In 2024, the Office of Independent Evaluation (OIE) moved from being a small, largely external-facing function to a genuine engine of learning within the Bank. The Peer Review by Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Bank (WB) experts presented an honest mirror, and action was taken: a revised Evaluation Policy, a new Lessons Learned database, a Power BI dashboard tracking every recommendation in real time, and Gender-Responsive Evaluation Guidelines - all developed in 2024. Evaluations tackled the issues that matter most to the Caribbean: water security, climate resilience, poverty reduction, and how the Caribbean Development Bank's (CDB's) flagship concessional fund - the Special Development Fund - is performing on the ground. A first-ever Synthesis Study pulled together lessons from five country evaluations to sharpen future strategy. Expanding global reach, OIE represented the CDB at evaluation forums in China, Guatemala, and The Bahamas, advocating for evaluation approaches built for Small Island Developing States - not just adapted from elsewhere.
Evaluation of the Caribbean Development Bank’s Work in the Water Sector (2017-23)
Financial Services
Evaluation Report
Sector
Complete
CDB
Summary
This independent evaluation provides an assessment of the Bank’s work in the water (including wastewater) sector over the six-year period (2017 to 2023). The evaluation focuses on four focal areas: a) Water supply (WS); b) Sanitation (SAN); c) Education and training in water supply and sanitation (ET); and d) Agricultural Water Resources (AG). It reviews operational management processes, coordination within the Bank, and the beneficiaries' perspectives to identify challenges, best practices, and the value of projects. The evaluation's findings aim to offer insights to inform the Bank's management and Board of Directors about future interventions and the renewal of the Water Sector Policy and Strategy. These findings are also relevant to external stakeholders, including national governments, water sector agencies, and community-based organisations.
