 Global Environment Facility 30 Community-Driven Development 31 Bank Staff Donation and Volunteering Efforts 33 Training and Capacity Building 35 Information Disclosure and Knowledge Sharing 35 Public Information Centers 35 Bank Web Sites 36 Corporate Social Responsibility 37 iii 4. Civil Society Engagement at the Global, Regional, and Country Levels 39 Improving Coordination at the Global Level 39 IFC Civil Society Engagement Activities 39 MIGA Civil Society Engagement Activities 40 Regional Strategies and Engagement Efforts in Developing Countries 41 Africa 41 East Asia and the Pacific 43 Eastern Europe and Central Asia 46 Latin America and the Caribbean 49 Middle East and North Africa 51 South Asia 53 Engaging Civil Society in Developed Countries 55 Europe 55 Japan and Australia 57 5. Outreach to Civil Society Constituencies 59 Children and Youth 59 Disabled Persons 60 Faith-Based Groups 61 Foundations 62 Gender Groups 62 Indigenous Peoples 63 Labor Unions 64 Parliamentarians 65 Conclusion 67 Figure and Table Figure A. Civil Society Involvement in World Bank Projects, Fiscal Years 1990–2006 23 Table A. Table of Grant Mechanisms for Civil Society 28 Boxes 1. Actions for Improving Bank-Civil Society Relations 2 2. A Call for Participatory Decision Making at the World Bank 5 3. Bank-CSO Global Water Policy Workshop 7 4. Bank Participation at the World Social Forum 8 5. Civil Society Monitoring of the PRS in Armenia 18 6. Recommendations for Strengthening Social Accountability in Mongolia 20 7. Tracking Bank-Civil Society Engagement 25 8. Supporting the Conservation of Biodiversity Hotspots 31 9. Adopting the CDD Approach for Tsunami Reconstruction 32 10. Improving Collaborative Efforts to Fight AIDS in Africa 43 11. Growing Civil Society Engagement in Vietnam 44 12. CSO Network Engages the Bank in the ECA Region 46 13. Seeking Common Ground with Labor Unions in the Caribbean 50 14. Promoting Development Dialogue among Maghreb Countries 52 15. Sharing Lessons from Citizen Report Card Experiences 54 16. Bank Supports European CSO Capacity Building 56 17. Reflecting on Globalization with the World Council of Churches 61 18. Experiencing the Bank from the Inside 65 19. Debating the Year of Development with Parliamentarians 66 Annexes I. Consulting Civil Society on Country Assistance Strategies, Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006 69 II. Civil Society Participation in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, Fiscal Years 87 2005 and 2006 III. List of Civil Society Focal Points 101 v Foreword T he past two years witnessed an unprecedented The World Bank-Civil Global Society Policy advocacy campaign by global civil society to Forum held in April 2005 in Washington, D.C., promote the 2005 Year of Development. An brought together nearly 200 participants to assess estimated 150 million citizens around the globe the status of the poverty reduction strategy process mobilized to call on policymakers for increased aid, and discuss ways of improving Bank-civil society debt reduction, and fair trade for poor countries, and relations. The substantive discussion brought to “make poverty history.” For the World Bank, this together executive directors, government officials, same period was also important in terms of its evolv- and senior Bank managers to dialogue with civil ing relationship with civil society. Two significant society, demonstrating in practice that civil society events in 2005—the publication of a Bank paper on engagement has become a central pillar in fulfilling civil society engagement and the hosting of a Bank- the Bank’s mission to reduce poverty. civil society global policy forum—allowed the Bank A further demonstration of how far Bank-civil to assess its relations with civil society and build society relations have evolved was the change of consensus around next steps. These events helped Bank presidents. A reception for the outgoing presi- pave the way for continuing high-level commitment dent, James Wolfensohn, hosted by a group of lead- to engaging civil society during the change in Bank ing international CSOs, brought together a broad leadership in May 2005. cross-section of civil society interlocutors to recog- The paper entitled Issues and Options for Improving nize his efforts to open up the Bank to civil society. Engagement between the World Bank and CSOs ana- The new Bank president, Paul Wolfowitz, set the tone lyzes the evolving nature and characteristics of glob- early in his tenure by meeting with CSOs during his al civil society, highlights recent trends in Bank-civil first days in office. He has since repeatedly highlight- society relations, and recommends ways the Bank ed the key role of civil society in development in his can improve its civil society outreach and engage- speeches and meetings over the past year. ment efforts. The paper, which was reviewed by the From promoting good governance and educa- Bank’s senior management, executive directors and tion for all to addressing climate change, the Bank CSOs, serves as an institutional framework and has been seeking more effective ways to dialogue mandate for strengthening the Bank’s relations with and partner with civil society. Going forward, Bank civil society. senior management is committed to intensifying this engagement with civil society in order to strengthen the Bank’s own poverty reduction efforts worldwide. Ian Goldin Steen Jorgensen Vice President Acting Vice President External Affairs, Environmental and Communications, and Socially Sustainable United Nations Affairs (EXT) Development The World Bank vii The heads of the Bank and Fund dialogue with CSO representatives during Annual Meeting “town hall” (September 2005, Washington, D.C.) Preface T his review provides an overview of the activi- ed useful input. Special thanks to Carmen Monico, ties undertaken by the World Bank Group1 Federica Matteoli, Evelyn Crystal Lopez, and Kristof- (hereafter referred to as the Bank) to reach out fer Welsien of the Participation and Civic Group for and engage with civil society during fiscal years carrying out research on the Bank’s loan portfolio, 2005 and 2006 (hereafter referred to as 2005 and Country Assistance Strategies (CASs), and Poverty 2006), which is the period from July 1, 2004, Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). Linda Rabben, through June 30, 2006. The audience for this report independent consultant, along with EEI Communi- is broad and includes civil society representatives, cations, carried out editorial work. Naylor Design government officials, business leaders, World Bank provided design and layout services; Rick Ludwick, executive directors, management, and staff, other of the Bank’s Office of the Publisher, coordinated donor agencies, and the development community production; and Andrés Mènéses, also of the Office at large. The report covers the wide spectrum of civil of the Publisher, managed the printing. society engagement—ranging from information We also wish to thank numerous staff across the exchange and policy consultation to operational Bank for providing information and data for the collaboration—across the Bank and from the coun- report, or reviewing the various drafts: Aliyah try to the global levels. It is not intended to be Husain, Amy Lin, Amy Luinstra, Cassandra de exhaustive, but rather to summarize and highlight Souza, Clive Armstrong, Charles Adwan, Christian some of the most significant activities, results, and Hofer, David Wofford, Dina El Naggar, Eduardo trends. We welcome your comments and sugges- Abbott, Eleanor Fink, Esther Illouz, Franka Braun, tions on this report, and request that you e-mail Guggi Laryea, Hui Mien Tan, Ida Mori, Jalal Abdel- them to civilsociety@worldbank.org. Latif, Jan Erik Nora, Jan Pakulski, Jean-Christophe This publication was produced by John Garrison Bas, Jessica Hughes, John Clark, John Mitchell, Joyi- of the Bank’s Global Civil Society Team. Carolyn ta Mukherjee, Juan Felipe Sanchez, Judith Reynolds Mandell, Karolina Ordon, John Mitchell, Heumann, Judith Pearce, Juraj Mesik, Katherine and Jeff Thindwa of the team as well as Chukwudi Marshal, Kathy McKinnon, Koichi Omori, Kris Okafor (Nigeria Country Office), Maria Magdalena Zedler, Lisa von Trapp, Mai Thi Bo, Marcos Colmenares (Venezuela Country Office), and Meike Mendiburu, Maria Christina Mejia, Mariline Mon- van Ginneken (Energy and Water Department) car- temayor, Mary McNeill, Meg Taylor, Melissa Foss- ried out a peer review of the draft. Ian Bannon, berg, Michele Bailly, Nilufar Ahmed, Piotr manager of the Conflict Prevention and Reconstruc- Mazurkiewcz, Rachel Winter Jones, Roger Morier, tion Team within the Social Development Depart- Rohit Khanna, Sonya Mitra, Sumir Lal, Sunetra ment, provided management oversight. Several col- Petri, Suzy Yoon, Tatiana Tassoni, Vanna Nil, Viki leagues from civil society, including Faustina van Betancourt, Yasmin Tayyab, and Yumi Sera. Aperen of World Confederation of Labour, provid- 1 The term World Bank Group refers to the five agencies that comprise the group: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). ix Abbreviations and Acronyms ACDE Association Conseil sur le Finance de Développement ADB Asian Development Bank CAO Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman CAS Country Assistance Strategy CBO Community-based Organization CCL Caribbean Congress of Labor CDD Community-driven Development CDM Country Development Marketplace CEPF Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund CESI Community Empowerment and Social Inclusion CGAP Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest CIDSE International Cooperation for Development and Solidarity CPS Country Partnership Strategy CSI Civil Society Index CSO Civil Society Organization CSR Corporate Social Responsibility CST Civil Society Team DFID Department of International Development DIC Development Information Center DM Development Marketplace DPO Disabled Peoples Organization EC European Commission ECA Europe and Central Asia EGCG External Gender Consultative Group EITI Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ESSD Environmental and Socially Sustainable Development EU European Union EURODAD European Network on Debt and Development EXT External Affairs, Communications, and United Nations Affairs G-8 Group of Eight GEF Global Environment Facility GFIP Global Fund for Indigenous Peoples GLOBE Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment GPDD Global Partnership for Disability & Development HLF-2 Second High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Countries IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ICFTU International Confederation of Free Trade Unions IDA International Development Association xi IFC International Finance Corporation IMF International Monetary Fund IPO Indigenous Peoples Organization JFC Joint Facilitation Committee JSDF Japan Social Development Fund KDP Kecamatan Development Project LCR Latin America and Caribbean Region LICUS Low-Income Countries Under Stress MAP Multi-Country AIDS Program MDG Millennium Development Goal MDRI Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative MIGA Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency MP Member of Parliament NGO Nongovernmental Organization OPCS Operations Policy and Country Services PAD Project Appraisal Document PCE Participation and Civic Engagement PCF Post-Conflict Fund PIC Public Information Center PNoWB Parliamentary Network on the World Bank PREM Poverty Reduction and Economic Management PRS Poverty Reduction Strategy PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper SDV Social Development Department SmGP Small Grants Program UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund USAID U.S. Agency for International Development VPU Vice Presidential Unit WBI World Bank Institute WCC World Council of Churches WCL World Confederation of Labour WEF World Economic Forum WSF World Social Forum WSIS World Summit on the Information Society WTO World Trade Organization YDP Youth, Development & Peace xii Executive Summary T he past two years (fiscal years 2005 and 2006) policy sessions during the 2004 to 2006 Annual and witnessed a significant period for engagement Spring Meetings, via multicountry videoconferences between the World Bank and civil society with Presidents Wolfensohn and Wolfowitz, as well around the globe, through policy dialogue and as through face-to-face meetings—the Bank brought operational collaboration. Both the Bank and its in many diverging viewpoints from across global government shareholders recognize the critical role civil society, which helped shape policies and proj- civil society plays in helping to reduce poverty and ects adopted by its Board of Directors. promote sustainable development. One significant policy dialogue event of the past The Bank’s paper entitled Issues and Options for two years was a three-day World Bank-Civil Society Improving Engagement Between the World Bank and Global Policy Forum held in Washington, D.C., in CSOs, published in March 2005, was the product of April 2005. The event brought together some 200 a multiyear process that involved Bank-wide review civil society leaders, government officials, parlia- as well as external consultation. The paper high- mentarians, donor agency representatives, Interna- lighted the main trends, issues, risks, and opportu- tional Monetary Fund staff, and Bank managers nities facing the Bank in its relations with civil soci- from more than 50 countries. The forum represent- ety organizations (CSOs), and outlined a 10-point ed an important milestone for Bank-civil society action plan. The paper has been serving as an relations, bringing a broad set of actors—including important roadmap for the Bank on how to representatives of developed and developing coun- strengthen future engagement with civil society, try CSOs, governments, parliamentarians, and Bank during this period of leadership transition. Outgo- executive directors—to discuss Bank-civil society ing President Jim Wolfensohn stressed the impor- relations at the global level. tance of Bank-civil society engagement in develop- Consultations also took place at the country level ment policy and operations, and incoming Presi- around country assistance strategies (CASs) and dent Paul Wolfowitz in his first year has demon- poverty reduction strategies (PRSs), which involved strated his intent to expand this legacy. a variety of instruments such as opinion surveys, In 2005 and 2006 the Bank held substantive dia- technical workshops, focus groups meetings, and logues and consultations with CSOs at the global Web-based consultations (see Annexes I and II for level on a range of critical policy issues such as information on these processes). In terms of the extractive industries, debt reduction, environmental CAS, a review found that consultations with civil and social safeguards, and its social development society took place in 50, or 73 percent, of the 68 strategy, as well as on a number of controversial country assistance documents approved in 2005 and Bank-financed projects such as the Chad-Cameroon 2006. Another review found that most PRSs had oil pipeline, the Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project benefited from civil society involvement, although in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and the the scope and intensity of this participation varied Marlin Mine in Guatemala. The International among the countries. The Bank also continued to Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral expand its work in promoting citizen involvement Investment Guarantee Agency also continued to in holding governments accountable for delivering reach out actively to civil society. Notably, the IFC results. The “social accountability” agenda included held an extensive consultation process on the revi- supporting the use of participatory budgeting and sion of its social and environmental performance citizen report cards as well as helping governments standards and disclosure policy. In all of these dis- strengthen the enabling environments for civic cussions—which were carried out during a series of engagement in a number of developing countries. xiii CSO representatives network during the Annual Meetings (September 2005, Washington, D.C.) The Bank also maintained a high level of civil The Bank also supported the efforts of thousands society involvement in its financed projects, docu- of community groups carrying out local develop- menting that 217, or 72 percent, of the 302 loans ment and poverty reduction efforts through country- approved by the Board during 2006 had involve- based social funds and community-driven develop- ment by civil society. There were many examples of ment (CDD) projects. It is estimated that up to $1 civil society involvement in Bank-financed loans, billion a year, or 5 percent of the Bank’s annual including assessing project design, providing skills portfolio, is channeled to CSOs through these CDD- training, receiving funds to deliver social services, type funds. In addition, the Bank’s Community Out- and evaluating projects. An important example was reach Program provides grants to nonprofit agencies cooperation between the Bank and CSOs in carrying in Washington, D.C., and also encourages staff to out post-tsunami relief and reconstruction efforts in provide direct support to local groups through pay- Asia. The IFC led a Grassroots Business Initiative roll deductions, volunteer hours, student intern- with civil society groups around the globe that sup- ships, and in-kind donations such as used comput- port microenterpises and local entrepreneurs, and ers and cell phones. launched the Pangea store at headquarters, which is At the regional level, the Bank continued to marketing handicrafts from these groups. engage civil society through a variety of mecha- Although the Bank’s primary forms of assistance nisms and programs. In Africa, the Bank promoted are loans to governments, the Bank has continued widespread consultation with CSOs on the CAS in to expand mechanisms for making grants directly to six countries and continued to expand its CDD thousands of CSOs throughout the world. Bank portfolio. The Multi-Country AIDS Program has dis- grants supported CSO work in promoting girls’ edu- bursed approximately $300 million to over 50,000 cation, environmental conservation, AIDS preven- African community-based organizations to carry tion, youth development, and postconflict recon- out AIDS education, prevention, and treatment struction, to name just a few areas. The Small Grants activities throughout Africa. In every region, engage- Program and the global and country Development ment of civil society on Bank-related policy reforms Marketplace competitions supported hundreds of and in national dialogue processes such as the PRS innovative initiatives by CSOs, including for the and the CAS has helped inform and refine national first time in China. policies and Bank strategies. xiv Advances in democratization and opening of held. The Bank’s work with youth, for instance, was political space continued to take place in Eastern marked by consultations with more than 3,000 Europe and Central Asia. Within this context of young people in 30 countries to seek their inputs to greater political opening, the Bank continued to the 2007 World Development Report on youth and support the strengthening of civil society through development. The Bank continued to reach out to promoting its involvement in policy dialogue and faith-based organizations on a wide range of devel- Bank-funded operations, as well as funding its opment issues, including through the World Faiths development initiatives. In Latin America and the and Development Dialogue and through a three- Caribbean, civil society engagement continued to year process of dialogue and critical reflection on be mainstreamed in policy discussions and Bank the impacts of globalization with the World Coun- loans through a variety of regional strategies and cil of Churches. The Bank finalized the revision of programs. This effort has included promoting par- the Indigenous Peoples Policy after an extensive ticipation, access to information, and accountabili- multiyear process that involved hundreds of indige- ty mechanisms in a number of loans and through- nous peoples’ leaders, government officials, CSO out the project cycle in countries such as Mexico, representatives, and academics from around the the Dominican Republic, República Bolivariana de globe. Global union leaders and disabled peoples’ Venezuela, and Ecuador. organizations came to the Bank for high-level con- The Bank’s policy dialogue and operational col- ferences, and the Bank also continued to reach out laboration with civil society grew significantly in the to parliamentarians through policy dialogue sur- Middle East and North Africa regions during 2005 rounding the 2005 Year of Development and organ- and 2006. The trust between the Bank and CSOs, ized field visits for parliamentarians to a number of media, and parliamentarians increased as a result of Bank projects. specific interventions, allowing these actors to The past two years have indeed confirmed a address more sensitive and substantive issues such growing trend in Bank-civil society relations: more as gender equity and governance reform in their substantive policy dialogue at the global level, and countries. Relations between the Bank and civil greater country-level operational collaboration. Not society in South Asia also have continued to evolve only is the policy dialogue around complex and and deepen in recent years. This engagement has sensitive issues at the global level becoming more included more frequent dialogue on Bank policies fluid, but the PRS process continues to open up and operations with key CSOs, especially with important policy space for government-civil society youth groups across the region. In addition to con- engagement at the country level. On the operational sultation and partnerships with many international level, as the joint tsunami reconstruction efforts in CSOs based in developed countries, the Bank’s Asia are demonstrating, civil society and govern- Global Civil Society Team also provided support ments can be complementary partners in the devel- and training to civil society networks in the United opment process. Yet as the Bank’s own Issues and States, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan, Options paper and various CSO critiques have con- requesting help to work more effectively with the firmed, the Bank faces many challenges in order to Bank on various development initiatives. realize the greater opportunities that Bank-civil soci- The Bank also continued to actively engage with ety dialogue and collaboration have to offer. The specific constituency-based groups throughout the Bank must improve its own mechanisms for civil past two years, including children and youth, dis- society engagement and accountability; ensure that abled persons, indigenous peoples, and parliamen- best practices are applied more consistently across tarians. This engagement varied depending on the the institution; and encourage member govern- interests expressed by the constituents, evolving ments to improve the enabling environment for Bank programmatic priorities, and major events civil society to flourish in their countries. xv Bank Policy Dialogue and 1 Consultation with Civil Society Bank Policies on Engaging the president. The Bank also consulted civil society Civil Society on the analysis and findings of the paper via face-to- face meetings (Washington, D.C.), videoconfer- D uring 2005, the Bank finalized a comprehen- ences (Argentina, the Arab Republic of Egypt, West sive paper analyzing and proposing ways for Bank and Gaza, Indonesia, and Mozambique), and improving Bank-civil society relations. The Web-based comments from December 2003 drafting of the Issues and Options for Improving through March 2004. Annex A of the final version Engagement Between the World Bank and CSOs paper of the paper provides a matrix summarizing the was a multiyear process that involved numerous comments received from civil society organizations Bank departments. The paper was presented to the (CSOs) and how they were addressed in the subse- Board of Executive Directors in January 2005, the quent revision of the paper. first such discussion since 1998. After a thoughtful The paper reached several conclusions. First, civil review of the paper, the Board members largely society is very diverse and the Bank’s relations with agreed with its analysis and recommendations for CSOs are multifaceted and complex and vary by sec- improving Bank relations with civil society. Now tor and constituency. Second, CSOs have grown that the Issues and Options paper has been published, exponentially since the early 1990s and have it provides an institutional roadmap to guide Bank- become major players in development finance and civil society relations over the coming years. policy making, successfully campaigning in such The paper was prepared by the Bank’s Global areas as debt relief, increased aid, and environmen- Civil Society Team (CST), composed of staff from tal and social safeguards. Third, the Bank has the External Affairs, Communications and United learned from experience that engaging civil society Nations Affairs (EXT), Environmentally and Socially is important to development effectiveness and Sustainable Development (ESSD), and Operations poverty reduction—and often CSOs can deliver Policy and Country Services (OPCS) Vice Presiden- services to the poor more effectively than can gov- tial Units (VPUs) at the Bank. Drafts of the paper ernments. Finally, the Bank should deepen its were discussed with countless headquarter and engagement with civil society, but it must do so in a country-based staff, and approved by senior Bank management, including the managing directors and CSO, Bank, Fund panel discuss trade issues during Spring Meetings (April Bank and CSO representatives debate trade policy 2006, Washington, D.C.) during WTO Ministerial (December 2005, Hong Kong) 1 more informed, strategic, coordinated, and coher- The past two fiscal years witnessed an important ent way. change in Bank leadership. James Wolfensohn con- The paper highlighted four main issues and chal- cluded his 10-year term in May 2005, and Paul Wol- lenges facing the Bank in its relations with CSOs: fowitz began his term in June 2005. Mr. Wolfen- the need to (i) ensure greater quality and consisten- sohn played a key role in expanding and improving cy in the Bank’s engagement with civil society; (ii) the Bank’s relations with civil society during his close the gap between expectations, policy, and tenure. He oversaw the review of the Bank’s envi- practice in the Bank’s relations with civil society; ronmental and social safeguards, the increase in (iii) adapt to changes in global and national civil policy consultations and information disclosure, society; and (iv) review management and staffing the appointment of country-based civil society spe- arrangements to improve the coordination and cialists in over 70 countries, and the establishment accountability of the Bank’s civil society engage- of focal points for faith-based, youth, and disability ment efforts. On the basis of these four areas, the groups and other civil society constituencies. Under paper outlined a 10-point action plan aimed at Mr. Wolfensohn’s leadership, civil society was for- improving the Bank’s engagement with CSOs (see mally recognized as an important interlocutor, and Box 1). Implementation of these action items got engagement with CSOs began to become main- under way in 2006, but much more remains to be streamed throughout Bank policies and operational done in 2007, requiring Bank management to make work at the country level. Once met with stiff resist- these tasks a higher priority. ance by governments and staff, civil society engage- ment became part of the Bank’s basic business model—a point acknowledged in the Issues and Options paper. Box 1. Actions for Improving Bank- This recognition of the key role played by Mr. Civil Society Relations Wolfensohn in promoting improved Bank-civil • Establish new global mechanisms for Bank-civil society engage- society relations came not only from Bank staff2 but ment to help promote mutual understanding and cooperation. also from a dozen leading international CSOs that organized a farewell reception in his honor. These • Establish a Bank-wide advisory service or focal point for consulta- tions and an institutional framework for consultation management CSOs included InterAction, World Wildlife Fund, and feedback. Oxfam, and others who had been part of the Fifty Years is Enough campaign and had largely given up • Pilot a new Bank-wide monitoring and evaluation system for civic engagement. on engaging the Bank a decade ago. Although they continue to have concerns about many Bank poli- • Conduct a review of Bank funds available for civil society engage- cies and practices, they acknowledged the reforms ment in operations and policy dialogue, and explore possible realignment or restructuring. he had initiated and the space opened for civil soci- ety to be heard. Mr. Wolfensohn was clearly moved • Review the Bank’s procurement framework with a view toward facil- by this appreciation for his role in having improved itating collaboration with CSOs. relations with civil society, and stated that this was • Institute an integrated learning program for Bank staff and member indeed one of the proudest legacies of his tenure at governments on how to engage CSOs more effectively, as well as the Bank. capacity building for CSOs on how to work effectively with the Bank and its member governments. Incoming President Paul Wolfowitz quickly sig- naled his intention to continue this engagement • Hold meetings of senior management regularly, and periodically with civil society by meeting with a number of inter- with the Board, to review Bank-civil society relations. national CSO leaders days before taking office and • Develop and issue new guidelines for Bank staff on the institution’s speaking to the annual 2005 InterAction Forum on approach, best practices, and a framework for engagement with the second day of his presidency. During his visits to CSOs. Africa, the Balkans, South and East Asia, and Latin • Emphasize the importance of civil society engagement in the guid- ance to Bank staff on the preparation of the country assistance strategy (CAS) as well as in CAS monitoring and evaluation. 2 Over 70 Bank civil society focal points signed a plaque given to Mr. Wolfensohn in which they expressed their gratitude to • Develop tools for analytical mapping of civil society to assist coun- Mr. Wolfensohn for his “bold efforts to engage civil society try and task teams in determining the relevant CSOs to engage on in an open and frank manner” which in turn “contributed to a given issue, project, or strategy. making this institution more transparent, accountable, and pro-poor.” 2 President Wolfowitz greets CSO representatives during Annual Meetings “town hall” (September 2005, Washington, D.C.) Civil Society farewell reception for President Wolfen- sohn (May 2005, Washington, D.C.) America he held meetings with rural community through meetings with senior Bank managers. leaders, AIDS activists, and youth groups. He has Other venues included bimonthly Bank-civil socie- held a number of meetings with individual organ- ty lunch discussions, technical workshops, and izations and also has hosted a townhall meeting, numerous smaller meetings. receptions, and videoconference dialogues in The most concentrated instances of dialogue order to hear from civil society groups from occurred during the 2004 to 2006 Bank and Interna- around the globe. Moreover, in his major speeches tional Monetary Fund Annual and Spring Meetings. throughout his first year, Mr. Wolfowitz has repeat- The Bank and Fund civil society teams co-organized edly emphasized the key role of civil society in a Program of Policy Dialogues during each semian- delivering services to the poor as well as holding nual meeting that comprised an average of 15 dia- governments and global institutions such as the logue sessions between accredited CSOs and senior Bank accountable to citizens. He has also called Bank/Fund managers. The topics included child- for greater levels of collaboration between the hood poverty, integrating HIV/AIDS into economic Bank and civil society, and views strengthening policy making, Heavily Indebted Poor Countries civil society and other institutions of accountabili- (HIPC) Initiative, extractive industries review, pover- ty as an important factor in his effort to strengthen ty reduction strategy (PRS) review, Chad-Cameroon the Bank’s support for promoting good gover- pipeline project, and health financing. Many of these nance and fighting corruption. sessions were cohosted with CSOs such as World Vision, Bank Information Center, World Resources Institute, European Network on Debt and Develop- Policy Dialogue at the Global Level ment (EURODAD), International Cooperation for Reflecting the important nature of policy dialogue Development and Solidarity (CIDSE), and Environ- during the Year of Development, 2005 was also an mental Defense, which represented a more effective important year for Bank-civil society dialogue on approach to organizing these sessions. A townhall important policy issues. Issues addressed included meeting with the Bank president, Fund managing broad policy areas such as extractive industries, director, and the heads of the Bank and Fund Board infrastructure, debt cancellation, trade, and specific Committees was also organized during the 2004 Bank policies or loans such as safeguard policies, Annual Meetings. Wolfowitz participated in a similar the Chad-Cameroon pipeline, Glamis gold mine in townhall meeting during the 2005 Annual Meetings, Guatemala, and Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project and hosted a reception for CSOs during the 2006 in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. These dis- Spring Meetings. These sessions were characterized cussions were carried out during a series of policy by a frank and substantive exchange of views on a sessions at the 2004 to 2006 Annual and Spring wide-ranging set of issues. Meetings, via multicountry videoconferences with Bank-CSO policy dialogue also occurred around Presidents Wolfensohn and Wolfowitz, as well as the Doha Development Round trade negotiations 3 and in the lead-up to the 6th World Trade Organi- society networks and organizations, who were part zation Ministerial in Hong Kong (China) in Decem- of an informal planning group. The forum focused ber 2005. The Bank’s trade team held ongoing dis- on two major topics: assessing the effectiveness and cussions with civil society groups in the prepara- impact of the PRS process, and discussing the way tions for Hong Kong, including a pre-Hong Kong forward for Bank-civil society engagement at the videoconference with CSOs from seven countries global level. (Belgium, India, Moldova, Nigeria, Uganda, the The first day of the forum, which was held at United States, and Zambia). During the ministerial, George Washington University, was thematic in the Bank held numerous meetings with the assem- nature and focused on the quality of implementa- bled CSOs to share views on the unfolding trade tion and development impacts of the PRS process at negotiations and the Bank’s positions. These activi- the country level. The discussion was organized ties included hosting a booth at the Fair Trade Fair around eight interactive roundtables on such topics and Symposium, hosting a policy luncheon for as reliability of poverty data, relation between the CSO leaders, and participating in numerous CSO PRS and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, panels and events. alternative policy models, donor harmonization, and CSO participation in the PRS. The recommen- Global Policy Forum dations made during the day were important inputs An important dialogue event in the past two years to the IMF/WB 2005 PRS Review. (See page 11.) was a three-day global policy forum held in Wash- The discussion on the second day focused on the ington, D.C., on April 20–22, 2005. The Bank-Civil status and ways of improving Bank-civil society Society Global Policy Forum brought together some engagement at the global level. A panel composed 200 civil society leaders, government officials, par- of Bank Managing Director Shengman Zhang liamentarians, donor agency representatives, Inter- (chair), two Bank executive directors, an academic, national Monetary Fund (IMF) and Bank managers, and a CSO leader commented on two comprehen- and executive directors. Present were CSOs from sive papers on Bank-civil society relations. The first over 50 countries, the majority from developing was the Bank’s Issues and Options for Improving countries, representing a broad array of labor Engagement Between the World Bank and CSOs, and unions, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the second was A Call For Participatory Decision Mak- faith-based groups, foundations, and community- ing, produced by international CSO networks that based organizations (CBOs). The forum was organ- participated in the Joint Facilitation Committee ized with the assistance of representatives from civil (JFC) process (see Box 2). The JFC, formally launched at a meeting with President Wolfensohn in October 2003 and 16 leading international civil society networks, was envisioned as a platform for facilitating engagement between the Bank and civil society at the global level.3 The JFC process, though opposed by some groups within civil society who question the benefits of engaging with the Bank, helped to identify and analyze many of the issues and constraints around organizing mechanisms for effective Bank-civil society engagement—including the wide diversity of civil society itself and the 3 The CSO networks that participated in the JFC were Action Aid, Amnesty International, Association for Women’s Rights in Development, Caribbean Policy Development Centre, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Europe and Central Asia NGO Working Group, Global Movement for Children, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, Transparency International, World Conference of Religions for Peace, World Council of Churches, World Wildlife Fund, World Young Women’s Christian Associa- Bank–CSO panel during Global Policy Forum (April 2005, Washington, D.C.) tion, and Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support. 4 Box 2. A Call for Participatory Decision Making at the World Bank The paper entitled A Call for Participatory Decision Making: Dis- es from a civil society perspective. Although the authors agreed cussion Paper on World Bank-Civil Society Engagement was with much of the analysis that is presented in the Bank’s own commissioned by 16 international civil society organization 2005 Issues and Options paper and recognized advances made (CSO) networks that participated in the Joint Facilitation Com- by the Bank in some of its policies, the paper also called on the mittee (JFC). The study was drafted by two experienced inde- Bank to make reforms on two levels. First, at the governance pendent researchers hired by CIVICUS, which hosted the JFC level, the paper advocated more transparency and democracy in secretariat. The researchers held half a dozen national consulta- how the institution is run, including in the selection of Bank pres- tion meetings in Africa and at the 2005 World Social Forum in idents. On the program level, the paper called for more system- Brazil, and interviewed several dozen CSO leaders. They also atic and meaningful participation of civil society throughout all interviewed some 20 Bank staff, senior managers, and several stages of the policy and project cycles, as well as the establish- executive directors to hear their views on Bank-civil society rela- ment of process-based standards for participation. The paper is tions. The researchers also included input received from a num- the topic of ongoing discussions between the Bank and civil soci- ber of CSOs with a long track record of engaging the Bank. ety, including a panel in Washington during the ARNOVA non- The paper provided a useful historical background on Bank- profit sector academic conference in November 2005, and at the civil society relations, analyzing important engagement process- CIVICUS World Assembly in Glasgow, Scotland, in June 2006. Bank’s complex institutional structure. Before being phased out in May 2005, it carried out several use- ful information-sharing, analysis, and dialogue activities including the Call for Action paper and helping to organize the Global Policy Forum. During a lunch he hosted on the second day, President Wolfensohn reflected on his 10-year tenure at the Bank. He noted that despite the ten- sions and campaigns around specific issues and projects, not only had Bank-CSO relations grown exponentially, but common agendas and partner- ships had been forged in such areas as education, AIDS prevention, and environmental protection. Some of the CSO participants then presented Mr. Wolfensohn with a communiqué that called for both specific (e.g., greater civil society participation, PRSP breakout session during Global Policy Forum (April 2005, Washington, D.C.) stronger anticorruption efforts) and broader (e.g., debt cancellation, increased development aid, and free and fair trading system) policy changes. A final practice the many ideas and recommendations summary report on the forum drafted by an inde- made during the forum. pendent consultant; the JFC paper; the Bank’s response to the communiqué; and other back- ground information are available on the Bank’s civil Infrastructure society Web site (www.worldbank.org/civilsociety). The Bank’s financing of infrastructure has long been The forum represented an important milestone an area of controversy between the Bank and CSOs. for Bank-civil society relations as it convened a The emergence of northern CSOs as a strong and broad set of actors to discuss Bank-civil society rela- critical voice in Bank policy and project work was a tions at the global level. This diversity of actors pro- contributing factor in the Bank’s reduced involve- duced a balanced and useful exchange of views. The ment in energy, transport, urban development, and challenge for the Bank and CSOs now will be to water supply and sanitation beginning in the mid- continue to dialogue and work together to put into 1990s. Bank infrastructure investment lending 5 in Asia in May 2006 to elicit reactions to the report and suggestions for next steps. An area that witnessed a significant advance in terms of interactive discussions and relations build- ing was the water and sanitation sector. Here, Bank staff and leading CSOs who work with water issues, such as Water Aid, Consumers International, and Public Services International, undertook several important activities to promote dialogue. These activities included a global policy workshop on the Bank’s work on urban water supply and sanitation (see Box 3), a technical workshop on civil society access to Bank information on water projects, and a joint panel on cost-recovery issues during the Bank’s Water Week in February 2005. This dialogue contin- ued, with a global delegation from Water Aid visit- ing the Bank for a week of meetings in April 2006. Consultation meeting on WDR 06–“Equity and Development” The transport sector has continued to strengthen (November 2005, South Africa) dialogue through the Transport for Social Responsi- bility thematic group, addressing aspects of inclu- declined by about 50 percent between 1993 and sion for beneficiaries and employment. Consulta- 2003, amid concerns about unintended social and tion with both international and local CSOs has environmental impacts of large infrastructure proj- improved awareness of good practice in making ects. In 2003, the Bank developed an Infrastructure transportation more accessible for people with dis- Action Plan in response to a growing demand by ability and encouraged implementation of such developing countries for infrastructure financing. measures, particularly in Latin America and East The objective of the plan is to increase the Bank’s Asia. On employment issues, the Transport for infrastructure portfolio by providing financial assis- Social Responsibility thematic group has increased tance and policy advice and improving country-level the tempo and range of dialogue with the Interna- knowledge. tional Transport Workers’ Federation and its affiliate Although civil society remains a critical watchdog organizations, which represent employees in air, of Bank infrastructure projects, many CSOs now maritime, rail, and road industries in about 140 state that they are not opposed to the financing of countries. Initial attention has focused on the infrastructure development per se. However, they retrenchment processes that are often involved in continue to have concerns over how it is carried out, rail sector reform. A policy research officer of the as they want to ensure that projects don’t generate South African Transport and Allied Workers Trade negative environmental impacts and that they Union worked for some months on secondment to directly benefit the poor. The tone of the debate is the Transport Team for Europe and Central Asia changing as a result of recognition by both sides that region. Moreover, the transport sector has also efficient, affordable, and sustainable delivery of strengthened its relationship with the International infrastructure services is a key ingredient to develop- Labour Organization, with whom the International ment, requiring a collaborative approach. Reflecting Transport Workers’ Federation actively engages, to this greater willingness to engage, numerous policy improve Bank effectiveness in dealing with employ- dialogue meetings between Bank staff and CSOs ment, health (including HIV/AIDS prevention), and were held during the past year to discuss the Bank’s transport safety issues. water, transportation, and energy policies, as well as The Bank also continued to engage CSOs around specific projects. In 2006 the Bank also published an specific infrastructure projects during 2005 and important report entitled Infrastructure: Lessons 2006. For example, the Bank organized unprece- Learned from 20 Years of World Bank Engagement. The dented local and international stakeholder consul- report includes reflections on some of the critiques tation meetings on the Nam Theun 2 Project in Lao laid out by civil society. President Wolfowitz and PDR as well as contracted CSOs at the community Infrastructure Vice President Kathy Sierra held the level for implementing rural infrastructure. These first of a series of dialogues on the report with CSOs activities demonstrate how information exchange 6 Box 3. Bank-CSO Global Water Policy Workshop In November 2004, Bank staff held a global policy workshop in (South Africa), where local community groups use alternative London with representatives of international CSOs to discuss approaches to extend water coverage to slum communities. urban water supply and sanitation issues. The workshop brought The workshop allowed for a frank and substantive discussion together senior Bank managers and project task managers with on such divergent issues as cost recovery, performance of public representatives from 22 nongovernmental organizations, labor utilities, privatization policies, and adjustment lending condition- unions, and community groups from around the world. The work- alities. Participants expressed satisfaction with the workshop, shop was organized by the Bank’s Water Team and co-organized with some saying that despite continued disagreements on some with Water Aid, which convened a small steering group of CSOs policy areas, expectations had been exceeded in terms of the to help design the agenda and identify participants. open and constructive nature of the dialogue. A number of pro- The workshop followed an interactive agenda that included posals were identified for follow-up actions, including a more sys- presentations, small-group discussions, and plenary sessions on tematic sharing of the Bank’s project documents, a possible civil such issues as water reform options, community delivery systems, society panel during 2005 Water Week at the World Bank, the and urban sanitation. Bank staff made a general presentation on development of an information kit for increasing water invest- the Bank’s Infrastructure Action Plan and on the water supply and ments within poverty reduction strategies, and joint studies sanitation business strategy, as well on specific water projects. on good-practice experiences for scaling up water-delivery CSO representatives presented grassroots experiences from systems in communities. Dhaka (Bangladesh), Katmandu (Nepal), and Johannesburg and policy dialogue by the Bank and civil society can reduce misunderstanding and create a more constructive platform for interaction and improving project design and outcomes. Debt The past two years were crucial for policy advocacy and negotiations on debt spurred by the Group of Eight (G8) proposal for debt reduction unveiled at the Gleneagles Summit in July 2005. This proposal led to the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI), an initiative to cancel 100 percent of International Development Association (IDA), IMF, and African Development Fund debt stock outstanding in 19 postcompletion-point HIPC countries. The initia- tive has been approved by IDA and will be imple- CSO street theater advocating debt relief during Annual Meetings mented by IDA starting July 1, 2006. (September 2005, Washington, D.C.) During the two-year period, the Bank’s debt team held a number of policy dialogues with CSOs to clar- Other Policy Issues ify the Bank’s positions and hear CSO’s views on the Highlights of policy dialogue between the Bank and MDRI and other debt-related issues. Panel discus- CSOs in 2005 and 2006 included the following: sions were held between CSO and Bank and Fund managers in the context of the Annual Meetings in • Workshops between the Bank and IFC and September 2005 and the Spring Meetings in April Socially Responsible Investors (SRIs) in Boston 2006. These discussions were candid and substan- and London to discuss the Bank’s environmental tive. Topics discussed included the MDRI, its imple- safeguards, investment, anticorruption, and civil mentation and policy implications, the new low- society engagement policies. The meetings were income country debt sustainability framework, and hosted by Walden Asset Management and the HIPC Initiative and its remaining challenges. cosponsored by the International Working Group of the Social Investment Forum (SIF) in 7 the United States, U.K. and Europe. (June and ship certification project in partnership with December 2004) Social Accountability International. The second • Dialogue on HIV/AIDS during the XV Interna- session examined the experience of World tional AIDS Conference in Bangkok. Vice Presi- Wildlife Fund with implementing an NGO dent Jean Louis Sarbib met with more than a benchmarking methodology developed by SGS dozen AIDS/CSOs leaders to discuss the Bank’s International from Switzerland. (November AIDS work and ways to improve collaboration. 