The Matrix System at Work - Independent Evaluation Group - World ...

APPENDIX C
RESPONSIVENESS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BANK’S COUNTRY PROGRAMS
Quality of Portfolio Implementation
30. Over half (54 percent) of country programs were rated moderately satisfactory or
satisfactory with regard to the quality of the implementation of their lending and
non-lending portfolios. There was a slight decline over the period, with 57 percent
rated moderately satisfactory or better in the first half, compared to 51 percent in the
second half.
31. Of those rated moderately unsatisfactory or worse, there were three common
barriers to high-quality implementation. First, in about half of these cases, there
were significant delays in implementation. These were frequently due to challenges
in procurement and issues related to the capacity of the implementing agency. There
was deterioration in portfolio quality in about half of these cases as well, as
measured by the share of projects and commitments at risk. Finally, slow
disbursement plagued about one-third of the moderately satisfactory or worse
programs.
Outcomes of Projects and Operations
32. The rating for project outcomes was based on the average rating of independent
assessments of projects that closed during the CAS cycle, as reported in the CASCR
review. This rating therefore is focused on final outcomes of Bank operations rather
than implementation progress; however, it is backward looking at the portfolio of
operations that have closed during the period. By contrast, the measure of portfolio
implementation was focused on progress in implementing the concurrent lending
and non-lending portfolio.
33. The rating for both project outcomes was high—71 percent of country programs
were rated moderately satisfactory or better in this regard. This high rating was
stable over the period.
Outcomes of Analytical and Advisory Activities (AAA)
34. When available, CASCR Reviews use ratings of AAA from assessments of the
now defunct Quality Assurance Group in their discussion of knowledge products,
but they do not otherwise explicitly rate the outcomes of the AAA program.
Nonetheless, even when no rating is specified, all CASCR Reviews make some
judgment regarding the usefulness or effectiveness of individual pieces of AAA or
of the AAA program in its entirety. This exercise did not review any AAA directly;
instead, it considers statements in CASCR Reviews that AAA affected the design of
Bank operations or impacted the government’s policies as indications that the Bank’s
AAA work had positive outcomes.
132