Member's Documents
Evaluation of the Implementation of the AfDB’s One Bank Approach
Published by: Independent Development Evaluation, African Development Bank
The evaluation aimed to provide actionable findings, lessons and recommendations to Bank’s Management and Board of Directors on how effectively the OBA has strengthened accountability, enhanced efficiency, and fostered collaboration since its launch in March 2020.
The evaluation found that the OBA is well aligned with the Bank’s corporate strategies, including the Ten-Year Strategy (2024-2033) and the goals of the GCI-VII. It addressed key coordination, communication, operational efficiency, and collaboration gaps identified in earlier reforms, particularly the Development and Business Delivery Model. The OBA has helped improve collaboration, clarify accountabilities, and enhance budget management and business processes. It has also fostered a more integrated organizational culture. However, challenges remain, including complex business processes, weak incentives for teamwork, staffing gaps, tensions over budget authority, and limited client centricity. Moreover, key performance indicators are not fully aligned across teams, and decision-making authority has become increasingly centralized at the headquarters. Change management efforts have yet to lead to significant cultural change.
The evaluation highlights the need to consolidate and sustain on-going change management efforts, clarify institutional roles and align performance frameworks to strengthen shared accountability, streamline the Bank’s business processes and resolve staffing challenges, and strengthen the existing monitoring, reporting, and evaluation arrangements, as well as risk management of reform implementation.
