Strategic Priorities

The World Bank has consolidated its approach to social development into a single Bank-wide Strategy and Implementation Plan, entitled  'Empowering People by Transforming Institutions: Social Development in World Bank Operations,' which focuses on efforts to empower poor women and men through enhanced Bank support for social inclusion, cohesive societies and accountable institutions. Social development, is defined as transformation of institutions and as such, promotes better growth, better projects and better quality of life.The paper sets a vision, objectives, and a course of action for the longer term and suggests specific actions, targets, and institutional measures for the next five years. This paper was produced through a three-year effort involving extensive stocktaking, research, consultation.

Complete Report as one file (2 MB PDF)

• Title Pages and Table of Contents (1 MB PDF)
• Executive Summary (190 KB PDF)
• Part 1: Social Development Strategic Priorities (228 KB PDF)
• Part 2: Implementation Plan (240 KB PDF)
• Annex 1: Summaries of Regional, WBI and ESSD Action Plans (FY05 – FY07) (250 KB PDF)
• Annex 2: Management Action Record to OED Report on Social Development in Bank Activities (189 KB PDF)
• Annex 3: Social Development Results Framework (218 KB PDF)
• Annex 4: Social Development, Gender and Inclusion (SDGI) Thematic Portfolio (198 KB PDF)
• Annex 5: Social Development Partnerships and Harmonization (149 KB PDF)
• Annex 6: Responsibilities for Implementing the Social Development Strategic Priorities (162 KB PDF)
• Bibliography (245 MB PDF)

Please send any comments or questions to socialdevelopment@worldbank.org