Jamaica - Completion and Learning Review Validation for the Country Partnership Framework for FY14-FY19

Jul 19, 2026

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CLR Validation covers the World Bank Group’s Completion and Learning Review for Jamaica across the Country Partnership Strategy period FY14–FY17, updated through the Performance and Learning Review in May 2017 and extended to FY19. The independent assessment rates development outcome as Satisfactory and WBG performance as Good, noting progress across public sector modernization, private sector enablement, and social and climate resilience. It also evaluates alignment with country challenges, gender gaps, indicator limitations, mitigation of risks, and implementation hurdles, including reforms enabling greater use of country systems.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages37

Reading Time1 h 33 min

Executive Summary

Period and scope of the CLR validation

Key ratings and results by CPS pillars

Alignment, indicator coverage, and evidence validation

PLR adjustments and implementation considerations

Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized CLR Review Independent Evaluation Group Completion and Learning Review Validation1 Jamaica FY14-FY19 Country Partnership Framework July 11, 2023 Ratings | | CLR Rating | CLRR (IEG) Rating | | --- | --- | --- | | Development Outcome: | Satisfactory | Satisfactory | | WBG Performance: | Good | Good | I. Executive Summary i. This review of the World Bank Group’s (WBG) Completion and Learning Review (CLR) covers the period of the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS), FY14-FY17, and updated in the Performance and Learning Review (PLR) dated May 25, 2017, which extended the CPS period by two years to FY19. ii. The CPS design was well aligned with the challenges Jamaica faced and the government’s program. Jamaica’s economy had faced stagnation since the 1970s, further compounded by the deterioration in economic and social outcomes since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC) . The economy was shrinking, poverty rising, and vulnerabilities increasing. The Government had committed to introducing structural reforms and had built political and societal support to advance them. The focus of the reforms was on containing the level of public debt that had reached 140 percent of GDP, reducing poverty, rekindling economic growth, and building the resilience of the country to climate events, such as storms. The CPS pillars and objectives were aligned with these challenges and were grounded on the commitment of government. An incoming government in 2016 maintained that commitment. The CPS program was well aligned with corporate priorities, being critical to its contribution to stabilization and inclusion. Regarding gender, the CPS program was weak. 1 The Completion and Learning Review Validation (CLRV) was called the Completion and Learning Review Review (CLRR) before May 1, 2023. There was no change in methodology. | CLR Reviewed by: | Peer Reviewed by: | CLR Validation Coordinator | | --- | --- | --- | iii. IEG rates the CPS development outcome as Satisfactory. Out of six objectives, three were achieved and three were mostly achieved. In the first pillar (Public Sector Modernization) the CPS program contributed to improving fiscal stability, while advancing in building selected fiscal institutions (Objective 1) . In pillar 2 (Enabling Environment for Private Sector Growth), there was progress in improving the business environment by easing administrative procedures, and indirectly from the improved macro-economic environment. Progress was also made in connecting agricultural producers to markets, but the impact of Bank’s interventions to enhance entrepreneurship in the digital economy could not be verified (Objective 2) . Substantive progress was made in enhancing energy diversification and security, as well as augmenting trade infrastructure and logistics (Objective 3). In pillar 3 (Social and Climate Resilience), the social protection system was expanded, with improved targeting, while real average value of the benefits was maintained. However, efforts to employ a share of social protection beneficiaries have moved at a slower pace than expected (Objective 4) . Progress was made in improving opportunities through the expansion of early childcare development and broadening access to municipal services in deprived urban neighborhoods, although there is little hard evidence that the beneficiaries were mostly the poor and the vulnerable as called for in the objective (Objective 5). Capacity of the national meteorological service to track weather patterns, disseminate information, and improve readiness was enhanced. The fiscal cover to manage weather and climate shocks is larger. (Objective 6) . iv. Overall, IEG rates World Bank Group performance as Good. The CPS program was well aligned with the country challenges and the government’s program. The WBG scaled up and upfronted its support around a well-structured set of objectives that guided projectselection a

FAQs

What period does the CLR validation cover for Jamaica?

It covers the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) period FY14–FY17, with updates incorporated from the Performance and Learning Review dated May 25, 2017, extending the CPS to FY19.

How does IEG rate the development outcome and WBG performance?

IEG rates the CPS development outcome as Satisfactory and the World Bank Group performance as Good.

Where did the CPS program show weaker performance, according to the review?

Gender-related aspects were considered weak, and some results framework indicators were not always sufficient to capture progress toward objectives, requiring complementary information for validation.

Jul 19, 2026

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