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Annual Report 2003 : Maximizing Institutional Effectiveness
Managing KnowledgeThe capacity to acquire, share, and apply knowledge is crucial for institutional effectiveness, and for allowing clients to benefit more readily from the experience of others. To this end, ADB began work on the Knowledge Management Framework in 2003 and appointed a Vice- President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development. ADB’s sector and thematic committees are potential conduits for knowledge sharing. The committees and networks are expected to discuss emerging issues in the region; to recommend regional technical assistance; to disseminate information on publications, conferences, and training opportunities; to suggest prominent individuals within and outside the region for informal seminars; to provide professional peer support to ADB staff; and to facilitate partnerships with relevant in-country and regional networks, resource organizations, and key development stakeholders. Observations on their effectiveness were mixed. Their mandates, resources, and incentives were addressed in 2003 and in the review of new business processes to make them more functional in 2004. ADB continued to support information and communication technology (ICT) by participating in the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). President Chino delivered the keynote address at the Asia-Pacific Regional WSIS where the Tokyo Declaration was prepared for submission at the WSIS in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 2003. In response to the WSIS Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action, ADB reviewing its ICT policies. Asian Development Bank InstituteConsiderable effort was made in 2003 to respond positively to requests for assistance and cooperation. The relevance of new activities for stakeholders helped set ADB Institute (ADBI) priorities. To improve focus and impact, work was integrated into the four strategic themes chosen for the coming 3-year rolling workplan i.e. poverty reduction, regional cooperation, private sector development, and governance. Considerable emphasis was given to strengthening ICT links in line with the Knowledge Management Committee and to align ADBI’s work with ADB’s overall priorities. Steps were taken to extend activities to a wider cross section of countries. New activities included the following: the preparation and publication of a country economic report on Afghanistan (launched at the Bonn Donors’ Meeting); the “Making Markets Work for the Poor” project in Cambodia and the Lao PDR in collaboration with the Department for International Development, United Kingdom; a large-scale research project on poverty including studies and participants from PRC, India, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand; and various research projects that comprised regional teams. Capacity building and training were expanded. Learning activities were supported in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and more are being developed for the five ADB regions: East and Central Asia, Mekong, the Pacific, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. ADBI is also developing new activities using ICT to provide services across the entire Asia and Pacific region. Two new products were successfully launched in 2003: a daily electronic news and analysis service (e-newsline, latest edition at http://www.adbi.org/e-newsline/index.html) and a CD-ROM review program accessible on ADBI’s web site. In addition, work has started on a redesign of the web site to be launched in mid-2004. Information and Communication TechnologySatellite links across Asia and the Pacific continued to support ADB’s Resident Mission Policy. With the newly commissioned links in the Afghanistan and Tajikistan resident missions, ADB staff can plan project and program activities via videoconferencing with 14 remote sites. Sector and thematic committees and extended networks shared and categorized relevant information with the use of knowledge management systems, and technical assistance management was improved with the use of standard performance reports generated by a new system. A new information technology governance system was institutionalized and, under the guidance of the Information Technology Committee, automation requirements were prioritized, and the ADB Information System and Technology Strategy was completed and approved by Management. PublicationsDisseminating information and sharing knowledge are two of the most effective tools ADB has for sustaining development. ADB publications inform, instruct, and inspire both members and partners in the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals and of ADB’s vision of a region free from poverty. The Asian Development Outlook, Basic Statistics, and Key Indicators are annual publications. In 2003, an additional 69 books, policies, research papers, and multimedia products were published on economic growth, the environment, and human development. Fifteen newsletters are also circulated regularly. A complete list of publications is on the Annual Report 2003 CD-ROM (see also http://www.adb.org/ Publications). In addition to its own projects, ADBI supports visiting researchers (principally from the region) whose work is generally on one of the four themes. This new program commenced in the fourth quarter of 2003. Five visiting researchers are expected in 2003–2004. ADBI is also the implementing agency for the ADB and Inter- American Development Bank agreement on the Latin America/ Caribbean and Asia/Pacific Economics and Business Association. As part of this work, in 2003 ADBI organized and hosted conferences on comparative development in Asia and Latin America and supported networking for researchers.
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