2004 and January 2005) (July 2004) • A full-day meeting was held between President • Three videoconferences between Presidents Wolfensohn and other senior Bank managers Wolfensohn and Wolfowitz and some 250 civil with the president and senior managers of CARE society representatives from 15 developing and to discuss possible areas of operational collabo- European countries. These sessions allowed for ration. (May 2005) useful exchange of views on timely policy issues • The Bank and InterAction began the World Bank- and from various regional perspectives. (Septem- InterAction Workshop Series on Civil Society Engage- ber 2004, April 2005, and January 2006). ment, which comprises technical workshops on • Policy discussion on civil society “accountabili- development topics geared to promoting hori- ty” issues. Two sessions were held at Bank head- zontal dialogue and mutual learning around key quarters, cosponsored with CSOs, to discuss var- policy and operational issues. Three workshops ious experiences with implementing standards, were held on the following topics: 2006 World self-regulation, and certification. The first session Development Report on equity and development; examined the experience of InterAction with a financing of CSOs at the local level; and the role self-certification initiative and a child sponsor- of civil society in fragile states. Each of these was cosponsored by different CSO members of Inter- Box 4: Bank Participation at the World Social Forum The World Social Forum (WSF) was held for the first time in 2000 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, as an alternative to the World Economic Forum (WEF) held annually in Davos, Switzerland. Under the ban- ner “Another World is Possible” it was envisioned as a policy space where global civil society could gather to highlight the inequalities and injustices of our increasingly globalized world. The WSF has grown exponentially over the years from 25,000 par- ticipants five years ago to 155,000 participants in 2005. It brings together a broad cross-section of civil society, including non- governmental organizations, indigenous peoples, labor unions, social movements, faith-based organizations, and academics. The Bank staff participate on globalization panel during diversity of issues has also been one of its hallmarks covering a World Social Forum (January 2005, Brazil) wide spectrum from human rights and fair trade to environment. Bank staff have participated in the annual WSFs held in Porto As the largest global civil society event of its kind, the Forum Alegre (Brazil), Mumbai (India), and Caracas (Venezuela). They offers a valuable opportunity to understand, firsthand, the evolv- generally participated as observers, but in 2005 Bank staff was ing civil society policy agenda, as well as to disseminate the invited to speak on several panels. A panel on poverty and gov- Bank’s own poverty reduction messages. The Bank has tradition- ernance issues hosted by the Global Call Against Poverty featured ally been present at the WEF in Davos, discussing global eco- speakers from the International Monetary Fund, United Nations, nomic issues, and thus it is fitting that it also participate in the and several civil society organizations and was characterized by WSF to debate the social challenges of globalization. Only by try- lively debate and a respectful exchange of views on such issues as ing to better understand and integrate the economic and social the Millennium Development Goals, trade policies, tsunami realms will be the Bank be positioned to effectively carry out its response, and use of conditionalities. multifaceted poverty reduction mandate. 8 Action and several Bank units, and had the par- Consultation on Bank Operational ticipation of other donor agencies. (January and Policies and Sector Strategies June 2006) The Bank carried out consultations4 at the global • The Bank also introduced the use of issue-specif- level on several policies being drafted or proposed ic conference calls between Bank managers and during 2005 and 2006. The consultations with civil CSOs on important policies and loans as they society included discussions of proposed new Bank warranted. Two such conference calls, which policies such as social development, and reviews of involved several dozen CSOs in numerous sites, such existing policies as loan conditionality and were focused on briefing CSOs and getting their extractive industries. These consultation processes views on the MDRI and debt relief for the Demo- varied in terms of the methodologies employed, cratic Republic of Congo. (April 2006) scope, and level of formality, depending on several • Bank staff participated as observers at the World factors, including the role played by Bank staff, Social Forums held in Brazil and República Boli- nature of specific policy, and interest expressed by variana de Venezuela (see Box 4). (January 2005 civil society. and 2006) • In preparation for the 2006 Annual Meetings to Social Development Policy be held in Singapore, the Bank and Fund Civil The Bank has consolidated its approach to social Society Teams held planning meetings with CSO development into a single Bank-wide Strategy and representatives from 12 Asian countries to dis- 4 cuss ways to ensure meaningful civil society par- The Bank considers consultation a more formal process than ticipation and substantive policy dialogue at the dialogue as it is generally a process rather than a single event and implies an explicit commitment by the Bank to try to Annual Meetings, and are jointly organizing a consider and adopt the input received from its stakeholders. series of policy dialogue sessions. (February– Today there is an explicit practice across the Bank that all June 2006) major studies, strategies, and policies—from the global to the country levels—will undergo some sort of consultation process. Policy consultation on Social Development Strategy (September 2005, Washington, D.C.) 9 Implementation Plan entitled Empowering People by teria, design issues, and implementation objectives Transforming Institutions: Social Development in World of Development Policy lending. Policy meetings Bank Operations. The plan focuses on efforts to em- were held in Berlin, London, Paris, and Washing- power poor women and men through enhanced ton, D.C., with several dozen CSO representatives to Bank support for social inclusion, cohesive soci- get their input on the draft background document, eties, and accountable institutions. The paper sets a which assessed the use and effectiveness of Bank vision, objectives, and a course of action for the loan conditionalities. The main findings of the longer term, and suggests specific actions, targets, review included the following: and institutional measures for the next five years. • The Development Policy lending practices are This paper was produced through a three-year effort robust and not considered coercive. that involved extensive stocktaking, research, and consultation. • The Bank has fully recognized the importance of From February to October 2004, the Bank’s country ownership. Social Development Department (SDV) organized • Though the Bank has made important strides in 26 consultation meetings around the world, and adapting its policy-based lending to complex two electronic discussions on the draft strategy. The reform programs, it needs to avoid using large consultations took place in the United States, East- and complex policy matrices. ern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, and at a variety of international con- • The use of expected prior actions (triggers) needs ferences with participation from representatives to continue to be exercised in a flexible and from governments, CSOs, and donor agencies. transparent fashion and in a way that helps bal- Throughout the consultation process, some of ance predictability with performance. the participants expressed surprise that the Bank • The Bank should strive to further harmonize its actually had a social development department and policies with other development partners. program, and welcomed the Bank’s growing com- mitment to supporting the social dimensions of These findings in turn shaped a set of good-prac- development. The meetings generated lively discus- tice principles that were endorsed by the Bank’s sions on such issues as how the Bank reconciles its Development Committee and have been issued to social equity and economic growth policies, how to guide Bank staff responsible for designing and nego- measure social capital, and whether the Bank will tiating loan conditionalities in the coming years. adopt a rights-based approach to development. The During 2006, the Bank prepared a retrospective doc- participants also made useful comments and sug- ument analyzing the quality of implementation of gestions on the strategy that were carefully consid- the revised Development Policy lending procedures ered and often adopted by the drafting team. The adopted in 2004. It also included a first review of the strategy was presented and discussed with the implementation of the good-practice principles on Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, which formally conditionality. The retrospective is expected to be approved it in January 2005. considered by the Executive Board in early 2007. Many CSOs who participated in the consultation Loan Conditionalies process stated that the Bank has not adequately The Development Committee requested in 2004 addressed their concerns about participation or the that the Bank assess the Bank’s “policy and practice impacts of development policy lending, however, of conditionality” and “report on the continued and dialogue on these issues continues. efforts by the Bank and the Fund to streamline their aggregate conditionality.” As part of the review Extractive Industries process, the Bank sought comments on the loan At the request of a coalition of environmental CSOs conditionality policy more broadly, as well as on a led by Friends of the Earth International, the Bank number of specific issues. The consultation process Group launched the Extractive Industries Review in began in December 2004 and concluded in June 2001 to assess the effectiveness and impacts of the 2005. The Bank carried out a number of face-to-face Bank’s loans in the oil, gas, and mining sectors. The discussions with governments, multilateral and Bank decided to undertake an independent external bilateral donor agencies, businesses, and CSOs to review under the leadership of Dr. Emil Salim, for- elicit feedback and suggestions on the selectivity cri- mer environment minister of Indonesia. The pro- 10 cess involved research, numerous informal plan- issues related to implementation and specific proj- ning meetings, community visits, and Web-based ects such as the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline, the consultations. In addition, seven regional work- Karachaganak development in Kazakhstan, and the shops, involving several hundred government offi- Glamis Guatemala gold mine. cials, CSO representatives, businesses executives, technical experts, and Bank managers, were held. Poverty Reduction Strategies The final external report, Striking a Better Balance, The Bank and IMF used the annually mandated was finalized and presented to the Bank in Decem- review of the PRS process in 2005 to undertake an ber 2003. The Bank prepared a management in-depth assessment of the progress, challenges, response, which was reviewed by the Bank’s Board and good practices related to its implementation. of Executive Directors in August 2004, following a In particular, the review drew lessons for the future, months-long consultation process involving dozens with a view to enhancing the PRS’s effectiveness as of meetings, videoconferences, and a Web-based a vehicle for attaining the Millennium Develop- consultation process with leading environmental, ment Goals (MDGs). The 2005 review included the human rights, and development CSOs. views of staffs and other stakeholders, including As a result of the extensive consultation process, government officials, donor agencies, CSOs, and the Bank management adopted several important other partners. It also drew on studies, reviews, and new guidelines and instruments to strengthen rev- analyses undertaken or planned by external stake- enue transparency, local governance, community holders. participation in decision making, and the poverty Throughout the past two years, many activities reduction benefits of extractive industry projects. were held to elicit feedback from civil society on the Many CSOs involved in the consultations, howev- PRS progress review. In March 2005, the Bank met er, expressed disappointment with the Bank’s with CSOs in Europe and Washington, D.C., and response, including that it did not go far enough in with CSOs from various other countries via audio- specifying how governance and human rights conference to discuss the concept note for the PRS issues would factor in the Bank’s future decisions Review. In April 2005, the Bank-Civil Society Glob- about support for extractive industries. Some CSOs al Policy Forum brought together some 200 civil had hoped that the Bank would commit to ending society leaders, government officials, parliamentari- its support for extractive industries investments ans, donor agency representatives, and Bank staff. altogether, but that position was not supported by The first day of this event focused on the quality of the executive directors. implementation and development impacts of the Following endorsement of the Management PRS process at the country level (see page 4). Fol- Response by the Bank’s Board, the International lowing the Civil Society Forum, the Bank held an Finance Corporation (IFC) began to actively imple- electronic discussion aimed at soliciting views of ment the Management Response’s proposals. A stakeholders on progress in implementing the PRS progress report was produced and discussed at an approach. Throughout this months-long process of informal Board meeting of executive directors in consultations, more than 25 CSOs submitted papers, December 2005 and was subsequently published. statements, and comments. The results of the review As part of the implementation program, a group of were presented to the Bank and Fund Boards in Sep- advisors—including representatives from three tember 2005 and the report, including CSO papers, CSOs5—was established to help advise the Bank can be viewed at www.worldbank.org/prsp. about issues and developments in the extractive industries sector. The first meeting of the advisory Country Systems group took place in early October 2005, with the To ensure appropriate use of the resources it pro- second in June 2006, and records of the discussions vides, the Bank—like most other development insti- are available online (www.ifc.org/eir). Bank staff tutions—has specific and detailed operational continues to meet with CSOs to discuss specific requirements for the projects it supports. These requirements have generally meant the creation of special units outside existing government structures 5 The three CSOs are: Oxfam (United Kingdom), Center for solely to implement Bank-funded projects. Howev- Environment and Development (Cameroon), and Bashat er, the Bank has found that isolating these projects (Kyrgyzstan). from the local government systems limits institu- 11 tional strengthening and capacity building and thus English, French, Russian, Portuguese, and Spanish. the impact of development assistance. Further, the Bank staff then organized consultation meetings parallelism with existing structures has often with leading environmental and developmental increased the transaction costs for governments CSOs from November 2004 through January 2005. wishing to contract loans with the Bank. Meetings were held in Tanzania, the Philippines, Experience, independent evaluations, and opera- Japan, England, India, Brazil, and the United States. tional research show that the impact of develop- In addition, comments on the new policy were ment assistance can be increased if development accepted via e-mail throughout this period. The agencies support efforts to strengthen the institu- feedback received from these consultation meetings tions and systems that countries already have in and background documents can be found at place and work more directly with them, since exter- www.worldbank.org/countrysystems. nal development assistance accounts for only about Following this consultation, in March 2005 the 1 percent of annual development spending by Bank’s executive directors approved the launch of a developing countries. Using country systems also pilot program to test the new approach through 14 enhances country ownership and thus the sustain- pilot projects. The pilot program is expected to be ability of development programs. In line with this implemented for two years and will be governed by thinking, in recent years the Bank began using the new OP/BP 4.00, Piloting the Use of Borrower Sys- country systems in specific fiduciary areas—finan- tems to Address Environmental and Social Safeguard cial management (accounting, financial reporting, Issues in Bank-Supported Projects. OP/BP 4.00 elabo- auditing) and national competitive bidding pro- rates on the approach, enumerates the criteria for curement—for projects in an increasing number of assessing country systems, and specifies the respec- countries where it judged such country systems to tive roles of the borrower and the Bank, including be acceptable. responsibility for proposing the use of country sys- On the basis of this successful application of tems. It also specifies requirements for the docu- country systems in the fiduciary areas, the Bank has mentation and disclosure of the basis for using decided to try to adopt this approach in the areas of country systems. The use of country systems would environmental and social safeguard systems (i.e., its not alter the role of the Inspection Panel, Opera- national, subnational, or sectoral implementing tions Evaluation Department, Quality Assurance institutions and applicable laws, regulations, rules, Group, or institutional obligations under the Bank’s and procedures), where they are assessed as being disclosure policy. equivalent to the Bank’s systems, in Bank-supported operations. The approach envisions moving away Inspection Panel from the traditional model in which safeguard poli- cies are applied only to Bank-financed activities The Inspection Panel is an independent unit of the toward applying them to all relevant government Bank that responds to complaints, known as requests programs. Key to the approach is an increased for inspection, from people who believe that they emphasis by the Bank on capacity building and have been, or are likely to be, harmed by a Bank- human resource development, which can have a funded project or program. The panel ascertains major multiplier effect by leading to broad whether the Bank has complied with its own opera- improvements in the quality of government sys- tional policies and procedures in the design, tems. appraisal, or implementation of the project or pro- However, in light of the sensitivity of the issues gram. The panel is a fact-finding body that acts in question, namely the concern expressed by some objectively and independently of Bank manage- CSOs that the Bank’s own safeguard policies might ment and is a vehicle for people to bring their con- be weakened in the process, over the past two years cerns directly to the Bank’s Board of Executive Bank staff undertook a comprehensive consultation Directors. process with global civil society on this proposed During 2005 and 2006, the panel received seven policy. The process began with the Bank dissemi- requests for inspection concerning Bank-financed nating a background paper entitled Issues in Using projects in Pakistan, Burundi, Cambodia, the Country Systems in Bank Operations in October 2004. Democratic Republic of Congo, Honduras, Roma- The paper was posted on the Web site and was avail- nia, and West Africa. The status of the panel’s work able in seven languages: Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, in response to the requests received is as follows: 12 • Completed its investigation of the following of the Bank. The CAO has three distinct roles: first, requests: Forest Concession Management and the ombudsman role, which responds directly to Control Pilot Project (Cambodia), Cartagena complaints by persons who are affected by projects Water Supply, Sewerage, and Environmental and uses a flexible problem-solving approach; sec- Management Project (Colombia), Mumbai ond, the compliance role, which oversees audits of Urban Transport Project (India), and National IFC’s and MIGA’s social and environmental per- Drainage Program Project (Pakistan). formance (particularly related to sensitive projects), to ensure compliance with policies, guidelines, pro- • Initiated the investigations related to Land cedures, and systems; and third, the advisory role, Administration Project (Honduras) and Transi- which provides a source of independent advice to tional Support for Economic Recovery Credit the President and the management of IFC and and Emergency Economic and Social Reunifica- MIGA in relation to broader environmental and tion Support Project (the Democratic Republic of social policies, guidelines, procedures, strategic Congo). issues, trends, and systemic issues. • Awaiting additional information and develop- During 2005 and 2006, the CAO received 27 ments on the Mine Closure and Social Mitiga- complaints from nine projects in which IFC/MIGA tion Project (Romania) on the issues raised in support was being considered or had been provided. the request and the panel’s report to the Board Of those, the CAO accepted 18 complaints for fur- on the eligibility of the request for an investiga- ther assessment. The CAO conducted three tion. IFC/MIGA compliance audits in cases in which IFC/MIGA support was being considered or was pro- • Finalizing its report to the Board on whether to vided. CAO staff maintains close communication recommend an investigation on the West African with the complainants, affected people, and local Gas Pipeline Project. CSOs. In the Marlin Mine complaint in Guatemala, The panel has also expanded its effort to reach for example, the CAO brought together the Bank out to civil society and communities affected by President and representatives from Friends of the Bank-financed projects and programs. It meets reg- Earth, Bank Information Center, Oxfam South ularly with CSOs in Washington, D.C., and has America, and Madre Selva (a Guatemalan CSO), in been invited to meetings with CSOs in Asia and an effort to explore ways to find positive outcomes South Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and for local stakeholders impacted by the mine. Central Asia. It has also made informational mate- The CAO undertakes significant outreach activi- rials more readily accessible by translating the panel ties with CSOs and the community groups they rep- brochure into 12 languages and translating some resent. The CAO makes its complaint documents panel reports into French and Spanish, and by available in the language of the complainants and revamping its Web site. For additional information provides feedback directly to complainant commu- about the panel, please visit www.inspectionpan- nities in order to convey its findings or suggestions el.org or e-mail ipanel@worldbank.org. for subsequent actions. The CAO also makes exten- sive use of its Web site to allow complainants and their representatives to monitor the progress of their Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman complaint process. The CAO has a multistakehold- The Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) is an er reference group that has been instrumental in independent recourse mechanism for people who guiding the development of its operational guide- believe that they have been, or may be, harmed by lines. The CAO convenes regular meetings with projects supported by the International Finance CSOs during the Bank’s Annual Meetings and other Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment events to share information and receive feedback on Guarantee Agency (MIGA). The CAO was estab- the CAO’s work. CAO brochures and explanatory lished in 1999 and reports directly to the President documents are available in English and Spanish on its Web site and also in print. CAO operational guidelines are available in seven languages. For additional information about the CAO, please visit www.cao-ombudsman.org. 13 Civic Engagement and 2 Participation Improving Civil Society Consultation in of the 33 country assistance documents approved in Country Assistance Strategies 2006. The participation of CSOs depended on the countries’ governmental institutions, political cli- T he country assistance strategy (CAS) is the mate, and operational capacity to promote partici- Bank’s strategic planning document to sup- pation. (See Annex I for details on how civil society port a country’s economic growth strategy was consulted at the country level during prepara- and poverty reduction goals. It is also an important tion of the 2005 and 2006 CASs.) instrument that Bank management and the Board The Bank introduced a results-based CAS use to assess the impact of the Bank Group’s coun- approach some years back to improve the perform- try programs. The CAS cycle consists of several plan- ance of the CASs. In a results-based CAS, a greater ning, monitoring, and evaluation documents emphasis is placed on consulting with different although the length and nature of the cycle vary stakeholders during the preparation phase, because among countries.6 Country assistance documents this input can contribute to a more realistic and are drafted in close consultation with government, implementable country strategy and can also estab- usually with numerous ministries and agencies and lish a foundation for more active civil society par- at various levels from national to local. The Bank ticipation in the monitoring and implementation increasingly then undertakes consultations with a phases of the program. In 2005 OPCS produced a broad array of stakeholders within government, study entitled Results Focus in Country Assistance civil society, and the private sector. Organizations Strategies: A Stocktaking of Results-Based CASs to that have been particularly involved in these con- assess whether these results-based CASs were lead- sultations include parliaments, NGOs, labor ing to more realistic outcomes and a results-orient- unions, universities, and business associations. The ed monitoring and evaluation system. The study Bank review found that consultations with civil highlighted several key aspects such as the impor- society took place in the preparation of 29, or 83 tance of country context and the Bank’s commit- percent, of the 35 country assistance documents ment to aligning agencies’ programs with country approved by the Board in 2005. Consultations with priorities within a country-led partnership; need to civil society were also reported in 21, or 63 percent, scale up efforts to improve measuring, monitoring, and managing results; and need to strengthen coun- try capacity for public sector management to 6 An Interim Strategy Note is prepared when a country is not enhance transparency and mutual accountability ready for a full CAS. It is used for countries in transition from conflict or political crisis and when the Bank reen- for development results. gages in a country after a prolonged hiatus. It can also be The report identified several good-practice exam- used for countries that are going through an unusually ples that involved broad consultations and civil uncertain period (e.g., preelection, social crisis, natural dis- society participation in the preparation phase. The aster). The full CAS is generally formulated by Bank staff Morocco CAS, for example, was recognized for every two to three years depending on the size of the coun- try program. The CAS Progress Report is usually prepared effectively incorporating a results focus and the around the midpoint of an active CAS to assess whether the extensive consultations it undertook with represen- goals contained in the CAS have been achieved. It reviews tatives from government, private sector, NGOs, par- the relevance of the development strategy outlined in the liamentarians, academia, and professional associa- CAS, reports on progress toward achieving CAS objectives tions. The Interim Strategy Note of the República and outcomes, and introduces changes to the CAS program as necessary. Once the CAS has terminated, the Bank pre- Bolivariana de Venezuela is a good example of pos- pares the CAS Completion Report to evaluate whether CAS itive results from consultations in oil-producing objectives were reached and provide input for the design of and polarized societies where the Bank’s role is rel- a new CAS. 15 Encouraging Civil Society Participation in Poverty Reduction Strategies In 1999, the Bank instituted the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) to encourage the develop- ment of economic growth and poverty reduction programs through broad-based participation of stakeholder constituencies. Part of the PRS mandate is to promote an open and inclusive national dia- logue on development plans between government, civil society, and private sector. Though the process has been uneven, most analysts feel that overall it has contributed to greater transparency and improved the design and implementation of PRSs. There are several stages to the PRS process, includ- Government official briefing villagers on funding priorities for community ing interim, full, and progress report strategy papers, development fund (Kyrgyz Republic) which are implemented according to the needs and institutional context in each country.7 Today, 49 countries have prepared PRSs, with the greatest con- centration being in sub-Saharan Africa. atively small. The process included a series of work- A review of PRSs approved in 2005 and 2006 shops in five cities with a wide variety of stakehold- conducted by SDV found that most PRSs had socie- ers utilizing an innovative methodology geared to ty involvement, although the scope and intensity of finding common ground by going beyond rhetori- this participation varied among the countries. For cal positions. In the India CAS, consultations were 2005, both (100%) of the two interim PRSs com- made with various tiers of government, civil society, pleted during the year involved CSOs in their prepa- academia, media, and the private sector. Implemen- ration; of the 10 full PRSs approved by the Board, 8 tation of the Ukraine CAS, as reflected in the CAS (80%) had civil society participation; and of 18 PRS Progress Report 2005, is expected to benefit from Progress Reports submitted, 16 (88%) reported hav- the involvement of civil society. The proposed ing consulted with civil society. The review of PRSs changes to the strategy have been discussed with the approved in 2006 documented that all 3 (100%) government of Ukraine and reflect discussions with interim PRSs completed during the year involved members of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) and CSOs in their preparation; of the 3 full PRSs representatives of businesses, civic organizations, approved by the Board, 2 (67%) had civil society think tanks, NGOs, and development partners. participation; and of 22 PRS Progress Reports sub- In August 2004, the Bank’s Gender and Develop- mitted, 14 (64%) reported having consulted with ment Board prepared the Developing a Gender-Aware civil society. (For information on the level of civil Results-Based CAS study, which recommended and society participation in each of the PRS countries, outlined ways to use gender-sensitive indicators in see Annex II.) the CAS monitoring framework as a way to address The reviews clearly revealed that the participa- gender issues and improve on-the-ground out- tion of CSOs depended on the countries’ govern- comes. The first step suggested was to include the mental institutions, political climate, and opera- Ministry of Women’s Affairs and CSOs that focused tional capacity to promote participation. Where on women’s and gender issues in the consultations there has been a tradition of civil society involve- such as in the Dominican Republic. The second step was to identify actions in response to gender issues and then use gender-sensitive indicators as a tool to 7 As part of the PRS process, countries prepare an Interim better measure outcomes. An example is the 2005 Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper before a full report is pre- CAS for Cambodia, which presents a range of gen- pared and submitted to the Boards of the World Bank and IMF. A full PRS contains a country’s growth and poverty der-disaggregated statistical indicators, such as male reduction strategy. Once the PRS is being implemented, the and female labor force participation rates, maternal respective countries prepare an annual Poverty Reduction mortality, and the percentage of seats in parliament Strategy Annual Progress Report assessing the quality and held by women. impact of implementation. 16 ment in government decision-making processes and caused by the lack of capability, financial resources, political decentralization had taken place (e.g., and data-gathering structures in local governments. Zambia), CSOs have generally been involved in the As the Institute of Development and Peace observed preparation of the PRS process. Conversely, in coun- in the report Participation in PRS Process-Country Pro- tries where there has been little interaction between files, the institutionalization of PRS is the key to governments and civil society (e.g., Benin), it has improving participation. The creation of mecha- been difficult to involve CSOs in the PRS process in nisms for voice and engagement of civil society and a meaningful way. Other countries (e.g., Uganda) citizens at the institutional levels improves partici- have used the PRS process as an instrument to insti- pation. In Madagascar, for example, the first Pover- tutionalize participation more broadly in other gov- ty Reduction Strategy Annual Progress Report was ernment programs. prepared and organized by the Secretariat Tech- A number of studies and consultation meetings nique à l’Ajustement (STA). The STA served as the were carried out during 2005 in order to assess the technical secretariat to the PRS Technical Commit- evolution of the PRS. These included the 2005 tee, which was composed of representatives of sev- Poverty Reduction Strategy Review: Balancing Account- eral organizations, including ministries, CSOs, and abilities and Scaling up Results carried out by the Bank research centers. The role of agencies such as the and Fund staff; a one-day workshop on PRS at the STA is to foster participation by multiple stakehold- Bank-Civil Society Global Policy Forum, which ers such as parliaments, local governments, CSOs, involved nearly 100 CSO representatives from and businesses in all three phases of the PRS. When around the world; and numerous CSO reports pro- these groups are consulted at the institutional level, duced by such CSOs as World Vision, EURODAD, they can influence decision making on public poli- and Oxfam. The analysis generated through these cies and resource allocation. studies and meetings all pointed to the fact that civil The analysis and implications of the 15 case society participation has varied among countries studies contained in the 2005 policy document An and throughout the PRS program cycle. Here are Operational Approach to Assessing Country Ownership some findings gleaned from the studies and consul- of Poverty Reduction Strategy prepared by OPCS tation meetings focused on the three major phases demonstrates that mechanisms for stakeholder con- of the PRS process: preparation, implementation, sultation have been institutionalized in several and monitoring. countries. In Bolivia, the National Dialogue Law established a legal framework for conducting popu- Preparation lar consultations and updating a national develop- Though CSOs generally participated in consulta- ment strategy every three years. In Burkina Faso, tions and in some cases organized workshops and CSOs, on their own initiative, held a forum aimed meetings (e.g., Sierra Leone), they were often at enhancing their ownership of the PRS in order to brought in late into the process and, as the 2005 make a constructive contribution to the revision Bank-Civil Society Global Forum showed, this often process and implementation of the strategy. In addi- resulted in reduced opportunity to make meaning- tion, the revision of the poverty strategy in Burkina ful inputs. During the forum, participants recom- Faso was an opportunity for civil society organiza- mended that governments translate documents into tions to positively influence the document, local languages to enhance communications with enabling them to clarify the strategic framework for populations in rural areas. In addition, they noted gender mainstreaming and suggesting the publica- the importance of direct engagement with civil soci- tion of gender indicators, as well as raising issues of ety leaders (e.g., elders, church leaders, and village transparency. chiefs) as well as focusing on vulnerable groups such as women and children (e.g., Burkina Faso and Monitoring Timor-Leste). Monitoring the implementation of the PRS is criti- cal to its accountability and effectiveness, and citi- Implementation zen participation at this stage is quite important. As the Bank-Fund 2005 Review observed, PRSs Participation in monitoring is geared not only often suffer from what has been called the participa- toward measuring the effectiveness of a PRS but also tion gap, or the absence of civil society participation to building ownership and empowering beneficiar- in the implementation of PRSs. This gap is often ies; building accountability and transparency; and 17 taking corrective actions to improve performance parliamentary committees within the PRS monitor- and outcomes. Several reports have demonstrated ing system. Other examples include the multistake- that civil society involvement in the monitoring holder impact monitoring systems in Ethiopia and process is greatly facilitated when institutional Kenya, local-level NGO sectoral information net- spaces are established for this purpose. Mozam- works in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a coalition bique is a good example of where the needed insti- of CSOs and business associations that was formed tutional framework was established to allow for to track and report on budget implementation in effective CSO involvement in PRS monitoring. A Armenia (see Box 5). Poverty Observatory, composed of government, civil society, and donor agency representatives, has Vulnerable Populations and Social Accountability encouraged a sustainable and continuous dialogue The various studies also demonstrated that the on PRS implementation. In addition, the CSO PRSs generally don’t focus enough attention on members of the Poverty Observatory issue their the inclusion of vulnerable populations, and that own annual monitoring report on PRS implemen- there is a need to integrate social accountability tation, thus promoting greater scrutiny and social mechanisms in the PRS context. In terms of vul- accountability of the process. nerable populations, the 2005 PRS review and sev- In Benin, monitoring of the PRS implementa- eral of the CSO reports identified the lack of tion process was carried out at the sectoral level by involvement of marginalized segments such as monitoring units established at several ministries poor peoples, women, and indigenous peoples. and, at the central level, by the Permanent Secre- Disempowered populations generally have less tariat of the National Commission for Develop- voice, fewer assets, and weaker networks, and suf- ment and the Fight Against Poverty. Workshops fer more from the effects of non-income poverty involving government agencies, NGOs, women’s than does the average poor person. Therefore, groups, producers’ associations, and private com- efforts should be made to identify these groups panies have been held to discuss the monitoring and put in place processes to capture their views process. A number of countries (e.g., Guinea and and concerns. For example, in São Tomé and Guyana) have attempted to involve parliaments in Principe, Sierra Leone, and Lao PPDR, women are the monitoring process by formalizing a role for actively involved in consultations. Moreover, gen- Box 5. Civil Society Monitoring of the PRS in Armenia Armenia has established a unique framework for mul- Representatives of more than 170 civil society and tistakeholder engagement in the implementation and private sector organizations have formed a network of monitoring of the poverty reduction strategy (PRS). stakeholders involved in the PRSP to improve and influ- The government, represented by the Ministry of ence the impact of government antipoverty programs. Finance and Economy, manages and coordinates the As part of this framework, a partnership agreement for implementation of the poverty reduction program. implementation was signed between the government Several sector ministries are involved, among them, and the CSO representatives. The partnership agree- the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues. A variety of ment consists of four implementing bodies: (i) multi- stakeholders have been involved in the PRSP process, stakeholder steering committee, (ii) participatory PRSP including NGOs (who work with social development, working group, (iii) independent monitoring and evalu- human rights, and environmental protection issues), ation expert group, and (iv) a periodically organized gender groups, farmers organizations, small and Open Forum. The main purpose of the latter is to medium-size enterprises, trade unions, community encourage transparency and civil society involvement groups, and the Armenian Apostolic Church. The pri- in the monitoring of PRSP implementation, as well as vate sector, through business associations, has also ensure wider public participation. Donor agencies sup- become an integral part of PRSP implementation and porting the PRSP implementation stage are the World monitoring processes. Bank, UNDP, GTZ, DFID, USAID, and the EU. 18 der-based budgeting can contribute to greater transparency and accountability because women tend to be particularly concerned about health, social institutions, and responsibility. On the other hand, institutional capacity of marginalized populations to effectively participate in the PRS is a concern, and more needs to be done by donors and CSO communities to allow them to play a more meaningful role in the process. Research on Enabling Environment for Civic Engagement The Bank, through the Participation and Civic Engagement (PCE) Group, continued to carry out participatory analysis of the enabling environment Joint WB, ADB, Civil Society workshop on participatory poverty for civic engagement and social accountability in a assessment study in Cambodia (August 2004, Phnom Penh) number of developing countries during 2005 and 2006. Studies were completed in Mongolia, and are under way in Ghana, Ecuador, and Sierra Leone. All of the studies utilize the ARVIN8 framework, which is a civic engagement analytical tool developed by the PCE Group to assess the enabling environment for civic engagement and social accountability at the country level. Social accountability plays a critical role in the capacity of developing countries to strengthen gov- ernance and development effectiveness and empower stakeholders, especially poor people, to participate in government decision making. A vari- ety of social accountability mechanisms are being implemented around the globe to hold govern- ments accountable. These mechanisms include par- Cambodian CSOs discuss the Country Assistance Strategy with ticipatory public policy formulation, participatory Bank management (2004, Phnom Penh) budgeting, public expenditure tracking, citizen report cards to monitor public service delivery, citi- zen advisory boards, and lobbying and advocacy a manner that acknowledges the limitations each campaigns. For this reason, the Bank recognizes sector faces while recognizing that collaboration is that there should be, whenever possible, close coor- necessary for equitable and sustainable develop- dination of the PRS with country-based social ment. accountability mechanisms. In the Kyrgyz Repub- In Mongolia, the Bank undertook analytical lic, for example, traditional consultative mecha- work as part of its efforts to improve governance nisms such as village assemblies have been used to through increased civic engagement and social increase transparency of the PRS. The integration of accountability. It was carried out from February to social accountability mechanisms in a PRS context June 2005, in partnership with The Asia Founda- clearly allows CSOs and governments to interact in tion. Emphasis was placed on the aspects of voice, information, and negotiation as particularly important to social accountability efforts. The 8 The ARVIN framework measures five interrelated factors: research methodology used quantitative and quali- freedom of citizens to associate (A); ability to mobilize financial and other resources (R); ability to formulate and tative tools, including interviews and focus groups express voice (V), or opinion; access to official information with a wide range of stakeholders from govern- (I); and the existence of spaces and rules of engagement for ment, media, religious groups, international and negotiation (N) and public debate. local CSOs, and donor agencies in Ulaanbaatar and 19 Uvorkhangai. These activities were complemented stakeholders including government, civil society, by an extensive literature review, a survey of CSOs, parliamentarians, ordinary citizens, and donor and a national opinion poll, which was undertak- agencies in order to hear their views about oppor- en by the NGO, Sant Maral. tunities and constraints for civic engagement. The These assessments all tried to gauge the account- research, conducted by the Center for Democratic ability of government, capacity of societal actors to Development from October 2005 to December promote this accountability, and public percep- 2006, employed a variety of methods: literature tions on the performance of government institu- reviews, key informant interviews, case studies, tions. In addition, four case studies were carried focus group discussions, workshops, constituent’s out on issues of public service delivery, legal advo- survey, and a public opinion poll. An extensive lit- cacy, local governance, and natural resource man- erature review, using academic studies, research agement in order to provide in-depth evidence and findings, and government documents was carried examples of the broader survey findings. In June out. 2005, the final report was presented to the govern- Also undertaken was a survey of CSO leaders and ment in order to consider how the findings and rec- experts involving a total of 57 respondents drawn ommendations could help strengthen the imple- from metropolitan Accra, Ashanti, and Northern mentation of the Economic Growth Support and regions. The CSOs surveyed included research cen- Poverty Reduction Strategy (EGSPRS), or PRSP, for ters, gender groups, youth associations, and CBOs. Mongolia. Particular emphasis during these discus- Focus group discussions were held in Cape Coast, sions focused on the specific recommendations Tamale, and Kumasi and used to validate the survey geared to strengthening the enabling environment findings. Finally, the NGO network GAPVOD-CIVI- for social accountability in Mongolia. This was fol- CUS, which serves as the national coordination lowed by wide dissemination of the report to gov- organization for the Civil Society Index (CSI),9 con- ernment, parliament, CSOs, media, and the donor ducted a public opinion poll on issues related to community in order to elicit feedback and encour- social accountability, and the findings were used by age their participation in the implementation of the Center for Democratic Development research report recommendations (see Box 6). team as an input into the broader analytical work. In Ghana, similar participatory research was The CSI and Center for Democratic Development undertaken to improve governance through social analytical work were designed to complement each accountability. The study involved a diverse set of other. Similar studies on the enabling environment Box 6. Recommendations for Strengthening Social Accountability in Mongolia The ARVIN study on the enabling environment for civic engage- government should provide or facilitate access to information by ment and social accountability in Mongolia produced clear rec- various means such as official journals. Civil society organizations ommendations for strengthening three key aspects of voice, (CSOs) should be involved in not only reporting official informa- information, and negotiation: tion, but also corroborating its accuracy. Finally, urgency should be given to the adoption of an “access to information law,” which Voice. Mongolian citizens need to be more aware of their civil is currently being considered in the parliament, and, once it is rights, particularly “freedom of expression” issues. This aware- approved, ensure its effective implementation. ness can be achieved through public education programs on cit- izenship, especially for youth enrolled in school. The reform of the Negotiation. Most Mongolians—both citizens and public offi- criminal and civil defamation laws needs to be undertaken, with cials—are insufficiently aware of the opportunities for and benefits special attention paid to reducing the threat of imprisonment for of engaging directly in negotiation with public officials or the role defamation. Furthermore, measures should be taken to ensure CSOs can play to assist them. Greater efforts should be made by the independence and enhance the quality of Mongolia’s media all stakeholders to educate and inform Mongolians about these through analyzing the incentive structure and how journalists are opportunities and benefits, particularly in the areas of education trained, and the creation of some sort of media association. and environment where citizens should be fully aware of their right to participate in school councils and be informed about decisions Information. Citizens need access to information from both the related to environmental conservation. government and other reliable sources. Thus, the Mongolian 20 for civic engagement are being carried out in Ecuador and Sierra Leone, where studies are expect- ed to be completed in 2006. Other activities carried out by the PCE Group in 2005 included reengaging stakeholders, particular- ly CSOs, in Albania to validate the findings of ana- lytical work to improve the legal and regulatory environment for civic engagement. This reengage- ment took place in July 2004 in partnership with the International Center for Not for Profit Law, Partners Albania Center for Change and Conflict Management, and the Institute for Development Research and Alternatives. Consultation workshops African multi-stakeholder training workshop on social were conducted in July 2004 in Tirana, Shkodra, accountability approaches (May 