Series - Support and communications of the Office of the President and senior staff

Senior Management Correspondence - John Maddox / Robert McNamara - Volume 2 Senior Management Correspondence - John Maddox / Robert McNamara - Volume 3 Senior Management Correspondence - John Maddox / Robert McNamara - Volume 7 Senior Management Correspondence - John Maddox / Robert McNamara - Volume 3 Senior Management Correspondence - John Maddox / Robert Mcnamara - Volume 2 Senior Management Correspondence - John Maddox / Robert McNamara - Volume 4 Pearson Commission Recommendations - Correspondence - Volume 2 McNamara - outline of 1970 Annual Meeting Speech McNamara correspondence - 1972 (2 of 2) McNamara correspondence - 1974 Pearson Commission Recommendations - Correspondence - Volume 6 McNamara correspondence - 1973 Pearson Commission Recommendations - Correspondence - Volume 3 Pearson Commission Recommendations - Correspondence - Volume 8 McNamara correspondence - 1975 McNamara correspondence - 1976-1980 George D. Woods - Public Relations - Tours by Bank Personnel - Correspondence - 1965 McNamara correspondence - Gregorian University (Rome) (2 of 2) McNamara correspondence - 1972 (1 of 2) Mr. George D. Woods - Speeches - A - Z - Public Relations - Correspondence - 1967 - 1968 McNamara correspondence - Gregorian University (Rome) (1 of 2) Senior Management Correspondence - John Maddox / Robert McNamara - Brandt Commission Pearson Commission Recommendations - Correspondence - Volume 4 McNamara correspondence - 1969 McNamara correspondence - 1968 McNamara correspondence - 1970 McNamara correspondence - 1971 Pearson Commission Recommendations - Correspondence - Volume 5 Public Relations - Tours by Bank Personnel - Woods - 1965 - 1967 Mr. Robert Garner - Public Relations - Tours By Bank Personnel - Correspondence - 1947 - 1948 Mr. George D. Woods - Speeches - A - Z - Public Relations - Correspondence - 1966 - 1967 George D. Woods - Public Relations - Tours by Bank Personnel - Correspondence - 1963 - 1965 Pearson Commission Recommendations - Correspondence - Volume 1 Pearson Commission Recommendations - Correspondence - Volume 7 Mr. George D. Woods - Speeches - A - Z - Public Relations - Correspondence - 1966 - 1968

Identity area

Reference code

WB IBRD/IDA EXT-04

Title

Support and communications of the Office of the President and senior staff

Date(s)

  • 1968 - 2003 (Creation)

Level of description

Series

Extent and medium

79.03 linear feet of textual records; 25 audio cassettes; 19 3.5" computer disks

Context area

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Many of the records in this series were transferred directly to the Archives from the Information and Public Affairs Department (IPA) in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Other records in this series were transferred from External Affairs (EXT) units to the Archives using approved records retention and disposition schedules.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The staff support and communications of the Office of the President and senior staff series includes records related to a variety of activities undertaken by External Relations (EXT) departments. These include: authoring correspondence for senior staff and Bank presidents; scheduling and managing logistics for media relations and speaking engagements; liaising with the press with regard to publication requests; and authoring briefing books for mission travel and meetings. This series contains records related to these activities in addition to subject and reference files.

Series contains records related to the authorship of correspondence for the Office of the President (EXC). The correspondence was authored for Bank Presidents Robert McNamara (1968 to 1981), A. W. Clausen (1981 to 1986), and Barber Conable (1986 to 1991). The records include correspondence received by EXC and forwarded to EXT for response. Forwarded correspondence is accompanied by EXC's forms for requests of action (i.e. author a response,file with EXT records, provide advice, etc.) Topics of correspondence are wide ranging and include: requests for interviews; invitations to conferences and meetings; research proposals; and letters of introduction.

Also included in this series are records related to the scheduling and logistics planning provided by EXT for media interviews in which Bank presidents participated. Records relate to interviews with Presidents McNamara and to a lesser extent, Conable. Records include: correspondence leading upto the interview; internal memoranda concerning logistics; proposed questions and answers; and a clipping or a full transcript of the actual interview. Records relate to print interviews with the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Washington Post, New York Times and Life magazine. Television interviews include the BBC, Italian television, and McNamara's appearance on NBC's Meet the Press in 1974. The records related to McNamara's Meet the Press appearance include preparation notes, transcripts from the episode, and correspondence from viewers.

