世界发展银行-Mobilizing-Technology-for-Development---An-Assessment-of-World-Bank-Group-Preparedness_226页_19mb

Summary of Mobilizing Technology for Development: An Assessment of World Bank Group Preparedness

Core Content

The World Bank Group (WBG) has adopted a new approach to Disruptive and Transformative Technologies (DTT) since 2018, integrating it with the 2019 DTT Mainstreaming approach and further developing it through the 2020 Mainstreaming Digital and Disruptive Technologies Initiative. This evaluation focuses on the preparedness of the WBG to support DTT rather than on the outcomes of such support, establishing a baseline for future development efforts.

Main Findings

1. Traditional Strengths Enable DTT Support: The WBG’s traditional areas of strength—such as supporting global public goods, serving as an honest broker, producing quality advisory services and analytics (ASA), and mobilizing IDA resources and trust funds—have facilitated its engagement with DTT.
2. Not Fully Prepared for DTT Challenges: Despite these strengths, the WBG is not yet sufficiently prepared to help clients harness DTT opportunities and mitigate associated risks due to the accelerating pace and complexity of technological change.
3. DTT Support is Context-Dependent: The relevance and effectiveness of DTT support depend on how well it is tailored to country-specific contexts and how it aligns with the Twin Goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity.

Key Areas of Preparedness

1. Supporting Global Public Goods

• The WBG has a strong reputation for supporting global public goods that increasingly rely on DTT.
• Initiatives such as the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery use DTT for open-source technology and geospatial data-sharing to provide risk information.
• The Development Data Partnership and Geo-Enabling for Monitoring and Supervision help the WBG leverage DTT-enabled data production, analysis, and use.

2. Serving as an Honest Broker

• The WBG’s role as an honest broker is based on its neutrality, access to global knowledge, and advisory and negotiation capabilities.
• It has used this role in the Identification for Development (ID4D) program to address challenges in targeting beneficiaries and delivering services through interoperable systems.

3. Undertaking Quality Analytical Work

• The ASA (Advisory Services and Analytics) capability has enabled the WBG to provide actionable recommendations for strengthening digital economies.
• Initiatives like the Human Capital Project and the Learning Poverty initiative highlight the importance of necessary skills for future labor markets.

4. Providing Trust Funds and IDA Resources

• The WBG’s ability to mobilize trust funds and IDA grants has supported DTT initiatives, such as the West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Program in Benin.
• Trust funds have also been used to pilot projects and understand constraints, as seen in the Kenya Industry and Entrepreneurship Project.

Areas of Limited Preparedness

1. Links with the Twin Goals

• While all five DTT corporate priorities are relevant to the Twin Goals, the evaluation found insufficient integration of DTT into country diagnostics and skills development.
• Country diagnostics have not adequately connected digital technology support to the broader development agenda and the Twin Goals.
• Skills and education initiatives have focused on "necessary" skills (e.g., literacy, numeracy) but missed the opportunity to include "sufficient" skills (e.g., digital literacy, socioemotional skills, growth mindset).

2. Staff Skills and Mindsets

• The WBG has not yet identified the specific DTT-relevant skills needed.
• There is insufficient data on current DTT-relevant skills within the organization.
• A growth mindset and continuous learning are seen as essential for effective DTT support, but not yet fully embedded in the organization.

3. Internal Processes and Procedures

• Procurement processes for DTT projects are fragmented and lack clear guidance, especially regarding risks like vendor lock-in, data privacy, and interoperability.
• Collaboration between Global Practices and between the World Bank and IFC is insufficient, with instances of competition for task team leadership.

4. Institutional Culture and Incentives

• The WBG’s institutional culture does not sufficiently encourage risk-taking and innovation for DTT.
• Operational review processes are perceived as constraining innovation due to a preference for familiar approaches.
• There is a lack of support for failure, which is an inherent part of innovation.

Recommendations

1. Leverage DTT Opportunities and Risks: Ensure that the WBG systematically identifies DTT opportunities and risks in country and digital economy diagnostics, and consistently evaluates their impact on the Twin Goals.
2. Build DTT-Competent Workforce: Identify and address DTT-relevant skills gaps through new recruitment, retraining, outsourcing, and external partnerships.
3. Foster a Growth Mindset and Foresight: Encourage a growth mindset among staff and apply foresight and anticipation to guide DTT support, including through the Technology and Innovation Lab.

Conclusion

The WBG has made progress in integrating DTT into its development agenda but still needs to strengthen its internal capabilities, improve collaboration, and cultivate a culture of innovation and risk-taking to fully realize the potential of DTT in achieving the Twin Goals. The evaluation emphasizes the need for a data-driven, adaptive, and context-sensitive approach to DTT support.