Knowledgeable Bankers? The Demand for Research in World Bank Operations
Development impact calls for knowledgeable development practitioners. How then do the operational staff of the largest development agency value and use its research? Is there an incentive to learn and does it translate into useful knowledge? A new...
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2012
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| Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20111212085806 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3674 |
| Summary: | Development impact calls for
knowledgeable development practitioners. How then do the
operational staff of the largest development agency value
and use its research? Is there an incentive to learn and
does it translate into useful knowledge? A new survey
reveals that the bulk of the World Bank's senior staff
value the Bank's research for their work, and most come
to know it well, although a sizable minority have difficulty
accessing research to serve their needs. Another group sees
little value to research for their work and does not bother
to find out about it. Higher perceived value is reflected in
greater knowledge about research, though there are frictions
in this process. Staff working on poverty, human development
and economic policy tend to value and use research more than
staff in the more traditional sectors of Bank lending --
agriculture and rural development, energy and mining,
transport and urban development; the latter sectors account
for 45 percent of lending but only 15 percent of staff
highly familiar with Bank research. Without stronger
incentives for learning and more relevant and accessible
research products, it appears likely that this lag in demand
for research by the traditional sectors will persist. |
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