July 12, 2001

Bank Information Center
By Abigail Parish

After years of pressure from indigenous peoples and NGOs, the World Bank's quality control arm, known as the Operations Evaluations Department (OED), is finally starting a review of the way Bank operations have affected indigenous peoples during the 1990s.

The review is potentially important because the lessons learned should be used to reform Bank policies and practice.

The review will receive independent assessments by indigenous peoples and civil society. This is a real opportunity to tell the World Bank about your own experience and what you think of its policies, programs and projects.

1. OED Review of Implementation of the World Bank's Indigenous Peoples Policy: effectiveness and relevance the Bank's existing IP policy, known as Operational Directive 4.20 (OD4.20), for indigenous peoples affected by (i) specific projects theoretically covered by the IP policy (ii) more generally in the Bank's country portfolios.

Phase I to be completed by December 2001: Desk-based review of about 916 investment projects in 34 countries. Phase II to be completed by December 2002: A field-based participatory assessment of two or three projects in a few selected countries (e.g., Peru, Guatemala, India);

2. Invitation to Indigenous Peoples and NGOs to submit comments: The OED is inviting comments from indigenous peoples and civil society organisations regarding:

1. the quality of compliance with the Bank's Indigenous Peoples policy in specific projects or programmes
2. the overall impact of the Bank's portfolio on indigenous peoples in a particular country (i.e., investment projects and programmes and sectoral and structural adjustment);
3. factors affecting the quality of compliance: what went right or wrong in the implementation of the IP policy and why?
4. recommendations about how the policy provisions and their application on the ground should be improved;
5. suggested benchmarks to measure the effectiveness of projects and programmes affecting IPs;
3. How to respond:

   What to send:

   • past letters, leaflets, press releases, meeting notes, studies or reports that detail how Bank policies, projects or programmes have affected indigenous communities in your country;
   • specific comments on a project or programme detailed in the attached list of World Bank operations about which you have knowledge and experience;
   • general comments and recommendations regarding your experience with the World Bank in your country or local region;

   Questions to address:

   • How have individual projects or programmes financed by the World Bank affected indigenous communities and territories?
   • What was the quality of indigenous participation in these operations?
   • To what extent has OD4.20 been complied with?
   • What have been the obstacles to effective implementation?
   • Were indigenous communities better or worse off after the Bank intervention?
   • How can Bank policy and practice be improved to respect the rights of indigenous peoples?

   Send to:

   Mr. Sekou A Mark
   OED OD4.20 Evaluation Team, OED
   World Bank Group
   Washington DC, USA
   Fax: +1 202 522 3124
   Email: ggopal@worldbank.org

Deadline for input to phase I: November 31, 2001

Note: past experience indicates that OED will receive and take account of information received after a deadline. Information may therefore be submitted in 2002 during Phase II of the evaluation.