Conditionality Revisited : Concepts, Experiences, and Lessons

This volume illustrates many questions around the different donor approaches to conditionality remain controversial. How relevant is the number of conditions? Is ex ante or ex post conditionality more conducive as a mutual commitment device? How can budget support be more predictable-by focusing conditions on specific policy actions or on outcomes? How can risks be managed, and what is the optimal risk and failure rate of conditions and programs? Ex post conditionality based on completed actions provides an alternative to traditional ex ante conditionality that promises to be more flexible and more supportive of government ownership. It is at the core of the programmatic approach to policy-based lending that has increasingly become the World Bank's choice to support medium-term reforms. Another possible design option involves