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Records of the East Asia and Pacific Regional Vice Presidency

  • WB IBRD/IDA EAP
  • Fonds
  • 1947 - 2008

Note that the countries included in the East Asia and Pacific Region fonds fluctuated over the years; countries were moved from one Region to another and Regional Vice Presidencies were merged and separated. The only significant impact this had on the records of this fonds is the exclusion of Burma/Myanmar's operational correspondence previous to 1987. As described in the "Administrative History" field above, Myanmar was moved into EAP unofficially in 1987 and officially in 1991.

Also note that this fondshas been provisionally arranged into one sub-fonds and twelve series. Sub-headings are used to break the content of this field up according to sub-fonds and series. For a complete list of the provisional series, see the "System of Arrangement" field below.

Asia operational correspondence (sub-fonds)

The majority of the records in the Asia operational correspondence sub-fonds are the result of a records management decision implemented by the central files classification system and then, after 1972, by the Regional Information Service Centers (RISCs). Two "Operational correspondence - Asia" classes of records were created in which records related to Asian regional lending and programming, economic and sector work, and reference were filed together regardless of unit of origin. Records were thus created by the units of the various Asia and East Asia regional department and Vice Presidency iterations, including: department heads, and, after 1972, Vice Presidents; Country Program Department heads and staff; and Projects/Technical Department heads and staff. Note that records of the Technical Departments (AST) units that were shared by SAR and EAP between 1991 and 1997 are included in these records. See 2.3 for further elaboration.

Records relate to a variety of topics that pertain to operations in the Asian region and to individual countries. These include: Bank missions to Asian countries; potential and ongoing projects; conferences attended by Bank staff; investment promotion; technical assistance in the region; UNDP projects; operations policy; external debt; audits; co-financing; Economic Development Institute (EDI); Project Implementation Review (PIR); and sector research and policy work. Records related to multilateral institutions with which the Bank has a relationship are included. Institutions include: the Asian Development Bank (ADB); Private Investment Corporation of Asia (PICA); Asian Institute of Economic Development; the Colombo Plan; the Mekong Committee; and the South Pacific Commission.

Also included in this sub-fonds are a small number of records created by the Asia Vice Presidency (ASI) during its existence between 1987 and 1991. These records were not transferred to the Asia RISC and were thus not classified according to the RISC classification system. Records include correspondence and reports related to UNDP projects (specifically RAS/86/160 - Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Development) as well as records related to regional Economic and Sector Work (ESW) maintained by the ASI Front Office from 1987 to 1991. Lastly, records of ASI Chief Economist Oktay Yenal are included. The majority of these records are correspondence from Yenal to ASI Vice President Attila Karaosmanoglu in which Yenal provides comments and advice. Note that while Yenal's records cover the entire period of ASI's existence (1987-1991), a small amount also relate to Yenal's time as Chief Economist of EAP from 1984 to 1987; during this time he was also reporting to Karaosmanoglu and the records are similar in character. A file containing Yenal's speeches from between 1989 and 1991 is also included.

Country operational records

The majority of the records in this fonds are country operational records. The records in the "Country operational record" series broadly consist of project records relating to the negotiation and administration of loans and general country records relating to economic and sector study. These records were created by Area Departments (1947-1972), Country Departments (CDs, 1972-1997) and Country Management Units (CMUs, 1997- ) as well as Economic Department (1946-1952), Technical Operations Department (TOD), Projects Department (1965-1972) and Regional project departments (1972 - 1987), technical departments (1987 - 1997), and sector departments (1997 - 2009).

Records related to the Bank's projects overseen by EAP are contained in the "Country operational records" series. These records relate to investment, structural adjustment, and other development projects financed, co-financed, or managed by the Bank. Note that projects funded or co-funded by external bodies such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), national governments, and trust funds but which were executed by the Bank are included.

Records relating to all phrases phases of the World Bank Project Cycle, from conception through negotiation and completion, are found here. Project records contained in this fonds were created by both the unit identified as the designated record keeping unit within the Region and, in smaller number, theRegional units that provided project support. Included are records relating to not only completed projects but also to abandoned projects (i.e. projects that were abandoned in course of preparation or that failed to gain Board approval) and suspended projects (i.e. approved projects, including those partially disbursed, which have been suspended and not resumed). Records related to the discussion and negotiation of projects that were never initiated are also included.

Correspondence files make up the bulk of the project records and relate to the identification, preparation, appraisal, negotiation, approval, supervision, fund disbursement, completion, and review of each individual project. Correspondence is in the form of letters, printed email, memoranda, telexes, and faxes. Accompanying materials most often include aide-memoires, minutes of meetings, Terms of Reference, back-to-office reports, etc. Correspondence is between the Bank and government officials, ambassadors, institutions, contractors, and consultants.

Project records may also include: Project Implementation Index File (PIIF) documents; executive project summary/project concept documents; annual progress reports; supplemental documents; Project Completion Reports (PCRs, also known as Completion Reports); consultant reports; supervision reports; and final versions of mandatory reports. A small amount of project-related newspaper clippings, financial statements, photographs, hand-written notes, maps, engineering plans, and copies of loan agreements and related documents may also be found, as well. External documents received from borrowers, governments, contractors, consultants, etc., including studies, reports, plans, specifications, PIIF documents, etc., are also included.

