The NDB Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) has initiated its first Country Portfolio Evaluation (CPE) of India, covering its operations from 2015 through 2023. India was chosen because it has one of the largest NDB portfolios among member countries. The evaluation will assess all sovereign and non-sovereign projects, plus non-lending activities like capacity building and knowledge services. For operations fully disbursed (100%), all five criteria: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability will be used. Where disbursement is under 40%, only relevance & design will be evaluated.
This evaluation offers a critical opportunity for Indian ministries and NDB to jointly reflect on what has worked (especially in transport, water, sanitation sectors), identify gaps (e.g. in digital/social infrastructure), improve project design & implementation, and enhance alignment with India’s SDG priorities. The process also shows NDB’s commitment to transparency and learning, which could push for stronger evidence-based policy, state-wise outcome tracking, and better stakeholder engagement.
Relevant question for policy stakeholders: How can India use the CPE findings to adapt national investment planning, ensure better outcomes from multilateral financing, and close performance gaps in sectors where disbursement or impact has been weak?
Follow the full news here: https://www.ndb.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/India-CPE_Approach-Paper.pdf
