Since the late 1990s, more emphasis has been given to evaluating the results of lending programs in terms of how they impact on people and their needs, rather than by measuring input levels. The Bank has developed several tools to carry out this task. These include evaluations that focus on the effectiveness of individual projects. The projects’ results framework depicts the links between project outputs and outcomes. It has become an important tool to move the results measurement agenda.

 

The Bank is streamlining project-level monitoring indicators to assess country outputs and outcomes. More wide-ranging reviews which look at the Bank's work in whole countries and whole economic or social sectors of operation. In addition, the Bank has started to promote the use of strategic impact evaluations in the sector to build a process of systematic learning on effective development interventions based on lessons learned from the comparison of rigorous evaluations.

 

The Bank has developed mechanisms and guidelines to strengthen the monitoring of results and the collection of baseline data for water supply and sanitation projects. The first group of projects that have implemented this monitoring mechanism are those exclusively focused on WSS investments. These ‘dedicated’ projects account for about half the World Bank investment portfolio. A preliminary estimate of the results of ‘dedicated’ projects that closed over the period 2000-2004 is that improved WSS services were provided to roughly 40 million people. The World Bank is now focusing on monitoring results in multisectoral projects with partial WSS components. Tracking beneficiaries receiving improved WSS services is more complicated in these projects.

 

Because of the nature of water resources management, aggregate impact measures of the Bank’s water resources interventions are not available.

 

Please go to the page on progress on implementation for more on progress of Bank projects.

 

Under the Bank's Disclosure Policy, many reports and evaluations are available to the public. Evaluations of individual projects include Implementation Completion Reports which are prepared at the end of every World Bank loan disbursement and identify accomplishments, problems and lessons-learned. In addition, the Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group conducts ex-post evaluations.

 

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