Subfonds - Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Policy (VPD) and the Development Policy Staff

Research - Anthropological Study 1972 / 1974 Correspondence - Volume 1 Fiscal year 1973 (FY 73) - Research proposals Research - Energy Development Committee - General - 1982 Development Committee - Meeting - September 1977 Development Committee - Meeting - April 1978 - Volume 02 Development Committee - Meeting - 1979 - Volume 02 Development Committee - Working Group on Capital Markets Access - July 1978 Development Committee - Working Group on Capital Markets Access - 1977 - Volume 01 Development Committee - Working Group on Capital Markets Access - 1977 - Volume 02 Development Committee - Working Group on Capital Markets Access - December 1978 Development Committee - Export Stabilization Study - 1977 through 1979 - Volume 01 Development Committee - G-24 Meeting - March 1979 - Volume 01 Development Committee - G-24 Meeting - March 1979 - Volume 02 Economics Analysis and Projections - DPA - World Development Report Correspondence - Volume 1 Economics Analysis and Projections - DPA - World Development Report Correspondence - Volume 2 Economics Analysis and Projections - DPA - World Development Report Correspondence - Volume 3 Economic Analysis and Projections Department - DPA - World Development Report 1981 / 1983 Corresp... Economic Analysis and Projections Department - DPA - World Development Documents - Volume 2 Economic Analysis and Projections Department - DPA - World Development  Reports and Documents - V... Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/s/C/74-17, PRC/C/... Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/s/C/74-19, PRC/C/... Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/s/M75-1, PRC/s/M/... Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/s/M/75-6, PRC/s/M... Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/M/73-9, PRC/M/73-9a Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/M/74-1, PRC/M/74-1a Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/s/M/74-6, PRC/s/M... Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/s/M/74-8, PRC/s/M... Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/s/M/74-9, PRC/s/M... Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/s/C/74-10, PRC/C/... Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/s/M/74-13, PRC/s/... Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/s/M/74-12 Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/s/M/74-15, PRC/s/... Development Economics and Chief Economist [DEC] - Policy Review Committee - PRC/M/73-1, PRC/M/73-... VPD - Director, Development Policy - McNamara File - January 1975 - Folder 1 VPD - Senior Adviser - McNamara File - August - September 1973 - Folder 6 VPD - Director, Development Policy - McNamara File - September - October 1974 - Folder 6 VPD - Senior Advisor - McNamara File - January 1974 - Folder 1 VPD - Director, Development Policy - McNamara File - May - June  1975 - Folder 4 VPD - Senior Adviser - McNamara File - December 1972 - Folder 3 VPD - Director, Development Policy - McNamara File - May 1974 - Folder 3 VPD - Senior Adviser - McNamara File - October - December 1973 - Folder 7 VPD - Director, Development Policy - McNamara File - September - November 1975 - Folder 7 VPD - Director, Development Policy - McNamara File - November - December 1974 - Folder 7 VPD - Director, Development Policy - McNamara File - July - August 1974 - Folder 5 VPD - Director, Development Policy - McNamara File - July  1975 - Folder 5 VPD - Senior Advisor - McNamara File - February - June 1972 - Folder 1 VPD - Director, Development Policy - McNamara File - December 1975 - Folder 8 VPD - Director, Development Policy - McNamara File - June 1974 - Folder 4 VPD - Director, Development Policy - McNamara File - March - April 1975 - Folder 3
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Identity area

Reference code

WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01

Title

Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Policy (VPD) and the Development Policy Staff

Date(s)

  • 1965 - 1983 (predominant 1972 - 1982) (Creation)

Level of description

Subfonds

Extent and medium

36.71 linear feet of textual records

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The Development Policy Vice Presidency was established in the 1972 Bank reorganization. Before that time, the Bank President had an Economic Adviser on his immediate staff. Irving Friedman, who was appointed by President George D. Woods in October 1964, was the first to hold this position. Friedman supervised the Economics Department and the Director of Special Economic Studies in 1965, but prior to his departure from the position in 1970 he supervised four units: Economics Department, Economic Program Department, Computing Activities Department, and Development Research Center.

Hollis B. Chenery succeeded Friedman as Economic Adviser to the President in October 1970. Chenery initiated a comprehensive review of the Bank's research program. In the January 1971 Bank reorganization, the Economics staff was divided into three units all reporting to Chenery: the Economics Department; the Economic Program Department; and the Development Research Center. On April 13, 1971, Economic Research in the Bank, the report of the survey conducted by consultant economist Bela Belassa at Chenery's request, was issued. Belassa's report suggested that individual research projects be appraised in terms of their relative cost and benefits and that employment, planning, trade policy, and other new areas of inquiry be subjects of research proposals from the Development Research Center and the Economics Department with active participation of operational departments in the selection and review of the proposals and in the evaluation of completed research. The report concluded that responsibility for setting research priorities, approving the overall research program, and establishing a review process for research should be carried out by an Economic Research Committee chaired by the Economic Adviser to the President. In keeping with Belassa's review recommendations, a Bank-wide Research Committee was established.

