Country commitment to development projects

Abstract

Although the commitment of the Borrower to implementation is widely recognized as one of the key factors affecting project performance, the Bank has developed no systematic approach to analyzing the question of commitment. The paper is a first attempt to review the concept of country commitment and to discuss ways of assessing, building and sustaining commitment, in the context of Bank project design and implementation. The paper suggests a practical approach to assessing commitment, centering on the identification of key Borrower actors who have the power to influence program outcomes, and analysis of the way in which informal incentives and pressures may motivate them in directions other than the official project or program goals. With regard to influencing commitment, the paper notes that there is a spectrum of possibilities, ranging from adopting project designs which fit the existing pattern of commitment; to building commitment through education and persuasion; to seeking changes in organizational structures and processes which will give those who are committed greater influence over those who are not; to the use of financial leverage.

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