The Bank regards this as so important that staff and management performance will be judged by contributions to achieving this goal. The poverty report updates progress made in the fight against poverty and looks at the Bank's evolving contribution in recent years. Methodology and indicators for evaluating the impact of Bank efforts on behalf of the poor, therefore, need to continue to be improved. Poverty assessments need to be updated and refined by Bank staff to sharpen the Bank's strategy for reducing poverty. Social assessments and participatory processes should play a growing role in helping to understand poverty and in refining the design and implementation of poverty interventions.
Sustained growth is necessary for significant reductions in poverty.
Issues, such as the pattern of growth and the poor's access to basic social services, should be treated explicitly in poverty assessments and country assistance strategies, so the Bank can propose specific actions for increasing the productivity of, and economic opportunities for, the poor. The collection of poverty data needs to be mainstreamed into country activities, just as collecting data for the national accounts is considered a core task of government. With approximately 1.3 billion poor people in the developing world, the challenge we face in helping to reduce poverty is daunting. High population growth rates, civil strife, and weak economic performance in many of the poorest countries further complicate an already difficult task, said Mr. Koch-Weser . The poor also have more access to such basic services as electricity and running water.