• Efficiency is defined as the extent to which the costs involved in achieving organizational objectives were reasonable in comparison with their benefits. The evaluation has focused on current matrix arrangements Bank-wide and at the regional level, including organizational structures, procedures, and institutional behaviors. Given the primacy of the country unit as the Bank’s delivery model, the evaluation reviews both the Bank-wide matrix between the Regions and network anchors, and the regional matrix system between the country units and sector units. The 1997 matrix design was deliberately kept flexible and it has continued to evolve, adapting to internal and external changes. Given the regional variations in implementation of the matrix, the evaluation has adopted a comparative approach to the extent feasible, relying heavily on analysis of data from existing Bank databases and prior IEG evaluations, supplemented by evidence from staff and manager surveys, informed opinions of knowledgeable interlocutors, and a review of eight focus sectors and 14 focus countries that were selected because of the availability of recent IEG evaluations. The matrix and knowledge reforms introduced in 2010 are too recent for their implementation and results to be meaningfully evaluated. However, IEG has examined the issues raised by the 2010 management assessment. Although too early to evaluate its impacts, the changes and proposed reform actions have been considered and related to the findings of this evaluation. Decentralization and labor market issues are distinct from matrix issues but affect its functioning and have therefore been addressed in the context of flows of expertise and knowledge. The evaluation undertook in-depth analysis of cross support data (available for FY02-10) to assess its effects on the flow of global knowledge and cross-sector collaboration. The review of different forms of decentralization adopted by the regional VPUs was also instructive. However, the broader range of issues around decentralization and labor markets were not explicitly evaluated and would need to be addressed separately. The 1997 internal reform agenda consisted of several interrelated dimensions and was intended to include changes in incentives, organizational structures, and budgetary, human resource, and quality processes. Five areas of responsibility were specifically defined for the networks: strategy, staffing, knowledge, quality, and partnerships. Country units were responsible primarily for the country strategy and country program. Achieving better results in these areas is assumed by IEG to have been a principal objective of the reorganization. Specifically, the matrix was expected to facilitate: • Preparation of well-defined and realistic sector and thematic corporate strategies and alignment of country programs to those strategies. • Hiring, placement, management, rotation, and exit of technical staff as needed to meet the Bank’s operational needs. • Design and implementation of mechanisms to identify and manage knowledge to ensure timely and efficient access to relevant information by operational staff.
Introduction and Context
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