Here's what you need to know about the World Bank's project pipeline

As the World Bank Spring Meetings conclude, Devex takes a look at the projects in the pipeline for the world’s largest development bank. You can browse through different locations, sectors and the different stages of projects under preparation in this interactive visualization. More details on each project can be found in our Funding Activity Feed, which is also accessible through the visualization. Most of the World Bank’s financial and technical assistance to developing countries is channeled through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association in form of credits, loans, grants and guarantees. In the fiscal year 2016, the IBRD and IDA committed $45.9 billion to partner countries through a total of 291 approved projects. World Bank project life cycle The World Bank project cycle has traditionally been divided into six stages: Identification, preparation, appraisal, negotiation and approval, implementation, and evaluation. The World Bank’s economic research arm might be influential at the identification stage, but the request for a project must be submitted by the ministry of finance of the interested country. However, the "idea" for a project can come from a need flagged by civil society, the private sector, any ministry of the borrowing government or the bank itself. Once a project is identified, it is included in the Monthly Operational Summary. During the in planning stage, the bank might fund prefeasibility studies to be carried out by any eligible contractor. Once the feasibility and viability of a project is confirmed, a task team leader from the bank is assigned for the preparation stage. However, the executing agency will be responsible for examining the technical, economic, environmental and social aspects of the project, and in charge of advertising any potential consulting opportunity in relation to those evaluations. The next stage is the project appraisal, led by the bank and often with the help of external consultants. A negotiation stage follows, in which the borrowing country and the bank agree on the terms of loan, before the board of executive directors approves the project. During the implementation, the executing agency prepares the procurement of goods, works and services with bank supervision. At the end of the loan disbursement period, the bank conducts an evaluation on the outcomes of the project. Projects in planning: Why are they important? According to the bank, it takes about 13 months on average for the bank to process a project from the concept note to approval. Some conflictive cases take longer, such as the potential World Bank support to domestic lignite coal in Kosovo, which has been in the MOS since 2011. Other delays may also affect the time a project stays in the pipeline. The in-planning period is relevant for potential World Bank partners to start studying the projects that could generate business opportunities. In addition to the opportunity for consulting contracts for evaluations and prefeasibilities studies, this planning period also offers a window to discretely promote an organization’s services to the executing agency officials and those responsible in the bank, through technical presentations or visits. It is also a good time to start identifying local partners for the opportunities that will arise in the implementation stage. Highlights of the World Bank MOS for March 2017 The World Bank MOS for March 2017 includes 998 projects, 23 percent of which have already been approved by the board. However, they are included in the MOS until the financing agreement between both parties is signed. There are 644 projects currently in planning, meaning under one of the following status: Identification completed, concept completed, appraisal completed or negotiations authorized. There are 40 “new” projects listed in this MOS and 78 revised ones, meaning they have been affected by changes since the last MOS was published. The biggest project included in this MOS is the Noor-Midelt Solar Power Project in Morocco with an IBRD contribution of $400 million and $1.3 billion from other funders, including $260 million from the African Development Bank and $750 from KfW Development Bank. The new Renewable Energy Guarantee Project in Ethiopia is also one of the largest projects: the $1 billion cost will be fully covered by foreign private commercial sources. The World Bank is also preparing an Additional Financing Project for the Quito Metro Line 1, with a $150 million contribution from the IBRD and $1.1 billion from other funders, including the European Investment Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Another new project identified at the beginning of March is the Lowland Development, Restoration and Conservation Program in Indonesia, with a total budget of $1 billion — including an IBRD contribution of $600 million. In the $1 billion cost range, we can also find three projects co-funded by the Asian Investment Infrastructure Bank: the Gas Storage Expansion Project in Turkey, and two transportation projects in India: the Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3, and the Pune Metro Rail Project, in pipeline since March and December 2016 respectively. The top five countries for bank projects in planning, new or revised, are: India (40), China (31), Indonesia (21), Pakistan (18) and Afghanistan (17). Counting those already approved but still in the MOS, India still leads the ranking with 51 projects, summing up to more than $10 billion. However, Bangladesh becomes the second country with 38 projects. China (34), Afghanistan (29), Pakistan (29) and Indonesia (25) follow. Not surprisingly, almost all the same countries appear on the list of largest project budgets. The exception is Nigeria, with 21 projects summing to $5.5 billion. A $750 million project on fiscal reform, a $500 million Nigeria Electricity Sector Credit Facility and a $500 million National Social Safety Nets program are among the largest projects in the country. The World’s Bank’s global practices with the largest pipelines are energy and extractives ($20.1 billion) and transport and ICT ($17.8 billion). Social, urban, rural and resilience ($13.1 billion) together with water ($12.3 billion) follow the ranking. At the other end of the spectrum, the bank’s Finance practice has one project in South Africa worth $93 million, and Macroeconomics and Fiscal Management has two projects: A $20 million technical assistance to the Economic Community of Central African States and a Statistical Capacity Building project in Haiti ($5 million). In the past month, the World Bank has approved $177.5 million for seven projects to Angola, Bhutan, the Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon, Haiti and Madagascar, in order to develop national capacity to produce and disseminate high quality national statistical data. Similar projects are in preparation in Mali, Bangladesh and Argentina. Most of these projects are handled by the Poverty and Equity Global Practice. Do you have questions about our methodology or specific opportunity? Reach out to our experts at analysts@devex.com for more information. 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