57340 Educating Girls, page 16 ~---------------------------- . ----------------------------- Reader Survey, page 27 BANK'SWORLD VoI14/No.3 March 1995 In this issue Articles The Trainees-46 Years Later. Douglas Fontein and David Pollock joined the Bank in 1949. They told Jill Roessner what it was like back then ............................. ... ......... ....... ..... ..... .. ..... .... ......................... 3 Beyond Headquarters. Administrative Officers in the resident missions grapple with myriad challenges. Sangam Iyerdescribes some of them .. 5 Networking in the Field. Omar Baig went to Budapest where a group of field administrators networked and learned .. .. ................... ... .... 7 Learning Together to Manage Better. EDI had a "Women's Grassroots Management Training Tools Development Workshop" and Elizabeth M. Hayes learned about training the trainers ..................... 9 Women in Action: Rebels and Reformers. There's an interesting exhibit at the Smithsonian, curated by Priscilla Linn. Harriet Baldwin recommends it ........ ....... .... ... ... ........... .. ...... ... ..... .. ...... ... 12 Bank Swirled Exposed. Did you ever wonder who puts out that April Fools Day publication? Read Jill Roessner's piece and you'll be none the wiser .................... ........... .. ................................... 13 Generating Reforms Through Public Debate. Etienne Baranshmaje and Lucy Keough describe the process of reform in Senegal's higher education sector .. .. .......... .. ... ...... ................. .. ......... .... .................. .. ......... .. 19 Responding to Client Needs in Senegal. Ward Heneveld also looks at Senegal's education sector-and learns a few things himself ............ 21 I [)ejuu·tlllellis On the Record. Educating Girls. Managing Director Sven Sandstrom describes the most effective investment in the developing world ... ...... 16 Staff Association. Wintering our Discontent by Eric V. Swanson ....... 24 Senior Staff and In Memoriam ............................................................ 25 Around the Bank ;................. ..... ...................... .. .... .. ........ ...... .. ........ ... ... 26 Reader Survey ....... .. ............................................................................... 27 AnswerUne ...... ............. ........ ...... ...... ...... ................................................ 28 Bank's World is published monthly - in Washington, D.C., by the External Affairs Department of the World Bank for all employees Corer and retirees of the World Bank Group, 1818 H Street, N.W., Room T-8044, Washington, D.C. 20433. Fax 202-676-0648. Little schoolgirls and their teacher, Bhutan. Jill Roessner, Editor Photo by Curt Carnemark. Morallina Fanwar-George, Editorial Assistant Beni Chibber-Rao, Designer f you'd read the January 15,1949 I issue of ''International Bank Notes, "this magazine's predeces­ sor, you would have seen a photo of six young people, all in their twenties, being greeted by then Bank Vice President Robert L. Garner. They were George Gondicas from Greece, Maria-Cristina Beltranena from Guatemala, Neil The Trainees.......­ Paterson from Australia, Douglas Fontein from Holland, Henri Van 46 Years Later Holsbeeck from Belgium, and David Pollock from Canada. Not byJill Roessner pictured (since he arrived later) was Daniel Dommel from France. This pick them out. "Well, we'll be the quently he obtained a law degree international group comprised the two old fellows," he replied. As it from that university, then was Bank's first trainees-long before turned out, I would not have granted a fellowship for the the establishment of the Young guessed that either had been Fletcher School of Law and Diplo­ Professionals Program, and those working at the Bank almost half a macy at Tufts University, and later, seven young people, all of whom century ago. while working at the Bank, ob­ are still living, are now in their For these two early Bank staff, tained his LL.B. from Georgetown. seventies. Two of them, Doug launching their postwar careers Years later, they jointly (but Fontein and David Pollock, came to together was also the start of a without any written contract lunch at the Bank recently and lifelong friendship. Mr. Pollock had between them) bought 100 acres on reminisced with Bank's World. graduated from the University of an island in the Canadian part of the "How will we know you?" Saskatchewan, served in the Royal Thousand Islands, where their two asked Mr. Pollock, as we made our Canadian Air Force during WWII, families enjoyed 20 years of holiday­ arrangements to meet in the E lobby. then resumed his studies at the ing together. The Fonteins have two "I'll be carrying a copy of Bank's University of Chicago. Mr. Fontein's sons and a daughter, the Pollocks World," I said, figuring I didn't studies at Leiden were interrupted three sons, one of whom, Michael, is really need to ask how I would for the duration of the war. Subse­ currently a Bank staff member. Left to right: Mr. Garner, Mr. George GondicGs, Miss Maria-Cristina Beltranena, Mr. Neil Paterson, Mr. Douglas J. Fontein, Mr. Henri Van Holsbeeck, and Mr. David H. Pollock. World Bank Archives Bank's World / March 1995 3 L But back to those He described the early days. The trainee prevailing mood 50 group spent the first years ago when they cou pIe of months joined the International moving from one Bank for Reconstruction department to another and Development. "The en masse, learning about emphasis was on the Bank's policies and reconstruction, doing operations, meeting the right thing. It was people, attending the time of the Marshall lectures and generally Plan. We felt we were familiarizing themselves members of an exclu­ with the institution. Then sive club, working to they were assigned to help poor people. different departments. Coming to the Bank was Mr. Pollock went to the worthwhile-we were Economics Department, eager to be involved in headed by Leonard Rist, development." And, where he was assigned with a reference to their to tracking the debt of wartime experiences, he the 50 or 60 countries added, "We'd seen then members. enough of tearing Before getting his down." permanent assignment to The young people the Legal Department, earned $2,600 per Mr. Fontein was given annum to start with. the task by the Adminis­ But when, at the end of tration Department of a year, five of them writing a paper about officially joined the staff, whether it would be the salary (in Mr. better to have push­ Fontein's words) button, self-service "leaped to $3,000 a elevators instead of year." Mr. Fontein continuing with elevator remained at the Bank operators. (An early for the next 29 years, example of redundan­ before going to Luxem­ cies?!) Douglas Fontein Cleft) and David Pollock visit the Bank bourg to take up the Back in 1949, there 46 years after their first day of training. position of Director Photo by Michele Iannacci. was a young journalist of the Legal Department in town, who wrote a made his response sound like at the European Invest­ "Roving Reporter" column for the "Shooting wives"~which some­ ment Bank. (now long defunct) Washington what disconcerted the reporter. Mr. Pollock left after two-and-a­ Times Herald. Her name was The accompanying photograph half years and went to the United Jacqueline Bouvier, and a decade showed the group just outside the Nations, subsequently living in later, after marrying Sen. Jack entrance to 1818 H Street. It would Mexico, Chile and Switzerland. His Kennedy, she became the United have been fun to recreate that final position was Director of the States' First Lady. She interviewed scene, but the A building has been U.N. Economic Commission for the World Bank's new trainees and wiped off the face of the earth­ Latin America and the Caribbean in Mr. Pollock recalls with amusement and Messrs. Pollock and Fontein Washington, D.C., before pursuing that one of her questions to each of have not been able to arrange a a career in academe. Currently, he them concerned their countries' reunion of the entire group, is Adjunct Professor of International national sport. "Hockey," he told her. although they did make an attempt Affairs at Carleton University's "Shooting waves" said Neil to do so several years ago. "We School of International Affairs in Paterson, by which he meant surfing. But the Australian accent really ought to try again in 1999," Mr. Pollock asserted, marveling that so much time has elapsed. Ottawa, Canada. • 4 Bank's World / March 1995 he poster has a picture of a T penguin bent over, cap­ tioned: "Lord, please either lighten my burden, or straighten my back." It hangs, appropriately, in Bakti Sudaryono's office. She's the Administrative Officer for the Resident Staff in Indonesia (RSI). Accounting and administrative staff who work in some 110 Bank and Beyond Headquarters IFC field offices do, indeed, carry a Major Challenges for Local Staff heavy burden. At the end of FY94, there were over 1,000 regular and by Sangam /yer fixed-term local staff working in field offices. Bank management decided to assist these officers with their difficult tasks; the result was the establishment of training seminars for local staff, especially accounting and administrative officers. . As far back as June 1983, the Africa Region pioneered a special training seminar for the accounting and administrative staff in field offices, held at the Resident Mission in Nairobi, Kenya. At the time, the Bank had only about 40 field offices. The idea caught on. Other parts of the Bank initiated similar training seminars. The content has kept pace with the changes in the accounting systems-from the old manual imprest system to the now sophisti­ cated field office module-as well as touching on various administra­ tive and personnel matters, and administration of benefits, for local A group of field administrators working on case studies at the workshop held in New Delhi. staff and for Headquarters staff posted to field offices. Following the Bank's reorgani­ zation in 1987, Kabir Ahmed, then provide local administrators with Thirty-three staff members at­ Chief Administrative Officer for the tools, training and information on tended, including Headquarters Asia Region, asked me to coordi­ Personnel, Compensation and staff from the Region, the Imprest nate a seminar for local staff held in Medical issues to enable them to Unit, Budget Administrative System, New Delhi in October 1988. The effectively administer existing Compensation, Personnel Team, main objectives were: to assess the policies locally; and to assist in the Medical Department, Information & effects of implementing Phase I of development of more efficient, Technology. the Field Office Module before effective and time-saving devices in Over the years, local staff . introducing Phase II; to present operating procedures. The methods benefits have developed from ad changes in administration of field chosen were unique for many of hoc arrangements, which varied offices following reorganization; to the local staff: case studies, group from one duty station to another activities, and a skit dealing with (and even from one Res Rep to problems encountered by local another), to a more structured Sangam Iyer is the Senior Administrative administrators when new Head­ package including such elements as Officer, Country Department III, Europe and quarters staff and families arrive. Central Asia Region. financial assistance, and health and Bank's World / March 1995 5 life insurance coverage, which had team to negotiate the Technical office spent nearly six months in the not been provided in the early days Cooperation Agreement. Shortly Tashkent office setting up the imprest of local staff employment. The after the agreement was signed, we system, assisting the mission in provision of a local staff pension set up our first resident mission for recruiting an accountant, and training plan, in lieu of the existing termina­ FSU in Moscow. This was soon the newly-recruited staff. This saved tion grant, is currently under followed by establishing several costly trips to Headquarters and has review. Bank management has field offices in other republics an added advantage of learning from achieved great success in integrating (Baltics, Ukraine and Uzbekistan). someone who is actually doing the job. the local staff with Headquarters. Currently, we have established field As if staff in the field offices do On the personnel side, a offices in 10 of the 15 FSU republics not have enough on their plates, they change in Bank policy now allows (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz are constantly grappling with new local staff