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

OVERVIEW
cycle (3-4 years). SSPs typically discuss both
long-term strategic issues and medium-term
priorities, while country clients vary widely and
expect customization of sector priorities to the
country’s context and government priorities.
More recent SSPs are better at
internalizing country and regional
experience than the first generation of
SSPs. The review of SSPs reveals that recent
SSPs have often been supported by regional
sector strategies developed as inputs to the
SSPs, which are better at reflecting country
and regional experiences than were the first
generation of SSPs. SSPs typically describe the
state-of-the-art in that sector and serve four
functions: providing a conceptual framework
for the Bank’s work, stocktaking of
experiences, generating shared understanding
on sector priorities among anchor and
regional staff, and communicating with
external partners. Implementation at the
country level is contingent upon the extent to
which sector priorities are integrated in CASs
since SSPs are not accompanied by resources
for implementation.
The country-based model makes it
difficult to integrate sector and corporate
strategies with country strategies. The
Regions contribute to preparation of SSPs, but
for the most part, CASs and country programs
do not draw on them. SSPs lack ownership
among country directors who exercise
decisions over operational priorities and budget
allocations. Country directors ration country
budgets among different sectors based on their
understanding of client needs during the CAS
period, which may or may not coincide with
the longer-term strategic priorities articulated
in particular SSPs. And country directors have
little incentive to finance cross-country work
or strategic economic and sector work (ESW)
with a longer time horizon.
The principal means through which sector
priorities are reflected in the CAS is through
the direct involvement of sector staff members
who contribute to CAS development. Less
than a third of staff and managers report that
SSPs have had significant impacts on CASs
and country programs.
Global and regional programs are not well
integrated into CASs and country
programs. In the 14 focus countries
reviewed, global public goods were integrated
in CASs to a very limited extent with a
substantial presence in only four. IEG’s 2008
Annual Review of Development Effectiveness
refers to the country-based model as a
double-edged sword because historically
global public goods are incorporated in
country programs only when domestic and
global benefits are aligned. The country-based
model does not incentivize staff to internalize
corporate goals. What is needed is a balance
between what the client wants and the global
perspective the Bank brings. When global and
country interests diverge, additional incentives
may be needed to increase client interest in
global public goods.
About one-third of staff and managers
reported integration of global programs and
an even smaller proportion of staff reported
integration of regional issues in CASs and
country programs to a substantial extent. The
uptake of global and regional programs has
been catalyzed by availability of trust funds or,
in Africa, by earmarked IDA funds for
regional programs. In some areas, such as
climate change, there is a growing demand for
Bank support. In others, such as governance
and gender, there is a need for appropriate
tools and support to adapt global agendas to
country circumstances.
The Promise of a Global Knowledge Bank
In 1996, the concept of a Knowledge Bank
was put forward both as the means to
enhance the quality of World Bank
lending and to provide a new stream of
knowledge services to developing
countries. The concept implied a shift
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