When he announced the creation of the Development Policy Vice Presidency (VPD) in 1972, President Robert McNamara saidthat the new vice presidency would increase the Bank's policy formulation capability. Hollis Chenery was named VPD and continued to serve as the President's Economic Adviser. VPD was charged with increasing the Bank's knowledge of the development process and analyzing policies to assure the efficient attainment of development objectives. The Development Policy Staff had wide ranging responsibilities: coordinating policy work in the Bank; preparing papers on development policy and selected sector policy issues; reviewing Country Program Papers; managing the Bank's research program; conducting research on selected sectoral and inter-sectoral problems; operating the debt reporting system; providing country creditworthiness analyses; and providing specialists to support the country and sector economic work of the Regional offices. VPD was assisted by a Research Adviser who was responsible for managing the external research program and a technology adviser responsible for scientific and technology matters in the Bank. In addition, Chenery was assisted by Senior Adviser, Development Policy Ernest Stern. Stern's title changed to Director, Development Policy in 1974, but he continued to report directly to Chenery. Stern left VPD in 1975, but the position of Director, Development Policy continued until the Development Policy Staff evolved into the Economics and Research Staff (ERS).

A Bank-wide Research Committee was established and held its first meeting on April 28, 1971. VPD chaired the committee and the Senior Adviser, Development Policy was Deputy Chairman. The Research Committee was charged with providing advice to Chenery on the scope and content of the research program, recommending the overall level of the External Research Budget (ERB), a separate budget for the Bank's research program that was introduced in 1972, and monitoring and evaluating research. The research activities reviewed by the Research Committee and financed from the ERB all involved outside contracts. Only projects which required external resources (consultants and computer time) were considered eligible for funding from ERB. The identification number (RPO) number was assigned by the Research Committee for approved projects. A P was placed after the RPO number to indicate a proposal for ERB funding for research preparation or a project requiring a small grant. An A was placed after the RPO number to indicate projects involving the application of research methodologies or techniques developed under other Bank research projects to new contexts or new areas.

In 1977, VPD became chair of the committee and director of the staff that prepared The World Development Report. The Development Policy Vice Presidency was succeeded by the Economics and Research Vice Presidency (VPERS) in February 1982 and Hollis B. Chenery became VPERS.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Sub-fonds consists of records created in the Development Policy Vice Presidency (VPD). Many of the records were created by the Director, Development Policy; these relate to the Development Committee; the Policy Review Committee, and commodity policy work in the department. Other records in this sub-fonds relate to specific research projects and, generally, the World Bank's research program. Also included are records related to the external General Research Advisory Panel (GRAP). Correspondence and other records of the Development Policy Staff, Departments, and Divisions are also included in this sub-fonds.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Records are arranged in fourteen series:

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-01 Berne Union Files Maintained by Development Finance Services, Economic Program Department

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-02 Correspondence and Files Created for Research Projects in Support of Operations (Operations Policy Files)

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-03 Correspondence Concerning the World Bank's Research Program

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-04 Subject Files of the Research Advisers

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-05 Records of the General Research Advisory Panel and the Special Research Advisory Panels

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-06 Director, Development Policy Ernest Stern's Correspondence with President McNamara

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-07 Policy Review Committee Files of the Director, Development Policy

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-08 Commodity Files of the Director, Development Policy

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-09 Files of the Director, Development Policy, Regarding the Development Committee and Related Committees

Records of the Departments and Divisions

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-10 Correspondence and Other Records of the Development Policy Staff, Departments, and Divisions

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-11 Memoranda and Issuances Relating to the Reorganization of 1972

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-12 World Debt Tables and World Economic Indicators

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-13 Records Relating to the Committee of Twenty and to Two of its Technical Groups

  • WB IBRD/IDA DEC-01-14 Secretariat's Copies of Policy Papers and Minutes of Policy Review Committee Meetings and of Staff Review Meetings

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

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Finding aids

Allied materials area

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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 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); 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 Records of Industry and Mining Sector - Records of the Strategy and Policy Division, Incentives and Comparative Advantage (INCA) Unit - Incentives and Comparative Analysis (INCA) research and knowledge products (WB IBRD/IDA IND-07-03) for records related to INCA research projects and studies maintained by Garry Pursell during his tenure in the Development Research Center (DRC) and its previous units under the Development Policy Vice Presidency (VPD) before he was transferred to the International Development Finance Department (IDF) to lead the Bank's new INCA unit in 1981.

  • Records of Individual Staff Members -- Benjamin B. King files (WB IBRD/IDA STAFF-05); Ernest Stern files (WB IBRD/IDA STAFF-10); and Johannes F. Linn (WB IBRD/IDA STAFF-29).

  • See the following oral histories: Hollis B. Chenery; Irving S. Friedman; Ernest Stern; Jean Baneth; Attila Karaosmanoglu; Geoffrey Lamb; and Johannes F. Linn.

  • Robert W. Oliver collection on George D. Wood -- Robert S. Oliver's Interview with Irving S. Friedman (WB IBRD/IDA WOODS-02).

  • See Records of the Office of the Historian -- World Bank History Project -- Interviews (WB IBRD/IDA HIST-01-10) for interviews and interview notes with Benjamin B. King, Shankar N. Acharya, Nancy Birdsall, Attila Karaosmanoglu, Lyn Squire, Ernest Stern, Suman Bery, and Gregory Ingram.

  • Personal papers of Irving Friedman (WB IBRD/IDA FRIEDMAN).

  • Personal Papers of Hollis B. Chenery (WB IBRD/IDA WB_IBRD/IDA_96).

Related descriptions

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Rules and/or conventions used

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

Disclosure status

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Dates of creation revision deletion

13 October 2011

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Accession area