to compete for jobs at Republic, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, challenges such as building offices Headquarters through the Vacancy a Regional Mission in Tashkent, and in Dhaka, Islamabad, and recently Information System. In fact, during Baltics State Resident Office located in India, and keeping up with the the last five years, a total of 45 in Latvia with two satellite offices in rapid build-up of communication regular and fixed-term local staff Estonia and Lithuania). Three more facilities through satellites. (seven higher level and 38 support are to be opened shortly (Armenia, From calculators to computers; level) from Bank and IFC field Azerbaijan and Georgia). from book ledgers to diskettes; from offices have joined the work force The Administrative Officers and simple processing of employment at Headquarters. This policy has Office Managers in field offices have to management of recruitment, proved successful, benefiting the unusual and unexpected challenges training and benefits administration; institution and providing more in their work and sometimes it takes the list of changes that have taken professional growth opportunities all their ingenuity and maturity to act place in the way resident missions for local staff. calmly. I can recall two incidents operate has radically changed their Resident missions have also vividly during my assignment in way of working over the years. The provided opportunities for local staff Indonesia. One was when a five-star devotion and su perb performance to participate in Bank training and hotel manager forgot a reception of these staff have produced seminars held in the field and at arrangement for then World Bank positive results. The fact that the Headquarters, as well as externai president Tom Clausen. Another, number of Headquarters staff training, including the Asian during the same mission, when the assigned to administrative and Congress of Secretaries, held in helicopter carrying the president and accounting posts has dropped to various capital cities in Asia. his entourage developed engine less than half a dozen today, is I also initiated two additional trouble and we had to make alter­ ample proof of their competence training sessions in the Asia Region: nate arrangement for transportation and demonstrated skills. (0 "Report Writing" and "Memo from a project site to a city-and to Although the credit largely goes Writing" workshops organized in line up a replacement aircraft to the local staff, we must also cooperation with Mary Evans, within 24 hours in a remote area. acknowledge Headquarters staff for Meredith Griggs and Barbara A seminar for local staff in their time and effort. I cannot Thomas in the (then) Communications Eastern Europe and FSU republics complete this story without quoting Skills Development Center. These was held in Budapest in the spring an anecdote I often used in the workshops were held in India, of 1993 [see accompanying article]. seminars to emphasize that efforts Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia; In addition to formal training on both sides are required: "There (ii) "Basic Accounting" and "Financial sessions, admin and accounting was a man called Abraham who Management" courses to benefit staff also visit Headquarters on a went to the temple every Saturday local higher level staff, conducted fairly regular basis to become for 12 years to ask God to let him by a Headquarters trainer. acquainted with their counterparts. win the lottery. But nothing ever The Bank faced major challenges They also visit other resident happened. Discouraged after years when resident missions were missions to learn lessons firsthand, of petitioning every week to no opened in Eastern Europe and then and help each other in times of avail, Abraham told God he was in the republics of the Former need. Two recent events from the giving up and was through going to Soviet Union (FSU). I was part of FSU countries: The budget officer temple. As he left the sanctuary for the first Bank team, led by Russell from the Moscow resident mission the last time, there was a great Cheetham, then Director for FSU, to provided initial training on imprest crash of thunder and lightning, and visit Moscow in the fall of 1991. accounting matters for staff in Ukraine God finally appeared to him saying, The team met with Mr. Gorbachev's and Baltics; and an accounting and "Come on, Abraham, give me a senior advisers and management budget staff member from the Turkey break. Buy a ticket." 6 Bank's World / March 1995 Networking in the Field Field Administrators Share Their Experience by OmarBaig udapest, Hungary. To most B . travelers, this capital city evokes images of gothic pinnacles, colorful Baroque palaces and the Danube, with its constant traffic of barges and tourist boats. But to a small group of 25 field administrators from the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Bank and IFC offices who were getting on a plane in March 1993, Budapest was where they were going to learn the tools of the trade~managing the administration of Bank field offices. Sponsored by then ECA Chief Administrative Officer Geoffrey Fox, this Field Seminar was ECA's first, after most of the resident missions had already been established. Being the first seminar in the ECA region, the preparations for it were meticulous. Every detail was planned in advance. Michelle Ricks, ECA's coordinator for the seminar, worked very closely with David Zai from ACT and me, as well as the Bank's mission in Budapest. Thirty Dell notebooks were shipped, along with several laser printers and modems. Headquarters staff were provided with individual All­ in-I accounts on the Bank's system Omar Baig is Project Manager, Field Office Participants in the Field Office Seminar held in Budapest enjoyed Systems, ACTAS. some the city's sights together. Bank's World / March 1995 7 .It in Budapest, which were accessible has ever existed. Paying thousands This seminar, like most before, from their hotel. State-of-the-art of dollars out of an office safe was relied upon a small but highly audio-visual equipment was everyday business in most of these functional management information arranged-one piece was even offices. And for the Headquarters system known simply as the Field carried from Austria-so that trainers in Budapest, the objectives Office Module. This PC-based informational videos and computer were clear: teach them necessary system, currently in its second screens could be projected. The hotel skills that would help build the generation, is the Field management provided the best backbone for decisive money Administrator's primary tool. All conference room available, which management in these field offices. financial, personnel, vehicle we were told had been a favorite The Africa region, which has management, inventory, building for high-level KGB meetings in the really pioneered such field semi­ lease and other information is Hungarian capital in the past! nars, was the model for Budapest. recorded in the ACT system and Most of us who travel to field AFR's Barbara Eschenbach first sent to Headquarters through offices, or work closely with them, started the seminars in the Africa diskettes or All-in-I. Each field know who to get in touch with region 12 years ago, integrating all administrator was provided with when it comes to field administrative aspects of field office administration the system installed on a portable matters: the field administrator, alias including accounting, personnel notebook computer used to record the financial assistant, alias budget and budgeting. such information during "case­ assistant, alias at least 10 other titles. Bringing together a group of field study" exercises addressing various While most staff in Washington administrators to network and learn aspects of field administration. The have a fairly well-defined job from shared experience under the administrators were so impressed description, these field staff, spread guidance of veteran Headquarters by the notebook computers that over 90 offices from Quito to Tokyo, staff is essentially the composition they secretly arranged for the hotel manage the gamut of administrative of these seminars, too. With skilled chef to make an exact chocolate tasks ranging from the disbursement facilitation and follow-up on a daily cake replica of the computer for of cash and monitoring of field costs, basis over the seven days, the value the Headquarters trainers half-way to buying uniforms for guards and of the information and training through the intensive training drivers and liaising with Headquar­ provided was compounded, a fact seminar! Moments like thiS, along ters staff on matters of field policy directly attributable to the AFR with other planned social events, and procedures. Whether it is model. This has proved to be a helped maintain enthusiasm and arranging a travel advance in the highly effective learning technique. energy level. field or planning for next year's Participating Headquarters staff Seminars like the one in office restructuring, the field found the seminar provided Budapest are held every 12 to 18 administrator is one of the Chief of valuable inSight. "Running a field months in the field. Nairobi, Mission's key resources. office is not a trivial matter," said Jakarta, Abidjan, Bangkok, and For many of the ECA field office Brad Herbert, then Senior Opera­ Bangalore have been previous sites. administrators, Budapest offered a tions Adviser at the Bank's mission Future seminars are being planned. unique opportunity to learn every­ in Turkey, and a guest speaker at For the field adPlinistrator thing about their job-in 10 days flat. the event. "And proper financial returning to his or her field office Most critics would view this as an management is critical," he added. (over 90 percent of field admins are impossible task, especially when it Indeed, the accountability of Bank women), feeling part of a regional takes a person years to master the funds is perhaps the administrators' network is perhaps one of the complexities of Bank policy, biggest responsibility. Unlike biggest reassurance these seminars procedures and the stacks of FYIs Headquarters, where payments are offer. Being the primary contact for that inform us of changes to the made electronically in one depart­ administrative matters in most field status quo. These field staff not ment and vendor contracts are offices can be overwhelming. It is only had to hit the ground running, negotiated in another, the field their knowledge and their profes­ they also had to manage the Bank's administrator is accountable for all sional integrity and initiative that money in perha ps one of the most administrative disbursements, a keeps the Bank's field offices fluctuating monetary systems that responsibility that is second only to running smoothly and effectively. those of the Chief of Mission. • 8 Bank's World / March 1995 Learning Together to Manage Better Elizabeth M. Hayes "Saxaar bu amul bopp du dem." ("A train without an engine cannot move.") Senegalese proverb in Wolof about people management and leadership "Ipolowo oja l'aganmu owo." ("Promotion is the soul ofbusiness.") Nigerian proverb in Yoruba language n December, I was invited to Swahili, French and English were learning event. Clearly she was I attend an event at the World Bank's Economic Development Institute (EDI). It had an intriguing all voicing a common concern: to find practical ways to help very poor women improve their liveli­ delighted to have members of all six EDI-sponsored Grassroots Management Training (GMT) teams title: "Women's Grassroots Manage­ hoods through better management. together with her in Washington at ment Training (GMD Tools Devel­ From beginning to end, there one time, to share what they'd opment Workshop." Although was an excited buzz in the room. learned and to plan for the future pleased to be invited, I could not Grassroots Management Trainers together. In her opening remarks, imagine what a "grassroots manager" from Senegal, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, she suggested that the assembly would be; nor did I know very much Malawi, Cote d'lvoire, Tanzania and was like "a big family reunion about ED!. Not sure what to expect, India, each in turn, shared their where most of the cousins have but ready to learn, I grabbed my experience of the past three to five never met" but who, she suspected, notebook and off I went. years running EDI-sponsored would come to see a "strong family Activity was already in full training and outreach programs for resemblance well before they went swing when I reached the training poor women eking