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Unlocking the potential of cross border development programmes

22 March 2007 13:00-14:30 (GMT+00) - Public event, London

  • Director-General of the World Bank Independent Evaluation Group, together with the lead author presented the findings of the Development Potential of Regional Programs  report, and responded to questions and comments from the audience.

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    Speakers:
    Dr Vinod Thomas, Director-General, Independent Evaluation Group, The World Bank Group
    Catherine Gwin, Lead Author, Evaluation on Regional Programmes, Independent Evaluation Group, The World Bank Group
    Discussant:
    Enrique Mendizabal, Research Officer, RAPID Programme, ODI
    Chair:
    Simon Maxwell, Director, ODI

     

  • An ODI and Independent Evaluation Group public event.

Over the past 15 years, regional, multi-country programmes have emerged as a potentially vital instrument to tackle development problems and opportunities that countries cannot handle efficiently on their own.

Regionally coordinated investments in roads and rail, for example, are helping many of the world's 31 landlocked countries, of which 14 are in sub-Saharan Africa, to connect to wider markets. Regional programs are integrating the supply and distribution of electricity so that small countries can get access to reliable, lower cost energy. Co-operation across borders is also helping control the spread of communicable diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS, and managing 60 percent of the world's freshwater that derives from shared river systems. The opportunities for collaboration on issues of environmental protection are enormous. Yet, regional programmes account today for only 3 percent of total international aid.

The World Bank Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) report, 'The Development Potential of Regional Programs' is the most comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of regional programmes ever conducted. The findings are based on evaluations of 19 World Bank-supported regional programmes and a review of the Bank's total portfolio of some 100 regional operations.

The report explores conditions under which regional programmes offer potential for delivering strong development results. It discusses how individual regional programmes need to be designed and implemented to ensure country ownership which is critical to achieving sustainability. Drawing on recent programme experience, it also discusses how countries and the World Bank, together with other donors, could strengthen support for regional programmes.

At this ODI and World Bank IEG event, Dr Vinod Thomas, Director-General of the World Bank Independent Evaluation Group, together with the lead author of the report, Catherine Gwin, presented the findings of the report and responded to questions and comments from the audience.