2004年-世界发展银行全球_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina___Post-Conflict_Reconstruction_and_the_Transition_to_a_Market_Economy_An_OED_Evaluation_of_World_Bank_Support_108页_2mb

Summary of World Bank Support to Bosnia and Herzegovina (1996-2003)

Core Content

This document presents an evaluation of the World Bank's support to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) during the post-conflict reconstruction period from 1996 to 2003. It assesses the effectiveness of the Bank's interventions, the outcomes achieved in economic and social development, and the contributions of the World Bank and other donors to these outcomes. The evaluation is conducted by the World Bank's Operations Evaluation Department (OED) and includes input from regional management, interviews with Bank staff, and collaboration with other development partners.

Main Goals of the Evaluation

• To analyze the objectives and content of the World Bank's assistance program
• To evaluate the outcomes in terms of economic and social development
• To assess the role of the World Bank and other donors in achieving these outcomes
• To provide recommendations for future World Bank operations in BiH and other post-conflict countries

Key Information

Background

• War Context: Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced a devastating civil war from 1992 to 1995, resulting in over 10% of the population killed or injured and more than half displaced.
• Peace Agreement: The Dayton Accords (1995) established a weak central government and two ethnically based entities (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska), with a strong international presence including the Office of the High Representative (OHR).
• Reconstruction Effort: The international community, including the World Bank, EU, and EBRD, pledged around $5.1 billion in donor assistance for reconstruction, with most funds committed and disbursed quickly.

World Bank Strategy and Assistance Program

• The World Bank played a leading role in mobilizing resources and organizing donor meetings.
• IDA Lending: The Bank approved an exceptional level of IDA/trust fund resources, totaling $983 million, which is the highest per capita support for any post-conflict country.
• Projects Covered: Infrastructure, housing, education, health, social protection, employment, financial sector reform, and private sector development.
• Institutional Support: The Bank established Project Management Units (PMUs) and a Resident Mission to supervise projects and improve effectiveness.

Outcomes

• Economic Recovery: By 2000, most infrastructure (housing, schools, water supply, roads, telecommunications, and electricity) was restored to near pre-war levels.
• GDP Recovery: GDP reached about 60% of pre-war levels by 1999.
• Governance and Economic Management: Some improvements in budgetary management and tax harmonization were achieved, but tax evasion and corruption remained significant challenges.
• Private Sector Development: Despite efforts, the environment for private sector growth was not fully supportive.
• Social Sectors: Education and health services were restored, partial pension reform was achieved, and some cross-Entity cooperation was realized.
• Financial Sector: A central bank (currency board), bank supervision agencies, a new national currency, and new private banks were introduced. Micro-credit institutions developed successfully.

Contributions to Outcomes

• World Bank's Role: Played a central role in mobilizing resources and supporting reconstruction.
• Other Donors: The EU and the U.S. provided more aid than the World Bank.
• BiH Government: The government's capacity and commitment were critical to the success of Bank programs.

Recommendations

• The World Bank should continue to support institutional reforms and governance improvements.
• There is a need to enhance the policy environment for private sector development.
• The Bank should focus on sustainability and long-term development impact.
• Greater coordination with other donors and local stakeholders is recommended to improve effectiveness.

Structure and Methodology

• The evaluation draws on project files, economic and sector reports, Implementation Completion Reports (ICRs), and Project Performance Assessment Reports (PPARs).
• It includes input from background papers on various sectors and field visits to BiH in December 2003.
• The evaluation was conducted in collaboration with a PPAR mission assessing four adjustment credits.

Conclusion

The World Bank's support to BiH during 1996-2003 was highly effective in the immediate post-war reconstruction, contributing significantly to economic recovery and social service restoration. However, challenges remain in creating a supportive environment for private sector development and in addressing systemic issues like corruption and tax evasion. The evaluation emphasizes the importance of learning from past experiences to improve future interventions in post-conflict settings.