General country files are also included in the "Country operational records" series. These refer to correspondence, topical and subject files, and other records of the Region's support activities for IBRD/IDA lending programs, other than those maintained for individual loans and credits. Records relate to economic, social, and sector work study and analysis and the development of sector and country programs, policies and strategies. Specifically, these records might relate to: capital markets; indebtedness; investment law; missions to the country; technical assistance; disbursement; government relations; inquiries; local bond issues; co-financing; Consultative Groups; aid groups; country liaison; resident representatives; Country Program Papers (CPP) preparation; and Project Implementation Review (PIR). Records relating to and filed according to the various sectors of investment are also included. In each series, sector files may include but are not limited to: agriculture; education; energy; industrial development and finance; industry; population; health; nutrition; telecommunications; tourism; transportation; urban development; water and sewage; and social development. General country file records take the form of correspondence, memoranda, minutes of meetings, notes for files,back-to-office reports, aide-memoires, briefing papers, and reports. Records relating to other analytical and advisory activities (AAA) and the related collection of data for these activities may also be included. These records may include research material in the form of surveys and spreadsheets and guides created or used for analysis or processing of data.

Country-specific records relating to country program management and aid coordination are also included in the country operational record series. These records were maintained primarily by the Country Department headquarter units and were used to document Bank Group assistance planning and strategy for each country. Records may pertain to the creation of Bank reports such as: the Country Assistance Strategy (CAS); Country Briefs; Country Strategy Papers; Country Economic Memoranda; Medium Term Framework Papers; and policy statements. These records take the form of: agendas; briefings and reports of country team meetings; final versions of reports; external reports; meeting summaries and notes; and background materials used in the preparation of reports. Briefing papers prepared for Annual Meetings and other reports to management may also be included. Materials generated from aid coordination activities not specific to projects, such as co-financing arrangements, donor meetings, Consultative Group meetings, and Country Team meetings, may also be included.

Also included are informational records related to each country and to development issues specific to that country. Much of the topics covered in these records are focused on various development sectors. These records primarily contain externally created reference material, although a small amount of internally generated material (such as speeches and addresses and material related to internally sponsored conferences and seminars) may also be included. Reference materials may include: lists of government officials; information on external consultants; newspaper clippings related to country matters; press releases related to Bank and country activities; correspondence with government officials and/or ministries; and documents related to the operations of field offices in the country. Also included, in small amounts, are books, journals, magazines, articles, extracts, directories, manuals, handbooks, guides, and dissertations originating from elsewhere in the Bank Group or of external origin. Topics include common development sectors (agriculture, transportation, education, etc.) as well as: resettlement; indigenous peoples; participation; Global Environment Facility (GEF); World Bank operation policies; country politics, legislation, and economic situation; and natural resource management.

Regional operational records

Operational records related to the East Asia and Pacific Region are also included in this fonds. Included are the project records of projects that span more than a single country, such as the founding of new regional banks, the establishment of a common market, tourism projects, and the creation of regional infrastructure, such as roads, ports, electric power generation and telecommunications. The types of project-related records are similar to those described in the "Country operational records" series section above. Also included are general records related to economic, social and sector work study and analysis and the development of sector and regional programs, policies and strategies. In terms of topic and form, these records are similar to the general records of the country operational series described above; this includes records related to sector study and development, and analytical and advisory activities (AAA). However, records relate to either the region as a whole or to multi-country areas of the region. Also included are records relating to external institutions that work together with the Bank through research, co-financing, and other endeavors. These include: the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development; the Asian Development Bank; the Private Investment Corporation of Asia; the Mekong Committee; Asian-Pacific Telecommunity (APT); Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific; Asian Institute of Technology (AIT); Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); International Labor Organization (ILO); United Nations (UN) and its various funds and programmes; and the World Health Organization (WHO).

External aid coordination

Series consists of records relating to the development and implementation of aid coordination activities not specificto projects, such as co-financing arrangements, donor meetings, consultative group meetings, and Country Team meetings. Records originate in country and sector departments and relate to cooperative relationships between the Bank Group and donor members, cofinanciers, development agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other concerned organizations. Specifically, records may relate to: collaborative development assistance; Bank-sponsored seminars and conferences; cofinancing and trust funds; the Consultant Trust Fund Program (CTFP); and external funding for consultants. Records may include: copies of agreements and other legal documents; initiating briefs; reports and memoranda concerning disbursement of cofinanced funds; periodic reports to cofinanciers; and other related materials.

The series contains records documenting the establishment, proceedings and activities of the consultative groups convened and chaired by the Bank to assess and coordinate external financial assistance and which theBank provided secretarial support to. These include consultative groups for Malaysia (1965), Thailand (1966), Korea (1966), Philippines (1971), Burma - Myanmar (1976), Papua New Guinea (1988), Indonesia (1992, previously the Intergovernmental Group on Indonesia in which the Bank participated), Vietnam (1993), and Cambodia (1996). Many of the groups met bi-annually for several successive years, some continuing over decades as in the case of Philippines.

