Natural Disaster Management Cluster - St. Kitts & Nevis, The Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Jamaica, St. Vincent & the Grenadines (2018)

The Cluster PCVR is presented as two volumes. Volume 1 covers the three RRLs and will follow the standard validation process in which four core evaluation criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability); as well as two complementary criteria (CDB and Borrower performance) are assessed against the PCR. The validating of the five IRLs will focus only on two core criteria (efficiency and effectiveness); as well as complementary criteria (BMC and CDB performance). The validation of the IRLs is presented in Volume 2.

Policy-Based Operations 2006-2016

The Caribbean Development Bank introduced policy-based lending in 2006, the aim of which was to “address complex medium-term structural, social and institutional issues that are essential to the attainment of sustainable development and poverty reduction” and to “support the implementation of policy reforms and institutional changes aimed at improving the effectiveness of public policy.”This evaluation assesses the Bank’s experience with the PBL instrument over the period 2006-2016.  It examines the need for and relevance of the PBL programme, its design, implementation and results achieved, as well as areas for improvement.An analysis of how the PBL programme performed in practice is demonstrated in the case study reports of Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The evaluation report contains 25 findings, 8 conclusions and 6 recommendations.

Basic Education Project: Second Loan - St. Vincent & the Grenadines (2018)

The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (GOSVG) has placed great significance on the role of education in the social and economic development of the country and accords high priority to the goal of providing every citizen with quality education and training. Government’s policy is to strengthen the country’s human capital base so as to make it more competitive and technologically responsive in the 21st Century. However, this human resource development thrust was undermined by issues such as limited access to pre-primary, secondary and tertiary education; low education quality and student achievement in basic education; and weaknesses in planning and management of the system. Against this backdrop, GOSVG developed a new Education Strategy Development Plan (ESDP) which was consistent with the ongoing education reform strategy of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, as a broad framework for addressing these key sector issues in the medium term. This Basic Education Project II (BEPII) was expected to further enhance the Education sector and consolidate the achievements of the first BEP project which was loan-financed by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in 1996 for an amount of USD6.083 million (mn) and a grant for USD0.06 mn. BEPII was also expected to serve as a catalyst in equipping the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be more competitive in the Caribbean and beyond.

OIE Work Programme 2017-2020

This five year plan for evaluation at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is articulated in three parts. Part One examines the context for evaluation at the Bank, including its Evaluation Policy, strategic planning documents, policies and strategies, and co-investment partners. Part Two surveys the broader Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) context of which CDB is a part and highlights the particular trends in MDB policies and evaluation approaches which this plan should take account of. Part Three sets out indicative plans for evaluation at CDB over the 2018 to 2022 period; the considerations that have informed these evaluation choices; the expected phasing and resource requirements; and some important enabling activities such as knowledge management and capacity building.It is important to note that this is conceived as a rolling plan, to be refreshed at least bi-annually, and in particular to take account of any significant changes in CDB’s strategic environment (for example a new Strategic Plan and/or Special Development Fund [SDF] Contributors’ Agreement).

Third Road Project - St. Vincent & the Grenadines (2018)

The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (GSVG) recognises that investment in the transport sector is critical to growth and development, particularly in support of agriculture, tourism and services. In 2000, with technical assistance from the European Union (EU), consultants were contracted to investigate the condition of the 55 kilometers (km) Windward Highway (WH), the longest of the three main highways which runs along the eastern coast of St. Vincent, and to make recommendations for a programme of rehabilitation or improvement of the road. The consultants recommended that the work be carried out in three phases. The Government decided to initiate Phase 1 - total reconstruction of WH from Diamond to Georgetown. In June 2002, GSVG requested financial assistance from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for joint financing along with the EU, for the reconstruction of approximately 23 km and the rehabilitation of the existing structures, including bridges. A loan of USD10.581 mn was approved in response to this request in December 2002. During implementation the Government announced a change in policy with regard to air transportation and prioritised the construction of a new international airport at Argyle. It was realised that additional financing was needed to the realign a section of the WH which would be affected by the new airport. The project was re-scoped and an additional loan of USD5.2 mn granted in 2007.

Eighth Consolidated Line of Credit - Dominica (2017)

In December 2009, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) approved a loan in the amount of USD8 million (mn) to the Dominica Agricultural Industrial Development Bank (DAIDB) [comprising USD7.5 mn from the Bank’s Ordinary Capital Resources (OCR), and USD0.5 mn from its Special Funds Resources (SFR)], to assist in the continuation of the lending programme of DAIDB in the productive and housing sectors, and for student loans (the Project). The primary objectives of DAIDB, which was established in 1971, are to promote, influence and mobilise funds for economic development in the Commonwealth of Dominica. CDB has been the primary source of long term funding for DAIDB. The Financial Services Unit (FSU) of the Ministry of Finance, which became effective on January 1, 2009, is responsible for supervising DAID’s operations but due to capacity constraints, had not yet begun as of the end of 2009. DAIDB had been dogged by financial performance challenges, but by the end of Financial Year (FY) 2009 DAIDB’s new strategic focus and ongoing restructuring efforts were yielding improvements in key indicators: non-performing loans (NPLs), growth in assets, profitability, liquidity gap, approvals, debt to equity ratio, provisioning for loan loss, and return on assets.

