2014年-世界发展银行全球_Serbia___The_World_Bank_Group_Country_Opinion_Survey_FY14_165页_3mb

Summary of the World Bank Group Country Opinion Survey FY14 (Serbia)

Core Content

This report summarizes the findings of the World Bank Group (WBG) Country Opinion Survey conducted in Serbia during FY14. The survey aimed to assess stakeholder perceptions of the WBG's role, effectiveness, and future relevance in the country. It also gathered insights on general development issues, sectoral priorities, and communication practices.

Main Objectives

• To understand how stakeholders in Serbia perceive the World Bank Group.
• To collect systematic feedback on:
  • General issues facing Serbia
  • Overall attitudes toward the WBG
  • The WBG's effectiveness and results
  • Knowledge work and activities
  • Communication and information sharing
• To inform the Serbia country team's strategy based on the survey data.

Methodology

• The survey was conducted from November 2013 to January 2014.
• Two types of questionnaires were used: paper and online.
• Paper questionnaires: 34 were sent, 6 completed (18% response rate).
• Online questionnaires: 608 were sent, 247 completed (41% response rate).
• Respondents were drawn from various stakeholder groups including:
  • Government offices (President, Prime Minister, Ministers, Parliamentarians)
  • Ministry employees and implementation agencies
  • Consultants and contractors working on WBG projects
  • Local government officials
  • Bilateral and multilateral agencies
  • Private sector organizations and financial institutions
  • NGOs, CBOs, and private foundations
  • Media and academia
  • Judiciary and independent government institutions
• The survey included questions on:
  • WBG's effectiveness and results
  • Knowledge work and activities
  • Working with the WBG
  • Future role of the WBG
  • Communication and information sharing
• The survey data will be aggregated for the WBG's annual Corporate Scorecard.

Key Findings

Demographics of the Sample

• The majority of respondents were from Belgrade.
• Stakeholder groups were combined for analysis where numbers were small:
  • PMUs and consultants were grouped
  • Financial sector and private sector were grouped
  • Multilateral and bilateral agencies were grouped
  • NGOs/CBOs/private foundations were grouped
  • Local government, media, and other organizations were grouped
• Respondents' familiarity with the WBG was significantly lower than in FY '07 (6.3 vs. higher).
• Familiarity was strongly correlated with perceptions of WBG's overall effectiveness and moderate correlation with its ability to achieve development results.
• Respondents who collaborated with the WBG gave significantly higher ratings for effectiveness and staff preparedness.

General Issues Facing Serbia

• Serbia's Direction:
  • Parliamentarians and bilateral/multilateral agencies were more likely to believe Serbia is heading in the right direction.
  • A majority of consultants, PMUs, and academia were unsure.
• Development Priorities:
  • Top priorities included: Economic growth, private sector development, and foreign direct investment.
• Poverty Reduction:
  • Respondents identified increasing income generating activities/employment, private sector development, and foreign direct investment as the top contributors.
• Economic Growth:
  • Foreign direct investment and agricultural development were widely seen as key contributors.
  • Consultants and PMUs emphasized anti-corruption, while academia focused on education and other groups on job creation.
• Shared Prosperity:
  • Respondents highlighted the importance of job creation, education, and infrastructure development.

Overall Attitudes Toward the World Bank Group

• Effectiveness:
  • Respondents in FY14 gave lower effectiveness ratings (6.7) compared to FY '07 (higher).
  • Consultants and PMUs gave the highest ratings for effectiveness, while NGOs and bilateral/multilateral agencies gave the lowest.
• Staff Preparedness:
  • Respondents who collaborated with the WBG rated staff preparedness higher than those who did not.
• Importance of WBG's Activities:
  • In FY '07, the WBG's greatest values were knowledge (46%), financial resources (40%), and policy and economic advice (35%).
  • In FY14, the WBG's effectiveness in financial resources and technical assistance was higher among consultants and PMUs.
• Capacity Building:
  • Consultants and PMUs rated capacity building work in project implementation and citizen engagement as most important.
• Greatest Weaknesses:
  • Identified as: Lack of transparency, insufficient local presence, and insufficient impact.

Attributing Failed/Slow Reform Efforts

• Respondents who collaborated with the WBG were more likely to attribute failed or slow reform efforts to:
  • Lack of/inadequate government capacity (53%)
  • Less likely to attribute them to insufficient citizen/civil society participation (9%)
• Non-collaborators were more likely to attribute these issues to inadequate government capacity (37%) and lower citizen participation (22%).

Sectors: Importance and Effectiveness

• Importance of Specific Areas:
  • Significant differences in importance ratings were found for five areas:
    • Environmental sustainability (consultants and Parliamentarians)
    • Domestic private sector development (Parliamentarians)
    • Trade and exports (consultants and Parliamentarians)
    • Financial markets (Parliamentarians)
    • Climate change (NGOs and Parliamentarians)
• Effectiveness of Specific Areas:
  • Significant differences in effectiveness ratings were found for three areas:
    • Environmental sustainability (private sector)
    • Global/regional integration (NGOs)
    • Natural resource management (NGOs vs. media)
  • Respondents who collaborated with the WBG gave higher effectiveness ratings in five areas: anti-corruption, environmental sustainability, regulatory framework, domestic private sector development, and public sector governance/reform.
• Drivers of Effectiveness:
  • The WBG's effectiveness at job creation/employment, economic growth, and regulatory framework was most strongly correlated with overall effectiveness.
  • The WBG's effectiveness at job creation/employment, public sector governance/reform, foreign direct investment, domestic private sector development, and economic growth was most strongly correlated with its ability to help achieve development results.

Key Takeaways

• The WBG's perceived effectiveness and relevance have declined since FY '07.
• Collaboration with the WBG is a strong indicator of positive perceptions.
• Different stakeholder groups emphasize different development priorities and areas of focus.
• The WBG is seen as having a significant role in capacity building, particularly in project implementation and citizen engagement.
• There is a call for greater local presence, transparency, and impact in the WBG's operations in Serbia.

Communication and Openness

• Respondents were asked about their preferred methods of receiving information from the WBG and their awareness of its Open Data policy.
• The WBG's communication and information sharing practices were evaluated, with a focus on accessibility and responsiveness.
• The survey also assessed the use of the WBG's websites and the level of Internet access among respondents.

Conclusion

The survey provides a comprehensive overview of stakeholder perceptions of the WBG in Serbia. While the WBG is seen as valuable in certain areas, there is a need for improved communication, local presence, and alignment with national priorities. The data highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement and collaboration in shaping the WBG's role and effectiveness in the country.