MPs in the field

Through the ‘Parliamentarians in the Field’ program, jointly organized by the ‘Parliamentary Network on the World Bank & IMF’ and the World Bank Group, more than 200 members of parliament from over 50 countries have visited World Bank projects on the ground in Asia, Africa, the Balkans, Latin America and the Middle East.

Since it was started in 2001 the ‘Parliamentarians in the Field’ program has brought more than 170 members of parliament from over 50 countries to World Bank projects in the field in Asia, Africa, the Balkans, Latin America and the Middle East. The majority of the visits have been organized in partnership with the ‘Parliamentary Network on the World Bank & IMF’, but the World Bank has also organized visits in partnership with other parliamentary organizations, including the ‘NATO Parliamentary Assembly’; ‘Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie’; the ‘Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development’; The program was funded by a grant from the Government of Finland from 2001 to 2009. Since then visits have been organized on an ad-hoc basis. 

Through the program parliamentarians and legislators from both developed and developing countries observe and discuss World Bank projects on the ground; learn how countries’ design and consult around their Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS); observe the role of parliamentarians in country development; and make recommendations to stakeholders in the field, including to the World Bank and local parliaments and legislatives. The latest visits were to Ethiopia, Mali and most recently in 2012, Rwanda.

The field visits normally takes 3 to 4 days. The delegation of members of parliament from around the world is led by a designated MP, while the World Bank suggests a program and provides support. The program typically includes discussions with government officials, donor community, civil society representatives, and the World Bank’s own country teams. Local parliamentarians often join the delegation.  For MPs from donor countries, the visits aim to build awareness and capacity to make decisions on the allocation of development aid budgets in their national assemblies. For MPs from recipient countries, the visits can serve as South-South learning, and give MPs the chance to compare World Bank programs in different countries.

For most visits, an independent rapporteur is preparing a report, providing donor governments, the World Bank, and participating parliamentarians with a set of recommendations.