Rural Community-driven Development Project - Haiti (2017)

Political instability and natural hazard events have devastated Haiti’s economy and weakened state institutions. In an effort to break the cycle of poverty and social exclusion which for decades plagued Haiti’s rural communities, the Government of the Republic of Haiti (GOH) in 2004 initiated, with funds of the World Bank (WB) Post-Conflict Facility, a One million dollar ($1 mn) Rural Community Development pilot project. Following the success of the pilot operation, GOH obtained, in 2005, a grant equivalent to$38 mn from WB and began the implementation of the Community Participation Development Project (PRODEP) Programme in 2006. Since then WB has provided two rounds of additional financing in response to increased pressures on rural communities associated with an influx of urban residents after the January 2010 earthquake. PRODEP was implemented in 59 (out of 140) municipalities in all Departments of Haiti and proved to be an effective mechanism for building social inclusion and social capital, community participation, transparency, trust and public/private partnerships at the local level. The programme’s mechanism also efficiently transferred resources to local communities and reduced poverty by improving basic social and economic infrastructure and services, through the creation of income-generating opportunities for rural residents. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) chose to add its financing to the PRODEP initiative in December 2011. It provides funding for rural investments (sub-projects) and for the capacity building of Community-based organisations (CBOs) and Community Development Councils (CADECs) with a focus on rural communities in northern Haiti. The project targeted poor rural communities in 31 municipalities of 5 Departments, defined by the country’s 2008 poverty map as the poorest in the country. Most of the municipalities in these Departments, which were also located away from major urban centres, had limited access to markets because of poor road and market infrastructure and suffered considerable damage form storms and hurricanes.

Mid-Term Evaluation of the Basic Needs Trust Fund 7 and 8

Under the Basic Needs Trust Fund Sixth Programme (BNTF 6) approved by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Board of Directors (BOD) at its Two Hundred and Thirty-Second Meeting held on July 24, 2008 pursuant to Paper BD70/08, CDB was required to engage independent consultants to complete the Programme Closing Report (PCR). Additionally, under the terms of the Basic Needs Trust Fund Seventh and Eighth Programmes approved by BOD at its Two Hundred and Fifty-Third and Two Hundred and Sixty-Fourth Meetings held on October 23, 2012 and December 11, 2014 pursuant to Paper BD101/12 and BD83/14 respectively, CDB was required to engage independent consultants to conduct a composite Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) of BNTF 7 and 8. The BNTF 7 Paper stated that a MTE will be completed within two years of satisfaction of conditions precedent of the Grant Agreements. BNTF 8 Paper stated that the MTE would be done simultaneously with BNTF 7.

Synthesis Report - Managing for Sustainability

This study examined project sustainability at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) by reviewing evaluation evidence and good practice literature from CDB and other development organisations; and suggests practical guidance on “managing for sustainability” and entry points for future action.The primary objectives were to:(a) develop an understanding of the conceptual frameworks and procedures used by other development agencies to assess and manage for project sustainability;(b) assess the sustainability of projects financed by CDB and identify the major factors that influence project sustainability;(c) identify the lessons learned and recommendations developed by other international development agencies to improve project sustainability; and(d) recommend a simple conceptual framework and procedures to facilitate the Bank’s efforts in managing for project sustainability.

External Review of OIE 2017

In December 2011, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) agreed a comprehensive Evaluation Policy (December 2011) setting out the aim and objectives and guiding principles for CDB’s evaluation system. The Policy provides for the establishment of the Office of Independent Evaluation (OIE).In line with the Evaluation Cooperation Group’s (ECG) good practice standards, in 2015 CDB’s Oversight and Assurance Committee (OAC) endorsed an external review of CDB’s OIE. The intention is to highlight the factors that help or hinder OIE’s independence and performance in order to identify where improvements could be made.CDB has also taken many, other important steps towards updating management practices in line with other multilateral development banks (MDBs). However, the introduction of several innovations in parallel requires coordination and a shift in working practices and thinking. There is also the need to engage in different types of evaluation; evaluations that take into account cross-cutting themes and different levels of complexity. As such, whilst this Review particularly focused on CDB’s OIE, it recognises that OIE’s work and utility depend to a large degree on the development of other management practices and the degree to which evaluation is able to effectively link into their work. As such, to a limited degree, the Review took into account OIE’s linkage to other management practices.