2005, Ghana) and Vlore to elicit comments on the findings and recommendations, as well as explore avenues for collaborating on implementing the study recom- ticipatory budgeting initiative in order to assess the mendations. impact of the city’s 18-year participatory budgeting process. The Bank also continued to participate in the Budget Monitoring Civil Society Budget Initiative (CSBI), which is a As part of its social accountability agenda, the Bank partnership of donor agencies and CSOs geared to continued to support civil society involvement in building capacity for budget analysis and advocacy budget review and management processes in many by CSOs in developing countries. The ultimate goal developing countries. Experiences ranged from of the initiative is to improve governance and help CSO involvement in participatory budgeting and reduce poverty through more transparent and equi- budget review processes to citizen report card ini- table public budgets. CSBI is coordinated by the tiatives. The Bank’s work in this area has included International Budget Project and funded by the U.K. undertaking its own research on local budgeting Department for International Development (DFID), experiences, working with other organizations to Swedish International Development Cooperation provide training to CSOs, and providing grant Agency (SIDA), and Norwegian Agency for Develop- funding for civil society budget monitoring initia- ment Cooperation (NORAD). CSBI is led by a tives. In India, for instance, the Bank is supporting steering committee composed of representatives of an NGO in Bangalore, the Public Affairs Founda- donor agencies, the Bank, and leading international tion, which monitors the quality of government CSOs.10 services (see Box 15 on page 54). In Brazil, the CSBI provides grants of $40,000 per year to Bank is carrying out a study of the Porto Alegre par- local CSOs to undertake their budget initiatives. Financial assistance is complemented with tailored technical assistance provided by specialized CSOs 9 The CSI is an innovative participatory needs assessment and and research centers around the world. Each CSBI action planning exercise created by CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and geared to assessing partner is assigned an appropriate project mentor the state of civil society in any given country. It is initiated from the region that provides consultation and by CSOs and implemented in consultation with other stake- training. CSBI also offers training and facilitates holders. In order to obtain a picture of the overall state of networking among the supported CSOs, and helps civil society, the CSI assesses four different dimensions of to integrate them into the broader international civil society: structure of civil society, external environment in which civil society exists and functions, values practiced and budget network. Countries where the CSBI is either promoted in the civil society arena, and impact of activities supporting or initiating support for civil society pursued by civil society actors. budget work projects are Ethiopia, Mozambique, 10 Members include the Uganda Debt Network (Uganda); Chad, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Guatemala, Honduras, FUNDAR—Center for Research and Analysis (Mexico); Bolivia, and Indonesia. For more information on Action Aid (Asia); Democracy Center (Bolivia); and Inter- national Budget Project, Demos, Just Associates (United these initiatives please visit www.internationalbud- States). get.org/CSBI.htm. 21 22 Operational Collaboration and 3 Institutional Partnerships Mainstreaming Civil Society Involve- involvement of civil society in Bank operations, ment in Bank-Funded Projects provides examples of CSO involvement in Bank- financed projects, and discusses the need to D uring 2005, the Bank maintained a high improve measurement tools. level of civil society involvement in its As the chart demonstrates, Bank efforts to financed projects, documenting that 223, or increase civil society involvement in Bank-funded 72 percent, of the 310 new International Bank for projects have resulted in an impressive ascending Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and IDA trend line over time. Going from 50 projects or 32 loans had some sort of involvement from civil soci- percent in 1990, to 217 projects or 72 percent in ety. Conversely, CSO involvement was recorded in 2006, the involvement of civil society has more 217, or 72 percent, of the 302 loans approved by the than doubled in the past 15 years. Though there was Board during 2006. As Figure A shows, this greater a significant increase in 2000 when the rate grew civil society involvement has been trending steadily from 52 percent in the previous year, this trend has upward since 1990 and reflects both the efforts by now reached a plateau that seems to be steady and CSOs in developing countries to insert themselves perhaps permanent, as an estimated one-third of all in Bank-financed projects as well as the commit- new Bank-financed projects in any given year may ment by the Bank and governments to mainstream not be conducive to civil society involvement civil society involvement. This section describes the because of their singular or time-bound nature.11 It Figure A. Civil Society Involvement in World Bank Projects, Fiscal Years 1990–2006 100 300 90 80 250 70 200 60 50 150 40 100 30 20 50 10 0 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Fiscal Year (July 1–June 30) Source: Desk review of project appraisal documents for all new projects approved in fiscal years 2005 and 2006. Note: The orange columns indicate total number of new IBRD and IDA loans and credits approved by the Bank’s Board each fiscal year, and the blue columns indicate the loans reporting civil society involvement in the identification, planning, and appraisal phases. The red transversal line indicates the percentage of Bank projects with CSO involvement each fiscal year. 23 Development Marketplace- funded children’s roundabout, which pumps water into a storage tank (2005, South Africa) 24 is interesting to note that civil society involvement in Bank loans actually went down from 2004 to 2006 in percentage terms, from 74 to 72 percent, Box 7. Tracking Bank-Civil Society Engagement but grew in absolute terms, from 194 to 217 proj- ects. See Box 7 for the challenges the Bank faces in Despite the substantial civil society involvement reported, the measure- ment the Bank has been using to track participation has its limitations. monitoring and assessing the scope and quality of The main sources of the data are the Project Appraisal Documents its engagement with civil society. (PADs) prepared during the initial assessment stage of the project cycle, During the past fiscal year, there were many which reflect the actual civic engagement undertaken during the identi- examples of civil society involvement in Bank- fication, preparation, and appraisal of project preparation. The PADs, financed loans. CSOs undertook a variety of activi- therefore, reflect only the intended involvement of civil society during ties, including assessing project design, providing the subsequent implementation, monitoring, and evaluation phases. skills training, carrying out social impact analysis, Furthermore, the scoring utilized to assess civil society involvement does undertaking environmental impact assessment, not take into account the quality or breadth of the actual engagement receiving funds to deliver social services, and under- that occurred during the appraisal phase. A range of activities from one- taking project evaluation. Here is a sample: off consultation meetings to major collaboration on carrying out social In Bolivia, CSOs participated in efforts to analysis or environmental impact analysis are all counted as “involve- ment.” The full and qualitative extent of civil society involvement in Bank improve accountability, transparency, and quality of projects is therefore not yet adequately captured in this measurement. services in Bank-financed projects through use of Despite these data-gathering limitations, the Global Civil Society citizen report cards. Team (CST) believes that tracking and reporting civil society involvement, In Cameroon, CSOs have received funding to even if only in the first phase of loan preparation, is important and the create awareness and mobilize parents and the com- impressive results of more than 70 percent demonstrates that encourag- munity at large to strengthen the oversight and ing civil society engagement has become standard practice in most Bank functioning of school councils in 500 schools. loans. Furthermore, the CST is proposing the adoption of new mecha- In China, CSOs helped strengthen the imple- nisms to more fully and accurately track civil society involvement in the mentation of safeguards in the CN-Chongqing implementation and monitoring phases of Bank loans and throughout Small Cities Development Project by establishing a Bank operations more generally. It is also beginning to track how much monitoring system that included participation by funding the Bank provides to civil society through grants and contracts. This information not only will be quite valuable to have, but also will be CBOs in identifying and proposing ways to improve shared with senior Bank management and staff, as well as with civil soci- project implementation. This mechanism allowed ety and the public at large. This system improvement is one of the 10 for early identification of problems and fewer safe- action items of the Issues and Options for Improving Engagement guards-related implementation delays and contro- Between the World Bank and Civil Society Organizations, which serves as versies. an institutional framework for improving Bank-civil society relations. In Croatia, CSO representatives, local officials, social policy experts, social workers, and journalists participated in the design and planning of the social welfare system. Their involvement allowed a num- ber of key issues to be raised, including the need to factor in regional diversity and specific social needs of vulnerable populations. 11 In Indonesia, CSOs improved the services of an Projects that are quite technical (e.g., strengthening a gov- ernment’s auditing capacity), administrative (e.g., purchas- Urban Poverty Project through community-based ing computers and other equipment for government min- demand-driven projects by supporting community istries), or too specific (e.g., road maintenance) in nature organizations that are able to increase the voice of may not attract civil society interest or warrant CSO involve- the poor in public decision making, and making ment. Development policy loans used, for instance, to pro- local governments more responsive to the needs of vide emergency funds to cover budget deficits or currency crises usually happen so quickly that they do not lend them- the poor. selves to civil society involvement. Development policy In Nigeria, CSOs are now integrated in the loans geared to promote policy reform, on the other hand, implementation of the Second National Urban in such areas as pension plans, labor policies, and “aid for Water Reform Project through the Citizen’s Feed- trade,” are increasingly attracting civil society involvement, back System, jointly agreed-upon by the govern- particularly by those geared to improving governance and social expenditures. The Programmatic Social Reform Loan ment and the private sector, which is now ensuring III in Peru, for instance, has had substantial civil society that water service provision reflects community involvement in its design and implementation phases. demands. 25 for reconstruction efforts. In addition, international NGOs and organizations such as the Red Cross/Red Crescent, CARE, CARDI, Catholic Relief Services, MercyCorps, Oxfam, Save the Children, and World Vision have raised an unprecedented amount of funds from around the world—including from indi- viduals via the Internet—to support ongoing relief and recovery efforts. It is estimated that in Indonesia, international NGOs have disbursed nearly 50 per- cent of all post-tsunami aid to date. There are many examples of Bank partnership with CSOs in the reconstruction process. For exam- ple, in Indonesia, the Bank joined forces with 15 donors to set up a $525 million Multi-Donor Trust Fund to support reconstruction efforts in the provinces of Aceh and Nias. The Fund is managed by a steering committee consisting of donor agen- cies, the Indonesian government, and two CSO rep- resentatives who determine which reconstruction initiatives to support. The Fund is financing, for Development Marketplace-funded initiative to deliver affordable electricity through solar energy (2005, Lao PDR) example, Muslim Aid (a United Kingdom-based NGO) to drain areas of Banda Aceh where new housing has been built, or to provide water and san- In Sri Lanka, CSO representatives within a Hous- itation because much of the city is still flooded dur- ing Reconstruction Program were invited to partici- ing high tide. It is also financing Catholic Relief Ser- pate as observers in meetings of a mobile govern- vices to repair sections of a major road along the ment secretariat. This participation allowed affected worst-hit west coast of Aceh, so reconstruction villagers to more readily raise grievances and con- materials can reach remote areas as well as Aceh’s cerns with the Divisional Secretary, resulting in ancient Leuser forests. The Bank is also working greater government accessibility and decreased with CSOs on tsunami reconstruction in Thailand. response time. The Bank is partnering with the government of In West Bank and Gaza, CSOs played a key role Thailand, Population and Community Develop- in pushing for representatives from universities, ment Association, Chumchon Thai Foundation, community colleges, and student organizations to World Vision, and the Local Development Institute be represented in the governing council for a uni- to provide assistance to citizens in a number of versity education project funded by the Bank. provinces. One of the most significant Bank–civil society partnerships is in the land rights project funded by Bank and CSOs Join Efforts to the Multi-Donor Trust Fund. In much of the Aceh Support Post-Tsunami Reconstruction province in Indonesia, the tsunami and debris When the tsunami struck the coasts of 11 countries obliterated all traces of property records and in Asia and Africa in December 2004, it left tragic boundaries, so it is important to establish rightful loss of life and destruction in its wake. The disaster ownership of land before initiating reconstruction. also elicited a strong response by the affected coun- The Reconstruction of Aceh Land Administration tries and the world community, which marshaled an System Project seeks to restore property rights using outpouring of aid, quick humanitarian relief, and participatory processes. A number of CSOs (large unprecedented levels of civil society involvement in international as well as Aceh-based ones) have postreconstruction efforts. Following the tsunami, been trained by this Bank-administered program to the Bank announced an immediate grant of $25 mil- conduct Community Mapping and Community- lion for Indonesia and has since committed an addi- Driven Adjudication processes. The survivors of the tional $39 million. The Bank also made grants of community are brought together as a human $526 million to India and $150 million to Sri Lanka archive to determine whose property was where, 26 Tsunami-affected residents review community maps in Bank-funded reconstruction project (2005, Indonesia) the shape of the property, and legal ownership. The Bank’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., that pro- program has successfully delivered thousands of vide funding directly to hundreds of CSOs legal titles to homeowners, which has helped many throughout the world involved in promoting girls’ to establish new livelihoods by using their homes education, environmental conservation, AIDS pre- as collateral. vention, postconflict reconstruction, civic engage- ment, youth empowerment, and rural develop- ment. The Bank also supports the efforts of thou- Supporting Civil Society Organization sands of community groups carrying out local Initiatives through Grant Funding development and poverty reduction efforts through The Bank’s principal work instrument is to provide country-based social funds and CDD projects. It is loans to governments undertaking development estimated that up to $1 billion a year, or 5 percent and poverty reduction efforts in the developing of the Bank’s annual portfolio, is channeled to world. Yet, in response to growing demand from CSOs through these government-managed funds. CSOs, the Bank began some two decades ago to Below is information on the most important Bank- also provide grants to CSOs. Today the Bank has managed grant mechanisms (see Table A), as well numerous grantmaking mechanisms based in the as on the CDD Program. 27 Table A. Table of Grant Mechanisms for Civil Society Mechanism Nature of Mechanism and Number of Amount Name Types of Projects Funded Projects Funded Funded Japan Social JSDF is funded by the Japanese government and provides funding 11 projects implemented $41.3* Development to governments, CSOs, donor agencies, and others to carry out exclusively by CSOs in Fund (JSDF) poverty reduction initiatives at the country level to address the 2006 ($33.1) poverty and social consequences that resulted from the global 3 projects co-implemented economic and financial crises between 1997 and 1999. CSOs can with government agencies be both the recipient and implementing agency. in 2005 ($8.2) Global Environment The Bank is one of the three implementing agencies of GEF, 12 projects in 2005 $13.7 Facility (GEF) which supports environmental conservation and biodiversity protection efforts worldwide. It provides small grants up to $50,000, and international NGOs can be project proposers, project executors, or stakeholders of Bank-implemented GEF projects. Development The DM funds small-scale development projects that are innovative, 31 projects in 2005 $15.5 Marketplace (DM) replicable, and sustainable. Awards range from $50,000 to $200,000. and 30 projects in 2006 The DM has an annual thematic global competition. In 2005 the global competitions. theme was Innovations for Livelihoods in a Sustainable Environment 122 projects in two and $3.9 million was disbursed. In 2006 the theme was Innovations regional competitions in Water Supply, Sanitation, and Energy Services for Poor People and and 192 projects in $5 million was granted. There were also regional and country-based eight country-based project competitions. In 2005 these competitions were held in 16 competitions in 2005. countries and in 2006 in 11 countries. (See page 29 for more details.) Consultative Group CGAP is a consortium of 29 bilateral and multilateral donor agencies 4 CSOs in 2006 $4.4 to Assist the Poorest that support microfinance. CGAP grants range from $5,000 to $1.1 3 CSOs in 2005 (CGAP) million. The consortium offers resources to CSOs to help them improve the effectiveness of their microfinance activities. It also provides trainings and micromanagement workshops for NGOs. In 2006 CGAP committed $2.9 million in new grants, and in 2005 it committed $1.5 million new grants. Small Grants Program The SmGP funds grassroots development initiatives carried out by Approximately 850 $4.9 (SmGP) CSOs in the area of civic engagement, although the specific focus small-scale projects of each program varies by country (e.g., youth, rural poor, producers’ in 2005 and 2006. groups). It is administered in over 70 Bank country offices by civil society focal points. Allocations to the country offices totalled $2.5 million in 2005 and $2.4 million in 2006. Low Income Countries The LICUS Trust Fund supports CSOs as providers of informal social 4 projects in 2005 $2.2 Under Stress (LICUS) transformation and as facilitators of economic and social development Trust Fund through the implementation and management of community-based initiatives. It is administered by the same secretariat as the post-conflict fund. In 2005, LICUS provided $21 million to programs in six countries, but only 10 percent of this amount went to CSOs. Post-Conflict Fund The PCF supports innovative projects in fragile and volatile conflict- 6 projects in 2005 $1.9 (PCF) affected societies, which may often not be possible under Bank loans. Approximately 25% of all PCF projects since 1998 have been implemented by CSOs. The remainder have been implemented by governments and donor agencies Global Fund for The GFIP provides grant support in three areas: (i) small grants Some 40 projects $0.9 Indigenous Peoples directly to indigenous peoples organizations to support sustainable in 2005 and 2006 (GFIP) development projects and programs based on their cultural preferences; (ii) capacity building for indigenous leaders in the Andean region of South America; and (iii) the United Nations Permanent Forum to promote a global partnership among indigenous peoples and facilitate their relations with donor agencies. GFIP is administered by the same secretariat as the SmGP. In 2005, $600,000 was provided to indigenous groups and $380,000 was provided in 2006. Source: Individual grant mechanisms. For more information on each mechanism search their Web sites from the World Bank’s main Web site www.worldbank.org. Note: * in millions of dollars. 28 CSO exhibitions during Development Marketplace Global Competition (May 2006, Washington, D.C.) Development Marketplace then invited to come to Washington and market The Development Marketplace (DM) funds innova- their proposals via booths set up in the Bank’s main tive, small-scale development projects around the complex building atrium. In addition, a series of world. The DM’s primary objective is to identify and seminars called Knowledge Exchange allows groups support creative ideas that deliver results and have to network among themselves and meet potential the potential to be expanded or replicated. In addi- donors in Washington. A jury composed of senior tion to supporting hundreds of grassroots initia- Bank managers, CSO leaders, and other develop- tives, the program allows the Bank to learn and gain ment professionals selects the grant recipients. insight from local practitioners who have important Awards range from $50,000 to $200,000. Since its contributions to make in the fight against poverty. inception, the global DM competition has dis- DM competitions are designed to attract ideas from bursed more than $23 million to 171 organizations. a range of innovators: civil society groups, social For its 2005 global competition, whose theme was entrepreneurs, local governments, universities, and Innovations for Livelihoods in a Sustainable Environ- private companies, as well as staff of the Bank and ment, the program received over 2,700 proposals other donor agencies. The program has awarded and awarded $4 million to 31 organizations from more than $34 million to support more than 800 22 countries. The 2006 theme of the global compe- development projects since its launch in 1998. The tition was Innovations in Water, Sanitation and Energy program operates on two levels: Services for Poor People and $5 million was awarded to 30 organizations worldwide. Global Development Marketplace. The global competition takes place every 12 to 18 Country Development Marketplaces. months at Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C. Regional or country Bank offices also organize Every year the Bank receives several thousand pro- Country Development Marketplaces (CDMs), posals for each of its competitions, which generally which are modeled on the global competitions. focus on specific development themes such as envi- CDMs are designed to address development issues ronment and water. All proposals are carefully of particular relevance for a specific country or screened by development professionals from the group of countries. Awards typically range from Bank, civil society, and private companies, for their $5,000 to $25,000, and the proposal requesting, feasibility, innovativeness, replicability, and sustain- selecting, and awarding procedures are similar to ability. About 80 to 100 finalist organizations are those of the global program, although adjusted to 29 Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Envi- ronment Programme (UNEP), and the Bank—share credit for GEF’s measurable on-the-ground achieve- ments in 1,750 projects in more than 155 developing and transition countries. To date, $6.1 billion com- mitted by GEF has leveraged an additional $20 billion in cofinanc- ing. GEF has also made more than 4,000 small grants, up to $50,000 each, directly to NGOs and commu- nity organizations. The GEF continued, during 2006, to support the environmental conser- vation efforts of CSOs throughout the world. CSOs involved included CBOs, national and international NGOs, academic institutions, and foundations. The Bank administers Exhibition during Southern Africa Development Marketplace competition (April 2005, Zambia) two GEF programs, the Medium- Sized Projects (MSPs) Program and the local context. Award recipients include NGOs, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).12 community organizations, universities, local gov- See a description of the MSPs and DM programs ernments, and businesses involved in grassroots below and Box 8 for information on the CEPF. development. The marketplace events themselves The MSP Program (which has a $1 million per generally last several days and, in addition to expo- grant limit) serves a strategic goal of allowing the sition booths by the finalist projects, involve cultur- Bank to engage nontraditional partners such as al programs that have attracted thousand of partici- CSOs. In 2006, MSPs disbursed an estimated $2.5 pants. To date, CDMs have awarded more than $13 million to CSOs around the world, and a total of 64 million to more than 750 winners in nearly 50 MSPs were under implementation during fiscal year countries. In 2005, CDMs took place in Argentina, 2006. The program has streamlined grantmaking Chile, Georgia, Ghana, Indonesia, Lebanon, procedures to allow the GEF to more effectively sup- Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Paraguay, Rwanda, Turkey, port NGOs, community organizations, universities, Uruguay, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In and small businesses involved in environmental 2006, CDM countries included Albania, Bosnia and and biodiversity conservation. MSPs have been used Herzegovina, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, China, the by different units in IDA, IBRD, and IFC to leverage Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Lebanon, Pak- additional resources for CSO projects as well as pro- istan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, mote capacity-building efforts. In cases in which Serbia and Montenegro, and Vietnam. local CSOs were the executing agency, the projects contributed to improving their business practices Global Environment Facility and built staff capabilities in procurement and The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is an inter- monitoring. national financial mechanism with 176 member The MSP has channeled more than $60 million countries that addresses global environmental to CSOs since being established in 1997, and over issues while supporting national sustainable devel- this period has learned and attempted to incorpo- opment initiatives. GEF grants support projects in developing countries in the areas of biodiversity, 12 The United Nations Development Programme administers climate change, international waters, land degrada- three other complementary GEF programs: the Small Grants tion, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollu- Programme, cross-cutting capacity-building programs, and tants. GEF’s implementing agencies—the United country dialogue workshops. 30 Box 8. Supporting the Conservation of Biodiversity Hotspots The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) has provided The Fund also supported civil society partners in six Asian grant funding to CSOs for conservation efforts in 25 biodiversity hotspots during the year, awarding $11.7 million in new grants. hotspots, which comprise 75 percent of the globe’s biodiversity. In Indonesia, a coalition of some 20 CSOs is working to secure Since its establishment in 2000, the CEPF has awarded $73 mil- 38,000 hectares of lowland forest on Sumatra (the new Tesso lion to 570 national and international NGOs, community-based Nilo national park) while engaging global business partners of organizations, and companies in 14 hotspots. The CEPF currently Indonesian pulp and paper companies to adopt sustainable pur- has five major donors: Global Environment Facility (GEF), Con- chasing and production policies. In Latin America, CEPF grants servation International, MacArthur Foundation, the government supported CSO conservation work in four hotspots, awarding of Japan, and World Bank. CEPF investments have also leveraged $6.5 million in new grants. In Costa Rica, NGOs worked with another $100 million from other donors and local NGOs for spe- landowners to create a 60,000-hectare national wildlife refuge, cific projects. called a “laboratory for sustainable development.” In Venezuela, During 2005, the CEPF supported civil society projects in six two CSOs have managed Medium-Sized Project GEF grants to African hotspots, awarding $5.5 million in new grants. In South promote ecoregional planning in Los Llanos and natural Africa’s Cape Floristic region, for instance, the South African resource sustainable management in the Amazonas State. A full- National Biodiversity Institute helped 15 community groups to size GEF project will be managed by a trisectorial partnership in conserve four pilot sites in the Cape Flats townships, creating which the Indigenous Federation of the Bolivar State has played more than 80 income-generation opportunities, clearing alien a protagonist role in the National Parks System project for the species, and restoring veld habitat in small coastal reserves. Canaima Park. For more examples of activities and partners for specific hotspots, see the CEPF Web site at www.cepf.net. rate a number of lessons, including the following: approximately $1.6 billion, or 7 percent of total (i) project preparation costs can be lower when Bank investments. The Bank’s worldwide active experienced CSOs are involved; (ii) building CSO CDD portfolio includes 381 operations funded capacity can lay the groundwork for participation in between 2000 and 2005. As part of the overall emer- larger projects; and (iii) the Bank benefits from gency response to the 2005 tsunami that devastated developing relationships in countries where the coastal communities in several countries in Asia, the civil society sector plays an important role in envi- Bank has been using existing CDD programs and ronmental protection. approaches to ensure that resources are used effec- The GEF also provided funding for the 2006 tively and transparently, and that the affected com- Development Marketplace, which funds innovative munities are involved in assessing their needs and and replicable civil society projects around the designing recovery programs. (See Box 9 for details world. The GEF contributed about US$2 million to on this work in Indonesia.) the overall global award pool for small projects that addressed the DM2006 theme Innovations in Water, Mainstreaming CDD Sanitation and Energy Services for Poor People. The The CDD Team based in Washington, D.C., also 2006 GEF DM projects focused on several areas: cli- continued to promote the mainstreaming of the mate change, land degradation, biodiversity, persist- CDD approach in the Bank through policy discus- ent organic pollutants, and international waters. sion and inclusion strategies. Of six CASs approved Through its partnership with the DM, GEF has in the Africa region during 2005, five (Nigeria, Burk- increased its reach to civil society groups at the local ina Faso, Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Cape Verde) level by providing a global facility to finance small- explicitly include the CDD approach. In Latin scale projects that deliver replicable results. America, the CDD approach is used to promote environmental conservation, through the Commu- Community-Driven Development nity Development Carbon Fund. Carbon fund The Bank’s CDD portfolio continued to fund thou- sequestration has been a fast-growing agenda in the sands of civil society development initiatives region, accounting for three active projects, with throughout the world during 2005. Lending totaled four operations under preparation for which fund- 31 Box 9. Adopting the CDD Approach for Tsunami Reconstruction The story of Indonesia’s tsunami recovery could well represent the The Urban Poverty Project (UPP) is a parallel CDD project for most massive scaling up of community-driven development urban areas that includes community election of a board of (CDD). With more than 1,000 villages and urban parishes trustees to represent it in decision making and provide program involved, it is probably the most widespread example of grass- oversight. It is now operational in Banda Aceh, employing 50 roots participatory planning the World Bank has experienced. facilitators, and is expanding to cover 352 urban parishes. KDP There are many bumps in the road and much frustration, but the and UPP facilitators have helped communities prepare maps CDD approach is making a major difference. showing the extent of damage in each village and plan priority The most widespread CDD program in Aceh before the tsuna- rehabilitation and repair programs. So far KDP has built or reha- mi was the Kecamatan Development Project (KDP), a government bilitated 145 kilometers of roads, 79 bridges, 187 irrigation or program financed by the Bank. A participatory process awarded drainage canals, 14 schools, and 4 clinics. block grants to villages to meet their infrastructure, basic servic- A central feature of the reconstruction effort in Indonesia has es, or livelihood needs. Immediately after the tsunami, KDP been the way communities have come together to determine expanded from 87 subdistricts in Aceh and 13 in Nias to 220 and their needs and priorities and assert leadership of their own 22, respectively. A network of CDD professionals (now numbering recovery. Community participation, coupled with the quick 600, working with more than 35,000 village facilitators in some emergency response, ensured that almost everyone had at least 6,000 villages) has helped tsunami-affected communities plan basic shelter, few became seriously hungry, and no unchecked their responses. epidemics occurred. These results have further convinced the government of Indonesia and donor agencies to make a firm commitment to using the CDD approach. ing will be allocated for social and environmental third year of training-of-trainers courses and dis- programs at the community level. The outcomes of tance-learning courses in 12 countries on participa- these projects will be closely tracked, particularly in tory local development. The program has reached the face of the Bank’s growing interest in climate more than 1,000 participants from 22 countries, change. In the República Bolivariana de Venezuela, including government officials, CSO representa- for instance, the CAMEBA Project (Urban Upgrad- tives, and community leaders. In Senegal, those ing in Caracas) focused on two barrios that repre- trained now support a series of consensus-building sent 15 percent of total city population. The project and dialogue workshops of all stakeholders to cre- supported a replicable infrastructure improvement ate buy-in and participation in formulating the new program in which communities took the lead in national CDD program. The South Asia region held determining the neighborhood improvement plans a regional orientation and methodology workshop for provision of urban services and infrastructure. In for the Application of Social Accountability and China, funding has been obtained from the Japan Community-Driven and Decentralization Programs Social Development Fund (JSDF) to support a in May 2005. The CDD Team organized a workshop three-year program, Introducing CDD Approaches in in the Philippines in November 2004 on facilitating China’s Rural Poverty Reduction Program, designed to CDD in conflict-affected countries, with the partici- improve the efficacy of poverty alleviation programs pation of CDD teams from South and East Asia. in rural areas through the piloting of activities using In addition, several regional conferences focused CDD and other participatory development meth- on the CDD approach and local development. They ods. In Haiti, the scaling up of a CDD pilot grant, included the Conference of Latin America's Red Social the Post-Conflict Fund, has provided a key entry (Social Network) in Honduras in September 2004; point for the Bank’s reengagement in the country. Conference of ECANet in FYR Macedonia in Decem- ber 2004; and an Africa-focused Local Development Training Conference in Tunisia in June 2005, in collaboration A number of training initiatives geared to improv- with the African Development Bank and KfW ing the capacity of government, civil society, and Entwicklungsbank (the German Development Bank staff to finance and implement CDD-funded Bank), which kicked off a three-year effort to har- grassroots development efforts were also undertak- monize local governance approaches in the region. en. The World Bank Institute (WBI) continued a 32 Monitoring and Evaluating The need for high-quality and more rigorous evalu- ations of CDD programs has resulted in efforts to strengthen monitoring and evaluation activities. For example, findings from the Senegal Rural Infra- structure Development Project indicated that chil- dren living in targeted communities were healthier and weighed more as a result of the improvements in the quality of the health centers and improved access to clean water. Studies in Indonesia and the Philippines demonstrated that CDD projects pro- duce high internal rates of return on infrastructure subprojects. In Indonesia, studies on the two large CDD projects—Urban Poverty Project 2 and Keca- matan Development Project (KDP)—indicate that participatory methods in project selection and implementation reduce the potential for corruption Bank staff donating computers to nonprofit agency in Washington, D.C . (2005) and elite-capture. An ex post assessment of the Thai- land Social Investment Fund identified significant differences in the structure of social capital between gram, and gave funds for international disaster treatment and comparison communities. relief. Here is a short description of each program’s The CDD portfolio was also assessed by the activities in 2005: Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group, which examined the scope, methodology, and impact of Grants Program. The Grants Program provided the CDD portfolio. The initial draft report, entitled small-size grants to nonprofits throughout the The Effectiveness of World Bank Support for Community- Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. In 2005, com- Based and -Driven Development, was released in Feb- munity grants totaled $785,000 and supported over ruary 2005 and has generated considerable discus- 40 local charities undertaking the following activi- sion within the Bank. Though it reported that CDD ties: after-school tutoring, renovating low-income lending has produced better overall results than housing, HIV/AIDS prevention, skills training for non-CDD operations, it did point to problems unemployed workers, sheltering battered women, related to guaranteeing the sustainability of the ini- distribution of meals to street residents, Latino tiatives funded and strengthening local leadership, youth support, and prenatal and well-baby care. The as well as the need for better monitoring and evalu- Grants Program is managed by a grants committee ation. composed of Bank staff and representatives from local grantmakers such as the Community Founda- tion of the National Capital Region. The committee is responsible for reviewing and selecting grantees Bank Staff Donation and on an annual basis. Volunteering Efforts The Bank’s Community Outreach Program contin- Funding Collaboratives. The Outreach Program ued to provide assistance to Washington’s low- also joined other local grantmakers to support five income population in 2005 and 2006. The program local funding collaboratives that are testing innova- encourages Bank staff, whose daily work is focused tive approaches to addressing underlying social on promoting economic development and reducing problems. A total of $580,000 was distributed to poverty in developing countries, to also show their five organizations: Public Education Partnership concern and generosity to poor communities of Fund ($400,000), the Community Development Washington, D.C. The program expanded the grants Support Collaborative ($50,000), the Washington program, provided volunteer support, offered stu- AIDS Partnership ($50,000), the Washington Part- dent internships, and made in-kind donations to nership for Immigrants ($50,000), and the Com- numerous charitable organizations. Bank staff also mon Ground Fund ($30,000). raised money through the payroll deductions pro- 33 Staff Volunteering. The Dollars for Doers volun- interns in units throughout the Bank. The interns teer program complements the Bank’s local grant- are paid a salary that includes a training session making efforts by encouraging Bank staff to volun- every Friday. The program has also included home- teer and serve on the boards of directors of local less students for whom this experience has often nonprofits. Bank staff are allowed to take time to proven to be part of a life-changing opportunity. volunteer in the community, and their efforts are This program was recently expanded to include supported with $500 grants from the Dollars for year-long internships for five students. Doers Program. Bank staff provided more than 10,000 hours of community service to charities in Payroll Deductions. The WB Community Connec- the Washington metropolitan area in 2005. Last tions Fund is a nonprofit organization set up by the year, the program increased the Dollars for Doers Bank to encourage staff to make charitable dona- budget from $30,000 to $60,000 and worked tions via payroll deductions that in turn leverage closely with numerous Bank departments wishing Bank matching funds. It supports an annual cam- to undertake community service projects. paign benefiting 193 of the best-known Washing- ton-based charities and NGOs such as Bethany In-kind Donations. This program recycles office House, DC Central Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, furniture, office supplies, and computer equip- and Whitman-Walker Clinic. In 2005, staff donated ment by donating these supplies to local charities. over $1.5 million that leveraged approximately Last year, it donated more than 12,000 computers, $750,000 in corporate matching funds. 500 pieces of furniture, and an extensive amount of office supplies to charities in the Washington Disaster Relief. Bank staff spontaneously mobilize area and overseas. The total value of donated to respond to natural disasters around the world by goods and services in 2005 was more than setting up donation tables at the various cafeterias. $500,000. During 2005, funds were raised for the following international relief campaigns: Children of Niger Student Internships. The high school internship ($14,700), Central America flood relief ($18,142), program provides local high school students from Hurricane Katrina relief ($83,244), the South Asia/ low-income communities with the opportunity to Pakistan earthquake ($192,019), and the Asian learn job skills. During the summer of 2005, 22 tsunami ($1,434,192). Funds raised through these students from three local public schools worked as donation drives are provided to international Stakeholder consultation training course for Bank and CSO staff (May 2005, Washington, D.C.) 34 organizations such as United Nations agencies or munity Development Project is active. A similar NGOs directly involved in the disaster relief opera- course was offered in Africa in 2006. tions. • As part of its global outreach, together with other Bank units, CESI has produced and disseminated Training and Capacity Building a number of WBI Working Papers during 2005 and 2006, such as Social Accountability in the The World Bank Institute (WBI) promotes training Public Sector: A Conceptual Discussion and Learn- and capacity building for Bank staff, government ing Module. The inclusion of the learning mod- officials, development experts, and, increasingly, for ule, which is intended to be adapted by local civil society. As part of its country-focused capacity trainers for application in different contexts, puts development strategy, the WBI involves civil society the concepts into an accessible format and pro- in several of its thematic programs, including urban vides local actors with tools to readily initiate management, rural development, governance, and dialogue on these important issues. poverty reduction. In particular, the WBI’s Commu- nity Empowerment and Social Inclusion (CESI) For further information on CESI, please visit Program designs and delivers face-to-face and dis- www.worldbank.org/wbi/empowerment. tance-learning training sessions for CSOs in Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe and Central Asia, and Latin Information Disclosure and America. Here are some examples: Knowledge Sharing • In Africa, CESI carried out an East African Stock- The year 2005 was a landmark one for the Bank’s taking on Social Accountability Tools and Mecha- transparency and disclosure agenda. In March 2005, nisms exercise that contributed to the design of a the Board approved a number of revisions to the regional conference on citizen engagement held Bank’s disclosure policy that extended and simpli- in Ghana in May 2005. This initiative involved fied information disclosure, and reaffirmed the 135 practitioners engaged in capacity develop- Bank’s commitment to ensuring transparency about ment at community and local levels. A similar its activities. The new policy introduced several stocktaking was conducted for the East Asia and important changes such as a unified policy on the Pacific region. disclosure of CASs for IBRD- and IDA-eligible coun- tries. It also mandated the disclosure of operational • A Latin America regional multistakeholder dia- policy and strategy papers, Board minutes (except logue entitled Access to Information, Transparency, those of executive sessions), procurement plans, and Good Governance was organized in 2005 by project completion notes, staff manual, staff com- CESI via a videoconference connecting partici- pensation paper, and Board documents related to pants in Bolivia, Honduras, and Nicaragua. project modifications. The Board also approved Organized jointly with the Carter Center, the ses- simplified disclosure clearance procedures for docu- sion focused on sharing experiences about legis- ments that are not specifically listed in the policy as lation, implementation, and enforcement of well as a proposal to pilot-test the disclosure of Freedom of Information laws in the region. In operational policy reviews simultaneous with their 2006, Phase II of the initiative was launched distribution to the Board. More open policies also (with the inclusion of Guatemala and the took effect on the disclosure of development-policy Dominican Republic), building on the discus- lending documents and Country Policy and Institu- sions of the first stage. tional Assessment ratings.13 • In the Eastern and Central Asia region, CESI delivered a course on Making Services Work for the Public Information Centers Poor: A Framework for Reforming Service Delivery, Another way the Bank is working to increase trans- designed to help practitioners recognize and ana- parency, accountability, information sharing, and lyze the root causes of service delivery failures. The course was piloted in Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz 13 These ratings assess the quality of a country’s policy and Republic, and Azerbaijan. In Bosnia, two work- institutional framework and its suitability for fostering sus- shops were held with 70 newly elected mayors tainable, poverty-reducing growth and effectively using from municipalities in which the Bank’s Com- development assistance. 35 dissemination is through its public information arrange seminars, dialogues, Web casts, and radio centers (PICs) worldwide. By providing access to programs that address development topics. In and proactively disseminating information on countries where Internet access is limited, the Bank projects and development in general, the Bank, in partnership with local institutions, has set services encourage public participation in dialogue up more than 90 Satellite Information Centers and and help citizens make informed decisions about 15 Development Information Centers (DICs). issues affecting their lives. Last year, approximate- These centers, which are managed jointly with ly 248,000 people used the Bank’s PICs, and the other donor agencies, CSOs, academic institu- number is expected to grow each year as the cen- tions, and government agencies, allow citizens in ters improve their dissemination efforts. PICs are developing countries to access and share impor- located in 96 capital cities throughout the world. tant information on international development. Staff assist users in finding information, respond (See www.worldbank.org/publicinformation.) to public inquiries, listen to public concerns, and Bank Web Sites The Bank’s Web site, with more than 1.5 million vis- itors a month, has become a primary conduit for communication and knowledge dissemination about international development. Roughly a third of Web site visitors are from non-English-speaking countries and comprise the Bank’s fastest-growing audience online. In an effort to reach these clients and support the Bank’s translation efforts, the Bank initiated the Multilingual Web Pilot in 2005. The pilot created a new corporate Web site in French and expanded the existing Arabic and Spanish Web sites. Three months later, visitors to the Arabic and French sites doubled and visitors to the Spanish site increased by one-third. The Bank also maintains Russian and Chinese Web sites. Youthink! is the Bank’s online resource for stu- Ugandan youth meet with Bank managers in public information center dents, teens, and children. Written in age-appropri- (April 2005, Kampala) ate language, Youthink! tackles development sub- jects by exploring topics that young people care about and can relate to. Youthink! also invites young people to share their thoughts, opinions, and experi- ences by submitting material for publication on the site. (See http://youthink.worldbank.org.) The Bank launched the inno- vative AIDS Media Center in 2005 to provide journalists in developing countries with a global source of the most recent HIV/AIDS news, information, and analysis and to help in- crease the accuracy, quality, and effectiveness of their reporting on the pandemic and related issues. Contributing partners Location of Public Information Centers around the world (June 2006) include the BBC Trust, the Inter- 36 national AIDS Vaccine Initiative, InterNews, the business and CSOs can play in meeting the MDGs. