This series consists of external correspondence received by President Wolfensohn during his tenure as World Bank Group president. It also includes internal correspondence received by the president from 2000 to the end of his tenure in 2005. Internal and external correspondence was, from the beginning of Wolfensohn's tenure in 1995 to the end of 1999, managed separately and in separate sequences in the Office of the President's (EXC) document management database. Internal correspondence from this period is arranged elsewhere in this subfonds. Beginning in 2000, external and internal correspondence were combined and have not been separated, resulting in the inclusion of internal correspondence from 2000 to 2005 in this series.

The majority of external correspondence files are initiated by incoming correspondence. These take the form of letters, faxes, and emails and can sometimes include accompanying information in the form of brochures, fact sheets, reports, and similar. A small amount of external communication is initiated by the Office of the President (EXC). The purpose of this type of correspondence can include expressions of congratulations or gratitude, requests for participation in programs or conferences, or requests for donations.

Upon receiving or initiating a correspondence, the letter was logged in the correspondence management database and given a reference number. A profile for each piece of correspondence was completed and, in almost all cases, this information was added to the physical file in the form of an "External Correspondence Profile". The profile includes a description of the correspondence (name, organization, addressee at the WBG, date, and topic) and the WBG office and individual designated for action. In most cases, the "action" is to draft a response either for the president's signature or by a member of WBG senior management in the president's place; in these cases, instructions and a due date are provided. In addition to the profile, each external correspondence package may consist of internal memoranda or emails discussing the response (including related past communications and other materials to provide background information) and the response itself. In some cases, responses to correspondence were made by telephone and this is noted in the internal correspondence or on the correspondence profile. In others, it is determined that no response is necessary and this is noted in the instructions in the correspondence profile. Generally, all materials relating to a single correspondence are stapled together. Some of the incoming correspondence is in a language other than English; in these cases, an English translation is usually provided either by the correspondent or by the Bank.

The types of external correspondents included in this series are wide-ranging. They include: country leaders, government officials, and diplomats; international organizations; non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other members of civil society; foundations; academic and research institutions; public figures; and private citizens.

Note that the correspondence unit also received and logged personal correspondence received by President Wolfensohn. Following its registration, personal correspondence was managed separately and is not included in this series. However, as the personal correspondence was logged, it did receive a reference number and this explains the missing items in the reference numbering sequence. In later years, beginning in 2002, a paper was inserted into the physical correspondence that read "JDW Personal Mail (No File Copy)".

The topics covered in the correspondence are varied. They include: requests for financial support or information; expressions of gratitude and congratulations; invitations for the president to visit a country or organization, to participate in conferences, to speak at events, or to contribute an article; invitations for the president to attend social events; knowledge and information sharing; and networking and making connections.

As noted, this series includes internal correspondence received and sent by President Wolfensohn from 2000 to the end of his tenure in 2005. Internal correspondence makes up a very small percentage of the records during this time. Correspondents generally include members of the WBG's senior management and relate to information sharing, responses to President Wolfensohn's requests for information, discussion of personnel decisions, updates on projects, and courtesy copies of correspondence between other WBG staff.