Guidelines for World Bank/IMF Staff

Based on recommendations made in the 2004 Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers—Progress in Implementation (190kb PDF), some modifications have been made to the PRS architecture, including the replacement of the Joint Staff Assessment (JSA) of the authorities’ PRS documents by a Joint Staff Advisory Note (JSAN) and the elimination of the requirement that the concluding paragraph of this document recommend that the Fund and Bank Boards find the JSAN a satisfactory basis for concessional lending. While fully updated Poverty Reduction Poverty Strategy papers, and accompanying JSANs, will continue to be discussed by World Bank and IMF Boards, in most cases the APR and its accompanying JSAN will not be discussed by the IMF and World Bank Boards.

These modifications do not change the fundamental underpinnings of the PRS initiative. Rather, they are meant to re-emphasize certain key elements of the approach: (i) a country’s poverty reduction strategy needs to be tailored to country characteristics and initial conditions, both in terms of content and processes; (ii) the PRS initiative needs to emphasize improvements in analysis, policies, institutions, and processes that underpin a PRSP rather than emphasizing production of papers; and (iii) partners should align their support with country priorities and find ways to deliver more and better aid in support of strong PRSs. The changes are also intended to also help address the perception that Washington “signs off” on a country’s PRS; to enhance the candor and focus of staffs’ feedback on a country’s PRS; to increase transparency in how Bank and Fund concessional assistance is aligned with a country’s PRS, and to encourage better alignment of the PRS process with existing domestic processes.

Guidelines for Joint Staff Advisory Notes of a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (49kb PDF)

After a country prepares a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), Bank and Fund staffs prepare an advisory note (the Joint Staff Advisory Note—JSAN) to provide feedback to the country and to the Executive Boards of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on priority areas for strengthening the PRS and its implementation. This note provides guidance to Bank and Fund staff on preparing JSANs of full PRSPs. These guidelines update and replace the previous “Guidelines for Joint Staff Assessment of a Full Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (April 16, 2001).

Guidelines for Joint Staff Advisory Notes of PRS Annual Progress Reports on Implementation (19kb PDF)

The Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) approach is intended to be a continuing effort through which low-income countries improve public actions for poverty reduction and in doing so enhance the effectiveness of both domestic resources and development assistance. It is expected that countries will prepare Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers every three to five years. In each of the intervening years, annual progress reports (APRs) would be reporting on implementation updating it on and near-term priorities as appropriate. APRs should be used by country authorities to assess progress and set the agenda for the year ahead. Countries are encouraged to integrate reporting on progress within regular government processes (e.g., annual budget, poverty, and/or development reports). The exact timing of the annua l report is flexible, and could also change over time in order to become consistent with national reporting and decision making processes. This note provides guidance to Bank and Fund staff on preparing JSANs for APRs on PRS implementation. APRs and JSANs are provided to These guidelines, which update and replace the previous “Guidelines for Joint Staff Assessments of PRSP Annual Progress Reports on Implementation” (June 4, 2002).

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