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

APPENDIX E
KEY FINDINGS FROM SECTOR MANAGER AND COUNTRY DIRECTOR/MANAGER INTERVIEWS
Sector Boards are ineffective in balancing hiring priorities for a particular position
and Bank-wide needs; and they are not able to deploy staff across the Bank to serve
regional needs. Only about 20 percent of managers believe Sector Boards’ role is
substantial in those three areas.
SDN INTEGRATION
25. Regarding Sustainable Development Network (SDN) integration,
dissatisfaction with the merger is more often than not associated with the increase
in the span of control of both sector managers and sector directors. Having to
handle technical issues in more areas than before also raises quality issues. Size is
mentioned in relation to span of control and interaction/ competition with other
networks and sectors at regional and country levels. Yet, the integration is
credited by some former Infrastructure Network (INF) and agriculture and rural
development sector managers with creating synergies among former ESSD and
INF network sectors. Social and Environment sector managers disagree and feel
the merger has been more of a “take-over of ESSD by INF”.
“SDN is too big and crowds out PREM and HDN which are equally relevant to our clients.”
“SDN size is a problem both inside and outside the department. We have too many operations
therefore quality slips.”
“SDN is much too big and unwieldy. Aside from problems of organization, the main result of the
merger has been to dilute the focus on the individual sectors and thus to some extent the quality of
their interventions. It is just not possible for a sector director to be on top of the issues in five very
different sectors.”
“The SDN director has too much power and an unmanageable workload driven by infrastructure,
energy, and agriculture while the other sectors receive less attention. (…) The Bank should reorganize
the networks based on operational synergies and balance in size – rethink PREM poverty group,
social protection, and parts of social development as a global practice group -- and SDN integration
must be redone.”
26. Managers were asked to rate the performance of the matrix system in
comparison with the pre-1997 organization with regard to Bank responsiveness to
country needs, technical excellence in lending and AAA, and Bank overall
organizational effectiveness. They described the Bank as more responsive to
country needs. Yet, many doubt quality and overall organizational effectiveness
have improved overtime. Nineteen sector managers described the Bank as more
responsive to country needs, 11 are unsure and one sees no significant change in the
Bank’s responsiveness. Eighty-eight percent of country directors/managers believe
Bank responsiveness to country needs has improved. Five sector managers believe
quality of lending operations has improved, six that it has worsened, eight see no
significant change, 11 are unsure. Three sector managers said that AAA quality has
163