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public The Business, CSOs, and Development: Strategic Health, the Kaiser Family Foundation, One World, Engagement to Meet the Millennium Development Panos Institute, PlusNews (run by the UN’s Inte- Goals conference brought together 400 business, grated Regional Information Network), Joint UN civil society, government, and donor agency repre- Program on HIV/AIDS, and the World Health sentatives for the two-day event. Leaders from such Organization. organizations as Unilever, United Nations Global Compact, and Transparency International tackled a broad range of topics, including business for African Corporate Social Responsibility development, legal and ethical choices of foreign In February 2005, the Environmentally and Socially investment, and partnerships against corruption. Sustainable Development Network published the Speakers emphasized that achievement of the Bank’s first sustainability review report entitled MDGs will require innovative approaches, not least World Bank Focus on Sustainability 2004. The review in Africa, which faces the greatest struggle to meet describes and assesses the Bank’s work and institu- the targets. Detailed roundtable discussions on the tional footprint through the lens of corporate social second day focused on better aligning donor-led responsibility. In particular, the report examines research on innovative poverty reduction efforts how the Bank is governed and the activities carried with on-the-ground experiences of business, civil out in support of the environment, social develop- society, and their partners. Participants called on ment, and good governance. It also analyzed, for organizations such as the Bank to continue facilitat- the first time, the impact of Bank facilities on staff ing dialogue between different development sec- members and their families, surrounding commu- tors. In line with this, WBI announced that a new nities, and the environment more broadly. It is training program for Bank staff on multisectoral based on the Global Reporting Initiative, of which partnerships for sustainable development would be the Bank is a charter member, and the Global opened to business and CSO staff. Reporting Initiative indicators are cross-referenced The Bank’s Treasury Department, working close- throughout the report where relevant. The report ly with the ESSD and EXT Vice Presidental units, was disseminated widely, including among CSOs, intensified its outreach efforts to Socially Responsi- and the feedback received will be used to guide the ble Investors (SRIs). The SRI community is an next versions of the report. important stakeholder for the Bank as these During 2005, the Bank’s Development Commu- investors pursue goals similar to those of the Bank nications Department carried out two initiatives through their investments and shareholder advoca- geared to promoting corporate social responsibility cy. Also, as investors or potential investors in IBRD (CSR) efforts in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia bonds, they are keenly interested in assessing the regions. The first was a program entitled Enabling a social and environmental impact of the Bank and Better Environment for CSR in Central and East Euro- its lending in the developing world. The Bank car- pean Countries, launched jointly with the European ried out several feedback, information-sharing, and Commission. A total of 12 brainstorming meetings policy dialogue events with SRIs over the past two and seminars were held with more than 800 partici- years, in addition to responding to many individual pants, including government, private sector, CSO, requests for information. In June 2004, representa- and labor union representatives from throughout tives from different areas of the Bank and IFC met the region. These consultations led to preparatory with a group of 25 SRIs in Boston to make a pres- work for developing comprehensive CSR strategies entation on the Bank’s environmental, anticorrup- in the region. The second initiative was a session on tion, and civil society engagement work and discuss the role CSOs can play in promoting CSR held dur- concerns they had related to investment eligibility. ing a regional Bank-civil society meeting in Bratisla- Vice President Woicke was invited to give a va, the Slovak Republic, in June 2005. The meeting keynote speech at the SRI in the Rockies Conference was co-organized by the Bank and CSOs from held in Colorado in October 2004 before an audi- Poland, Turkey, and the Slovak Republic. ence of 450 investors, and a roundtable was held by The WBI’s Business, Competitiveness, and Devel- the SRI International Working Group with the opment Team hosted a global CSR conference in World Bank and IFC. Since then, the Bank has been Washington, D.C., in April 2006 to discuss the role engaged with SRIs through cooperation on specific 37 topics (e.g., HIV/AIDs, microfinance, carbon ers. On the funding side, in 2005 and 2006, the finance) or on investment opportunities in emerg- Bank teamed up with the postal savings system in ing markets with groups or individual investors, France (now La Banque Postale) to raise develop- and participated in events hosted by the Canadian ment funds through a product targeted specifically Social Investment Conference, Triple Bottom Line at socially responsible retail investors. Investment, U.K. Social Investment Fund, and oth- 38 Civil Society Engagement at the 4 Global, Regional, and Country Levels Improving Coordination at the During the past two years, the CST also provided Global Level technical assistance to numerous units across the Bank. This assistance included providing back- T he Bank’s Global Civil Society Team (CST), ground and contact information on CSOs, scanning which replaced the former NGO Unit in CSO Web sites to produce issue-specific briefing 2002, serves as the institutional and global notes, carrying out political risk analysis, organizing focal point for the Bank’s engagement with civil consultation meetings, and providing names of society. As such, the CST formulates institutional CSOs to be contacted. The units advised included strategy, provides advice to senior management, the following teams and departments: trade, water, and coordinates civil society engagement staff extractive industries, malaria, debt, PRS, and teams across the institution. It also provides guidance and preparing the Bank’s World Development Report. technical assistance to program staff on how to con- The CST also promoted staff secondments and sult and involve civil society in Bank operations, exchanges with CSO representatives and Bank undertakes outreach efforts to global civil society net- country offices to promote improved coordination works, and provides civil society groups with access within the Bank and enhance relations with civil to Bank information, staff, and other resources. society. A staff person from the World Confedera- During 2005 and 2006, the CST worked to tion of Labor (WCL) spent seven months with the improve information sharing, planning efforts, and CST undertaking a series of activities (see Box 18 on coordination among the Bank’s civil society focal page 65 for more information). Civil society focal points who work at the global level. The team, point persons from the Bank’s Philippines and which is composed of staff from the Bank’s EXT and Nigeria offices spent three months in Washington ESSD VPUs, was expanded by including staff from working with the CST over the past two years. These OPCS and PREM VPUs, as well as from the Bank’s staff provided assistance in various areas such as offices in Paris, Brussels, and Tokyo. They now par- helping to organize the Stakeholder Consultation ticipate in the CST’s planning process through training session for WB staff, assisting with manag- weekly planning meetings and monthly videocon- ing the Global Policy Forum, and attending training ferences, as well as through daily e-mail exchanges. sessions. The CST also maintains close contact with the civil society focal points at the IMF, as many of its own outreach activities, i.e., policy dialogue meetings IFC Civil Society Engagement during the Annual and Spring Meetings are under- Activities taken jointly with the Fund. The CST also continued During 2005 and 2006 the IFC continued to active- over the past two years to provide information and ly reach out to civil society throughout the world. guidance to civil society focal point personnel who Activities included holding policy dialogue sessions work across the World Bank Group, including in among civil society and senior IFC management, country offices (see Annex III for list of focal consulting with CSOs on IFC projects, and dissemi- points). This was carried out via a monthly elec- nating information about the IFC’s work. The most tronic newsletter Civil Society eDigest, which sum- important activity was the extensive consultation marizes CSO policy statements and reports on the process on updating the institution’s social and Bank, regular e-mails, and bimonthly meetings in environmental performance standards, formerly Washington. known as the Safeguard Policies, and its Disclosure Policy. Throughout this process, the IFC listened to a wide array of stakeholders worldwide, considered 39 IFC used its policy review Web site (www.ifc. org/policyreview) to make the process as accessible as possible. The public had access to the back- ground documents, meetings calendar, and consul- tation meeting notes. The Web site also allowed the IFC to receive comments on the revised draft poli- cies by e-mail or online, and visitors to the Web site could also view IFC’s responses to CSO correspon- dences. A global electronic conference on disclosure of information and consultation approaches in pri- vate sector projects attracted the participation of 166 people from throughout the world. An online consultation tool, managed by Dialogue by Design, encouraged stakeholders to respond to key ques- tions on the draft policies and input their com- CSO representatives and Bank staff discuss extractive ments online. industry policies during Spring Meetings (April 2006, At the end of the eight-month consultation Washington, D.C.) process, the IFC posted a list of all the comments and suggestions received from the various stake- their views, and incorporated these when possible holders, and prepared responses to stakeholder in the final policies. comments, showing whether they had been incor- The external engagement process began in porated into the revised safeguard and information August 2004 when the IFC released draft documents disclosure policies or, if not, why not. In the sum- for public comment on the revised policy for social mer of 2005, a second draft of the policies was and environmental sustainability, as well as an made available for an additional 60-day period of updated framework on disclosure of information. public comment. Despite methodological chal- These documents not only incorporated needed lenges and CSO complaints early on, the extensive updates to the existing policies, but also strength- review process has proven to be a useful learning ened the overall framework for the IFC to ensure experience for the IFC staff and has led to an effective social and environmental outcomes in the improved set of policies on social and environmen- private sector projects it finances and to enhance tal sustainability and disclosure. The final policies corporate transparency. were approved in February 2006 by IFC’s Board of Civil society engagement during the review Directors and became effective on April 30, 2006. process took place on multiple levels. IFC had an open-door policy and met with any organization or MIGA Civil Society Engagement person requesting a meeting to discuss the pro- Activities posed policies. IFC also organized open forums in which anyone was welcome to participate. On a MIGA strengthened its dialogue with the civil socie- more formal level, IFC launched an eight-month ty community and improved the accessibility of consultation process that included a series of multi- information for these stakeholders during 2005 and stakeholder regional consultation meetings in 2006. In particular, the agency redesigned its Web Brazil, Kenya, Turkey, and the Philippines. Other site to make it more user-friendly and accessible to thematic meetings were held in Europe, North CSOs. Acknowledging that many CSOs are interest- America, Eastern Europe, and Japan. The major civil ed in having access to the Environmental and Social society segments involved in these meetings includ- Impact Assessments (ESIAs) prepared for Category ed environmental and human rights NGOs, labor A or environmentally sensitive projects, MIGA unions, indigenous peoples organizations (IPOs), adopted the practice of posting the ESIAs for a peri- and socially responsible investment groups. These od of 60 days on its own Web site, in addition to the meetings were multistakeholder in nature as they existing practice of posting it to the Bank Group’s also included other key IFC stakeholders, namely Infoshop. It also now archives the ESIAs in the governments, companies, Equator Principle banks, Bank’s World Development Sources site, which and industry associations. allows CSOs to access ESIAs for new and current 40 MIGA projects. In addition, CSOs can now register to receive notification via e-mail when new ESIAs are posted. MIGA also provides links to ESIAs that are available on the Web sites of development part- ner institutions or companies. The redesigned Web site has also enabled MIGA to store relevant infor- mation on its environment and disclosure policies as well as CSO correspondence in a single location. Going forward, MIGA plans to solicit CSO com- ments on the Web site’s usefulness in order to improve it further. MIGA’s dialogue with civil society also continued in 2005 and 2006 with MIGA management and staff holding meetings with various international and local CSOs to discuss specific projects and wider pol- icy and strategic issues. In addition to regularly scheduled meetings around the Bank’s Spring and Annual Meetings, MIGA also met with CSOs sepa- rately to discuss specific projects. As part of this effort, MIGA staff liaised extensively with several CSOs in the course of a CAO investigation of the agency’s due diligence related to a copper and silver mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. MIGA’s efforts included field visits to the project to discuss Rap group performing during Cameroonian Youth Day issues with local CSOs about their concerns regard- (April 2005, Yaounde) ing the social and environmental impact of the mine. On wider policy issues, MIGA began review- ing its Safeguards and Disclosure Policies in 2006. This process, which is not due to conclude until 2007, will involve discussions with CSOs (among others) about their views on the parameters and scope of the review in order to ensure ample civil society input into the consultation process. For access to the ESIAs and other information on MIGA, visit its Web site at www.miga.org. Regional Strategies and Engagement Efforts in Developing Countries Africa During 2005 and 2006, the Africa region continued to work to strengthen civil society engage- Youth participating in group discussion during Cameroonian Youth Day ment through its country offices. (April 2005, Yaounde) The region has the largest number of civil society focal points, based in more than 30 countries. In each country, the to both partner and demand accountability and nature and scope of the activities carried out—rang- effective governance from governments. In order to ing from policy dialogue and consultations to oper- help achieve this goal, the Bank promoted wide- ational collaboration—varied depending on county spread consultation with CSOs on the CAS in six context. What they all had in common was a strate- countries where they were drafted and approved, gy to strengthen civil society and enhance its ability and encouraged governments to involve civil socie- 41 ty in the drafting of the PRS process in 16 countries. South Africa These participatory processes involved many new The Bank’s South Africa office, which covers actors and increased transparency in the develop- Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and ment dialogue. Below are examples of the Bank’s Swaziland, has broadened its outreach activities collaboration with CSOs in three countries: Nigeria, with civil society. In March 2006, the South Africa South Africa, and Sudan. Country Office held its first-ever formal dialogue with CSOs. The workshop event was aimed at Nigeria exchanging views on development issues and get- During CAS preparation, the Bank, DFID, and the ting to understand each other in the context of government’s Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) South Africa as a middle-income country. In a fur- team held dialogue sessions and consultations with ther effort to engage civil society and share infor- CSOs on the topics identified in the National Eco- mation, the Bank team is launching DICs with nomic Empowerment and Development Strategy. other development partners and CSOs. These cen- The consultation process involved more than 300 ters are open to the public and provide easy access CSOs and the topics covered included basic services to a broad range of development information. In for human development, non-oil economic growth 2005 the Bank opened a DIC at the National Uni- strategies, and enhanced governance and accounta- versity in Lesotho. bility. Participants were quite active in these policy The team also launched a development dialogue discussions and made useful contributions on the series in South Africa in partnership with the Devel- proposed strategy framework which were incorpo- opment Bank of Southern Africa and the South rated in the final document. African Institute of International Affairs to showcase In the ongoing CPS implementation process, the issues and share knowledge. These events involved a Bank has increased its engagement with CSOs and broad range of civil society groups, from academics facilitated establishment of a Government-Civil to NGOs, and focused on topics ranging from equi- Society Partnership Program. The platform involves ty and migrant labor to limits on doing business. In active participation by civil society networks and is 2004 the Bank team held a regional development geared to being an independent monitoring mech- marketplace for all five countries on HIV/AIDS and anism for public expenditure management, social awarded funding to 24 projects. The team continues reporting, and user feedback to ensure that the to network with all the grant recipient groups and poorest and the most vulnerable are heard in deci- others to foster learning from their experiences. A sion making about the allocation of development follow-up workshop took place in Namibia in 2005 resources. The Bank is providing capacity building to review how the projects had progressed. for the platform. With other donors, the Bank supported the gov- Sudan ernment in forming the Extractive Industries Trans- With the approach of peace in Sudan, the Bank parency Initiative (EITI) and participated in EITI began to seek means to reenter the country, which outreach trips and workshops in several geopolitical was suffering from the effects of weak policies, near- zones, including Port Harcourt, which is an oil-pro- collapse of governance, extreme polarization of ducing area of the Niger Delta. The workshops dis- society, and a massive debt burden. Reengagement cussed CSOs’ perceptions of transparency, alloca- began a few years back with visits to Sudan and tion, and accounting of revenues from mineral Nairobi by the Bank’s country director to meet with extraction. The Bank is promoting the participation a wide range of Sudanese stakeholders. A long of CSOs in a variety of projects such as agricultural process of knowledge and trust building ensued, development (Fadama), environmental manage- which permitted moving forward on several fronts. ment (LEEMP), malaria control, social protection, As negotiations between the Sudanese govern- urban development, HIV/AIDS, and water and solid ment and the Sudan People Liberation Movement mineral projects. The Small Grant Program (SmGP) approached a peace agreement in 2004, the Bank for 2005 focused on CSOs’ role in monitoring local and the UNDP carried out a joint assessment mis- governments’ budgeting for health, women, chil- sion that enabled the Bank to forge important rela- dren, and youth programs. tionships with a broad cross-section of both north- 42 ern and southern CSOs. The consultation process included interviews and public meetings at various levels and data collection by NGOs, academics, and Box 10. Improving Collaborative Efforts to donor agencies. Fight AIDS in Africa Another outreach initiative was the Develop- The Bank recently convened a regional meeting to assess the effective- ment Marketplace, geared to increasing interaction ness of the Multi-Country AIDS Program and discuss ways to improve between NGOs from the northern and southern government-civil society collaboration in the fight against HIV/AIDS. regions. The DM brought together a variety of The Africa-wide HIV/AIDS Consultation on Local Response conference NGOs and development entrepreneurs from Sudan was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in May 2006, and brought together 120 rep- and Ethiopia, international aid organizations, and resentatives of networks of people living with HIV/AIDS, AIDS/CSOs, regional development agencies for a three-day event governments, and donor agencies. The Bank’s Africa Region is in the on the theme Enhancing Community-Based Ingenuity process of updating the framework for fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa, and to Promote Sustainable Livelihoods. this meeting allowed Bank staff to consult with participants on how they perceive the Bank’s role in fighting HIV/AIDS, and how it should evolve over the next 5 to 10 years. Funding CSOs Among the key issues discussed were that transparency and The Bank continued to support grassroots develop- accountability are critical matters for civil society, not only for their own ment efforts by CSOs through CDD funds in sever- constituents but also for the overall national response. Participants felt al dozen countries. Of six CASs approved in 2005, that CSOs can promote greater accountability in AIDS prevention five (Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Sierra Leone, efforts by monitoring the results and activities of the National AIDS and Cape Verde) explicitly include the CDD Commissions, and ensuring that these bodies carry out their intended approach. The region has a total of 123 active proj- mission. Furthermore, participants agreed that CSOs should be ects with CDD components, including 19 new engaged and represented in discussions on national strategies, pro- operations for 2005. Total 2005 CDD lending was grammatic priorities, and government actions from the outset of the $433 million. In Senegal, this grant portfolio process rather than being brought in late. The participants’ feedback on included the development and testing of a tool kit the meeting was generally very positive, in particular highlighting that civil society should have more opportunities to interact with the Bank that assists governments in promoting CDD-type through forums such as these. Furthermore, the delegations appreciat- activities in PRS and merging all CDD funds into ed learning about how the Bank works and how much importance the one national program. In South Africa, an assess- Bank places on the role of civil society in fighting HIV/AIDS. ment examined a 10-year effort to provide services to communities, and its findings will be dissemi- nated through a series of policy discussions. Work in Nigeria included harmonization of all CDD operational manuals. East Asia and the Pacific The Bank also continued to scale up its efforts to The East Asia and Pacific region partner with civil society to prevent the spread of has undergone important HIV/AIDS, through the Multi-Country AIDS Pro- political and social changes gram (MAP), which was launched in 2001. To date in the past decade, with the the Bank has committed $1.13 billion to 29 coun- growth of civil society, in- tries and four subregional HIV/AIDS projects, and creased influence of parlia- current disbursement is over $625 million. MAP ments and the media, and open discussion of for- employs a multisectoral approach that includes merly taboo subjects such as corruption and reli- support to government ministries and agencies as gious diversity. Civil society has grown dramatically well as to CSOs such as youth groups, faith-based in numbers and influence. Current estimates put organizations, and CBOs. More than $300 million the number of CSOs working in China alone has already been disbursed to some 50,000 CSOs to between 300,000 and 700,000, working both at the carry out AIDS education, prevention, surveillance, national and village levels delivering social services, care, and treatment activities. Recently Bank staff offering legal aid, and carrying out environmental met with CSO representatives from throughout the protection. Reflecting this changing political land- continent to discuss ways to further improve collab- scape, the Bank’s regional and country-based civil oration in their common fight against HIV/AIDS society focal points together with operational teams (see Box 10). worked closely with CSOs during 2005 and 2006 to involve them in development policy discussions, 43 collaborate on projects and research, and support capacity-building and networking efforts. Policy Dialogue Engaging civil society on Bank-related policy reforms and in national dialogue processes such as the PRS and the CAS has helped inform and refine national policies and Bank strategies. A regional workshop on social accountability held in Bangkok in March 2005 brought together government and CSO representatives from Mongolia, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Philippines to share experiences on civil society role in improving governance in the region. CSOs are also increasingly involved in discussing some of the most contentious critical issues. For example, dis- cussions of environmental and social impacts of the Community association members participate in Bank-funded human rights and gender training program (2004, Cambodia) Nam Theun 2 Dam in Lao PDR took place in Lao PDR and Thailand. In Timor-Leste, where urban youth unemployment and violence are rising, the Bank is supporting workshops for youth leaders to learn financial and organizational management, Box 11. Growing Civil Society Engagement leadership, conflict management, and entrepreneur- in Vietnam ship skills. The intention is to help them organize effective youth outreach programs in the country’s Despite having a nascent civil society sector, Vietnam has made impor- 13 districts and contribute to the development of a tant strides in promoting government-CSO policy dialogue and opera- national youth policy and national development tional collaboration. Vietnamese CSOs participate in many of the 23 dialogues. partnerships and government working groups on sectoral and cross- In Cambodia, the Bank supported government cutting issues. Four international CSOs and two local CSOs, for instance, consultations with CSOs on the National Strategies have been active in the national poverty task force, which includes gov- ernment, civil society, and donor agency representatives. Development Plan, and continues to consult CSOs The Bank has also been involved in this process by helping the gov- on sector strategies (e.g., social development, infra- ernment of Vietnam to design and undertake broad-based consultation structure), operational policies (e.g., social safe- for the country’s Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) for 2006 to guards, gender mainstreaming), and several major 2010. The Bank provided financial and technical support to SEDP con- studies (e.g., Cambodia Poverty Assessment, Justice sultations that took place through group discussions and in-depth inter- for the Poor). Reflecting the CAS, the Bank is help- views with some 150 CSOs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The recom- ing to support dialogue with respect to policy and mendations generated were included in a 150-page report shared with institutional reforms needed to build citizens part- the government. nerships for better governance. In Vietnam, CSOs Engagement has also occurred through Bank support of civil socie- and donor agencies engage in regular policy dia- ty initiatives via various grant programs. The Development Marketplace logue through biannual consultative group meet- has become a regular event, at which 15 donors (bilateral agencies, CSOs, and businesses) join with the Bank to support community-based ings cochaired by the Planning Ministry and the initiatives. In 2006, the DM awarded $330,000 in seed money to 37 Bank. (See Box 11 for a description of Bank activities communities to implement environmental initiatives ranging from in Vietnam.) In China, the Bank listened to the reusing sands from the shipbuilding industry in Hai Phong and raising views of Chinese CSOs in consultations for the new bees to protect forests in Ha Tinh, to introducing new crops to Thai vil- Country Partnership Strategy for 2006–2010. lagers in Son La province. The Small Grants Program also awarded grants totaling $34,000 to nine CSOs for such activities as promoting Funding of CSOs social inclusion of former drug addicts and prostitutes and providing One of the most significant ways the Bank is help- legal education to ethnic minority communities. ing support community and civil society groups in the region is through the CDD portfolio and other mechanisms that provide funding to thousands of 44 civil society groups involved in grassroots develop- ment efforts. Community-driven development proj- ects make up an increasing part of the Bank’s lend- ing portfolio in East Asia and now include some 34 active projects, with nine new operations for 2005. CDD lending for 2005 was $396 million, almost twice that of 2004 ($204 million). Most of the growth results from increased investments in Indonesia, including phase three of the KDP, which is working on tsunami reconstruction and peace- building in Aceh, Indonesia. The Development Marketplace also expanded last year, being launched for the first time in Papua New Guinea and China. Asian winners in the 2005 global DM competition included groups producing environmental radio soap operas for listeners in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, and helping turn the inva- sive “janitor fish” of the Philippines’ Laguna de Bay into a source of income generation while helping control its spread. In Papua New Guinea, the 2006 Netherlands Development Organization, has Women DM was entitled Youth and Community Working signed a pilot agreement to provide technical advice participating in motherhood Together and winners were chosen for their ideas to and hands-on training in market-oriented agricul- training class. address the challenges facing young people in their tural extension activities in Son La province for the (May 2006, communities. In the Philippines, the Panibagong Bank-financed Vietnam Northern Mountains Pover- Indonesia) Paraan Competition has been launched and has ty-Reduction Project. Another example in Vietnam once again attracted the interest of hundreds of is the International Save the Children Alliance’s CSO applicants and the financial support from implementation of the Early Childhood Care and other donor agencies. In Indonesia, participants Development Project funded by the JSDF and submitted 3,000 proposals to the 2005 DM, and 45 administered by the Bank. winners received grants of up to $25,000 each. In In Indonesia, CSOs are increasingly involved as China, the first China DM was successfully con- independent monitors on Bank-funded projects. cluded in late February 2006; the theme was Sup- The KDP—the Bank’s largest community-based ini- porting Innovations for Scaling up Services for the Poor. tiative in the world—has recruited an independent Thirty winners were selected out of 975 proposals organization in each of more than 30 provinces to submitted by CSOs from all over China and award- provide feedback on village-level operations and ed more than $650,000. informally investigate public complaints. The Initia- In Cambodia, the Bank has intensified its sup- tives for Local Governance Reform Project, also in port to international and local CSOs by providing Indonesia, has similarly used academic networks, grants from a variety of sources. In 2005, for mass-based organizations, and NGOs to hold civic instance, the SmGP and Youth Funds funded the forums that have had input into the development of work of 11 organizations on the theme of Youth local laws regulating transparency, public accounta- Engagement for Better Governance. The Bank sup- bility, and participatory budgeting. These groups ported NGOs’ activities that contributed to pro- will continue to play a role in monitoring the moting civil society participation, increasing social implementation of these regulations, particularly in accountability, and increasing demands for better the areas of budgeting and expenditure tracking. governance. The SmGP has also been an effective CSOs are also playing a vital role in recovery and way for the Bank to engage with local civil society reconstruction following the tsunami. In southern in Lao PDR and Thailand. Thailand, the Bank is funding work by CSOs and community groups to restore livelihoods and the Operational Collaboration coastal environment, address the needs of vulnera- Increasingly, CSOs implement projects financed by ble groups, and provide legal services through three the Bank in East Asia. In Vietnam, the Dutch NGO, JSDF grant. NGOs are undertaking $1.2 billion in 45 reconstruction projects in Indonesia’s Aceh and Eastern Europe and Central Asia Nias provinces alone, representing almost a third of Advances in democratization overall budgeted funds (see page 26). The Bank is and opening of political also supporting the peacebuilding process in the space continued to take place province, namely through a peace awareness cam- in many countries of the paign in partnership with civil society groups. region, such as Georgia and In China, the Bank, in collaboration with the Ukraine, during 2005 and government, launched a pilot CDD program at the 2006. In Central Europe and the western Balkans, end of May 2006, which aims to promote stronger CSOs continued to play a significant role as watch- village engagement in poverty alleviation. Five dogs, promoting the accountability of public sector international NGOs—Action Aid, Plan Internation- institutions. The civil society sector, which has al, World Vision, WWF-China, and Oxfam Hong played a key role in this process, also continued to Kong (China)—are assisting in program design, grow and become more consolidated in many of training, and local facilitation. the countries of the region. Within this context of In Cambodia, the Bank has been successfully greater political opening, the Bank continued to building an increased understanding and relation- support the strengthening of the role of civil society ship to create space and the opportunity for CSOs through promoting its involvement in policy dia- to participate in all areas, including development logue, participating in Bank-funded operations, and policy, analytical work, and operations. Efforts to funding its own development initiatives. Through expand outreach and disclosure have been made to its 24 local offices, country managers and civil soci- reach various audiences in the capital, provinces, ety focal points routinely devoted a good deal of and at universities. The Bank conducts regular for- staff time and resources to engaging local CSOs. mal and informal consultations; supports atten- Bank staff also continued to interact with the only dance at global and regional conferences, seminars, standing Bank-civil society regional coordinating and workshops; and participates in video dialogues body, the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) NGO with various groups in order to share experiences Working Group (see Box 12). and discuss policies. Box 12. CSO Network Engages the Bank in the ECA Region The Bank continued to conduct a regional dialogue As direct follow-up to the Bratislava Forum, the with the ECA NGO Working Group at a meeting in World Bank and the European Commission spearhead- December 2004 in Tbilisi, where participants reviewed ed a discussion among public and private donor agen- the implementation of an action plan and prepared for cies on how to improve donor coordination geared to the international forum on civil society sustainability. supporting civil society in the region. In this context, in The forum took place in June 2005 in Bratislava under October 2005 the Bank, in collaboration with the Euro- the auspices of the Working Group, the European pean Commission (EC) and the Organisation for Eco- Commission, and the Bank. Approximately 250 partici- nomic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Secre- pants, representing CSOs from all ECA countries, tariat, convened a donor roundtable in Paris on public national and local governments, international NGOs, advocacy and policy dialogue. The meeting resulted in foundations, and intergovernmental donor agencies, a proposal by the EC to support a three-year program attended. Discussions centered on the enabling envi- to promote civil society-related donor coordination, ronment and legal framework for civil society, social which is currently undergoing consultations within the accountability and governance, delivery of social serv- EC as well as with the broader donor community. ices, financial sustainability, and cross-country network- ing and knowledge sharing. 46 Civil Society Involvement in Policy Consultation and Operations Country staff conducted consulta- tions on the Bank’s CASs with CSOs in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Poland, the Russian Federation, and Serbia and Mon- tenegro. In the case of Albania, for example, a civil society adviso- ry committee provided extensive advice and support to the CAS preparation and consultation process, also participating in two workshops designed to identify priority areas for the new CAS. Bank operational staff and civil society specialists also participat- ed in many consultations con- vened by government agencies as part of the preparation of Bank- supported projects. In addition, in many countries throughout the region, the Bank activities geared toward strengthening CSOs and Villagers check- and other donor agencies supported civil society promoting civic engagement at the local level. ing activities involvement in the design, implementation, and schedule at monitoring of Bank-funded loans and antipoverty • In Poland, the Post Accession Rural Support newly-built programs. Here are illustrative examples: project, signed in April 2006, will assist the gov- community ernment in addressing the problem of social center (Kyrgyz • In the Kyrgyz Republic, CSOs participated active- Republic) exclusion and unemployment by supporting the ly in the design and implementation of a $15 provision of social services in 500 low-income million project that aims to alleviate poverty rural districts. It is expected that the bulk of the among the rural population by promoting rural social inclusion component (nearly $50 million) nonfarm employment and income-generating will be disbursed to CSOs (national NGOs and investments. As a result, CSO representatives local CBOs). now hold one-third of the seats on a 21-member project steering committee, along with the cen- Research on Civic Engagement tral and local government representatives. As part of its analytical research effort, the regional civil society team completed several important stud- • In Russia, the Bank’s local governance and civic ies related to the growing role of CSOs in the engagement project in Russia supports the devel- region’s development. In the summer of 2004, the opment of civic initiatives in rural areas. The pro- team prepared a report, Civic Engagement to Improve ject’s implementing agency is a local branch of Development Effectiveness in the Europe and Central the Charities Aid Foundation (United King- Asia Region: The Role of the World Bank, that assesses dom), which is one of many CSOs with whom the Bank’s past record of engagement with civil soci- the Bank partners. ety in the region and provides strategic directions • In Romania, the Bank supported the government for the Bank’s future engagement with CSOs. The in preparing a mine closure, environmental report was disseminated and discussed with leading management, and socioeconomic regeneration CSO interlocutors in the region and posted on the project, which gives special attention to commu- Bank’s external Web site. In June 2005, the ECA nities affected by the decline of mining indus- Social Development Team completed a participato- tries. A $68 million component will support ry budgeting field study in Ukraine that was geared 47 cies. DTF will provide financial resources for cross- country planning, technical assistance, and training activities. Second, the Bank supported the estab- lishment of a Roma Education Fund through both institutional and financial assistance. A donor con- ference held in December 2004 secured nearly $43 million in commitments to the Roma Education Fund, and in January 2005 it was legally estab- lished in Budapest, Hungary, as a Swiss Founda- tion, with the Bank and the Open Society Institute as founding board members. Youth Inclusion In the field of youth inclusion and empowerment, the Bank has undertaken several initiatives which have enabled young people and youth organiza- tions to contribute to social change and strengthen cohesion. Youth Voices groups—which encourage CSO exhibits during Balkans regional Development Marketplace competi- local youth groups to be involved in Bank work— tion (May 2006, Serbia) were established in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Koso- vo, Georgia, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, and Turkey to evaluating existing models and approaches to during 2004. Investment projects financed by the involving local communities in decision making at Bank in Macedonia and Moldova have fostered the the municipal level. A local CSO, the People’s Voice advance of national youth strategies for the preven- Project, used the findings to leverage greater access tion of risky behavior and conflict, while improving to local government, and they are also being used in access to income opportunities. a project on budget hearings funded by the Eurasia A Children and Youth Development Project in Foundation. In addition, the Country Office Team FYR Macedonia promotes the integration of youth in Albania completed a Clients Assessment Survey at risk from different sociocultural backgrounds in December 2004, which was disseminated among through community-based approaches to youth country stakeholders, including representatives of development and institutional capacity building. In CSOs. The results of the survey show increasing addition, a capacity-building project in Bosnia and appreciation of the Bank in Albania and overall Herzegovina is strengthening the ability of both endorsement of Bank funding priorities and effec- government and youth to develop a multisectoral tiveness in delivering the support. national youth development policy. Furthermore, two Post-Conflict Grants for Youth Development in Roma Population Kosovo and the North Caucasus support social Two important milestones were also reached in the cohesion and cultural integration among young Bank’s support for the Roma populations in East- people through youth policy development pro- ern and Central Europe during 2005. First, the grams, peace and tolerance initiatives, micro-entre- Bank supported the Decade of Roma Inclusion preneurship, and capacity building at local and (2005–2015), which was launched in Sofia, Bulgar- national levels. ia, in February 2005. President Wolfensohn attend- ed the event alongside heads of state and donor Funding CSOs agency representatives. The Decade is an initiative The region remained the largest beneficiary of the adopted by eight countries in Central and South- Bank’s Small Grants Program. In recent years, ECA east Europe, and it represents the first cooperative country offices provided funding to approximately effort of the sponsoring governments, donor agen- 250 local civic engagement projects across the cies, and Roma CSOs to bring a significant and sus- region for a total of nearly $1 million annually. The tainable change into the life of the Roma popula- region also participated in the Development Market tion in the region. The World Bank is administering place’s global competition. Three projects submit- the Decade Trust Fund (DTF) financed by contri- ted by CSOs from Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herze- butions from all eight countries and donor agen- govina, and Russia were among the winners. Local 48 DM events and knowledge forums took place in country’s Community Radio Association, among Tbilisi (March 2005) and Ankara (May 2005). others. The regional team has also continued to support Latin America and the Caribbean the involvement of civil society in investment Civil society engagement in policy loans geared to providing services in such areas as making and resource allocation rural poverty, health, and local development. This has become increasingly main- effort has included promoting participation, access streamed at the Bank in recent to information, and accountability mechanisms years. In the Latin America and throughout the project cycle. Caribbean region (LCR), this • In Mexico, for instance, a committee composed approach is being implemented in of civil society, academia, and government repre- three areas: first, in the regional Civil Society’s three- sentatives was set up to help government deter- year program (2005–07) entitled Inclusive Gover- mine priorities and provide oversight for a pro- nance: A Framework for Engaging CSOs and Empower- gram geared to assisting women in poor rural ing the Poor; second, in the Bank-wide social devel- communities. opment strategy that supports civil society involve- ment in promoting government accountability; and • In the Dominican Republic, the team has part- finally, by the LCR Social Development Unit, which nered with local institutions to support the gov- has emphasized participatory governance and social ernment in implementing the freedom of infor- inclusion over a number of years. mation law. In 2005 and 2006, the regional civil society team • In the República Bolivariana de Venezuela, the continued to work closely with SDV’s operational involvement of civil society with a gender per- units in the region to increase civil society involve- spective was achieved in two investment loans ment in the Bank’s operational work. This work has aiming to reduce urban and rural poverty. In the involved supporting the inclusion of civil society in Agricultural Extension Project, for instance, the formulation, implementation, and monitoring grassroots producers’ organizations were directly of public policies and Bank loans. The goal is to give involved in the establishment of rural extension a voice to otherwise excluded groups, improve networks with the participation of public and transparency and accountability in the public poli- private actors in 127 municipalities. cy process, and increase the development effective- ness of Bank-supported projects. • On the local level in Ecuador, rural loans have strengthened the capacity of indigenous and Participation in Bank-Supported Loans Afro-Ecuadorian organizations, as well as first- Particular emphasis has been given to increasing and second-tier producers’ associations, to par- civil society involvement in development policy ticipate more actively in the emerging processes loans, which are geared to promoting policy of decentralization and participatory budgeting. reform and improved governance, as they repre- sent more than 50 percent of the region’s current portfolio. This increased involvement has allowed CSOs to have a voice in how they are designed and implemented, set up social accountability mecha- nisms to monitor them, and participate in the broader reform agenda debate. Following are a few of the more salient examples. In Bolivia and Ecuador, participatory monitoring and evaluation of social services became integral parts of the Sec- ond Social Programmatic Credit and the Program- matic Social Reform Loan. In Haiti, the Economic Governance Reform Operation included an inde- pendent oversight committee to track the govern- ment’s reform program. In Ecuador, trust funds have supported CSO initiatives such as budget lit- Bank staff meet with labor leaders during Caribbean policy summit eracy and alternative budget formulation by the (February 2006, Trinidad and Tobago) 49 • In Peru and Ecuador, local CSOs have been Policy Dialogue trained to monitor public expenditures and use Another important regional activity that continued participatory methodologies to evaluate users’ over the past two years was fostering policy dialogue satisfaction with the quality of public services among a variety of stakeholders on topics of region- related to a local development project. al interest and impact. In Costa Rica, the Fourth Regional Thematic Forum (RTF), entitled Harvesting • In Paraguay, local councils were created to deliv- Opportunities: Rural Development in the 21st Century, er health insurance to villagers, and social moni- brought together nearly 125 representatives from toring mechanisms were built into the service government, civil society, private sector, academia, delivery cycle to audit the quality and timeliness and the Bank to discuss the principal challenges of of services. rural development. In the Dominican Republic, a joint conference took place on Voice and Social Research on Civic Engagement Accountability in Transfer Programs in Latin America The regional team also made a concerted effort to and the Caribbean on June 9–10, 2005. Participants lead and influence the design of major research included government and civil society representa- studies in order to include a civil society perspective. tives from 10 countries, as well as Bank staff. Also in In Brazil, a study in Porto Alegre is assessing the the Dominican Republic, the team, together with impact of the city’s 18-year-old participatory budg- Participación Ciudadana and the Fundacion Institu- eting process. In Argentina and Colombia, Afro- cionalidad y Justicia, carried out a workshop to sup- descendants’ organizations have been involved in port the Dominican government in thinking the design of and data collection for national census through strategies for implementation of the Access and other national surveys. The Andean Social to Information Law. Approximately 70 participants Accountability Initiative is pioneering stocktaking from government, civil society, and the private sec- and in-depth analysis of various social-accountabil- tor attended the event. In the Caribbean, the Bank ity mechanisms in Ecuador and Peru. This initiative helped organize a major meeting between the is expected to be the first of a series of social assess- regional labor union confederation and interna- ments to be conducted in the upcoming years, tional financial institutions (see Box 13). which will provide input for learning and network building across the region. Box 13. Seeking Common Ground with Labor Unions in the Caribbean Against a backdrop of the calypso drums of Trinidad’s annual car- for the need to accelerate growth and poverty reduction and nival, the World Bank organized the first-ever meeting between maximize employment opportunities, with increased emphasis executive committee members of the regionwide Caribbean on the creation of well-paying jobs. Participants recognized the Congress of Labor (CCL) and the World Bank, International Mon- importance of addressing such regional challenges as the need etary Fund, and the International Development Bank. Though to combat crime and high youth unemployment; further lever- the Bank had often met with individual trade unions, this was the age economic benefits from tourism; and increase the focus on first meeting to brainstorm on development opportunities and equitable development through skills training, quality education, challenges with trade union leadership from across the region as and the provision of social safety nets. a whole. The CCL, established in 1945, has 30 affiliates with a The meeting concluded with agreement to convene annually membership of more than 500,000 workers drawn from 14 and to deepen consultation and collaboration across a range of Caribbean countries. In light of the role Caribbean labor organi- regional and national analytical studies and policy recommenda- zations played in the independence movements of the 1950s tions. As a first step, the Bank’s Caribbean team and the CCL will and 60s, it was not surprising to find former ministers and mem- consult on the Bank’s forthcoming Caribbean Social Protection bers of Congress among the union leaders. Strategy. Participants also agreed on the need to improve data The historic meeting, held in Port of Spain in February 2006, collection and deepen transparency in the region to foster more focused on identifying the challenges and opportunities facing informed discussions and increase the effectiveness of policy the Caribbean in the 21st century. Particular attention was paid making. 