Prototyping Operational Support

The word “pilots” can be misinterpreted as self-standing micro-efforts, so it is important to clarify that what is intended is prototyping of Bank operational support in the form of prototypes for loan components or improved content of projects.

Value-based Participatory Planning, monitoring and evaluation will be incorporated into several community-driven development Voice and Media Technical Assistance activities, including analysis of policies, regulatory framework and capacities of existing community radio stations, to inform policy dialogue and technical assistance in policy based loans, to allocate part of the radio spectrum to public interest broadcasting, and ease licensing requirements for community-based proximity radio stations that focus on development and local public interest matters; and pilots to inform adjustments in Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) components in CDD operations, so that these IEC components will include technical assistance and training to existing and new community radio stations, to help them improve the quality of their programming, and financial and technical assistance to help community groups to establish and sustainably manage public interest radio stations serving and responsive to their communities.

Technical advice is also being provided by communities of practice. The expert-practitioners involved in the workshops have formed a nucleus which continues to grow, to include practitioners in pilot countries and others. The CEERD program is facilitating south-south interchanges among those implementing the pilots, so that they can share their experience and seek advice from expert-practitioners in the field.

Scaling up Piloting of Technical Assistance Activities

The piloting is being used to influence the design of lending, influence development of government policies and programs, and stimulate development of nongovernmental networks (sub-nationally, nationally, and internationally).

These innovations are being embedded, adapted and expanded through the World Bank’s lending for community-driven development (CDD), legal and judicial reform projects, and decentralization projects, among others.