What Have We Learned?

What does it take for the World Bank Group to truly become a knowledge bank?   In this episode of What Have We Learned? we explore findings from IEG’s recent evaluation Learning in World Bank Lending, which examines how the World Bank captures, applies, and shares knowledge throughout the project cycle. Host Darlene Christopher is joined by Rasmus Heltberg (IEG), Andrea Kucey (World Bank), and Kristen Fenster (IFC) for a candid conversation on the Bank Group’s strengths, its persistent learning blind spots, and why informal, tacit knowledge often matters just as much as formal lessons. 

This episode explores lessons from the World Bank’s support to the blue economy, a widely recognized approach to shift the way we work and think in ocean spaces. Blue economy principles emphasize planning, restorative, and inclusive actions that support the sustainable and equitable management of ocean resources for future generations.

This episode explores how monitoring and evaluation systems enable the World Bank Group to learn from its support for gender equality, assess whether it leads to meaningful change, and decide when to scale up or adjust efforts to maximize impact.

Supporting the creation of more, better, and more inclusive jobs is critical towards achieving the goals of poverty reduction and shared prosperity in countries. This is especially true for low-income countries that face multiple challenges, such as informal employment, inequality in earnings, and lack of opportunities, among others, when it comes to creating jobs. Tackling these multiple challenges requires a multipronged approach, including engaging with the private sector. Since 2014, the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries, the International Development Association (IDA) has made jobs a particular focus in its projects.   In this episode, host, Birgit Hansl, Manager in the economic management and country program unit in IEG, speaks with Oscar Calvo-Gonzalez, Regional Director of the World Bank's Economic Policy Global Practice in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, and Rashmi Shankar, Lead Economist in IEG. Together, they unpack the challenges that low-income countries face in creating better jobs and discuss how the World Bank can help address some of these challenges focusing on the role of the private sector. 

Countries worldwide are facing a learning crisis with high levels of learning poverty - with the poorest communities being the hardest hit. What are the lessons from World Bank’s efforts in addressing this learning crisis?

Geospatial analysis has the potential to provide new perspectives on major development challenges and shed new light on the impact of development interventions. This episode features a lively conversation about using geospatial analyses in evaluations, breakthroughs, challenges, and the future of this technology.

Improving financial inclusion is linked to at least 9 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and is considered by the World Bank Group as a key enabler of its mission of creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet. This episode brings together two World Bank Group leaders spearheading financial inclusion efforts: Jean Pesme,  Global Director for Finance, in the Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice; and Adel Meer, International Finance Corporation’s Manager for Financial Inclusion. The episode is hosted by Carmen Nonay, Director of the Finance, Private Sector, Infrastructure and Sustainable Development Department at IEG

The World Bank is committed to reaching women and girls trapped in fragile, conflict-affected and violent contexts with support aimed at meaningful and lasting change. How is the World Bank approaching this challenge? What lessons can be learned from its experience?     

This episode explores how countries can better engage the private sector towards addressing climate change and its impact and the role that the World Bank and other international organizations play in this. 

The second episode on this series about taxes, or domestic revenue mobilization, features a conversation between IEG host Jeff Chelsky and Rusudan Kemularia, Head of the Tax Inspectors Without Boarders Secretariat at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

On the first episode of this series about taxes, or domestic revenue mobilization, the World Bank’s Director for Governance Global Practice, Arturo Herrera Gutierrez, and IEG host Jeff Chelsky, discuss how the World Bank can most effectively support countries in managing the difficult terrain of tax reform.

Une récente évaluation menée par le Groupe indépendant d'évaluation (IEG) offre des enseignements pour orienter l'avenir de l'assistance de la Banque mondiale au Maroc, tout en mettant en lumière les principes fondamentaux d'une collaboration efficace avec les pays à revenu intermédiaire. Dans cet épisode, Estelle Raimondo et Sabine Durier se penchent sur le partenariat de la Banque mondiale avec le Maroc, sur ce qui a fonctionné ou pas. Estelle Raimondo, responsable des méthodes d’évaluation d'IEG, a dirigé la récente évaluation du programme pays du Maroc. Sabine Durier dirige le département de la gestion des connaissances et de la communication d'IEG.

