IDA's Partnership for Poverty Reduction : An Independent Evaluation of Fiscal Years 1994-2000

Over the seven-year period covered by this review, the International Development Association (IDA) significantly enhanced its relevance, and improved its portfolio performance, repositioning its country assistance programs, increasing its responsiveness to borrowers, strengthening its field presence, and diversifying its lending instruments. And lately, IDA intensified its aid coordination efforts in the context of the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF) and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) initiatives. IDA has helped many borrowers move into position to direct efforts toward poverty reduction goals, and, while IDA was slow in complying with its IDA10 governance undertakings, over the past four years, has given priority to public sector reform in country assistance programs. However, IDA has made limited progress in integrating gender and environment (partly due to lack of country interest), but accountability was also lacking. The report suggests fine-tuning of the replenishment process, perceived to be both over-determined, and overloaded; rather, this process requires stronger connections with all development partners. A longer-term vision in consultation with borrowers, should be developed, focused on results, while engagement with developing countries could lead to defined commitments in terms of monitoring, and achieving objectives.