Governance : The World Bank's experience

This report summarizes the governance work undertaken by the World Bank in the last two years. It provides an overview of governance activities in lending, economic and sector work, and in research and dialogue. Progress across regions is reported under the four major components of governance identified in the 1992 governance report: 1) public sector management; 2) accountability; 3) legal framework for development; and 4) transparency and information. In addition, other issues that are related to Bank activities - such as more participatory approaches to policy, program, and project design and implementation, military expenditures; and human rights - are raised. Internal procedures and organizational issues relevant to the Bank's governance work are also discussed. Although the magnitude of the World Bank's work in governance cannot be directly measured because of the diffuseness of the topic, the report concludes that the volume of governance-related lending and research by the Bank is substantial and growing. This work has concentrated on the economic and social dimensions of governance, using a variety of approaches, both traditional and innovative. The intensity of governance work varies from country to country according to country circumstances and needs. In the past two years, the most comprehensive governance work has been carried out in Latin America and the Caribbean and in Africa