out a living in their separate ways. She went on to room in the M building. I felt as if the rural or urban informal sectors say that her ambition for the I'd been transported to a U.N. of their countries. The trainers shared workshop was to help EDI, the summit meeting. Everywhere there with enthusiasm and conviction Bank, and others in the develop­ were microphones, earphones, opinions about what is needed to ment community, "begin to change overhead projectors and recording help women gain confidence, make how we perceive development. .. machines. their groups more productive, find how we perceive women's contri­ The place was wall-to-wall with finance and markets, and begin to bution to that development.. .how people, all of whom had much to break out of poverty. we perceive and define say. I had entered a mini Tower of The person responsible for all management. ..and how we here in Babel where speakers of Hindi, this was Jerri Dell, EDI's Women in Washington come to understand Wolof, Moore, Yoruba, Dioula, Development (WID) Coordinator, our role as partners in that change." seminar director, and now, with her Ivorian colleague, facilitator of this Elizabeth M. Hayes is a free-lance writer and a retiree of the World Bank. Bank's World / March 1995 9 During the seven days I spent gain from the investment EDI has women's reality and be more at EDI, I learned, for example, that made in piloting these programs conscious of gender issues when as a first step in designing these until now." they put programs and projects GMT pilot programs, Ms. Dell and When I posed the same together. I have just come from her colleagues in Africa and Asia question to Ela Bhatt, founder of Tunisia where I was training asked poor women what, if any, role the Self-Employed Women's government officials. During my training could play to help them Association (SEWA) in India, and visit I was reminded of the problem overcome obstacles they faced Chairperson of EDI's Women's when I visited beautiful new managing money, people, activities Enterprise Management Training schools which were built too far or businesses. The second step was Outreach Program (WEMTOP) in away from the families they are to develop a training and outreach India, she asked: "Why should the supposed to serve. This will program specifically to address Bank only be interested in govern­ discourage girls from attending. these needs. The third step was to ments, and not in the poor people Poor women's needs matter. Policy run programs in the villages, in the themselves? I hope that the experi­ makers should know this." loca[ language, for women---often ence we have gained working with Interspersed among the with babies on their backs-who women at the grassroots will be workshop's plenary sessions were could neither read nor write, and transmitted to the policy makers of small group meetings to discuss who were already very busy. Most the World Bank, and that EDI topics at greater length including of the women's groups benefiting training will be recognized accord­ GMT sustainability, institutionaliz­ from these EDI-sponsored programs ingly." In remarks she made at the ing GMT, linking GMT with credit were engaged in productive, farewell dinner for participants the and financial support for women, income-earning activities of some following week, she elaborated on women's empowerment, GMT and kind: making batik, drying and this theme: "There are millions of gender, creating a GMT trainers' selling fish, running grain mills, home-based workers, street ven­ network, GMT evaluation and trading in small items, or raising dors and others, who are literally monitoring. On walls and tables vegetables. EDI has focused on and statistically invisible to our around the room, each country's training trainers--either NGO trainers, policy makers. Our markets are GMT training tools or materials were government extension workers or flooded with women, yet they on display- hand-drawn village leaders of local women's groups­ remain invisible." maps, charts, collages, cartoons, whoever was best placed to reach Marguerite Monnet, one of the flannel boards, drawings to illustrate out to the women in their villages 'founding mothers' of the African principles of bookkeeping, wooden and keep the program going long Women's Management Training and blocks, seeds, dried leaves, sample after EDI was gone. Outreach Program (WMTOP/ sales slips, money denominations, Of the 22 people participating FEFGA), talked with me about the training manuals in local languages, in this workshop, all of whom were challenge posed by illiteracy among video and audio cassettes. trainers running EDI-sponsored FEFGA's women trainees. "The According to Bola Thompson, women's GMT programs, 10 were problem," she said, "is really at the WMTOP-Nigeria Coordinator, "This men. Male or female, it was evident level of the trainer. The trainer workshop was unique in the sense these were people extraordinarily must be very creative and take a that, for the first time since we committed to the empowerment of more participatory approach to began the WMTOP pilot programs poor women. When I approached work well with the women. Actu­ in the different countries, we are Papa Nalla Fall, senior program ally, women's illiteracy is only a coming together to share our consultant to EDI's GMT program in real problem in our training when it experience." Her expectations Senegal, Femmes et Formation a la comes to helping them learn to included taking home guidelines on Gestion Appliquee (FEFGA), and . keep accounts and manage their ways to institutionalize the program inquired why the World Bank should money. In this case, a woman in Nigeria. She was impressed, for be interested in grassroots manage­ participant may need another example, by the Indian team's ment training, he replied, "These (literate) person to help her with ability to institutionalize its program programs are a very important way to the accounting." Probed about what almost from the very beginning, by fight poverty. I think mainstreaming she had learned about the struggles creating an NGO specifically to such training programs into World faced by village women as a result manage the work of the partner Bank operations should be a of her GMT work that might be training institutions and the enter­ priority. This way everyone would relevant to the "men at the top," prise support teams. She hopes to she suggested that, "Policy makers take a cue from that. should learn more about these 10 Bank's World / March 1995 "We have come to a stage in designed banking systems, they preneurship. Many of the partici­ WMTOP-Nigeria where we have have a very good track record in pants were even planning to women who are now more produc­ loan repayment." extend their work with EDI to other tive than they ever have been in Asked to elaborate, Mr. countries. One thing was apparent: the past," she said. "They have the Edgerton explained that support to through the daily exchange of capacity to generate more income, such women entrepreneurs in the experience, resources, anecdotes but their limitation has been a lack of form of management training can and methods, the participants were credit or appropriate technology. In have a high impact in improving already forming a network that was Nigeria, the formal financial institu­ women's economic and social beginning to tie things together-a tions are not too supportive of status. But management training network that would link them to grassroots people. Especially services provided by intermediary one another in the future. women." support agencies are usually non­ Co-facilitator, Isidore Boutchue, Jim Edgerton, the EDIDM existent or very weak. Programs when asked what impressed him trainer instrumental in launching which have provided management most about the workshop, replied, WEMTOP in India, expressed the training to such clients in the past "The quality of these teams. The hope that by expanding and have been expensive. ED1­ people... are very motivated to replicating GMT, EDI would sponsored grassroots management share their experience... Many continue to contribute to the training and outreach pilot pro­ programs have melted into one; yet reduction of poverty and women's grams show promise as a all the individual programs remain, empowerment in some very teplicable, cost-effective interven­ each according to its own country's practical ways. "Through WMTOP tion. In concert with other sup­ ways. Everyone knows what this is and the Women's Entrepreurship port-such as marketing advice or about, who we are working for­ Development Project in Africa and credit and finance-this can be a the grassroots women. We are WEMTOP in India, we are learning powerful means of enabling poor always talking and thinking of what it means to take gender and women to improve their own and them. We never lose track of that." community participation into their families' lives. The World Bank's EDI, though account to reduce poverty. Through Too soon, the final day of this better known for training govern­ this work we have learned that exciting workshop arrived. After a ment officials and policy makers, most poor people in the world are full morning session, participants seems eager to learn, to experiment women, most of whom earn their prepared to scatter to far-flung with new development approaches, livelihood in the informal sector. places. When they first came to to be participatory and to trust local Many of these poor women are Washington, they were already partners. I had heard the Bank was already engaged in income­ familiar with EDI as sponsoring concerned about poverty and generating activities and agency. The workshop created the gender, but previously that had microenterprises, and they have impetus for them to push them­ always sounded so abstract. And as demonstrated how 'bankable' and selves a bit more, to examine what for my wondering what a productive they are. As they have else could be done to help manag­ grassroots manager is, I feel certain become clients of appropriately ers and trainers learn together in this new field of grassroots entre­ I would recognize her now. • 0{B~BlimE> ® II~ f'OIJ "1EU.. E\leR'fC»..£ HE WORKS AT ,"E -re:u... -mE C"LAss. '" H.4;T" Cf2 ~T~7~·I! W~L.'b 'BAl'«. il-\AT' H ENJS. J / 1I f I I I! o 1 Bank's World / March 1995 11 !- JJ Women in Action: Rebels and Reformers by Harriet Baldwin " G etting the vote in 1920 funded by the National Endowment Congress, the National Archives, was a great achievement for the Humanities. the D.C. Public Library, and the for American women," Having won the vote in 1920, private papers of women and says Priscilla Rachun Linn, curator American women organized to press organizations that are portrayed. · of a Smithsonian exhibit entitled for measures that would reduce Michael Wishart of the Photo Women in Action: Rebels and infant mortality, achieve greater Library in the Bank's External Reformers, 1920 to 1980. Ms. Linn equity in wages, widen educational Affairs Department was especially is married to Johannes Linn (Vice opportunity, improve working helpful. President for Financial Policy and conditions in factories and among Ms. Linn began consulting with Risk Management), and she is the migrant farm workers, win civil rights, the Smithsonian 17 years ago and new president of the Margaret and demonstrate for peace. "Many has participated in several other McNamara Memorial Fund. "But a women's groups were at work," Ms. exhibits. She did her undergraduate lot of work preceded suffrage," she Linn says. "They were members of work at Cornell and has a D. Phil. continues, "and a lot followed it. numerous religious, racial, and from Oxford in Social Anthropol­ American women have never been ethnic groups. The advancement of ogy, completing her field work in idle in the struggle for social justice." American women has been a Chiapas, Mexico. Museum work What preceded suffrage is shown in multicultural achievement." proved a good way to express her the Smithsonian's permanent exhibit, Each set of exhibition panels professional interests and provided From Parlor to Politics: Women and presents a theme: suffrage, social a flexible schedule during the years Reform in America, 1890 to 1925, reform, women's rights, civil rights, when the two Linn children were . located in the Smithsonian's labor, and peace. Photographs, ybung. She also found time to serve National Museum of American portraits, documents, and other on the Selection Panel for the History. What followed suffrage is memorabilia are superimposed on Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund. depicted in this temporary exhibit, large