Consultative group files contain a large body of correspondence between the country department staff, the chairman who was typically the Area or Country Director but on occasion was the Regional Vice President, and members of the consultative groups including the recipient country. Correspondence includes copies of outgoing memoranda and letters, cables, original letters from member government officials (some addressed to the Bank President), notes to the file, minutes of pre-consultative group meetings, sector, and/or local meetings organized by country staff in between consultative group meetings, and drafts of documents. Topics covered by the correspondence include policies and practices of the consultative group or aid group; its origins and establishment; changes in membership or participation; pledges and terms of aid by donor countries; and collaboration with International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other multilateral participants or observers.

Also included are the set of official meeting documents of the Bank-chaired consultative groups aforementioned that contain: preliminary meeting summaries, notice of meeting, agenda, list of delegates, Bank-authored or government authored memoranda or economic reports and policy papers, Chairman's report of proceedings, transcripts or verbatim proceedings, participants statements, and press release. Meeting files also contain small amount of administrative correspondence authored by Secretary's department or the Area or Country Department concerning meeting preparations, distribution of documents, or announcements about participants in attendance of the meetings.

There is also a smaller volume of files relating to donor meetings chaired by the department, as well as consultative meetings or roundtables chaired by other organizations outside of the Bank including the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in which the Bank participated.

Departmental reference materials and subject files

Non-country specific reference materials and subject files maintained by regional departments including both country departments and sector units are included in this fonds. Topics include the various development sectors as well as Bank operational topics such as: policy development; project identification; loan project procurement; consultants; exports; macroeconomic stability and growth; and private sector assessment. Reference materials may originate from elsewhere within the Bank or external to the Bank and may include: books; journals; magazines; newspaper clippings; articles; extracts, directories; manuals; handbooks; guides; Bank reports; dissertations. Subject files related to sector related associations are also included. These records may include: reports published or disseminated by associations; correspondence between the Bank and associations; meeting related records; and coordination records.

Department directors' chronological files and project records (reference)

Chronological files created and maintained by EAP Department directors are included in this fonds. These may include incoming and outgoing correspondence, copies of reports, and copies of other records created or received within the unit. Project file reference copies maintained by the CD, CMU, or Sector Family directors' front office staff are also included in this fonds. These include project-related records circulated from project managers to the departments for information, monitoring, review, or input. These records are arranged by project and then, in most cases, by project cycle component or phase.

Business plan and budget management records

Fonds includes records relating to business plan and budget management (i.e. planning, implementation, monitoring, and review) activities of the Region. These records include annual budget files created by the Region's budget and administrative units as well as Business Plans covering three-year periods and Retrospective and Mid-Year Reviews. Records relating to the budgets of Country Departments are included primarily in the form of correspondence and budget reports and tools. Budget records created by both the Regional VP and Country Departments relating to country field offices are included (these offices also go by the names "resident mission", "field office", or "country office.") Records related to the quarterly VP Business Review Meetings are also included. Records include correspondence related to final budget and accrual reports

Management and oversight of unit functions

Records relating to the management and oversight of the Region's country and technical departments' functional responsibilities,work program, and policy development are included in this fonds. Topics include: work program development; unit policy and procedures; agency structure and organization; management improvement studies; coordination and direction; departmental reviews; regional objectives and operational directives; and staffing. Records include: work program agreements and monthly reports; research program materials; general correspondence; various task force records including some final reports; unit reviews; procedural and budget guides; management team meeting records; management retreats; records related to the 1987 and 1991 reorganizations of the Asia Region and subsequent reorganization of the Technical Departments; and general correspondence. Records related to regular operations Vice Presidents' meetings are also included.

VP Chronological files

Fonds includes the chronological files of Vice President Russell J. Cheetham from 1994 to 1996. Records maintained by Cheetham's successor, Jean-Michel Severino, are alsoincluded. Note that Severino's records, from 1997 to 1999, are organized by country. (See Related Units of Description in this description for location of other EAP VP chronological files.)

Front office administration of field offices

Fonds includes those records maintained in the Region's front office relating to the administration and management of the Region's field offices. Records may include: correspondence; reports; establishment agreements; leases; contracts; Internal Auditing Department (IAD) reports; ad hoc reports related to staff issues in country offices; and other information of substantive nature. Records may relate to: renovation; capital budget; local staff; resident representatives; mission statement; job grading; and staff reassignment.

Conferences, meetings, and seminar organization and/or attendance

Fonds includes records related to the establishment, organization, and output of conferences, meetings, seminars, and training organized or attended by EAP staff. Records related to the Bank's Spring and Annual Meetings are also included. With regard to events organized or sponsored by the Region, records may relate to identification and selection of themes, topics, and speakers in addition to other planning, administrative, and logistical topics. Events organized by the Region can include both events internal to the Region (Country Assistance Strategy [CAS] retreat, Sector Manager's retreat, Regional Management Business Meeting, Regional Vice President and Country Directors' retreat, EAP and country office town hall meetings, etc.) and external (Executive Forum's East Asian Economic Forecast; World Bank Corporate Day meetings; World Bank Strategic Forums; MD/VP Business Review Meetings).

