Series - Circulation of reports for review or information

Identity area

Reference code

WB IBRD/IDA WB_IBRD/IDA_118-02

Title

Circulation of reports for review or information

Date(s)

  • 1965 - 1972 (Creation)

Level of description

Series

Extent and medium

18.79 linear feet of textual records

Context area

Name of creator

Archival history

The records in this fonds include portions of two transfers of records. The official records of the Economic Committee were transferred from the Policy Planning and Program Review Department (PPPR) of the Development Policy Vice Presidency (VPD) to the World Bank's Central Files in 1974 and, in 1990 or 1992, into the custody of the World Bank Group Archives. A second transfer contains records that were initially maintained in the Economic Program Department until it ceased to exist in 1972; the records were ultimately transferred to the Non-Regional Information Center (NRIC) in 1978 and, later, perhaps in 1990, to the World Bank Group Archives.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Series contains draft reports and related materials circulated by the Economic Committee (EC) secretariat to committee members for review during a meeting of the committee, for written comment, or for information. In rare cases, the report is circulated by the committee chairperson. Most of the files included in this series use the classification system imposed following the reconstitution, in 1965, of the Staff Economic Committee (SEC) as the Economic Committee. Those files that include classification in their titles are classified as EC/O, or reports distributed to committee members, most but not all under review by the committee.

Note that in some report folders, only a secretariat's cover letter is included, indicating the title of a draft report that was previously attached and the date when either comments are requested, or a meeting will be held to discuss the report. In these cases, the actual report is not included, and the folder title indicates "no report attached".

The majority of the EC's time was given to review of reports focused on the economies and development prospects of individual countries. As such, most of the draft reports included in this series are Country Program Papers (CPPs, October 1969 to October 1972), Country Program Notes, Recent Economic Developments, or other general country economic reports. A small number of more focused country reports relating to the review of a specific aspect of that country's economy are included; these are generally focused on economic sectors suchas transportation, agriculture, energy, etc.

Draft reports relating to non-country-specific topics that were circulated to committee members are also included in this series. Reports date from 1965 to 1970. Some folders include the report as well as "correspondence" which generally refers to memoranda or other documents distributed in support of the review of the report under consideration.

Also contained in this series are draft versions of country economic profiles in the form of "Country Economic Briefs" prepared in 1968 by the Economic and Area Departments with contributions by the EC. These profiles were created, as described in the collection's preface, "to be a ready reference on the economies of World Bank Group members and of the World Bank Group's economic policy attitude towards them." The intention was to upgrade and update the material when more information became available. The briefs may include: a brief discussion of the country's economic situation and development challenges, authored by Area Departments; conclusions and recommendations prepared by the EC; a data brief, compiled by the Economic and Area Departments; and the latest economic map available highlighting topics such as land use, manufacturing centers, resource areas, etc.

A set of Five-Year Program Papers from 1968-69 are also included in this series. These economic profiles duplicate much of what is included in the Country Economic Briefs. The primary addition, which is not included for every folder, is memoranda summarizing the current development outlook for the country. This includes discussion of key problems and issues, creditworthiness, Bank actions, and tables documenting Bank project lending.

The series includes a small collection of monthly reports on Bank lending operations dating from 1969 and 1970. It is unclear if these tables were circulated to committee members or if they served as reference material for the committee's secretariat. The reports each focus on active or potential Bank-funded projects and consist oftwo types: reports on appraisal and negotiations of a project; and preparation and identification of a project. The former charts the progress of the appraisal and negotiations through 12 steps, from "decision to send appraisal mission" to "loan or credit signed." Each step includes an original forecast date, the previous month's forecast, and the current forecast or actual date. Reports on the preparation and identification of projects list the latest step completed as well as pre-investment studies required. Both types of reports include the option for notes and are signed by the Loan Officer.

Monthly reports describing expected economic missions by Area Departments and the staffing needs related to that mission travel are also included. Reports, beginning in January 1969, initially included expected mission travel and staff required for the following six months. Beginning in September 1969, reports began providing this information for the twelve months. While it is likely that all of these reports were circulated to committee members, beginning in September 1969 each report includes a cover letter indicating that the report was sent to committee members by the committee's secretariat. The final report provides planned mission travel for April 1970 to June 1971.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

In most cases, during processing of the records in this series, a single record was filed into a single folder. In some cases, a larger folder is labeled by month and all reports circulated in that month are housed in that folder.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Records are subject to the World Bank Access to Information Policy.

Conditions governing reproduction

Records are subject to the Copyright Policy of the World Bank Group.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

An inventory list is available here.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

  • See Records of the (Staff) Economic Committee - Committee communications for communications primarily circulated by the Staff Economic Committee (SEC, 1952 - 1965) and Economic Committee (EC, 1965 - 1972) secretariats to committee members. Communications include notice of meeting, conclusions and recommendations, and minutes.

  • See Records of the (Staff) Economic Committee - Country files (WB IBRD/IDA WB_IBRD/IDA_118-03) for SEC and EC communications, such as notice of meetings, minutes, and conclusionsand recommendations combined with reports circulated to committee members for review during committee meetings. Reports in the "Circulation of reports for review or information" series and those in the "Country files" series are largely duplicate.

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Internal World Bank Group Archives rules based on ISAD(G).

Disclosure status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

24 June 2022

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area