This series consists of records relating to support for President Wolfensohn's participation in meetings and events with both internal and external partners. Meetings and events relate to all major functions for which the president of the World Bank Group (WBG) is responsible and encompass a wide range of activities, including meetings, conferences, retreats, phone calls, WBG staff events, exhibits, concerts, receptions and parties, dinners and luncheons, and others. Note that briefing materials supportingPresident Wolfensohn's participation in Spring and Annual Meetings activities, media engagements, and speaking engagements are arranged elsewhere in this subfonds as are records relating to briefing the president on mission travel.

The preparation of the president's briefing materials is managed by the Office of the President's Middle Office, who provides guidance to WBG staff in the preparation of briefing books and who receives briefing books from other WBG units. Briefing materials in this series are generated by staff in the Office of the President (EXC), the Office of External Relations (EXT), World Bank Group (WBG) managing directors, and other WBG vice presidencies.

Records relate to meetings and events with the WBG's external partners including heads of state and senior officials of member countries, leaders and representatives of civil society and nongovernmental organization (NGO) organizations, heads of private business and enterprise, leaders and representatives of other multilateral organizations (including the International Monetary Fund [IMF], United Nations, and other development economic institutions), donors, academics and thought leaders, and others.

Records also relate to meetings and events involving internal WBG staff. Topics include all aspects of WBG operations and administration. Records relate to meetings with WBG senior management, including managing directors and vice presidents, both individually and in small groups or as part of regular Executive Management Committee meetings(EXCOM), which consisted of both managing directors and some vice presidents, or Management Committee meetings, which consisted primarily of WBG managing directors. Briefing materials related to "Corporate Days" (1998-2005) are also included in this series. The monthly, day-long meeting, usually chaired by President Wolfensohn or by a managing director in his absence, included WBG senior leadership members (including leadership from the International Finance Corporation [IFC], Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency [MIGA], and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes [ICSID]) and involved discussion on key strategy and management issues.

Briefing materials in this series also relate to President Wolfensohn's meetings with leadership and senior management teams from nearly all WBG units, including: all regional vice presidencies, Human Development Network (HDN), Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Network (ESSD), Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network (PREM), Private Sector Development and Infrastructure Network (PSI), Financial Sector Network (FSN), Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC), External Affairs and United Nations Affairs (EXT), Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS), Resource Mobilization and Cofinancing (RMC), Treasury (TRE), Strategy and Resource Management (SRM, later Strategy, Finance, and Resource Management [SFR]), Controller (CTR), Economic Development Institute (EDI, later World Bank Institute [WBI]), General Accounting Office (GAO), General Services Department (GSD), Human Resources (HR), Information Solutions Group (ISG), Internal Auditing Department (IAD), Legal Vice Presidency (LEG), and Operations Evaluation Department (OED). Briefing materials related to meetings with the staff from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) are also included.

Briefing materials for meetings attended by President Wolfensohn on numerous WBG programs and initiatives are included in this series. These include, but are not limited to: the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC), a comprehensive approach to relieve high external debt burdens of poor nations; the Strategic Compact, a series of initiatives approved by the WBG Board of Directors in 1997 designed to clarify the objectives of the WBG and address issues of accountability; the semi-regular Strategic Forum, a strategy and planning meeting first held in January 1998 consisting of President Wolfensohn and senior management; the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF), President Wolfensohn's new and more inclusive approach to WBG operations; the Development Gateway, an early WBG initiative to connect the WBG, its members, and other development practitioners via the internet; the Ideas Line, a program designed to solicit suggestions and feedback from WBG staff; the President's contingency fund, the institutional budget reserve intended to fund major resource requirements that were not anticipated at the time of budget preparation; and CEO Days, an annual forum for the exchange of ideas between external business leaders and WBG senior management hosted by President Wolfensohn and the WBG.

This series also includes a small number of briefing materials created for President Wolfensohn at his request but not for a specific meeting or event. Of note are the folders titled "Presidential Archives" which contain initial briefings by WBG units and senior staff on various WBG functions and topics; these folders date from March 1995, prior to Wolfensohn's official arrival at the WBG.

Briefing materials for each meeting or event range significantly. Briefing materials range in size from thin, grey portfolio folders containing a small number of documents to large accordion folders or multi-volume sets of folders. Most folders include a "Document Log" sheet at the beginning or end of the records that is generated by EXC's document management system. The log contains a field for information related to the meeting or event that may include: title of meeting; nature of President Wolfensohn's participation; venue/location; contact information; program outline; attendees; and support provided by WBG staff.

Briefing materials for both external and internal meetings may include a broad range of information and document types. Information and/or documentation related to the request for or origin of the meeting or event may be included in the form of communication and/or invitation from the participants. Communications between EXC and other meeting participants may be included and could include logistical information or briefing materials. Internal WBG communications relating to meeting or event logistics may also be included.

Guidance for the president in the form of a cover note, talking points, or possible discussion topics is often included, although they can range in degree of formality, from official briefings authored by EXC or EXT staff, WBG managing directors, or WBG vice presidents to less formal notes authored by President Wolfensohn's chief of staff, assistants, or advisers. In some cases, meeting counterparts will provide briefing materials in advance of the meeting.

A list of meeting or event participants is commonly included in briefing materials, particularly for external meeting and events. Short biographies of meeting participants are sometimes included.

Briefing materials created for meetings and events with country leaders, officials, and other representatives often include extensive information on the country in the form of country briefs (focusing on political and economic developments and key economic data), relevant WBG reports (country reports, project documents, etc.), internal correspondence that discusses the country or the WBG's engagement with the country, and copies of past press releases. Briefing materials often include possible discussion topics or talking points.

Similarly, for meetings with representatives of private business or civil society, briefing materials may include lists of and information on meeting or event participants, summaries of organizations including their histories, copies of past press releases, minutes from previous meetings with same individuals or organizations, copies of past correspondence relevant to the meeting or event, and internal correspondence relating to meeting or event planning or logistics. These materials may also include discussion topics or talking points.

Handwritten notes, presumably by President Wolfensohn as well as others, are sometimes found on the records in this series.

At a later point in President Wolfensohn's tenure as WBG president, the practice of inserting meeting minutes into the briefing folder at some point after the conclusion of the meeting was initiated.