May 10-June 1999: Comprehensive Development Framework

Jacky Foo (mailto:foo@SWIPNET.SE)
Fri, 7 May 1999 19:20:52 +0200

Message-ID:  <01BE9922.6941A480@dialup185-1-36.swipnet.se>
Date:         Fri, 7 May 1999 19:20:52 +0200
From: Jacky Foo <mailto:foo@SWIPNET.SE>
Subject:      May 10-June 1999: Comprehensive Development Framework
To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU

Title: Comprehensive Development Framework discussion
Date: May 10 - 30 June
Contact: Kerry McNamara <mailto:Kmcnamara1@worldbank.org>
Registation: email <mailto:majordomo@jazz.worldbank.org> and write :
        SUBSCRIBE CDF
URL: http://www.worldbank.org/devforum

The World Bank invites you to join an electronic discussion of the Comprehensive Development Framework. (For background information on the CDF, please see the section below. This also gives details of the website where you can read the proposal and how you can obtain a copy if you don't have access to the website.) The discussion will start on May 10 and finish at the end of June. The discussion will be hosted by the World Bank's "Development Forum" discussion site (http://www.worldbank.org/devforum).

The aim of the discussion is to foster a frank, focused and productive discussion on the CDF among members of the development community. We are especially keen to maximize participation among colleagues from developing countries. The discussion will be conducted by means of a moderated email list, with messages archived to a Web site. Full details will be sent to those who sign up to participate.

If you would like to participate, please send an email to the following address:

mailto:majordomo@jazz.worldbank.org

leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message, type the following:

subscribe cdf

You will receive a welcome message confirming your subscription. If you do not subscribe, you will still be able to read the messages at the Development Forum web site (www.worldbank.org/devforum) but you will not be able to send messages without subscribing.

We hope you will be able to join us. Please feel free to distribute this announcement as widely as possible to friends and colleagues, particularly those in developing countries, who might be interested in participating. We particularly invite cross-posting of this message to other lists .

Background on the Comprehensive Development Framework

In his Annual Meetings speech in Hong Kong in the fall of 1997, the President of the World Bank, Mr. Wolfensohn, outlined a vision of the World Bank as an institution committed to forging closer partnerships with other actors to enhance development effectiveness. Last year at the Annual Meetings, he returned to this theme, suggesting the need for a more integrated approach to development based on a framework articulated and owned by the country itself.

The Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF) builds on these proposals: it suggests a holistic approach to development that recognizes the importance of macroeconomic fundamentals, but gives equal weight to the institutional, structural and social underpinnings of a robust market economy. It emphasizes partnerships and coordination with civil society, the private sector and other development actors. Perhaps most importantly, the country is placed centrally in the driver's seat, both owning and directing the development agenda with the support of all the other players.

The CDF is essentially a process: it is not a blueprint to be applied to all countries in a uniform manner. It is a work-in-progress; not yet another initiative but a new way of doing business, a tool to achieve greater development effectiveness in a world challenged by poverty and distress. The central goal of the CDF is poverty reduction and reaching targets such as the International Development Goals.

The World Bank is currently in active discussion in about a dozen countries, exploring ways in which the CDF might be put to the test. Flexibility has been the key in identifying pilot countries and there has been close consultation with the World Bank's partners and, obviously, with the countries themselves. The key requirement is that the country should be committed to trying what is being proposed. Building the kind of country ownership of the policy agenda that is envisaged takes time and requires changes in both recipient countries and among donors. Equally, capacity building in countries is almost certain to be required in some areas to realize the objectives of the CDF.

The CDF should open up new opportunities for cooperation. There were numerous constructive comments following extensive consultation with multilateral and bilateral agencies, with government ministers and senior officials and with the private sector and civil society. Many partners have offered to collaborate with the World Bank in implementing the CDF. This is critical as the whole framework rests on the premise that the World Bank need not lead - or even be involved - as long as the process produces the desired results.

The Comprehensive Development Framework paper and "Questions and Answers" can be found on the World Bank's website at www.worldbank.org/cdf

If you are not able to access this website, you will be able to obtain an electronic copy of the CDF proposal and the "Questions and Answers" by email. By Wednesday, May 5 we will send a message to all those who have subscribed to the discussion list, with instructions on how to order email copies of the two documents.

------ to receive announcements of E-conferences, seminars, workshops, etc. join the list ET-CONF. E-mail mailto:listserv@segate.sunet.se and use the subscription command: SUB ET-CONF yourfirstname yourlastname or check out http://segate.sunet.se/archives/et-conf.html