Catalog

	Table of Contents
p. 24 of 26 BACK | NEXT Executive Summary I. Introduction II. The Urban Sector III. The Bank's Involvement in the Urban Sector IV. Objectives and Policy Priorities V. The Bank's Urban Sector Strategy VI. Implications for Bank Operations A. Lending and Technical Assistance B. Staff Resources C. Research Priorities VII. Conclusion

Urban Sector Strategy : VI. Implications for Bank Operations

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B. Staff Resources

1. Increased Bank Human Resources for the Urban Sector

127. The proposed growth and widening of Bank activities in the urban sector will increase pressure on the limited staff resources in each division. The increased use of sector and sector program loan modalities may help to achieve greater productivity with existing staff, but an additional management will be required by more flexible lending operations. A major constraint to such operations will be the number of staff available to manage and administer it. Without increasing the Bank’s total staff numbers, two options are (i) to increase the number of Bank staff devoted to the urban sector, to more accurately reflect the increasing importance of the sector in national development strategies; and (ii) increasing involvement of staff from related divisions (e.g., infrastructure, environment).

2. Improved SkilIs and Technical Expertise

128. The increased emphasis in the strategy on institutional, governance, and capacity building themes, as well as emphasis on “new” areas of assistance such as urban transport and environmental management, will require new staff skills, which can be achieved by retraining current staff and/or recruiting appropriate specialists. All relevant staff should have training in crosscutting concerns such as poverty alleviation, privatization, and corporatization. Consultants should be available, on a retainer basis or as staff consultants, to help meet skill shortfalls. In addition, experienced urban sector practitioners from DMCs (such as city administrators, chief officers, city engineers, treasurers, and other senior technical officers) can be used to review and confirm the practicability and sustainability of programs and projects.

3. Project Performance Management Skills

129. The goal of the Bank’s project performance reports and proposed Project Performance Management System is to increase the focus on sustainability and development impact of projects, as well as improve physical performance. To facilitate this in the urban sector, project reporting will include monitoring and evaluating a range of policy and institutional issues. Project administration staff will need training in these skills.

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