The evolution of the world bank’s procurement framework: Reform and coherence for the 21st centur

Abstract

In 2011, the World Bank announced its intention to conduct a holistic review and reform of its procurement framework. This reform was intended to ensure that its procurement system, which is the means through which the Bank disburses developmental loans and grants is in line with modern trends in procurement, is flexible enough to respond to unforeseen challenges and is coherent. This paper examines both how Bank procurement has evolved since the first formal regulations were issued in 1964 and the implications of the recent reforms for the Bank and its borrowers. Readers will see that ongoing reforms evidence a significant change for the Bank's approach to procurement and its relationship with its borrowers and will dramatically affect the way the Bank-funded procurements are conducted.

Citation

Williams-Elegbe, S. (2016), "The evolution of the world bank’s procurement framework: Reform and coherence for the 21st centur", Journal of Public Procurement, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 22-51. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOPP-16-01-2016-B002