Completion and Learning Review for the Country Partnership Framework - Ghana - FY13-FY18

Jul 19, 2026

The Independent Evaluation Group presents the Completion and Learning Review (CLR) of the World Bank Group’s Ghana Country Partnership Strategy covering FY13–FY16 and an extension to FY18. The review assesses whether the strategy and its Performance and Learning Review addressed key challenges such as spatial inequality, vulnerability, fiscal volatility, employment growth, and limited government effectiveness. Outcomes receive a Moderately Satisfactory rating, while World Bank Group performance is rated Fair due to weak selectivity, an overextended objective set, incomplete results chains, and uneven risk mitigation effectiveness, despite relevant analytics and supervision.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages57

Reading Time2 h 24 min

Executive Summary

Review scope and strategy updates

Development outcome and focus area results

World Bank Group performance and implementation issues

Collaboration across WBG institutions

Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized CLR Review Independent Evaluation Group Completion and Learning Review Review Ghana FY13-FY18 Country Partnership Strategy February 9, 2022 Ratings | | CLR Rating | CLRR (IEG) Rating | | --- | --- | --- | | Development Outcome: | Moderately Satisfactory | Moderately Satisfactory | | WBG Performance: | Fair | Fair | I. Executive Summary i. This review of the World Bank Group’s (WBG) Completion and Learning Review (CLR) for Ghana covers the period of the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS), FY13-FY16, dated August 20, 2013 and updated in the Performance and Learning Review (PLR) dated October 20, 2016, which extended the CPS period by two years to FY18 . ii. The CPS and its PLR addressed relevant development challenges, including spatial inequalities and vulnerability, fiscal volatility, slow and low-quality employment growth, and limited government effectiveness. The WBG program as implemented was also wellaligned with the Government’s two successive development programs, the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda, 2010-2013 (GSGDA I) and its successor 2014-2017 GSGDA II. CPS pillars to improve institutions, competitiveness and job creation, and social protection were aligned with the WBG’s poverty reduction and shared prosperity objectives, although sharper selectivity could have strengthened this alignment. iii. With nine of fifteen objectives Achieved or Mostly Achieved, IEG rates the CPS development outcome as Moderately Satisfactory. Under Focus Area I (Economic Institutions), the program met its objective to strengthen Ghana’s statistical system. There was, however, limited progress on public financial management (PFM), land administration, and oil and gas sector transparency. Under Focus Area II (Improving Competitiveness and Job Creation), the program helped improve skills and agricultural technology adoption, as planned. There was also progress on improving education at all | CLR Reviewed by | Peer Reviewed by | CLR Review Coordinator | | --- | --- | --- | levels, access to finance, transport mobility, and land and water management. Improvements in energy were muted, largely due to insufficient progress on distribution and to fuel constraints; and progress on fish and aquatic resources could not be verified. Under Focus Area III (Protecting the Poor and Vulnerable), the program targets were met on expanding social protection and good progress was achieved on access to water supply and sanitation. Although there was increased access to maternal health services, its impact on actual maternal health outcomes was not assessed. The WBG contributed to some important institutional reforms, including measures to contain the wage bill, improve Ghana’s statistical service, develop financial infrastructure (e.g., credit reporting), and improve the targeting of social transfers. iv. IEG rates WBG performance as Fair. The program contributed to achievements in some areas, but the design and implementation of the program failed to contribute to the achievement of a significant number of CPF objectives. Having 15 CPS/PLR objectives, some of them compound, was likely excessive. This number of objectives is the same that led an external evaluation to rate selectivity weak under the previous CAS1, and no progress was made to improve selectivity through division of labor with other development partners (DPs) in responding to government priorities. The WBG envisaged drawing on a range of lending instruments to support its objectives, notably Program for Results (PforR) financing, guarantee instruments, DPF, and ASA/AS support. For higher risks areas of intervention (e.g., power, transport), the payoff was somewhat unclear based on previously lackluster performance in those areas. Risks and mitigation measures were well identified. However, not all risk mitigation measures were effective, notably those directed to mitigate risks on SOE governanc

FAQs

What period does the Ghana CLR cover under the Country Partnership Strategy?

It covers the Country Partnership Strategy for FY13–FY16 and incorporates updates from the Performance and Learning Review that extended the strategy through FY18.

How are the development outcome and WBG performance rated?

The CLR rates the CPS development outcome as Moderately Satisfactory and rates WBG performance as Fair.

What were the main reasons for the Fair WBG performance rating?

The review cites failures to contribute to a significant number of CPF objectives, excessive objective count, unclear results chains and indicators, and portfolio performance driven by complexity, procurement issues, and weak data to assess outcomes, alongside risk mitigation measures that were not fully effective.

Jul 19, 2026

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