Records relating to EXT's support of press conferences in which President Conable participated are also included. Records include transcripts of press conferences and press interviews for the years covering 1986 to 1989. Topics include: Bank's 1987 Reorganization; Annual Meetings; annual reports; the establishment of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); Bank policies on the environment; a 1988 loan package to Argentina; indebtedness; adjustment lending; and a 1989 loan package to Mexico. Series also includes records related to press conferences involving Sir William Ryrie (International Finance Corporation [IFC] Executive Vice President), Yoshio Terasawa (Executive Vice President of MIGA), and Ibrahim F. I. Shihata (World Bank Vice President).

Also included in this series are records related to the requests for speeches by Bank senior staff including the president. The majority of these records consist of correspondence with external organizations that are requesting participation by Bank staff in their conferences, meetings, and other events. In the cases where invitations were accepted, a transcript of the speech given is often included. In addition to requests to Presidents Black, Woods, and McNamara, requests are also made to a number of other World Bank vice presidents. A small amount of records related to World Bank policy with regard to speaking events is also included. Records date from 1950 to 1968.

Records relating to requests for article submission to periodicals and other publications are also included in this series. Records relate to requests made to Presidents Woods and McNamara. Records include correspondence with media representatives in which requests for articles are made. Records also relate to the submission of articles, including drafts (often with hand-written annotations) and final versions as well as correspondence with the publisher.

The series also includes records relating to logistical and program support for tours of member countries made by senior Bank staff including Presidents McCloy, Woods, and McNamara. Records date from 1947 to 1968 and consist of internal memoranda, correspondence (including invitations), and itineraries.

The series also contains briefing books prepared by EXT staff for President James Wolfensohn between 1996 and 2005 in support of his various trips and conferences. The briefing books include event background, speaking points, transcripts of speeches, meeting notes, agendas, itineraries, biographical and relevant information on meeting participants, and media biographies. Briefing papers relate to: Wolfensohn's visits to Geneva, Spain, and Switzerland; UN Special Representative Secretary General seminars; Annual Meeting seminars; and the 2002 Monterrey Mexico conference on development financing. There are also briefing papers and supporting materials for Wolfensohn and other staff members related to G-7 meetings from 1995 through 1997. A small number of briefing papers for Mats Karlsson (Vice President of External and United Nations Affairs [EXTUN]) covering 1999 to 2001 are also included.

The series includes recordings and transcripts (including physical and electronic formats) of President Wolfensohn's various internal addresses to staff. These include: high-level workshops, end of year messages, senior management meetings, townhalls, and, most voluminously, his semi-regular "journal" recordings that update staff on Bank operations and activities. This collection of speeches was to be included in Wolfensohn's online "Speech Bank" and incorporated into the Renewal website. The versions in this series were maintained by EXT as a reference collection.

Records also relate to EXT's involvement in the management of internal facing World Bank Group websites. Specifically, records relate to the creation of the Renewal website, a staff-focused resource providing updates on the 1997-1998 reorganization as well as other ongoing administrative and operational initiatives. Records include: email correspondence; materials related to the testing and creation of website content; reports created by the Planning and Budgeting Department; and printouts of pages from the Renewal site. The series also includes materials related to the creation and management of the EXC website from 1998 to 2000. These records include internal correspondence within the department for updates, requests for approval of information to be included on the website, drafts of page content, requests for images for website use, and printout copies of webpages.

The series also includes memoranda summarizing recommendations made by the Pearson Commission on International Development which investigated the effectiveness of the World Bank's first 20 years of operation. These memoranda, dated from 1969 to 1970 and authored by EXT staff for review by the Executive Directors, address specific topics such as education, population, economic reports, debt relief, and aid coordination. The memorandum has handwritten notes written on them by President McNamarato members of the Board.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

Accruals are expected.

System of arrangement

Original order of records has been maintained. In most cases, records are arranged chronologically.

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

  • English
  • French
  • German

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

An inventory list is available here.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

  • See Records of the Office of the President (WB IBRD/IDA EXC).

  • See Records of the Office of External Relations - Liaison with external organizations (WB IBRD/IDA EXT-08) for briefing memos authored by the EXT's external liaison staff for senior management in advance of meetings with non-governmental organizations and other civil institutions.

  • See Records of the Office of External Relations - Documentation of institutional meetings, press conferences, and other events (WB IBRD/IDA EXT-12) for audio and video recordings of Bank Presidents' press conferences and interviews.

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

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

8 June 2017

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area