The World Bank Group has come a long way in supporting structural reforms in its member countries. The most remarkable feature of its long 35 years and continuing journey has been its ability to listen, learn and adjust over time. It learnt relatively quickly that reform ownership is a necessary...

This paper studies the links between public spending, governance, and outcomes. We examine the role of governance-measured by the level of corruption and the quality of bureaucracy-in determining the efficacy of public spending in improving human development outcomes. Our analysis contributes to...