Additionality is the unique value that Development Finance Institutions offer to private companies in low- and middle-income countries without crowding out private investments. This episode demystifies additionality and explores how to identify it, measure it, and realize ever more of its unique value.  

Boosting energy efficiency is critical for addressing climate change. This episode explores lessons on how to scale up energy efficiency efforts to fully realize their potential. 

Dr. Agnes Kalibata, president of AGRA, explores with host, Brenda Barbour, the importance of resilient agrifood systems in promoting long-term food security, and how the World Bank Group and other actors can support countries in developing agrifood systems that are productive, resilient, and sustainable.   Related Resources   IEG Evaluation: Toward Productive, Inclusive, and Sustainable Farms and Agribusiness Firms: An Evaluation of the World Bank Group’s Support for the Development of Agrifood Economies (2010–20) Blog: Building inclusive, productive, and sustainable agrifood systems Blog: Complementary Interventions for Agrifood System Development – Insights and Lessons Blog: Sustainable Diversification of Agrifood Economies – Insights and Lessons

This episode unpacks lessons about factors that facilitated the World Bank Group's strong response to the pandemic and explores areas that can be strengthened to boost crisis preparedness as we navigate compounding crises.   Related Resources IEG Evaluation: The World Bank’s Early Support to Addressing COVID-19 Health and Social Response IEG Evaluation: The World Bank Group’s Early Support to Addressing the Coronavirus (COVID-19): Economic Response (April 2020-June 2021) Blog: Lessons for building on the World Bank’s unprecedented health and social response to COVID-19

Disasters caused by natural hazards increasingly threaten the lives and livelihoods of the world’s poor. In this episode, we will explore how a more severe risk environment has been reshaping the way the World Bank and its partners approach disaster risk reduction. 

Every year, the world generates 2 billion tons of trash, including 400 million tons of plastic. Most of this waste is mismanaged, piling up and flowing into our oceans, adding to greenhouse gas emissions and land and water pollution. A long-term solution requires the world to shift to a circular economy. What does circularity entail? What can we learn from global efforts to tackle solid waste, and in particular plastics?  Host Jeff Chelsky talks trash with Steve Fletcher, Professor of Ocean Policy and Economy at the University of Portsmouth, to take stock of lessons from a waste crisis that is disproportionately affecting people in poverty.

Development Policy Financing (DPF) is a major instrument of multilateral development banks and has played a prominent role in the World Bank’s pandemic response. Also known as policy-based lending, DPF is a fast-dispersing instrument that provides non-earmarked funds to a country's national budget. How does DPF work and how successful has it been in achieving its various goals? The World Bank’s Director of Policy Operations, Stéphane Guimbert, and IEG host Jeff Chelsky take stock of the trends and lessons of using policy-based lending to support developing economies. Conversation highlights: [00:04-07:55] How does Development Policy Financing (DPF) and its prior actions work? [07:56-14:44] What are key lessons emanating from the Bank’s fifth DPF Retrospective? [14:45-20:07] The role of Development Policy Operations (DPOs) in crisis response. [20:08-22:25] Measuring success – what makes a DPO good? [22:26-25:08] The use of DPOs in countries affected by fragility, conflict or violence (FCV). [25:09-27:30] Determining the size of a Development Policy Operation.

Data are vital for understanding the progress and impact of strategies in global development. New technologies coupled with increased computing power are creating opportunities for gathering and analyzing ever larger amounts of data from a greater range of sources. In addition, remote data collection has played an important role in getting around the restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But innovative use of technology began before the pandemic. How have new technologies influenced data gathering and use, and what are their implications for learning from evidence and for evaluating efforts in international development?