1. What is the purpose and scope of a Country Partnership Framework (CPF)?
The Country Partnership Framework (CPF) identifies the key objectives and development results through which the WBG intends to support a member country in its efforts to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. It is the central tool that guides the WBG’s support for its member country’s development program. The CPF is intended to determine the selectivity of future investments and country engagement.
The CPF presents the WBG engagement by objectives, which are grouped into priority focus areas for helping countries achieve its goals. For each objective, there is a clear description of impact of progress in this area on poverty reduction and shared prosperity.
2. How can I share my inputs on the development strategy and vision for Pakistan?
Stakeholder consultations are underway and will continue until the mid-July 2024. Roundtable discussions will be held with a wide range of stakeholder groups, and the schedule for these will be shared on the main CPF webpage.
3. When was the last CPF?
The previous Country Partnership Strategy ended in FY20. The preparation of the new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) was deferred in FY21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and paused again due to the 2022 catastrophic floods. A new CPF is expected to be presented to the Board of Executive Directors later in FY25. View details of the previous CPF consultations here.
4. How do I stay informed of progress and when the CPF is finalized?
The CPF webpage will be updated with public information from the consultations and process. Please visit the CPF consultations webpage to see links to many resources on the framework, purpose and process, and expected completion dates. Key documents will be translated in Urdu and English, such as schedule of consultations, summaries from consultation sessions, and briefs.
5. Which organizations are involved in drafting the initial framework of the CPF?
The initial framework for the CPF is jointly prepared by the World Bank Group: The World Bank which includes both the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA); International Finance Corporation (IFC); and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). Together as the World Bank Group, the CPF represents a shared view of how development resources can best support the Government’s effort to achieve its national goals.
For each new lending operation with the client country, the project documents outline how the proposed operation contributes to the results set out in the CPF.
6. What are the proposed focus areas for the CPF?
The World Bank Group is seeking your views on how it can best engage in the five focus areas proposed for its upcoming Country Partnership Framework with the Government of Pakistan. Participants of these consultations will be able to share how the World Bank Group can have the most impact on country’s development results over the next six years. The proposed focus areas are:
- Reduced Child Stunting
- Reduced Learning Poverty
- Increased Climate Resilience
- Increased Decarbonization
- More Inclusive Economic Opportunities
The focus areas for the CPF are for the entire WBG and includes the objectives of the Bank, IFC, and MIGA. It aims to integrate inputs and discussions with the Government, summarize support from WB lending, and IFC and MIGA proposed under the CPF.
7. Will this consultation exercise make a difference in the path my country takes forward?
The CPF consultation process and its purpose is guided by the WBG Directive, which provides guidance and explains its part in the four steps of country engagement.
Step 1: What are the biggest constraints to reducing poverty and increasing shared prosperity in a liveable planet?
The WBG undertakes various key analytics that aim at identifying the most critical constraints to, and opportunities for, reducing poverty and building shared prosperity sustainably. A list of the analytics used to identify the key constraints are listed above.
Step 2: What are the most important contributions the World Bank Group can make?
The CPF lays out the main country development goals that WBG aims to help the country achieve and proposes a selective program of indicative WBG interventions for this purpose. Derived from these country development goals are more specific CPF objectives against which the program is monitored during and evaluated at the end of the CPF cycle. CPF objectives are selected to reflect Government priorities, the constraints identified in country analytics, and the WBG’s comparative advantage.
Step 3: How are we doing?
Regular updates are made during the cycle to capture progress against the results framework of the CPF. Performance and Learning Reviews (PLRs) might be conducted at the midpoint to identify and capture lessons and determine midcourse corrections in the CPF objectives and program of interventions.
Step 4: What did we learn?
Completion and Learning Reviews (CLR) identify and capture end-of-cycle learning to contribute to the WBG’s knowledge base, including on how to integrate inclusion and sustainability dimensions into WBG programs. CLR findings are an important input to the preparation of the next CPF.
8. Is the government responsible for the CPF? How does it influence government investment decisions?
The CPF, which is prepared by the WBG, starts from the member country’s vision of its development goals, which is determined by a country-owned and -led strategy process. It identifies the objectives and development results that the WBG expects to help the country achieve during the implementation period. The CPF then outlines a selective and flexible program – considering both ongoing and future indicative activities – that is tailored to the country’s needs.
The WBG seeks to promote country-led assistance management and to increase selectivity in line with the WBG’s mandates and comparative advantages. The WBG collaborates and coordinates with development partners to leverage resources and seek greater coherence across institutions and alignment with the country’s development priorities. The Government of Pakistan is not liable for the CPF but helps to identify the strategic objectives for WBG engagement in Pakistan.
9. Are there other resources to learn more about CPFs and how it is used by the World Bank Group?
There are many resources available online, including the WBG Knowledge Platform and websites for the World Bank, IFC, and MIGA. For details on the previous WBG consultations in Pakistan, please see here.
10. I participated in the 'Reforms For A Brighter Future' consultations organized by the World Bank Group last year. Will you consider the findings of those consultations while preparing the new CPF?
Absolutely, these consultations will expand on the ones done for the RBF. The results will be used in developing the new CPF.