photographic prints that cover "The exhibit and the MMMF located just inside the Constitution the entire panel. As curator, Ms. came together in a quotation from Avenue entrance to the museum. Linn worked with nine women a United Nations document we Displayed on three double-sided, historians who met at the national used in the exhibit," she noted. "It's seven-foot folding panels that are offices of the League of Women this: 'Women are half of the world's easily dismantled, shipped, and Voters and were consultants as the population, contribute two-thirds of reassembled, the exhibit will travel exhibit took form. "They decided the world's working hours, receive to 15 American cities after closing on the five themes and made one-tenth of the world's income, in Washington April 2. The exhibit research suggestion," Ms. Linn says. and own one-hundredth of the was mounted by the League of She wrote the exhibit script, did the world's property.' That's true," she Women Voters Education Fund and photo research, arranged the adds, "and it's what we're trying to Harriet Baldwin is married to Bank retiree George (Jim) Baldwin. She has long been active in WBVS, serves on the Board of the visuals, selected quotations, wrote captions, and worked with the exhibit designer. Her photo re­ search took her to the Library of change in the MMMF." • MMMF, and has been a consultant to the Banle 12 Bank's World / March 1995 t was nearly a year ago when a I colleague paid me a compli­ ment. "That was fantastic, a really terrific issue of Bank s World," he said. Well, that's what I thought he said. "Thank you," I replied with becoming modesty, "Lord knows we try our very best. .. " "Yes, yes," he interrupted, "I rolled around laughing." Rolled around laughing? Not Bank Swirled Exposed quite the reaction we seek. We Laughing All the Way at the Bank might occasionally be a little droll, but nothing to cause rolling around byJill Roessner (unless you want to be really unkind about some of the mug shots in the back). "Meet us in Rm. MC-C4-901 on ment "just for a lark." One had to Suddenly I realized ..The Monday at noon-and come do with the World Bank's Policy on compliment was not for us at all, alone. " If only I'd had one of those Risk-Taking. The other was a Staff but for that scurrilous rag that newfangled phones that tell you Announcement regarding the l)1ysteriously appears each April 1, who's calling. employment of a certain Mr. Spiros and now has the audacity to call Eventually Monday came. I Linguini to the position of Senior itself Bank Swirled in a shameless headed for the appointed place Adviser, Risk-Avoidance, Personnel parody of our esteemed publica­ where, with incredible cunning, I Management Department. Mr. Linguini tion. arranged for a hidden photographer was, and I quote, "responsible for a Did my colleague actually to capture the photo below. I also career punishment program for staff believe this document originated in learned the history of BS. with latent innovative tendencies our offices? Apparently so. I didn't It all began 11 years ago when and pathological creativity. " know whether to be flattered or the ringleader circulated two fake appalled. Since Bank Swirled (BS) newsletters around his own depart­ holds nothing and no one sacred, I decided the latter might be safer. And, lest anyone make the same mistake again, I realized the time had come to expose the perpetrators. But how? I had to get the word out that I wanted to meet with the impudent individual or individuals concerned. There was only one way to disseminate my message quickly and efficiently throughout the institution. The grapevine. I didn't The perpetrators. Not shown: one other perpetrator. have long to wait. Photo by Michele Iannacci Bank's World / March 1995 13 The documents were well headline "New Private Sector picture (art having been introduced received. Actually, they were copied Emphasis at World Bank." (I told in 1986) showed a beautiful and copies were copied, and copies of you the more things change.... ) illustration of St. Patrick's Cathedral, copies were copied (you get the The text read thus: "Announcing relocated to the corner of 18th and idea) and they found their way all that they were sick and tired of the H, entitled "The Main Complex around the Bank. When April 1, problems that have plagued the After Renovation." 1985, approached, our hero had to world's most prestigious interna­ Not without a certain degree of surpass his previous year's effort. tional lending organization, the ingenuity, there was also a descrip­ Hence a new publication called entire staff of the World Bank tion of a new lending strategy, Snowflake (the Newsletter ofPA 's resigned today and immediately purportedly designed by former Complex) announced an IBRD/IFC­ formed a consulting firm." Chief Economist Stanley Fischer wide crackdown on the use of AFR Vice President Kim Jaycox (who has also gone on to greater acronyms, bringing the two organi­ admits, "I rather smugly assumed I glory, being second in command at zations in line with the IMF, UN, was the original impetus behind the the IMF now). "This new plan WHO, FAO, UNESCO and UNDP. creation...this tabloid [having] initially allows the Print Shop to print Snowflake was back in 1986 appeared during the 1987 Reorgani­ virtually unlimited amounts of advising that "The suggested zation in which I played a small, money in the currency of each reincarnation, which follows and some might say cameo, role." IBRD borrower. The borrower then reorganizations, realignments, renewals, reconstitutions, A:ttL-IH-1 and retribution, indicated that the PMD Staffing Division will merge with the Legal Depart­ ment, while the PMD Front Office will merge with Peter's Flowerland. " Yes folks, this was the 1986 issue. The more things change... By now, the April Fools Day publication had become something In honor of the 1987 Reorgani­ quickly repays its outstanding debt of an institution, and others were zation, Snowflake became Bank's and eliminates the burden of becoming involved. The publica­ Wordy in 1988, with the motto: "If interest payments." tion was evolving from a depart­ you put a bunch of clowns to­ There was a special supplement, menta1 document and the ring­ gether, you're going to have a too: the Swimsuit Edition of the leader, whom we'll upgrade to the circus." This insightful comment Weekry Bull, along with some advice title of editor (but not to be con­ was attributed to Gautam Kaji (then for protecting against computer fused with Bank's World editor Asia Country Department II Direc­ viruses-but it's too rude to be who is a model of rectitude), tor) who has now risen to the giddy reprinted here. started getting story ideas from heights of Managing Director­ And so the years rolled by. BS other people-at least from those possibly as a result of such percep­ (although still called Bank's Wordy) who knew or guessed where to tiveness. The issue also included acquired an Editorial Board, and­ send their contributions. (Staff may helpful tips about "Sex on Mission" believe it or not-they do have some have observed that attempts to and "How to Act Like an Ex-YP." standards. As one of them pointed keep a secret in the Bank are not And if anyone found it irreverent, out: "If there's anything in our material always 100 percent successful.) that view could only be reinforced that offends you, you ought to see The 1987 Snowflake had a the following year when the cover the stuff we don't put in." 14 Bank's World / March 1995 It's true, the April 1 publication Department, where Under Treasury compensatory leave for the late pokes fun at the institution, but it's Secretary Larry Summers was nights and weekends which are just that-good fun. As its editor overheard to mention that it was undoubtedly being sacrificed to this says, "We do it to make people "the best thing he'd seen out of the endeavor under the guise of writing laugh; not to cause pain." The Bank. .. " Praise indeed, coming from an SAR?" he asked. "Inquiring group respects our cultural differ­ one whose own editorial skills did minds want to know." ences and avoids ethnic jokes (if not escape attention when he was In fact, the BS Editorial Group you don't count a bit about our the Bank's Chief Economist. meets at lunchtime, after work and Aussie colleagues and a "Down In what was clearly a ruse to weekends. They write much of the Under Social featuring a roo bar... try and discover the BS writers' material themselves, but suggestions, Spouses and mates are welcome, identities, Mike Ruddy allowed that jokes and ideas trickle in throughout but no drongos, yobbos, curtain he didn't mind a bit that they made the year. By January, they are climbers or ankle biters. Ripper!") fun of him, adding that "If the seriously culling the accumulation, Sometimes, well quite often, a senior reporters would drop by, I could meeting for lunch once a week, manager is targeted, but that's the supply a lot more material." bouncing ideas off each other, price well-known people have [Editor's Note: They 're a bit too weeding out pieces that seemed always had to pay, and most of our clever to fall for that one, Mike.] funny once but have become dated, managers take it in good part. Mavee Park, the Bank's survey adding in new topical material. The OBP Director Ian Scott, who's specialist, had a constructive idea: magazine begins to take shape in the often been featured ("If you are BS should be distributed along with winter months preceding April Fools ready to share my vision just call the Attitude Survey, thus ensuring Day. There's a last, huge effort to me...and say 'Beam me up, Scott"') the survey gets all our attention­ pull it all together at the end of points out: "[they] have established and at a time when we're laughing. March, then they have the finished an enviable place in our folklore .. '! Unwittingly, BS has managed product printed and copied, at their appreciate their sensitivity, because to offend a few people over the own expense, outside the Banle they have resisted the easy path of years-but so has Bank's World. In The initial distribution is strictly being funny by being cruel. It is an institution such as ours, with limited, but that lasts about as long not cruel to take aim at pomp, people from many different cultural as it takes the rest of us to copy a circumstance, bureaucratic excess backgrounds, we are not all dozen pages. Last year's, with its and twaddle." He adds, by the amused by the same thing. Appar­ cover picture of the Taj Mahal way, that "there is no truth to the ently several articles to do with ("The Choksis return to Maryland") rumor that the Bank's Swirled women's issues over the years were even found its way to some of the business is the focus of a forthcom­ taken amiss, perhaps due to the resident missions. In a memo to ing process innovation exercise." critics' assumption that the offend­ Ann Hamilton and Dan Ritchie, At least one manager was ing material was written by a man. whom he erroneously assumed to delighted to be mentioned in BS, It wasn't. Let it be revealed that the be BS editors, Vice President and said he felt he'd really arrived. BS core grou p of eight is evenly Armeane Choksi commented: "For And Senior Adviser Ann Hamilton divided: four men and four women. a pair of investigative reporters, who, along with Dan Ritchie Their ages range from thirtyish to you certainly don't know your (Director, MNl), was credited as fiftyish, and both support level and business. I have not been able to publisher in a faux memo that was higher level staff are represented. sell the Taj Mahal (yet). It is the part of last year's publication, They're all hardworking, productive Udaipur Palace that was sold (for a claims: "My reputation in the Bank people, and if you're imagining a song actually). But all these places was enhanced immeasurably by the bunch of zany stand-up comedians, look alike to you .. .foreigners." fact that the 1994 10th anniversary you couldn't be more wrong. It April is just around the comer. edition gave credit for a decade of struck me that something they all It's almost time for the next edition. often side-splitting (if your sides have in common is that they are Unfortunately, April 1 falls on a split easily) humor to Dan Ritchie tremendously dedicated to the Saturday this year. Will they get it and me. This is the first time I have work of the Bank and take its out a day early, or will we have to been able to tell the truth: the use mission (and their careers) very wait until Monday? Who knows? I of my name was a spoof. But I seriously; yet they still have the don't, and please don't call this don't know about Dan." energy and