December, 2020
A first independent review of the Bank’s evaluation systems completed in 2019 (the Kirk Report) covered both the overall structure of the Bank’s systems as well as key specific components, asking the core question of the degree to which intended operational results can be reliably and credibly verified. It raised additional specific concerns about the evaluability of the “Transition Qualities” at the heart of the Bank’s new approach, and recommended that the independent Evaluation Department (EvD) complete “a brief assessment of the evaluability of the transition qualities as concepts and operational tools.” This paper is EvD’s response.