Records related to smaller or one-time meetings are also included. This includes meetings with a various individuals including government officials, representatives of institutions, academics, and other Bank staff. Records of these meetings may include the notes and memoranda of the Regional Vice President.

Committee Records

Fonds contains records relating to a number of temporary and standing committees, task forces, working groups, etc., on which the Region or its units are represented or about which they are kept informed. Activities of these committees generally include the establishment, recommendation, or supervision of policy and procedure. Other committees internal to the Regional VP or Country Department relate to research and sector work. Records may include terms of reference, agenda, agenda papers, decisions, member lists, supporting or background documentation, and minutes and reports.

Front Office Reference Material

A variety of front office reference material is included in this fonds. Topics include: development (including specific sector work); regional and country economic and political issues; corruption; governance; Bank-Fund collaboration; Bank operations; Asian Development Bank (ADB); post-conflict reconstruction; performance indicators; information technology; communications; privatization and private sector development; co-financing; consultants; Operations Evaluation Department (OED); human resources; the Quality Assurance Group (QAG); World Development Report (WDR); Global Environment Facility (GEF); and World Debt Tables. Records take the form of: photocopied articles; Bank-authored reports including task force reports; copies of Bank Executive Director memoranda; reports from external institutions; workshop publications; and seminar reports. Records received from other Bank Vice Presidencies are also included.

Briefing books and travel records

Fonds also consists of briefing books prepared for senior officials in preparation for visits to East Asia and Pacific countries as well as for meetings and seminars. Books wereBriefing books were created by EAP units including VP staff and were prepared for EAP senior officials as well as other senior Bank staff including World Bank presidents and Executive Directors. Briefing These books commonly contain: program of country visit; countryoverview; World Bank Group activities; visit and meeting briefs; project meeting briefs; as well as other World Bank authored reports which serve as background information. In some files, travel information accompanies or is part of the briefing books. This is especially true for records related to the EAP Vice Presidents.

East Asia and Pacific Regional Vice Presidency

Records of the World Bank Institute

  • WB IBRD/IDA WBI
  • Fonds
  • 1952 - 2007

The fonds consists of records related to the activities of the World Bank Institute (WBI, previously the Economics Development Institute [EDI]). Records in this fonds most commonly relate to the training and programming offered by the WBI. Topics of WBI training classes, programs, seminars and other events are generally aligned with the Bank's networks and sectors; these include, for example, training courses related to the environment, health, social protection, education, etc. Other training programs represented in these records include: Women Entrepreneurship Development (WED); Women's Management Training Outreach Program (WMTOP); Women in Enterprise Management Training Outreach Program (WEMTOP); Portuguese Speaking African Countries (PALOP); South Pacific Development Management Program (SPDMP); UNEDIL (UNDP/EDI/ILO program for Strengthening African Management Institutions in Africa); Agricultural Management Training in Africa (AMTA); Agricultural Rural Development Network (ARDNET); Gender and Developing Training Programme (GAD); and the Social Policy Reform in Transition Economies (SPRITE). Also included are records related to: programs organized in cooperation with the Joint Vienna Institute; the Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development (FASID); Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Prior to 1994, the EDI division responsible for a training activity would, at the conclusion of the project, create a 'Master' training file. This consists of the records considered to be the essential products of the training unit. Included in these files are: terms of reference; seminar/training course programs and agendas; data on participants, including participants' registration questionnaires; activity briefs; activity completion reports; and final reports. After 1994, divisions and units sent master copies to the Internal Documents Unit (IDU) and the Infoshop for public dissemination and, consequently, no longer maintained these types of files.

The fonds contains a variety of other records related to training programs organized by WBI/EDI or in cooperation with other agencies and institutions. Records from these programs may include, but are not limited to: participants lists; activity briefs; timetables; agendas; administrative arrangements; budget information; strategic plans; mission statements; descriptions of functional responsibilities; terms of reference; program goals; structure and management records; periodic reports; policy papers; substantive correspondence; chronological files; Memoranda of Understanding; liaison reports; background information on organizations; Back-to-Office reports; and aide memoires. Program evaluation studies and impact evaluations of specific EDI programs are also included. Studies may involve use of questionnaires or site visits, and may be conducted by EDI or by cofinancing partners or external agencies.

Records relating to a program organized and provided by EDI for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to strengthen the participation of [NGOs] in the planning and execution of development policies/programs are also included. Records related to this program take the form of the training program records described previously.

Records of the African Virtual University (AVU) are also included. Records relate to: learning centers; content providers; satellite service providers; researchers; the digital virtual library; the language laboratory; accreditation; conferences, seminars, and forums. Also included are: AVUboard documents; legal documents; commitment summary reports; trust fund and budget reports; and course-related materials like those described above.