creativity to undertake office to ask for it. To get Bank Dan Ritchie professes inno­ this production on their own time. Swirled, just listen for the sound of cence, too, but he did pass along Kim Jaycox had been con­ unrestrained mirth, track down the the information that a copy of BS cerned about that point. "Are we chortler, borrow his or her copy, and found its way to the U.S. Treasury paying overtime or granting make your own. • Bank's World / March 1995 15 n this 50th anniversary year, the I Bank has been reflecting on the lessons of experience from the past half century. Perhaps the most fundamental lesson is that people are both the means and the ends of development. Investment in people is linked to productivity and employment, to slowing population growth rates, Educating Girls and to accelerating poverty reduc­ tion. And participation by people is The Most Effective Investment in the Developing World key to long-term development progress. Education, above all, is the building block. No country has managed to take off economically with a low literacy rate. Institu­ Managing Director Sven Sandstrom addressed the Economic Development Institute Workshop on Girls' Education last tional strength and a country's capacity to compete in our rapidly October in Washington, D.C. Here are excerpts/rom his remarks: changing world depend on its trained people. The developing countries have made great strides in education over the past generation. The number of schools has doubled; the number of teachers has tripled. Even the poorest countries have been able to increase primary school enrollment from about 40 to 60 percent. But much remains to be done-particularly for girls' education. It is striking that despite the dramatic global increase in enroll­ ments, equity of access to educa­ tion remains a major issue through­ out the developing world. Enroll­ ment of girls lags behind that of boys at all levels: in 1990, for every 100 males enrolled, there were only 86 females at the primary Schoolgirls and their female teacher, Pakistan. level, 75 at the secondary, and 64 at Photo by Curt Camemark. the tertiary. On average, boys could expect to attend school about one­ bands do is overwhelming. Education also increases willingness to seek and-a-half years longer than girls. medical care and improves sanitation practices. Small wonder that the Yet, a steadily increasing body children of more educated women are much more likely to grow up of evidence suggests that girls' healthy. Evidence from 13 developing countries shows that a 10 percent education is probably the single increase in female literacy helps lead to a 10 percent reduction in child most effective investment that a mortality. developing country can make: • Second, educating women reduces maternal mortality. By • First, educating women increasing knowledge about health care practices and reducing the reduces child mortality. The average number of pregnancies, female education significantly reduces the evidence that mothers direct much risk of mothers dying during childbirth. In South Asia, where female more of their income to expendi­ enrollments are low, maternal mortality rates are about 10 times higher tures on children than their hus- than in East Asia where female enrollments are high. 16 Bank's World / March 1995 • Third, educating women reduces fertility. involved in such household tasks as fetching water and In regions where female education levels are higher, fuel and managing younger siblings and farm activities. fertility levels are lower. Studies show that an addi­ Between ages 10 and 15, girls may work eight to 10 tional year of women's schooling can reduce female hours a day on productive activities inside and outside fertility rates by 5 to 10 percent. the home. Poor families cannot easily afford to forego • Fourth, educating women improves family such help. Expected future income for women is also health. Educated women are better able to take care much lower than for men. Hence, when parents of their own-and their families'-health. Recent choose which children to send to school they normally research also shows that there is a strong correlation favor the boys. between low female enrollment rates and high HIV/ In many countries. under-investment in girls' AIDS prevalence rates. Educated women have better . education is also due to the inability of school systems access to information about HIV/ AIDS and can take to satisfy parental preferences. Parents sometimes better care of their reproductive health. prefer their daughters to be taught by women-and • Fifth, educating women increases the thus a shortage of female teachers can inhibit girls educational attainments of their children. Educated from attending school. If schools are far away from mothers are better able to prepare their children to be home, girls' participation drops because of parental successful in school and in the labor market-thus concerns regarding their daughters' safety. Social improving the productivity of future generations. custom relating to appropriate behavior for girls is Educated mothers also reinforce their daughters' educa­ another important factor why girls are withdrawn from tional aspirations, thereby passing down the benefits of schools. In many African countries, it is likely that a girls' education from generation to generation. majority of teenage women will have had a baby by • Sixth, educating women has important the time they reach the age of 20. Early marriage and environmental benefits. Women, and particularly early childbearing can severely curtail a young women farmers in Africa, are often the primary manag­ woman's access to education. ers of natural resources and the local environment. What can be done to overcome these barriers? At a Indeed, the World Bank's 1992 World Development broad level, the best way to improve education for Report on the environment concluded that investment girls is to improve education for all. This was espe­ in female education is one of the highest return cially true in the case of the high-growth East Asian investments in environmental protection that develop­ "miracle" economies where-despite cultural norms ing countries can make. that valued the education of sons--enforcement of • Seventh, educating women increases universal education resulted in reducing the gender productivity. Primary education combined with access gap. Experience during the 1980s in countries like to extension services are particularly important for Burundi, Senegal, Uganda and Zimbabwe also indi­ agricultural productivity in many developing countries cates that improving access to education for all in­ where most of the farming is done by women. A study creases girls' share in enrollment. of maize farming in Kenya, for example, found that an Of course, not only more-but better--education additional year of education for women increased is needed. Many schools in developing countries fail to production by over 20 percent. reach or teach children not just because resources are We know that education for girls is a key link in inadequate, but because resources are used ineffi­ transfonning the vicious cycles of ignorance, disease, and ciently. poverty-into virtuous cycles of learning, health, and In primary schools, dropout and repetition rates sustainable development. But if the benefits are as impres­ are high, so that countries have to pay for as many as sive as we believe they are, why does the status of girls' nine years of education simply to produce one pupil education in developing countries remain so poor? who has completed the fifth grade. This inefficiency, Barriers to Girls' Education estimated at as much as 30 to 40 percent of many Poverty persists as. the main obstacle to education primary education budgets, is something few nations for all children in the developing countries. However, can afford if they are to improve overall educational girls are even more penalized than boys for a variety quality-and especially if they are to increase access to of cultural, religious, and economic reasons. The education for girls. opportunity cost, for example, of sending girls to However, no country with low female enrollments school can be very high-because they perform can rely solely on general approaches to increase essential tasks at home: cooking, d eaning, and caring educational access and quality. It will simply not for younger siblings. In Burkina Faso, girls from the redress the imbalance against girls quickly enough. age of 7 spend 3.5 hours a day on household tasks There must also be specific targeting. One basic policy compared with only 1.5 hours for boys. In India, instrur;nent is to increase school places specifically for Bangladesh, and Nepal, by the age of 5 many girls are girls. Chad, Yemen, Pakistan, India, Senegal and Bank's World / March 1995 17 Bangladesh have all made special efforts to extend It should be stressed, however, that this is an area classrooms or build new schools exclusively for girls. where the Bank- like our borrowers-continues to Another similar policy instrument is to reserve some learn. school places for girls-as has been done in Malawi Role of Women and Girls' Education where the government reserves a third of all secondary Increasing education for girls, in the long run, is school places for girls. Tanzania has a similar policy. closely linked to enhanCing the role of women in Adding school places may not, of course, be development. Fundamentally, educating girls must be sufficient if the demand from parents and the commu­ made more economically attractive. This means nity at large is not there. In Bangladesh, Chad, Mali, reducing labor market discrimination against women Morocco, Pakistan, and Papua New Guinea, World so that income differentials between men and women Bank-assisted projects have included information are reduced or eliminated. It also means reducing the campaigns on this topic. Other programs for specially short-term costs to parents of sending their daughters targeting and increasing girls' access to education to school. include: One thing we know is that financing is not really • Hiring more female teachers to draw more the issue. The Bank has estimated that educating an girls into school. Even in a co-educational setting, additional 26 million girls at the primary level each cross-country data suggest a strong positive correlation year would cost only about $1 billion. Raising the between the proportion of female teachers and in­ secondary school enrollment of girls to that of boys, creases in girls' education. would mean educating an additional 32 million girls at • Offering special scholarship programs for girls a cost of about $2.2 billion. Eliminating educational living in rural areas-such as those begun in discrimination in the developing world would thus Bangladesh and Guatemala. cost a total of about $3 billion annually. This repre­ • Offering flexible school hours to address the sents less than one quarter of one percent of develop­ opportunity cost of girls' school attendance by allow­ ing countries' GDP, less than two percent of their ing girls to combine schooling with household chores. government consumption, and less than one percent Evidence from Bangladesh, Colombia and China of their total investment in new capital goods. demonstrates the effectiveness of flexible scheduling. Considering the very low cost of equalizing • Protecting girls' privacy can help to increase educational opportunities for men and women, the their enrollment. The effectiveness of this approach question is not whether countries can afford this has been demonstrated in Pakistan where appropriate investment, but whether countries can afford not to sanitary facilities and boundary walls around girls' educate more girls. And the Bank stands ready to schools have been provided. support such investments. • Building child care centers at or near schools: Conclusion: No Time to Lose child care provision relieves girls from sibling care Ultimately, of course, increasing education for girls during the day-and can also help improve the is a matter of changing priorities and attitudes­ nutritional status and school readiness of younger particularly male attitudes. Despite the accumulating siblings. evidence to the contrary, there are still those who say_ • Measures outside the education sector can also that educating girls is a strategy that pays off only in help to promote female schooling. In Nepal, the the very long run. government distributed fuel-efficient, smokeless, As Hilary Ngweno, the Editor of the Weekly wood-burning stoves to 15,000 families as part of a Review in Kenya, said at a meeting sponsored by the program to check deforestation; this reduced the time World Bank in Nairobi: "We should remind ourselves spent by girls collecting wood for cooking. of the old African saying that if we educate a boy, we Role of the Bank in Promoting Girls' educate one person. If we educate a girl, we educate a Education family-and in fact, a whole nation." The World Bank's lending for education has more Education for girls must become a priority for us than doubled in recent years to an annual average of $2 billion in the period 1989-93. Basic education programs have steadily increased over the past decade from about a quarter of the Bank's total education all-now. • lending in 1990 to closer to half in 1993-much of it focused on keeping girls in school. The Bank also assists governments to expand knowledge of what works in a given country environment to expand female enrollments. 