50 Peace and Youth Means to Effectuate Reform in the Arab World, held in The regional team, in partnership with operational Rabat in December 2004. Another example was the units, also supported government peace efforts in Maghreb Roundtable, which brought together multi- countries affected by conflict. The Colombia Peace ple stakeholders from northern Africa to debate key and Conflict Project supports low-income and dis- regional issues (see Box 14). placed populations in rural and urban communi- In Beirut, the fifth Middle East Development ties to reduce their vulnerability to armed conflicts. Forum (MDF5), Making Reforms Work in the Middle Another initiative in that same country supported East and North Africa, was held in 2006. MDF5 was the protection of property holdings of displaced organized through a partnership of Middle East and populations. Important activities were also under- North Africa think tanks, the Bank, and the UNDP. taken in 2005 and 2006 in the area of youth devel- Over 700 leaders from across the Middle East and opment. The subregional initiative Building Partner- North Africa region, the Islamic Republic of Iran, ships for Development between Youth and the World and Turkey met with parliamentarians, youth, NGO Bank was significantly expanded, involving 105 representatives, government officials, and business young people from six different cities in the leaders to share ideas for reforms. Reform themes Andean region in policy dialogue and program- discussed included judicial and legal issues, local matic activities. governance and community empowerment, private sector development, small and medium enterprise Middle East and North Africa development, and corporate social responsibility. The Bank’s policy dialogue and In terms of the CASs, the Bank actively consulted operational collaboration with with civil society in several countries. During the civil society grew significantly in preparation of the Lebanon CAS for 2006 to 2009, the Middle East and North Africa the office held a series of CAS consultation sessions during 2005 and 2006. The trust with more than 300 participants from a wide range between the Bank and CSOs, of backgrounds, including government officials media, and parliamentarians increased, allowing ranging from national ministries to local munici- these actors to discuss more sensitive and substan- palities, CSO representatives, parliamentarians, and tive issues. This increased trust was reflected in businesspersons. Feedback and recommendations regional policy roundtables that took place on gov- on the CAS were generated through a focused dis- ernance, trade, employment, and gender. It was also cussion on the draft CAS matrix during the various reflected in more participatory CAS consultations in consultation meetings, and via written input Lebanon, the Republic of Yemen, and Morocco. In received by numerous individuals after the meet- several countries, important advocacy programs ings. In the Republic of Yemen, the Bank conducted were also carried out with civil society in the areas three workshops with the government, develop- of environment and youth engagement. Opera- tional relations also continued to advance through expanded grantmaking via the SmGP and DM Pro- gram, as well as through civil society involvement in Bank loans. Policy Dialogue The regional CST, composed of staff based in Wash- ington, D.C., and in eight country offices, was quite active in carrying out policy dialogue around reform initiatives and promoting greater understanding between civil society and the Bank, as well as between Arab civil society and governments. This work was carried out via numerous workshops, brown bag lunches, and seminars that Bank staff helped to organize. Two important examples were the conferences Reform in the Arab Region: Priorities Stakeholders debate policy reform ideas during the Maghreb Roundtable and Mechanisms, held in Cairo in July 2004, and (May 2005, Tunisia) 51 whereby both local authorities and beneficiaries would commit themselves to the sustainable preser- Box 14. Promoting Development Dialogue vation of the environment. among Maghreb Countries In the Republic of Yemen, four small NGOs from Sana’a, Aden, and Taiz received $52,000 from the The Maghreb Roundtable was held in Tunis in May 2005 and was SmGP and UNDP to work with squatter families geared to promoting development dialogue and building a common vision for the future among practitioners and academics from Algeria, and improve their organizational capacity building, Morocco, and Tunisia. The event, cohosted by the World Bank and the networking efforts, and ability to effectively negoti- African Development Bank, brought together 250 representatives from ate with government officials. In Egypt, the SmGP civil society, private sector, academia, and government to discuss key has engaged regional youth in an active dialogue on development issues. development priorities and the role that they can The roundtable adopted an innovative methodological approach, play in the reform agenda. Consultations with relying mainly on input and contributions from civil society participants youth on the 2007 World Development Report took and leaving control of the agenda to the participants. Participants were place in Egypt, through youth networks created by organized around four thematic working groups that analyzed the find- the SmGP. In Lebanon, the SmGP, implemented for ings of World Bank regional reports on employment, governance, the sixth consecutive year, saw a threefold increase trade, and gender in the context of the Maghreb countries. The group in the number of applicant organizations in 2006. discussions and presentations provoked a thoughtful and lively debate among participants and also generated a series of important recom- The DM’s Country Innovation Day was carried mendations for implementing the ideas discussed. out in Lebanon in April 2005 and was titled United At the end of the conference, participants put forward a threefold for a Better Environment. It was timed to coincide action plan. First, they pledged to work together to sustain regional with Lebanon’s National Unity Day, marking 30 networks and thematic groups geared to promoting change and fur- years since the beginning of that country’s civil war thering policy reforms in their countries. Second, the participants in 1975. In all, CSOs and youth groups submitted agreed to undertake further analytical work in areas such as regional 87 proposals addressing such issues as recycling integration and governance. Finally, they agreed to disseminate widely household and industrial waste, commercializing the results of the roundtable. As a first step the Bank created a new medicinal plants, producing organic crops, and pre- Web site for the roundtable (www.worldbank.org/table-ronde- serving indigenous bird species. Of these, seven maghreb), which will serve as an interactive platform for the regional finalists were awarded financing totaling $130,000. network. Overall, participants seemed pleased with the results of the roundtable as they felt that it set in motion a renewed interest in region- Building on the 2005 experience, the Bank organ- al integration and implementing reforms in the Maghreb region. ized a second DM on April 6, 2006, with the theme Youth in Governance: Shaping the Future. The compe- tition attracted 67 proposals from civil society, including academic institutions, NGOs, and youth clubs. Of these, 13 winners shared an award pot of ment partners, and CSOs to discuss key develop- $230,000 during a day-long celebration that fea- ment priorities and future lending and nonlending tured youth bands, folk dances, panel discussions, activities. and an exhibition of project proposals. The Bank’s partners in the activity were the U.K. government’s Funding CSOs Global Opportunities Fund, UNDP, and the United The Small Grants Program and Development Mar- Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The SmGP and ketplace are proving to be among the most effective DM experiences throughout the region pose a grow- tools for civil society engagement in the region. ing challenge for the Bank to find ways to meet the Growing exponentially over the past few years, growing demand by CSOs for funding in such areas SmGP has supported hundreds of CSO grassroots as civic engagement, youth and women empower- initiatives related to community development, envi- ment, networking, and information sharing. ronmental preservation, capacity building, and Finally, the region had a total of 42 active proj- empowerment of marginalized groups such as ects with CDD investments, including four new women, the disabled, and youth. In Algeria, the operations for 2005, totaling $39 million. In West SmGP supported networking and information-shar- Bank and Gaza, the Palestinian NGO Project (budg- ing efforts among local NGOs, as well as enhanced et of $18 million) continues to attract and channel the capacity, accountability, and transparency of grant funding to hundreds of civil society social community groups. One grant supported the efforts service delivery programs, which in turn benefit tens of national and local NGOs to forge a charter of thousands of beneficiaries. Services delivered 52 covered a wide range of sectors, including youth istry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development to empowerment, health, physical and mental rehabil- help facilitate Afghanistan’s National Solidarity Pro- itation, agricultural extension, and informal educa- gram. This program, which is supported by the tional programs. The project has gone beyond sup- Bank, is the government of Afghanistan’s flagship port to individual NGOs to supporting initiatives program to support small-scale reconstruction and and delivering services intended to strengthen the development activities identified by local commu- entire civil society community. These initiatives nity development councils across the country. In have included establishing an interactive CSO por- addition, three Afghan and four international tal Masader, launching a unified health insurance NGOs have been contracted by the Ministry of Pub- program for CSO staff, and developing a CIVICUS lic Health to help provide high-impact basic health index for Palestinian civil society. services and ensure access to health services, partic- ularly for women and children in underserved rural South Asia areas. A Bank Youth Innovation Fund Project has Relations between the Bank and mobilized and engaged around 35 Afghan youth in civil society in South Asia have interactive ways through visual arts. The project has continued to evolve and deepen in enabled underserved youth from diverse cultural recent years. This engagement has backgrounds to share their experiences, technical included more frequent dialogue expertise, and artistic sensitivity with their peers and on Bank policies and operations younger children while becoming meaningfully with key CSOs, especially with youth groups. Below engaged within their community. are highlights of the Bank’s civil society work in 2005 and 2006. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, the Bank facilitated civil society Youth engagement in the preparation of the PRSP, which In March 2005, the Bank sponsored the South Asia was presented to the Board in 2006. Furthermore, Youth Conference in New Delhi, India, bringing the Dhaka office organized consultations in partner- together more than 75 youth representatives from ship with IPOs for the dissemination of the revised Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and operations policy (OP 4.10) on indigenous peoples. Sri Lanka. The main issues discussed included In partnership with BRAC, one of the world’s largest HIV/AIDS, conflict, youth and development, and NGOs, the Bank organized consultations with youth employment opportunities. The Bank’s country offices in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Afghanistan also organized youth “open houses” in March 2005. These allowed Bank staff to reach out to local youth groups and establish a number of Bank-youth con- sultative groups. As part of his trip to South Asia in August 2005, President Wolfowitz met with youth groups from six South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) who traveled to New Delhi to share their views on a wide range of development issues from HIV/AIDS prevention and unemployment to youth activism. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, the Bank intensified its dialogue with civil society, especially youth and university students. In February 2006, the Bank held consulta- tions with more than 50 representatives from both local and international CSOs on the proposed inter- im country strategy note. Since September 2003, around 25 national and international NGOs have President Wolfowitz meets with women from village microcredit program been contracted as facilitating partners by the Min- during visit to Bangladesh (August 2005, Dhaka) 53 at the grassroots and national level for the prepara- ment management, and involuntary resettlement. tion of the 2007 World Development Report. The Bank This meeting concluded with the state government also prepared a joint CAS in 2005 with three other and CSOs agreeing to set up a task force to develop development partners (DFID, Japanese Govern- a framework for partnership, information sharing, ment, and African Development Bank) and in con- and conflict resolution. The Bank also continued to sultation with grassroots people and civil society. work closely and learn from Indian CSOs piloting The Bank fostered extensive participation by rel- innovative social accountability mechanisms such evant CSOs in preparation of several programs, as citizen report cards (see Box 15). including a sectorwide approach program geared to With financial support from the Bank’s Small providing services in health, nutrition, and popula- Grants Program, the Business and Community tion; a primary education development program; Foundation organized an abilities mela, or fair, in and the Local Governance Support Project. The July 2004, which brought together more than 60 Bank published a report in 2006 on the Economics CSOs. With the theme Promoting Inclusive Opportuni- and Governance of NGOs, which is based on back- ties, the mela included a display of textiles and other ground reports as well as extensive theme-based handicrafts made by disabled people and several consultations with CSOs that work on microfi- seminars on product design, marketing informa- nance, advocacy, education, and health. The Bank’s tion, and employment opportunities for the dis- SmGP promoted participatory local governance by abled. The Bank’s office in Delhi also carried out a supporting CSO projects geared to strengthening range of outreach activities with the Parliamentary policy advocacy and engaging local governments. Network on the World Bank (PNoWB) India Chap- ter, including a global videoconference on trade in India agriculture. In April 2005, assisted by the Self- In India, the Bank continued to engage civil society Employed Women’s Association, Bank staff partici- through policy dialogue and involving CSOs in pated in a poverty-immersion program in villages Bank projects. A case in point was the consultative near Ahmadabad, Gujarat state, in order to experi- process that guided the design of the Third India ence the hospitality, hardships, and hopes of poor AIDS Project (NACP III), which is considered good people. practice because of its inclusive and comprehensive participatory approach. The Bank facilitated a collo- Pakistan quium in Puri in January 2005 to help initiate a dia- In Pakistan, the Bank’s country office and SmGP logue between the government and CSOs in Orissa secretariat hosted a regional forum in 2005 on grant state on exploitation of mineral resources, environ- giving and approaches to civic engagement. The Box 15. Sharing Lessons from Citizen Report Card Experiences An important international workshop on Social Accountability An innovative feature of the workshop was the field exercises Tools was held in Bangalore, India, in June 2006. It brought designed to increase participants’ understanding of the CRC together some 40 government officials, CSO leaders, academ- methodology. Participants formed teams and designed a survey ics, and Bank staff from Africa, South Asia, and Eastern Europe. and a sampling strategy before visiting several sites (i.e., slums, It was convened by the Public Affairs Foundation (PAC) and co- rural areas, and a government hospital) to conduct the survey. organized with several Bank units: Participation and Civic The exercise allowed participants to identify the obstacles and Engagement Group, World Bank Institute, South Asia Rural challenges they might encounter in the field. Two key lessons Development, and Africa Region Social Development. The work- emanated from this exercise: that adequate knowledge of the shop sought to provide participants with a hands-on introduc- local context was essential to allow for the developing of an tion to the Citizen Report Card (CRC) approach, strengthen the effective survey; and that peer reviews of the survey instrument ability of participants to design and implement an entire CRC help to improve its quality. Other important features included the process, and analyze the advantages and limitations of this introduction by PAC of its online interactive tutorial on the CRC approach. The workshop adopted an interactive methodology (www.citizenreportcard.com), and presentations by various Bank utilizing technical sessions, small-group work, field visits, and staff on the Bank’s ongoing work on social accountability, includ- scenario-planning exercises. ing the Social Accountability Sourcebook. 54 forum had several goals: share and formulate inno- vative approaches to civic engagement in South Asia with particular emphasis on persons with disabili- ties and youth; facilitate regional dialogue on best practices in the selection, monitoring, and evalua- tion of small-grant recipients; and create linkages between CSOs and international grant-giving foun- dations working with the disabled and youth. In March 2006, the Pakistan Office hosted the first Pakistan Development Marketplace entitled Mazoori Majboori Nahin’ (Disability Does Not Mean Helplessness). The Pakistan DM is an effort to support innovative projects that aim to improve the life chances of persons with disabilities. Over 220 pro- posals were received from throughout Pakistan in areas as diverse as special and inclusive education, economic and employment rehabilitation, inde- pendent living, creating a barrier-free physical envi- ronment, improving identification of disability, and improving rehabilitation services. At the end of the Solar-powered light allows nightime reading through Development Market- competition, nine projects were selected for support. place initiative (2005, Nepal) In addition to the grants competition and in part- nership with the WBI, a knowledge exchange confer- ence was held at the event that included presenta- from $5,000 to $10,000 to carry out youth empow- tions and interactive discussions among disability- erment work. focused CSOs from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan. Engaging Civil Society in Nepal Developed Countries In Nepal, nearly 1,200 CSOs responded to a call for Europe proposals for the 2005 DM. The theme was Deliver- Bank interactions with CSOs in Europe were ing Basic Services in Conflict-Affected Areas. The selec- numerous and diverse during 2005 and 2006, rang- tion criteria included innovation, partnership, sus- ing from policy dialogue and consultations to train- tainability, replicability, impact, and cost-effective- ing. In terms of dialogue, the Bank’s European staff ness. Winners received grant funding of up to facilitated global, pan-European, and country-level $20,000 each. In May 2005, a jury made the final discussions on key development issues such as selection of 20 winners. Nepal’s national poet, Mad- trade, debt, donor harmonization, and gender. hav Prasad Ghimire, announced the winners at the These were carried out via face-to-face meetings, concluding ceremony. videoconference, and Web-based discussions. An example was the ongoing dialogue sponsored by Sri Lanka the Bridge Initiative International, which brings In Sri Lanka, engagement with civil society took together international CSOs and international place mainly through the SmGP. In 2006, six select- organizations (e.g., UN agencies, multilateral devel- ed organizations received funding under this pro- opment banks) to discuss the social impact of glob- gram to support capacity building, skills develop- alization and other global issues. The Bank partici- ment, leadership training, and team building under pated in a forum on agriculture and trade held in the theme Youth Development. The Bank dispersed Geneva in October 2004 and the Bridge Initiative’s $35,000 to support activities for creating knowl- annual plenary meeting in Paris in December 2004. edge-sharing networks, building common ground In November 2004, the Bank civil society team for understanding, and diffusing tensions among in Paris joined with a contact group of European communities. Nearly 10 youth groups involved with CSOs and the French government to prepare for Sri Lanka Youth Parliament received grants ranging civil society involvement and participation at the 55 Second High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness brought together staff responsible for civil society (HLF-2) in Paris in March 2005 hosted by the outreach from some 30 international organizations, French Finance Ministry. The contact group including most of the UN agencies (e.g., UNDP, designed, planned, and organized a preparatory UNICEF), multilateral development banks (e.g., meeting for CSOs in Paris in February 2005, bring- IMF, Asian Development Bank), and international ing together 60 CSO participants, and also facilitat- organizations (e.g., the Organisation for Economic ed the participation of 18 civil society representa- Co-operation and Development and the European tives in HLF-2 itself. Several of the CSOs comment- Commission). It allowed participants to exchange ed that this experience represented good practice in information, compare lessons learned, and discuss terms of CSO involvement and participation in emerging trends related to civil society engagement. multilateral conferences. Several French CSO leaders were invited to partici- The Bank’s European Civil Society Team also pate on a panel about the MDGs and its relations to organized or facilitated numerous policy consulta- the Global Call to Action against Poverty. tion meetings with European CSOs, including Similar outreach activities were carried out at the NGOs, labor unions, faith-based organizations, country level by both Bank civil society specialists think tanks, and foundations. The topics of these and country counselors. Here are highlights from consultations included the Bank’s new development three countries: Belgium, France, and the United policy lending in Paris (July 2004), IFC’s safeguards Kingdom. and disclosure of information policies in London (November 2004) and Paris (December 2004), the Belgium use of country systems in London (December 2004), Trade, gender, health, and youth have been promi- and the conditionality review in Paris (February nent themes of discussion between the Bank and 2005). The Bank also collaborated with European Belgium and European CSOs based in Brussels. In CSOs in several countries to carry out training activ- October 2004, then-Bank President James Wolfen- ities (see Box 16). sohn met with CONCORD (a European CSO plat- Bank staff in Paris and Washington, D.C., organ- form that represents 1,500 NGOs) to discuss, ized the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Civil Society among other things, advancing the UN framework Focal Points in Paris in June 2005. This meeting for the protection of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Box 16. Bank Supports European CSO Capacity Building During 2005 and 2006, the European Civil Society Team sup- cipal goal of these groundbreaking civil society delegation visits ported several capacity-building initiatives by CSO networks was to explore possible opportunities for operational collabora- from France, Italy, and the Netherlands. The training session on tion with the Bank at the country level, particularly in Africa. the Bank—focusing on its development policies, operational The Bank also supported two initiatives undertaken by ACDE guidelines, and funding mechanisms for civil society—held with to promote capacity building of CSOs in Africa. One was a mul- CSOs in the Netherlands were hosted by Partos, a Dutch civil ticountry training effort undertaken by four French CSOs to society network. A civil society trainer from the French network improve the capacity of local CSOs in Mali, Senegal, Benin, and Association Conseil sur le Finance de développement (ACDE) Niger to carry out education, prevention, and treatment of HIV/ assisted in preparing and delivering this training session. AIDS. Bank funding supported the participatory design and plan- A delegation of six Italian CSOs sponsored by civil society ning of a project proposal via several videoconferences and in- network Italiane ONG carried out a familiarization visit to Bank country meetings with dozens of African CSOs and government headquarters in Washington in January 2005. This was followed officials. The second initiative was geared to strengthening civil by a delegation of French CSOs in April 2005 who were brought society participation in the Education for All Initiative in Mada- by ACDE (which had organized similar visits in 2002, 2003, and gascar. The Bank helped organize and host several videoconfer- 2004). Each time, the CSOs spent a week at the Bank meeting ences that brought together CSOs in Paris with civil society, gov- with several dozen Bank managers and staff—country directors, ernment, and Bank representatives in Malagasy to discuss and task team leaders, sector managers, and executive directors—to strategize on how to work together on educational reform and learn more about Bank policies and operational work. The prin- service delivery. 56 Another engagement with civil society on health French Foreign Affairs Ministry on the situation of was the public seminar on female genital mutila- women worldwide 10 years after the Beijing confer- tion in Brussels in June 2005, and organized by the ence. The Beijing + 10: The Gender Equality Challenge Bank and the NGO, No Peace Without Justice. The seminar was held in Paris in March 2005 and seminar aimed to raise awareness among EU deci- attracted over 130 international, national, and civil sion makers on the issue. society participants from Europe and developing In March 2005 the Bank’s Brussels Office (along- countries. The Bank also collaborated with Coordi- side 59 other Bank offices worldwide) organized an nation Sud to publish the Trust Fund Guide for Open House Youth Day in which youth organiza- NGOs in September 2005, and to translate the tions met with Bank staff to exchange views on Bank’s publication on education, Opening Doors, to youth and development issues. This dialogue with ensure its wide dissemination among CSOs in Fran- youth organizations was followed by a public semi- cophone Africa. Paris Office staff also organized nar in April 2006, in which about 90 young people policy dialogue meetings and technical workshops from youth and international organizations for CSOs during visits to France by senior Bank engaged in discussion with the Bank’s vice president managers from different units, including opera- for external relations. The Brussels Office also con- tional units in the South Asia and Middle East tinued to host the regular dialogue between the regions, the Cities Alliance, and Human Develop- Bank’s European executive directors and key Euro- ment. In addition, Paris Office staff ensured partici- pean and international civil society networks. These pation of French NGOs in a briefing on the Multi- discussions held annually have involved organiza- lateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). tions such as EURODAD, CIDSE, and Amnesty International and tackled such issues as condition- United Kingdom ality, debt, PRS, and coordination of EU representa- London Office staff organized policy meetings tion within the Bank. between senior Bank staff and the large and dynam- The Brussels Office also took the lead in organiz- ic community of U.K. international CSOs to discuss ing several videoconferences between Bank man- issues of common interests. Included were briefing agers, CSOs, and other organizations. One of these meetings between several dozen CSO representa- was a discussion held in October 2005 in the lead- tives and recently appointed vice presidents for the up to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Minis- Africa and South Asia regions, as well as External terial Conference in Hong Kong (China). It linked Affairs. There were also several meetings related to up several dozen CSOs based in Belgium, India, the Year of Poverty campaign in February 2005 as Moldova, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and the United well as at the G-8 Summit at Gleneagles in July States to discuss the status of the Doha Develop- 2005. Technical briefings between Bank staff and ment Agenda and whether its original poverty dozens of CSO representatives were held on fragile reduction goals can be maintained. The second states (January 2005), tsunami reconstruction (May videoconference was held to mark International 2005), and the Bank’s Global Monitoring Report Women’s Day on March 8, 2006. This discussion (June 2005). brought together about 60 participants, including policy makers, civil society actors, parliamentarians, Japan and Australia and journalists from Egypt, Jordan, the Republic of During 2005 and 2006, the Bank’s Tokyo Office Yemen, West Bank and Gaza, and Europe to discuss organized numerous policy dialogue events for women’s economic rights in the Middle East region. Japanese CSOs. These were held through face-to- face meetings as well as via a videoconference in the France Tokyo Development Learning Center established in The Bank’s ongoing collaboration with French June 2004. Japanese CSOs participated in consulta- CSOs was strengthened with the signing of a mem- tion meetings held on the social development strat- orandum of understanding in 2005 between the egy and human security in July 2004. Japanese Bank and Coordination Sud, the leading network of CSOs participated in two videoconferences held international French CSOs. This formal agreement with Bank President Wolfensohn around the 2004 led to several joint events and initiatives. One such Annual Meetings and the 2005 Spring Meetings, activity was a seminar co-organized by the Bank, the which focused on current development issues such French CSO Equilibres et Populations, and the as trade, debt, poverty reduction, and HIV/AIDS. 57 Annual conference of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank Bank managers visiting Fair Trade Fair during WTO (October 2005, Helsinki) Ministerial (December 2005, Hong Kong) The Tokyo Office also sponsored two Japanese in the future through the Joint Japan/World Bank CSOs to attend the Bank-Civil Society Global Policy Graduate Scholarship Program. In terms of infor- Forum held in Washington in April 2005 and one to mation disclosure, the Tokyo Office’s PIC was attend the CSO Regional Meeting held in Singapore moved to the lobby floor of the Bank office build- for the 2006 Annual Meetings. Japanese CSOs were ing, allowing greater public access to the materials also invited to numerous policy seminars organized displayed as well as to a variety of lectures and by the Tokyo Office during the visit of senior Bank exhibits on Africa co-organized with Japanese staff to Tokyo. CSOs. CSOs also continued to receive the Tokyo The Tokyo Office also supported capacity build- Office’s electronic newsletter, which provides infor- ing and continued to provide information to Japan- mation on new Bank policies and projects and is ese civil society. It sponsored, jointly with JANARD issued weekly to over 2,000 multiconstituency sub- (Japanese CSOs’ Network on Agriculture and Rural scribers. Development), a workshop series started in April In Australia, the Bank has undertaken a number 2005 to strengthen the capacity of CSOs to mobilize of outreach activities with local CSOs. These activi- stakeholders within CDD projects financed by the ties have included several meetings and workshops JSDF. Starting in June 2005, the Tokyo Office spon- with the Australian Council for International Devel- sored a series of dialogue sessions via videoconfer- opment (ACFID), which represents 80 CSOs. A rep- ence on disability and development with the dis- resentative of this council attended the Bank Annu- ability community and donor agencies in Japan and al Meetings in 2005 and is also participating in Asia. The Bank also provided five academic scholar- preparatory efforts for the Meetings to be held in ships, as it does annually, to Japanese graduate stu- Singapore in 2006. dents planning to work with Japanese civil society 58 Outreach to Civil Society 5 Constituencies T hroughout 2005 and 2006, the Bank also con- youth participation as both a means and an end to tinued to actively engage with constituency- development. based groups, including children and youth, Another important initiative carried out last year disabled persons, indigenous peoples, and parlia- was the establishment of the Youth, Development & mentarians. This engagement varied depending on Peace (YDP) Network in March 2005. It came about the interests expressed by the constituents, evolving as a result of meetings and consultations with major Bank programmatic priorities, and major events youth organizations from around the world such as held. Here is a sampling of the Bank’s work with the the European Youth Forum, the International Con- major constituency groups. federation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the Inter- national Movement of Catholic Students, and World Organization of Scouts Movement. A confer- Children and Youth ence held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in More than 1 billion youth around the world, the October 2004, for instance, brought together youth largest number in history, are transitioning to adult- leaders from 83 countries and senior Bank man- hood, and nearly 90 percent live in the developing agers, including President Wolfensohn, to discuss world. The challenges they face—unemployment, ways of improving relations between the Bank and HIV/AIDS, low skills, lack of civic participation— youth. YDP’s mission will be to facilitate dialogue, have become urgent development issues for many interaction, and joint work between youth organi- countries. It is within this context that the Bank zations and the Bank together with other develop- Youth Team continued, during the past two years, to ment actors involved in poverty reduction and expand its outreach efforts to youth groups around development issues. In March 2005 the Bank organ- the world through policy dialogue, capacity build- ized simultaneous youth open houses in 60 country ing, and information-sharing activities. offices to discuss how best to promote Bank-youth The Bank’s work with youth was galvanized by collaboration at the local level. the 2007 World Development Report. Scheduled to appear in September 2006, this year’s publication will focus on development and the next generation. Because the report’s focus is on youth, it was espe- cially important to devise a consultative process that fostered a dialogue not only about youth but also with young people themselves. Therefore, the writing of the report was accompanied by an elab- orate consultation process that involved face-to- face events with over 3,000 young people in 30 countries around the globe expressing their opin- ions on the main priorities for youth. These events were complemented by an online commentary on the Bank’s Youthink! site and an Web-based dis- cussion with youth civil society leaders. The wide- spread involvement of youth in this process stands as a testimony to the fact that the 2007 World Devel- Youth share their views on development with Bank staff (April 2005, opment Report recognizes the intrinsic value of Kyrgyz Republic) 59 Disabled Persons The Bank’s Disability & Development Team contin- ued to work during 2005 and 2006 to promote the disability agenda within the Bank and to reach out to international disabled peoples organizations (DPOs) and CSOs interested in including disability issues in their agendas. The team organized and par- ticipated in several high-visibility events in which disabled people from DPOs brought, in some cases for the first time, the voices and issues of disabled people into the international development policy space. This new interaction is encouraging CSOs to incorporate disability into their work agenda and collaborate with DPOs. With at least 10 percent of Supporting disabled people in Pakistan through the Development the world’s population having a disability and many Marketplace (March 2006, Islamabad) of these living in poverty, the need for CSOs to inte- grate disability into their broader poverty reduction agendas is critical. Bank offices also continued to implement and Over the past two years, the Bank co-organized a expand the Youth Voices Program in more than 20 number of events with CSOs on issues related to countries; this program encourages youth to poverty reduction for disabled people such as dis- become more familiar with the Bank’s work ability and education, natural disasters, microfi- through policy dialogue, participation in project nance, youth, physical accessibility, and effective design, capacity building, and youth advocacy ini- methods of designing and collecting disability data. tiatives. For example, in Brazil, the Youth Voices dia- The largest event, an international conference titled logue has been instrumental in the establishment of Disability and Inclusive Development: Sharing, Learn- a national youth council and a national youth sec- ing and Building Alliances, was held to celebrate the retariat. In Moldova, young people organized a UN International Day of Disabled Persons. Held in youth caravan, reaching out to young people in Washington in November 2004, the conference rural communities. brought together more than 1,000 participants Also in 2005, the Bank and its partners launched from civil society, government, private sector, and the second international essay competition, which donor agencies. Bank staff and CSO representatives invited young people between 18 and 25 years old from developing countries participated via video- throughout the world to share their views on Build- conferencing from several country offices. Senior ing a Secure Future: Seeking Practical Solutions. More Bank managers, government officials, representa- than 1,200 entries were submitted online. The win- tives from the UN agencies, and civil society leaders ner of the first prize of $3,000 was a youth from spoke during the plenary sessions, and CSOs took Pakistan; runners up were from the Philippines, the lead in chairing numerous breakout sessions Bolivia, and Singapore. Other Bank outreach initia- focusing on specific areas. tives with youth included the launch of a Web site The team also held a workshop on Disability & for the YDP Network, which included group work- Development: Setting a Research Agenda in Washing- spaces, capacity-building materials, online consulta- ton in November 2004. It brought together senior tions, and information for the general public. The economists from different backgrounds to make rec- Bank also organized numerous global and country- ommendations on setting a research agenda and based videoconferences, forums, live conferences, generating a body of evidence that can demonstrate and workshops to provide education, experience, how inclusive development policies and programs and resources to youth organizations. For more can influence both the prevention of disabilities and information on the Bank’s youth work, visit www. the well-being of disabled people. The Bank also col- ydpnetwork.org. laborated with the Global Partnership for Disability & Development (GPDD) initiative by assisting with the selection of a Coordinating Committee in 2004 and the establishment of a Multi-Donor Trust Fund in 2006. The GPDD is a multistakeholder initiative 60 composed of CSOs, UN agencies, businesses, foun- poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, and conflict media- dations, governments, and donor agencies (includ- tion. Calls for greater balance in today’s globalized ing the Bank), and was created to promote the inclu- world, greater appreciation of the ethical dimen- sion of disability in the development agenda sions of poverty alleviation, and a strong moral through capacity building and knowledge sharing. foundation for equitable and sustainable develop- The GPDD has established working groups in the ment programs reverberated throughout the gather- following areas: inclusive education, disasters, emer- ing. The book Finding Global Balance tells the story gencies and conflicts, and poverty reduction. of this landmark meeting. A high-level meeting held For more information on the Bank’s work on dis- in Geneva in October 2004 at the World Council of ability issues and the GPDD, please visit www. Churches culminated a three-year dialogue process worldbank.org/disability. on the social impacts of globalization (see Box 17). Faith-Based Groups The Development Dialogue on Values and Ethics Team leads the Bank’s dialogue and partnerships Box 17. Reflecting on with religious leaders and institutions worldwide Globalization with the on a wide range of development issues. It also has World Council of Churches the mandate to research and reflect on the underly- ing ethical issues related to international develop- From May 2002 to October 2004, the ment. The work in 2005 and 2006 reflected the World Council of Churches (WCC), broad array of institutions and issues with which World Bank, and International Monetary the team engages. The team collaborated with reli- Fund engaged in a landmark series of dialogue meetings and encoun- gious organizations involved in fighting poverty, ters. The dialogue focused on issues around institutional governance expanded health and education opportunities, and and accountability, respective roles of the public and private sector in poverty alleviation, and the challenges of globalization. Throughout combated HIV/AIDS, all with a view toward achiev- this engagement process each looked internally to examine its institu- ing the MDGs during the 2005 Year of Develop- tional concepts, development approaches, and evolving institutional ment. Over the two years, the team also supported mandates. the World Faiths Development Dialogue, a long- Though historically the institutions had not all worked together, term CSO partner in the Bank’s faiths dialogue there was an understanding on all sides that dialogue would improve efforts, as it relocated to Washington, D.C. mutual understanding and perhaps the efficacy of the institutions’ As part of its research work, the team carried out respective work on poverty issues. The process also began with some exploratory analysis within the Bank, notably on skepticism and frustration, particularly on the part of the some of the regional reviews of religion and development WCC members who perceive the Bretton Woods Institutions as being issues, and published two books that highlight the deeply entrenched in policies harmful to poor countries. The WCC importance of faith and development partnerships: prepared a guide, Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Churches’ Response to the Policies of the International Financial Institutions, which laid out Mind, Heart and Soul in the Fight against Poverty and its principal critiques of the institutions. A challenge that emerged Finding Global Balance: Common Ground between the again and again was that the economic and technocratic language in Worlds of Development and Faith. It also provided which the financial institutions’ work can be exclusionary to those who input to the 2006 World Development Report on equi- are not familiar with it, while, on the other side, the theological lan- ty and the 2007 World Development Report on youth, guage and concepts of the WCC were often unfamiliar to the staff of from the perspective and experience of different the World Bank and IMF. faith traditions and organizations. In light of the genuinely sincere and engaged approach on all sides, A major event of the past year was the Dublin the dialogue proved a remarkably frank process—sometimes con- Leaders’ Meeting held in January 2005 and tentious, other times revelatory. The findings from the dialogue process cochaired by then-Bank President Jim Wolfensohn, were presented at a special meeting where, for the first time, leaders of along with Lord George Carey, former Archbishop all three institutions met and released a jointly authored statement enti- tled Common Ground and Differences. While noting continued differ- of Canterbury. It brought together leaders from ences in specific development approaches, the document also recog- major world religions, philanthropic organizations, nized growing common ground on broader poverty reduction and corporations, the artistic world, and donor agencies equitable development goals. It also stated the interest on all sides to to discuss major development challenges, including continue the dialogue process, possibly via joint country case studies. the MDGs, the international response to the Asian tsunami, the dimensions of equity and ethics in 61 The team also helped organize or participated in contributed significant prize funding to the 2005 several important faiths dialogue initiatives. Team and 2006 DMs. The Hewlett Foundation renewed staff cochaired the first international interfaith grant support to the Bank Institute to strengthen meeting on HIV/AIDS in India, which brought capacity building of government officials involved together religious leaders of the major Indian tradi- in delivering health, nutrition, and population serv- tions to discuss HIV/AIDS (December 2004). They ices related to the MDGs. Hewlett also funded Bank also served as comoderator at the fifth annual Giv- research on population and economic development ing Soul to Globalization Forum that took place in the and helped to fund The Commission on Growth context of the Fès Festival of World Sacred Music launched in 2006. The Bank entered a partnership held in Morocco (June 2005 and 2006). As a mem- with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, ber of the “C-100” Islamic-West Dialogue group and Malaria; UNICEF; and the Clinton Foundation organized by the World Economic Forum (WEF), to allow developing countries to purchase high- the team participated in several sessions on reli- quality AIDS medicines at low prices, as well as gious education as well as broader issues related to improve their procurement procedures. Islam, globalization, and development throughout The Ford Foundation and the Charles Stewart the year and during the WEF held in Davos, Switzer- Mott Foundation provided additional funding to land (January 2005 and 2006). For more informa- extend the Bank’s Community Foundation Initia- tion on the public events, speeches, and papers pro- tive. This initiative promotes the adoption and duced by the team, please visit their Web site at strengthening of the community foundation www.worldbank.org/developmentdialogue. approach, as an innovative local development approach, in countries such as Moldova, Thailand, and Nigeria. This work is funded by the recently Foundations established Global Fund for Community Founda- The Bank’s Foundations Team, launched in 2000 to tions, which is supported by the Bank, Kellogg improve relations and promote collaboration with Foundation, Mott Foundation, USAID, and several foundations, continued to carry out policy dialogue European community foundations. Internally, the and develop partnerships with foundations in 2005 Foundation Team published and disseminated a and 2006. The unit organized three country-level report on good practices in Bank-foundation rela- conferences for Bank country offices and local and tions that draws on successful partnership experi- international foundations. The purpose of conven- ences and introduced a course on how to establish ing these policy dialogue meetings at the country