Records related to seminars organized and presented by EDI in the 1990s are included in this fonds. These include: seminar proposals; aide memoires; summary sheets; activity briefs; lists of resources and participants; evaluation reports; course curriculum; Back-to-Office reports; general correspondence; and final versions of program materials that were distributed to participants. A small amount of records relating to EDI's Senior Policy Seminars in the late 1980s are also included.

The fonds also consists of divisional and departmental work program and budget records. Divisional work program and budget records from the early to mid-1990s include: budgets; payments and expenditures; budget reviews; trust fund letters of agreement; budget and cofinancing allocation; accrual payment reports; and regional and topical work programs. The fonds also includes retrospective, quarterly, and mid-year work program and budget reviews from 1985 to 1992, as well as records related to the Institute's periodic reorganizations.

Also included in this fonds are a variety of records related to cofinancing of EDI/WBI projects and programs; these records are from the late 1980s through the 1990s. Included are fact sheets summarizing training activities undertaken in developing countries through cofinancing. These consist of: program statements; correspondence; progress reports; Summary Activity Briefs; evidence of expenditures; and related materials. The fonds also consists of correspondence with governments and international agencies regarding their commitments or intentions to participate as cofinancer or Trust Fund provider for activities/programs conducted by EDI. These records include: summaries of coordination meetings; copies of original legal agreements; copies of initiating briefs; and correspondence, reports, memos, etc., concerning expenses and the release of monies.

Thefonds also includes liaison records between EDI and various states, agencies, institutions, and international organizations. These records were created at both the divisional and departmental level and primarily take the form of correspondence. Funding, programming, and information exchange are the most common topics discussed.

The fonds contains records related to the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program and the McNamara Fellowship Program. Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program records primarily include scholars' information (applications, reference letters, etc.) from the late 1990s through the mid 2000s. However, Steering Committee records from its inception (1987 to 1991) and Annual Reports and Director of Scholars (1990 to 1993) are also included. Records related to the McNamara Fellowship Program are similar. Records include: applicant correspondence and reference letters; applicant proposals; letters of award; payment information; quarterly progress reports; and final reports. McNamara Fellowship budget records from 1983 to 1989 relate to: scholars' tuition; travel expenses; subsistence allowances; insurance costs; and other records related to the administration of the Fellowship. An Annual Report for 1989 is included.

A variety of EDI/WBI network/departmental and divisional chronological and subject files are included in this fonds. Records include: WBIVP chronological files (2000 to 2005) and meeting files (2001 to 2003); EDI Directors' chronological files (Amnon Golan [1990 to 1994], Alexander Ter Weele [1991 to 1996] and Vinod Thomas [1995 to 1999]); Coordination and Development Administration Division (EDICD) Chief Robert Lacey (1988 to 1992); Regional Capacity Enhancement (WBIRC) Director Michael Sarvis (2003 to 2004); Joint Vienna Institute (1995 to 1998) subject files; and small amounts of EDI regional coordinators', researchers', and consultants' chronological files.

The fonds contains a variety of the Institute's publications. These include: copies of EDI Bulletins from the 1980s and 1990s; the EDI Preliminary Prospectus (1955); EDI booklets and pamphlets from the 1950s to the 1970s; copies of Selected Readings and Source Materials on Economic Development published by EDI (1963/64 and 1965/66); EDI Curricula of Courses publications (1968 to 1976); and EDI Directory of Fellows (various years, 1967 to 1980).

Records related to the Development Education Program (DEP) are included as well. The DEP, formerly the Schools Program, was begun in the late 1970s with the objective of producing and marketing education materials about economic development for secondary schools in the U.S. and other countries. Records include: published materials based on DEP materials; catalogues; marketing and outreach materials; budget and human resource records; program records; and chronological records.

The fonds also contains briefing books prepared for the WBI Vice President by WBI staff for the years 2001 to 2003. A small number of briefing books prepared for Bank President Wolfowitz (2006 to 2007) are also included.

Finally, the fonds contains records created from the early-1950s through 1968 that relate to the origins of the Institute and its early operation. These records include chronological files from 1952 to 1968 that contain correspondence between the Bank and academics, civil servants, politicians, institutions, agencies, and others. Minutes of the Bank's Staff Loan Committee that relate to EDI's creation and its early operation are also included in these files as are proposals, planning, and budget records for the creation of the EDI. Topics of other records include: EDI's library project; administration of the Institute; funding of the Institute by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations; public relations; reports to the Bank Board; reviews of the Institute; EDI Advisory Board meeting minutes; and travel. Also included are anniversary publications and transcripts of interviews of prominent EDI administrators and instructors conducted in the mid-1980s.

World Bank Institute

Records of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

  • WB IBRD/IDA CGIAR
  • Fonds
  • 1970 - 2000

The records in this series reflect the two principal activities of the Consultative Group: funding and evaluating the international institutes. The Group's activity is carried out through regular informal contacts, through consultation at yearly or semi-annual meetings, and through inspection visits to the centers. The records document the debates on whether to fund new institutes or new programs within existing institutes; what is the healthiest relationship between the international institutes and national research and extension programs; and how to manage the related roles of the Council and the Group, the two secretariats, and the four co-sponsors. A substantial amount of correspondence also is created during the sensitive process of selecting Council members and choosing leaders of the institutes.