18 Bank's World / March 1995 T he University of Dakar is one of the oldest in Africa. At Independence, everyone expected it would train "the best and the brightest," providing qualified leaders in all spheres of development. Al first these aspirations were met, but by the 1980s, the University of Dakar had been scarred by repeated crises, frequent strikes and serious Generating Reforms mismanagement of funds. Being accepted into the univer­ Through Public Debate sity system was tantamount to being The Senegal Higher Education National Dialogue adopted by the state, resulting in guaranteed government employment and a host of other perquisites, by Etienne Baranshamaje and Lucy Keough including high salaries and regular European sabbaticals at state expense. With continuing free tuition, enrollment swelled, while curricula development and academic standards 'Yere sorely neglected. Despite its high share of the total education budget, gross mismanagement of resources caused the university to operate with insufficient funds in critical areas. A reassessment of the full gamut of university policies--enrollment levels, academic standards, and the issue of students assuming a share in tuition costs-was long overdue. What follows is an account of the process that ultimately generated reforms, a national dialogue on higher University of Dakar education spanning more than a year, Photo by Honore George Ndaiyi and how the Bank assisted. Early efforts at reform were Government paid lip service to the politicization of the university and thwarted, largely by strident and idea, but seemed afraid of a by campus problems spilling over powerful student and teachers' unions. process it might not fully control, into the political arena, suggested a In April 1991, a Bank mission especially with elections just broader debate on the whole gamut proposed a national debate on higher around the corner. The university of challenges facing the nation, education. The government resisted, administration, teachers' union and tantamount to a public verdict on apparently fearing it would allow student association, concerned at a the Diouf regime. opposition groups open season to possible diminution of their ben­ To alleviate these fears, the criticize any aspect of government efits, embarked on their own Bank argued that continued policy. But the Bank's team (disheart­ campaign to frustrate all attempts to deterioration in education was in ened by Senegal's dismal performance organize a real debate. Although no one's interest. Furthermore, it on the policy front) were dogged in non-unionized members of the suggested an open and candid their efforts to mobilize support for university community realized debate would be a welcome the idea. By March 1992, an intense reform was necessary, they had lost change from the usual vicious cycle lobbying effort was under way. faith in the government's will to of unrealistic government promises implement difficult measures, and to students and teachers, who Etienne Baranshamaje is a Senior Projects Officer, AF5PH, and Lucy Keough is thus were not very persuasive. subsequently staged strikes when Cofinancing Coordinator in the Southern Opposition parties, whose interests Africa Department. were often served by the Bank's World / March 1995 19 government failed to honor its A barrage of obstacles was erected departmental committees, rather commitments. Efforts to enlarge the to sabotage its success: attempts to than deans who had previously debate were resisted. organize a parallel debate; threats abused the system. Studies to evaluate For the first time, parents' of a boycott. There was criticism a broad range of critical issues such as associations saw a chance to voice that the moderator's appointment internal management, staff compen­ their grievances against a system should have been more transparent sation and recruitment, admission that failed to provide adequate and consultative. There were legal policies, financial management and education, often necessitating arguments as to whether agreements budgeting procedures, were all sending children abroad for school­ would be binding. The more radical debated. Studies were delegated to a ing. A number of influentials students and teachers went so far team of consultants who presented (including retired professors and as to suggest the government be findings to a third plenary in August former ministers) recognized an bound to all previous agreements, 1993. During this process, the Bank's opportunity to introduce long many of which were antithetical to role was confined to support and overdue reforms, with possible the spirit of the debate. Despite efforts advice, not direction. The consultants' World Bank support. Finally, the by the mcxlerator to build consensus, reports articulated a compelling press enthusiastically welcomed the and a vigorous press campaign case for reforms through ample and debate which promised lively and portraying the debate as open and vivid illustrations of the system's heated discussions. Articles on participatory, it was impossible to many weaknesses and some higher education began to appear, secure the full agreement of all parties. shocking cases of mismanagement. putting government and the three The actual debate had a rocky Press coverage was extensive. vulnerable groups in the awkward start. Faced with the likelihood of Consistently, students and situation of either endorsing a student demonstrations, the first teachers' unions failed to recognize scheme that could expose their plenary was delayed three months that a public debate would expose the weaknesses or backing off an idea and ultimately convened in June ills of the system and forge a strong they had always publicly advo­ 1992 at the University of St. Louis national consensus behind the reforms. cated. The press would playa key (in Senegal), rather than Dakar as Their unyielding opposition resulted role as the debate evolved. originally planned. University of in two strikes, each of three months' Despite sometimes Herculean Dakar authorities originally boycotted duration, one between the first and efforts, the Bank's message only the event, only having a change of second plenaries, and another in marginally penetrated pockets of heart when faced with extensive 1994, to oppose the government's resistance. In the final analysis, the press coverage. Although there was implementation of reforms. In this decision was handed directly to the little concrete progress in the first war of wills, government never President who agreed--despite strong session, participation by both wavered. After numerous fruitless resistance from his own government students and teachers gradually rounds of negotiation, government which wanted to postpone the debate expanded, thanks to active encour­ closed the university along with its until after national elections. agement by the Rector of the lodging and eating facilities. New To moderate the debate, the University of Dakar. Eventually a rules regulating academic life were · President chose a respected 73-year­ second plenary was scheduled. applied fully, which resulted, inter old former Minister of Education When this convened in Dakar in alia, in the expulsion of fully one­ who, although officially retired from August, the Rector was elected third of the 1993-94 student body. politics, was still drafted to mediate chairman. As the session progressed, Overall, the reforms have delicate situations. With personal the debate became more substantive sought to create an atmosphere experience and intimate knowledge and the seeds of reform began to conducive to learning, including of the university system, he had seen sprout, although very slowly at first. respect for individual and collective the University of Dakar deteriorate Still, many participants doubted liberties, stronger and more trans­ from a quality institution into one government commitment to act on parent financial and administrative where educational norms had eroded reforms. Thus, a personal assurance management, and more professional, and a sense of anarchy prevailed. was sought from President Diouf. His less politicized academic standards. 1broughout the debate, he maintained response was swift and convincing, One particular example is worth excellent relationships with all stake­ confirming that all realistic proposals noting. While the right to strike is holders, constantly seeking their input for improving the system would be recognized for both students and on a wide range of topics. A Bank­ seriously considered. teachers, when a strike occurs, the funded Project Preparation Facility Time-bound limitations for normal academic schedule continues financed the logistics. repetition and duration of study were for non-striking students who are now Getting the process off the defmed, and enforcement was assured guaranteed police protection; in the ground proved incredibly difficult. by entrusting these decisions to past, they were often coerced into 20 Bank's World / March 1995 joining a strike through intimidation by tenured faculty, rather than a although severely under-enrolled were and physical abuse. For striking faculty senate comprising mostly kept open. The reform introduced teachers, salary is now suspended junior faculty and students. In stricter admissions criteria to conform for the duration of the strike and tandem, the faculty and university to available capacity, adopted tougher compensation for teaching remedial senate has been reorganized with a repetition rules, and merged a courses is disallowed. shift in power toward more senior, number of technical colleges and Equally important, the debate tenured staff. Faculty are no longer engineering schools. fostered a cultural shift in academia granted tenure upon appointment, Perhaps the most important toward greater responsibility, clearer but must earn it through excellence reforms were in the area of resource transparency and more accountabil­ in teaching, research and promotion management. Pre-reform, the bulk of ity. Fellowships are dependent on (based on transparent criteria). resources went for student housing, academic performance and are only Support for research-related travel is food, health services, fellowships, etc., for the duration of the academic, based on competitive, merit-based at the expense of curricula develop­ rather than the whole, year. Access processes. ment and pedagogical materials. To to the students' welfare scheme Within the student ranks, there is a introduce budget discipline, the (e.g. housing) is restricted to regular renewed sense of purpose. Prior to the govenunent has privatized all univer­ students who win assume an reforms, the university had become a sity restaurants, canceled expensive increasing share of total costs. repository for the country's educated leases with private landlords for Dormitories have been purged of youth, who otherwise faced scant student dormitories, increased tuition unauthorized occupants and timely employment opportunities. Conse­ fees for foreign students, augmented payment of rents is mandatory, quently, admissions were unrelated the food prices and room rates and failing which the student is expelled. to capacity, unlimited repetitions were put a freeze on the overall allocation Recent reforms have also restored permitted, and internal efficiency to the fellowship budget. The more normal appointment and (pass and graduation rates) was very impact of these measures is quite promotion practices for teaching low. At the same time, technical staff. Once again, deans are selected colleges and engineering schools continued on page 24 n January 1994, I made my first I mission to Senegal to help the Senegalese Ministry of Education establish a School Development Fund (Fonds de Developpement