Project activities are designed to update, expand, and disseminate knowledge on results-based financing (RBF) approaches and applications, which is relevant in fulfilling GPOBA's mandate as a Center of Expertise of RBF. These activities will be supported by GPOBA staff together with a specialist consultant(s), and will include: i) updating and expanding the existing RBF knowledge database of key RBF instruments and stakeholders for a more complete mapping of the RBF universe; and ii) developing an RBF typology/diagnostic tool, which will involve a comprehensive definition of key RBF instruments and identify in which sectors/circumstances a particular RBF instrument and/or combination of instruments works best. The activity includes funding for the development of dissemination materials and events as necessary to promote broader awareness of RBF methods, as well as to support clients, donors, and other development partners to identify and adopt appropriate RBF approaches for their programs.

The activity prepared "A Guide for Effective Results-Based Financing Strategies" and a database of RBF projects (accessible at the GPRBA website).

The guide introduced a diagnostic tool that helps RBF practitioners answer questions such as what conditions need to be in place to use RBF, what RBF instrument to choose in a given context, what core RBF design features would maximize impact, and how the RBF strategy should be refined over time to improve impact.  

The deliverables were to be used in the course of preparation of the RBF Forum that was planned for the next reporting period.

The tasks under this activity will include the following:

Component 1: Knowledge sharing and learning - This component will foster collaboration with PforR team on generating and disseminating knowledge, particularly on pro-poor targeting methodologies, DLIs, monitoring and verification protocols, as well as lessons learned in these areas of expertise from specific countries and tested sectors.

Component 2: Advisory and operational support - This component will seek to identify advisory and analytical activities in support of PforR.

Finally, this component will foster partnership with OPCS aimed at mainstreaming RBF in CPSs with the aim of increasing aid effectiveness.

The activity has been completed and its results have been disseminated. GPRBA engaged with the Bank's PforR team within the Operational Support Vice-Presidency (OPCS) through knowledge exchange, learning activities and project support. This exchange was mutually beneficial, allowing the GPRBA team to deepen operational understanding of PforR while sharing own RBF/OBA expertise to strengthen the instrument. In this context the TA activities included knowledge sharing - GPRBA partnered with OPCS in support to analytics on disbursement-linked indicators (DLI) required for the portfolio review – specifically: (i) deep dives into selected country-level PforR portfolios; (ii) deep dives into selected sectoral-level PforR portfolios; (iii) an assessment of DLI verification arrangements across the PforR portfolio; (iv) insights from restructuring and additional financing (AF)and (v) a mid-term roundtable to take stock of interim findings of the PforR portfolio review at large. development of GPRBA fundraising action plan with a focus on a broad range of RBF instruments. knowledge sharing activities by RBF community of practice. an upstream operational support to PforR. 

The activity was to deliver the following:.

1. Portfolio review: conduct a desk review of GPOBA portfolio and interviews of project teams to determine how GPOBA projects and its current practices contribute to reducing gender gaps. The analysis also included examples of RBF projects outside GPOBA identified through reviewing project documents sections mandated by the WBG Gender Strategy.

2. Gender analysis: assess the impact of GPOBA projects as well as other RBF projects on reducing gender gaps and promoting gender equality.  

3. Gender-related recommendations: the report suggested designs to ensure an effective narrowing of the gender gap and tracking of gender indicators in line with the World Bank Group Gender Strategy. 

Objective of this activity (a) to develop an IVA knowledge product that enables cross-learning of verification practices across different RBF instruments including OBA, PforR and other RBF methods; and, (b) to disseminate the knowledge product to RBF practitioners.

The activity has been completed.

The budget was increased from the original 250,000. It delivered analysis of verification protocols and disbursement-linked indicators, providing input to the updated GPRBA Operations Principles

Also, it systematized the database of Independent Verification Agents (IVAs) and ToR, as GPRBA is most often contacted by RBF practitioners with request to share technical knowledge on physical verification of deliverables. The results of the analysis was to be shared at the RBF Forum in the following reporting period. 

This activity aims to document and disseminate relevant examples of results-based financing (RBF), including output-based aid (OBA), that can be used in to leverage financing and scale up projects that provide access to basic services for poor and marginalized populations.  GPOBA is working to expand the understanding and use of RBF/OBA as one component in the overarching use of development finance. As recognized by the Addis agenda and resulting agreements and positions widely acknowledged in development finance, leveraging finance especially from the private sector and in local and regional markets remains an underutilized yet critical component of large scale efforts to increase access to basic services and promoting economic development.  The activity will provide specific examples to be disseminated, discussed and used by clients, donors, development practitioners and others in the use of RBF approaches.

