Subfonds - Records of the Economics and Research Staff (ERS)

Ghana GLSS, REPAC - box Loan Committee records - Argentina Loan Committee records - Kenya Loan Committee Records - Bolivia Loan Committee records - Mexico Economic Analysis and Projections Department - ERS - World Development Report (WDR) Research Policy Council - agendas and minutes - Agendas 1983 Research Policy Council - agendas and minutes - Agendas 1984 Agendas February, March 1985 Research Policy Council - agendas and minutes - Agendas May 1985 Research Policy Council - agendas and minutes - Agendas 1986 Bank Research Advisory Group (BRAG) agendas and minutes - Agendas Capital Markets Seminar - Correspondence - Volume 1 Capital Markets Seminar - Correspondence - Volume 2 Capital Markets Seminar - Correspondence - Volume 3 International Labor Migration and Workers Remittances  Issues and Prospects  by Gurushri Swamy - 1v

Identity area

Reference code

WB IBRD/IDA DEC-02

Title

Records of the Economics and Research Staff (ERS)

Date(s)

  • 1975 - 1990 (predominant 1982 - 1987) (Creation)

Level of description

Subfonds

Extent and medium

20.91 linear feet of textual records

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

In late 1981, the Bank decided to reorganize its economic analysis, research, and policy activities. In February 1982, the Development Policy Staff became the Economics and Research Staff (ERS) headed by Vice President Hollis Chenery (VPERS) who reported directly to the President. VPERS was Chief Economic Adviser to the President and a member of the Bank's Managing Committee and Senior Management Council.

Chenery continued to have a Research Adviser in his office who headed a small policy advisory unit, but the subordinate units were reduced to two. The Economic Analysis and Projections Department (EPD) continued and a new Development Research Department (DRD) was created out of a combination of the Development Research Center and a portion of the Development Economics Department under the former VPD. In August 1982, Hollis Chenery was succeeded by Ann Krueger who served as VPERS until December 1986. Benjamin B. King served as Acting VPERS after her departure.

The ERS functions were nearly the same as those of the former Development Policy Staff and included responsibility for: analysis of the international economy, external debt and commodities; country modeling and comparative analysis; maintenance of economic and social data; basic research on the nature of the development process; improvement of analytical tools for economic work; oversight for the Bank-wide research program; and preparation of The World Development Report.

In 1982, the former External Research Budget (ERB) became known as the Research Support Budget (RSB). Researchers in all parts of the Bank were allowed to compete for funds from the RSB to finance consultants, research assistance, and travel expenses related to their research. In 1983, a senior economist was added to the staff to manage a policy analysis unit in the immediate office of the Vice President. In August 1983, the Research Policy Council (RPC) was established by the Bank President to provide leadership in the guidance, coordination, and evaluation of all Bank research.Consisting of five Vice-Presidents and chaired by VPERS, it was charged with developing Bankwide strategic objectives, polices and plans for research; establishing priorities for funding of Bank research; and making resource recommendations to the President and the Managing Directors regarding the Bank's funding of research.

In January 1984, the RPC replaced the Research Committee with two new bodies: the Research Projects Approval Committee (REPAC), which reported to RPC and had responsibility for reviewing and evaluating project proposals; and the Bank Research Advisory Group (BRAG), which was tasked with providing RPC with a wide range of Bank views on research issues. A new Research Administration Unit (RAD) was created in VPERS in July 1984 headed by a Research Administrator to provide secretariat support to RPC. In February 1985, a managing editor was added to the staff for the new journal World Bank Economic Review.

In the May 1987 general reorganization of the Bank, the ERS Vice Presidency was terminated and most of its functions were transferred to the new Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC).

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Sub-fonds consists of the records of Economics and Research Staff (ERS) department and division records, including the Economic Analysis and Projects Department (EPD). Records of the Research Policy Council (RPC), the Bank Research Advisory Group (BRAG), and the Research Projects Approval Committee (REPAC) are also included. Records related to the research, publication, and dissemination of research papers and other products are included as are articles, lectures and speeches authored by Vice President of ERS Anne Krueger.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Records are arranged in ten series:

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-02-01 Records of the Economics and Research Staff, Departments, and Divisions

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-02-02 Copies of Articles, Lectures, and Speeches Authored by Anne O. Kreuger

    • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-02-03 Files Relating to ERS Reviews of Documents Discussed in Meetings of the Loan Committee, the Operations Policy Subcommittee, and the Operations Policy Committee
  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-02-04 Background Materials, Memoranda, and Drafts of Research Papers

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-02-05 Research Files of the Economic Analysis and Projections Department (EPD)

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-02-06 Records Relating to Capital Market Seminars Sponsored by the Economic Analysis and Projections Department (EPD) and to Other Conferences and Seminars Sponsored or Attended by DEC Staff

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-02-07 Subject File of Dennis N. de Tray, Head of the Living Standards Measurement Unit (DRDLS), Development Research Department

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-02-08 Files Regarding the Publication and Dissemination of Research Products

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-02-09 Mintues, Agenda, and Other Records of the Research Policy Council (RPC) and the Bank Research Advisory Group (BRAG)

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-02-10 Records of the Research Projects Approval Committee (REPAC)

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

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

Conditions governing reproduction

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

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

  • See Central Files (WB IBRD/IDA ADMCF) for correspondence and other records created 1946 - 1986 by the early Research then Economics Department and successors that were maintained in the centralized filing system and that were not included in their functional department fonds. See Central Files - Administration and organization (ADMCF-03) for records related to the Bank's early economic and research program and the department's activities and operational reports into the 1970s. See Operations policy and procedure (ADMCF-04) for records related to development policy and research policy and analysis.

  • Records of the Office of the Chief Economist -- Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and Later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP) -- Reading File of Bela Belassa (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-15); Research File of Bela Belassa (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-16); Records of the Office of the Chief Economist -- Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and Later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP) -- Publication File of Bela Belassa (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-17); Records of the Office of the Chief Economist -- Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and Later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP) -- Research Project Files Maintained in the Office of the Vice President, Development Policy (VPD) and the Office of the Vice President, Economics and Research (VPERS) (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-75).

  • See the following oral histories: Anne O. Krueger; Jean Baneth; and Dennis N. de Tray.

  • See Records of the Office of the Historian -- World Bank History Project -- Interviews (WB IBRD/IDA HIST-01-10) for interviews with Gregory Ingram and Benjamin B. King.

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

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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

14 October 2011

Language(s)

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Sources

Accession area