Scola ire) as part of an IDA credit for human resource development. The Fund's aim is to provide small Responding toCljent grants to individual schools so they can improve the quality of education Needs in Senegal and increase girls' enrollment. The Ministry had prepared selection criteria and procedures, but still by Ward Heneveld needed to work with people in the region, particularly school heads, to schools determine their needs. Little administrative region that had been help them make appropriate and did I know what I was in for. chosen as the pilot area for the School convincing proposals. As part of my During my first few days in Development Fund. Following are work in the Africa Technical Depart­ Senegal I became acquainted with the excerpts from my diary, describing ment, I had prepared a summary of human resources development our four days there. definitions and indicators on factors program the World Bank is support­ We spent the first day briefing that make schools more effective ing, and with staff in the Ministry of the local inspectors and running a (AFTHR Technical Note No. 14). It National Education. Also, I facilitated mini-seminar for them. On each of seemed this material would be useful a one-day seminar for Ministry the other three days we visited to the Senegalese as they estab­ officials and inspectors in Dakar on schools in the morning and ran a lished the mechanisms for helping factors that make schools effective. seminar for school heads in the Then, four Senegalese and I drove afternoon. I offer these notes as an Ward Heneveld is Senior Education about three hours to Diourbel, the example of what can be required of Specialist in AITHR. Bank's World / March 1995 21 ~- b World Bank staff as we respond to they politely showed me the town's had the same big tray with scrambled client needs. Also, I hope to share one modest hotel, but said they eggs and onions in it and fresh how rewarding and affirming this would stay in an unfurnished bread to scoop it up with. Today, work can be. education training center that we breakfast was a huge bowl with a Tuesday evening, January 18, had stopped at first. I found out kind of porridge and a very sweet Diourbel, Senegal. Today, I sat in a later that they weren't given any milk sauce we each spooned our classroom with over 40 headmas­ per diems because the World Bank fill from. The whole family seems ters while Papa Madiop Fall, the had stopped all disbursements, due delighted to have us around and Senegalese Education official in to problems in the Ministry of welcomes us warmly. The head of charge of the School Development Finance. Since I insisted on staying the house, a wizened, skinny, retired Fund, led them through an exercise with them, here I am in my room forestry official, eats with us. that uses their own experience to with the only furniture a foam One of the members of our group introduce my school effectiveness mattress on the floor, my clothes says the old man has it made. This materials. I thought, this is what has strewn around and hung on the may be the key to what mystifies to happen if we are to make cupboard doors, and the BBe on me about how desultory people's schools better. Here were my portable radio. I have my own behavior in Senegal seems. This Senegalese grappling with the bathroom: a shower that mysteri­ man "has it made" because he has details of how they will use funds ously produces warmish water, a a good house and yard ("lots of from a World Bank credit to western toilet, a small plastic con­ plants and animals" according to improve their schools. So what if tainer for washing myself after my informant), is surrounded by his the headmasters could not be using the toilet, and a sink and family (a youngish wife, the two specific about 'w hat their needs are, mirror. Not a bad set-up for a short young adult daughters, and a offering their ideas at a very high time, for no cost-at least none has crowd of young boys including an level of generality and tending to been mentioned. infant who finally let me hold him concentrate on improving the The meals have been even more tonight), and doesn't have to work. buildings. Unless the details of this interesting than the accommodations. If that defines the ideal life for the creative local development fund We travel across town to the house men who run the country-and it can be resolved at this level, much of our group leader's relative where doesn't sound bad-no wonder our of the money will be wasted. the women in his house (two young idea of "development" has not So far this has been an amaZing girls, both his daughters, I think, and caught on better. trip. On the one hand, there have his wife when she is not in the This evening, when we finally been three workshops for over 100 market) produce great meals. We finished our workshop at 7 o'clock, people, the latest one led by one of lounge around on chairs or mat­ I was informed we would call on the the Senegalese with whom I am tresses, chatting and waiting for the pre-school inspector before going for traveling. Now the other two food, large flat pans of mixed cereals, dinner. At her house, she warmly technical people with us on this vegetables, and meat out of which welcomed us in, even though my trip want to take the lead in the we all eat together. They are colleagues had made the decision ­ two seminars in the other Diourbel surprised, and I think impressed, to visit on the spur of the moment. districts over the next two days. that I prefer to eat with my hands. In no time, delicious iced drinks of When we are finished, in less than We scoop lip the food, or twice tamarind juice were produced, and a week I will have watched almost have sopped up stuff with fresh warm, sweetened fried bread was 200 Senegalese educators discussing french bread, sitting in a circle on brought by a servant. We chatted what makes their schools effective. small stools. They keep talking for 20 minutes and went on our way, At the same time, I have been most of the time, usually trading everyone appearing happy that this thrust fully into living with Senegalese. stories in a mixture of French and social encounter had occurred. That On Sunday, a driver from the Ministry Wolof. Water is set out for the end seems to be what life consists of­ of Education picked me up in the of the meal, and then afterwards, entertaining and being entertained. morn.illg and took me to Papa Madiop when we are back lounging in the The only hard part for me has Fall's house in a neighborhood of courtyard, the young boys produce been the lack of privacy, of time alone newly-built white houses along glasses that resemble small, stemless or doing what I wanted. When we sandy lanes on the outskirts of Swiss wine glasses but with a thick are together the activities are mainly Dakar. My host served dinner and sweet tea in them. The young boys purposeless, from my perspective. showed me around his neighbor­ have sat off to the side for some time There's little talk of our work (though hood. Then, when we got to before serving the tea, pouring it back when this does occur it's done Diourbel with the two other and forth from cup to cu p from a efficiently), and very little talk of officials who joined us after lunch, height. For breakfast yesterday, we politics or anything else serious. 22 Bank's World / March 1995 Instead, life seems aimed at cement­ afternoon's workshop, Mamadou ing and reinforcing social relations. Ndiaye from our group presented I am used to getting on with the job, my materials to the headmasters. either my work or my personal The group work went at least as well agenda. As I lie on the mattress as yesterday, and all four groups of under the stars vaguely listening to headmasters covered all six categories them telling stories in Wolof, I think of factors of effectiveness (yesterday's of everything else I could, and should, groups had only worked on three or be doing (like writing this note). four). We finished, fatigued, at about Then, I have been struck a few times 7:30 p.m., and have just returned from by the thought that there isn't much another one-dish dinner of couscous. difference between us. We are each Two conclusions from today: making our lives in ways that satisfy. First, I am tired of working in French, As I force myself to adapt to their pace trying to understand it, and putting and agenda, I appreciate the benefits up with Wolof for most of the small of treating time and responsibilities talk. There is no one, no one, with more gently. There are other ways to whom to speak English. I turned on define our lives and how we spend the radio as soon as I got in the room. them. Locked into one way, I newly While undoubtedly helping my French realize that perhaps I have been to improve, the language immersion losing out on some fun, for these is making me tired. Second, I realized Senegalese are surely having fun! this afternoon that the two work­ - January 19, still in Diourbel. shops we have had are not long Today was as fascinating as yesterday. enough to really engage the We started the day with a quick stop participants in the materials. They at an "ecole Arab" which are supposed spend most of the time reflecting to be secular schools thar teach in on their own experience, which Arabic. The headmaster listed the may be a good thing but they do it subjects they teach, and a quick look at a very high level of generality. in a cou pIe of classrooms suggested They do not get more than 15 the students are quite a bit older minutes to talk with each other than in regular schools. about the definitions and indicators We then visited a small school of what the research says makes next to the main highway with just schools effective, and this opportu­ three classes of about 20 students nity only comes when they are each. The school was not going to tired and it is getting dark in the operate while we were there, as the , unelectrified primary school three teachers felt bound to talk classrooms in which we have been with us, the visitors. I was frus­ meeting. I have an idea for post­ trated with not being able to see poning the next group's reflection the school functioning. The most I on their own experience until after could learn is that this school's we have talked together about very low enrollment is caused by these materials. Since I am certain and~~. the opposition of the marabout, that Kader Sy wants his turn to the local muslim religious leader, were chatting on, oblivious that present the session tomorrow, and I who has tried to get part of the something like 80 small students were am not sure that he yet has the school facility for an "ecole Arab." sitting quietly in' their seats. understanding to lead the discus­ At the next school, the head had a My spirits started to rise at the next sion, I will see what I can arrange well-painted and decorated classroom. school because I met a good head­ in the morning to participate more Everything was in place for our visit, master who seemed knowledgable actively. The key conclusion I have and again it looked as if I couldn't and serious, and I saw some reached about these sessions is that see any teaching. All that most of our profeSSional teaching to classes of I need to be more flexible and group wanted to do was stand over 100 pupils. creative in adapting the workshops around and talk. I even had to chase After lunch at the Departmental to time constraints, instead of just a cluster of my colleagues out of Inspector's home in the school shortening each step. • the front of one room where they complex in which we held this Bank's World / March 1995 23 L ometimes amidst the clamor S and confusion of the Bank's latest crisis, you just get frustrated and you want to rant. Why do we seem to spend so much time rebuilding after our mistakes? Why can't we seem to get it right? After an anniversary year marked more by boos than by Wintering cheers, shouldn't we all be pitching in to prove the value of the Bank's our Discontent work? Why is it, facing a hostile external environment, we have by Eric V. Swanson created a hostile internal environ­ ment as well? Someone asks, "How is staff dancy, a superfluity, and a circum­ a goal, it is the means to an end. morale?" Well, budget cutting and locution that obscures the fact the Likewise, we don't work here downsizing without transparent Bank will be losing real people because of the good it does us, but explanation-let alone clear with real skills. because of the good we do for accountability or participatory And those left behind will feel others. The Bank should be manag­ management-may placate our the difference. ing its staff, not hiring them for critics but