The records of the meetings give a bird's eye view of the state of international agricultural research on topics ranging from pest control to rice production to the state of post-harvest technologies. Background papers, mission reports, priorities papers, instituted evaluations, minutes, verbatim transcripts, and correspondence range over every subject in agriculture. Of particular interest are the debates on how to support the collection, evaluation and conservation of plant genetic resources, which ultimately led to the establishment of the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources and a central fund to support it. Changing research interests can also be followed, as well as the growing awareness of the role of women in agriculture, the increasing appreciation of the role of the small farmer, and the heightening concern over the fragility of environmental balance.

Of particular importance is the collection of publications and reports from all the institutes that are supported by CGIAR. Through these publications, the regular evaluation reports, the institute work plans and the regular correspondence, the successes and failures of each institute can be charted. The central files contain massivefiles on the institutes, often including such difficult to locate items as minutes of institute meetings. In the early 1990s a CGIAR project put a large body of the publications from the institutes on a set of 17 CD-ROMS; these publications and others are found in the series of institute publications.

Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research

Records of the Sector Policy and Research Vice Presidency (PREVP) and the Sector and Operations Policy Vice Presidency (OSPVP)

  • WB IBRD/IDA WB_IBRD/IDA_93
  • Fonds
  • 1987 - 1993

The fonds includes sector policy review and sector work program review records maintained by Visvanathan Rajagopalan when he served as the Vice President for Sector Policy and Research (PREVP/PRSVP), and its successor the Sector and Operations Policy Vice Presidency (OSPVP) from 1987 to 1992. It also consists of records maintained by Director David Bock when he served in the OSPVP Front Office. Bock's records are related to OSPVP management, budget records, and sector policy review from 1991 to 1992.

Sector Policy and Research Vice Presidency (PREVP) and the Sector and Operations Policy Vice Presidency (OSPVP)

Records of the Office of External Relations

  • WB IBRD/IDA EXT
  • Fonds
  • 1944 - 2010

Records in this fonds relate to the functions of the external relations complex as described in the Administrative History field above. In addition, records created and received by EXT Vice Presidencies are also included. Note that, periodically, the EXTVP contained units responsible for functions not included in the above definition. See Related Units of Description below for direction to the fonds containing those records.

External Relations Vice Presidency and reporting units

Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP)

Sub-fonds consists of the records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics (DECVP) and Chief Economist and the Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist. These records take the form of Vice President's chronological and subject files as well as briefing books and travel documents. Records of DEC's Front Office staff included in this sub-fonds include reading files, work program and budget records, and reports of periodic review. Records of numerous DEC units are also included in this sub-fonds. They include: the Policy and Review Department (PRD); Development Policy Group (DPG, and its predecessor units: the Economic Advisory Staff [EAS] and the Country Policy Department [CPD]); the International Economics Department (IEC); the Country Economics Department (CEC); the Development Research Group (DECRG); the Policy Review Department (PRD); the Research Advisory Staff (RAD); and the Economic Developing Institute (EDI). The records of noted economist Bela Balassa who served as a consultant with DEC and predecessor organizations from 1966 to 1991 are also included.

Records of the Global Environment Facility

  • WB IBRD/IDA GEF
  • Fonds
  • 1988 - 2007

The fonds consists of records that relate to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Secretariat's various activities. The majority of the fonds consists of GEF project files. Project types include the Small Grants Programme, Enabling Activities, medium-sized projects (MSP), and full-sized projects (FSPs). These records reflect GEF project cycle activities. Records include: reports; correspondence; forms; concept agreements; focal area work program documents; CEO endorsement; evaluation and review documents;terminal report; and other documents generated by the project cycle from concept development stage to its closure.

Records related to GEF's role in operational monitoring and assessment of GEF projects are included. The responsibility is shared between GEF and the implementing agencies. GEF's activities include: overall project evaluation; operational programs evaluation; evaluation of GEF practices and activities; and thematic reviews and assessments. GEF's Monitoring and Evaluation unit (GEFME) also contributes to the formation of Global and Regional Agreements and organizes and participates in workshops and other knowledge sharing activities. Records included here are generally unpublished materials including drafts, working papers, statistical information and other records related to the work of GEFME.

The fonds also consists of policy, procedures, and standards development and business strategy records. Records generally consist of correspondence, reports, research, ad hoc studies on various topics, and other records pertaining to the development and implementation of GEF policies, procedures, and standards.

Also included are records related to GEF's Focal Area programs. These records relate to: program operations; program strategy; program indicators and methodologies; capacity development initiatives; cross-team support; taskforce meetings; conventions; seminars; training; and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP). Records include: correspondence; reports; policy papers; reports to management; publications; and other materials.

