[afro-nets] World Bank research

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

World Bank research
-------------------

Knowledge Bank-rupted: Evaluation says key World Bank research 'not 
remotely reliable'

An evaluation by a panel of self-described 'academic superstars' has 
cast doubt over the independence and reliability of World Bank 
research. However, in failing to address fundamental problems in the 
Bank's role in development research, the report misses an opportunity 
to provide a clear signal for donors to shift support to developing 
country research institutions.

The evaluation covers Bank research - conducted in the development 
economics vice-presidency (DEC), regional and thematic departments, the 
World Bank Institute, and that by consultants - in the period 1998 to 
2005. Chaired by Angus Deaton, professor of economics at Princeton 
University, the evaluation says that, overall, the Bank's researchers 
"have done a creditable job of delivering on the many, potentially 
inconsistent, demands made of them". "Much of what we read was of very 
high quality", say the report's authors.

But this praise is scant recompense for what follows. The report finds 
that "there is a great deal of research that is undistinguished and not 
well-directed either to academic or policy concerns". Amongst this 
'undistinguished' work, the evaluators found research which is 
"technically flawed and in some cases strong policy positions have been 
supported by such (non) evidence". In some cases, "the Bank 
proselytised selected new work in major policy speeches and 
publications, without appropriate caveats on its reliability". The 
ensuing litany of critiques is withering:
* New research methods have been promoted "without adequate 
evaluation";
* Many Bank researchers try to prove causality by tinkering with 
economic models; in the words of the evaluators, they "appear to think 
that the attribution of causality can be solved by technical means";
* In some cases, "the degree of self-reference rises almost to the 
level of parody"; and
* There is "remarkably little work co-authored by non-Bank researchers 
from developing countries".

For the full article go to:
http://brettonwoodsproject.org/researchevaluation54