relations with foundations. level is to promote knowledge sharing, increase communication, and explore areas of collaboration. Gender Groups The first conference took place in Thailand in Octo- ber 2004; the second took place in Brasilia, Brazil, The Bank’s Gender and Development Group carried in February 2005; and the third in Nairobi, Kenya, out a number of activities during 2005 and 2006 in March 2006. The conferences were well attended geared to further mainstreaming gender into Bank by government, foundation, Bank, and civil society operations and engaging CSOs around gender representatives and resulted in several concrete out- issues. Activities included a number of conferences, comes. For example, in Kenya three key areas were workshops, and videoconferences. In November identified in which foundations in Kenya and the 2004, the group held the eighth meeting of the Bank would work together: enhancing philanthropy Bank’s External Gender Consultative Group by exploring how to create a better enabling envi- (EGCG) in Washington, during which they dis- ronment; increasing collaboration between the cussed the implementation of the Bank’s gender- Bank, foundations, and government in policy selec- mainstreaming strategy, among other issues. The tion and implementation; and working together in EGCG is composed of national women’s organiza- some operational areas around youth empower- tions, academia, and CSOs from around the world, ment and community-level health care. representatives of which meet periodically with sen- The Bank continued to collaborate with many ior Bank management and staff to review progress foundations around the world during the period. in implementing the Bank’s gender policies, provide The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Founda- guidance, and help strengthen dialogue on gender- tion and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation related issues. Their ninth meeting was held for the 62 first time outside Washington, D.C., in Egypt in May 2006. The group met with Bank Group project man- agers in Cairo to learn about the Bank's work in the region, participated at the WEF regional conference in Sharm-El-Sheikh, and visited a number of Bank- supported projects in Egypt’s upper region, includ- ing projects on microfinance and the provision of identification papers for low-income women. In November 2004, the Bank held a workshop on the development implications of gender-based violence (GBV), which brought together Bank staff, CSO representatives, and academics. The workshop generated a lively debate and several recommenda- tions, including that the Bank use its convening power to promote country-level plans for the pre- vention of GBV while ensuring civil society involve- Moldovan youth participate in policy discussion with Bank staff (April 2005, Chisinau) ment in the process. Participants also suggested that the Bank collect further evidence on the economic costs of GBV to convince developing country gov- consisting of men and women from government, ernments to take action on this issue. civil society, the private sector, and UN organiza- Six workshops, designed to disseminate the tions—participated in the seminar and shared the products of the Gender and Economics Initiative at outcomes of recent conferences they had organized the country level, took place in 2005. The Gender or attended on women and information and com- and Economics Initiative Program encourages Bank munication technologies, including financial operational staff, country-based development prac- resources, Internet governance, role of the private titioners, and civil servants to integrate gender sector, and links between the MDGs and WSIS. analysis in key economic policy areas by providing Two separate distance-learning dialogues were them with analysis, training, tool kits, and good organized on the gender and legal dimensions of practices. The workshops in Jordan, Thailand, and HIV/AIDS with law, justice, and health sector repre- Russia all had sizeable delegations from civil socie- sentatives from Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda. ty. The Amman (Jordan) workshop was co-organ- The first dialogue was cohosted with the Interna- ized with the NGO Inclusive Security: Women Wag- tional Association of Women Judges and the second ing Peace, and brought together CSO representa- with the International Development Law Organiza- tives, Bank staff, and 20 Iraqi women activists. The tion in Italy. The objectives were similar for both workshop led to the “engendering” of several Iraqi events, including providing training to legal, justice, projects through the inclusion of sex-disaggregated and health professionals on the legal, gender, and data and analysis and gender-aware monitoring and human rights dimensions of HIV/AIDS; enabling evaluation plans. judges’ and lawyers’ associations to increase their In 2005, the Gender Group held three videocon- involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS; and ference seminars with gender specialists and strengthening the networking capacity of magis- activists in India, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Italy, trates, judges, and CSOs working on gender and Switzerland, Afghanistan, China, and Jordan to dis- HIV/AIDS. The second seminar drew more than 80 cuss how information and communication technol- participants, a large number of whom were CSO ogy has helped increase women’s economic oppor- representatives. For information on these events tunities. Participants included representatives from and reports on the Bank’s gender work, please visit CSOs that specialize in this area, such as Tianjin the Gender and Development Group’s Web site at Women’s Business Incubator from China. In Sep- www.worldbank.org/gender. tember 2005, an additional videoconference semi- nar was held on integrating gender into the World Indigenous Peoples Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and its outcomes. Steering Committee members of the The Bank continued its engagement with indige- WSIS Gender Caucus—a multistakeholder group nous peoples and their representative organizations 63 during 2005 and 2006. Activities included hosting Leadership Capacity-Building Program for the policy consultations, supporting capacity-building Andean Countries. The grants facility provides efforts, and funding indigenous grassroots projects. funds directly to IPOs and communities throughout Bank staff also participated in ongoing delibera- the world. In 2006, 550 applications from 58 coun- tions within the UN Working Group on Indigenous tries were received, and grants were awarded to 25 Populations, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous projects in support of indigenous peoples’ grass- Issues, and the Inter-Agency Group on Indigenous roots development efforts. The Andean leadership Peoples in Latin America. program originated as an initiative of the Fund for The Bank’s revised Indigenous Peoples Policy the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin (OP 4.10) was finalized during the period and will America (Fondo Indígena), supported by the Bank become effective in July 1, 2006. The revised policy and by the major national IPOs of Andean coun- was the result of a multiyear consultation process tries. Through the program, 310 indigenous leaders involving hundreds of indigenous leaders, govern- have received training in governance, indigenous ment officials, CSO leaders, and academics from rights, grassroots development, and the use of infor- around the globe. It mandates free, prior, and mation technologies. These skills are enhancing informed consultation with indigenous peoples their capacity to represent their communities in and broad community support at each stage of national and international policy forums, as well as Bank project preparation and implementation. The manage development projects. revised policy requires that social assessments be carried out to analyze the potential social, cultural, Labor Unions demographic, and political impacts of proposed projects on affected indigenous peoples communi- The Bank, along with the IMF, reached agreement ties, and to ensure that they receive culturally appro- on terms of reference for regular dialogue with the priate social and economic benefits. The policy also ICFTU and the WCL in February 2002.14 A number requires that agreement be reached between the of engagement activities were undertaken over the borrower government and indigenous communities past year in keeping with the agreement, including regarding commercial use of their cultural resources a high-level meeting (October 2004), a technical as well as benefit-sharing arrangements for the com- workshop focusing on trade union involvement in mercial use of natural resources such as minerals, PRS (April 2005), and a technical meeting on labor hydrocarbon resources, forests, water, and hunting market reform (March 2006). The high-level meet- or fishing grounds. The revised Indigenous Peoples ing drew nearly 100 union leaders from around the Policy is part of a Bank-wide effort in support of world and numerous senior Bank officials including indigenous peoples communities and reflects a President Wolfensohn. It provided an opportunity strategic shift toward broader and more direct to discuss major policy issues such as debt relief, engagement with them. trade, labor standards, social protection, and the During 2005, the Bank carried out orientation MDGs, as well as to set an agenda for the relation- workshops on the revised Indigenous Peoples Poli- ship over the next two years. cy and its application in several countries (e.g., One of the commitments made at the high-level China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and meeting and implemented last year was the Russia) and regions (e.g., Latin America). The objec- appointment of Bank staff in various units to serve tives of these workshops were to (i) inform the as focal points for the sectoral federations of trade stakeholders consulted in 2001 about the final out- unions. For instance, teachers’ unions have a contact put of the revision process and how the Bank’s pol- in the Bank’s Education Department, and the pub- icy relates to national legislations; (ii) guide Bank lic sector unions have a contact in the Public Sector operational staff and counterparts in government Department. The confederations also named coun- on the revised policy and its implications for oper- terparts in their respective unions. These contacts ations; and (iii) take stock of and engage in the broader indigenous peoples’ concerns and dialogue 14 in the countries. The ICFTU has 155 million members in 154 countries; the WCL has 26 million members in 116 countries. The major- As in previous years, the Bank’s Global Fund for ity of affiliates of both organizations come from developing Indigenous Peoples supported the Grants Facility countries. The two organizations will be merging into a sin- for Indigenous Peoples and the Indigenous Peoples gle international trade confederation in 2006. 64 have already proven very useful in promoting dia- logue on sensitive policy issues and lending projects as well as creating opportunities for more active col- Box 18. Experiencing the Bank from the Inside laboration. Cogent examples include the involve- A senior advisor to the secretary general of the World Confederation of ment of teachers’ unions in Bank-financed AIDS Labour (WCL) worked with the Global Civil Society Team from Novem- and education projects and the collaboration of ber 2004 to May 2005. This was part of a broader WCL-International transportation unions in a socially responsible Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) staff secondment program transport initiative. with the Bank, which has placed five international labor leaders in dif- A second area of collaboration that continued ferent Bank departments over the past three years. The purpose of this last year was the placement of trade union repre- program is to provide union staff with an opportunity to gain an under- sentatives in various units of the Bank for short- standing of Bank culture through institutional immersion as well as allow term secondments. A representative from the WCL the Bank to benefit from labor union perspective and insights. spent six months working with the global CST, The WCL staff person began the assignment by attending a week- assessing and enhancing the Bank’s consultations long training session alongside recently hired Bank staff and executive directors’ assistants; the session focused on Bank policies, structure, with unions (see Box 18). Another secondee from a and work environment. In addition, the person attended numerous day- South Africa railway union, sponsored by the Inter- long training sessions, brown-bag presentations, and other events that national Transport Workers Federation, was placed provided a good overview of the Bank’s multifaceted development in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Infrastruc- agenda. The secondee then embarked on implementing a six-point ture unit and produced recommendations regard- working plan that included undertaking research, providing technical ing union consultation in railroad privatization and advice, organizing events, and institutional networking. restructuring. The Bank also continues to specifical- A number of activities undertaken by the secondee served to strength- ly consult unions on major flagship publications en the relationship between the Bank and international labor unions. such as the World Development Report and involve These included arranging for the participation of WCL and ICFTU staff trade unions in training courses designed for staff in a training course on labor policies; organizing a joint workshop on the and clients. Trade unions were represented in the impacts of poverty reduction strategies on workers’ livelihoods; and car- rying out a staff perceptions study on Bank-WCL relations based on annual two-week labor markets policy course in Bank staff interviews and a global WCL labor leaders survey. The sec- Washington, D.C., in 2005 and 2006 as well as the ondee was also an active member of the planning group that organized six-week distance-learning courses for Anglophone the World Bank-Civil Society Global Policy Forum in April 2005. Overall, and Francophone Africa. the WCL staff person felt that the secondment experience was quite use- All of these efforts seem to be contributing to a ful, not only allowing for an increased understanding of Bank culture but considerably more open, substantive, and trusting also by bringing a critical WCL perspective into Bank policy discussions. dialogue between the trade unions and the Bank. Policy differences remain, however, on such issues as labor market and pension reform, privatization, and public sector restructuring. Looking ahead, the from 110 countries. The PNoWB maintains national dialogue will continue with the new international and regional chapters in India, Japan, East Africa, union body that will be formed in late 2006. It is the Middle East, and North Africa and helped sup- hoped that the sectoral focal points and technical port the launch of a new West African Chapter in meetings can continue to deepen and decentralize June 2006. The Bank partnered with PNoWB’s Mid- consultation and collaboration on issues of com- dle East and North Africa Chapter, Westminster mon interest to the union movement and the Bank. Foundation for Democracy, and Arab Region Parlia- mentarians Against Corruption for a special parlia- mentary session during the Middle East and North Parliamentarians Africa Development Forum held in Beirut in April The Bank’s parliamentary outreach team continued, 2006. The discussion centered on the member of in 2005 and 2006, to engage parliamentarians parliament’s (MP) potential role as agents of change worldwide through the Parliamentary Network on and champions for reform in the region. Other the World Bank (PNoWB) and a broad range of regional work included the first pilot session of the partnerships with other parliamentary organiza- Bank’s Regional Development Seminars for Parliamen- tions working on development issues. The PNoWB, tarians in Asia in partnership with the Common- which was established in 2000, has grown to an wealth Parliamentary Association, PNoWB, Asian independent network of over 800 parliamentarians Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and 65 Box 19. Debating the Year of Development with Parliamentarians The Bank’s Development Policy Dialogue Team organ- 2005. The event brought together parliamentarians ized or cosponsored a series of events in Naples, Edin- from G-8 and other interested countries from across burgh, and Vienna to engage parliamentarians on the Europe and Africa to discuss the proposed agenda for issues surrounding the 2005 Year of Development and the G-8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, and provide particularly the need to mobilize development aid for parliamentary input. An open letter produced by the Africa. The first event was a high-level seminar for participants called on the leaders of the United King- donor country parliamentarians co-organized by the dom and the United States to agree on concrete Parliamentary Network on the World Bank (PNoWB) actions to promote development in Africa. and the World Bank, and financed by Italy’s Campania Also in June as part of the run-up to the G-8 Sum- Region. The Development and Aid in 2005 event was mit, the Bank organized the conference Mobilizing Par- held in Naples in February 2005 and brought togeth- liamentarians for Development in collaboration with the er 35 parliamentarians from developed countries, Austrian Development Cooperation. The conference, Bank and UN agency staff, and civil society represen- held in Vienna, brought together parliamentarians and tatives to review the 2005 international development heads of staff from 25 parliamentary organizations and agenda and coordinate their efforts to promote the assemblies, along with multilateral organizations, bilat- fight against poverty. eral agencies, research centers, and foundations. Par- In June 2005, the Bank collaborated with the ticipants agreed to form an informal alliance of parlia- PNoWB, the Inter-European Parliamentary Forum on mentarians’ forums to provide a broader platform for Population and Development, and Interact Worldwide dialogue, information exchange, and collaboration on to organize the G8 Parliamentarians Conference on international development policies and initiatives. Development in Africa held in Edinburgh in June Development, the Asian Development Bank, and invites parliamentarians to attend Bank Spring and the IMF. The Bank also collaborated with the Annual Meetings. Before the 2006 Spring Meetings, PNoWB and other organizations to debate the Year a delegation of MPs and secretariat staff from nine of Development (see Box 19). parliamentary groups visited the Bank for three days One of the major activities the Bank carried out of meetings on topics such as governance and anti- in partnership with the PNoWB and other partners corruption, monitoring the MDGs, the PRS process, in 2005 and 2006 was the Parliamentarians in the and capacity building for parliamentarians. Mem- Field Program, which provided parliamentarians bers of GLOBE International (Global Legislators with the opportunity to learn firsthand about the Organization for a Balanced Environment) stayed PRS process and Bank-financed projects through on through the 2006 Spring Meetings to participate field visits to Nicaragua, Vietnam, Madagascar, in a multistakeholder panel on the Bank’s new Ghana, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Lao PDR. A second investment framework to promote clean energy and collaborative activity was the launching, in February development. Further meetings between GLOBE 2005, of two subgroups on trade in agriculture and and the vice president of the Bank’s Environmental- trade in services by the PNoWB’s Committee on ly and Sustainable Development network led to the International Trade for Development to discuss the creation of a new G8 + 5 Legislators, Business Leaders, major issues and stumbling blocks surrounding a and Civil Society Climate Change Dialogue launched successful conclusion to the WTO’s Doha Develop- in February 2006 with the support of U.K. Prime ment Round. Parliamentarians involved in these Minister Tony Blair. discussions also had ongoing dialogue on trade Through these engagements, the Bank is steadily with parliamentarians from the North Atlantic expanding and deepening its relations with legisla- Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly tures in donor countries that help shape and vote on (NATO-PA) and the Commonwealth Parliamentary aid budgets, and with legislatures in developing Association, as well as the Bank’s Trade Department. countries that monitor aid expenditures. The in- As part of its efforts to promote policy dialogue volvement of MPs is expected to strengthen the qual- with parliamentarians, the Bank now regularly ity and sustainability of the Bank’s work program. 66 Conclusion As this report has tried to demonstrate, the past two years have indeed been important for further expan- sion and strengthening of Bank-civil society rela- tions. The publication of the Issues and Options paper and the Global Policy Forum in 2005 were milestones in promoting greater understanding of the challenges of working together and identifying opportunities for greater Bank-civil society collabo- ration. The continued high-level commitment of the Bank toward engaging civil society was also demonstrated through the changing of Bank presi- dents, in both the farewell reception offered by international CSOs to Mr. Wolfensohn and the importance President Wolfowitz has attributed to PNoWB field visit to AIDS project in Ethiopia (January civil society engagement in speeches and meetings 2004) during his first year. The past two years have indeed confirmed a many leading international and developing country growing trend in Bank-civil society relations: more CSOs are demonstrating, in practice, their commit- substantive policy dialogue at the global level and ment to increasing their substantive engagement greater country-level operational collaboration. with the Bank around policy dialogue or operational More horizontal and open dialogue on the most collaboration, a segment within civil society still complex and difficult policy issues such as policy- continues to feel that the costs outweigh the benefits based lending not only is occurring during the of interacting actively with the Bank. The Bank’s own Annual and Spring Meetings, but is now being con- Issues and Options and the JFC papers provide a num- ducted via regular videoconferences, conference ber of recommendations that will help to address calls, and the Internet. At the country level, where these issues, but strong and sustained leadership and these relations have the most potential and are a commitment to undertaking a number of institu- intensifying the fastest, the participatory approach- tional reforms will be required. es adopted to formulate the CAS and design and The next edition of the Civil Society Review will implement the PRS is opening up unprecedented come out in 2008, and it will be important to track policy space for government-civil society engage- several important trends in the evolving Bank-civil ment. On the operational level, the scaling up of society relationship over the next two years. These social funds through such innovative experiences as trends include the Bank’s growing social accounta- AIDS funding in Africa and tsunami reconstruction bility agenda, renewed push to fight corruption in Asia is demonstrating, in practice, that civil soci- and promote good governance, and efforts to ety and governments can be complementary part- reform the institution’s governance structure. These ners in the development process. areas not only are of keen interest to CSOs, but rep- Yet, as the Bank’s and civil society’s analyses have resent policy agendas which can further strengthen shown, substantial challenges remain for the Bank relations between CSOs, the Bank, and its member to engage with civil society more effectively and to governments. have greater impact on poverty reduction. Though 67 Annex I: Consulting Civil Society on Country Assistance Strategies, Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts 1. ALBANIA Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) January 10, 2006 In Albania, the country office has embarked on consultations with a wide range of stakeholders since late 2004, including representatives from gov- ernment, parliament, civil society, media, academic institutions, and the private sector. The team began the consultation process in December by undertaking a survey of 137 national opinion leaders from across Albanian society. This was followed by a CAS discussion via the Internet, which was conducted to ensure wider consultation. A series of consultation meetings were then held in different parts of the country. Two regional consultation workshops were held in March and April 2005 with representatives from local government, communes, NGOs, forestry associations, women’s groups, youth organizations, and media representatives. The first was held in the north in Kukes and the second in the south in Fier. The meetings produced a number of development priority recommenda- tions: (i) the importance of more support to local government, including fiscal decentralization; (ii) increased support to urban and rural infrastruc- ture, including road construction; (iii) greater emphasis on job creation and strengthening of administrative capacities of local government; (iv) natural resource management, reforestation, and flood protection; (v) investments in cultural heritage protection and tourism development; (vi) support for business development, private sector growth, and trade expansion; and (vii) strengthening citizens’ voice in the decision-making process. 2. ANGOLA Interim Strategy Note (ISN) February 17, 2005 The ISN relies on findings from a series of consultations with the Angolan authorities and other key stakeholders (i.e., the private sector, civil society, and donor agencies). Input also came from a mini–Country Portfolio Per- formance Review involving Angolan Government project directors and coor- dinators, as well as World Bank task team leaders and country management. The key messages heard during these consultations included (i) an overall endorsement of the ISN strategy; (ii) the need to encourage government officials to build as much as possible on work initiated under the Transi- tional Support Strategy, especially on the macro-stabilization and revenue management fronts; (iii) requesting the Bank to use its leverage to ensure results-based implementation of past and future program activities; and (iv) the need for selective and more realistic Bank responses and stronger partnerships. 3. ARGENTINA CAS May 2, 2006 The 2006 CAS reflects constructive consultations with the government and builds on the extensive multi-shareholder consultation held in preparation for the 2004 CAS. In addition to the ongoing contact with CSOs, business associations, and research centers, the Bank carried out five CAS-specific 69 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts ARGENTINA, continued consultations with civic leaders at the regional and national level together with a network of Argentine NGOs (GTONG). In November 2005, the country director and other senior staff met with religious leaders, journal- ists, labor union leaders, NGO representatives, business leaders, and aca- demics to explore the priorities civil society sees as crucial for Argentina’s development. The consultations provided the team with a wide range of perspectives on key areas and insight into where the Bank can be most strategic in its sup- port, including open and frank input with respect to the limits of the Bank’s role. Two things stand out about the common themes that emerged from these consultations. First, they are broadly consistent with the ideas and guidance expressed in 2003. Second, they complement the themes identi- fied in an opinion survey carried out with government officials. 4. BANGLADESH CAS March 29, 2006 The CAS of Bangladesh has benefited from extensive consultations with var- ious segments of Bangladeshi society. These consultations have taken place in three stages beginning in early 2004, with the latest taking place in Octo- ber 2005, in partnership with three donor agencies: ADB, DFID, and Japan International Cooperation Agency. The objectives of this extensive process were to (i) solicit views of Bangladeshis on the development issues and challenges they face in their daily lives and (ii) receive feedback on the strat- egy, priorities, and development programs that the Bank and development partners are funding. The consultation process involved meetings with a broad array of stakeholders, including academics, university students, local officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives from various sec- tors such as human rights, gender issues, urban poor, disadvantaged youth, retrenched garments workers, and disabled persons. Meetings were held in Rajshahi with participants from a variety of sectors; within a rural village in the Rajshahi district; and in Dhaka, where four meetings were held with var- ious stakeholder groups, including representatives of small and medium enterprises and the business community. A second stage of consultations took place in July 2005 based on a draft ver- sion of the joint outcome matrix that summarized the country’s develop- ment goals, outcomes that the donor agencies expected to achieve, and their respective funding programs. This stage of consultations included both small focus group discussions as well as larger meetings with the Forum of Government Secretaries, local consultative group of donors, and represen- tatives from the private sector, academia, media, and civil society. 5. BHUTAN CAS November 1, 2005 This CAS draws on a consultative process led by the country director, which took place between October 2004 and September 2005, including three missions to Bhutan and continuous exchange of information. Consulta- tions included upstream discussions and downstream consultations, and included meetings with the Ministry of Finance, line ministries, and city corporation officials in Thimphu and Phuentsholing, as well as with local officials, business leaders, community leaders, and donor agency represen- tatives. The upstream or initial discussions were geared to (i) gauging the views of a variety of stakeholders on the Bank’s past engagement; (ii) dis- cussing national and local development priorities; and (iii) learning about the role of other donor agencies as well as their views on the Bank’s work in Bhutan. Consultations also allowed the CAS team to understand better the country conditions and the challenges faced by its citizens, particularly those living in remote and isolated areas. 70 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts BHUTAN, continued Several consensual views emerged concerning the major challenges facing the country. These included (i) the need for greater access to social services; (ii) increasing access to markets by improving national, rural, and farm roads; and (iii) greater investment in infrastructure. Local government offi- cials and community leaders agreed that decentralization has helped address their development concerns and improve the allocation of public resources. 6. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA CAS August 23, 2004 The proposed CAS covers fiscal years 2005 through 2007 and builds on two previous full CASs (FY98–99 and FY00–02), and two CAS progress reports (FY00–01 and FY03–04). The CAS follows a government-led, comprehen- sive two-year consultation process on the Medium-Term Development Strategy (MTDS), which was discussed by the Bank’s board in June 2004. The CAS thus links the country-level MTDS objectives with those of the Bank’s investment loans, providing a result-oriented framework. The CAS benefited from the MTDS formulation process, which involved interministerial working groups, as well as active engagement by civil soci- ety, private sector representatives, academia, media, foreign investors, and international organizations. The consensus-building dialogue among such varied stakeholders in a society that was, until recently, divided by conflict is a significant achievement. It enables the formulation and initial imple- mentation of the country’s first-ever, homegrown economic development strategy. 7. BULGARIA CAS June 15, 2006 In early 2005, members of the Bank’s Country Team held a series of nine “town hall meetings” across Bulgaria during which a draft of the CAS was discussed. In all, more than 500 persons participated, representing nation- al and local government, parliament, judiciary, business associations, media, academia, NGOs, trade unions, and donor agencies. The draft CAS was also posted on the Bank’s Bulgaria Program Web site, which was visit- ed by more than 2,500 individuals. The Bank also carried out a survey, inter- views, and focus group meetings in June 2005 with a broad array of opin- ion leaders from government, private sector, and civil society. A total of 300 respondents (84 percent response rate) participated in the survey, and 32 in-depth interviews were completed. Feedback during these consultations showed generally broad agreement with the CAS analysis and recommendations. The priority areas identified were as follows: (i) decentralize and increase municipal finance; (ii) reduce unemployment and small and medium enterprise development; (iii) increase HIV/AIDS prevention; (iv) improve water quality and earthquake preparedness; and (v) restructure the coal, district heating, and railway sec- tors. The Bank incorporated several of the recommendations, and the revised draft was the basis for high-level discussions with the newly formed government. 8. BURKINA FASO CAS June 2, 2005 The CAS process began with a session of the Council of Ministers, which was followed by sessions of parliamentarians, traditional chiefs, and reli- gious leaders. These sessions were followed by a workshop bringing togeth- er the government, private sector, academics, NGOs, and donor agencies. Field visits were carried out as part of village-level consultations held in three geographic, climatic, and ethnic zones. The consultations produced a 71 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts BURKINA FASO, continued subset of country priorities on which the CAS was focused. These include the following: (i) accelerated and more equitable growth; (ii) improved access to basic social services; (iii) increased employment and income opportunities for the poor; and (iv) better governance with greater decen- tralization. An interministerial steering committee, assisted by sectoral and thematic groups composed of government experts, donor agency staff, and civil society representatives, has been established to oversee the monitoring and evaluation of the CAS, which will be aligned with the PRS process. Progress has been made, but much more work is needed to strengthen gov- ernment and civil society monitoring capacity, and to align data from sev- eral government agencies to allow for a systematic monitoring of CAS goals. 9. BURUNDI ISN May 3, 2005 The ISN reflects the outcome of an extensive consultation process with a broad variety of stakeholders, including national and local government, political parties, students, parliament, NGOs, business associations, and donor agencies. Formal consultation meetings were held in Bujumbura dur- ing August and September 2004. The outcome of these discussions provid- ed a useful guide for delineating the Bank’s funding priorities over the next two years. Good governance was listed as being critical to ensuring imple- mentation of the economic reform agenda and the appropriate absorption of donors’ funds. Furthermore, the majority of stakeholders requested more frequent consultations. 10. CAMBODIA CAS April 29, 2005 The Bank joined the ADB and DFID to carry out a joint country strategy process. They began the process in October 2003 by organizing joint con- sultation workshops with partners and stakeholders, including the govern- ment, civil society, private sector, and donor agencies. These meetings informed participants of the process and sought their feedback on lessons learned from previous CASs. They also offered suggestions about realistic and achievable goals for the next five years. With their strategies largely in place and aligned, donor agencies held another round of workshops in October 2004, informing the government, donor agencies, NGOs, and the private sector on the strategy progress during the previous year. Consulta- tions emphasized the need for improved governance, greater donor coordi- nation, and more emphasis on results within Bank-financed programs. One of the governance objectives of the CAS is to help build citizen part- nerships for better governance, including supporting consultations on reforms to improve the enabling environment for civic engagement. 11. CAPE VERDE CAS February 16, 2005 The CAS built on the participatory process, including broad, in-country consultations, which were related to the country’s poverty reduction strat- egy process. Beginning in December 2004, key stakeholders (including government officials, community leaders, NGO representatives, labor lead- ers, and donor agency staff) were consulted on the CAS. The Bank took advantage of these meetings to also consult on the principal proposed IDA lending instrument, or the poverty reduction support credit. The consulta- tions focused on the strategic partnership matrix, CAS lending and adviso- ry programs, triggers for IDA assistance, and expected results. Stakeholders generally received the CAS well and voiced their support for its major emphasis. Some of the feedback received was incorporated into the final CAS document. 72 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts 12. CHINA CAS April 18, 2006 Preparation of the new CPS was informed by two sets of formal consulta- tions: an opinion survey and ongoing dialogue between the Bank and Chi- nese government counterparts. Bank staff initiated the consultation process in July 2005 by consulting with senior government officials from the Min- istry of Finance, 23 other central ministries and agencies, 26 provinces, and 8 municipalities. In January 2006, a second round of consultations also included meetings with representatives from civil society, academia, private sector, and donor agencies. During these consultations, participants repeat- edly noted that the Bank-government partnership remains strong, wel- comed the shift from an “assistance” to a “partnership” strategy, and said that the draft CPS is well aligned with the priorities of the 11th Five-Year Plan. In addition, the Bank conducted an opinion survey between July and Sep- tember 2005, involving more than 200 stakeholders of the World Bank Group in China drawn from among representatives of ministries and implementation agencies, local governments, bilateral or multilateral agen- cies, private sector organizations, CSOs, media, and research institutes. 13. CÔTE D’IVOIRE ISN May 30, 2006 The ISN was developed in a broad, participatory process. Meetings with the government also included key donor agencies and CSOs with stakes in the reconciliation and reconstruction process. 14. CROATIA CAS November 30, 2004 The Bank country office held CAS consultations beginning in mid-2004 in five cities with a wide spectrum of stakeholders. These included representa- tives of national and local governments, parliamentarians, small-business and labor union representatives, and CSOs. The meetings resulted in sever- al common development priorities listed by order of priority: (i) improved national education system; (ii) judiciary and public administration reform; (iii) improved investment climate through privatization with mitigating social measures; (iv) reduction in regional development disparities; (v) greater effectiveness of social assistance; and (vi) stronger agricultural com- petitiveness. 15. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC CAS April 28, 2005 CAS consultations with a variety of stakeholders took place in Santo Domingo and Santiago in January 2005. Approximately 110 people partic- ipated, including representatives from the national government (including the Ministries of Education, Health, Women’s Affairs, and Finance), con- gress, judiciary, local governments, NGOs, CBOs, think tanks, private com- panies, and donor agencies. Senior Bank managers participated, including the Bank’s country manager, country officer, and senior economist. Two independent facilitators—a leading university (INTEC) and consultancy firm (I-Desarrollo)—were contracted to organize the consultations. The consultation meetings resulted in several consensual recommendations to address the country’s development challenges and priorities: (i) reform the power sector; (ii) fight against corruption; (iii) rethink the country’s competitiveness policies; and (iv) improve delivery of public services, par- ticularly health and education. Participants also highlighted decentraliza- tion as a critical area for future development. They requested that the Bank 73 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, continued devote particular attention to gender and youth issues and that the Bank institute adequate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, including social auditing, to guarantee that the proposed strategy and related funds are applied efficiently and transparently. 16. EGYPT, ARAB REPUBLIC OF CAS Review June 24, 2005 Bank staff held CAS consultations with government officials and represen- tatives from the private sector and civil society, including women’s groups. Specific events included several meetings with the most relevant govern- ment ministers; two workshops with CSOs; a meeting with private sector representatives; and a meeting with local government officials. These con- sultations resulted in several areas of consensus among participants, includ- ing the importance of (i) achieving economic growth; (ii) leveraging private sector development; (iii) improving the provision of public services through greater private sector involvement; and (iv) promoting greater equity and poverty reduction via collaboration with civil society. The consultation meetings held at the subnational level proved useful in understanding the needs and constraints to decentralize the delivery of public services. It also demonstrated that a good deal could be achieved in a decentralized fashion without changing the formal political structures governing national and local relations. 17. EL SALVADOR CAS June 13, 2005 CAS consultations took place in San Salvador in October 2004. The Bank’s vice president for Latin America, the El Salvador country director, lead econ- omist, and several other senior managers participated. The consultations consisted of a one-day workshop with approximately 150 participants, including representatives of the national government, judiciary, congress, local governments, think tanks, foundations, CSOs (including women’s groups and indigenous peoples organizations), companies, media, and donor agencies. A series of smaller meetings with specific stakeholder groups were also held to allow for additional views to be gathered more informally. Bank staff worked with the government to develop a set of indi- cators to monitor CAS implementation. 18. ETHIOPIA Interim CAS April 13, 2006 A range of consultations were held to build broad support for the Interim CAS. These consultations included meetings from December 2005 to Feb- ruary 2006 with the government, civil society, opposition parties, private sector, Diaspora community, and donor agencies. The consultations revealed broad and strong support for putting good governance at the cen- ter of the Bank’s strategy in Ethiopia. The consultations also underlined the need for improved transparency of local-level data for the development of an effective results-based agenda on public services, and the need for dia- logue about the role civil society should have in development. The Bank also carried out a national opinion survey during September through October 2005 with a broad array of Ethiopian opinion leaders, ranging from government ministers and parliamentarians to CSO leaders. The survey indicated that the Bank needs to strengthen its efforts to collab- orate with other development stakeholders, particularly CSOs. Therefore, the Bank will continue to reach out to a broad range of stakeholders in Ethiopia to solicit their views on the country’s development priorities. 74 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts 19. GABON CAS May 5, 2005 CAS consultations for 2005–2008 took place between October and Decem- ber 2004. Approximately 410 people attended 14 meetings. Stakeholders involved in the process included representatives from the national govern- ment, national congress, civil society (NGOs, community associations, labor unions, academia), private sector, and the media. The Social and Economic Council (a constitutional advisory council composed of high-level represen- tatives from every sector of society) also participated in one of the meetings. Consultations took place in Port Gentil and Franceville, in both cases with a cross-section of stakeholders. The Bank’s country representative conducted the consultations, and the country director, on a mission from Washington, led a consultation meeting with the national assembly. The Bank shared feedback from the consultations with the government. Though participants largely expressed their support of the main priorities in the CAS draft, they emphasized the need to improve the country’s education system, invest in roads, develop the agriculture sector, and curb the spread of HIV/AIDS. 20. GEORGIA CAS September 15, 2005 The World Bank Country Office in Georgia interacts closely with members of civil society groups and maintains an ongoing outreach program to dis- seminate the objectives and work of its country program. Views and contri- butions from civil society groups are sought in the preparation and super- vision of IDA projects. During preparation of the CAS, several individual and group discussions were held with representatives of civil society. These included meetings between the country director and leading NGOs; discus- sions with civil society business leaders on the CAS Completion Report; an IFC-Foreign Investment Advisory Service roundtable with private sector rep- resentatives; a roundtable with “youth voices”; and several additional rounds of discussions with civil society leaders, including a roundtable with 22 civil society members on the draft strategy. These consultations generated several common views. First, there was gen- eral agreement that the government had made important progress on reducing corruption, promoting education and health reform, and strengthening public sector institutions and budgeting. However, there were strong concerns that there was inadequate consultation between govern- ment and civil society. Concerns were expressed that the government was reluctant to engage in areas in which it lacked experience, decision making was still overly centralized at the national level, and shortcomings were apparent in some of the strategic directions being developed. The Bank was urged to continue the dialogue with civil society on the CAS, particularly during the monitoring and evaluation stages. 21. GUATEMALA CAS April 19, 2005 Formal consultation meetings took place in Guatemala City in January 2005 and included representatives from civil society, research institutions, private sector, and donor agencies. The country director led the Bank team, which included numerous staff and managers from various Bank sectors. An earli- er round of consultations took place in October 2004, during a series of meetings with separate groups of stakeholders, to solicit views on priority areas for the CAS. As a result, a number of new emphases were incorporated into the proposed strategy, including (i) placing a greater emphasis on envi- ronmental conservation in the full range of Bank-supported activities; (ii) broadening a proposed local and rural development project to include pro- vision for basic infrastructure services, such as water, sanitation, communi- 75 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts GUATEMALA, continued cation technologies, and electrification; (iii) clarifying focus on improving access to education and health; (iv) addressing infrastructure needs; and (v) providing access to finance in indigenous communities. Participants also raised concerns to the government and the Bank about the negative impacts of fiscal policy; the need to ensure greater access to justice and personal security; disadvantages the CAFTA regional trade pact would bring to small-scale producers; and the need to ensure broader civil society participation. 22. HAITI Transitional Support Strategy January 6, 2005 More than 250 national and international representatives from 26 bilateral and multilateral agencies, UN agencies, CSOs, and business groups partici- pated in preparation of the Interim Cooperation Framework (ICF). Region- al workshops and consultations were held in Les Cayes, Gonaives, and Cap- Haitien, and a national workshop was held in Port-au-Prince. The purpose of these workshops was to raise awareness of the role of the Bank within the framework of the ICF and to garner broad-based input for the design of Bank lending operations and analytical work in 2006 and beyond. 23. INDIA CAS September 17, 2004 Consultations with government, civil society, private sector, and donor agencies have been an integral part of CAS formulation in India. The con- sultation tools utilized included a client survey, focus group meetings, Web- based consultations, and large workshops. The process began with a client survey that queried some 1,000 opinion makers within government, civil society, academia, media, and the private sector on the state of development in India and the Bank’s effectiveness and priorities. This was followed by focus group meetings that took place over several months with relevant gov- ernment ministries. In June 2004, the CAS text was posted for four weeks on the country office’s external Web site in English, Hindi, Kaniiada, and Telugu for public review and comment. In July, the Bank hosted half-day workshops in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Lucknow with invited repre- sentatives from national, state, and local governments, NGOs, private sec- tor, academia, media, and donor agencies. Senior Bank staff, including the country director, participated in the meetings. Several of the recurring themes that emerged from this process were addressed in the final CAS. In the survey phase, for instance, poverty reduc- tion emerged as the number one challenge, followed by infrastructure improvement, anticorruption, government effectiveness, and access to edu- cation. Respondents also cited population growth, inadequate infrastruc- ture, lack of access to quality education, and scarcity of water resources as the main challenges to sustainable growth. Most stakeholders who partici- pated in this process expressed their satisfaction with the transparent and inclusive way the CAS consultations were held. Conversely, some partici- pants said the consultations were rushed and that they had inadequate time to review the strategy and offer significant input. 