Dr. Marvin Taylor-Dormond was recently appointed Director, Independent Evaluation Group – IFC (IEG-IFC), effective October 2, 2006.
Marvin joins IEG-IFC after a successful career in the Central American Bank of Economic Integration in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where he held positions such as Controller (Independent Oversight and Evaluation Authority), Executive Vice President and most recently--Chief Economist and Chief Evaluation. Marvin has also served as Vice-Minister of Finance for the Republic of Costa Rica, his native country, and as Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Economic Research of the University of Costa Rica. He holds a PhD in Economics from the Carleton University and Ottawa University in Canada, an MA in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, and a Lic. and BA in Economics from the University of Costa Rica.
In this interview, Marvin outlines his vision, discusses IEG-IFC' s contribution to IFC’s development agenda, and talks about the most important goals for the Group in the coming years.
Q: What do you think is IEG-IFC's biggest contribution to IFC's development agenda?
A: IEG-IFC has an extremely important role to play in advancing IFC’s development goals. First, it helps strengthen IFC’s accountability via its independent reporting. Second, it promotes learning and the adoption of best practices from IFC’s past operations. Third, IEG-IFC is in a unique position to stimulate better understanding of development as a discipline in IFC – the policies, concepts, strategies, and the effectiveness of its activities to reduce poverty and improve lives. Finally, through improved knowledge IEG-IFC promotes better allocation and more efficient use of resources by IFC.
Q: How has your previous career in research, government, and your most recent position at the Central American Bank of Economic Integration (CABEI) prepared you for this new position?
A: I have had a diverse experience, with positions in research, government, and multilateral development finance. My background in economic research has provided me with a strong foundation in the field of research design and interpretation. My experience working in two administrations for the government of Costa Rica has given me the ability to understand the needs and demands of those leading the destinies of a country, especially when dealing with finances. And my most recent position at CABEI has enriched me with a broad experience on the intricacies of multilateral development organizations from various perspectives – Assembly of Governors, Board of Directors, and management -- thus equipping me with skills to facilitate financial assistance to both public and private sectors. In sum, I feel confident that I can effectively lead the evaluation function at IFC, with a good understanding of the needs of the many stakeholders involved and the various perspectives and cultures that have to be taken into account in this position.
Q: Could you set out some of the most important goals you see for IEG-IFC in the coming years?
A: I look forward to a challenging yet promising future. The most important goals that I see for our Group in the coming years are:
- To strengthen IEG-IFC’s relevance and influence among internal and external stakeholders;
- To improve our response to stakeholders’ pressing demand for more information on the development effectiveness of IFC’s interventions and initiatives, and to scale up the scope of our analysis;
- To engage more fully in the challenging nature of IFC’s business and the rapid growth path that IFC is on;
- To effectively contribute to an improved understanding of the impact of interventions by the World Bank Group as a whole – not just IFC, while maintaining IEG-IFC’s leadership in carrying out evaluations of private sector investments and initiating evaluation of IFC’s technical assistance projects.
Q: What, if any, were your personal impressions of IEG-IFC before you came on board?
A: I have a very deep respect for the work done by this Group. Before coming on board, I was well aware of the fact that IEG-IFC has been the leader in setting up and fulfilling world standards in evaluating private sector operations. As a matter of fact, I implemented some of the practices and standards set forth by IEG-IFC while working at CABEI. I followed with admiration how, as a result of IEG’s hard work and vision, the independent evaluation practice became embedded into IFC’s operations.
Q:
How do you think IEG-IFC could strengthen its relationship with IFC's operational departments?
A: Without undermining the independence principle, maintaining a strong and sustainable partnership with IFC’s operational teams is essential for IEG-IFC in order to promote relevance and accountability at this level. I think we can do so by providing more useful products and timely, as well as practical lessons from experience. We can also strengthen these relationships by more effectively disseminating our products, and understanding the strategic challenges that IFC’s management is facing. Finally, it is important not to underestimate the importance of the human factor – creating and maintaining strong interpersonal relationship with people in all IFC departments is crucial to the creation of a productive and respectful environment.
Q: Are there any strategic sectors or regions you would like IEG-IFC to concentrate on from now onwards?
A: IEG-IFC’s work should be closely tied to IFC’s strategy, which in turn must be closely tied to the development needs of its clients. This means that our future work program will respond to a great extent to this strategy. Therefore, we will put special emphasis on frontier countries and on the sectors and regions where IFC has the highest investment volume or where it intends to invest. I also expect to pay a lot of attention to countries and sectors with the highest risk factors and to those with the greatest potential to generate lessons of experience in development. Naturally, other important factors for determining our priorities will be the considerations and concerns of the Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE) of the Board as well as the vision of the Director-General of Evaluation, Vinod Thomas.