This fonds also consists of corporate affairs and liaison records. Included is correspondence and reports that document GEF's relationship with client communities and stake holders, including: implementing agencies; executing agencies; STAP; donor countries; the private sector; and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Also included are records related to GEF's participation in the various conventions of which it acts as the financial mechanism. Records include: copies of agreements and contracts; terms and conditions; memoranda of understanding; annual and financial reports; and records related to replenishment. Included in this fonds are records created during meetings of GEF Council, GEF Assembly and other standing and ad hoc groups of GEF, including: Participants meeting; various taskforces and working groups; special donor meetings; and project review meetings. Records include: minutes; agendas; reports; Terms of Reference; supporting or background documentation; summaries of proceedings; member lists; intercessional decision reports; and speeches and statements made by GEF representatives. Audio and video recordings of some of the meetings are included in the fonds.

Records related to communications and outreach are also included. The majority of these records are a collection of magazine, journal, and newspaper articles that refer to the GEF. Issues of GEF's newsletter, Talking Points, are included, as are records related to GEF representatives' participation in seminars, meetings, and other events.

Also included are the chronological correspondence files of the GEF CEO, deputy CEO, and Secretariat from between 1992 and 2004. Communications to Council from the CEO and Secretariat from 1993 to 1997 are also included.

Global Environment Facility

President's Council files

Shortly after assuming the presidency, Barber Conable discontinued the Managing Committee that, during the Clausen years, had provided overall administrative control of the World Bank Group. In its place, Conable created an advisory body made up of the Bank Group vice presidents who reported directly to the president (some vice presidents reported to other vice presidents; they were excluded). This body was originally known as the Policy Committee, then renamed the President's Council in May 1988. It advised on policy decisions for consideration by the Board of Executive Directors, on strategic objectives, resource mobilization and allocation, workforce strategies, and other managerial and operational policy issues. A staff member in the president's office served as the secretary for the committee/council.

This series contains the official records of the council, from May 1987 to July 1991, grouped in two subseries. The files in the first subseries, amounting to 10 linear feet, are the records of the weekly meetings of the council, including agendas, minutes and other committee minutes, memoranda, talking points, internal working papers and reports (including Board papers), country strategy notes, operational directives, speeches, press releases and clippings, and other documents discussed. The second subseries, 2 linear feet, is the set of papers distributed to the council members for background information; the first seven files (of a total of nine) include a list at the beginning of the file providing the title of each document in the file, the originator, and the date. The files include a few pieces of correspondence and a few annotations and comments from council members.

These records document internal deliberations within the Bank Group during the Conable era, covering a wide spectrum of topics. Discussion topics relate to country strategy papers, lending activities (resumption of lending to countries, loan prepayment fee policy, impact on the Bank Group's net income, lending guidelines for tobacco), experience with adjustment lending,operations strategy in heavily indebted middle income countries, private sector development, a proposed AIDS program for Africa, the preparation of the Annual Portfolio Review, and approaches to budget. Discussions also concern IDA-9 negotiations, IFC capital increase, implications of the Montreal Protocol for the Bank Group and involvement in the Global Environment Facility, development of committees and working groups (private sector development working group, task forces on poverty and technical assistance review), the Bank Group's environmental policy and position including revamping the Tropical Forestry Action Plan, a pilot cooperation program for the Brazilian rainforest, Development Committee work and reports, World Bank Group history project, management of records, information disclosure, information management and technology strategy, relations with the Bank Group's Staff Association, internal audit program, and staffing and compensation matters.

Subject files

Series contains subject files created and maintained during Qureshi's career in the World Bank Group (WBG). Although the files are most voluminous for the period during which Qureshi was the Bank's Senior Vice President for Operations, 1987 to 1991, the series also includes records accumulated while Qureshi served in his various capacities at the international Finance Corporation (IFC), through his tenure as Senior Vice President of Finance, 1981 to 1987. Subject files also contain some reproductions of earlier publications and documents within the files dating from 1945.

Records include outgoing memoranda, letters, draft loan issuances, minutes, copies of Qureshi's speeches and articles, press releases and clippings, Qureshi's handwritten notes and comments, and occasionally externally-authored papers and reports. Several of the files contain Board papers presented to Executive Directors regarding a given topic.

Subject file topics include: debt; debt reduction; lending programs; Bank capital increases; co-financing; International Development Association (IDA) replenishments; overdue service payments; economic and social sectors; development of operations policy; Operations Evaluation Department (OED) project performance results; technical assistance; relations with China; relations with the Palestinian Liberation Front; currency pooling; special drawing rights; the Persian Gulf crisis; private sector development; women in development; and cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Nations (UN). Administrative topics include: budget issues, processes, and guidelines; Operations staffing, budget, and business planning; IT support; and managers' retreats.

Senior vice president correspondence

This series consists of the memoranda, letters, and other materials sent and received by W. David Hopper during his tenure as Senior Vice President for Policy, Planning and Research (PPRSV) and Wilfried Thalwitz during his tenure as Senior Vice President for Policy, Research and External Affairs (PRESV).

