1997 NGO Report

Abstract

The Bank's cooperation with NGOs is directed primarily toward developmental NGOs -- NGOs engaged in various aspects of development work. Among developmental NGOs are operational NGOs -- broadly, NGOs with a purpose related to socioeconomic development or environmental protection and management; and advocacy NGOs -- NGOs whose primary purposes relate more to advocating policies addressing a specific sector or a specific concern or point of view. The dividing line between these two classes of NGOs is not firm, and many NGOs are active in both areas. 2. From an operational point of view, the Bank works with NGOs primarily on a project level, a programming level, and a policy level. At the project level, the Bank works with NGOs in the identification, design, implementation and evaluation of projects. Approaches employed in this process necessarily must be defined on a project-by-project basis and they depend in a large part on specific project circumstances. Country-specific circumstances also are a major consideration as the Bank necessarily must respect national legislation, policies and development priorities in any cooperation with NGOs. Cooperation with NGOs in project and TA activities relates primarily to operational NGOs, most often those NGOs active in the local area of the particular project, though there is a role for advocacy NGOs in some aspects of the Bank’s project and TA activities.