24. JAMAICA CAS May 10, 2005 The government’s Medium-Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework result- ed from wide public consultations and enjoys strong donor support. In light of the push for greater donor harmonization, the Bank joined a num- ber of other donor agencies—DFID, Inter-American Development Bank, and the Caribbean Development Bank —to consult with a wide range of stakeholders. These included NGOs, CBOs, trade unions, universities, and chambers of commerce. The consultation meetings occurred in February 76 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts JAMAICA, continued 2005 in Mandeville, Montego-Bay, and Kingston and involved some 140 persons. The key issues discussed during the consultations were education and training, private sector, crime and violence, youth at risk, HIV/AIDS, governance, rural development, NGOs, and disability. 25. JORDAN CAS May 4, 2006 During formulation of the CAS, the Bank worked closely with the govern- ment to hold a series of consultation meetings with different segments of the civil society in Jordan. The consultations included one seminar with leading opinion leaders invited by the Center for Public Policy in Amman, two consultations with private and financial sector representatives, and a series of regional consultations with NGOs. The Bank also enlisted the sup- port of three foundations—Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Devel- opment, Nour El Hussein Foundation, and Jordan River Foundation—to undertake consultations with community groups throughout Jordan in October 2005. These consultations were intended to broaden and deepen the Bank’s country analysis, as well as identify the developmental concerns and priorities of a wide range of stakeholders. Several key recommenda- tions made through this process were incorporated in the CAS. 26. KAZAKHSTAN CAS August 18, 2004 The Bank began the consultation process by holding three workshops in Almaty and Astanatwo during June 2004 to obtain feedback on its draft country partnership strategy. Approximately 70 participants attended from NGOs, research centers, and private companies. The discussions covered such issues as the involvement of civil society and the private sector in the Bank’s work; need to carry out results monitoring of Bank-financed projects; civil society demand for greater access to information; need for the country to develop human capacity; need to focus on rural development and the envi- ronment; and need to strengthen governance of national and local govern- ments. The draft was also placed on the Web where an electronic consulta- tion process was carried out. Participants broadly supported the four development priorities contained in the CAS and encouraged the Bank to deepen its activities in the country. Many of the CSOs and academicians identified access to and quality of edu- cation as a key priority for the country. Local government officials, in turn, identified the urgent need for infrastructure as their highest priority. Partic- ipants also stressed the need to build a tripartite partnership to promote development among government, civil society, and the private sector, and involve the public more in decision making. They encouraged the Bank to involve civil society, businesses, and project beneficiaries in all parts of the project cycle, as well as in its economic and sector work. 27. LAO PDR CAS March 31, 2005 The preparation of the new CAS in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has been the subject of extensive consultations with the government, donor agen- cies, and other stakeholders. The consultations began in early 2003 with gov- ernment representatives, people’s mass organizations, business groups, and provincial authorities to solicit feedback and strategic inputs. Formal consul- tations with the government involved three interministerial consultations over the two years. In 2004, consultations with other stakeholders (including bilateral donors and multilateral organizations) continued, further strength- ening efforts to harmonize assistance among development partners. Moni- toring and evaluation will be undertaken in a participatory manner, includ- ing planned annual CAS retreats with the World Bank’s Lao PDR Country Team and representatives from government, donor agencies, and CSOs. 77 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts 28. LEBANON CAS December 15, 2005 The World Bank Lebanon Country Office held a series of CAS consultation sessions in early 2004, involving more than 300 participants with a wide range of stakeholders, including government ministries, parliamentary committees, municipal councils, business associations, and CSOs. The con- sultations were delayed during the change of governments in October 2004, but they resumed in December 2004 when the Bank and the new govern- ment agreed on the proposed country strategy matrix. The matrix was dis- tributed widely to opinion leaders within government, parliament, private sector, and civil society and this document served as the basis for the con- sultation meetings held in January and February 2005. The consultations generated several recommendations that were incorpo- rated into the strategy: (i) further refinement of the CAS, particularly its out- comes, indicators, and Bank inputs; (ii) the increased role of parliament in monitoring the Bank’s work through organizing regular briefings on project preparation, implementation, and evaluation; and (iii) continued joint World Bank-IFC discussions with the chambers of commerce on how to reduce the regulatory constraints that undermine the growth of the business sector. 29. LESOTHO CAS April 27, 2006 The CAS was prepared through a process of extensive and broad-based con- sultations conducted during and after the production of Lesotho’s poverty reduction strategy. Consultations were carried out through a Country Port- folio Performance Review held in April 2005 and led by the government; a Private Sector Development Forum also held in April 2005; a client survey conducted in August 2005; and a CAS retreat held in September 2005. Fur- ther consultations on the draft CAS were held with the government, CSOs, private sector, and donor agencies. There was a strong consensus on the development challenges and priorities identified by the various stakehold- er groups. The CAS will be implemented in collaboration with these stake- holders with a view to reduce overlap and duplication, strengthen synergy, and optimize the leverage and use of Bank resources. 30. MOLDOVA CAS November 19, 2004 Preparation of the CAS included consultations with several stakeholder groups, including national and local government; business and financial organizations; CSOs, including NGOs, labor unions, and research centers; opposition parties not represented in parliament; media; and donor agen- cies. These stakeholders participated in eight roundtables discussions and meetings, as well as in a Web-based electronic discussion. The input received from the stakeholders helped shape the content of the CAS. The following concerns raised were either incorporated or highlighted in the final draft: (i) the need for a stronger business environment and fighting corruption; (ii) direct financing of beneficiaries to circumvent state bureaucracy; (iii) the need for increasing infrastructure development; (iv) improved education and health services; and (v) the need for greater trans- parency in government and donor relations, including the World Bank. The CSOs also expressed concern about the limited involvement of civil society in the country’s development debate and decision-making process. A fol- low-up phase of CAS consultation was to include a dialogue on the devel- opment challenges facing Moldova. 78 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts 31. MOROCCO CAS June 17, 2005 CAS preparation was based on consultations with a broad set of actors. Meetings began in June 2004 and had two phases: general meetings with stakeholders from throughout the country, and smaller meetings that focused on the sectoral priorities identified during the first phase. Partici- pants included government officials, parliamentarians, business leaders, and civil society representatives from NGOs, research organizations, and professional associations. The first phase focused on cross-sector issues linked to the country’s main development challenges and are reflected in the CAS. The meetings generated several recommendations that urged the Bank to give more emphasis toward the following issues: (i) sustainable economic growth, (ii) poverty reduction, (iii) development of human cap- ital, and (iv) sustainable water management. Based on these four strategic goals, the second phase of consultations attempted to focus on specific sectors, such as education, water, and social development. These consultations took place in collaboration with the Ministry of General Affairs to strengthen government ownership of the process. 32. MOZAMBIQUE CAS Annual Report March 21, 2006 In Mozambique, the 2004–2007 Results-Based CAS, the first ever undertak- en jointly with the IFC and MIGA, was prepared after broad-based consul- tations with NGOs, research centers, professional associations, and others. The consultations were held in two rounds: the first was geared to collect- ing the views of CSOs on what should be included as priorities in the strat- egy, apart from what was clearly set in the PRSP. The second round of con- sultations had the objective of discussing what the Bank considered imple- mentable from the proposals presented during the first round. Following its approval, the Country Team promoted wider understanding of the CAS by disseminating it via the Bank’s Web site and a reader-friendly brochure, as well as through periodic press briefings given by the country director. The same model of extensive consultations was adopted during the preparation of the CAS Progress Report during the months of December 2005–January 2006. 33. NICARAGUA ISN August 4, 2005 A series of meetings were held with different sectors of Nicaraguan society in April 2005 to obtain their feedback on the ISN for Nicaragua. The process began with an initial day-long workshop with more than 200 representa- tives from government, private sector, and local and international CSOs. This was followed by five meetings with different segments of Nicaraguan society, including government leaders from the legislative and executive branches, business leaders, civil society representatives, and donor agency officers. The development issues that received the most attention were the energy crisis, governance problems, challenges brought on by CAFTA, Atlantic Coast development, and gender inequality. Other implementation issues were also highlighted, specifically the need to more closely monitor budget support and to increase the control of the number and remuneration of consultants. These consultations led to sever- al important decisions, such as the need to carry out a gender assessment, an institutional and governance review, and an energy strategy study during the coming two years to prepare the Bank to respond to these issues in the next CAS. 79 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts 34. NIGERIA CAS June 2, 2005 The CAS core team held a first round of consultations with stakeholders in Abuja and Lagos on the country partnership strategy. This was followed by meetings in four states—Imo, Bauchi, Kebbi, and Ogun—to which stake- holders from Nigeria’s other neighboring states were also invited. The con- sultation process involved more than 500 people from more than 12 states. The participants included senior national government officials; six state governors and two deputy governors; the speaker of the house and other congressmen; academics; and more than 300 CSO representatives. Partici- pants highlighted the following issues for inclusion into the CAS: improved education and health service delivery; greater emphasis on non-oil growth policies; and transparency and accountability for better governance. A second round of discussions took place after a draft document (contain- ing feedback from the first round of consultations) was disseminated. Par- ticipants made several recommendations that were incorporated into the final CAS. These included (i) clearer criteria and process for selection of states to receive Bank funding; (ii) the need to improve the results-based framework, including monitoring and evaluating CAS implementation; and (iii) the increased role of CSOs in the Bank’s work in Nigeria. 35. ORGANIZATION OF EASTERN CARIBBEAN STATES (OECS) CAS September 13, 2005 The preparation of this CAS followed a continuous and detailed dialogue involving the governments of the OECS, subregional organizations, devel- opment partners, and representatives of civil society. The process entailed two rounds of consultations. First, in January 2005, a meeting was held in St. George’s, Grenada, between the six OECS heads of government, other regional leaders, and a high-level delegation from the World Bank, includ- ing its president. Second, in March 2005, the CAS draft concept note was presented to government officials and representatives from the private sec- tor, civil society, and other sectors. The consultation meetings consisted of a brief presentation by the Bank team, which presented the proposed assis- tance strategy for the OECS (including lending and nonlending activities by areas of intervention) and the rationale for the programmatic priorities selected. This was followed by comments, questions, and answers on the proposed strategy as well as on broader issues and concerns. The CAS preparations also benefited from an extensive Country Program Quality Enhancement Review, conducted by the Bank’s Quality Assurance Group in November 2004, which involved meetings with stakeholders, including government and Barbados-based donor agencies. Overall, the thrust and focus of the proposed CAS was well received by most stakeholders. There was substantive discussion on the regional strategy and on additional development priorities that stakeholders felt should be included in the document. There also was a degree of skepticism about the validity of the consultations and a sense that input from CSOs, in particu- lar, represented a pro forma rather than a real input to the country strategic planning process. CSOs also urged the Bank to foster greater inclusion of civil society representatives in project design and implementation. 36. PACIFIC ISLANDS CAS May 31, 2005 The World Bank team consulted a wide range of stakeholders in government, private sector, academia, and civil society during the preparation of the Regional Engagement Framework (2006–09) and sought feedback on the 80 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts PACIFIC ISLANDS, continued analytical framework, modalities for assistance, and country-specific needs. The Bank has also consulted other development partners and Pacific region- al organizations on the planned strategy, as well as on opportunities for potential partnerships. Country-level workshops and follow-up dialogue have provided valuable feedback throughout the preparation of the strategy. Stakeholders emphasized the need for more frequent consultations. 37. PAKISTAN CAS April 27, 2006 Preparation of the CAS for 2006–2009 benefited from consultations with the federal and provincial governments, private sector, civil society, and donor agencies. Consultations were carried out using a two-stage process consisting of (ii) a two-part opinion survey carried out from October 2004 through February 2005 and (ii) stakeholder consultation meetings. The consultation meetings were held in Islamabad and in four provincial capi- tals during January 2006. Meetings were held with representatives of provincial governments, parliament, business associations, CSOs, and donor agencies. On the whole, there was endorsement of the general thrust of the CAS, especially of its strategic principles and program priorities. CSOs stressed the importance of timely and accurate demographic and social data, and the importance of addressing gender issues. 38. PAPUA NEW GUINEA ISN April 12, 2005 The ISN was drafted after consultations with a range of stakeholders through- out the course of 2002–2003. The consultation focused on two broad issues: (i) effectiveness of foreign aid in Papua New Guinea and (ii) the govern- ment’s development priorities. These consultations involved meetings with government officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives; visits to villages in 12 of the 19 provinces; interviews with members of settlement communities in Port Moresby and other towns; participation in national and regional development forums; and a client feedback survey. The consultations generated a number of recommendations for the Bank, including (i) reduce corruption and impediments to business development and growth of the informal sector; (ii) promote the development of the agricultural/rural sector, small businesses, and the informal sector; (iii) upgrade infrastructure; (iv) improve access to and the quality of education and health services, especially in rural areas; and (v) educate people about development issues and options so they can make better-informed deci- sions. They also requested more systematic and frequent consultations, including on the design of specific programs. 39. PERU CAS Progress Report November 12, 2004 The Bank held consultations with approximately 50 government, civil soci- ety, and business representatives from throughout the country in August and September 2004. The CSOs represented at these meetings included NGOs; community groups; indigenous and Afro-descendant organiza- tions; youth and women’s groups; labor unions; research centers and universities; and human rights organizations. One specific meeting was with faith-based organizations representing Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Catholics, and Protestants. A number of recommendations emerged from these consultation meetings, including that the Bank should (i) work more outside of Lima; (ii) focus its lending on education and rural infrastructure; (iii) promote transparency to increase government accountability at all levels; (iv) support further decen- tralization and strengthening of local governments; and (v) make updated information on the Bank’s work more readily available. 81 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts 40. PHILIPPINES CAS April 26, 2005 The Bank organized consultation workshops across the country. These involved national and local government (executive, legislative, and judicial branches); business associations; civil society (NGOs, community groups, labor unions, universities); and donor agencies. Almost 300 participants attended the workshops held between August and October 2004. Two meetings took place in Manila, and one meeting each in Tuguegarao, Cebu, and Davao. Most of the meetings were organized in collaboration with the Bank’s Knowledge for Development Centers based at St. Paul University, University of Southeastern Philippines, University of San Carlos, Silliman University, and the Asian Institute of Management. In addition, all workshop participants were invited to provide their views on the Bank’s work through a survey, to which 148 (or 54 percent) respond- ed. Respondents indicated that the Bank is performing at a high level in cer- tain areas, but other areas require greater attention and focus. In general, the consultations confirmed the importance of the major themes already emphasized in the CAS, such as growth, social inclusion, fiscal stability, and governance. 41. POLAND CAS March 10, 2005 Consultations took place in November and December 2004 via online con- sultation and public meetings. The Bank’s country office placed Polish and English versions of the draft CAS on its Web site and encouraged public feedback that came in the form of individual e-mails and institutional let- ters. The meetings took place in Gdansk, Warsaw, and Katowicein. More than 120 representatives from government, business associations, youth, media groups, and CSOs participated. Participants agreed that the Bank’s assessment of the main social and economic challenges was correct. They highlighted, however, that there were certain issues missing from or insuffi- ciently recognized in the CAS. These included: (i) housing and construc- tion; (ii) the role of civil society in development; (iii) curbing corruption and the “gray zone” (unregistered employment); (iv) environmental pro- tection; and (v) strengthening and improving the effectiveness of the judi- cial system. 42. ROMANIA CAS June 13, 2006 A public consultation campaign was conducted as part of the drafting of the country partnership strategy. The campaign consisted of an opinion survey and a series of public consultations. The consultation process was imple- mented during April and May 2005. Consultations were held in small, medium, and large towns as well as within regions characterized by differ- ent levels of economic development. Six meetings were organized in the cities of Timisoara, Iasi, Galati, Alexandria, Craiova, and Sibiu. Approxi- mately 170 people participated from government, civil society, churches, and community groups. The development issues identified as being in most need of attention were (i) funding infrastructure while protecting the environment; (ii) increasing health, education, and social protection; (iii) reducing disparities between urban and rural areas; (iv) strengthening the business environment; (v) improving public administration; and (vi) addressing problems related to European Union accession. Much of the analysis and recommendations collected during this consultation was incorporated into the design of the partnership strategy. 82 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts 43. SÃO TOMÉ AND PRINCIPE CAS May 9, 2005 The CAS consultation process was specifically linked to the country’s PRSP so that it could benefit from its significant participatory process. The CAS team conducted preliminary discussions with the government in December 2004 and visited São Tomé in early April 2005 for consultations with gov- ernment officials, national assembly members, business leaders, represen- tatives from civil society (labor unions, NGO federations, community groups) and donor agency staff (United Nations Development Programme, World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund, European Commission, and the Embassies of Portugal and Brazil). 44. SIERRA LEONE CAS May 25, 2005 Consultations with civil society and community groups took place from January to March 2005 in two phases. An upstream discussion addressed the expected role of the Bank and donor agencies in supporting poverty reduction efforts, and a downstream consultation took place on the final draft of the CAS to ensure that stakeholder inputs were included. Each event had 50 to 60 participants. The main objective of the consultations with civil society was to hear the views of a broad range of stakeholders on the Bank’s poverty reduction efforts, as well as to discuss whether these were aligned with the country’s PRSP policies. Participants endorsed proposals for Bank support of local government councils, public sector reform, and the anticorruption agenda. Participants also cited the need to support (i) basic education; (ii) technical and voca- tional training; (iii) maternal and child health care; (iv) sanitation and rural water supply; (v) health education; and (vi) affordable access to health care. 45. TAJIKISTAN CAS July 26, 2005 During the CAS preparation, the Bank Group carried out discussions with representatives from CSOs and the private sector. The purpose of these dis- cussions was to receive direct feedback from beneficiaries of the Bank Group projects, to discuss lessons learned from the current CAS implemen- tation, and to hear stakeholder views about the future role of the World Bank Group in Tajikistan. The Bank Group team explained the new results- based approach and discussed with participants the proposed broad coun- try development objectives for the next four years. In general, participants welcomed the results-based approach and agreed on the broad thrusts of the Bank’s assistance in Tajikistan. Participants also appreciated the frank and objective nature of the CAS document and its approach of attempting to help the country address its short- and long-term development chal- lenges. The discussion focused on (i) fiduciary issues, (ii) monitoring, eval- uating, and coordinating donor assistance, (iii) sustainability of the Bank- supported interventions, (iv) PRSP implementation, (v) taxation, (vi) access and high cost of private sector financing, and (vii) environmental problems. 46. TIMOR-LESTE CAS June 27, 2005 Before formulating the draft CAS, the team held extensive consultations throughout the country, focusing on remote and low-income communities. Consultations were held in 40 villages, which were located within 18 sub- districts and 9 districts. Stakeholder groups included the government (pres- ident’s office), parliament (economics and finance committee), private sec- tor, international and national NGOs, academics, faith-based organiza- tions, youth, and donor agencies. The consultations focused on the Bank’s 83 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts PACIFIC ISLANDS, continued work in the country from 2000 to 2004. Participants noted the growing need for education since restoration of independence. They indicated, how- ever, that they would like to see more resources devoted to education at the local level, as well as the installation of mobile health clinics. During a second phase of the consultation process, the Bank held a series of consultations to refine the draft CAS and results matrix. During these meetings, participants expressed broad support for the strategic pillars and principles of engagement contained in the draft. They also expressed seri- ous concerns about corruption and its negative effects on service delivery and private investment. International NGOs stressed the need for more focus on delivering services to the districts and improved monitoring and evaluation at the district level. 47. UKRAINE CAS Progress Report June 13, 2005 The Bank discussed the status and proposed changes to the CAS with gov- ernment officials, members of parliament, business leaders, academics, CSO representatives, and donor agency officers. Ukraine’s development needs have not changed substantially since the CAS was approved in Octo- ber 2003. The Bank’s challenge is to adapt its engagement during the remainder of the CAS period to respond to this opportunity. Guiding prin- ciples for the CAS include (i) a focus on results; (ii) being responsive to gov- ernment needs; (iii) flexibility in program implementation and use of financing instruments; (iv) ability to respond quickly to emerging opportu- nities; and (v) simplification of project design and procedures to lower the cost of doing business with the Bank. 48. URUGUAY CAS May 18, 2005 The Bank organized consultations with a wide group of stakeholders, which included government officials (national, departmental, and local level, including the mayors of Paysandu and Tacuarembu); members of the Eco- nomic and Social Forum on Mercosur (FCES); journalists; and CSOs, including policy advocacy NGOs that monitor the Bank, labor unions, faith-based groups, research centers, and producers’ associations. Half-day meetings took place in April 2005 in Montevideo, Paysandu, and Tacuarem- bu which had more than 200 participants. Participants identified a number of recommendations for future Bank work. These included (i) ensuring that needs of the most vulnerable groups (including children, youth, disabled, and women) are addressed; (ii) insti- tuting reforms to improve education standards; (iii) increasing productivi- ty and bolstering the private sector; and (iv) monitoring results of govern- ment efforts. Participants also recommended closer involvement and col- laboration between the government and civil society to implement many of these recommendations. 49. UZBEKISTAN ISN June 29, 2006 The Bank consulted extensively during the preparation of the ISN. These consultations began in January 2005 on the basis of an outline of key devel- opment issues and a preliminary “results” framework developed as part of an effort to prepare a full CAS. However, following the events in Andijon and the subsequent tightening of government control over civil society activities, heightened governance concerns made the original assistance framework outdated. This change has been extensively explained to both local and international NGOs, who have expressed support for the devel- opment of an ISN, with a focus on technical assistance and lending limited to basic social services and global public goods. 84 World Bank Board Country Approval Datesa Consultation Efforts 50. YEMEN, REPUBLIC OF CAS June 15, 2006 Preparation of the CAS involved the government, civil society, private sec- tor, and donor agencies. Extensive consultations were held in Sana’a and Aden in November 2005 with national and local government officials, par- liamentarians, members of the Shura Council, journalists, NGO represen- tatives (local and international), business leaders, academics, and donor agency officers. Nearly 150 people attended the workshops, which com- prised about 30 to 40 participants each and drawn from different categories of stakeholders to ensure an interactive exchange of views. A number of background papers were circulated beforehand and presented during the workshops. Follow-up consultations were held in early March 2006 with members of the newly appointed cabinet to discuss and validate the selec- tion of strategic priorities under the new CAS. 85 Annex II: Civil Society Participation in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches 1. AFGHANISTAN Interim PRSP A series of consultations meetings were held on the Interim Afghanistan May 25, 2006 National Development Strategy (I-ANDS) in June 2005. Participants included Ulama (religious leaders), NGO representatives, business leaders, and donor agency officers. Consultations were also held with 400 leaders of Community Development Councils (CDCs) representing more than 10,000 villages who were in Kabul during August 2005 for a national con- ference. Members of the Presidential Oversight Committee addressed the delegates at this conference to explain the ANDS, its purpose, and the process. Detailed discussions on a series of questions were held in smaller groups, and thereafter individual CDC members were asked their views on national development priorities via a questionnaire. The questionnaires were analyzed and the results used in formulating sector strategies and tar- gets. The results are posted on the government’s Web site at www.ands.gov. 2. ALBANIA Joint IDA/IMF Staff A permanent department was established in the Ministry of Finance to Advisory Notes ensure, among other things, that consultations with civil society were July 14, 2004 undertaken. The National Strategy for Socio-Economic Development (NSSED) Department organized a public debate in March 2005 to discuss challenges for economic growth in Albania and the impact of growth on poverty. The debate was attended by about 50 people from a variety of pub- lic, private, and civil society organizations. Participants were invited to com- plete a questionnaire indicating the importance of different sectors and constraints for economic growth and for poverty alleviation. There was broad agreement about the actions required to promote economic growth, as defined in the NSSED. 3. ARMENIA Annual Progress Report CSOs have been involved in PRS implementation since early 2004 when April 20, 2005 several stakeholder committees were established. In October 2004, CSO representatives signed a partnership agreement with the government to guide their participation in the implementation and monitoring of the PRS. The agreement identified three priorities for the next three years: (i) improve the business climate by encouraging small and medium enterpris- es to stimulate employment, particularly for vulnerable groups; (ii) strengthen the social protection system, particularly social security, human development, and poverty reduction; and (iii) promote infrastructure development in rural areas while considering environmental issues. After signing the partnership agreement, the government and the participants created three new bodies: a PRSP Steering Committee, a Working Group composed of government and civil society representatives, and an Open Forum. Their role will be to encourage civil society involvement in PRSP implementation and monitoring activities. 87 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches 4. AZERBAIJAN PRSP Annual Progress Report The PRSP Annual Progress Report was produced by the State Program for August 30, 2004 Poverty Reduction and Economic Development (SPPRED) after an exten- sive consultation process. This process involved government officials (national and local); private sector; CSOs (NGOs and community groups); and donor agencies (World Bank, USAID, UNDP, United Nations Popula- tion Fund, ADB). The consultation process was conducted through work- shops in six regions of the country, uniting more than 250 participants. Two local CSOs (Umid and Simurg) were contracted to organize the meetings and ensure community participation. These workshops provided a forum in which national government officials could meet with local government representatives, NGOs, and community leaders to discuss the status of PRSP implementation. Fifteen sector working groups composed of government and civil society representatives, which were set up during the formulation of the PRSP, also continued to function. They sought input on the imple- mentation of the SPPRED from the general public through regional town- hall meetings, seminars, workshops, and the media. PRSP Second Annual The Second Annual Progress Report provides evidence of intensifying part- Progress Report icipation. Sixteen workshops were held since the last Progress Report (com- September 9, 2005 pared with 6 in 2003 and 10 in 2004) in all of the economic regions of the country. In addition, targeted meetings were held with civil society groups on particular issues such as education, labor, environment, and gender. Par- ticipants put forward a total of 537 proposals. These regional “PRSP Town- hall Meetings” were the main tool for ensuring public participation in the implementation process and for their involvement in the preparation of the second PRSP, which will cover the next 10 years of the country's develop- ment. Finally, a series of activities were undertaken to speed up the com- munity-building process and increase the potential of local people to play an active part in the poverty reduction measures. These activities included various training initiatives, conferences, workshops and roundtable discus- sions with specific stakeholders, often in partnership with NGOs and com- munity leaders. Donor participation and coordination has improved sig- nificantly, and multiple donors are involved in various aspects of the gov- ernment’s poverty reduction programs. USAID, European Union, and other donor agencies are directly supporting the SPPRED Secretariat. 5. BANGLADESH Joint IDA/IMF Staff The National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction has benefited from Advisory Notes consultations with a wide spectrum of stakeholders. Government officials July 28, 2004 initiated a series of participatory consultations at the national and regional levels during March and April 2004. One national-level and six-divisional level (Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Khulna, Barisal, and Sylhet) meetings were held. The total number of participants in each regional meeting was around 200. The national workshop involved a wide range of sector spe- cialists and different stakeholder groups, such as representatives from civil society, adivasi/ethnic minority people, physically disadvantaged people, research centers, media, education institutions, slum dwellers associations, and private sector entrepreneurs. The first round of consultations provided a comprehensive set of recom- mendations on poverty reduction, which guided the policymakers in reviewing the existing poverty alleviation policies and also in formulating new policy initiatives. 88 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches 6. BENIN Joint IDA/IMF Staff PRSP implementation has been carried out at the sectoral level by the Advisory Notes Department of Planning and Projections of various ministries, and at the Progress Report central level by the Permanent Secretariat of the National Commission June 10, 2005 for Development and the Fight Against Poverty. The monitoring and evalu- ation of this phase of the PRS process has been undertaken by the national government in cooperation with the Social Change Observatory (OCS), which was established in November 2000. The OCS tracks both sector-level and countrywide progress through macroeconomic and social development indicators as well as with data provided by the Municipal and Departmen- tal Monitoring Committees, both of which benefit from civil society partic- ipation. Monitoring and evaluation units have been established in selected ministries, and private sector and civil society commissions were estab- lished to develop an action plan to encourage their involvement in the monitoring of PRS implementation. The action plan for monitoring and disseminating PRSP results is achieved at two levels: (i) government agen- cies and sector ministries through the presentation of PRSP actions and indicators, as well as annual reports; and (ii) at the departmental level through multisectoral workshops, which involve government, NGOs, women’s associations, producers’ associations, and business associations. The process to develop local capacity to participate in PRS implementation has been slower than expected. The Progress Report notes that few localities have adopted local development plans, and one factor for this delay seems to be the fact the PRSP was not launched until late 2004. This delay, is turn, seems to have been caused by corresponding delays in budgetary decentral- ization, local capacity building, and resource transfers to the local level. 7. BHUTAN Joint IDA/IMF Staff The PRSP included a PRSP cover note and the Ninth Plan, which was devel- Advisory Notes oped through extensive consultation with communities and stakeholders February 8, 2005 down to the block or gewog level. The preparation for the Ninth Plan start- ed with a brainstorming session in August 2000 and included participants from the sectoral ministries, districts or dzongkha, Planning Commission, and the Core Group. The dzongkhug and gewog plans were prepared after detailed discussion with elected representatives from each municipality. The final plans were endorsed by the cabinet and approved by the national assembly. 8. BURKINA FASO Joint IDA/IMF Staff Ten regional consultations were organized from May 8 to June 7, 2003, with Advisory Notes and about 3,000 participants. Meetings on policy consistency were held with all PRSP Annual Progress Report the heads of ministerial departments from July 1 to July 17, 2003. The first May 3, 2005 workshop, held from August 4 to 17, 2003, in Bobo-Dioulasso, brought together all the regional directors of economy and development; the research and planning directors of the ministries responsible for agriculture, health, basic education, territorial development and decentralization, and security; the senior staff of the technical secretariat for the Coordination of Economic and Social Development Programs; the directorate-general of Economy and Planning; and the directorate-general of Territorial Develop- ment, Local Development, and Regional Development. The second work- shop, which was held in Ouagadougou on August 25 and 26, 2003, brought together about 60 participants from the public administration, the university and research institutes, the private sector, and CSOs (SPONG, RECIFIONG, RENLAC). The results of these two stocktaking workshops had a decisive impact on the formulation of the revised PRSP. On July 28 to 30, 2003, CSOs held their own forum geared to enhancing ownership of the PRSP and to make a constructive contribution to the 89 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches BURKINA FASO, continued revision process. At the end of the forum, they unanimously adopted an important declaration on the PRSP process. CSOs insisted that poverty reduction efforts be part of a common vision of the future and that the gov- ernment involve them in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of development policies benefiting the Burkinese population. A national con- ference was held from October 2 to 4, 2003, involving approximately 600 participants, including members of the government, representatives of the central and decentralized administration, the private sector, CSOs, producer organizations, the Children’s Parliament, representatives of the 13 adminis- trative regions, and donor agencies. The conference produced several rec- ommendations pertaining to: (i) accelerating the development of the social sectors; (ii) strengthening the statistical and monitoring mechanisms of the PRSP; (iii) ensuring greater consistency between sectoral policies and the PRSP; and (iv) placing greater emphasis on the program approach. 9. CAMBODIA PRSP Annual Progress Report The progress report on assessment of national PRS implementation has August 25, 2004 been prepared through a participatory process involving key units of the government, donor agencies, local and international NGOs, and other rep- resentatives of civil society. The General Secretariat of the Council for Social Development coordinated the process, linking with all line ministries. Mul- tiple consultations took place beginning in October 2003 with all core stakeholder groups, as well as members of seven sectoral working groups. Some of the individual organizations that participated in this process by sector were government (Supreme National Economic Council, Ministry of Economy and Finance, line ministries); civil society (NGO Forum, Cooper- ation Committee for Cambodia, Cambodia Development Resource Insti- tute, University of Cambodia); and donor agencies (United Nations Chil- dren’s Fund; World Health Organization; United Nations Educational, Sci- entific, and Cultural Organizations; World Food Programme; Japan Inter- national Cooperation Agency; IMF; UNDP; ADB; DFID; and the World Bank). The group met several times to read, review, and contribute to the final report. In October 2003, the initial draft was circulated to all stakeholders for com- ments. The first meeting of a core group of stakeholders took place in November 2003 to discuss this initial draft and revise it into a first draft. A large workshop involving all stakeholders discussed the first draft in December 2003. The results were the basis of a second draft presented to stakeholders later that month. In January 2004, the second draft circulated to the international financial institutions, and a final draft was completed and presented to the Bank and the IMF in August 2004. 10. CAMEROON Joint IDA/IMF Staff The government conducted the monitoring and evaluation of the PRS Advisory Notes implementation phase by involving a broad cross-section of stakeholders. PRSP Annual Progress Report Several review teams traveled throughout the country in March 2004 cover- May 27, 2005 ing different geographic zones: (i) Centre, South, Littoral, and South-West provinces; (ii) East, West, and North-West provinces; and (iii) Adamawa, North, and Far-North provinces. The teams organized general plenary sessions and specific theme-based workshops with local government offi- cials and CSO representatives from NGOs, community associations, and faith-based organizations. Four workshops took place on social infrastruc- ture, community production, and governance. These meetings generated several useful recommendations that were incorporated into the Progress Report as a way of encouraging local government officials to enact them. 90 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches CAMEROON, continued These recommendations included: (i) integrating local projects into the government’s investment budget; (ii) increasing the number and quality of translators to promote and reinforce bilingualism; and (iii) organizing local capacity building in preparation of projects financed with Heavily Indebt- ed Poor Countries funds. In addition, they made specific recommendations on education, health, social affairs, gender, infrastructure, production, and governance. PRSP Second Annual The Second Annual Progress Report was prepared following the participa- Progress Report tory assessment reviews conducted in all of the provinces of the Republic. April 27, 2006 The government continues to implement the PRSP in the context of the par- ticipatory process begun during its preparation. About 800 individuals par- ticipated in the assessment of PRSP implementation from January 2004 to March 2005. 11. CAPE VERDE PRSP Preparation The drafting of the Cape Verde PRSP—Growth and Poverty Reduction Status Report Strategy Paper (GPRSP)—included a broad participatory process led by the July 29, 2004 National Coordinating Committee (CNC). The CNC, in turn, established a PRSP PRSP steering committee involving 20 representatives from government December 30, 2004 ministries, municipalities, civil society, and the private sector. CSOs were rep- resented by the president of the platform of NGOs and the private sector by the head of the Chamber of Commerce. External collaborators, such as the IMF and the Bank, participated in technical discussions. The participatory process began with a public forum in August 2003 under the auspices of the Bank. In December 2003, several other meetings were held to move the process forward. These included a meeting with UN representatives to dis- cuss the elaboration of the GPRSP; several CNC planning meetings to dis- cuss implementation issues; and videoconference meetings with Bank and IMF staff. A larger meeting to analyze the first version took place in May 2004. The participative process will continue throughout the implementa- tion of the GPRSP, and periodic evaluations will address its efficiency and depth. 12. CHAD Joint IDA/IMF Staff The PRSP has been disseminated to the general secretaries of almost all the Advisory Notes ministries, but information seminars on this document scheduled for PRSP Annual Progress Report 2003–2004 did not take place because of lack of financing. Seminars did take June 15, 2005 place in 2005 to encourage ownership of the strategy by government agen- cies and ensure that it is used to guide their ongoing development efforts. However, progress in the implementation of the strategy has been rather limited, with significant delays in setting up the institutional consultation and monitoring mechanisms. As a result, reliable indicators to assess progress are not available. The authorities did not carry out consultations with stakeholders on the outcome of the first year of implementation of the PRSP because of capacity constraints and insufficient budgetary financing of PRSP-related activities in 2004. The PRSP steering committee, however, did design a participatory monitoring system with the support of national and international consultants during a seminar in October 2004. Instruc- tors will be trained to promote the system after conducting tests in some regions of the country to verify its functionality and relevance. 13. COMOROS Interim PRSP Strategy Paper The I-PRSP was prepared through a broad participatory process launched in May 16, 2006 2003 aimed at developing a national PRS. The institutional structure con- sisted of three levels. First, the island level, which is guided by an orienta- tion committee composed of local authorities, representatives of civil soci- ety, and business leaders, whose main role was to mobilize stakeholders and provide guidance for the technical studies. Second, at the union level, a technical committee composed of senior government staff supported by 91 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches COMOROS, continued representatives of civil society, private sector organizations, and national and international consultants responsible for carrying out the research and analysis needed for preparing the strategy. Third, a coordination and mon- itoring committee, composed of the general commissar for planning, rep- resentatives from the islands’ presidencies, and delegates from the orienta- tion committees, was responsible for oversight and validation. The draft 2003 I-PRSP was updated and complemented with an action plan for 2006–2009. The draft documents were validated through additional broad consultative rounds, including workshops at the island level. 14. CONGO, Interim PRSP The national ministerial committee for poverty reduction (CNLP) and the DEMOCRATIC Joint IDA/IMF Staff planning and finance ministers oversaw the drafting of the I-PRSP process. REPUBLIC OF Advisory Notes A permanent secretariat composed of 34 members (20 civil servants, 8 CSO November 19, 2004 representatives, 4 members of parliament, and 2 members of the Econom- ic and Social Council) assisted the CNLP. At the departmental and region al levels, poverty reduction committees, composed of local government, faith-based groups, community organizations, women’s and youth groups, and local NGOs, participated in discussions of the I-PRSP process. Inter- national donors and lenders, including the European Union, the French cooperation, IDA, DFID, and UNDP provided the steering committee with an international expert in social analysis to ensure the consultation process ran smoothly. The participatory process involved preparation of the methodology and institutional framework for nationwide participatory consultations. Prepa- ration of the I-PRSP involved participatory consultations at the central level and community consultations in 11 departments. The consultations were geared to give participants a chance to voice their own perceptions of the key aspects and causes of poverty in the country. CNLP summarized the conclusions and recommendations and sent a revised draft to all partners in July 2004 to obtain feedback and to finalize the I-PRSP. 15. ETHIOPIA PRSP Annual Progress Report The Annual Progress Report benefited from a round of consultation with October 26, 2005 representatives from civil society and donor agencies in February 2005. A two-day meeting was held at which views were sought from a range of part- ners. The Christian Relief Development Association served as an umbrella focal point in the formulation of the Sustainable Development and Pover- ty Reduction Programme (SDPRP) and subsequent monitoring and evalua- tion of its implementation has brought together a range of civil society rep- resentatives to assess the quality of public service delivery and discuss how CSOs could further strengthen their engagement with the government on the implementation of the SDPRP. More than 60 pages of written input were submitted, many of which are incorporated in this final draft. More public consultations will be undertaken in the context of updating the full SDPRP (SDPRP II) in 2007. 