World Bank Group │ What Have We Learned? The Evaluation Podcast

Biodiversity is part of the productive machinery of an economy. Experts from the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, and IEG discuss evidence on achieving biodiversity-positive growth and translating global commitments into development priorities that recognize nature as essential to thriving economies and jobs.

The World Bank Group has been working to capture the efficiencies offered by Artificial Intelligence, while building institutional foundations to identify and address its inherent risks. The overarching goal is to transfer AI-enabled gains to the countries it works with, in the form of better, faster support and greater accountability.  In this episode of What Have We Learned?, host Darlene Christopher speaks with Craig Hammer, Manager of the World Bank's Development Data Group and its Global Data Facility, and Estelle Raimondo, Head of Methods at the Independent Evaluation Group and lead author of IEG's AI strategy. They discuss how they have been integrating AI into their workflows, from investing in robust data and building AI skills across staff, to advancing the governance and culture shifts that the responsible use of AI demands.

What does it take for the World Bank Group to truly become a knowledge bank?   In this episode of What Have We Learned? we explore findings from IEG’s recent evaluation Learning in World Bank Lending, which examines how the World Bank captures, applies, and shares knowledge throughout the project cycle. Host Darlene Christopher is joined by Rasmus Heltberg (IEG), Andrea Kucey (World Bank), and Kristen Fenster (IFC) for a candid conversation on the Bank Group’s strengths, its persistent learning blind spots, and why informal, tacit knowledge often matters just as much as formal lessons. 

This episode explores lessons from the World Bank’s support to the blue economy, a widely recognized approach to shift the way we work and think in ocean spaces. Blue economy principles emphasize planning, restorative, and inclusive actions that support the sustainable and equitable management of ocean resources for future generations.

This episode explores how monitoring and evaluation systems enable the World Bank Group to learn from its support for gender equality, assess whether it leads to meaningful change, and decide when to scale up or adjust efforts to maximize impact.

Supporting the creation of more, better, and more inclusive jobs is critical towards achieving the goals of poverty reduction and shared prosperity in countries. This is especially true for low-income countries that face multiple challenges, such as informal employment, inequality in earnings, and lack of opportunities, among others, when it comes to creating jobs. Tackling these multiple challenges requires a multipronged approach, including engaging with the private sector. Since 2014, the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries, the International Development Association (IDA) has made jobs a particular focus in its projects.   In this episode, host, Birgit Hansl, Manager in the economic management and country program unit in IEG, speaks with Oscar Calvo-Gonzalez, Regional Director of the World Bank's Economic Policy Global Practice in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, and Rashmi Shankar, Lead Economist in IEG. Together, they unpack the challenges that low-income countries face in creating better jobs and discuss how the World Bank can help address some of these challenges focusing on the role of the private sector. 

Countries worldwide are facing a learning crisis with high levels of learning poverty - with the poorest communities being the hardest hit. What are the lessons from World Bank’s efforts in addressing this learning crisis?

Geospatial analysis has the potential to provide new perspectives on major development challenges and shed new light on the impact of development interventions. This episode features a lively conversation about using geospatial analyses in evaluations, breakthroughs, challenges, and the future of this technology.

Improving financial inclusion is linked to at least 9 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and is considered by the World Bank Group as a key enabler of its mission of creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet. This episode brings together two World Bank Group leaders spearheading financial inclusion efforts: Jean Pesme,  Global Director for Finance, in the Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice; and Adel Meer, International Finance Corporation’s Manager for Financial Inclusion. The episode is hosted by Carmen Nonay, Director of the Finance, Private Sector, Infrastructure and Sustainable Development Department at IEG

The World Bank is committed to reaching women and girls trapped in fragile, conflict-affected and violent contexts with support aimed at meaningful and lasting change. How is the World Bank approaching this challenge? What lessons can be learned from its experience?