Action Plan on Managing for Development Results
I. Introduction
-
This report outlines the approach used by the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
to
mainstream managing for development results (MfDR) in ADB, building on the
experience
gained since 2004.
-
MfDR is a management approach to improve planning, monitoring, and evaluating
operations in order to achieve and sustain intended development results.
MfDR aims to help
managers answer three key questions, namely:
- are we being effective?
- how do we know
we are? and
- how do we use this information to determine future action?
-
During the Asian Development Fund (ADF) IX negotiations in 2003–2004,
ADB
committed to improve the effectiveness of its operations through better
MfDR. An indicative
action plan[1] was introduced during the ADF IX discussions
on the understanding that it would be
refined as experience was gained. This action plan is still the basis for
MfDR in ADB. The current
action plan contemplates an incremental and phased approach to facilitate
learning,[2] as the
MfDR concept was expected to continue to evolve rapidly in the global setting.
-
In November 2005, the Results Management Unit of the Strategy and Policy
Department
(SPRU) commissioned an external assessment of MfDR in ADB. [3]
That assessment (the
Universalia Report) was based on a document review, a visit to ADB with
extensive interviews at
all levels of ADB, a modest staff survey, and a brief comparative review
of MfDR at other
multilateral development banks (MDBs). The Universalia Report noted that,
while the current
action plan provided the useful jump start that was required initially,
it must now be revised to
accelerate the mainstreaming of MfDR in ADB.[4]
-
At a meeting on 24 November 2005, the Development Effectiveness Committee
(DEC) of
the Board considered a report on MfDR in ADB and received a briefing on
MfDR by SPRU. As a
consequence, the DEC also agreed, among other things, that the approach
to MfDR in ADB
should be revised.
- Part II of this paper highlights the major achievements under the current
action plan.
Part III discusses the main lessons identified from the experience since 2004
and the challenges
facing the implementation of MfDR approaches. Part IV contains proposals for
revising the
MfDR action plan (2006–2008),[5] particularly the actions
to be taken over the next 16 months.
These revisions take into account the findings and recommendations of the
Universalia Report.
Part V deals with the implementation and monitoring of the revised action
plan. A results
framework (the MfDR Results Framework) based on the revised action plan is
proposed as a
tool for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the revised plan
(see Appendix 1).
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Topic: Achievements
[1] Refer to the ADF IX Tokyo meetings in December 2003, the
Lisbon meetings in March 2004, and the ADF IX
Donors’ Report in June 2004 (sections III, IV [Table 1], and VI [c]).
[2] The gradual approach was in line with similar approaches
taken by the other multilateral development banks.
[3] Independent Assessment of Managing for Development Results
at ADB, Universalia, 25 November 2005. Available
at www.adb.org/Documents/Reports/Consultant/MfDR/Independent-Assessment-of-MfDR-at-ADB.pdf
[4] The independent assessment raised these concerns: the
strategy was not clearly presented; the way to manage the change process was
not sufficiently introduced; many of the actions were too broad and complex;
the timelines were not consistently spelled out; and the expected results, the
tracking indicators, and responsibilities were not specified. These concerns
are consistent with ADB’s internal findings.
[5] The time frame of the revised action plan conforms to
the Second Medium-Term Strategy time frame.
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