• Asian Development Bank

Asian Development Bank

This is the first results-based annual report of the poverty reduction strategy (PRS) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) following its review and Board approval in July 2004. The report assesses how ADB performed during 2004 in advancing the PRS and introduces a results-based monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework to assess progress toward desired results at impact, outcome, output and input levels, replacing the earlier reliance on monitoring lending targets for projects classified as poverty interventions. It adopts 25 main indicators, estimating baselines and setting targets for them where feasible. It also identifies issues and lessons requiring management attention to improve implementation of the PRS.

The report uses progress toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Asia and the Pacific region to assess the impact of ADB’s operations on poverty reduction. On the basis of available data, the report finds that, while the region as a whole is making good progress toward meeting the income poverty target of the first MDG (to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger), several countries may not achieve this goal. The region is also at considerable risk of not reaching the non-income MDGs and 27 member countries risk not achieving 25% or more of the MDG indicators. The greatest concerns are in the health, water supply and sanitation, primary education, and environment sectors. More action is needed to achieve gender equality in tertiary education and women’s empowerment.

Apart from setting targets against specified indicators, the report makes a number of general recommendations. The report suggests that:

• ADB improve its assessment and monitoring of the social sectors at the country level
• country strategies and programmes (CSPs) should contain better partnership matrixes and that activities of development partners should be coordinated more effectively
• MDGs have to be better reflected in national and ADB country strategies
• more attention should be paid to sector and country partnerships through sector-wide approaches and portfolio reviews, requiring strengthening of resident missions and their skills base
• rapid development of an ADB strategy for capacity development and for speedy implementation of reform initiatives begun in 2004

• Full text of document
• Publisher details
• Send to a friend