Managing for Development Results at ADB

Action Plan on Managing for Development Results (2009-2011)

I. Introduction

1. This paper proposes an Asian Development Bank (ADB) action plan for implementing the managing for development results (MfDR) agenda for 2009-2011 (box).[1] The proposed plan, which succeeds the last action plan of 2006-2008, supports ADB's commitment to increasing development effectiveness in the priority areas laid out in its long-term strategic framework 2008-2020 (Strategy 2020).[2] Greater focus on development results is even more critical as ADB expects to expand its operations substantially. The plan responds to the key challenges in mainstreaming the MfDR approach in ADB and its developing member countries (DMCs). It also fulfills ADB's commitment to shareholders to update its MfDR action plan based on assessments of progress.[3]

2. The plan will guide ADB toward (i) improving support for MfDR capacity development in DMCs; (ii) further integrating a results-focused approach to managing the implementation of Strategy 2020 at the corporate, country, and project level; and (iii) sustaining partnerships with other development partners on selected MfDR initiatives.[4] ADB management is responsible for implementing the action plan. ADB's Results Management Unit (SPRU) in the Strategy and Policy Department (SPD) will coordinate its implementation. The plan's monitoring framework is in Appendix 1.

What is Managing for Development Results?

Managing for development results is a management approach that focuses on using results information—desired outputs, outcomes, and impact—to steer development efforts toward clearly defined goals. Managing for development results involves the following key phases: strategic planning and resource allocation, selecting indicators and targets (from short to long term) for measuring performance, establishing responsibility and accountability for planned actions, measuring and evaluating performance and results, and using results information to determine actions and resource-use to improve performance. Sources: About Managing for Development Results, and Asian Development Bank. 2006. An Introduction to Results Management. Manila.

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