Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) at the African Development Bank (AfDB or "the Bank”) conducted an evaluation of the Bank's country strategies and programs in Benin over the 2012-2021 period. Over the decade, the Bank approved 31 projects, for a total of UA 688.13 million, in the infrastructure, energy, water and sanitation, agricultural, and governance sectors. The objective of the evaluation is to analyze the performance of the Bank's operations in Benin and their contribution to the country's development results; and draw lessons from the Bank's experience that will improve the design and implementation of future strategies and programs in the country.
The evaluation showed that the strategies and programs were relevant, with good overall coherence, as they were globally aligned with national policies and strategies and their operational implementation. Overall effectiveness was rated satisfactory except for the energy sector, while efficiency was rated partially unsatisfactory due to implementation delays for all sectors. Although the projects have contributed to efforts to develop infrastructure, agriculture, and improve governance and the business climate, some of the expected results have not been achieved, and sustainability varies widely.
Some important lessons of the evaluation include:
- Structured and well-sequenced approaches can contribute significantly to the country’s regional integration.
- A better understanding of the private sector and especially its structural problems, together with targeted policy dialogue, facilitates the implementation of private sector projects,
- Long and persistent delays cause institution-building activities to be neglected.
The evaluation made recommendations to the Bank, including to:
- Improve the sustainability of the outcomes of Bank operations,
- Strengthen the Bank’s capacity to engage in permanent policy dialogue,
- Strengthen support for private sector development and public-private partnerships.
Evaluation task manager: Eric Kere, Senior Evaluation Officer