Title: The World Bank.

POPLINE Document Number: 134892

Author(s):

Merrick T

Source citation:

In: Report from the Meeting on Changing Communication Strategies for Reproductive Health and Rights, December 10-11, 1997, Washington, D.C., [compiled by] Working Group on Reproductive Health and Family Planning. [New York, New York], Population Council, Health and Development Policy Project, [1998]. :62-3.

Abstract:

The need that donor agencies have to measure progress through the use of specific indicators creates a results-driven orientation that is sometimes incongruent with the client-focused, consumer orientation called for by the International Conference on Population and Development and the Fourth World Conference on Women. This tension can be mitigated by the development of measurable indicator and evaluation techniques that indicate that communications goals are worth the investment. It is also a challenge for huge organizations like the World Bank or Ministries of Health to transform their programs to respond to the goals that arose from these conferences, and it is difficult for nongovernmental organizations to overcome governmental politics and corruption to create the kinds of partnerships needed to create change. In order to adopt a reproductive health approach that supports reproductive choice while addressing many neglected reproductive health areas, the World Bank has created a policy dialogue that has successfully moved the policy processes forward in Bangladesh, India, and Indonesia to the point where larger issues, such as gender bias in service delivery, can be addressed. The World Bank also understands that health care systems can not be addressed in isolation from the larger political context.

Keywords:

Critique
World Population Conferences
Goals
World Bank
Policy
Evaluation
Organization and Administration
Program Activities
UN
International Agencies
Organizations
Planning
Programs