The emphasis on monitoring and evaluation is part of the World Bank's determined focus on actual results for poor people and on continuous learning about what does and does not work in order to improve the efficacy of future advice and support. The programs and projects presented in this book were selected by a team representing the Staff Association, the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, and the External Affairs department of the World Bank. To be included, activities had to show poverty impact. Activities still under way had to hold the promise of enhancing the well-being of the poor and contain effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms so that changes could be made along the way if needed. The country cases presented also include methods for monitoring and evaluation.
Impact is what counts.
This volume not only shows that effective public action can make a difference to poverty in all its complexity, it also highlights the importance of understanding the impact of development measures on the poor.