Managing for Development Results at ADB

Action Plan on Managing for Development Results

IV. The Revised Action Plan

26. Lessons of experience suggest that three overriding themes must drive ADB's revised plans to better manage for development results. First, the effort to mainstream MfDR approaches in ADB must now move from the rhetorical to the practical: while the theoretical bases of MfDR will remain important, ADB must pursue selective, concrete steps to achieve our goals under each of the three pillars of the revised action plan. Second, as the President stated on 6 February 2006,[13] greater efforts must be made to mainstream MfDR approaches throughout ADB, and this requires shared responsibilities. Third, MfDR tools must actually be used as part of decision making at all levels in ADB; in other words, we must not only design results frameworks but we must also report and act on the outcomes that are monitored under those frameworks as the means to better manage performance.

27. The thrust of the revised MfDR strategy over the next 3 years is for Management to focus on selected and achievable outcomes for each of the three pillars of MfDR in ADB, and to monitor and assess specific actions by departments and offices, which are designed to contribute to the achievement of those outcomes.

28. The "Three-Pillar Approach" Remains Valid. Figure 1 depicts the current three pillars of MfDR in ADB at present. As agreed during the ADF IX replenishment, ADB's main objective in pursuing MfDR is to manage better in order to achieve development results in DMCs. In this regard, and as acknowledged in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, the DMCs' own development priorities must be the starting point for determining the scope and depth of ADB's assistance (i.e., ADB's assistance must be aligned with the DMCs' development priorities). All ADB operations should then be responsive to government priorities, relevant to the intended outcomes, and results-oriented to contribute to achievement of those intended DMC outcomes. At the corporate level, ADB operations will continue to be guided by the strategic directions provided under the Second Medium-Term Strategy (MTS II), which will be operationalized through the results-based Work Program and Budget Framework, provided with adequate resources in annual budgets, and supported by knowledge management and human resource management. Knowledge sharing and harmonization through the global partnership will continue to contribute to the development effectiveness of ADB's aid assistance.
    
    

29. RB-CPS [14] a Key Feature of ADB's MfDR Efforts. The results-based country partnership strategy (RB-CPS) will remain the critical intersection point for the MfDR strategy. It will be the primary vehicle for contributing to capacity development in MfDR at the DMC level. It is predicated on the concept that the entire country partnership strategy and operations program must be managed for development results, with the aid of a well-crafted results framework, including an effective monitoring and evaluation system, and it provides a vehicle for enhanced harmonization among development partners.

[13] The President emphasized, in his speech "Challenges for All at ADB" on 6 February 2006 at ADB headquarters, that there is a need to intensify MfDR efforts at all levels throughout ADB, and instructed vice presidents, department heads, and division directors to more closely guide staff in this effort.

[14] CSP was renamed into Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) based on the paper on Further Enhancing Country Strategy and Program and Business Processes which was approved by the President on 4 August 2006.

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