Hopper's correspondence dates from June 1987 to November 1989 and is with both internal and external individuals and organizations. External correspondence is with country officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic and research institutions, bilateral and multilateral development organizations, and others. Internal correspondence is with staff from units overseen by PPRSV as well as other WBG units. Notably, a significant portion of incoming correspondence is addressed to World Bank Group (WBG) President Barber Conable and was subsequently forwarded to PPRSV for response.

Key topics and activities discussed in the correspondence include:

  • Poverty and family planning programs, with a focus on women

  • The WBG's new environmental initiative, including both appreciation and criticism of its environmental role, especially regarding rain forests and indigenous peoples (notably, this includes discussion and staffing of the new Environment Department [ENV] in the Sector Policy and Research Vice Presidency [PREVP], which reported to PPRSV)

  • Agricultural development, including genetic research and the application of developmental agriculture in Africa

  • Administrative details relating to PPRSV

  • The Bank-wide reorganization of 1987

  • Review of work by vice presidencies and departments reporting to PPRSV

  • Internal and external information sharing

  • The WBG budget process

Records relating to hiring solicitations and conference participation are also included.

The series also contains a small amount of correspondence sent and received by Hopper in his capacity as chairman of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the Special Program for African Agricultural Research.

The Thalwitz correspondence dates from November 1989 to May 1991; note that correspondence from June 1991 to the end of his tenure as PRESV in November 1991 is not included. The correspondence primarily consists of outgoing correspondence and is with institutions and individuals both external to and within the WBG. Correspondence to non-WBG recipients typically consists of responses to invitations for conferences and meetings organized by other international development organizations and researchinstitutes. Internal memoranda are largely addressed to President Conable, Operations Senior Vice President Moeen Qureshi, and senior managers within the PRE complex.

Subjects covered in Thalwitz's correspondence include: environmental issues with emphasis on tropical forests and the Tropical Forest Action Plan (TFAP); private sector development; preparations for the Soviet Union's membership in the World Bank; gender and development; and the Energy Strategy Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). Records reflect engagement with external groups and organizations including the United Nations, the Uruguay Round, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Community, NGOs, and the Development Committee. Meeting briefs and reviews of PRESV research reports and policy papers are also included. Administrative matters discussed in the correspondence include budget allocations, business plans, work programs, personnel and compensation, and the McNamara Scholarship Fund.

A small amount of correspondence sent and received by Thalwitz as chairman of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is also included.

Subject files

This series primarily consists of subject files collected and maintained during Wilfried Thalwitz's tenure as Senior Vice President for Policy, Research, and External Affairs (PRESV) from 1990 and 1991. A smaller amount of subject files were created during W. David Hopper's time as Senior Vice President for Policy, Planning and Research (PPRSV) from 1987 to 1989. Additionally, a portion of the records relating to the Soviet Union and the Joint Study of the Soviet Economy (JSSE) were created and maintained by John A. Holsen in his capacity as Joint Study team leader. Records include memoranda, telexes, letters, journal articles, committee records, Board of Director meeting records, budget information, personnel records, and reports.

The series consists of records relating to the PRESV oversight of each of the vice presidencies and departments that comprised the PRESV complex, especially the Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC) and the External Affairs Department (EXT). These records primarily consistof correspondence with vice presidents and directors reporting to Wilfried Thalwitz as PRESV.

Records also relate to a variety of diverse topics, including: World Bank Group (WBG) support for the creation of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD; includes Ibrahim F. I. Shihata's report The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development: A Comparative Analysis of the Constituent Agreement); private sector development; the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Gulf crisis; PRESV retreats; the Tropical Forestry Action Plan (TFAP); and the World Development Report (WDR).

Correspondence, reports, and meeting materials relating to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) are included in this series. Records date from November 1990 to November 1991 and relate to the Facility's initial financing agreements, operational policies, and project identification.

The series also includes records dating from October to December 1989 relating to a "fine-tuning" of the 1987 Bank-wide reorganization that was initiated by President Conable in the fall of 1989. The implications of this exercise for PPRSV are discussed extensively, as are changes in other Bank units. Records include correspondence, proposals, drafts, meeting materials, and staff lists.

This series also includes subject files related to Thalwitz's work as chairman of the Budget Process Task Force. The task force was created by President Conable in April 1989 to "enhance the transparency, simplicity, and effectiveness of budget practices in the Bank." Records date from April to November 1989 and include correspondence between Thalwitz and Conable, communication with task force members, meeting materials, draft reports, the final report submitted to Conable, and related materials.

Records relating to the WBG's work with the Soviet Union in 1990 and 1991 are also included in this series. The majority of these records date from the latter half of 1990 and relate to the WBG's contribution to the 1990 Joint Study of the Soviet Economy (JSSE). The JSSE was undertaken in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The JSSE's final report was published in 1991. Records consist of: chronological files; minutes and notes of meetings with Soviet officials and personal representatives of joint study organizations; mission logistics and administrative documents; draft contributions to reports; reference material; press reports; and the final report. A smaller amount of records relating to the WBG's technical assistance program's engagement with the Soviet Union is also included.

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