GPRBA produced four case studies analyzing results-based blended finance initiatives in energy and sanitation in Bangladesh and Ghana, as well as a two-page brief, serving as a resource for clients and development partners. GPRBA undertook an evaluation of the ongoing OBA Sanitation Microfinance Program in Bangladesh, assessing the impact of the OBA subsidy on sanitation market development in rural Bangladesh, and supported consultant fees for the ICR. This activity also funded the ICR for the Nairobi sanitation project. The activity supported four country-focused knowledge exchanges to further the blended finance agenda in Accra, Dhaka, Paris, and Zimbabwe. Finally, the activity supported project pipeline development and supervision/knowledge dissemination of ongoing blended finance projects.

The development objective of this programmatic activity was to promote productive use of electricity by the micro and small enterprises (MSEs) and to evaluate the behavioral changes of the MSEs after accessing electricity in targeted urban and peri-urban Zambia.

All the activities have been completed. They were conducted in conjunction with the MSE typology TA described above. The MSE survey had 1,814 baseline respondents, including the control group, 90% of whom were surveyed for the endline. The MSE evaluation concluded that micro-entrepreneurs continued using and paying for the electricity connections obtained under the GPORA project. As regards electricity consumption and purchase of appliances, MSEs from food-related businesses were predominantly buying fridges. Otherwise, electricity was used for lighting, TV/radio and small appliances. The project encouraged transition from more expensive diesel generators and also from wire-tapping, contributing to fire safety and customer regularization. A charcoal/kerosene switching survey of 500 households was added at the endline. It found that the use of fossil fuel for lighting is negligent. As to cooking, the survey found a limited but encouraging evidence of water boiling with an electrical appliance. To heat water for cooking or bathing/washing, 52% use a wood/charcoal stove (Mbaula) while 33% use electric kettles or heating elements. Going forward, 63% were thinking of getting an electrical appliance for cooking. 

The objectives of the activity is to explore and develop affordable housing solution models through OBA and explore applicability in one or two case studies. As planned for the final stage, an urban dashboard integrated final deliverables that analyzed access to infrastructure by renters and owners. The dashboards inform potential private sector providers of demand characteristics. Overall, the activity developed the concept for to capture and disseminate key service-access and city-management data. Data usability was tested with the Municipal Reform Cell in Bangalore. The report "Success When We Deemed It Failure? Revisiting Sites and Services in Mumbai and Chennai 20 Years Later" will also continue to be disseminated in discussion forums about basic services and the role of RBF.

The objective of the proposed study is to evaluate the role that demand factors (e.g. affordability, access) play in OBA success and determine improved methods for incorporating relevant demand considerations into future project design.

The activity is to support the development and dissemination of a comprehensive report focusing on Cities. This activity seeks to build knowledge on the applicability of Output- Based Aid (OBA) and Results-based Financing (RBF) schemes in urban climate change mitigation strategies. The overarching objective of this activity is to inform the dialogue on the implementation of OBA and RBF mechanisms in the emerging climate change agenda, through a holistic knowledge and operational approach to develop and dissemination a comprehensive report focusing on Cities.

Several analytical activities have been developed including a report on New Perspectives on Results-Based Blended Finance for Cities: Innovative Finance Solutions for Climate-Smart Infrastructure (2019), a note on RBF for Pro-Poor and Climate-Smart Investments in Cities (2019), a report on RBF Climate Finance in Practice: Delivering Climate Finance for Low-Carbon Development (2017), and a report RBF in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Resilience: The Example of OBA (2017).  The activity developed an e-learning course based on these reports and further disseminated these knowledge products through webinars and face-to-face workshops. Also, an online collaborative platform was established to share knowledge on an ongoing basis. 

The objective of the overall program of support for HIV efficiency, effectiveness, integration, incentives and sustainability, jointly agreed between DFID and the World Bank (detailed in the Concept Note) is to:

a) Bring new evidence about how to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and integration of various HIV programmes

b) Determine how incentives could be used to strengthen HIV programmes’ impact and implementation

c) Support governments to implement such changes at country level

d) Strengthen efforts to make the economic case for why these HIV investments yield good returns

The successful completion of these activities will contribute to the attainment of the higher-level objectives of the overall program described above.