LEARNING AND EVALUATION

The 2019 Decision on the Oversight Mechanism by the Board of Directors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (Bank) formally established the Bank’s evaluation function under the responsibility of the Bank’s Complaints-resolution, Evaluation and Integrity Unit (CEIU). This fulfilled the Board’s mandate under Section 26 (iv) of the Bank’s Articles of Agreement to establish such a function, the importance of which had been recognized from the Bank’s inception. CEIU’s evaluation function is further elaborated in the Oversight Mechanism Terms of Reference for CEIU.

AIIB’s first Learning and Evaluation Policy was approved by the Board of Directors in May 2021. The policy covers the purpose of learning and evaluation in the Bank and outlines the principles and internationally accepted criteria that underpin its learning and evaluation activities. As elaborated in the Policy, learning and evaluation under the Policy involve shared but distinct roles and responsibilities of the Board, CEIU and Management. The Directive on the Learning and Evaluation Policy further elaborates on the role of Management.

Learning and Evaluation Framework Guides (LEF Guides) are produced to guide CEIU staff working on learning and evaluation activities and may contain links to AIIB’s intranet. Please kindly note that these links are not operational for external readers.

In the fulfillment of its mandate in the area of learning and evaluation CEIU conducts the following activities:

(a) Develops, issues and updates guidance designed to facilitate implementation of the Learning and Evaluation Policy and as needed, proposes revisions to this Policy.

(b) Prepares, in accordance with the CEIU Terms of Reference and in consultation with Management, an annual work plan and budget for Learning and Evaluation activities.

(c) Conducts Learning and Evaluation activities in accordance with the Learning and Evaluation Policy.

(d) Facilitates and encourages the use of findings and lessons from Learning and Evaluation activities and peer institution evaluations by:

    (i) compiling, contextualizing, synthesizing and disseminating the findings and lessons internally and externally and storing them in a lessons database; and

     (ii) conducting training and awareness-raising sessions and providing explanatory materials for staff on lessons and findings from Learning and Evaluation activities.

(e) Participates in operational policy and sector strategy reviews, as appropriate, conducted by Management and provides independent inputs in order to inform these reviews; however, decisions under these reviews, including relating to formulation and revisions to policies and strategies, remain within Management's discretion.

(f) Reports to the Board:

    (i) periodically on the implementation of its annual work plan; (ii) annually on its work plan results and lessons identified; and

    (ii) periodically on Management’s application of findings, recommendations and lessons from Learning and Evaluation activities.

(g) Participates with other organizations in evaluative activities of common interest, including with co-financiers of Projects supported by the Bank.

Learning and Evaluation activities also include Early Learning Assessments (ELAs) and Project Learning Reviews (PLRs).

ELAs are designed as snapshots of Projects under implementation in order to rapidly identify and document high quality, evidence-based and useful findings and lessons that can be applied to enhance the quality of Projects and associated Bank processes. They are not designed as Project evaluations or Project completion assessments. ELAs focus on selected Projects in the Bank's financing portfolio and, where relevant, on aspects of strategic importance to the Bank. They aim to promote timely feedback in order to enhance the Bank's due diligence and oversight of Projects under development or implementation.

PLRs are undertaken at an appropriate point after Management has issued the Project completion note on the Project as required under the Operational Policy on Financing. PLRs are retrospective in nature and seek to derive practical lessons for general and future consideration in Project design and oversight. The PLR is based on an approach paper prepared by CEIU, which reflects the choice of criteria to be applied for the PLR, together with the rationale for such choice and proposed methods for their application. Management provides comments on the approach paper for the PLR. Both Bank and client performance are assessed, as well as achievement of the Project’s objectives.

Project Learning Review (PLR) Reports	Publication Date
Project Learning Review (PLR): Duqm Port Commercial Terminal and Operational Zone Development Project Management Response: PLR Duqm Port Commercial Terminal and Operational Zone Development Project	March 2025
Project Learning Review (PLR): Gujarat Roads Project Management Response: PLR Gujarat Roads Project	December 2024

In addition, CEIU started Practitioner Dialogues in 2018 to invite its counterparts in peer institutions to share their project lessons and experiences virtually. This proved convenient for busy international presenters and AIIB staff.

Each hour-long Practitioner Dialogue is “narrow-cast” for a small group of invited AIIB professionals from project-related departments. This allows for frank, focused and useful discussions under the “Chatham House” rule. It also shares the sort of insights, advice and stories on difficult situations and findings that rarely get written and best come through conversation.

Below is a list of Practitioner Dialogues held by the Evaluation function. The list will be updated on a continuous basis:

Practitioner Dialogues - Evaluation	Held in
EBRD Experience with Delegated Approval of Financings: An EBRD Independent Evaluation Department Special Study	March 2024
OECD/DCD: An Overview of OECD Blended Finance Principles, Practice and Suggested Next Steps	November 2023
Independent Evaluation Group of the World Bank: Evaluation of World Bank Support for Demand-Side Energy Efficiency	June 2023
Asian Development Bank Independent Evaluation Department Evaluation: Policy-based Lending Performance, Results and Design Issues	June 2023
German Institute for Development Evaluation Early Findings on Blended Finance and Effects of Private Sector Engagement	March 2023
Asian Development Bank Independent Evaluation of Results Based Lending at the ADB	November 2022
European Investment Bank Independent Evaluation of EIB Support to Climate Change Adaptation (2015-2020)	September 2022
World Bank Group Support for Electricity Supply from Renewable Energy Resources: An Independent Evaluation	July 2022
EBRD Evaluation Department Cluster Evaluation: Solar Power Operations	June 2022
Thematic Evaluation: ADB Support for Action on Climate Change, 2011–2020	February 2022
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Evaluation Department: Energy Sector Strategy Evaluation	January 2022
Independent Evaluation Group, World Bank Group: Evaluating Private Capital Mobilization for the SDGs	January 2022
EBRD Evaluation of infrastructure projects for regional connectivity	August 2021
ADB Support for Public–Private Partnerships (PPP) 2009–2019	July 2021
COVID-19: learning from case studies of past epidemic response and recovery (World Bank Global Delivery Initiative)	March 2021
The Asian Development Bank’s Sector-wide Evaluation of the ADB Energy Policy and Program (2009-2019)	February 2021
Findings and Lessons from Evaluating ADB Support for Transport	August 2020
Findings and Lessons from Evaluating ADB’s Safeguards Policy (joint session with the Complaints-resolution function)	June 2020
Learning from Development Projects: Using Findings for Operations and Increasing Impact	August 2019
How the Global Delivery Initiative (GDI) can help tackle project implementation challenges	May 2019