Youth

The primary purpose of this formative evaluation is to provide insights to enhance the ongoing development and implementation of the Caribbean Development Bank’s Youth Policy and Operational Strategy (YPOS). The evaluation also presents an opportunity to inform the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) 2026-2035 Strategic Plan, which includes youth as one of the Bank’s main axes. The evaluation seeks to provide evidence on the main lessons learned, the enabling factors, and the challenges faced by CDB and Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) for implementing youth operations, initiatives, and activities related to and guided by the YPOS. The evaluation was commissioned by CDB OIE and conducted by an external evaluation consultancy firm from June 2025 to December 2025. As part of OIE’s enhanced quality assurance and governance, OIE convened an Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) to provide advice and guidance on the evaluation. The ERG consisted of three youth leaders from the Caribbean who are external to the CDB and were selected by OIE, as well as several key staff members who have been involved in YPOS and youth-related operations at the Bank.

The Office of Independent Evaluation's (OIE's) Annual Report on Evaluation 2025 documents a defining year of transition and transformation for the Caribbean Development Bank's (CDB's) evaluation function. The report covers the renewal of CDB's Evaluation Policy - approved by the Board in December 2025 - and the development of two new operational manuals guiding independent and self-evaluation. It presents OIE's work across six interconnected streams: governance and systems, conducting evaluations, building evaluation culture and capacity, partnerships and networks, follow-up on recommendations, and communication and knowledge dissemination. Key highlights include completed country and corporate evaluations, the launch of a pilot Real-Time Evaluation in Guyana, the establishment of the inaugural Evaluation Advisory Committee, and the start of a regional capacity-building partnership with CLEAR-LAC. The report also outlines OIE's vision to 2030 and priorities for the new 2026-2028 Work Programme.

Poverty Alleviation

The Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) serves as the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB’s) primary poverty-reduction instrument and has demonstrated ongoing success. The BNTF program achieves its objectives through active community participation and by aligning design with national priorities, thereby supporting national development initiatives to improve access to and delivery of basic services and enhance human development outcomes in its Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs). The synthesis shows that BNTF achieved its goals through its community-based approach, which enabled people to participate in decision-making (a demand-driven approach) and used funding to build essential social structures and develop skills.The study confirms that BNTF remains highly important because it stems from community needs and delivers results. The program achieved its multiple objectives by enhancing accessibility, developing human potential, and establishing new economic opportunities, leading to improved health outcomes for Caribbean inhabitants. BNTF will achieve its maximum developmental effect through its focus on outcome-level evidence, its use of new approaches, and its refinement of particular thematic frameworks.