Evaluation Briefs

This report summarizes the findings of the independent evaluation of the African Development Bank’s (AfDB or Bank) Country Strategy and Program in South Africa for the period 2004 to 2015. The evaluation is intended to inform the next country strategy paper (CSP) due in 2018; and to contribute to accountability and learning. To provide solid evidence for its findings, the evaluation included thorough project assessments as well as review of the broader portfolio of strategies and of non-lending activities.

This evaluation reviews the assistance provided by the African Development Bank (the Bank) to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from 2006 to 2013. The evaluation assessed the relevance, additionality, effectiveness, sustainability, and efficiency of SME assistance operations, as well as the Bank’s approach to SME development. The exercise involved a combination of desk work, including review of all relevant documents from various sources, and field work, including missions to six countries (Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Tanzania, Togo, and Zambia).

This synthesis outlines the key findings of 33 evaluations of support for private sector development (PSD) undertaken by bilateral and multilateral institutions over the past five years. The purpose of the synthesis is to inform the strategic direction, design, and implementation of future PSD initiatives so as to leverage the sector’s role in spurring economic growth and advancing development effectiveness in Africa.

This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the Bank Group’s Equity Investments. This evaluation was conducted in order to inform Bank’s decisions on the future use of equity investments by identifying lessons and potential areas for improvement. As such, the purpose of the evaluation is two-fold: 1) assess the relevance and performance of the Bank’s equity investments; and 2) identify lessons, recommendations and areas for improvement.

The Comprehensive Evaluation of the Development Results (CEDR) of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB, or Bank) aims to provide an independent, credible and evidence-based assessment of development results achieved by the Bank between 2004 and 2013. It seeks to answer three questions: (1) Has the Bank achieved its objectives? (2) Has the Bank proposed results-focused strategies and programs? And, (3) Has the Bank emerged as a valued partner at country level?

This document summarizes the principal findings of the evaluation of the African Development Bank’s 2004-2013 strategy in Togo. The evaluation was initiated and carried out by the Bank’s Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV). Methodologically speaking, the evaluation is structured around 18 questions. It also specifically addressed questions of fragility by including an analysis of Togo’s fragility, how the Bank’s strategies took fragility into account, and how these have contribute to changes in the factors that create fragility.    

As a key component of the Comprehensive Evaluation of the African Development Bank’s Development Results (CEDR), this evaluation measures the relevance, effectiveness, sustainability and efficiency of Bank Group assistance to Senegal over the period, as well as the institutional performances of the Borrower and the Bank between 2004 and 2013. The Government, civil society and the other actors concerned hope to learn lessons that will be reflected in the design and smooth implementation of the Bank's 2016-2020 Country Strategy Paper (CSP) for Senegal.

This Country Strategy and Program Evaluation aims at: (i) assessing the development results achieved through the assistance provided by the African Development Bank Group (“the Bank” or “AfDB”) to Ethiopia, and in particular the extent to which the Bank’s interventions made a difference  and how, and (ii) drawing lessons on how the Bank manages its interventions in the country  with the aim of  suggesting potential improvements to inform the preparation of the new Country Strategy Paper (CSP) for Ethiopia.

This report reviews the performance of the Bank in respect of its private sector operations, by assessing its effectiveness in growing and managing the portfolio of investments, and by evaluating the development contribution of the projects it has supported. It is based on the Bank’s portfolio of 137 investments that were approved by the Board between 2006 and 2011, and which account for a total approved investment volume of UA 3.9 billion, of which UA 3.5 billion is committed. Additionally, the review makes reference to 38 TA interventions approved over the same period, though these were not evaluated individually.

This evaluation reviews the establishment and implementation of 28 bilateral and thematic trust funds monitored and partly administered by the Bank’s Partnerships and Cooperation Unit (ORRU). The evaluation assesses the procedural effectiveness of the implementation of the Trust Funds: it attempts to set forth the scope and scale of the procedural issues; distinguish at what stage in the process problems are most critical; and identify the key factors behind the problems and the implications for policy, process, organizational structure and human resource reforms