they don't do much for What was it we failed to learn identified tasks, then discharging those who work here. Staff who in 1987 and in each of the subse­ them in panic. And staff should be have been making a first-class quent "fine tunings" and "mini­ focusing on the needs of their contribution to the development of reorganizations?" Did we forget that clients, not the security of their the world economy are now being large scale lay-offs would be jobs. Is anyone listening? told that their work is redundant. expensive? That a hasty process As winter turns into spring, Did anyone consult our clients? would result in arbitrary decisions? we'd all like to look ahead and see Redundant. What a word. From That people would be hurt and the some sign of promise , but the next the Latin "undare," overflowing, Bank's work disrupted? few months don't look good. It's and further back from "unda," a In this season of uncertainty going to be hard on all of us. But wave. So a wave of redundancies­ and discontent, we are in danger of we still need to work together, what the Bank faces in the next 12 losing sight of the Bank's purpose, support each other, and begin the months-is a rhetorical redun- forgetting its successes and for­ • rebuilding. swearing its future. A budget is not continued from page 21 Significant, freeing up resources for his government. He never once The Sahelian Department curricula development and other faltered, sending constant messages embarked on a project which it knew pedagogical needs. The quality of of su pport and encouragement to to be lengthy and risky and which services has also increased, as the moderator and participants, and it could influence only indirectly. reflected by the fact that it is now subsequently implementing reforms The department was instrumental in not uncommon for students to leave decisively and expeditiously. launching the debate and in tips in the university restaurants. Similarly, the unfailing determination breathing life into the process, but The success of this reform owes of the moderator was critical to always its role was discrete, behind much to the personal commitment maintaining the momentum and the scenes. The Bank can take pride of three people. President Diouf keeping participants focused on the in having supported-but not led showed courageous leadership in right issues. Finally, the Rector of or coerced-the Senegalese launching the debate, a risky the University of Dakar was a key Government's decision to tackle a undertaking, against the advice of driving force . difficult problem in a sector vital to the country's future. • 24 Bank's World / March 1995 Senior Staff Ram Kumar Chopra InderK. Sud Indian Indian Director, Director, Country Department II, Cofinancing and Financial Advisory Services, Middle East and North Africa Region, effective March 15. effective March 15. Peter Miovic Slovenian Lead Economist, Office of the Director, Economic Development Institute, effective March 6. Christian Delvoie WoonkiSung Belgian Korean Chief, Country Operations Division I, Manager, Data Management Unit, Middle East and North Africa Region, Controller's and Budgeting Department, effective March 1. effective March 15. In Memoriam We extend our condolences to the families of Retirees William Hauenstein, January 13 Lawrence Rapley, January 23 Bank's World / March 1995 25 h Children's Day at MIGA Seventeen youngsters, ranging in age from one month to 13 years, children of MIGA staff, attended the first MIGA Children's Day Decem­ ber 23. The event was organized by MIGA's Family Issues Committee (FIC) and began with a meeting for the older children. FIC Chairman, Srilal Perera, explained what a meeting is, since when the children call their parents at work, they're often told "They are in a meeting." The agenda included meeting with Executive Vice President Akira !ida, along with senior managers and other staff. While explaining the intricacies of the Transfer Risk The children meet Leigh Hollywood, MIGA's Vice President, Guarantees. coverage, Christophe Bellinger, Photo by Maria Maher Principal Guarantee Officer, was asked by his son, Sebastian, "Do you ever get bored?" The senior At noon, the four newest MIGA to be a place where people with Bellinger assured him that they babies, all less than a year old, different capabilities did a lot of don't have time to. were introduced. The older chil­ hard work. He added, "I know my The children were thrilled by dren had their favorite meal of father enjoys his work because he the "fact-finding mission" on which pizza and coke and, at the end of comes home very happy." they were accompanied by the day, two of them ventured their Mr. Perera said in closing that Bridgetta Ross-Sedlak and Lorna opinions of MIGA. Speaking in the event was not only arranged to Alcantara, who took them to visit Spanish, Luis Dodero, Jr., age 13, acquaint the children with their severa] staff members of different said that while the Bank gives loans parents' workplace, but also to nationalities so they could gather to poor countries, MIGA helps the remind staff there is life just as information about various coun­ private sector to build factories and important beyond the office. He tries; then Adnan Hassan took them create jobs in poor countries. And called on the institution to support on a computer-generated White Hiroshi Perera, age 8, speaking in a family-friendly work environment. House tour. Japanese, said he understood MIGA AnswerLine nature of their functions, program­ Executive Director in the close continuedfrom back cover matic cuts in the Bank's budget do monitoring of his/her expenses and not translate automatically into CODAM reviews the overall equivalent reductions in Executive Executive Directors' budget at midyear. Directors' responsjbilities. As a result of this close monitoring, Nevertheless, Executive Directors the Executive Directors' budget have exercised restraint in the growth experienced an underrun of 5% in of their budgets. The Committee on FY93 and 10% in FY94. For FY95 Executive Directors' Administrative the Executive Directors have Matters (CODAM) has established agreed to a guideline of zero strict rules for travel, representation, growth in real terms. ArnoldI Clift, and staffing in their offices. The Deputy Secretary, SEC. • Secretary's Department assists each 26 Bank's World / March 1995 We haven't conducted a Reader Survey in more than a decade, so it seems none too soon to check with our readers and find out what you have to say about us. Please answer the following questions and send your responses back, by April 15, to Room T-8044 (1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433). You don't have to sign your name. 1. How often do you read Bank's World? Always__ Sometimes__ Never_ _ 2. If you read it, do you read: Almost everything in an issue_ _Some artic1es _ _ A few artic1es __ 3. Should Bank's World devote more, the same, or less space to: More Same Less Policy stories _______-'--________________________________ Projectstories_________________~~~~---~~~~------------ Human interest stories ___________________ _ _ ____________ ___ Women'sIssues____________ _______~_~----------------- On the Record (speech excerpts)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Q&Ainterviews_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~_~~_ ___ __~~=_7_--~---~- Staff Association \. AroundilieBank~riclk~ure~ ___________________________~__~____~------------- Senior Staff Announcements ________________________ _____ _ __ AnswerLine________~-----~-~--------~---~----------- Photos and other illustrations_____ ______ __ __ _ _ ___________ ____ Humor _______________________ _________________ ___ Other(yoursuggestion~ _________________________________________________~--------~ 4. Does your family read Bank's World? Yes_ _ Sometimes No 5. Do you have any comments or ideas for us? 6. Please tell us something about yourself; check all that apply. Are you : a staff member __ a consultant __ at HQ __ at a field office _ _ retiree __ other reader male female Thank you for taking the time to complete this. Bank's World / March 1995 27 ( ... The purpose ofthis column is to distributed in my division, there important differences of opinion answer questions ofbroad interest is always a pile of them in the as to which areas of the institu­ concerning the World Bank Group's trash next to the mail boxes, tion ought to be trimmed down policies and procedures. Please and we can only assume they are the most. But one area that has include your name and room recycled into the next month's been left untouched and spared number so we can send you the irrelevant publication. all the pain that goes hand in answer to your question, even if it is This might be a good time to hand with such a cut is the not selected to appear in the maga­ take a look at all the internal and Executive Directors' offices. Why zine. Your confidentiality will be external publications to determine: are they protected-- and have protected and your name will not (1) whether we are getting our been in the past--to such an be submitted to the manager from money's worth; (2) how broadly extent? Like the rest of us, they whom the answer is sought. An they should be circulated; (3) are on the Bank's payroll and anonymous question can be possibilities for consolidation; have grown fat as well. These answered only if it is ofsufficiently and (4) austerity measures. Is offices are never subjected to broad interest to be included in the anyone looking into this? the scrutiny the rest of the magazine. Send your questions to: Answer: The writer's points are institution is. Down in the AnswerLine, Bank's World, well taken. A study of the Bank's trenches we·are all too familiar Rm. T-B03B. external publications (publications with the very frequent requests ••• handled by the Office of the for help, information, calcula­ Publisher) is proceeding at the tions, projections, drafts, replies Question: I just received EDrs moment and is looking at all the issues to outsiders' questions, and to quarterly newsletter. It has a raised in the final paragraph of the queries coming from their own photo of the Bank's president letter. This will be followed by a constituencies on matters they and it is printed in two colors broader Bankwide effort to establish should be conversant with. Bank on slick, heavy, recycled paper. institutional publication policies. staff are always available to meet The lead article, about the Cairo The study has already shown with their visitors and deal with Population Conference, has no that the number of publications complaints and matters that are apparent connection to the EDI. issued by departments far exceeds politically unpalatable for them. Other articles include personnel the number formally issued by the So, why not cut their budget as changes, the World Bank at Fifty, Office of the Publisher. In some cases well or go on a charge back and other internal matters. it is not clear what the distinction is system for services rendered? I receive random publications between the two categories. Answer: The Executive Direc­ of this sort almost daily and Rationalization is clearly needed, tors represent the shareholders, i.e. question their value. Many are and is expected to come about as a Governors of the Bank. According self-promotional or of interest result of the efforts now under way. to the Articles of Agreement that to a very small population. They James Feather, Publisher, EXT established the Bank, Executive seem to have proliferated Directors exercise all the powers of without any plan or strategy, Question: How are the the Governors except seven which and appear to be costly to write, Executive Directors' Offices the Governors have reserved for edit, produce and distribute. Some affected by the 10 percent themselves. Their responsibilities aspects of their cost (heavy paper, budget cut "across the board"? are therefore different from those of multiple colors, photos of the Despite efforts by senior manage­ the management and staff. They president) would be as hard to ment in the Bank to dress the decide on behalf of the Governors on justify as nrst-class air travel emperor with new clothes, it is all institutional, lending, financial used to be. Most of these publi­ now a known fact that we are and personnel policies, including cations have to be distributed undergoing a major downsizing. the annual budgets and programs. for free because no one would On a general level, most of us Because of this representational pay for them. When they are agree that the Bank needs to lose some fat, although there are continued on page 26 28 Bank's World / March 1995