Resources

Social analysis enables the World Bank to assess whether a proposed program or operation is likely to meet its social objectives and to recommend measures that will ensure that these objectives are met.

Social analysis involves examining the socio-cultural, institutional, historical and political context of Bank financed operations, as well as analyzing stakeholder views and priorities, and including as many relevant stakeholders as feasible in the development process. Good social analysis can thus contribute to more sustainable and equitable development outcomes.

In collaboration with regional departments and networks of the World Bank, the Social Development Department (SDV) through the Social Analysis and Policy Thematic Group, works to mainstream social analysis within Bank operations, both at the project and macro level, by developing standards and disseminating good practices for social analysis and policy issues:

• Social Analysis at the Project Level : the group assists task teams and clients with ensuring quality and consistency of investment operations through Project Social Analysis , and Social Assessment . The recently published Social Analysis Sourcebook presents a conceptual framework which helps systematize and streamline Bank and Clients social analysis work.

• Social Analysis at the Macro Level : increasingly social analysis is also applied at the macro-level, through upstream Country/Macro Social Analysis , and Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) . A database compiling country-level indicators on social development, SDStats , was recently launched on the Bank's internal website and will shortly be made publicly available on this website. SDV has also developed A User's Guide to Poverty and Social Impact Analysis in collaboration with the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management network (PREM).

• Social Development and Quality Assurance : the group also coordinates SDV's work on Quality Assurance. SDV, in coordination with PREM, assists the Quality Assurance Group (QAG) by providing specialized reviews of the social and poverty aspects, including gender, of World Bank operations. Additional Quality Assurance work done includes reviews of key corporate documents, as well as of Poverty Reduction Strategy Credits.

For more information on any of these instruments or activities, please view the menu-bar on the left.