Borrower Ownership of Adjustment Programs and the Political Economy of Reform (World Bank Discussion Paper)

Borrower ownership of adjustment programs is often cited as vital for credibility to policies, safeguarding against policy reversals, and ensuring sustainability of benefits. Nevertheless, the notion of ownership remains conceptually elusive and insufficiently explored in the World Bank ' s policy and practice of adjustment lending. This paper, based on the Operations Evaluation Department ' s (OED) evaluation of nearly 100 adjustment programs in 42 countries, highlights the symbiotic relationship between program outcome and ownership. Finally, through selected country case studies, it ascertains the important factors or antecedents that account for differences in the intensity of borrower ownership. The paper concludes with specific recommendations that may have operational policy significance.