World Bank-NGO Project Cooperation: Less than Meets the Eye?

Abstract

In an April 1988 speech, (then) World Bank Senior Vice President Moeen A. Qureshi spoke of the World Bank’s work with NGOs in these terms:

In the last few years NGO influence on Bank policies has grown…. Where bureaucratic eyes are astigmatic, NGOs provide vivid images of what is really happening at the grassroots…. strong organizations of poor people often help public programs respond to the real needs of the poor…. I have asked our staff to look for more situations where NGOs could help us elicit the participation of poor people in planning public projects and policies.

Qureshi’s speech is frequently quoted by NGO enthusiasts within the World Bank to show the range and depth of the organization’s official commitment to working with NGOs. Along with other publications and public statements since 1988, it suggests that the Bank is cooperating with increasing frequency with NGOs, turning especially to local and national organizations in borrowing countries, and opening itself to work in all stages of the project cycle.