Resource information
This report by the Independent
Evaluation Group (IEG) summarizes the experiences of and
draws lessons from the country program evaluations of four
natural resource-rich countries: the Plurinational State of
Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Zambia. It concludes that
although the challenges identified in these countries are
not unique, they manifest themselves with particular
intensity in three closely interrelated areas that need to
be defined and structured as a coherent strategy: (i)
management of revenues from an exhaustible resource; (ii)
growth and employment in the non-extractive sectors, and
(iii) inclusive growth and reduction of poverty. Overall,
looking at the four resource-rich countries in this
evaluation, one does not see the World Bank Group as having
a consistent framework for engagement, driven by the
defining characteristics of these countries—their rich
endowment with non-renewable natural resources and
dependence on revenues from their exploitation. Each of the
four stories evolved in a unique way that depended on how
the country teams decided to react to differing country
circumstances. The main challenge for the Bank Group in
these countries today is how to stay relevant and
competitive, as its value proposition is no longer its
financial resources, but its knowledge and global
experience, which may call for a more modest scope of
interventions while keeping the focus on key challenges.
