While improved cross-sectoral collaboration, increased staff capacity, and closer engagement with sub-national governments are necessary for greater impact, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has made significant contributions to urban livability in Asia and the Pacific.
The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Independent Evaluation Department recently examined the bank’s portfolio of livable cities from 2017 to 2024 in order to determine its preparedness to provide integrated and locally relevant urban solutions for improving urban livability.
“Improving urban livability is a priority for ADB, especially as cities across the region face mounting pressures from rapid urbanization, infrastructure gaps, and environmental challenges,” said Independent Evaluation Director General Emmanuel Jimenez. “To deliver greater impact, ADB must strengthen its urban diagnostics to better identify locally relevant livability priorities that are grounded in strong governance, sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience,” Jimenez added.
The assessment discovered a number of operational shortcomings even though the ADB’s livable cities objective generally matched the requirements of developing member nations.
In particular, project results indicators frequently lacked clarity, making it challenging to monitor progress and assess impact. Additionally, they were not effectively incorporated into corporate results frameworks or national partnership initiatives.
Sung Shin, the leader of the evaluation team, pointed out that the delivery of integrated urban solutions has been hampered by ADB’s institutional structure’s ongoing evolution and its lack of internal incentive systems.
“Some multilateral development banks have advanced direct engagement with local authorities, but ADB has yet to fully leverage such approaches,” Shin stated.
“Strengthening staff capacity and working more directly with local governments could enhance ADB’s support for cities and help translate livability goals into more tangible outcomes,” Shin added.
The assessment suggests that ADB improve its urban diagnostics, better connect project design with national policies, and improve monitoring and evaluation procedures to better track project outcomes in order to increase its impact.
Additionally, it urges expanding interaction with sub-national entities through technical assistance and direct lending, as well as customizing organizational models to facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration.
Concerning ADB’s Independent Evaluation:
In order to enhance development outcomes throughout Asia and the Pacific, ADB’s Independent Evaluation offers unbiased evaluations of the organization’s operations, strategies, and outcomes. It reports to the Board of Directors via the Development Effectiveness Committee.