16. GAMBIA, THE Joint IDA/IMF Staff The annual Progress Report went through a participatory process based on Advisory Notes consultations with government, private sector, and civil society. Extensive PRSP Annual Progress Report consultations took place with a variety of stakeholders to familiarize them April 25, 2005 with the PRSP process and allow for an update of issues not covered in the strategy document. Consultations included a national stakeholder meeting and divisional workshops for government workers. These consultations resulted in greater awareness and understanding of the PRSP process at the national and divisional levels, and provided an opportunity to incorporate specific objectives and implementation arrangements for cross-cutting issues that were not detailed in the PRSP. These issues included gender, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, water, and sanitation. 92 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches GAMBIA, THE, continued Consultations on the implementation phase of the PRSP included a nation- al stakeholder meeting, a national workshop for national assembly mem- bers, and seven divisional workshops. The government has attempted to create an enabling environment for the participation of civil society and the private sector in the monitoring of public expenditure within the context of the PRSP. The Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs (DOS- FEA) initiated a program on budget consultations with CSOs. As a result, central and sector ministries are being encouraged to discuss budgets and allocations with such stakeholders as beneficiary groups, NGOs, and donor agencies before submitting them to the DOSFEA. 17. GEORGIA Joint IDA/IMF Staff The new government drew many of its top officials from the civil society Advisory Notes ranks that had participated actively in the preparation of the PRSP entitled PRSP Annual Progress Report Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Program (EDPRP) under June 13, 2005 the previous government. These officials have maintained close but infor- mal ties to the CSOs. The government has engaged in broad-based consul- tations on reform initiatives, including tax and education reforms. It also included key stakeholders in efforts to develop strategic priorities for the medium term and is completing work to establish a joint commission with the business community to discuss economic policies. Finally, the govern- ment sought close involvement of civil society in the preparation of the progress report. The draft report was presented to the public in December 2004 and is available to the public on the Web site of the Economic Devel- opment Ministry at www.economy.ge. 18. GHANA Joint IDA/IMF Staff The Ghana PRSP II was prepared in a participatory manner and builds on Advisory Notes extensive consultations at the national and district level with a broad range June 1, 2006 of stakeholders, including representatives from parliament, government, pri- vate sector, research centers, labor unions, NGOs, and donor agencies. The scope and method used for the public consultation process included public fora; focus group discussions; national, regional, district, and community workshops; and the use of the electronic media (radio and television). Feedback from the dissemination of the GPRSP I and the Annual Progress Reports as well as the public consultations have been integrated in GPRSP II. Communications under GPRSP II will be enhanced through the contin- ued implementation of the Communications Strategy to deepen ownership and to ensure effective implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the strategy. A participatory monitoring and evaluation mechanism will be implemented through consultative mechanisms, including Citizen Report Cards and independent results elicited from the African Peer Review Mech- anism, which periodically assesses the performance of government inter- ventions and their impact on growth and poverty reduction. 19. GRENADA Joint IDA/IMF Staff The Poverty Eradication Strategy has benefited from extensive public Advisory Notes consultation. Participants have included representatives of the opposition April 18, 2006 parties in parliament, NGOs, labor unions, and the wider public. The process included a “bottom up” participatory approach at several levels, including community consultations (19 poor communities participated); parish meet- ings; sector-level consultations; and national meetings. At the parish level, six consultations were held in local parishes and a seventh consultation was held on the island of Carriacou. At the national level, two consultation meetings were held with representatives from all major stakeholder groups. An average of 75 persons attended each consultation. Reports on each consultation were drafted and many of the recommendations were incorporated into the over- all poverty eradication program. 93 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches 20. GUINEA PRSP Progress Report The Guinean government took several steps to make the PRSP implemen- August 12, 2004 tation process more transparent. The permanent secretariat created a bimonthly PRSP newsletter that reported on the status of the development programs being implemented under the PRSP and created a Web site on PRSP implementation. The Progress Report is the result of an extensive consultation process that used several participatory mechanisms, including direct consultations with grassroots communities, feedback received from consensus-building fora, and analysis undertaken by government ministries. The government organ- ized consultation workshops in Conakry and other administrative regions. 21. GUYANA PRSP Annual Progress Report Guyana’s PRSP Annual Progress Report was the product of extensive July 6, 2004 consultations organized by the government. A public awareness campaign promoting the importance of citizen involvement in the consultation process was implemented via the mass media and through the mobilization efforts of the PRS Regional Committees. A total of eight regional consulta- tions were held within a two-week period. The primary focus of the consul- tations was to allow participants the opportunity to comment on the report, with special emphasis on their community or region. At each consultation, government ministers and technical staff provided overviews of progress and shortcomings of the implementation process. Their presence enabled them to promptly answer questions raised by participants. Approximately 440 per- sons attended the review meetings which provided an opportunity for gov- ernment officials to reengage with representatives from parliament, political parties, neighborhood democratic councils, CSOs, and donor agencies. The consultations generated a wealth of information that, in addition to being incorporated into the 2005 Progress Report, can be utilized in sectoral planning at the national level. The consultations raised some of the same issues encountered in the original PRSP consultations: employment, gover- nance, crime security, and access to or improvement of basic services. Other areas largely neglected by the PRS, such as disability and gender, also were highlighted in these meetings. The medium-term poverty reduction pro- gram has incorporated many of these issues and recommendations. 22. HONDURAS PRSP Annual Progress Report The Honduran PRSP annual progress report is the product of increasing March 22, 2005 civil society participation. Civil society participation has been institutional- ized through legislation establishing a PRS Consultative Council, including representatives of a wide range of civil society constituencies. PRSP consul- tations took place through six regional workshops. The consulted regions were the (i) central provinces of Francisco Morazán, Comayagua, La Paz, and Olancho; (ii) southern provinces of Valle and Choluteca; (iii) western provinces of Copán, Ocotepeque, Lempira, and Intibucá; (iv) northern provinces of Cortés and Santa Bárbara; (v) seaboard provinces of Atlántida, Islas de la Bahía, and Yoro; and (vi) Bajo Aguan provinces of Colón and Gracias a Dios. The PRSP consultative council submitted a draft of the report to CSOs and the donor agencies. Approximately 800 people partici- pated in the consultation process, including representatives from civil soci- ety, G-17 (a group of 17 donors to Honduras), and the PRSP council. PRSP materials are posted on the Web site of the finance ministry at www.sefin.gob.hn/erp.html. During the consultation process, many of the participants expressed the urgent need to improve the country’s strategy on growth, employment, and poverty reduction. Participants also emphasized the need to strengthen overall competitiveness and reduce inefficiencies in the use of state funds 94 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches HONDURAS, continued and external resources. The Progress Report incorporated several of the key inputs from the consultation process, including (i) strengthening the employment component; (ii) emphasizing participation and decentraliza- tion in PRSP implementation; (iii) increasing transparency in monitoring and evaluation; and (iv) improving alignment of PRSP interventions to PRSP goals. 23. KENYA PRSP Annual Progress Report The Annual Progress Report is a product of a participatory and consultative June 15, 2006 process. Approximately 200 participants of the National Monitoring and Evaluation Stakeholders Dissemination Forum participated in candid dis- cussions in March 2005 in Nairobi. Participants included senior govern- ment officials, heads of parastatal agencies, and representatives from CSOs, universities, business associations, and donor agencies. 24. LAO PDR PRSP The government led the preparation of the National Growth and Poverty November 8, 2004 Eradication Strategy (NGPES), which was a result of a multiyear planning and consultation process. The NGPES committee formed to oversee the process was composed of government officials from various ministries and agencies, as well as civil society representatives. In addition to consultations with official organizations, such as the Lao Women’s Union, discussions took place with international NGO representatives, business leaders, aca- demics, and provincial officials. A number of important consultation meet- ings were held over the year, including the rapid poverty assessments (1997); seventh roundtable meeting (2001); participatory poverty assess- ments (2000–02); and the eighth roundtable meeting (2003). The Novem- ber 2000 endorsement of the government’s medium-term strategy, “Fight- ing Poverty through Human Resource Development, Rural Development, and People’s Participation,” served as the foundation for the NGPES. The consultative process broadened to include major dialogue on private sector development and the proposed Nam Theun 2 dam. The recommen- dations provided by these groups have been incorporated into the NGPES. The final draft was presented at the Eighth Roundtable Meeting in Septem- ber 2003. The participation action plan implemented by the government throughout this process was financed by UNDP and other donor agencies. 25. LESOTHO PRSP Preparation Lesotho’s PRSP Preparation Status Report is the result of a three-year partic- Status Report ipatory process involving communities and stakeholders nationwide. In August 31, 2004 1999, the PRSP process was initiated under the overall coordination of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and it was guided by the Technical Working Group (TWG) formed by representatives from govern- ment, CSOs, private sector, and donor agencies. The TWG was organized into a number of subcommittees assigned to undertake specific sector and thematic functions, such as poverty monitoring and managing the consul- tative process. More than 20,000 people (1 per 100 inhabitants) were consulted in 200 communities covering all parts of the country. Consultations took place with groups of women, men, youth, herd boys, disabled people, the elder- ly, widows and orphans, mineworkers, community leaders, NGO represen- tatives, local authorities, and business leaders. At the end of consultations, 200 village reports were compiled, analyzed, and aggregated by the facilita- tors to arrive at community and national priorities that formed the basis for the PRS. To ensure national ownership of PRS priorities, the facilitators ranked and sequenced the strategies emanating from the communities. Fur- thermore, members of parliament, as the elected representatives of the nation, were asked to endorse the priorities through a parliamentary sub- committee. These views were consolidated, analyzed, and presented in a 95 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches LESOTHO, continued report entitled The Voice of the People, which formed the basis for determin- ing the national priorities as outlined in Vision 2020 and the PRS. 26. MAGADASCAR PRSP Annual Progress Report The Secretariat Technique à L’ajustement (STA) prepared the first PRS annu- September 29, 2004 al Progress Report. The STA works for the PRSP Technical Committee, which is composed of representatives from government (several ministries), NGOs, and academia. Because the technical committee rarely met, the STA made operational decisions concerning management of the PRSP process. STA coordinated inputs from the line ministries and organized thematic workshops during January through June 2004. The first semiannual PRSP Implementation Report was widely disseminated in the capital and at six regional workshops. These meetings had an average of 170 participants and included representatives from the private sector, civil society, and govern- ment. The views and recommendations generated during these workshops are reflected in the final version of the Progress Report. The report was dis- tributed to ministries, CSOs, members of parliament, and donor agencies. 27. MOLDOVA PRSP and Joint IDA/IMF The government fully endorsed a participatory approach to drafting the Staff Advisory Notes Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (EGPRSP), which October 22, 2004 involved civil society at national, regional, and local levels. A Participation Council was established in September 2002 and was composed of repre- sentatives from parliament, the president’s office, government ministries, civil society, private sector, academia, and donor agencies. The Council played an important role in identifying suitable participation mechanisms and ensuring widespread participation by key stakeholder groups. Although inclusion was limited in the early stages of EGPRSP drafting, the authorities have gradually changed their attitude toward civil society involvement. Since September 2003, more than 80 roundtables, conferences, and semi- nars have been organized across the country. At the local level, a total of 25 roundtables were organized in 23 localities, with 890 participants. Partici- pants included local officials, public service employees from hospitals and schools, NGO representatives, labor union leaders, media representatives, and business leaders. The participation process was further broadened by a communication strategy that used various venues, including radio and tel- evision shows, leaflets, posters, special bulletins, and direct electronic com- munication distributed to some 800 NGOs. An EGPRSP Web page (www.scers.md) was launched in October 2003, which provided informa- tion to stakeholders on the latest version of the strategy paper, timetable and location of public discussions, and summaries of these discussions. The 2006 Progress Report was presented at the EGPRS National Forum organized on March 23, 2006, with the participation of representatives from national and local government, parliament, civil society, business community, and donor agencies. The report was finalized, taking into account the comments expressed during and after the forum. According to the report, once the EGPRS implementation stage is launched, the Partici- pation Council should ensure active participation by civil society in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation stages of the PRSP. 28. MONGOLIA Joint IDA/IMF Staff A number of regional and national seminars on the Economic Growth Advisory Notes Support Poverty Reduction Strategy (EGSPRS) were organized between September 27, 2005 September and November 2003. All these seminars were geared toward introducing the concept, principles, goals, objectives, and implementation measures of the EGSPRS. The seminars were attended by governors, mem- bers of parliament, chairs of citizens representatives’ khurals (councils), herders, NGO representatives of all 21 aimags (provinces), labor leaders, and business leaders. A national seminar on Implementing the Economic 96 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches MONGOLIA, continued Growth Support and Poverty Reduction Strategy was organized in March 2004 and attended by approximately 200 participants from a variety of sec- tors. Regional seminars geared to involving stakeholders in the implemen- tation of the EGSPRS were organized in cooperation with NGOs and held in June and July 2004. 29. MOZAMBIQUE Joint IDA/IMF Staff Advisory Significant efforts have been made to broaden the consultation process and Notes and PRSP the dissemination of information about the Action Plan for Reducing June 27, 2005 Absolute Poverty (PARPA). A Poverty Observatory, composed of govern- ment, civil society, and donor agency representatives, has encouraged a sus- tainable and continuous dialogue on PRS implementation. In addition, the CSO members of the Poverty Observatory issue its own annual monitoring report on PRS implementation, thus promoting greater scrutiny and social accountability of the process. The Second Poverty Observatory was held in April 2004 and included rep- resentatives from the private sector, civil society, and a broad spectrum of public entities. Furthermore, representatives from civil society participated in the sectoral meetings to assess the implementation of the PARPA in 2004 in the context of the joint review process. Specifically, the government con- sulted with the private sector with regard to the proposed procurement reform, and consulted labor unions and business associations on the revi- sion of the labor law. 30. NICARAGUA PRSP In February 2003, local leaders and CSOs were invited to participate in February 9, 2006 development of the National Development Plan (NDP). In July 2003, the National System for Coordination, Participatory Implementation, Monitor- ing, and Evaluation of the NDP, known as the PASE system, was set up to improve the levels of coordination, information, and citizen participation. As a result of improved citizen participation, a series of meetings known as Montelimar I, II, and III were undertaken to discuss the guidelines for the departmental development plans that were later formulated and presented to the executive branch by representatives from civil society, private sector, and government from the national and local levels. In 2004, the PASE sys- tem supported the community-driven development and Regional Develop- ment Councils to formulate their strategic municipal and departmental development plans in line with national guidelines of the NDP. Consulta- tion meetings on the proposal were held from September 2003 to March 2004. 31. NIGER PRSP Annual Progress Report The Annual Progress Report was prepared by the permanent secretariat of and Joint IDA/IMF Staff PRSP in collaboration with representatives from government, civil society, Advisory Notes and private sector. The participatory process consisted of the dissemination February 16, 2005 of the first draft of the progress report to stakeholders throughout the coun- try. Consultations revealed a number of weaknesses that had characterized the first phase of PRSP implementation, including (i) outdated statistics on poverty indicators; (ii) weak institutional infrastructure; (iii) insufficient attention to the inputs from civil society; and (iv) low participation by NGOs and development associations (at the regional and subregional lev- els) in the implementation of the PRSP. The following recommendations came out of the consultation process: (i) increase resource mobilization for sustainable action against poverty; (ii) take into account regional characteristics and needs; (iii) increase the par- ticipation of business groups, NGOs, and development associations in PRSP implementation; and (iv) involve regions and subregions in the preparation of the progress report. 97 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches 32. RWANDA PRSP Annual Progress Report The second PRS Annual Progress Report was drafted in a very participatory March 29, 2005 manner. The process began during a high-profile national seminar in April 2004, with participation of all provincial governors, secretaries general from all ministries, parliamentarians, and representatives from civil society, pri- vate sector, and donor agencies. Meeting participants agreed on areas in which PRSP implementation should be reviewed, the methodology of eval- uating progress in PRSP implementation, and the calendar to be followed. Each chapter was assigned to focal points from the finance ministry (MINECOFIN), line ministries, and donor agencies that were responsible for organizing meetings and consultations with all stakeholders in their respective sectors, and draft chapters. The final draft document, produced by MINECOFIN, contained the six strategic priorities outlined within the PRSP: (i) rural development and agricultural transformation; (ii) human development; (iii) economic infra- structure; (iv) good governance; (v) private sector development; and (vi) reinforcing institutional capacity. The monitoring and evaluation stage of the PRSP uses participatory tools, such as a collective action program and citizen report cards that identify community problems, and provides this feedback to the government. 33. SÃO TOMÉ Joint IDA/IMF Staff Advisory The PRSP was drafted through a participatory process that involved a broad AND PRINCIPE Notes on the PRSP array of stakeholders, including political parties, labor unions, employer PRSP Annual Progress Report associations, religious groups, CSOs, and donor agencies. Consultation March 31, 2005 workshops were held in the capital as well as in district capitals beginning in 2002. The input received in these meetings was then incorporated into the four preliminary versions of the strategy paper. The strategy paper then went to the council of ministers and the president for consideration. Emerging from the process were a number of recommendations that urged the government to (i) enhance consultation with CSOs and donor agencies; (ii) increase contact with the media (including through greater public avail- ability of data); (iii) report on PRSP implementation transparently and reg- ularly (in publicized quarterly and annual progress reports); and (iv) ensure that recommendations from the PRSP reports are adequately reflected in the subsequent year’s budget. 34. SENEGAL PRSP Annual Progress Report The First Annual Progress Report was prepared through a broad participa- December 7, 2004 tory process. The process involved a workshop with all the stakeholders held in December 2003. One of the areas of consensus that emerged from this meeting was a shortlist of indicators to measure the efficiency of the poverty reduction efforts, and these indicators were shared with all stake- holders groups for their comments. PRSP Second Annual The Second Annual Progress Report was generated using a collaborative and Progress Report participatory approach. Work on the report began with a workshop bring- November 23, 2005 ing together nearly 200 participants representing government, private sec- tor, civil society, and donor agencies. The workshop examined the terms of reference of the process, approved the methodology to be used in generat- ing the report, and created five commissions representing the major stake- holder groups. 35. SIERRA LEONE Joint IDA/IMF Staff Advisory The PRSP process was characterized by a participatory process that involved Notes on the PRSP a wide range of stakeholders and employed inclusive consultation method- PRSP Annual Progress Report ologies. Key stakeholder groups involved in the process included govern- April 15, 2005 ment ministers, parliamentarians, NGO representatives, business leaders, community leaders, local authorities, religious leaders, and donor agency officers. The participatory methodologies employed included village-level 98 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches SIERRA LEONE, continued dissemination meetings, technical workshops, Participatory Poverty Assess- ments, use of television and radio programs, and national meetings. In early 2003, local workshops organized by NGOs were held in all 14 administrative districts to both introduce and get feedback on the draft PRSP. These meetings brought together more than 1,500 participants from civil society, including youth, women, disabled persons, religious leaders, and ex-combatants. Voluntary regional and district civil society groups known as PRSP Task Teams emerged from this exercise, which remained operational and worked closely with the Poverty Alleviation Strategy Coor- dinating Office to oversee the engagement process. A team of four CSOs— Network Movement for Justice and Development, Council of Churches Sier- ra Leone, Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in Sierra Leone, and Urban Development Area—coordinated the civic engagement process in the four regions. During March and April 2004, focus group discussions took place in all 14 provincial districts to review the findings of risk and vulner- ability assessments, as well as of a gender analysis of the strategy. The implementation of the PRSP will be the responsibility of the govern- ment; the newly established district, city, and town councils; civil society (including NGOs and community-based organizations); and the private sector. Effective collaboration and coordination among these entities will be crucial for the effective implementation of the PRSP. 36. TAJIKISTAN PRSP Annual Progress Report Since the last Annual Progress Report, the government has made progress in November 15, 2005 strengthening public participation and monitoring. During the past year, the authorities have broadened the consultation process to include stake- holders outside the government. An institutional arrangement for partici- patory monitoring of the PRS has been established, consisting of the Eco- nomic Consultation Group and the regional PRS monitoring centers. Steps were taken to improve dissemination of information to the public and con- sultation with stakeholders. 37. TANZANIA PRSP Annual Progress Report The revision of the first PRSP was based on a one-year consultation process May 9, 2006 led by the government and involving the general public. The Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania played a lead role in the first round of nation- wide consultations held in December 2003. This was followed by a series of training-the-trainers workshops for the facilitators who were then deployed in the country. District-level consultations were conducted through multi- stakeholder workshops, which included representatives from district coun- cil secretariats, faith-based organizations, persons with disabilities, NGOs, community organizations, persons living with HIV/AIDS, trade unions, and businesses. Village-level consultations were also undertaken through village assemblies. The inputs received at the village and district levels were then consolidated to form a region-wide feedback report. Broader communication was also carried out via radio, television, and the Internet, as well as through an opinion survey that was distributed to about 500,000 throughout the country. Reports of the first-round consultations were consolidated into the first PRSP draft, which was then posted on the Internet for additional feedback from stakeholders. Further deliberations on the second draft were made during a national workshop held in Sep- tember 2004, which brought together representatives from government, civil society, and the business community. 99 World Bank Board Country Approval Dates Civil Society Participation Approaches 38. TIMOR-LESTE Joint IDA/IMF Staff Advisory The process of formulation of the PRSP began in earnest in September 2001 Notes on the PRSP after the Second Transitional Government took office. A range of initiatives PRSP Annual Progress Report by the government and CSOs contributed to drafting the strategy. They May 16, 2005 included a poverty assessment; countrywide consultation by the Consultative Commission for Civil Society on Development; eight sector working groups chaired by relevant ministers; and numerous consultation workshops. The poverty assessment included a household expenditure survey, with samples from 1,800 households throughout the country. The countrywide consultation process involved more than 38,000 citizens. The eight work- ing groups involved more than 120 senior government officials, including ministers and vice ministers. The consultation process also produced a long-term strategic document, East Timor 2020—Our Nation, Our Future, which outlines the vision, priorities, and expectations of the population. The Countrywide Consultation and the Ministry-level work of the Working Groups will be used for PRSP monitoring. 39. UGANDA Joint IDA/IMF Staff Advisory The Uganda Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) provides an overarch- Notes on the PRSP ing framework to guide public action to eradicate poverty. It has been pre- July 26, 2005 pared through a consultative process involving the national and local gov- ernments, parliament, civil society, and donor agencies. Three major policy workshops were held during 2003 and 2004, which brought together more than 1,000 stakeholders, including government officials, NGO representa- tives, community leaders, and business leaders. The first workshop was used to launch the revision process and explain the PEAP Revision Guide to all stakeholders. After the first workshop, various groups held independent consultations. Government Sector Working Groups developed sector PEAP revision papers, which have been synthesized in the draft PEAP. Civil society and the private sector ran consultative processes led by the Uganda NGO Forum and the Private Sector Foundation, respectively. A working group on cross- cutting issues integrated issues of gender, HIV/AIDS, and environment into the whole PEAP revision process. The second workshop reviewed the draft sector papers, and the third workshop reviewed the first draft of the full PEAP. Two workshops were held by parliament during the preparation of the PEAP and their input is reflected in the document. 40. UZBEKISTAN Interim PRSP and Joint IDA/ The process of preparing the government’s Interim Welfare Improvement IMF Staff Advisory Notes Strategy (I-WIS) included two workshops for stakeholders in Tashkent, but May 10, 2005 limited consultation outside the capital. The Bank’s Interim Strategy Note (ISN) is based on support for the main objectives of the I-WIS and includes technical support for the preparation of a full WIS, which is expected to include consultation with civil society. The ISN also calls for strengthening stakeholder participation in the design, monitoring, and implementation of projects, which are expected to be piloted in the context of a new basic education project. 41. ZAMBIA PRSP Annual Progress Report The second PRSP Annual Progress Report (covering July 2003 through March 24, 2005 December 2004) was the product of a consultative process involving a wide range of stakeholders. The government made a clear effort to strengthen stakeholder participation in assessing the implementation of the PRSP. The Sector Advisory Groups, which consist of representatives from civil society, private sector, research centers, and donor agencies, met monthly and at two national conferences to discuss progress in implementing the PRSP and the Transitional National Development Plan. These discussions brought up a variety of issues such as the redefinition of PRPs and decentralization mechanisms for PRPs funding. 100 Annex III: List of Civil Society Focal Points* Name Title Location Email Global Civil Society Team Carolyn Reynolds Team Coordinator Washington, DC creynolds@@worldbank.org John Garrison Senior Civil Society Specialist Washington, DC jgarrison@worldbank.org Karolina Ordon Communications Associate Washington, DC kordon@worldbank.org Hui Mien Tan Program Assistant Washington, DC htan2@worldbank.org REGIONS Africa Region Jacomina P. De Regt Lead Specialist for Social Development Washington, DC jderegt@worldbank.org Marco Mantovanelli Manager - EXT Team Washington, DC mantovanelli@worldbank.org Yasmin Tayyab Senior Civil Society Specialist Washington, DC ytayyab@worldbank.org East Asia Region Peter Stephens Senior Communications Advisor Singapore pstephens1@worldbank.org Muhamad Al-Arif Communications Officer Washington, DC malarief@worldbank.org Europe and Central Asia Region Franz Kaps Special Representative - Southeast Europe Brussels, Belgium fkaps@worldbank.org Maninder Gill Sector Manager for Social Development Washington, DC mgill@worldbank.org Jan Pakulski Civil Society Team Coordinator Washington, DC jpakulski@worldbank.org Merrell Tuck-Primdahl Senior Communications Officer Washington, DC tuckprimdahl@worldbank.org Latin America and Caribbean Region Katherine Bain Civil Society Team Coordinator Washington, DC kbain@worldbank.org Franka Braun Communications Assistant Washington, DC fbraun@worldbank.org Middle East and North Africa Region Karem Gaber El-Sharkawy Communications Advisor Washington, DC kelsharkawy@worldbank.org Dina Mohamad Samir Communications Officer Washington, DC delnaggar@worldbank.org El Naggar South Asia Region Dale Lautenbach Senior Communications Advisor Washington, DC dlautenbach@worldbank.org Jan Erik Nora Communications Associate Washington, DC enora@worldbank.org Zarafshan Khawaja Senior Social Scientist Washington, DC zkhawaja@worldbank.org Europe Angela Bekkers Country Counsellor for the Netherlands Brussels, Belgium abekkers@worldbank.org Barbara Genevaz Country Counsellor for the United Kingdom Paris, France bgenevaz@worldbank.org Claudia Von Monbart Country Counsellor for Germany and Austria Paris, France cvonmonbart@worldbank.org Gilles Garcia Coordinator—Private Sector Liaison Paris, France ggarcia2@worldbank.org Officers Team *These staff work throughout the World Bank Group in country, network, regional, and other operational units and serve as “focal points” for civil society engagement. While their experience, knowledge, and time availability for engaging civil society varies (many also have other work duties), CSO representatives are encouraged to contact them for information on their respective unit policies, work, and staff. 101 Name Title Location Email Guggi Laryea Civil Society Specialist Brussels, Belgium glaryea@worldbank.org Jacob Kopperud Country Counsellor for the Nordic Countries London, U.K. jkopperud@worldbank.org Manuel Rosini Country Counsellor for Italy, Portugal, and Spain Paris, France mrosini@worldbank.org Michele Bailly Country Counsellor for France Paris, France mbailly@worldbank.org Rachel Winter Jones Senior Civil Society Specialist Paris, France rjones1@worldbank.org Veronique Jacobs Country Counsellor for Belgium Brussels, Belgium vjacobs@worldbank.org Australia, Canada, Japan Koichi Omori Civil Society Specialist Tokyo, Japan komori@worldbank.org Lester Dally Country Counsellor for Australia, Washington, DC ldally@worldbank.org Canada, New Zealand NETWORKS Sustainable Development Andrew Norton Coordinator—Social Analysis Team Washington, DC anorton@worldbank.org Carmen Monico Social Science Researcher Washington, DC cmonico@worldbank.org Daniel Owen Coordinator—Community Driven Washington, DC dowen@worldbank.org Development Team Ian Bannon Coordinator—Conflict Prevention and Washington, DC ibannon@worldbank.org Re-construction Team Jeff Thindwa Coordinator—Participation and Washington, DC jthindwa@worldbank.org Civic Engagement Team Kristyn E. Schrader Communications Officer— Washington, DC kschrader@worldbank.org Environment Team Meike van Ginneken Senior Water & Sanitation Specialist Washington, DC mvanginneken@worldbank.org Roger Morier Senior Communications Officer— Washington, DC rmorier@worldbank.org Infrastructure Team Sergio Jellinek Senior Communications Advisor— Washington, DC sjellinek@worldbank.org Environment Team Human Development Network Philip Jeremy Hay Senior Communications Advisor Washington, DC phay@worldbank.org Homira Nassery Communications Officer Washington, DC hnassery@worldbank.org Independent Evaluation Group Melanie Zipperer Communications Officer Washington, DC mzipperer@worldbank.org Operations Policy and Country Services Network John R. Mitchell Senior Partnership Specialist Washington, DC jmitchell@worldbank.org Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network Madjiguene Seck Communications Associate Washington, DC mseck@worldbank.org CONSTITUENCY TEAMS Academics Jean-Christophe Bas Coordinator—Academic Outreach Paris, France jbas@worldbank.org Pierre Girardier Communications Officer Paris, France pgirardier@worldbank.org Afro-Descent Latino Population Josefina Stubbs Senior Social Development Specialist Washington, DC jstubbs@worldbank.org Children and Youth Viviana Mangiaterra Advisor, Children and Youth Washington, DC vmangiaterra@worldbank.org Juan Felipe Sanchez Senior Children and Youth Specialist Washington, DC jsanchez@worldbank.org Pierre Girardier Communications Officer Paris, France pgirardier@worldbank.org Corporate Social Responsibility Heike Reichelt Lead Specialist—World Bank Treasury Washington, DC hreichelt@worldbank.org Djordjija B. Petkoski Lead Specialist—World Bank Institute Washington, DC dpetkoski@worldbank.org Piotr Mazurkiewicz Communications Officer— Washington, DC pmazurkiewicz@worldbank.org Development Communications Team 102 Name Title Location Email Disabled People’s Organizations Judith Heumann Advisor, Disability and Development Washington, DC jheumann@worldbank.org Marco Nicoli Knowledge Management Officer Washington, DC mnicoli@worldbank.org Faith-Based Organizations Katherine Marshall Coordinator—Development Dialogue on Washington, DC kmarshall@worldbank.org Values and Ethics Team Lucy Keough Senior Operations Officer Washington, DC lkeough@worldbank.org Foundations Eleanor Fink Coordinator—Foundations Outreach Team Washington, DC efink@worldbank.org Juraj Mesik Senior Operations Officer Washington, DC jmesik@worldbank.org Gender Helene Monika Carlsson Senior Gender Specialist Washington, DC hcarlsson@worldbank.org Indigenous Peoples Navin Rai Senior Social Development Specialist Washington, DC nrai@worldbank.org Labor Unions Gordon Betcherman Coordinator—Labor Union Outreach Team Washington, DC gbetcherman@worldbank.org Amy Luinstra Operations Officer Washington, DC aluinstra@worldbank.org Media Amy Stilwell Senior Communications Officer Washington, DC astilwell@worldbank.org Roma Peoples Dena Ringold Senior Economist Washington, DC dringold@worldbank.org Parliamentarians Jean-Christophe Bas Coordinator—Parliamentary Outreach Team Paris, France jbas@worldbank.org Lisa von Trapp Communications Assistant Paris, France lvontrapp@worldbank.org FUNDING MECHANISMS Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) Jeannette Thomas Senior Communications Officer Washington, DC jthomas1@worldbank.org Syed Mesbahuddin Hashemi Senior Private Sector Development Specialist Washington, DC shashemi@worldbank.org Development Marketplace Joyita M. Mukherjee Senior Corporate Strategy Officer Washington, DC jmukherjee1@worldbank.org Daniel Crisafulli Senior Corporate Strategy Officer Washington, DC dcrisafulli@worldbank.org Global Environment Facility (GEF) Alaa A. Sarhan CSO Liaison Officer Washington, DC asarhan@worldbank.org OTHER UNITS Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) Maria Iskandarani CSO Liaison Officer Washington, DC miskandarani@worldbank.org Compliance Advisor/ Ombudsman (CAO) Meg Taylor Ombudsman Washington, DC mtaylor@worldbank.org Development Communications Team Paul Mitchell Coordinator Washington, DC pmitchell1@worldbank.org Paolo Mefalopulos Senior Communications Officer Washington, DC pmefalopulos@worldbank.org International Finance Corporation (IFC) Rachel Kyte Director—Social and Environmental Department Washington, DC rkyte@ifc.org Bruce Moats Civil Society Specialist—Corporate Relations Unit Washington, DC bmoats@ifc.org Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) Judith Pearce Civil Society Focal Point Washington, DC jpearce@worldbank.org Inspection Panel Eduardo Abbott Executive Secretary Washington, DC eabbott@worldbank.org 103 Name Title Location Email Quality Assurance Group (QAG) Stephen Lintner Senior Safeguards Advisor Washington, DC slintner@worldbank.org Development Economics (DEC) Maya Brahmam Senior Communications Officer Washington, DC mbrahmam@worldbank.org UN Relations Nicole Kekeh Senior Communications Officer Washington, DC nkekeh@worldbank.org World Bank Institute Mary McNeil Senior Operations Officer Washington, DC mmcneil@worldbank.org Marcos Mendiburu Learning Analyst—Governance Unit Washington, DC mmendiburu@worldbank.org COUNTRY OFFICES Africa Region Ana Maria Carvalho Communications Associate Angola (Luanda) acarvalho1@worldbank.org Karim Olayinka Okanla Communications Officer Benin (Cotounou) kokanla@worldbank.org Nadiath Allake Dende Communications Associate Benin (Coutonou) ndende@worldbank.org Kadiatou Pate Toure Communications Associate Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou) ktoure@worldbank.or Lionel F. Yaro Public Information Assistant Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou) lyaro@worldbank.org Marie-Claire Nzeyimana Communications Associate Burundi (Bujumbura) mnzeyimana@worldbank.org Renata Ntabindi Administrative Assistant Burundi (Bujumbura) rntabindi@worldbank.org Helene Pieume Public Information Assistant Cameroon (Yaounde) hpieume@worldbank.org Edmond Badge Communications Associate Chad (N’Djamena) edingamhoudou Dingamhoudou @worldbank.org Grace Deciat Agouna Public Information Assistant Chad (N’Djamena) gdeciat@worldbank.org Clementine Maoungou Public Information Assistant Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) cmaoungou@worldbank.org Louise Mekonda Engulu Communications Officer DRC Congo (Kinshasa-Gombe) lengulu@worldbank.org Bob Bateko Bobutaka Public Information Assistant DRC Congo (Kinshasa-Gombe) bbobutaka@worldbank.org Bakary Sanogo Communications Officer Côte d’Ivoire (Abidjan) bsanogo@worldbank.org Gelila Woodeneh Communications Officer Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) gwoodeneh@worldbank.org Patrice Etong Oveng Communications Assistant Gabon (Libreville) petongoveng@worldbank.org Kafu Kofi Tsikata Communications Officer Ghana (Accra) ktsikata@worldbank.org Beatrix Allah-Mensah Social Development Specialist Ghana (Accra) ballahmensah@worldbank.org Tabara Barry Communications Associate Guinea (Conakry) tbarry@worldbank.org Peter Thinwa Warutere Communications Officer Kenya (Nairobi) pwarutere@worldbank.org Keziah Muthoni Muthembwa Public Information Associate Kenya (Nairobi) kmuthembwa@worldbank.org Jocelyn Rafidinarivo Communications Associate Madagascar (Antanarivo) jrafidinarivo@worldbank.org Zeria Ntambuzeni Banda Communications Associate Malawi (Lilongwe) zbanda@worldbank.org Moussa Diarra Communications Officer Mali (Bamako) mdiarra@worldbank.org Amidou Dembele Public Information Assistant Mali (Bamako) adembele@worldbank.org Salamata Bal Social Development Specialist Mauritania (Nouakchott) sbal@worldbank.orgg Ba Abdoulaye Oumar Communications Assistant Mauritania (Nouakchott) babdoulaye@worldbank.org Rafael Saute Communications Officer Mozambique (Maputo) rsaute@worldbank.org Abel Francisco Otacala Public Information Assistant Mozambique (Maputo) aotacala@worldbank.org Abdoul-Wahab Seyni Social Development Specialist Niger (Niamey) aseyni@worldbank.org Ibrahim Cheik Diop Communications Officer Niger (Niamey) idiop@worldbank.org Chukwudi Okafor Senior Social Development Specialist Nigeria (Abuja) cokafor@worldbank.org Obadiah Tohomdet Communications Officer Nigeria (Abuja) otohomdet@worldbank.org Gregory Alex Senior Social Development Specialist Rwanda (Kigali) galex1@worldbank.org Rogers Kayihura Communications Officer Rwanda (Kigali) rkayihura@worldbank.org Mohamed Sidie Sheriff Communications Associate Sierra Leone (Freetown) msheriff@worldbank.org Demba Balde Social Development Specialist Senegal (Dakar) dbalde@worldbank.org Mademba Ndiaye Communications Officer Senegal (Dakar) mademba@worldbank.org Mallory Lee Saleson Communications Officer South Africa (South Africa) msaleson@worldbank.org Mmenyane Seoposengwe Public Information Assistant South Africa (South Africa) mseoposengwe@worldbank.org Ichikaeli Maro-Mzobora Communications Officer Tanzania (Dar-es-Salaam) lmaromzobora@worldbank.org Sylvie Nenonene Communications Associate Togo (Lome) snenonene@worldbank.org 104 Name Title Location Email Mary Bitekerezo Senior Social Development Specialist Uganda (Kampala) mbitekerezo@worldbank.org Steven Kenneth Shalita Communications Officer Uganda (Kampala) sshalita@worldbank.org Helen Mbao-Chilupe Senior Social Development Specialist Zambia (Lusaka) hmbao@worldbank.org Jumbe Jeremiah Ngoma Communications Officer Zambia (Lusaka) jngoma@worldbank.org Ebrahim Jassat Senior Social Development Specialist Zimbabwe (Harare) ejassat@worldbank.org Margaret Matewa Public Information Assistant Zimbabwe (Harare) mmatewa@worldbank.org East Asia and the Pacific Vanna Nil Social Development Specialist Cambodia (Phnom Penh) vnil@worldbank.org Li Li Senior External Affairs Officer China (Beijing) lli2@worldbank.org Yosa Yuliarsa Communications Associate Indonesia (Jakarta) yyuliarsa@worldbank.org Sunjidmaa Jamba Partnership Coordinator Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar) sjamba@worldbank.org Maria Loreto Padua Social Development Specialist Philippines (Manila) mpadua@worldbank.org Leonora Gonzales Senior External Affairs Officer Philippines (Manila) lgonzales@worldbank.org Kimberly Versak Communications Officer Thailand (for Laos PDR, kversak@worldbank.org Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand) Mai Thi Hong Bo Communications Officer Vietnam (Hanoi) mbo@worldbank.org Quang Ngoc Bui Operations Officer Vietnam (Hanoi) qbui1@worldbank.org Europe & Central Asia Ana Gjokutaj Communications Officer Albania (Tirana) agjokutaj@worldbank.org Vigen Sargsyan External Affairs Officer Armenia (Yerevan) vsargsyan@worldbank.org Saida R. Bagirli Senior Operations Officer Azerbaijan (Baku) sbagirli@worldbank.org Irina Oleinik Communications Associate Belarus (Minsk) ioleinik@worldbank.org Srecko Latal External Affairs Officer Bosnia-Herzegovina (Sarajevo) slatal@worldbank.org Mirjana Milic Communications Associate Croatia (Zagreb) mmilic@worldbank.org Inga Paichadze Communications Officer Georgia (Tbilisi) ipaichadze@worldbank.org Elena Karaban Communications Officer Kazakhstan (Astana) ekaraban@worldbank.org Jyldyz Djakypova Communications Associate Kyrgyz Republic (Bishkek) jdjakypova@worldbank.org Denis Boskovski Operations Analyst Macedonia (Skopje) dboskovski@worldbank.org Slavian Gutu Communications Officer Moldova (Chisinau) sgutu@worldbank.org Jacek Wojciechowicz Senior Communications Officer Poland (Warsaw) jwojciechowicz@worldbank.org Malgorzata Dworzynska Program Assistant Poland (Warsaw) mdworzynska@worldbank.org Alexandra Caracoti External Affairs Officer Romania (Bucharest) acaracoti@worldbank.org Marina Vasilieva Senior Communications Officer Russian Federation (Moscow) mvasilieva@worldbank.org Vesna Kostic External Affairs Officer Serbia and Montenegro vkostic@worldbank.org (Belgrade) Tunde Buzetzky Communications Analyst Slovak Republic (Bratislava) tbuzetzky@worldbank.org Dilya Zoirova Communications Assistant Tajikistan (Dushanbe) dzoirova@worldbank.org Tunya Celasin External Affairs Officer Turkey (Ankara) tcelasin@worldbank.org Serdar Jepbarov Operations Officer Turkmenistan (Ashgabat) sjepbarov@worldbank.org Dmitro Derkach Communications Officer Ukraine (Kiev) dderkach@worldbank.org Irina Tsoy Public Information Associate Uzbekistan (Tashkent) itsoy@worldbank.org Latin America and the Caribbean Jose Maria Ghio Civil Society Specialist Argentina (Buenos Aires) jghio@worldbank.org Ruth Llanos Senior Civil Society Specialist Bolivia (La Paz) rllanos@worldbank.org Zeze Weiss Senior Civil Society Specialist Brazil (Brasilia) zweiss@worldbank.org Jairo Arboleda Lead Social Development Specialist Colombia (Bogotá) jarboleda@worldbank.org Coleen Littlejohn Senior Country Operations Officer Nicaragua (Managua) clittlejohn@worldbank.org Pilar Larreamendy Senior Civil Society Specialist Ecuador (Quito) plarreamendy@worldbank.org Irma Yolanda Avila Argueta Civil Society Specialist Guatemala (Guatemala City) iavilaargueta@worldbank.org Francisco Javier Osorio Zago Civil Society Specialist Mexico (Mexico City) fosoriozago@worldbank.org Graciela Sanchez Martinez Civil Society Specialist Paraguay (Asunción) gsanchezmartinez@ worldbank.org Maria Elizabeth Dasso Senior Civil Society Specialist Peru (Lima) mdasso@worldbank.org Maria Magdalena Colmenares Senior Civil Society Specialist Venezuela (Caracas) mcolmenares@worldbank.org 105 Name Title Location Email Middle East and North Africa Region Nawal Merabet Public Information Associate Algeria (Algiers) nmerabet@worldbank.org Nehal Hassan El Kouesny Public Information Assistant Egypt (Cairo) nelkouesny@worldbank.org Zeina El-Khalil Public Information Associate Lebanon (Beirut) zelkhalil@worldbank.org Najat Yamouri Senior Communications Officer Morocco (Rabat-Souissi) nyamouri@worldbank.org Sima Kanaan Senior Operations Officer West Bank and Gaza (Jerusalem) skanaan@worldbank.org Samra Shaibani Senior Communications Officer Yemen (Sana’a) sshaiban@worldbank.org South Asia Region Abdoul Raouf Zia Communications Officer Afghanistan (Kabul) azia@worldbank.org Nilufar Ahmad Senior Social Scientist Bangladesh (Dhaka) nilufarahmad@worldbank.org Rehnuma Amin Public Information Associate Bangladesh (Dhaka) ramin1@worldbank.org Sudip Mozumder Senior Communications Officer India (New Delhi) smozumder@worldbank.org Rajib Upadhya Senior External Affairs Officer Nepal (Kathmandu) rupadhya@worldbank.org Zia Al Jalaly Social Development Specialist Pakistan (Islamabad) zaljalaly@worldbank.org Shahzad Sharjeel Senior External Affairs Officer Pakistan (Islamabad) ssharjeel@worldbank.org Chulanganie Lakshmi De Silva Communications Officer Sri Lanka (Colombo) cdesilva@worldbank.org 106 Civil Society Team The World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W. Mail Stop: MC3-309 Washington, D.C. 20433 USA Phone: (202) 473-1840 Fax: (202) 522-7131 E-mail: civilsociety@worldbank.org