Africa/Global: Knowledge Bank evaluation criticises “reluctance to consider alternatives”

An official review has echoed many external criticisms of the World Bank's knowledge roles, but has buried some of the most important feedback from officials and researchers in the South. A recent study by the World Bank's Operations Evaluation Department (OED) found significant problems with the Bank's self-appointed role as guardian and disseminator of the world's development knowledge, but produced only extremely bureaucratic conclusions which do not match the degree or nature of the concerns expressed by outside critics, says Bank monitor the Bretton Woods Project.